Contents: Overview - Backplot - Questions - Analysis - Notes - JMS

Overview

An internal affairs investigation of Sinclair forces him to answer for his recent command decisions. Ivanova confronts a member of Psi-Corps, as well as her own fears, when she is told to submit to a scan. Gregory Martin as Col. Ari Ben Zayn. Jeffrey Combs as Harriman Gray.

Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 8.16

Production number: 122
Original air date: July 13, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by Larry DiTillio
Directed by Jim Johnston

Watch For:

• Some alarming developments on the Mars colony.
• A possible change in Ivanova's attitude toward Talia Winters.

Backplot

• The unrest on Mars is continuing to escalate; now the separatists have started carrying out terrorist attacks and are arming themselves. (cf. "A Voice in the Wilderness")

Unanswered Questions

• How will the powerful backers of the investigation react to Ben Zayn's failure?

Analysis

• Several interesting hints about Ivanova and Talia Winters are dropped, most notably the fact that Ivanova was thinking of Winters when she and Gray were talking in the lounge. Ivanova's insistence that no one must ever intrude upon the memory of her mother's telepathic contact may foreshadow a less adversarial relationship between the two of them in the future. (cf. "Mind War")
• The fact that Bester was able to intervene in the investigation at all suggests that he, and possibly Psi Cops in general, wield a lot of power in the Psi Corps. It is also conceivable that Bester and at least some of the factions in the Senate who backed the investigation are related.
• Is Ivanova's reluctance to be scanned simply what she says it is -- a result of her contact with her mother and her general hatred of Psi Corps -- or does she more immediate reasons, perhaps something to hide?

Notes

• Lennier's chant, "Za ba ga bee," is the title of an album by Barnes and Barnes, of which Bill Mumy is a member. (See jms speaks)
• One of the masked men in Ivanova's dream is played by Macauley Bruton, who also plays Garibaldi's aide in "Mind War," "And the Sky Full of Stars," and "Chrysalis." See jms speaks.

jms speaks

• The last episode [of Season 1] to be shot will be Larry DiTillio's "Eyes," which is sort of a nice wrap-up to the season, almost an overview. Once again, nothing that happens this season is simply forgotten...and a *lot* of it comes due in this episode. It actually manages to incorporate references to about 6 prior episodes without being obscure about it.

• BTW...about the time we were delivering "Eyes," somebody on one of the nets was going on and on about how "B5 continuity *stinks*...I'll bet we NEVER hear about Deathwalker again, or the strike, or the Vorlons killing Deathwalker, or Raghesh 3...."

  And seeing what was at that moment on my TV, I wanted to reach through the computer monitor, roll up my forefinger, and *plink* that person right upside the nose.

  Unfortunately, I have not yet found a modem program that supports this feature.

  But Ron is promising me something by the Fall....

• The other thing about "Eyes," btw, is that it's not something dumped in outta nowhere to make a conflict; it's the direct payoff of events that take place throughout the season where Sinclair breaks or bends the rules. Lots of people on the various nets said, "Yeah, there he goes, breaking the rules in the strike, but is this every gonna pay off? No, probably not." If we're consistent with reality, and with our story, and Sinclair's broken some rules, and pissed off some people back home, then it is *inevitable* that this will eventually come home to roost in the form of an investigation.

• BTW, for those who saw the promo for "Eyes" at the end of "Grail," I have *no* idea what it has to do with the episode. Sometimes they "enhance" the story to make it promote-able...but I think this time they "enhanced" it right into a parallel dimension....

• Was Lennier's chant scripted?
  When it came time for that chant, nothing had been scripted; it was supposed to be a soft, under one's breath kind of chant. Bill came and asked me and Larry if we had anything in mind. We said no, whatever you decide is fine...and he ended up chanting his album cover.

  Later...*much*...later...when I discovered this, we discussed it at some length.

• There's another reason why Macauley was used as Tragedy in a dream mainly centered around Psi Corps; it's not really something anybody needs to see or catch. After "Revelations," it'll be clearer.

• Actually, ben-Zayn is an Middle Eastern/Arabic name.

• I believe the bike in question was a Ninja. And Jerry Doyle is something of an enthusiast, which is part of what led us to that.

• Correct; Kawasaki did not pay us a dime to use the bike in the show. We called around, to see who would loan us a bike, with the understanding that we'd be tearing it apart. Because Kawasaki does advertise with some of the PTEN shows, someone there had a relationship with the company, and gave us a name. After we tried a couple of other companies, we tried Kawasaki, and they agreed...not a donated bike, just a loaner. And that's what we used.

• The masks were the basic (though somewhat modified) tragedy and comedy masks, associated with theater. And a couple of times, Ivanova's mother does use the Russian nickname for her as well as the English version. Susan was taught and raised to a large extent overseas, and they always tried to keep her in both worlds.

• Yes, Psi Corps members must wear the Psi symbol at all times when in public. (Though since Grey was there undercover, that briefly went by the boards.)

• New Jerusalem is a planet; there's a side-story about it that I'm contemplating getting into, so don't want to blow it here.

• . . . Let me only emphasize some stuff here. As stated, Larry never SAW the Drumhead. We generally make it a point NOT to watch what's done on ST to avoid being influenced. Second, the basic ending which you feel is strictly ST's can be seen in the Caine Mutiny, A Few Good Men and others. "Eyes" was a direct consequence of all that preceded it in our first season. It came about because Larry suggested that with all that Sinclair has done, sooner or later somebody's going to take notice back on Earth. There would have to be some kind of investigation. Because we are doing some very specific things with the Psi Corps this year and next, which I wanted to foreshadow, a PC telepath was inserted into the story, to show that they are starting to get a foothold into the military, with new laws concerning scans.

  We knocked the story back and forth for some time, and it went through many different permutations. We also figured that the episode should be kind of a Cliff's Notes guide to season one, hitting the high points for those who joined the series later than those who were here at the beginning. The ending also went through various changes, but what made the most logical sense was to get the Colonel to admit bias in some fashion or another...and the only way to do this really was to get him so angry, so furious, that he'd incriminate himself enough, or open the door enough for Mr. Grey to verify the bias.

  That was how the structure was arrived at. I was there. It had nothing -- *nothing* -- whatsoever to do with the Drumhead, which I have a vague memory was written by Jeri Taylor, who is a friend of mine, and further invalidates the very idea.

• Mr. Grey would've been a P10. PsiCops are P12s.

  PsiCorps administrators at the upper reaches are P11 or better.

• Grey reached into Ben Zayn's head and, for lack of a better term, pushed his "pain button," the same way you can stimulate someone's memory or physical sensations with an electrode or chemicals. It was only a second, and he would've shrugged it off quickly, had Sinclair not been there to follow up.

Last update: June 10, 2018