B5 Watchthrough: Soul Hunter

[ariela]

"2-Soul Hunter" (Watch on Vimeo)

Soul Hunter is an interesting episode of B5, and an ambitious one. I can't think of many TV series in the 1990s that were ready to wrestle with questions like whether the soul exists, and who has a right to possession of it, in their second episode. Especially when the only success in their genre at the time was Star Trek, and the network didn't have a lot of faith in them. 

A lot of shows would have played it conservative in those circumstances, and B5 did color within the lines in the sense of mostly doing self-contained episodes for its first season, slipping in touches of serialization in the form of character moments that would be referenced in future episodes, foreshadowing in newspaper headlines and TV news onscreen in the background, and continual teasing of the ongoing mystery of what happened during the Battle of the Line. But thematically? It wasn't conservative at all. And that makes for some ambitious choices even early in the series, which I find really interesting.

However, interesting isn't the same as good.

There's a lot of scenery-chewing here, and a lot of awkwardness in line readings (and, to be fair, line writing). I often talk about how, if you're familiar with The West Wing, it's interesting to watch A Few Good Men, because while that movie is full of Hollywood A-listers, they aren't native Sorkinese speakers the way the WW cast is, and while they give it their best, they don't quite have the rhythm down. The B5 cast, at this point, hasn't mastered JMSian.

Watch for Claudia Christian (Ivanova)'s line readings--like the rest of the cast, she's still stiff here, but she does have enough of a sly twinkle to her, and enough willingness to get her teeth around the Shakespearean melodrama of it all, that you can get hints of what the show will sound like when everyone gets comfortable with its style. 

Episode synopsis (scenes included in summary video are described in bold):

• Dr. Stephen Franklin, the station's new chief medical officer, arrives on B5 and is greeted by Sinclair and Ivanova. He replaces Dr. Kyle, who was transferred back to Earth, supposedly to work directly with the president, after being the only human to see a Vorlon out of its encounter suit. (Included as a major character introduction, and for a key tease about the Vorlons.)
• An alien ship of unfamiliar design, apparently damaged, is on a collision course with the station. Sinclair gets in a Starfury (small single-pilot ship) to attempt to intercept it, while Ivanova readies the defense grid to blow it up if he's unsuccessful. He succeeds, and the ship's unconscious occupant is taken to MedLab for treatment. (Partial inclusion as an Ivanova character moment.)
• Delenn offers to help identify the ship and occupant, since the Minbari are familiar with some alien species humans haven't had contact with.
• Dr. Franklin admits to Garibaldi that he's not sure if the alien is stabilized since he's not familiar with its physiology. Upon seeing the alien, the normally calm, helpful Delenn begins shouting in Minbari, grabs a weapon, and attempts to kill the alien.
• Later, Delenn explains to Sinclair that the alien is a Soul Hunter, a thief of souls that can sense impending death. Soul Hunters collect souls, preventing them from continuing on their journeys, something that the Minbari consider evil. They especially attempt to collect the souls they consider extraordinary--famous leaders, artists, etc.
• Three scenes are intercut:
  • Sinclair, Ivanova, and Garibaldi discuss how news of the Soul Hunter's presence has gotten out, and alien ships are departing the station, and alien station residents are hiding in their quarters.
  • A man cheats at a game of chance in Down Below, the station's low-income area, triggering another player to stab him.
  • The Soul Hunter wakes up and narrates the man's death to Dr. Franklin.
• Sinclair talks to the Soul Hunter.
• Ivanova and Franklin fire the body of the dead man into a nearby star and hold a brief funeral for him. (Included as an Ivanova character moment.)
• The Soul Hunter escapes from MedLab and kidnaps Delenn. Another Soul Hunter arrives on the station and informs Sinclair that the other Soul Hunter has gone rogue. 
• The Soul Hunter begins draining Delenn's blood to kill her and take her soul. 
• Sinclair rescues Delenn. While he's fighting the Soul Hunter, it says a few cryptic things about Delenn. (Partial inclusion for ongoing plot arc.)
• In MedLab, a barely conscious Delenn tells Sinclair, "We were right about you." In his quarters, Sinclair queries his computer as to what "Satai" means. (Included.)

Deep dive:

• Rowan Kaiser's review and analysis at the AV Club.
• The Lurker's Guide episode entry.

Main takeaways:

• Delenn is more than she seems.
• The Minbari are somehow using Sinclair.