B5 Watchthrough: Mind War

[ariela]

I almost included Mind War as a must-watch episode. It introduces my favorite B5 frenemy, Alfred Bester (named for a scifi author I love). He's played by Walter Koenig, best known as Star Trek: The Original Series' Chekov. Bester joins Ivanova, Mollari, and G'Kar as a character whose actor immediately grasped the tone that's most effective for your average B5 scene: a bit arch, a bit sly, and willing to tear into the scenery with gusto, taking the Shakespearian melodrama up to 11.

It also gives us the first episode to really bring PsiCorps to the forefront, rather than just dropping ominous hints about them.

I didn't include it as a full-watch episode, however, because every bit of the main plotline that isn't Bester is very, um, Season 1. The actors are all doing their best, but there's really no way to deliver Ironheart's dialogue that's not going to look and sound ridiculous.

Plot synopsis:

In some ways, Mind War is a perfect follow-up to The Parliament of Dreams. If TPoD had a largely positive view of the search for transcendence, in the form of religion, Mind War is a dark mirror reflecting the inherent cruelty of commodifying such a search. (Capitalism, yo. It wrecks everything.)

Two PsiCops, telepaths charged with hunting down telepaths who've gone rogue, arrive on B5 to apprehend a telepath named Jason Ironheart. He was one of Talia's instructors at the Academy. They were also shtupping. They interrogate her, after which Ironheart contacts her. He informs her that he's been subjected to experiments designed to create a stable telekinetic, which has long been PsiCorps' white whale. The experiments seemed to have worked, but it turns out PsiCorps wanted a telekinetic for nefarious purposes. However, Jason's powers have continued to grow. He's having trouble controlling them, and he's also transcending his human form. The PsiCops eventually confront him. He accidentally kills the non-Bester PsiCop and becomes some sort of giant non-corporeal star-man. He gifts Talia with telekinesis. Sinclair rather testily orders Bester off his station. Bester gives him an odd salute and smarms, "Be seeing you."

Some of the best moments in this episode come from Claudia Christian, fairly seething with dislike for PsiCorps and facing off against an archly superior Bester. "Good old Psi Corps. You guys never cease to amaze me. All the moral fiber of Jack the Ripper! What do you do in your spare time, juggle babies over a fire pit? Oops, there goes another calculated risk!" It's awkward on the page--as someone who's written and edited a lot of VO dialogue, I'm sorta wincing looking at it--but Christian makes it work. 

Deep dive:

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

Main takeaways:

• PsiCops are a thing.
• PsiCorps is dabbling in undetectable telekinetic assassinations.
• PsiCorps can "program" telepaths with a code that, when another telepath sends it into their brain, causes them to fall unconscious. 
• Ivanova really, really hates PsiCorps.