Taro Isogi has a dream for a peaceful, free Mars. It's a pity he has to be killed by a zombie assassin, and it’s just too bad that Talia Winters is a horrified witness.
(Originally aired on December 7, 1994)
Written by Lawrence G. DiTillio
Directed by Kevin Cremins
| Authority and Politics |
| SHERIDAN: It's good to be the captain. |
SENATOR VOUDREAU: Practicality is more important than principles if lives are to be saved. |
SHERIDAN: I trust in individuals, not organizations. |
would be thrilled.
* The first appearance of Jeff Conaway as security schlub Zack Allen. He came in for a day, but he ended up staying for three and a half years.
ANALYSIS
This is the first of several episodes involving Talia Winters. In retrospect, the important elements are the setup for the Mars rebellion and the hints that Sheridan is not all he seems to be.
But was it intended that way? Andrea Thompson quit the show because she was always on call and had very little to do in the latter half of the season. As a result, J. Michael Straczynski eliminated her storyline and wrote the key elements into the arcs of other characters.
How much of the Talia Winters story was sacrificed when Andrea Thompson left? It’s hard to see whether it would have gone anywhere in any event.
"A Spider in the Web" proves to Talia that Psi Corps is up to no good. Over the next few shows, she begins to rebel, ask questions and investigate.
Then she effectively vanishes when the story shifts to the Narn-Centauri War. Armies are on the move, and Great Events are happening.
All this makes Talia’s rebellion look pretty small. Sure, the power of one mind can change the universe, but she has no particular authority or leverage. The actions she can take pale next to the coming grand rebellion of John Sheridan, commander of Babylon 5 and leader of the Alliance of Light.
Lyta Alexander would take up the telepathic slack in Talia's wake.
The Earth-2 of Babylon 5
Larry DiTillio would also soon depart Babylon 5. As the story editor and writer of seven episodes, he had more to do with the words of the series than anyone except JMS.
That’s not much, though. Starting with "Confessions and Lamentations", Straczynski would write 70 of the series’ last 71 episodes (plus four B5 television movies) – a writing achievement that verges on stark raving madness.
DiTillio sticks a number of references to his previous episodes in this show, from Jovian sunspots ("
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