", in which Bester put one over on the entire command crew. Here, he complicates Bester’s relationship with the Alliance of Light without making him any less evil.
The secret is Bester’s candor. He flaunts his belief in the superiority of telepaths and his plans to crush the normals. He doesn’t believe he’s a villain, but he enjoys the idea that others do.
There’s a deeply ironic streak in Bester’s character. He’s aware of the figure he cuts in his black jackboots, and the image amuses him. That does more to humanize him than any secret lover or other buried weakness ever could.
Secret Barry White fan
That’s good, because the secret lover plot creaks.
The problem isn’t the idea itself, but how it’s introduced. JMS came under a lot of fire for the coincidence that Carolyn is the first to be revived. He responded by claiming coincidences do happen, but that defense is more than a little ingenuous.
Yes, coincidences happen in reality, but reality makes terrible fiction. Fiction has to make sense, and while coincidences are a good way to start a drama – "of all the bars in the world, why did she have to walk into mine?" – they’re not very useful for emotional payoffs.
Babylon 5’s best moments come from the consequences of deliberate choices. There’s a perfect example in this very episode: Delenn’s confession to G’Kar.
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In that scene, there are no random elements. We pay attention to how G’Kar and Delenn react to her revelation. We trust the story.
On the other hand, when Bester reveals his connection to Carolyn, we’re distracted from his pain by the thought, "Wow, what an amazing coincidence."
It’s sloppy writing that could have been avoided. Unfortunately, writing every episode was already beginning to take its toll on JMS. More sloppy writing and coincidences would plague the rest of the series.
COMING UP NEXT
"Interludes and Examinations"
Impudent, eager
Needing victory today
Kosh falls before him.
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