Post by B5Erik on Dec 6, 2020 5:53:28 GMT
TKO - an episode of Babylon 5 that a lot of fans love to bash. Sure, it's part Jean Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport on Babylon 5, but that's not really such a bad thing. And there's the B story which is actually very good, so there's actually a lot here to enjoy.
First, the episode focuses on Walker Smith, a former boxer who had his license pulled when the corporation he worked for framed him for illegal performance enhancing drug use to keep him from knocking off their preferred champion (fighters sign contracts with corporations, kind of like MMA fighters and pro wrestlers do today with various MMA/Wrestling organizations - yet another case of JMS being ahead of the curve). Unable to fight on Earth or any Earth colony, Smith heads to Babylon 5 to fight in the MuTai (sort of an alien version of kickboxing). No human has ever competed in the MuTai, with the aliens thinking that humans are too soft and weak to be worthy.
So this storyline follows his attempt to get into the MuTai, and his fight with the champion once he gets in. It's actually a fairly entertaining story. Sure, there isn't much depth or substance there. It's strictly 80's fight movie kind of stuff, but so what? That's a nice change of pace for Babylon 5, and the story is handled fairly well (with Garibaldi being an old friend, so it's a Garibaldi story, more or less - about his friend and the quest to get into the MuTai). It's entertaining, which is the basic goal of any TV show (anything else is a bonus).
But the B story is actually really special. Lieutenant Commander Ivanova is still dealing with the death of her father - by ignoring it and internalizing and denying her grief. An old family friend, Uncle Theo - Rabbi Koslov. Rabbi Koslov has come to Babylon 5 to visit Susan, and to help her grieve by sitting shiva with her. He is surprised when she declines, stating she is too busy to do so. Rabbi Koslov (played by the excellent Theodore Bikel) senses that Susan is hiding her grief, both from others and from herself (in large part to her strained relationship with her father after the death of her mother). Rabbi Koslov takes his concerns to Commander Sinclair, which angers Susan. Claudia Christian gives an excellent performance in this episode, showing some real acting chops. You can see and hear the conflict within her. The script by Larry Ditillio really nails these scenes, as often the subtext is loud and clear. The resolution to this story is predictable, but handled very well and in a logical, natural manner.
There are no implications in the overall 5 year arc in this episode, it's truly a standalone episode. But sometimes on a show like Babylon 5 that's a good thing, and that's the case here. What some people find fault with when it comes to TKO are actually virtues. It's a change of pace, and an episode that has one story that is pure entertainment for entertainment's sake, and another story that is a story about depth of character. There is a bit of a balance in the episode.
Better than it's reputation, and worth revisiting.
3.75/5