6 thoughts on “Zocalo: Spoiler-free Discussion of Exogenesis”

  1. Can someone explain to me if this episode was trying to be a horror story with a twist at the end? Otherwise I can’t see any reason to make the joining process look so horrible – I guess I am comparing this to SG-1’s Tok’Ra where the joining doesn’t seem to be horrific at all

    1. I think that’s it. It’s a (slight) variant on “aliens that seem baddies are really goodies!” Its heart is in the right place, but the episode as a whole doesn’t really come off for me. It gives me the sense of existing because of “There should be a Marcus episode,” not because there was some reason to tell this particular story.

      As for the B-plot: sometimes, JMS is not good at comedy. This often involves sex and romance. It’s a shame, because there’s a lot of potential in this plot line of exploring the subordinates’ loyalties.

      However, Stephen and Marcus are a fun double-act, so that’s something. Also, I have, for whatever reason, a really vivid memory of the trailer, so perhaps that was better than they usually were?

  2. I enjoyed the slice-of-life aspects of the episode more than the actual plot. Since B5 was limited by its budget and the times, it can be hard for it to actually depict a living, breathing community of a quarter-million people, but stuff like the medical meeting at the beginning of the episode, where we see Franklin has a dozen or more doctors that report to him in other MedLabs throughout the station, really help expand the scope beyond Babylon 5 just being a half-dozen people in three rooms.

  3. Agree with David. On rewatching for the first time in many years I was struck by how many people there are in it, and how many of them we never see again.

    I’d say it is like By Any Means Necessary, showing the lives of ordinary people and how they’re affected by events. And also how a seeming threat can be negotiated with and handled peacefully. Maybe this episode isn’t a success, but it’s great that B5 tries this.

  4. And while talking about the parasite taking over people, you have to mention the 1987 movie, The Hidden. starring Kyle MacLachan, Michael Nouri and Claudia Christian!

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