Earhart’s: “Infection” spoiler space

Have you recovered from your “Infection”…? There’s a fair bit of analogizing to, if not foreshadowing of, future plotlines in this episode–but how does it hold up? This thread is for all spoiler commentary on the episode, including after our podcast is released.

12 thoughts on “Earhart’s: “Infection” spoiler space”

  1. Not sure if this constitutes a spoiler for the rest of the series or not…

    When Sinclair is talking down the machine, it says something about “Great Maker”. I found it interesting that this is the same expression Londo uses quite frequently.

    Knowing JMS, I’m sure it’s not a coincidence.

  2. Aside from being a contender for Worst Episode Ever, the thing that always stuck in my mind about this episode was its entry in an old piece of internet humor that used to float around, “Babylon 5: The Missing Lines,” https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated/tIYWFNxNAzQ

    Garibaldi: Listen to me Jeff. Sometimes when people came back from the war they changed. Some of them thought it was easier to find something to die for than something to live for. Do you have Captain Kirk syndrome or something?

    Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure this is the last time Sinclair gratuitously puts himself on the line in an action sequence. I remember reading on the Lurker’s Guide someone complaining to JMS that Sinclair was being too hands-on in one of the early episodes, but I think it was just front-loaded. After the first half-dozen episodes, I don’t think he even gets in a Starfury again (barring flashbacks).

  3. If it weren’t for David McCallum (Ilya Kuryakin) there would be little redeemable on this one.

    Except for Sinclair’s “Marilyn Monroe” speech at the end.

  4. The way Franklin and Ivanova discuss the rising intolerance of aliens on Earth and the seizure of the artefacts forebodes future story lines. Other than that, this is the Phantom Menace of B5’s first season.

  5. The first regular season episode to be filmed and one of the worst.

    Besides the predictable, cheesy script the acting level here by everyone is just..bad. Garibaldi and Sinclair in particular.

    The talk between the two at the end is terrible with dialogue and acting both being college 101 level.

    Regarding Sinclair’s speech at the end, I doubt the Vorlons or the Minbari ever developed an appreciation for Marilyn Monroe (the Centauri maybe).

    Not the episode to show someone who has never seen the show before!

  6. I agree that it’s not a great episode but I do enjoy the historical/archaeological aspect. I have a serious love for stories with deep mythology and while main action of the the episode itself is forgettable at best I ave always wanted more info on the Inkaran (SP?) civilization. Also I can’t hate too hard on the first introduction/mention of IPX.

  7. I like the observation about how the role of Interplanetary Expeditions doesn’t develop later on in the way that it should. My guess would be that the explanation is that JMS intended it to play a role in the Catherine Sakai version of the Anna-Sheridan-goes-to-Z’ha’dum plotline.

    One may note that this is the first, but not the last, appearance of JMS’s dislike of academics, for which see his commentary on “The Deconstruction of Falling Stars.”

  8. First mention of organic tech as used by the vorlon (and “perhaps” the minbari) but otherwise very much a monster of the week story.

  9. Not a great episode, although the role of what corporations get to do that private individuals and research institutions can’t because “they who have the gold make the rules” is certainly still a timely topic.

    Other than that, “Infection” seems very much a retread of the old Star Trek episodes “The Doomsday Machine” and “The Changeling,” and very likely many other installments of sci-fi past (purity = Daleks, anyone?).

    Shannon’s suggestion that the Ikarrans were fighting the Shadows makes a lot of sense. Good catch!

    (Anyone else notice that, when Nelson attacks the customs officer in the teaser, the actor playing the officer closes his eyes a split-second before Nelson “closes” them for him?)

  10. I call this episode “Land of a 1000 Soliloquies.”
    My favorite: IKARA!

    I read somewhere that JMS had a fever of 103 when he wrote this. With that perspective, this effort isn’t half bad. I’m even surprised after corralling the thing into an airlock, he didn’t use the “Let me bend my elbow around a ladder rung to survive the explosive decompression” trope.

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