Everyone, please welcome Peter David, Writer of Stuff™, to the Babylon 5 writing team. We’re going to have a really good show here, with a 23rd-century game of post-marital The Bachelor and the slimiest ex-psychic on record, who makes Bester look like a cuddly bunny. Give it up for “Soul Mates,” everybody!
Yes! Timov is perfectly cast and a joy to watch, once Jane Carr’s (necessary) grating wears off. Peter David is very funny. We’ve a great look at London the party animal. Sheridan’s approach to Talia feels a bit forced. Otherwise, David’s sense of timing is fine honed and he a wonderful handle on G’Kar, Londo and Vir particularly, one each actor responds to very well. And Lennier’s reaction to Delenn in curlers, his touches to his skull, elicited a loud “awww” from me. He also gets my favourite line in the episode,
“And I marked them exactly as you requested.”
Definite agreement here regarding Timov. It’s between Jane Carr’s Timov and John Vickery’s Neroon for my favorite guest character of the whole series.
In fact, I’d say Carr’s performance is crucial to the fact that the Londo storyline in this episode works at all. Otherwise, the episode would fall well on the wrong side of the line between Londo indulging in sexist humor and the episode encouraging the viewer in sexist humor. You really need this strong, immediate, charismatic voice to call Londo (and, by extension, the viewer) out on what’s going on.
Timov is also why I can’t bring myself to care at all about the Londo-Adira relationship in Born to the Purple (and it’s not just the age difference, icky though that is). Timov has what Adira doesn’t: a personality.
Have I mentioned that I really like Timov?
So, I still have trouble watching this episode, Stoner really really creeps me out – I think the actor did a marvellous job being creepy!
Watching this after having the experience with Kilgrave, Stoner creeps me out more then when I watched it way back in the day.
Though I do want to put a tiny thought out there for the empath idea. That positivity and liking someone isn’t the only emotions to bring to the fore. I’ve always thought that Stoner was pushing Garibaldi further then he’d normally go, mentally egging him on beyond just having an ace in the hole.