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The Babylon Project
The Babylon Project
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in: Babylon 5 episodes, Babylon 5 Season 2 episodes

Divided Loyalties

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Lyta Alexander returns to the station, convinced there is a traitor on board. Susan Ivanova makes a startling revelation.

Cast[]

Regular[]

Guest Starring[]

Featuring[]

Cast Notes[]

  • Regular Characters appearing in this episode are John Sheridan, Susan Ivanova, Michael Garibaldi, Delenn, Stephen Franklin and Talia Winters.
  • Last onscreen appearance of Talia Winters, played by Andrea Thompson, though she would still continue to be credited in the opening titles.
  • This episode also marks the first return of Lyta Alexander, played by Patricia Tallman, since "The Gathering": she will continue to appear as a recurring character in the third season before becoming a regular for the remainder of the show.

Summary[]

Introduction[]

Captain Sheridan runs into Delenn at the Universe Today kiosk. She mentions that she subscribes to the "Eye On Minbari" because not only would it benefit her to know how Minbari is perceived by humans but she occasionally gets some information on her own world faster than be told "what she needs to know, and not more."

Meanwhile, on Mars, a seriously injured man, Lee, stumbles through the sewers and runs into another man, Derek. Derek offers to take Lee to a hospital, but turns it down. With his last breath, Lee passes a data crystal to Derek, asking him to take it to Babylon 5 and warn them to tell them it's not safe.

Act I[]

In a bathroom, Michael Garibaldi waits for Sheridan as a Pak'ma'ra finishes nearby. Sheridan arrives and talks about the gardens for a bit and, after the alien leaves and Garibaldi checks to see no one else is there, he turns on a jamming device. He then asks Sheridan about his idea of bringing in Talia Winters to their group resisting Morgan Clark. Sheridan agrees that Winters seemed to be as uncomfortable with what the Psi Corps was doing and they set up a meeting.

Susan Ivanova is having a jovial meal with Talia Winters when she gets a notification that a ship has just come in through the jumpgate, but isn't moving. Before they adjourn, Winters tells Ivanova that her suite has problems, and accepts Ivanova's offer to stay at her place for the night. In C'n'C, Ivanova observes the arriving ship was hit. It failed to respond to hailing calls, and is subsequently towed to a hangar. Garibaldi arrives in the docking bay to find Franklin and a medical team bring in a single unconscious survivor. He recognises her as Lyta Alexander (the station's first commercial telepath), and Garibaldi briefs Sheridan on her history with Kosh and that they hadn't seen her since she was recalled to Earth. Alexander recovers in Medlab, but as soon as she puts her feet down, she aggressively demands to see Captain Sheridan, claiming that she knows that one of them is a traitor.

Act II[]

The command staff hear a calmed Alexander in a meeting. She reveals that she was questioned for two years on what she saw in Kosh's mind. She eventually escaped to Mars hoping to get to Vorlon territory. To get funds, she joined a revolutionary group on Mars but one of her best intelligence agents had been murdered because he uncovered a secret Psi Corps 'sleeper' program – a latent, unconscious personality which transmitted information after being planted in government positions. The latent personality could only be activated telepathically and takes over permanently. Lyta claims that she has received the telepathic password and proposes to telepathically send the activation password to all command staff. Sheridan tells her that he will consider it and Garibaldi has her taken to a holding cell.

Later, Sheridan confides privately with Delenn in hydroponics, complaining that there's never a dull moment. After an amusing conversation, he notices that she places her hand over his to comfort him, and that it lingers there lovingly, but he is quickly called away to his duties. Garibaldi reports that Lyta's story checks out and believes that she is telling the truth, but Sheridan still has doubts, noting she could be thinking about Jack or she is just stirring trouble. He prefers to sleep on it.

Meanwhile, Winters has made herself at home in Ivanova's quarters and Ivanova, frustrated over the day she's had, asks her if she knows Alexander. Winters says that they met in school but it was a long time ago. Later, Winters awakes and reaches over to the other side of the bed but finds that Ivanova is no longer there. At the same time, Garibaldi orders Zack Allan to transfer Alexander from the interrogation chamber to a cell, but, as Alexander walks to her new cell, suddenly the lights in the corridor cut out. The unseen attacker downs both her guards, but Alexander manages to take advantage of the dark to make her escape unharmed.

Act III[]

Sheridan berates Ivanova and Garibaldi and wants the missing Alexander found. He also says he is seriously considering to accept her proposal, but Ivanova vehemently objects. Sheridan cuts her off, saying he understands but this isn't like the last "loyalty test" he denied earlier.

Elsewhere, Alexander sends an anonymous call to Delenn asking to meet up in an hour. After meeting her, Delenn finds Sheridan with the message that Alexander will only come back if all of the command staff are present. Sheridan accepts the offer to meet wherever she wants. Meanwhile, Ivanova meets Winters as she collects her things from her quarters, since Winters' quarters are now back to normal. Ivanova confides in her that she has a secret that will haunt her. Winters doesn't pry but assures her that, no matter what it is, she has friends around her.

Sheridan arrives in his quarters surprised to find a worried Ivanova waiting for him. She reveals to him that she has been vehement against letting a telepath into her mind because she herself is a latent telepath.

Act IV[]

Ivanova relates all the effort she has exerted to hide her telepathy, and is worried that this will bring her in. Sheridan assures her that he is on her side, but, suddenly, he is pulled into an old memory of her with a raven sitting on her shoulder, asking him if he knew who she was. He starts to explain when he's interrupted by an urgent meeting request from Delenn. She brings Alexander to the command staff meeting. Sheridan offers to go first, and is clean. Franklin and Garibaldi also prove clean, but Sheridan asks her to hold off on Ivanova. They then call in the rest of the second-rated officers officers one by one on pretenses, but with no luck.

As patience runs thin, the senior staff clash over Ivanova's insistence but she eventually relents. Alexander notices that Ivanova is blocking her, but eventually the password is transmitted with no reaction. Just then, Winters walks in casually, without noticing what was going on in the room. Alexander takes the opportunity to send the password to her. There is a violent reaction, and Winters attempts to shoot her but is foiled by Garibaldi. She struggles and spits vehemently that the Psi Corps will hunt her down and kill her for unmasking her, as she is dragged away by Garibaldi.

Act V[]

Sheridan, Garibaldi and Franklin discuss the day's events and what to do with Psi Corp's sleeper program. Winters has undoubtedly informed them about the underground railroad and Franklin's involvement, but they now know about the sleeper program. They don't want either of those things coming out publicly. Garibaldi notes they are lucky they hadn't told her about their resistance to Clark, yet.

Garibaldi is reminded of her strange interactions with Kosh, that Winters told him about what Kosh said to her. Meanwhile, Ivanova confronts Winters in house arrest, hoping to see what is left of her recently consummated relationship/friendship but only a sinister personality remains. Alexander visits Kosh in his atmospheric quarters informing him that she had never told anyone of their encounter, and kept her memories of him hidden away in a locked corner of her mind. She asks Kosh if she can see their true form at least once before she leaves Babylon 5, which Kosh immediately grants without a word. (Kosh' true form is however still only seen/hinted at to us the audience, via a glowing fiery light reflected in Lyta's amazed visage and a bright circular reflection in a close-up of her eyeball.)

Memorable quotes[]

“

""I guess this wouldn't be a good time for me to suggest we all join hands and sing Kumbaya?""

– Michael Garibaldi, attempting to defuse the tension
“

""Why is it that every time you finally get things calmed down and everything's going great life decides to kick you in the butt?""

– John Sheridan to Delenn
“

""After our last encounter with your reporters, I felt that I should be more prepared in the future. I find this notion of the press a fascinating but sometimes troubling concept.""

– Delenn to Sheridan


Continuity[]

DVD release[]

This episode, along with the other 21 from Season 2 have been released on DVD with extensive Special Features.

External Link[]

Episode guide page for Divided Loyalties at the Lurker's Guide

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