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The Babylon Project
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in: Babylon 5 episodes, Babylon 5 Season 3 episodes

Passing Through Gethsemane

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A kindly monk finds himself assailed by strange objects and previously hidden memories. Lyta Alexander returns to Babylon 5.

Cast[]

Regular[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Featuring[]

Cast Notes[]

Summary[]

Introduction[]

Captain Sheridan and Brother Theo are playing chess in the Zen Garden as Commander Ivanova and Brother Edward watch. Ivanova offers a wager to Edward on the outcome, but Edward declines saying "if you're going to sin you may as well go for one of the really big ones." Sheridan is confident he has Theo trapped on the board. Theo pontificates on the subject of faith, but Sheridan insists he stop stalling and make a move. (If you look closely at the board, Theo's King is not as threatened as Sheridan's Queen). Theo quotes Ambassador Delenn: "Faith Manages" and puts Sheridan's King into checkmate in a single move of his Knight. Ivanova receives a link that Ambassador Kosh's ship is arriving and wishes to meet her in Bay 13.

Theo encourages Edward to show Sheridan his craftwork, a crystal figurine. Edward says he is doubly blessed in the making and then in the giving. He offers it to Sheridan once it is completed.

Ivanova arrives at Bay 13 as Kosh's ship pulls along side. Instead of exiting the ship, he approaches Ivanova from behind. He says she "should be informed." He looks at his ship and says "Returning." Lyta Alexander exits the ship, reminding Ivanova "I said I'd be back."

Act I[]

Alexander explains to Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franlkin that she found a ship to take her to the border of Vorlon space. After three days of beaming a signal into their space with no reply, she asked to be left in a lifepod. Five days later, as her air was about to run out, a Vorlon ship picked her up and took her to the Vorlon Homeworld. She is not permitted to disclose what she saw there.

Brother Edward negotiates an agreement with a corporate representative to do data transfer work at a cheap rate. After the negotiations, a black rose falls out of his bag, though he doesn't remember putting it there.

Delenn finds Garibaldi in the security office and asks him for security help with a Minbari delegation arriving the next week. He agrees. The news talks about a convicted murderer who will suffer the punishment of "death of personality," where his memories are erased and he is released back into society to serve the community. Garibaldi then explains that the system replaced execution as a form of punishment.

Dr. Franklin examines Lyta in Medlab and discovers that she is in essentially perfect health, with many of her previous medical issues having mysteriously been resolved.

Brother Edward walks into his quarters, turns on the light, and sees a message apparently handwritten in blood on his wall: "Death walks among you."

Act II[]

Brother Edward brings Garibaldi to his quarters, not wanting to alarm the others, but there is no message. Garibaldi says he would have his people look into it, while Brother Edward is moved to new quarters.

Ambassador Mollari runs into Alexander. He welcomes her back then attempts to bribe her to tell him what she saw on the Vorlon homeworld. After she refuses, he threatens to let Psi Corps know she returns, and she counter-threatens to implant in him nightmares for the remainder of his life. After she leaves, he mutters to himself that even with nightmares, life wouldn't be any different.

Brother Edward enters Delenn's quarters with her and Lennier and asks about their belief system. They explain that they believe the Universe is manifesting itself in each person in an effort to find meaning and understanding. According to the Minbari, the individual soul is projected into the physical realm through the lens of a body, and returns to the universe after death. Delenn asks Brother Edward about his religious emotional experience, and he recounts the story of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Brother Edward points out that Christ could have fled before the soldiers arrested him, but he chose to stay to finish his work. Brother Edward says he's always wondered if he would have had the courage to stay.

Brother Edward emerges in Brown Sector and briefly runs into a Centauri. He then hears someone cry out and heads toward the sound, but stops when he sees the message again on the wall of the corridor. He runs and soon starts to see images in his mind of a scene not on the station, and a dead woman with a black rose in her mouth.

Act III[]

He later is in his quarters reflecting on the images when Brother Theo comes in to check on him. After a brief discussion, Brother Theo leaves and Brother Edward begins a computer search to correlate the images he saw.

Brother Theo meets Sheridan in the arboretum and explains Brother Edward's nightmares. Brother Theo is concerned that Brother Edward may have suffered "death of personality," and Brother Theo wants to help him to the extent he can. Brother Theo asks Sheridan to do some digging and find the truth before Brother Edward does.

Brother Edward is in the corridor where he saw the image. Garibaldi arrives and explains that there was no trace of blood on the wall. Brother Edward simply asks for help finding his bag, and Garibaldi says he'd put out a notice for it.

Brother Edward is back in his quarters praying when the computer identifies a match with the search parameters. Several years ago a serial killer on Earth Colony 3 in the Orion system was apprehended. Known as the Black Rose Killer, the person – Charles Dexter – received "death of personality." Video image shows him – Brother Edward.

Act IV[]

Garibaldi tells Sheridan via videolink that Brother Edward was Charles Dexter. After the operation and being transported to Earth, the facility he was at burned. Assumed dead, he found his way to a monastery, conditioned by his new personality to serve society. They discover that Brother Edward now knows the truth about himself.

Brother Theo is looking for Brother Edward and finds him. Brother Theo tries to convince him to return and work with him for forgiveness, but Brother Edward doesn't accept that and goes to try to serve justice to himself.

Garibaldi comes into Sheridan's office with Brother Edward's bag. Reviewing the audio recording device, they discover that sounds were actually piped into the corridor where Brother Edward saw the message on the wall, and that there was a chemical used to write the message in Brother Edward's quarters, a chemical that would disappear after a short time. Discussing how the mind wipe could have been broken, they deduce that the Centuari that bumped into Brother Edward in the corridor was a telepath and broke the mind wipe. They begin searching the station records.

Brother Edward is praying in the monastery when a group comes in. Asked if he recognizes them, Brother Edward says he assumes they are the families of his victims. One of them confirms this and says the others were "too weak" to finish the job (torturing and executing Brother Edward) as revenge, but he would do it.

The Centauri who bumped into Brother Edward is in Sheridan's office being questioned. He refused to divulge the information, so Garibaldi puts a bag over his head and holds him. Lyta comes in and telepathically extracts the information on Brother Edward's location (Brown 42) from the Centauri before he becomes unconscious.

A security team goes to Brown 42 and begins searching for Brother Edward. Brother Theo, with them, finds Brother Edward in a crucifix position, having been tortured. Sheridan, Garibaldi, and Brother Theo help get him down.

Zack Allan comes and gets Sheridan and takes him to a man trying to escape the area. The man has blood on his hands and readily confesses to being the culprit. He is taken to holding.

Sheridan returns to Brother Edward, who tells Brother Theo that he finally learned he did have the courage to stay in Gethsemane. As Brother Edward dies, Brother Theo prays that God would receive him into his glory and invokes the authority of the Apostolic See to forgive Brother Edward of his sins.

Act V[]

Ivanova welcomes Lyta back from a short trip. Lyta is grateful that the embarkation area is clear of personnel.

In the arboretum, Brother Theo gives Sheridan the unfinished crystalline figure that Brother Edward was working on for Sheridan. Sheridan says that forgiveness is a difficult thing. Then, a new monk, Brother Malcolm, enters the arboretum. Sheridan recognizes him as Brother Edward's killer. When Malcolm tries to introduce himself to Sheridan and shake his hand, Sheridan backs away in disgust. Brother Theo explains that he specifically asked that the new Brother Malcolm join the order and go to a monastery. Brother Theo helps Sheridan start the process of forgiving Brother Malcolm for the murder.

In Kosh's quarters, Kosh's environmental suit is open and light is coming from it. Lyta stands in front of it, and beams of light come from her eyes and mouth and go into the suit.


Edited to add these thoughts:

She is standing there without a breather of any kind because it appears that she now has gill slits, thereby allowing her to process & breathe the Vorlon atmosphere that is provided for Ambassador Kosh in the Alien sector. This also seems to explain how she seems to have highly oxygenated blood as mentioned by Dr. Franklin. She would've likely needed those gills for while she was visiting the Vorlon homeworls

Memorable Quotes[]

“

" Lyta Alexander: Let it go. Let it go or I'll fry every synapse you've got."

–


“

"Brother Edward: "Theo.""
"Brother Theo: "Don't. Don't move Edward. Help is on the way.""
"Brother Edward: "It's alright, Theo. I knew what was going to happen. I even waited for them to come, so forgive them for doing what had to be done. I always wanted to know if I would have the courage to stay at the garden of Gethsemane. Now I know, Theo. Now I know.""

–


“

"Brother Edward: "Theo? I'm afraid. Is there enough forgiveness for what I've done?""
"Brother Theo: "Always, Edward. Always. Take my hand. Through the mysteries of our redemption may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May He open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy. Father, look with compassion on your servant, Edward who has trusted in your promises. Welcome him to your kingdom in peace. By the authority which the apostolic see has given me I grant you a full pardon and remission of all your sins. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.""

–


DVD Release[]

This episode, along with the other 21 from Season 3 have been released on DVD with extensive Special Features.

Background Information[]

"Passing Through Gethsemane" was shelved for over a year when a fan suggested a story idea to JMS that matched the core of the episode. Later, he was given a signed and notarized release by the fan, allowing him to resume work on the script.[1]

External Link[]

Episode guide page for Passing Through Gethsemane at the Lurker's Guide

References[]

  1. ↑ "Passing Through Gethsemane" page at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5, "jms speaks" section


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