Joe,

WWOR stationed in NJ, which also happens to be my NY station,
threw me a curve ball this week by airing B5 Saturday night at 8:00
p.m., and then again on Sunday night at 8:00 p.m.. This has me
wondering if they're thinking of moving the show back to its Sunday
night slot at 8:00, which they abandoned back on September 26th when
they moved it to Saturday nights at eight.
At any rate, I ended up watching the same episode back to back
both nights, which really didn't bother me because it's a pivotal
episode which I enjoyed. I'm writing you this because I must tell you
that I've gotten such a kick out of the way in which he handled
bringing Emperor Cartegia into the arc. When first we see him, he's
sporting a new hairstyle not fitting with Centauri tradition. Right
away this is a sort of "heads up" for the viewer to take notice of, but
it's not clear why. Does he view this new trend which he's stirred up
to be "chic," perhaps simply because he is young, or is he somehow
mentally and\or emotionally off balance? He's smart enough to assess
Molari during the first meeting that we the viewers get to see between
these two men, and we know he's up to something, though we're not sure
what. It all becomes clear once he spouts his "deification" speech to
Molari, and I must commend you on handling the scenario most
effectively. It is not until this point that both we and Molari get to
truly see the Emperor for what he is for the first time --insane. <G>
When Molari first enters the room he is so alarmed, so irritated, so
utterly frustrated by what the Emperor has done that he dares to grab
at his arm as if he were scolding an incorrigible child. Only moments
later does he realize what he's truly up against, a mad ruler, and his
utter speechlessness upon listening to the Emperor's insane notion is
priceless! <bg> It is also a true credit to Peter Jurasik as an actor,
who earns more of my respect for him as a performer on a seemingly
regular basis.
Anyway, just a little aside about something which I
particularly appreciated. I know that what we're looking at when we see
Cartegia is a reincarnation of Caligula, but it's all just so much fun
to watch. :) This episode also got me wondering about how Morden will
meet his end, and at whose hands, Molari's or the Shadows.
Cheers for producing such quality entertainment! ;-)