lurkers-guide/guide/098

<!-- TITLE A Tragedy of Telepaths -->

<h2><a name="OV">Overview</a></h2>

<blockquote><cite>
The telepath situation continues to deteriorate.  The attacks on Alliance
ships continue.  Londo and G'Kar find an old friend in a nearly forgotten place.
</cite>

<a href="http://us.imdb.com/Name?Downes,+Robin+Atkin">Robin Atkin Downes</a> as 
Byron.
</blockquote>

<p>
Originally titled "Cat and Mouse"

<pre><a href="/lurk/p5/intro.html">P5 Rating</a>: <a href="/lurk/p5/098">8.18</a>

Production number: 510
Original air date: March 25, 1998
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00019071C/thelurkersguidet">DVD release date</a>: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Tony Dow
</pre>

<p>
<hr size=3>

<h2><a name="BP">Plot Points</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li>@@@890895097 Na'Toth was on Narn when the Centauri bombed it
	(<a href="042.html">"The Long, Twilight Struggle."</a>)
	She was captured by Centauri troops, along with other Narns, and brought
	to Centauri Prime to serve as entertainment in the royal palace.  When
	she proved insufficiently entertaining, she was locked in a cell and
	forgotten.  Londo and G'Kar have returned her to the care of the Narn,
	but G'Kar believes it'll be some time before she recovers from the
	experience of being locked in a Centauri prison cell for two years.

   <li>@@@890895097 The militant faction of Byron's telepaths have obtained
	weapons and have staged violent attacks on station personnel.  They
	believe they're doing what they're doing because it's the only way
	to protect Byron; he is dismayed that they're killing in his name.

   <li>@@@890895097 At Lochley's request, Bester and a team of bloodhound
	telepaths have come to the station to take the telepath colonists
	away.

   <li>@@@890895097 The attacks (presumably still by Centauri forces) on
	Alliance ships continue.  The attackers have attempted to up the ante
	by planting evidence that points to various members of the Alliance
	being responsible for the attacks, but Sheridan has so far managed
	to keep the member races from attacking one another in revenge.

   <li>@@@890895097 Sheridan has positioned a fleet of White Stars near a
	Drazi fleet at the border of Brakiri space.  If the Drazi attack the
	Brakiri in retaliation for the apparent Brakiri attacks on Drazi
	ships, Sheridan says, the White Stars will retaliate against the
	Drazi.  This gambit is working so far, but both the Drazi and the
	Brakiri are furious about what they see as an infringement on their
	right to self-defense.

   <li>@@@890938620 According to reports received by Londo, Centauri weapons
	manufacturing has risen 15 percent recently, something counter to
	normal Centauri peacetime policy.

</ul>

<h2><a name="UQ">Unanswered Questions</a></h2>

<h2><a name="AN">Analysis</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li>@@@890938620 The increased weapons production is presumably being used
	at least in part to back the attacks on Alliance ships.  But a
	sustained increase of 15 percent in the manufacturing output of
	a technologically advanced race like the Centauri would produce a
	<em>lot</em> of weapons and supplies.  Is someone stockpiling arms
	for a larger conflict?  Are other races' production facilities
	being similarly coopted?

	<p>
	The Centauri may be easier to use for such purposes than many other
	races because of their unquestioning acceptance of monarchy, as
	Londo demonstrated; if the order to increase production looked like
	it came from the Royal Court, most Centauri probably wouldn't
	question it in public.

</ul>

<h2><a name="NO">Notes</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li>@@@890895097 Centauri don't like fresh spoo, but Narns do; Centauri
	consider it an insult to be offered fresh spoo.  That may have added
	to Londo's indignity in the Zocalo in
	<a href="001.html">"Midnight on the Firing Line,"</a>
	in which G'Kar offered him a plate of fresh spoo.

</ul>

<h2><a name="JS">jms speaks</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li>@@@890000654 <em>Why the title change?</em><br>
	Cat and Mouse was a) a working
	title which I kept out there to b) avoid possible spoiling of various
	directions for as long as possible.

   <li>@@@890333069 I figured, a flock of geese, a herd of buffalo, a tragedy
	of telepaths...actually, though, the credit for that must go to John
	Copeland, who came up with it over lunch one day.

   <li>@@@891305244 <em>Why was Na'Toth listed in the credits at the start
	of the episode?  It spoiled the surprise.</em><br>
	Screen Actors Guild rules specify where you can and can't put credits,
	and those rules don't concern themselves with spoilers.

   <li>@@@891547710 SAG rules specify where credits go; it's sometimes a
	bummer if you're trying to keep something secret, but there you go.

	<p>
	The Na'Toth thing was something I wanted to do, called Caitlin,
	she was up for it, and I wrote the ep.

</ul>