Babylon Podcast #55: GROPOS (Season 2)

Welcome to Show #55!

Jeffrey’s back in LA, and is confused about his holidays. We are really running thin with the Kosh puns, aren’t we? Tim and Jeffrey wax poetic about NASCAR track experiences and memories, and who knew that Jeff raced?

Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer delve into discussion about “GROPOS”, an episode that at first blush seems to be a filler episode, but instead is one that sets up a few threads of unresolved emotional connections to be dealt with later.

The station is subjected to an unexpected influx of 25,000 troops, ground-pounders — GROPOS — who are told they are on their way to a standard rotation to Io, but are in fact on their way to a potentially questionable battle at the request of an alien government. Their commanding officer, General Franklin, is Dr Franklin’s estranged father, and their emotional strain is present the entire time.

While Sheridan thinks that Earthforce’s choice to respond to the Akdorian request is a bad idea, because he believes the rebel fortress is nearly impregnable, not without a lot of losses on the side of the attacking force. He’s committed to helping the General plan an attack, but he makes certain that his opinion is noted.

Garibaldi and Keffer connect in positive ways with some of the troopers during their short stay on the station, but despite hopes and promises, the new friends they’ve made meet with disaster during the battle. The relief and joy for those who survived are a marked contrast with the grief and loss felt by those whose friends were killed in action.

“GROPOS” is available for download from iTunes.

images courtesy beyond.babylonfive.ru, Lurker’s Guide and Cinemorgue

Listener Feedback: Jarsto comments on Show #53, especially the contrast in behaviors between G’Kar and Londo and Refa; Gary from Jacksonville wants input on where Talia might have progressed had she stayed on the show; Alan from the UK thanks us for getting him hooked on Babylon 5, despite his misgivings about the CGI; Edmund from Greenville comments on the “Coming of Shadows” discussion is Show #53. Tim reads emails from Joshua, who gives an unlikely theory behind the appearance of a Morden doppleganger in “The Gathering”; Katrina comments on Matt Stoner’s possible involvement in the assassination attempt on Londo in “Soul Mates”; Roz sends a response to Jarsto to us… um, wait… when did we become Jarsto’s message service?! Warlord gives us canonical proof from “The Shadow Within” that it was not Morden stationed on B5 in “The Gathering”.

Your feedback does matter, and is welcome! You can call, or email us and tell us what you think… and likely hear it played or read on the show. Please try to keep the voicemail comments as brief as possible.

Shameless related begging: Summer’s also really hoping to convince the publisher to eventually do a collection on Babylon 5. If you’d be interested in buying one if they did do a B5 collection, let Summer know.

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