The Quality of Mercy (Babylon 5)
Encyclopedia
"The Quality of Mercy
" is an episode from the first season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5
. The title is from a quote from the beginning of Portia's oration in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, Act IV, scene one.
, Dr. Franklin
investigates an alien healing machine being used by a physician in Downbelow. A murderer is convicted and sentenced to the "death of personality."
The B-story has Londo being told by one of the Centauri
senators to make more efforts with other species, as their support may be useful. Shortly after this he meets Lennier
, and offers to show him more details of Babylon 5
.
A resident of the station, Mueller, is found guilty of three murders and is sentenced to "death of personality", an alternative to capital punishment in 2250s
Earth Alliance
which involves "brain wiping" the condemned's existing personality and replacing it with one programmed to serve the community for the rest of his natural life.
Ivanova
finds Franklin is running an unauthorized free clinic in Downbelow. She is sympathetic to Franklin's cause. However, Franklin in turn hears of rumors of another clinic being run there and investigates. He finds Laura Rosen using an alien machine that allegedly cures humans—and possibly aliens, though this is not disclosed in the show, just implied because of its alien origin. Franklin talks to her daughter, Janice, and finds her mother was a doctor, before she made an error due to a stims habit. She then went in search of alien medical technology to make amends and found this device.
Londo has taken Lennier to a club with exotic dancers, and narrowly avoids giving Lennier an alcoholic drink, which reacts badly with the Minbari
physiology. Londo is rather bored of Lennier's talk, until he mentions he studied probability. Londo suggests they tests his skills with a game called "POK'ah
."
Talia scans the prisoner Mueller and finds not three but dozens of murders he committed. She is overwhelmed by the events and has to break contact.
Lennier appears to be quite good at poker, but fails to grasp the subtleties of the game, meaning he is only winning modest amounts rather than large amounts.
Franklin investigates further and finds the machine takes life energy from one person and gives it to another. He tells her the machine is gradually killing her. Dr. Rosen says she is aware of this, but she has a highly painful and degenerative condition and has little time to live anyway. She agrees to give Franklin the machine in the event of her death.
Back at the gaming table, it appears Londo is using some parts of his anatomy (later revealed to be one of his six tentacle penises) to switch cards, much against the rules of poker (and decency). When discovered, this causes a fight to break out.
Mueller has escaped from his captors and heads for Downbelow. He is shot in the escape, and heads for Rosen's clinic, where he holes up and takes Rosen and Janice hostage. Franklin later shows up and becomes a hostage himself. He forces Rosen to treat him with the alien device, but instead she reverses the device to drain his life energy. She remarks to this cold-blooded killer that he is experiencing in a few agonizing seconds the condition she bore for several years. This process kills Mueller.
Dr. Rosen is brought before a magistrate which clears her of any criminal charge due to acting in self-defense, albeit with the additional order to surrender the healing machine to station personnel. However, she feels morally unwell at having taken a life to extend her own—even if that life belonged to an irredeemable mass murderer threatening herself and her daughter.
Commander Sinclair
confronts Lennier and Londo, Lennier takes the blame, and both are excused because of diplomatic immunity, although they are convinced to financially compensate for the damage caused. Lennier discovers the true nature of Londo's appendages, and Londo learns a little about Minbari culture: that honesty is valued, but that one may lie to save face for another.
The Quality of Mercy
The Quality of Mercy is a phrase taken from a speech by Portia in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. The speech begins:* "A Quality of Mercy", an episode of the science-fiction television series Twilight Zone...
" is an episode from the first season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
. The title is from a quote from the beginning of Portia's oration in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, Act IV, scene one.
Synopsis
In the A-storyA-Plot
A-Plot is a cinema and television term referring to the plotline that drives the story. This does not necessarily mean it is the most important, but rather the one that forces most of the action....
, Dr. Franklin
Stephen Franklin
Stephen Franklin is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by the late Richard Biggs. He serves as the chief medical officer on the Babylon 5 space station.-Personality:...
investigates an alien healing machine being used by a physician in Downbelow. A murderer is convicted and sentenced to the "death of personality."
The B-story has Londo being told by one of the Centauri
Centauri (Babylon 5)
The Centauri are a humanoid species in the fictional universe of the Babylon 5 television series. They were the first alien species to make open contact with the human race. Their homeworld is Centauri Prime, a small Earth-like planet consisting of two large continents and several smaller islands...
senators to make more efforts with other species, as their support may be useful. Shortly after this he meets Lennier
Lennier
Lennier is a character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bill Mumy. He is Minbari and acts as ambassadorial aide to Delenn throughout most of the series.-Background and career:...
, and offers to show him more details of Babylon 5
Babylon 5 (space station)
Babylon 5 is a fictional space station and the primary setting in the television series Babylon 5. Its design is a variation of an O'Neill cylinder....
.
A resident of the station, Mueller, is found guilty of three murders and is sentenced to "death of personality", an alternative to capital punishment in 2250s
23rd century
The 23rd century is the century of the Christian Era or Common Era which, in the Gregorian calendar, begins on January 1, 2201 and ends on December 31, 2300.-List of the long total solar eclipses:* July 27, 2204: Solar eclipse, , of saros 139....
Earth Alliance
Earth Alliance (Babylon 5)
The Earth Alliance is the name of a fictional alliance of the nations of Earth and off-world colonies in the television series Babylon 5. The transition of Earth government from a democratic, elected government to an authoritarian, militaristic one and back to a democracy again is a major theme of...
which involves "brain wiping" the condemned's existing personality and replacing it with one programmed to serve the community for the rest of his natural life.
Ivanova
Susan Ivanova
Susan Ivanova is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Claudia Christian.-Character overview:...
finds Franklin is running an unauthorized free clinic in Downbelow. She is sympathetic to Franklin's cause. However, Franklin in turn hears of rumors of another clinic being run there and investigates. He finds Laura Rosen using an alien machine that allegedly cures humans—and possibly aliens, though this is not disclosed in the show, just implied because of its alien origin. Franklin talks to her daughter, Janice, and finds her mother was a doctor, before she made an error due to a stims habit. She then went in search of alien medical technology to make amends and found this device.
Londo has taken Lennier to a club with exotic dancers, and narrowly avoids giving Lennier an alcoholic drink, which reacts badly with the Minbari
Minbari
The Minbari are a fictional alien race featured in the television show Babylon 5. The Minbari characters of Delenn and Lennier figure prominently throughout the series; Neroon, Draal, and Dukhat are less prominent Minbari characters....
physiology. Londo is rather bored of Lennier's talk, until he mentions he studied probability. Londo suggests they tests his skills with a game called "POK'ah
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
."
Talia scans the prisoner Mueller and finds not three but dozens of murders he committed. She is overwhelmed by the events and has to break contact.
Lennier appears to be quite good at poker, but fails to grasp the subtleties of the game, meaning he is only winning modest amounts rather than large amounts.
Franklin investigates further and finds the machine takes life energy from one person and gives it to another. He tells her the machine is gradually killing her. Dr. Rosen says she is aware of this, but she has a highly painful and degenerative condition and has little time to live anyway. She agrees to give Franklin the machine in the event of her death.
Back at the gaming table, it appears Londo is using some parts of his anatomy (later revealed to be one of his six tentacle penises) to switch cards, much against the rules of poker (and decency). When discovered, this causes a fight to break out.
Mueller has escaped from his captors and heads for Downbelow. He is shot in the escape, and heads for Rosen's clinic, where he holes up and takes Rosen and Janice hostage. Franklin later shows up and becomes a hostage himself. He forces Rosen to treat him with the alien device, but instead she reverses the device to drain his life energy. She remarks to this cold-blooded killer that he is experiencing in a few agonizing seconds the condition she bore for several years. This process kills Mueller.
Dr. Rosen is brought before a magistrate which clears her of any criminal charge due to acting in self-defense, albeit with the additional order to surrender the healing machine to station personnel. However, she feels morally unwell at having taken a life to extend her own—even if that life belonged to an irredeemable mass murderer threatening herself and her daughter.
Commander Sinclair
Jeffrey Sinclair
Jeffrey Sinclair is a character in the fictional universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by actor Michael O'Hare. He was a regular in the first season of the show, as Commander of the Babylon 5 station, and made a number of guest appearances afterward.-Early life and...
confronts Lennier and Londo, Lennier takes the blame, and both are excused because of diplomatic immunity, although they are convinced to financially compensate for the damage caused. Lennier discovers the true nature of Londo's appendages, and Londo learns a little about Minbari culture: that honesty is valued, but that one may lie to save face for another.
Arc significance
- Introduces the Alien Healing Machine, which will appear twice more over the course of the series.
- This episode introduces an unusual quirk about male Centauri physiology, which is referenced (primarily for comedic effect) later in the series.
- The Minbari willingness to lie to save face is an almost-unknown cultural facet whose general lack of awareness causes conflict in one episode, "There All the Honor LiesThere All the Honor Lies"There All the Honor Lies" is an episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:A Babylon 5 merchandise shop opens up on the station, to help increase the station's operating budget. Sheridan believes in the necessity of the store, and places Ivanova in...
". - Dr. Rosen's previous addiction to stims foreshadows Dr. Franklin's own addiction to stims in the future.
Production details
- "The Quality of Mercy", a title taken from Shakespeare's The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, was originally called "The Resurrectionist." - Two stars of this episode, Bill Mumy and June Lockhart, originally starred in 1965's Lost in SpaceLost in SpaceLost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
, as Will Robinson and Dr. Maureen Robinson. J. Michael Straczynski considered having their characters interact, but could not develop a satsifactory scene where this could occur logically in the episode's plot. - Minbari count in base 11 using ten fingers and head.
- Centauri males have six. Significant to the episode "Sic Transit VirSic Transit VirSic Transit Vir is an episode from the third season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. It is a Latin phrase which translates as "thus passes Vir," but since the Latin word [vir] literally means "man," it might be read as "so goes man."...
". - While not the first time the term has been confused in English usage, "corporal punishmentCorporal punishmentCorporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
" is used in the episode to mean "capital punishmentCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
." - The "memory wipe" is very similar to "demolition" in the novel The Demolished ManThe Demolished ManThe Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester, is a science fiction novel that was the first Hugo Award winner in 1953. The story was first serialized in three parts, beginning with the January 1952 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction, followed by publication of the novel in 1953. The novel is dedicated to...
- written by Alfred BesterAlfred BesterAlfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books...
whose name was used for the recurring antagonist psi cop played by Walter KoenigWalter KoenigWalter Marvin Koenig is an American actor, writer, teacher and director, known for his roles as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek and Alfred Bester in Babylon 5. He wrote the script for the 2008 science fiction legal thriller InAlienable.-Early life:...
. - Lennier and Londo visit the 'Dark Star' lounge/club. This a reference to the movie Dark Star (1974).
External links
- The Quality of Mercy at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 is a fan-run website that includes detailed episode guides and analyses, production history notes, background materials, references, and other information related to the science fiction epic, Babylon 5...