“And Now For a Word” is episode fifteen of season two of Babylon 5.
The episode opens with an ISN News logo and a man saying that there is a special programme devoted to Babylon 5, called 36 Hours on Babylon 5, presented by Cynthia Torqueman from ISN in Geneva. It’s September 27th, 2259.
The reporter opens with various stats on Babylon 5 showing below her; size, population, etc. She says that dissatisfaction with the time, effort and money consumed by the station has increased, and that she and an ISN crew recently spent 36 hours on the station.
This starts with a clip from the transport ship Heyerdahl as it approaches the station. Ivanova can be heard from C&C when she tells a Narn vessel to return to holding and a Centauri transport to break off. The Narn vessel opens fire on the Centauri ship and destroys it. Torqueman says that she will reveal a conspiracy of deception on the station. She seems a little biased. The first clips from on board the station are as Dr. Franklin and Captain Sheridan are dealing with the aftermath of the attack; neither have much time to be interviewed.
There are various interviews throughout, starting with Londo who is clearly playing up for the cameras and the Earth audience, and does so every time he is interviewed.. He says that the unprovoked attack by the Narn endangers the purpose of Babylon 5. G’Kar tells Torqueman that he will issue a statement after consulting with his government.
During an interview with Sheridan, Torqueman makes a comment about former senator Hidoshi; the senator seemed quite important but would appear to no longer be so. Another senator, Quantrell, when he is interviewed at best damns B5 with faint praise. A new government organisation, the Office of Public Morale, has shown President Clark to be popular and continually increasing in popularity. Setting up a new office that says how good the president is seems a little… suspect.
Other members of the command crew are interviewed as well. Franklin and Sheridan, once the emergency is over, Garibaldi and Ivanova as well – surprisingly she is not quite as abrupt as might be expected. Ivanova isn’t exactly open though.
The situation outside the station continues to deteriorate. G’Kar claims that the Centauri were shipping weapons through the station’s area of influence, even though they were transferring outside of the station, and those proves to be true. The Centauri and the Narn start shooting at each other, endangering everyone else, and Sheridan is forced to break it up. Which causes the situation to escalate further.
Cynthia Torqueman does not seem a totally unbiased reporter. Even with occasionally flattering comments, the overall tone of the report feels a little negative. There’s also a rather dubious ad for the Psi Corps shown – which briefly flashes a message up about trusting the Corps. Something that was once done as a way of trying to influence people with subliminal messages.