“Passing Through Gethsemane” is episode four of season three of Babylon 5.
Ivanova is talking to a man standing next to her, saying that it’s an extremely dangerous situation. The man says that he’s been through worse. Ivanova says she thinks he’s doomed. The man does not. Ivanova asks if he’s willing to put money on it; he replies that gambling is one of the lesser sins, and that if you’re going to sin, go for one of the really big ones.
The matter they are talking about is a game of chess. Brother Theo, who arrived on the station with his fellow monks in “Convictions”, is playing against Captain Sheridan. It’s Theo’s move and it seems he may be in a bad position. However, he tells the captain that the latter has no clear pattern of faith. Sheridan replies that he is eclectic. Theo continues in the vein of this meaning the captain is rudderless, but Sheridan points out that it’s still Theo’s move. Theo says that Ambassador Delenn has a wonderful phrase, ‘Faith manages change.’ Then moves a piece, putting Sheridan in checkmate.
Ivanova gets a message from C&C; Ambassador Kosh’s transport is exiting hyperspace and he’s requested that the commander meet him in Bay 13. She agrees and leaves. Brother Theo speaks to the other man, Brother Edward, and asks him to show the captain something. Edward says that the captain has better things to do with his time; Sheridan replies that he doesn’t anymore. The thing is a small ornament that Edward is working on; Theo says these would command a high price and the order could do with the money, but Edward prefers to give them away. Sheridan says it’s beautiful and Edward promises to give him it when it’s finished.
Ivanova arrives in Bay 13 where Kosh’s ship is docked. Kosh himself is behind her. Kosh tells Ivanova ‘Formality,’ ‘Ritual’ and ‘You should be informed.’ When Ivanova asks what she needs informing about the answer is ‘Returning.’ Kosh’s ship opens up and Lyta Alexander comes out of it, saying that she said she’d return. In “Divided Loyalties” Lyta was looking for a way to get into Vorlon space.
Lyta meets with Ivanova, Sheridan, Garibaldi and Dr Franklin. She says that ever since she saw inside Kosh’s mind in “The Gathering” she has felt called to Vorlon space. Lyta was sure she would get in and finally convinced a pilot to take her to the border, but not beyond. No-one goes beyond. They sent out a signal, but there was no response. The pilot wanted to leave so she paid him the last of her money to get him to leave her behind in a lifepod with five days of survival. Lyta sent out a telepathic call, as the signal wasn’t working. Five days later, as she was suffering from lack of oxygen, a Vorlon ship appeared. The next thing Lyta knew, she was on the Vorlon homeworld.
The others want her to tell about what she saw, but Lyta says she’s not allowed to talk about most of it and the rest they wouldn’t believe. Lyta is now working for Kosh, which was her idea, so she’s going to be coming and going a lot. It’s pointed out that once Psi Corps hear that Lyta is back, the Corps will come after her and they can’t protect her. Lyta says that he will. Sheridan wants Lyta to see Dr Franklin for a workup. After Lyta leaves, Garibaldi turns to the others. He says that no-one has ever been to the Vorlon homeworld and back again, and Lyta is treating it like a trip to the corner store. He wants to know if anyone else is as creeped out by this as he is. All three raise their hands.
Brother Edward is negotiating with a woman about the order providing data transfer services for them. They are going to be a lot cheaper and Edward tells her that work, to them, is offering a kind of prayer, so they have to do it properly. A thousand years ago they could have been illuminating manuscripts and copying scriptures. The money allows the order to concentrate on their primary work, learning all the names and faces of god. The deal is agreed and the woman points out a black rose on the floor, saying it fell out of Edward’s bag. He doesn’t remember putting it there.
Garibaldi is in his office watching the news when Delenn enters. She asks for a favour; a Minbari trader is arriving next week and she’d like increased security. He agrees, then the news goes to the story he was waiting for and he turns it up. A Lester James Monroe has been found guilty and sentenced to death of personality. Garibaldi comments that sometimes he misses the electric chair. Delenn asks what the death of personality is and the chief tells her that the guilty person has their old personality erased and replaced with a new one. They then do community service, far from the family of their victims. Garibaldi says it’s supposed to be more humane but he’s more of an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth kind of person. Delenn says that then everyone would be blind and toothless; Garibaldi tells her it would only be the bad guys. Delenn likely doesn’t agree.
Franklin’s medical of Lyta reveals that she’s fine. In fact she’s in perfect health, better health than when she left and the best health she’s been in for five years. A congenital condition has gone and several other things have been fixed. When Londo bumps into Lyta he knows she’s been to the Vorlon homeworld and would pay a lot of money for an hour of her time. Lyta is not interested and, when Londo points out that the Psi Corps would be interested in her, Lyta tells him that she is not with the Corps any longer and is not bound by their rules so, if anyone betrayed her, she would find them and plant a nightmare so deep in their mind that no-one could find or remove it, and they’d get it every night. When Lyta goes Londo comments who’d notice a nightmare.
Brother Edward returns to his quarters and sees ‘Death Walks Among You’ written on the wall in blood. When he calls Garibaldi, it has gone. Later, Edward speaks to Delenn and Lennier about Minbari beliefs. Delenn tells him it’s an honour for the Minbari to aid any true seeker in their quest. Delenn asks Edward a question about his own faith, and he talks about the Garden of Gethsemane, and how he doesn’t know if he would have the courage to wait, knowing what was coming. Afterwards, Edward hears a woman screaming and sees the message written in blood again. He seems to be having hallucinations, auditory and visual; people saying the name Charlie and a dead woman with a black rose in her mouth.
Edward speaks to Theo about this and Theo seems to think Edward should leave the memories alone, if that’s what they are. Brother Theo also speaks to Sheridan, asking him to look into the matter. The clues as to what are going on are within the episode, for things have been mentioned that are related to the matter.