The Exercise of Vital Powers
Encyclopedia
"The Exercise of Vital Powers" is an episode from the fourth season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5
.
broadcasts news that the resistance is continuing to liberate more colonies and make progress towards Earth. Garibaldi
sees this as part of Sheridan's
continuing megalomania. Garibaldi arrives on Mars to meet his new employer, Bill Edgars.
Franklin
tries to wake up one of the frozen telepaths, without success. He wonders why Sheridan is suddenly in a hurry to do so. Lyta
comes into Medlab looking for Zack
and seemingly out of curiosity tries to contact the telepath. This wakes him up.
Garibaldi meets Lise Hampton and Bill Edgars. Garibaldi explains that he's come to find out what he's been smuggling past customs and to stop Sheridan's war against Earth. Bill replies that President Clark
needs to be stopped, but not by military action.
Lyta apologizes for ruining Franklin's experiment. He asks how she did it and requests her to do it again.
Garibaldi is taken by force from his bed to an interrogation room. Edgars asks him what he thinks about telepaths. Garibaldi implies that they are a menace to society. A telepath in the room finds out that he is still in love with Lise. Garibaldi leaves and the telepath is killed.
Lyta successfully wakes up a male telepath slowly with Franklin monitoring what happens. Unfortunately the telepath attacks Franklin and then attempts suicide. He is only prevented by Lyta.
Bill Edgars explains to Garibaldi that Clark has been putting telepaths into positions of power, to ensure peoples' loyalty to him. However, the real power is with the megacorporations. They do not want to see telepaths taking power from them. So they have a plan to stop this. However, Sheridan's actions are disrupting their timescales and giving Clark a real enemy makes him more paranoid.
Franklin talks with Sheridan and says that he has found a way to neutralize the telepaths' implants for a brief period of time. Sheridan shocks Franklin with the way he wants to use the telepaths, even though Franklin thinks he's right. Franklin tells Lyta that he has long term work for her on Mars.
Lise and Garibaldi talk about their relationship. Lise loves Bill, but still has feelings for Garibaldi.
Edgars visits a small hospital ward with three very sick telepaths who have not received a drug for five days. They are in pain and dying. Edgars asks for them to be put down. Later Edgars asks Garibaldi to capture Sheridan to prove his loyalty. Garibaldi says he will do that by tracking down Sheridan's father.
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...
.
Synopsis
IvanovaSusan Ivanova
Susan Ivanova is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Claudia Christian.-Character overview:...
broadcasts news that the resistance is continuing to liberate more colonies and make progress towards Earth. Garibaldi
Michael Garibaldi
Michael Garibaldi is a lead fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Jerry Doyle.-Overview:...
sees this as part of Sheridan's
John Sheridan (Babylon 5)
John J. Sheridan is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bruce Boxleitner. For most of the series, he is the commander of the Babylon 5 station; during the series' final season he is the President of the Interstellar...
continuing megalomania. Garibaldi arrives on Mars to meet his new employer, Bill Edgars.
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:...
tries to wake up one of the frozen telepaths, without success. He wonders why Sheridan is suddenly in a hurry to do so. Lyta
Lyta Alexander
Lyta Alexander is a character from the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Patricia Tallman.Lyta was introduced in the pilot episode "The Gathering" as a telepath assigned to the Babylon 5 space station by the Psi Corps, a fictional organization...
comes into Medlab looking for Zack
Zack Allan
Zack Allan is a character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Jeff Conaway. He regularly appeared in the show from season 2 onwards. During the second and third seasons of the series he was a security officer on the Babylon 5 station...
and seemingly out of curiosity tries to contact the telepath. This wakes him up.
Garibaldi meets Lise Hampton and Bill Edgars. Garibaldi explains that he's come to find out what he's been smuggling past customs and to stop Sheridan's war against Earth. Bill replies that President Clark
Morgan Clark
William Morgan Clark is a fictional character and a major antagonist from the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, portrayed by Gary McGurk. His character rarely appeared on-screen, but is a major off-screen presence in the show....
needs to be stopped, but not by military action.
Lyta apologizes for ruining Franklin's experiment. He asks how she did it and requests her to do it again.
Garibaldi is taken by force from his bed to an interrogation room. Edgars asks him what he thinks about telepaths. Garibaldi implies that they are a menace to society. A telepath in the room finds out that he is still in love with Lise. Garibaldi leaves and the telepath is killed.
Lyta successfully wakes up a male telepath slowly with Franklin monitoring what happens. Unfortunately the telepath attacks Franklin and then attempts suicide. He is only prevented by Lyta.
Bill Edgars explains to Garibaldi that Clark has been putting telepaths into positions of power, to ensure peoples' loyalty to him. However, the real power is with the megacorporations. They do not want to see telepaths taking power from them. So they have a plan to stop this. However, Sheridan's actions are disrupting their timescales and giving Clark a real enemy makes him more paranoid.
Franklin talks with Sheridan and says that he has found a way to neutralize the telepaths' implants for a brief period of time. Sheridan shocks Franklin with the way he wants to use the telepaths, even though Franklin thinks he's right. Franklin tells Lyta that he has long term work for her on Mars.
Lise and Garibaldi talk about their relationship. Lise loves Bill, but still has feelings for Garibaldi.
Edgars visits a small hospital ward with three very sick telepaths who have not received a drug for five days. They are in pain and dying. Edgars asks for them to be put down. Later Edgars asks Garibaldi to capture Sheridan to prove his loyalty. Garibaldi says he will do that by tracking down Sheridan's father.
Arc significance
- Lise's husband, William Edgars is working against Clark in his own way, and he sees Sheridan as a problem that might force Clark to act before he's ready.
- In order to prove his loyalty to Edgars, Garibaldi must turn Sheridan over to Clark.