The Exercise of Vital Powers
| "The Exercise of Vital Powers" | |
|---|---|
| Babylon 5 episode | |
 | |
| Episode no. |
Season 4 Episode 16 |
| Directed by | John LaFia |
| Written by | J. Michael Straczynski |
| Production code | 416 |
| Original air date | 2 June 1997 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
|
Denise Gentile (Lise Hampton) | |
| Episode chronology | |
"The Exercise of Vital Powers" is an episode from the fourth season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.
Synopsis
Ivanova 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. Her intervention was in fact helpful, though, so he asks how she did it and requests she do it again.
Garibaldi is taken by force from his bed to an interrogation room. Edgars asks him what he thinks about telepaths. Garibaldi states that he doesn't trust them and 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 prevented only by Lyta.
Bill Edgars explains to Garibaldi that Clark has been putting telepaths into positions of power, to ensure people's 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.