408: The Illusion of Truth

An ISN reporter arrives on Babylon 5 to discover the "truth" behind their embargo, and interviews most of the command staff and is given a tour by Lennier. When the report is broadcast, it has been manipulated to once again cast them in a bad light: that the humans are being forced to live in depravity Down Below; that Sheridan, suffering "Minbari War Syndrome", is under the influence of the alien governments; that humans are under cryogenic suspension for medical experimentation; and that a fleet of alien ships is being maintained in preparation for an assault against Earth.  Garibaldi, setting up a new pursuit as a private investigator, also voices his distrust of Sheridan since his return from Z'ha'dum.  Sheridan discovers that his father has gone missing.

Notes: Garibaldi has a flashback to his conditioning: "you will work for nobody but us" (Whatever Happened to Mr Garibaldi?).  A "traitor" to President Clark is forced to confess his involvement in seditious activities, a style of policy revisited later in Intersections in Real Time.  The humans in suspension mentioned during this episode are those rescued from the Shadows in Ship of Tears.  Sheridan's father David is seen in Severed Dreams and Interludes and Examinations.  The ISN report is broadcast on 12 April 2261: the one-hundredth anniversary of the Psi Corps (see the novel Dark Genesis).

This episode marks Stephen (Vir Cotto) Furst's directorial debut.

It is surmised that the events of Thirdspace take place after this episode.

Guest Cast: Jeff Griggs appears as the ISN reporter, Dan Randall.  Henry Darrow appears as Dr Indiri - he played Chakotay's father in the Star Trek: Voyager episode Tattoo.