Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Adam Nimoy

Every time I rewatch this series, I’m always amazed that J. Michael Straczynski is an atheist. This is another episode that shows he has a greater understanding of religion than many of those who profess to believe in it. Maybe there’s something to be said for being on the outside looking in.

Commander Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian) is watching Captain Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) and Brother Theo (Louis Turenne) engage in a game of chess. She’s called away right after Brother Theo calls checkmate. The other priest with him, Brother Edward (Brad Dourif), shows Sheridan the statue he’s working on. Brother Edward says when he is done he will give it to Sheridan.

Ivanova arrives in the docking bay where the Vorlon ship has arrived. Ambassador Kosh arrives and greets Lyta Alexander (Patricia Tallman). She is debriefed by Sheridan, Ivanova, Mr. Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle), and Dr. Franklin (Richard Biggs). Lyta states she can’t talk about most of what she saw and they probably wouldn’t believe her anyway. She wants to be based out of Babylon 5 to work with the Vorlons. Ivanova cautions that once Psi Corps learns that she’s back, they will come after her. Lyta states that Ambassador Kosh will protect her.

While engaging in business, Brother Edward finds a bouquet of black flowers in his bag. Mr. Garibaldi has been following the case of a serial killer who was convicted of murder. The killer is sentenced to a death of personality, which is a mind wipe that completely erases who he is. Mr. Garibaldi is all for the death penalty but expresses satisfaction to Minbari Ambassador Delenn (Mira Furlan), who is watching the broadcast with him. She’s not convinced.

Brother Edward returns to his quarters and sees a message written in blood. He goes to get Mr. Garibaldi, but when they return to his quarters the message is gone. Mr. Garibaldi says he will relocate him for the night so his people can investigate the room.

Lyta gets off an elevator and is greeted by Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik). He is friendly to her, but she is cold to him. He presses her for information about the Vorlon Homeworld and then threatens her with Psi Corps.

Brother Edward meets with Delenn to try to gain a deeper understanding of the Minbari belief system. He relates the story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane to her. As they part, her assistant, Lennier (Bill Mumy) relates a bit about Valen, the great Minbari religious leader. On the way back to his quarters, after bumping into a Centauri coming off the elevator, Brother Edward thinks he hears voices and sees a message in blood on the wall again. This time he runs, and discovers the body of a woman with the same black flower in her mouth that he saw the day before.

Brother Theo comes to see him. Brother Edward opens up to him about what he’s been seeing and what has been happening. Brother Theo seems concerned but leaves Brother Edward alone to rest. Brother Theo goes to Sheridan and asks for help. He’s worried that the images have something to do with something terrible in Edward’s past.

Mr. Garibaldi tells Brother Edward that there was no trace of blood on the wall where he said he saw the message. Brother Edward searches on the computer and learns he was once Charles Dexter, The Black Rose Killer on one of Earth’s colonies. Brother Theo tries to talk to him about it, but Edward claims he cannot atone for sins if he can’t remember them, Brother Theo urges him to leave it in God’s hands, but Edward walks away.

Mr. Garibaldi’s investigation backs up Brother Edward’s story, even though they all thought he was hallucinating. With Sheridan and Ivanova, they come to the conclusion that they want him to remember.

Brother Edward is confronted by the relatives of the women he killed. They crucify him, and he’s found by Brother Theo, Sheridan, and Mr. Garibaldi. He says he now knows he would have had the courage to stay in the Garden of Gethsemane. Brother Theo prays with him and for him as he dies.

Brother Theo gives the craft Brother Edward was working on to Sheridan. The man who killed him has already been sentenced, apparently to the same death of personality, as Brother Theo’s order embraces him after the procedure. He is now Brother Malcolm (Robert Keith) and is headed for their monastery back on Earth.

It would seem that humanity progressed enough to view the death penalty as barbaric, but is its replacement any better really? Brother Edward seemed like a good man once his personality had been reprogrammed and able to do some good in the universe. Yet, at the same time, he has a point that what they did to him made it impossible for him to atone for his sins. Can you atone for sins you can’t remember? He seems to believe that is impossible, which causes the conflict for the person he is now. This is a deep exploration of faith and redemption in this particular belief system. In some beliefs, God’s grace means we don’t have to atone for each of our sins, but if we are truly sorry then we show that in how we live our lives. It would seem this would apply to Brother Edward, but he doesn’t get that message.

The person Brother Edward transitioned to is not a threat to anyone, but the families of his victims are out for blood and don’t see that side of it. They are consumed by revenge, particularly Malcolm, the leader. Are they really any different than the serial killer himself? Brother Edward is not the person who killed their family members any more, but the appearance of him walking around as if he is a free man is an affront to their own beliefs. They are hurting, still, and believe that revenge will make them feel better; that somehow killing Brother Edward will give them satisfaction. It’s not that easy.

There’s not much here that has to do with the ongoing story, except Lyta’s return. There needs to be a commercial telepath on the station, and her connection to the Vorlons also helps in relation to the Shadow War that has begun. Londo has been portrayed as a buffoon, then as someone who got more than he bargained for with Mr. Morden and The Shadows. Here, he has a more sinister quality when trying to get Lyta to tell him what he wants to know. Is he just bluffing? The fact that he would even threaten her with turning her over to Psi Corps in such a glib manner shows that he could. Much like the glib way he asked Mr. Morden to erase the Narn, he’s not fully thinking through the consequences of what comes out of his mouth.

When asking fans of Babylon 5 about their favorite episodes, Passing Through Gethsemane is usually one of the one listed. It is superior in many ways, without space battles or dazzling effects. The script asks us to consider what makes us human, as well as what defines the punishment fitting the crime. Would Brother Edward been able to come to terms with his past without knowing it? I still don’t have the answer as to what would have been a better punishment for his murders, and it’s apparent that J. Michael Straczynski doesn’t think we’ll have the answer in the future, either.

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