A Late Delivery from Avalon

Infobox Television episode
Title = A Late Delivery from Avalon
Series = Babylon 5


Caption =
Season = 3
Episode = 13
Airdate = 22 April 1996
Production = 312
Writer = J. Michael Straczynski
Director = Jesus Trevino
Guests = Michael York (Arthur)
Michael Kagan (Emmett Farquaha)
Episode list = List of "Babylon 5" episodes
Prev = Sic Transit Vir
Next = Ship of Tears

"A Late Delivery from Avalon" is an episode from the third season of the science-fiction television series "Babylon 5".

ynopsis

A man arrives at the station, claiming to be King Arthur. Given that Jack the Ripper actually "did" show up on the station last year, the possibility that he is telling the truth cannot be dismissed out of hand ...

He helps out an old woman who had been robbed of everything, including her husband's picture. He finds the thieves beating up another man, confronts them and beats them all with skillful sword and fist combat. Then more of the gang turns up, but G'Kar, who has been observing the fight with admiration, jumps in and helps "Arthur" give the new malefactors a thorough beating. Then the pair drink together, and "Arthur" impresses G'Kar with talk of the round table and fight against injustice, then knights him as "Sir G'Kar, the Red Knight".

Meanwhile, Dr Franklin finds out that "Arthur" is David McIntyre, the gunnery sergeant who had fired the fateful shots on the Minbari ship that started the Earth-Minbari War. Despite serving with valor on the Battle of the Line, David was deeply troubled. So his mind took on the new persona of Arthur, and replaced the misunderstanding of the Minbari's open gun ports with a knight who drew his sword to kill an adder, likewise misunderstood as an aggressive move.

The only way to heal his trouble was for "Arthur" to return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake, a role Delenn willingly accepted. After "Arthur" recovered, he took off with some Narns, and G'Kar promised Dr Franklin that he would have a position of authority with the resistance, who needed men of his caliber and ideas. In effect, "Arthur" will be forming a new "roundtable" of sorts in the resistance.

Arc significance

* The Babylon treaty is formed
* We learn more about the humans' first encounter with the Minbari and how the war started

Production details

External links