Soul Hunter
From The Great Machine
- For other instances of the name "Soul Hunter", see Soul Hunter (disambiguation)
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| "Soul Hunter" An episode Babylon 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Episode No. | Season 1, Episode 2 | |
| Writer(s) | J. Michael Straczynski | |
| Story by | ||
| Director | Jim Johnston | |
| Special guest(s) | ||
| Production No. | 102 | |
| Nielsen Rating | ||
| US airdate | February 2, 1994 | |
| UK airdate | ||
| DVD release | November 5, 2002 (US) | |
| Date | ||
| Extended Info | ||
| Episode Chronology | ||
| Previous | Next | |
| Midnight on the Firing Line | Soul Hunter | Born to the Purple |
Contents |
[edit] Preview
A Soul Hunter arrives on Babylon 5 to capture the soul of one still alive.
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Intro
Dr. Stephen Franklin arrives on the station to replace Dr. Benjamin Kyle, who has been reassigned as the president's personal advisor on xenobiology.
An alien spacecraft of unknown design tumbles through the jump gate, on an uncontrolled collision course with the station.
[edit] Act I
Sinclair takes out a starfury and manages to retrieve the ship just before it collides with the station, and its sole occupant is taken to the Medlab.
Ambassador Delenn reacts with horror at the new arrival, describing him as Shak Tot - a Soul Hunter, a figure feared in Minbari lore. She tries to dispatch the alien, grabbing Garibaldi's PPG before Sinclair can wrestle her back, leading Delenn to tell the commander to either kill it or get it off the station before someone dies.
[edit] Act II
Though Sinclair and Dr. Franklin dismiss Delenn's frantic warnings about the alien as superstition, it becomes clear when Franklin's patient awakens that her warnings should be heeded. Alien sector has almost completely cleared out, and the hunter claims to be able to sense the oncoming death of a Lurker.
After the lurker dies in medlab, Commander Sinclair and Dr. Franklin take a renewed interest in the hunter. However, the hunter does not wish to speak until provoked by Sinclair by repeating some of the things Delenn told him.
Meanwhile, the body of the lurker is given a burial in space, sent flying into the sun.
Delenn demands of the Soul Hunter to know where his "collection" is. He responds by calling her Satai, asking her why one of the leaders of the Minbari is on Babylon 5 playing ambassador. As she leaves, the hunter assaults a security guard, takes his gun, and escapes.
[edit] Act III
The hunter, having retrived his collection from his ship, heads to Alien Sector to purchase information on the ins and outs of the station.
About the same time, another Soul Hunter vessel comes through the jump gate. He asks to dock quickly before someone dies. He claims to be there to stop his brother from making a critical mistake.
The first hunter makes his way through service ducts to Green Sector, where he kidnaps Delenn.
[edit] Act IV
The hunter is slowly killing Delenn, bleeding her to death, preparing to take her soul. While her soul leaks out, the hunter gets visions of things she has planned.
Sinclair and Garibaldi, tipped off by the second hunter, make their way to where he is hiding out. Sinclair and the hunter get into a firefight. The hunter tackles him, claiming that the Minbari are using him to some unknown purpose. Sinclair opens the hunter's collection, and the orbs fly out and surround him. While he is distracted, Sinclair turns the soul-taking machine around and uses it to kill the hunter.
Having dispatched the hunter and saved Delenn, Sinclair returns to his quarters where he looks up the word the hunter mentioned: Satai. The link between Delenn and the Grey Council confuses him, wondering why a member of the ruling body of Minbari would be on B5.
[edit] Ending
Sinclair sends the second hunter off, telling him that Babylon 5 is off limits to Soul Hunters.
Delenn, meanwhile, has retrieved the hunter's collection, and frees the souls from their imprisonment.
[edit] Main Plot
- Additional crew member introduced: Dr. Stephen Franklin. He replaces Dr. Benjamin Kyle, who was transferred back to Earth for reasons that may have something to do with his seeing Kosh.
- Franklin states that aliens are migrating to Earth and need doctors experienced with them.
- Delenn's background as Satai is initiated, beginning the four-year arc about Delenn's past that that ends in the episode "Atonement".
- Apparently, Soul Hunters can partially sense the thoughts of one they are about to capture before taking the soul.
- The Soul Hunter hints at something big planned for Sinclair.
[edit] See Also
Related Episodes: The War Prayer, Atonement, The River of Souls
