Babylon 5 – Season 5, Episode 3: "The Paragon of Animals"

As the Interstellar Alliance consolidates its power, the crew of Babylon 5 confronts a haunting question: What kind of force will they become? In “The Paragon of Animals,” ideals clash with pragmatism as President John Sheridan faces mounting pressure to defend the Alliance’s newest member—a vulnerable, non-aligned species seeking protection from predatory neighbors. But the cost of protection may demand moral compromises that threaten the very principles the Alliance was built upon.

Central to the crisis is Sheridan’s controversial plan to recruit telepaths into a new intelligence division, modeled after EarthForce’s Psi Corps. While military advisors argue it’s a necessary step for security, others—including Garibaldi and Delenn—warn that such a move risks repeating Earth's authoritarian past. Is intelligence gathering worth sacrificing the freedom of a persecuted people?

Lyta Alexander, long used as a tool by governments and conspirators, finds herself at a crossroads. Will she submit to another role defined by others, or will she finally claim her autonomy and speak as her own voice—not as a weapon, but as a woman?

Meanwhile, Garibaldi’s increasing distrust of telepaths threatens to fracture vital alliances within the station’s own ranks. As old prejudices resurface, the crew must ask: Can unity survive suspicion? And when ideals are tested by realpolitik, will the Alliance rise as a beacon of hope—or fall into the same cycle of control and fear it was meant to oppose?