As in the TV series, Security Chief Michael Garibaldi plays
an important role in the first two Babylon 5 novels: Voices, by John Vornholt,
and Accusations, by Lois Tilton. He
regards Commander Susan Ivanova as a friend, and so he works hard to clear her
name in Accusations, despite all the roadblocks the Earth inspectors throw in his path. While he’s
never forgotten Lise Hampton, the woman he left behind on Mars when he took the
job aboard Babylon 5, he feels drawn to the telepath Talia Winters. Although she doesn’t return his interest, he
nonetheless cares for her. When she
flees the station in Voices, he follows her to Earth. He knows he’ll have no official authority
there, but it’s his only chance to protect her from the Psi Cops intent upon
killing her.
Michael Garibaldi was raised in the Bronx of New York,
but his mother seems to have played no role whatsoever in his life. His father worked in law enforcement, was an
excellent cook, and the life of any party (particularly any dinner party). Michael followed in his father’s footsteps,
pursuing a career in Security. Yet his
life somehow took several wrong turns, giving him a bad name in his chosen career,
wrecking promising relationships, and driving him into alcoholism.
In the episode, “A Distant Star” (written by D. C. Fontana), we learn that Garibaldi always makes the Italian dish Bagna Cauda on his birthday. “Now Pop was a great cook, and Bagna was his specialty,” Garibaldi tells Dr. Stephen Franklin, who in the episode is trying to force him onto a diet.
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| "You know, this dish is loaded with fat! Wow, hang on, that's good!" |
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| "Too bad, Doc. You disrespected the Bagna Cauda, so I'm keepin' the dessert to myself." |
Over the course of the series, Garibaldi
leaves his job to start his own business, ends up being manipulated by the evil
Psi Cop Bester, and reverts to alcoholism.
Because of the stresses he endures, or simply because he ate too many
Bagna Caudas (a dish consisting of Olive Oil, Butter, Garlic, Anchovies, and
pepper, served up like fondue), Garibaldi grows increasingly overweight. He never mentions his mother, but tells
Franklin that his father, who has been dead for a long time, always made him
the dish to show him that he loved him, even if he could never say it. Perhaps his father might have found it easier
to express his feelings, and Garibaldi might have endured fewer hardships, had
his mother played a greater role in his life.
Captain John Sheridan, who commands Babylon 5, facilitates
Garibaldi’s efforts to protect Talia Winters and Susan Ivanova. Although he never emerges as a primary
character in either novel, he becomes the most important person in the TV series. After winning two wars, he retires
from Earth’s military, marries the Minbari ambassador Delenn, and settles into
his new career as President of the Interstellar Alliance. He frequently tells Delenn stories about growing
up on Earth with a mother and father who always did their best to take care of
him, and never left him in any doubt as to their love and respect for him.
While Talia Winters’ life ends in tragedy, Susan Ivanova finishes
her Earthforce career as a general. She
never marries, but after she leaves the military, commits her life to serving
as the head of the Rangers. Michael
Garibaldi eventually marries Lise Hampton-Edgars, and rules her former husband's corporation Edgars Industries. However,
neither he nor Ivanova end up as powerful and important as John
Sheridan, and both have to battle inner demons throughout their lives. So there you have it, a testimony to the
importance of mothers in the space age, courtesy of Babylon 5, writers John
Vornholt, Lois Tilton, and D. C. Fontana, and series creator J. Michael
Straczynski. If you want to live a happy
life, suffer a minimum of inner turmoil, and end up ruling the universe, a
loving, supportive, and nurturing mother is absolutely essential. I’ve benefitted from my mother’s influence in
my life. How about you?
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there who play a
strong supportive role in your children’s lives. (Even if, for some unfathomable reason, you
don’t love Babylon 5).
Dragon Dave
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