Episode no. Season 1
Episode 10 Written by David Gerrold Original air date 27 April 1994 | Directed by Richard Compton Production code 105 | |
"Believers" is a 1994 episode from the first season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. It follows Dr. Franklin's ethical dilemma after he encounters a dying boy whose parents refuse to allow him to receive treatment that will save him, and Commander Susan Ivanova's mission to rescue a stranded transport ship in Raider territory.
Synopsis
Dr. Franklin faces an ethical dilemma when the parents of a dying child refuse to let him operate for religious reasons. Their son is suffering from a chronic respiratory ailment and will die soon. It can be cured with surgery; however their religion prohibits surgery (believing that cutting into a body will release the spirit, reducing the body to something worse than death—it is something only to be done to food animals). Franklin's associate Dr. Hernandez attacks their beliefs, but Franklin reprimands her, telling her that they have to work with the parents, not against them.
Despite his best efforts, the parents still refuse to allow the surgery. Franklin goes to Commander Jeffrey Sinclair to convince him to order the surgery, but Sinclair refuses, as the cultural neutrality of the station must be respected. Eventually he performs the surgery against orders, saving the boy's life. Unfortunately the parents now consider the son to be a soulless demon and at first abandon him. They eventually return for him saying that they have brought his "travel robe" and are going to take him "to rest." After they leave Franklin checks Hernandez's notes on the species in the medical database and realizes that the boy was wearing a robe used in spiritual journeys, not physical ones. He runs to the family's quarters fearing the implication that "journey" in this case provides, but it is too late. The parents have already murdered the boy.
In a subplot, a restless Commander Susan Ivanova gets Sinclair to allow her to lead a squadron of fighters into Raider territory in order to rescue a stranded transport ship, the Asimov. She eventually ends up going against orders and following an enemy scout. This results in her discovering a fleet of Raiders waiting in ambush. She stops the ambush, thus saving the families aboard the transport.