TKO (Babylon 5)

Synopsis

As Susan Ivanova comes to terms with her father's death (see Born to the Purple), an old friend of Garibaldi's comes to the station to participate in a dangerous alien martial arts contest.

Garibaldi arrests two aliens who are trying to buy illegal drugs (called "slappers" because the drugs are absorbed from a skin patch), one of the aliens is about to stab him, but then an old friend of Garibaldi's punches the man who was about to stab him.

Meanwhile, Susan's father's friend Rabbi Koslov, comes to her and tries to convince her to sit shiva for her father, which includes going over her head to Sinclair. That last move is particularly upsetting to Susan who consider an unwanted intrusion in her life like her father would have done.

Garibaldi's friend, Walker Smith, tells him that since he can no longer box commercially due to being "framed like a picture," he is going to compete in the mutai, a savage alien fighting arena. The muta-do, or head of the mutai aboard, will not let him compete. Another alien also says that if he or any other human competes in the mutai, they will get trouble.

Rabbi Koslov is finally able to convince Susan to sit shiva for her father.

Later, an alien who was at the mutai comes to Walker and tells him how he can get into the mutai. Walker and Garibaldi visit a mutai match and watch the best fighter, Gyor, fight a Drazi; Gyor wins easily. An open challenge is then made to anyone to fight Gyor. Walker speaks up to accept the challenge, and by the customs of the mutai, if Gyor accepts the challenge, even the Muta-Do is powerless to stop it. Three cycles later he and Gyor fight.

At the same time, Ivanova, Rabbi Koslov, and Sinclair sit shiva for Susan's father.

Walker and Gyor fight a brutal, lengthy, and even bout until both collapse to the floor. The muta-do calls a draw, and Gyor honors Walker's bravery and opens the competition to humans. The episode ends with both Walker and Rabbi Koslov leaving.