Born to the Purple

"Born to the Purple" is an episode from the first season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. This episode is named after the Greek word porphyrogennetos, referring to special birthright or privileged heritage, royal birth.

Synopsis

Londo Mollari is being forced to negotiate with the Narn. He would rather be pursuing a new love interest, Adira Tyree (Fabiana Udenio), who is actually the slave of an alien named Trakis. He is using her to get a copy of Londo's Purple Files, a stash of "dirt" and information on Centauri's elite that Trakis hopes to sell to the highest bidder, possibly including the Narn. Londo promotes Vir Cotto to diplomatic status and orders him to negotiate with the Narn while he pursues Adira.

Meanwhile, Michael Garibaldi has discovered unauthorized use of the Gold Channel communications network, which he attempts to track down. Eventually he traces it to Ivanova, who is using it to talk to her dying father back in the Russian Consortium.

Adira, having drugged Londo and stolen a copy of his Purple Files, is about to meet her master. She starts to have second thoughts about the theft and makes a run for it. Londo and Sinclair track her down, but are waylaid on the way to get her by Trakis' men. Trakis kidnaps her and obtains the copy of the Files.

With the help of telepath Talia Winters, Sinclair is able to trick Trakis into divulging Adira's whereabouts. Trakis is then triumphantly floored by a punch from Londo, and Sinclair is able to locate Adira and return the copy of the Files to Londo.

Adira, despite Londo's interest in having her stay, decides to leave the station.

Arc significance

• Introduces Adira Tyree. Adira Tyree's "almost" return to Babylon 5 is a major plot point in the third-season episode "Interludes and Examinations," and she also returns briefly in the episode "Day of the Dead" in the fifth season.
• The death of Ivanova's father will come back to haunt her in the later season one episode "TKO".

See also

• Porphyrogenitus

Notes

• This episode introduces G'Kar's new aide, Ko'Dath, played by Mary Woronov. As evidenced by her inclusion in this episode's opening title sequence only, she was intended to be a regular cast member during the first season. But much like her replacements Julie Caitlin Brown and Mary Kay Adams, she found the prosthetics difficult to get used to. An explanation for her disappearance occurs in "The Parliament of Dreams" when it is learned that she was killed in an unfortunate 'airlock accident'.

External links

• Born to the Purple at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5