On their way back to Thunder Mountain, Jeremiah and Kurdy are told to pick up a guest. Knowing how unwelcome outsiders are at the Mountain, their surprise is increased when the invite appears to be for Theo.

Markus is secretly planning to bring three influential local leaders to Thunder Mountain to explain that they have a mutual enemy in Valhalla Sector, and take soundings as to whether holding a "summit" is a good idea. Following conflict with the council he puts this plan on hold, but Jeremiah and Kurdy arrive with Theo anyway. The message that brings Theo to Thunder Mountain implies they wish to assist her regain control of Clarefield as they are not willing or able to do business with the current regime.

Andrew, chair of the advisory council, tables a no-confidence vote in Markus, but withdraws it when he realises that he is motivated by fear rather than distrust; Markus' meeting goes ahead as planned.

Andrew Kincaid is chairman of the Thunder Mountain advisory council. He isn't Markus' biggest fan, and Erin is frosty towards him. She implies that he has a reputation as a womaniser, and he doesn't deny it. Jeremiah also doesn't like him very much. Andrew's brother Thomas is also on the council. They came to Thunder Mountain five years ago after suffering some trauma we don't hear about. Following the events of this episode, Thomas is completely paralysed, and Andrew resigns from the council to look after him.

It seems Lee is considered to be head of security. This would explain why he was the first to interview Jeremiah and Kurdy in the pilot.

Theo's full name is Theodora Coleridge.

Thomas: "There are no secrets in the Mountain." Wrong, of course.

Markus is quite wry in this episode. His response to Lee's "we have a problem" is "just one?", and he says of Jeremiah and Kurdy, "that's what I like about those two - they always know when to disobey an order."

Theo says, "You know when I knew this wasn't going to work? From the moment you introduced yourself. You said your name was Markus Alexander. Your buddy's name is Lee Chen. I bet even Erin has a last name. Everybody on the outside just uses their first name, that's all. So it's Theo and Jeremiah and Kurdy and Sam and Phil. But our last names tie us back to families and histories that ended with the Big Death. Our last names died with the old world." But when Markus asks her what her last name was, she tells him.

Theo's investigation of Thunder Mountain's ladies room is accompanied by Richard Strauss' tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra. The piece of music is instantly recognisable from the opening of Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

This episode gives more information about the power structure of Thunder Mountain. Markus has wielded executive power for fifteen years, but the council was formed to advise him, influencing his decisions by reflecting the views of the populace of Thunder Mountain. It is implied that annual elections are held to the seven positions on the council. Andrew is, or was up until this episode, chairman of the Thunder Mountain council. Despite Markus' frequent meetings with them, it's clear that not all members are as close to his decision making as Erin and Lee. His withholding information that would allow the council to perform their advisory function causes friction. The seeds of this conflict were introduced in "Thieves' Honor" when Markus, seemingly for the first time, considered a matter too grave for him to make a ruling and forced responsibility on the council.

This is the second of Sara (Samm) Barnes' two stories for this season, and her first solo script.

Mike Vejar is one of J. Michael Straczynski's favourite choices for director, having shot many key episodes of Babylon 5, including "Comes the Inquisitor", "Messages from Earth", the "War without End" two-part story, "The Face of the Enemy", and the TV Movie "In the Beginning".

Why is it claimed there is going to be deadlock if the council consists of seven members? It seems unlikely Markus would have a vote, though possible; perhaps more likely is that as chairman, Andrew would use his vote only in the case of stalemate from the remaining six members. But if that were true, Thomas would have no reason to set Theo up, knowing which way Andrew would vote (as it was he, after all, who proposed the no-confidence motion).

It may be wonderfully insightful, but Theo's speech about the absence of surnames in the outside world isn't strictly true - although they're rarer, we have heard a few, such as the doctor and his brother in "The Bag". And what is Erin's surname anyway?

Let's face it, the "Theo visits Thunder Mountain" premise alone is enough reason to get excited about this episode; but even so, we're treated to a wonderfully thought-provoking, tense and at times touching story that illuminates power struggles both within Thunder Mountain and between the Mountain and the world it's spent so long keeping out. It's both a neat sequel to "Thieves' Honor" and an appetiser for the season finale.