OH BOY HERE WE GO.

Why I like her:  She’s flawed, she’s a screw-up, but she tries.  Her love life is a fucking disaster zone, what with that xenophobic racist guy in a bad sweater being, well, a xenophobic racist guy in a bad sweater (MALCOM that’s his name), and then Talia being reprogrammed by PsiCorps and Susan not knowing if the Talia she knew was the real Talia or the alternate and HELLO THAT IS A HEAD JOB and then there’s Marcus, who’s adorable and loyal and caring but Susan’s had this whole situation with Malcom and Talia being people she didn’t expect them to be resulting in trust issues - which are totally valid in case any Hollywood romcom writer is looking to reinterpret things for a quick buck - so she holds off.  That was a long sentence wow, sorry.  

And then Marcus literally gives up her life for her because that’s how much he cares (don’t fucking tell me this is the friendzone, this is not the friendzone, this is a dude giving up his life for someone he loves and while that is ultimately tragic, that is not some sort of fedora place of privilege shit; and I triple dog dare any dude declaring for friendzone residency to ACTUALLY DIE FOR THE LADY HE WANTS TO BONE, shut yo’ mouths, all of you) and she is like “peace out I am done, let me captain a ship on my own where I won’t turn a corner and have feelings and memories bodyslam me into the wall kthx.”  

And while all this love and personal life fuckery is going on, she is XO of a space station that is seeing more than its fair share of weirdness condensed into four years, she’s fighting a couple of wars, harboring a few secrets, and dealing with the damn Drazi who have decided she’s some sort of political leader.  

And despite this mounting pile of evidence that her life is pretty overwhelming and stressful and would make any regular human being sit down in the middle of the floor and say “nope, not gonna, can’t make me” tantrum-style, she does it all with sass and a whole lot of sarcasm and you get the sense that, you know, she kind of enjoys it.  Most of it.  43% of it.  She’s Russian, they like to be specific about these things.  Sometimes there is a smile.  And her hair is amazing.  And she rolls her eyes at everyone.  IVANOVA IS GOD END OF LINE.

Why I Don’t Like Her:  FOOTAGE NOT FOUND.

Favorite Episode/Scene: “On your way back, I’d like you to take the time to memorize the Babylon 5 mantra.  Ivanova is always right.  I will listen to Ivanova.  I will not ignore Ivanova’s recommendations.  Ivanova…is God.  And if this ever happens again, Ivanova will personally rip your lungs out!”

Favorite season/movie/arc:  I have a soft spot in my life for the Drazi and their insistence upon doing the astropolitical equivalent of riding a bike into oncoming traffic without a helmet.  Green Leader.

Favorite line:  “God sent me.”

OTP:  Talia.  Sorry, Marcus.  But you’re on ice and maybe they’ll figure out a less destructive alien healing device (AND WHY CALL IT A HEALING DEVICE WHEN IT ACTUALLY KILLS PEOPLE. YES I KNOW ITS PURPOSE IS TO HEAL BUT IT BASICALLY KILLED AN IMPORTANT DUDE) and bring you back.  Also there was that short story that someone dropped a line in my askbox wondering my thoughts on it months ago (SORRY DUDE it is on a post-it by my computer I will get to it soon, promise) so yeah.  Susan/Talia OTP.  I’ve also recently been having Susan/Delenn feelings (post-Sleeping In Light, obvs), but that’s kind of a tertiary OTP.

Favorite platonic relationships:  JOHN.  ”Item two, you snore.”  

Head Canon:  The telepath she threw out of the window on Io is one of the telepaths that regularly came to her house as a child to give her mother the ability-dampening drugs.

Unpopular opinion:  I have none.