####Overview

Ivanova is promoted and given a diplomatic assignment. Londo seeks affirmation from an unusual source.
####Guest Stars

Michael Ansara as Elric. William Forward as Refa.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/025.html
####Backplot

Every five years, the Drazi people divide by random selection into two equal groups, green and purple, and fight for supremacy in a contest that lasts a full year. The group that wins is the dominant one until the next battle. Group membership isn’t permanent and has no deeper meaning than the color of cloth one happens to select randomly from a container.

The only son of the Centauri Emperor recently died, leaving no clear successor to the throne. This has served to increase the scheming among the Centauri nobility. At least one group, disgusted with the decay of the Republic, intends to grab for the throne when the Emperor dies; Londo has all but pledged to support that group.
####Unanswered Questions

Where were the techno-mages going?

Will they return or otherwise make their influence felt?

How do they know about the upcoming conflict?

What do they know about it? Are they aware of the Shadows, for instance?

What part do Londo’s new partners want him to play in their machinations?

What repercussions will Ivanova’s solution to the Drazi problem have?

Were the winged creatures on Londo’s back significant, or just a meaningless practical joke?
####Analysis

Londo seems to have made up his mind about following his ambition. He appeared to be seeking the techno-mages’ endorsement for his own political gain, rather than for the good of the Republic. It remains to be seen whether he’ll have the willpower to follow through with his newfound assertiveness when lives are at stake, though Elric’s statement about the future indicates he will.

Londo is willing to trust Vir with other people’s secrets (“He can be trusted!”) but not with his own (e.g., his reluctance to discuss Morden in “Chrysalis.”) Vir is gradually becoming more assertive, more willing to stand up to Londo. Whether this will cause Londo to respect or trust him more remains to be seen.

The two Drazi leaders were clearly only in charge of the groups on Babylon 5, as evidenced by the fact that the decision to up the stakes of the contest came from the Drazi homeworld. What happens if one group wins in one place and the other wins back home is open to debate.

Londo’s reference to the techno-mages’ presence at the founding of the Republic, and his recognition of the human mages, suggests that the brotherhood of techno-mages is very old, and crosses species boundaries. Perhaps they have been around long enough to have taken part in the great war recorded in the Book of G’Quan (cf. [[Revelations]]) and can see signs of the same thing starting again.

The techno-mages seem to have found some technological way to emulate the prophetic abilities of some of the Centauri, among others (cf. “Signs and Portents.”) Such abilities are arguably related to time travel; perhaps it is the techno-mages who supply the technology to bring Babylon 4 forward in time (cf. “Babylon Squared.”)

When Garibaldi was playing with his weapon, it’s plausible that he was contemplating suicide. He has hit rock bottom. He has been betrayed by a trusted member of his own staff and shot in the back. The only person he really trusted (Commander Sinclair) is gone. And, he is probably feeling that he was somehow responsible for the failure to prevent the assassination of the EA President. He is a recovering alcoholic, and he has lost the woman he had fantasized about marrying. If true, this lends a different meaning to Sheridan’s comment, “The universe doesn’t give us points for doing the easy things.”
####Notes

Ivanova’s broken foot in this episode wasn’t originally planned; Claudia Christian broke her foot, and it had to be explained in the context of the show somehow.

The end credits list Edward Conery as Devereaux (cf. [[Chrysalis]]) but he doesn’t seem to actually appear in the episode anywhere. Since he did appear in the previous episode, “Revelations,” and wasn’t listed in its credits, he may have been listed here to make up for the omission.

Elric’s warning to Vir is almost verbatim from Tolkien’s Lord Of the Rings, in which Gildor, an elf, tells Frodo (speaking about Gandalf,) “But it is said: Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.”

Elric’s name is from Michael Moorcock’s series of fantasy novels.

When Garibaldi turns up to rescue Ivanova, there is a visual gaffe. The Drazi who starts to get up to answer the door is the one in a red-accented suit with epaulettes. When Garibaldi is admitted, it is by the other Drazi, while the one who had started to get up is guarding Ivanova.

Michael Ansara, who plays Elric, also played Kang, a Klingon, in the original Star Trek episode “Day of the Dove” and the Deep Space Nine episode “Blood Oath.”