The Vorlons step up their battle against the Shadows. Londo uncovers a new wrinkle in his plan to unseat Emperor Cartagia. Sheridan asks Garibaldi to remove Kosh from the station. Delenn gets a surprise from Sheridan.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Ed Wasser as Morden. Wortham Krimmer as Emperor Cartagia. Wayne Alexander as Lorien.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/070.html
####Plot Points

With the help of Lorien and the original Kosh, Sheridan has successfully removed the new Vorlon ambassador from the station, possibly killing it in the process.

Lorien healed Sheridan at Z’ha’dum by transferring some of his own life energy into Sheridan. Sheridan has at most 20 years left to live.

Londo owes Sheridan a favor.

Emperor Cartagia has plucked out G’Kar’s eye, as Londo saw in his dream ([[The Coming of Shadows]].)
####Unanswered Questions

Why is Lorien keeping such close watch on Sheridan?

How does Sheridan plan to stop the Vorlons?

Why did Kosh’s ship go berserk during the battle? What was it trying to do? (See jms speaks)

Now that the Vorlons have been seen without their illusions in place, will they still bother to maintain their angelic facades around the younger races?

What was the Vorlon “cause” that compelled Lyta to cooperate with them? Did they explain their true motives to her, or did they feed her a palatable lie?
####Analysis

Sheridan and Lorien appear to have gotten to know each other well. What has each of them been getting from the relationship? So far, Lorien doesn’t appear to be feeding Sheridan specific information about the Vorlons or the Shadows (though that could be happening offscreen.) He seems to be providing moral and philosophical support more than anything else, aside from the occasional dose of life energy. What is Sheridan giving him in return? Presumably it’s something worth leaving Z’ha’dum to get.

Sheridan authorized the transfer of refugees to Epsilon 3 without even consulting with Draal. How does he know Draal wouldn’t object? If the planet is still available as a defense mechanism for the station, Draal would most likely need to tell the crew where to set up camp, lest they put refugees right on top of an underground weapon. It’s also interesting that the surface of Epsilon 3 is apparently habitable, given that oxygen masks were required to breathe underground ([[A Voice in the Wilderness part 1]]) Perhaps the crew is assuming Draal will provide an appropriate atmosphere.

Kosh expressed outrage, not surprise, that a human could mentally imprison a Vorlon. Perhaps the Vorlons have a weakness like the Shadows’, and can be contained by sufficiently powerful telepaths.

Is the difference in color between the two Vorlons significant? It may simply be due to the fact that what emerged from Sheridan wasn’t just Kosh, but a combination of Kosh, Sheridan, and Lorien.

Delenn recognized Kosh immediately. Does that mean she had previously seen his true form? If so, it was most likely in [[Chrysalis]], though why he would let her see through his mask then isn’t clear, since he most likely projected an image to her in [[The Fall of Night]].

Lorien’s healing technique resembles that of the healing machine from [[The Quality of Mercy]]. Could that machine be used to further extend Sheridan’s life, or Lorien’s, for that matter? How much life does Lorien have left?

When he used it on Z’ha’dum, it obviously extended to the original Kosh as well, since Kosh was able to battle his successor.

Sheridan’s shortened lifespan may be the terrible price Delenn mentioned in the flashforward in [[War Without End part 2]]. At that time, 17 years in the future, he would only have another two or three years left to live, barring other developments. (See jms speaks)

Kosh gave his life willingly to stop the other Vorlon. Perhaps that goal was what he needed to live for, his version of Sheridan’s devotion to Delenn. If he had to come to terms with his own death as Sheridan did, such self-sacrifice was presumably somewhat easier when the time came.

Is the original Kosh the only Vorlon to oppose what’s going on now? Perhaps they’re factionalized much like the Minbari, and the new Kosh represented the more belligerent faction, which has the upper hand at the moment. In any case, why did the original Kosh care about the younger races more than his replacement?

How much of Kosh is still left in Sheridan in the form of memories and knowledge? Was Kosh’s presence instrumental in putting together whatever plan Sheridan has in mind?

Londo clearly plans to strike at Cartagia on Narn, where presumably he’ll be an easier target than he is in the royal palace. But even if he succeeds, what then? The Shadows will still be on Centauri Prime, with only a few days left until the projected arrival of the Vorlon fleet. It’s unlikely Morden and his associates would look favorably on a request to leave the planet, and even if they went away immediately, Centauri Prime would still have been touched by the Shadows and thus would still be a target.

By failing to suggest a punishment for G’Kar, Londo has likely just wasted his first chance for redemption: saving the eye that does not see ([[Point of No Return]].)

Cartagia’s vision of the end of Centauri Prime (“Let it all end in fire”) may be related to Kosh’s reply to Emperor Turhan in [[The Coming of Shadows]], to whom he said that things would end “in fire.”

In fact, Kosh may have been saying more than the Emperor knew; perhaps he foresaw the deployment of the Vorlon planet-killer, or believed it likely, and figured it’d be used against Centauri Prime. If so, how long have the Vorlons been planning their current course of action?

Garibaldi theorized to Franklin that he might have been caught in the hyperspace backwash when the Shadows pulled out. This was first mentioned as a danger in [[Signs and Portents]], in which Sinclair warns Ivanova to stay away from the raider mothership to avoid being pulled into its backwash.
####Notes

The list of sites accepting refugees from Ventari III, as shown in Ivanova’s broadcast:

• Tizino Prime (presumed destroyed later in the episode)
• Mokafa Station
• Drazi Fendamir Research Colony
• Kazomi III
• D’Grn IV
• L’Gn’Daort
• Nacambad Colony
• 7 Lukantha
• Oqmritkz
• Velatastat
• Lesser Krindar
• Greater Krindar

The rightmost head in Cartagia’s shadow cabinet is Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar.) See jms speaks.

“Apotheosis” means “elevation to divine status,” or more simply, deification.

The two Koshes left the scene of the firefight through the ceiling. If they were headed for space, they took the long way there; to get outside through the ceiling, they’d have to pass through the center of the station.

Zack makes a discovery in the search for Garibaldi. Delenn’s plan to attack the Shadows runs into trouble. Ivanova and Marcus attempt to solicit aid from more First Ones.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Wayne Alexander as Lorien. Wortham Krimmer as Emperor Cartagia. Eric Zivot as Verano. Jonathan Chapman as Ambassador Lethke.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/069.html
####Plot Points

Lyta’s telepathic abilities were enhanced by the Vorlons to enable her to more easily carry one of them.

The Vorlons, apparently determined to wipe the Shadows out once and for all, have begun destroying worlds that have had contact with the Shadows, and to that end have amassed a fleet of thousands of ships.

Sheridan has returned to Babylon 5, as has Garibaldi.

Initially, when the Vorlons and Shadows took on the task of looking after the younger races, they were equally balanced, obeyed rules of engagement, and respected each other’s perspectives. But at some point, one of them grew tired of the arrangement and the two started fighting in earnest, with the younger races caught in the middle.
####Unanswered Questions

Who, if anyone, was on the ship that carried Garibaldi’s lifepod? Why were they transporting him, and why did they self-destruct?

What was done to Garibaldi? Was he implanted with a new personality, like Talia Winters?

What was the program that activated as Garibaldi’s pod was ejected?

Why did Lorien accompany Sheridan?

How did they get to Babylon 5? Was that Lorien’s ship?

What exactly did Lyta learn when she scanned Kosh?

What exactly does Sheridan have in mind to end the war once and for all?

What happened to Marcus’ family? His brother died in a Shadow attack ([[Matters of Honor]],) but what about his parents?
####Analysis

Delenn said, “Everyone I hold dear is gone.” She didn’t list Lennier among them. Why not?

Lyta says she allowed the Vorlons to modify her because she believed. Believed in what? What did they tell her about their intentions? Does she know anything about the Shadows and Vorlons, and the nature of their conflict, that Sheridan would find useful?

What made the Vorlons change their strategy? Most likely it has something to do with the “unexpected door” they feel Sheridan opened on Z’ha’dum ([[The Hour of the Wolf]].) By attempting to wipe out the Shadows, it’s arguable they’ve lost the war on a philosophical level; attempting to wipe out a race to gain supremacy is exactly the method the Shadows advocate.

On the other hand, if there’s no way to get the Shadows to stop fighting and causing wars except by completely destroying them, the Vorlons may have reached the conclusion that the very existence of the Shadows means their philosophy can never take hold.

Given that the old Kosh, at least according to Lyta, cared about the younger races, would he have approved of the Vorlons’ change in strategy? If not, will the piece of him still alive in Sheridan try to stop the plan?

Lyta referred to the old Kosh as “the real Kosh.” What isn’t real about the new Kosh? What is the new Kosh’s actual name (or its human-pronounceable version?)

Lorien’s visit to B5 would seem to indicate that he, at least, still cares about the younger races. What can he do about it? Presumably he’ll be able to provide valuable information, but does he have any capabilities beyond that? For example, does he have access to technology millions of years more advanced than even the Shadows and Vorlons?

In [[Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?]] he appeared to have a significant presence on the “dream plane” (for lack of a better term) through which Kosh sent the dreams to Sheridan in [[All Alone in the Night]] and [[Interludes and Examinations]]. It’s plausible that that’s where much of a Vorlon’s consciousness lives; if so, Lorien may be capable of much more direct impact on the Vorlons than his physical presence implies. Whether the same is true in the Shadows’ case is less clear, but the fact that the Eye at Z’ha’dum found Ivanova while she was in the Great Machine ([[Voices of Authority]]) suggests that they too have some presence in that mode of existence.

Destroying planets may seem excessive, but perhaps the Vorlons are doing so, rather than simply wiping out all surface life, because of the Shadows’ habit of burying their ships underground ([[Messages From Earth]]) and building cities underground ([[Z’ha’dum]].) They may feel that completely destroying a planet that’s been visited by the Shadows is the only way to ensure that there are no surprises left behind.

Is the current Vorlon rampage due in part to the death of the original Kosh at the hands of the Shadows? If so, there’s a parallel to the Earth-Minbari War, in which, according to Delenn ([[Ceremonies of Light and Dark]]) the Minbari went collectively mad after the death of their leader Dukhat at human hands.

By wiping out younger races as they battle the Shadows, the Vorlons can no longer really claim to be looking after their juniors. What will the other First Ones think of that? They don’t seem to be on particularly good terms with the Vorlons to begin with ([[Voices of Authority]]) and this change in attitude may further irritate their peers. Lorien will likely be able to provide greater insight into the feelings of the other First Ones toward the Vorlons.

If the Vorlons are truly intent on wiping out any worlds the Shadows have touched, that means they’ll be targeting Mars, Centauri Prime, Earth, and B5. Depending on how recently a planet has to have had contact to be considered tainted, they may also destroy Narn. Only the Minbari seem, so far, to have never been under Shadow influence, so their homeworld may be spared.

The only evidence so far of Shadow influence is the assassination attempt against Kosh in [[The Gathering]], but given that the Shadows didn’t try to touch Kosh until the Vorlon offensive in [[Interludes and Examinations]], the hallway meeting in [[Signs and Portents]] notwithstanding (Kosh initiated that confrontation too) it’s more likely the Minbari warriors were acting of their own volition.

The Vorlons’ new tack is somewhat ironic, given that they filed an official protest when the Centauri used mass drivers to bombard Narn from space ([[The Long, Twilight Struggle]].) Clearly the Vorlons don’t have any qualms about attacking planets from space if they’re the ones doing it.

Since the Shadows have already come to Centauri Prime, could the blasted landscape of [[War Without End part 2]] be due to a Vorlon attack, not the doing of the Shadows? If the Vorlons attack because of the Shadow presence, that would explain Londo’s bitterness toward Sheridan, who he might consider to be on the side of the Vorlons.

Does Sheridan share the Vorlons’ goal of wiping the Shadows out completely, or does he have some other plan in mind? The fact that Lorien accompanied him suggests the latter, since Lorien commented that he didn’t approve of warfare among his juniors ([[Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?]]) On the other hand, his speech to the crowd did imply that he had genocide against the Shadows in mind.

The original Kosh tried to train Sheridan “to fight legends” (“Hunter, Prey.”) But in his speech, Sheridan appeared to be setting himself up as a legend of sorts: “the only man to come back from Z’ha’dum alive.” (A claim, incidentally, which isn’t true; Morden and Anna were on Z’ha’dum and left alive, if changed.) His bravado seems to indicate he now sees himself as having a larger role to play than before, and validates the Shadows’ view of him as a nexus ([[Z’ha’dum]].)

Oddly, in [[Interludes and Examinations]], Sheridan pointed out to Kosh that the Vorlons were legends, or wanted to be perceived as such. Did Kosh know that eventually Sheridan might have to combat the Vorlons?

Sheridan returned from Z’ha’dum under unknown circumstances, accompanied by an alien he won’t tell anyone about. Garibaldi’s whereabouts were unknown for two weeks, and he turned up in a ship that self-destructed to avoid being closely investigated. Why, then, do Delenn, Ivanova, and the others accept both of them back seemingly without question? Given the threat of implanted personalities and other modifications ([[Divided Loyalties]], [[Z’ha’dum]]) the crew should at least be skeptical that both returnees are what they appear.

Sheridan’s speech from the catwalk echoes his appearance on the catwalk in the dream in [[All Alone in the Night]]. If Garibaldi symbolized “the man in between,” a description that fits Lorien at least as well as anyone else, then was the Sheridan on the catwalk “the man on the other side,” presumably the other side of death? If so, Sheridan has now become that man.

G’Kar’s refusal to scream was foreshadowed in [[The Parliament of Dreams]]. In that episode, when he was put into paingivers by the Narn assassin and tortured, he said he would rather die than cry out.
####Notes

Marcus has never been romantically involved with anyone. This was hinted at in [[A Late Delivery From Avalon]], in which he jokingly compared himself to Sir Galahad, the chaste knight from Arthurian legend. In [[Ceremonies of Light and Dark]], he told Delenn he’d lost a woman he cared a great deal for, but that’s not necessarily a contradiction; he didn’t say she felt the same way.

The scene in which Ivanova asks Delenn for one of the White Star ships was originally written and filmed for [[Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?]] but was cut from that episode for time.

This is the first regular episode to feature all the cast members listed in the opening credits; aside from [[The Gathering]], all the earlier episodes were missing at least one.

G’Kar was whipped 39 times, because 40 would kill a Narn. That’s probably a reference to the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 25:1-3 warns against whipping a man more than 40 times; more than that will cause one to lose the respect of one’s brothers.

Some renditions of the New Testament also show Jesus being whipped 39 times by Pilate, though that number doesn’t appear in the Bible itself. The Apostle Paul was whipped 39 times, which was the maximum number under Jewish law, to ensure that miscounting wouldn’t cause one to give more than 40 lashes.

This is the second time Garibaldi has awakened from a traumatic event and found his commanding officer missing; Sinclair left the station while he was in a coma ([[Revelations]].)