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]].)

G’Kar tries to avoid capture by the Centauri while continuing his search. Delenn urges the Rangers to strike against the Shadows.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Wayne Alexander as Lorien. Wortham Krimmer as Emperor Cartagia. Lenny Citrano as Isaac. Anthony DeLongis as Harry.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/068.html
####Plot Points

Garibaldi was captured and is apparently in the custody of Psi Corps.

Lorien claims to be the first of the First Ones, and lives deep within Z’ha’dum. He says the Shadows return to Z’ha’dum because he’s there, and that Kosh knew about his presence when he told Sheridan to jump.

G’Kar has been captured by the Centauri. In exchange for help overthrowing Emperor Cartagia, Londo has promised G’Kar that the Centauri will withdraw from Narn after Cartagia is gone.
####Unanswered Questions

Exactly who captured Garibaldi, and why? The Psi Corps, or some other group associated with them? How did they recover him from the inside of a Shadow vessel? Did the Shadows give him up voluntarily?

Why did they want to know what he remembered?

Is Lorien’s claim true? Is he a member of a race of elder beings, or is he somehow the first intelligent lifeform in the galaxy? What is he, exactly?

When, and under what circumstances, did Lorien meet Kosh?

How is Londo planning to use G’Kar to unseat Cartagia?
####Analysis

If Garibaldi has indeed been captured by the Psi Corps, why do they need to question him? Presumably they could just pick whatever information they need out of his mind. Perhaps they’re simply trying to get him to cooperate, on the assumption that if he cooperates in one area, he’ll be more malleable in others.

Alternately, perhaps they’re making sure he doesn’t remember what happened to him because they’ve done something to him and wiped his memory of the event. That would explain the conclusion of the interrogation scene; they gassed him to transport him elsewhere once they were satisfied that their memory wipe was solid.

Centauri torture is likely to result in the loss of G’Kar’s left eye ([[The Coming of Shadows]], [[War Without End part 2]].) Whether that eye is the subject of Lady Morella’s prophecy ([[Point of No Return]]) isn’t clear; it’s certainly plausible that Londo could redeem himself by halting the torture of G’Kar, but there are other eyes that don’t see (e.g. the Shadows’ Eye at Z’ha’dum in [[The Hour of the Wolf]], or the Centauri Eye from [[Signs and Portents]].)

Given Lorien’s assessment of his situation, Sheridan presumably qualifies as “the one who is already dead” in Morella’s prophecy. And, in fact, Londo spares his life 17 years in the future ([[War Without End part 2]].) Assuming the prophecy is correct and Londo was thus redeemed, obviating the need for a third chance, what form would that chance have taken?

Why is Lorien so interested in what happens to Sheridan? He said Sheridan was “the only one to make it this far.” Was he referring to the physical descent down the chasm, or some more spiritual journey?

Lorien said neither Kosh nor Sheridan wanted to die. Assuming he was able to resurrect Sheridan, is Kosh also still alive? If so, what did Kosh find to live for?

Lorien said he had been waiting for someone to talk to. He also said, several times, that Sheridan was trapped between life and death, between seconds. Given that he was there with Sheridan, and that Kosh knew about Lorien’s presence, it’s plausible that Lorien, not Justin, is in fact “the man in between” from Sheridan’s Kosh-induced dream ([[All Alone in the Night]].) If so, what will he do now that he’s found Sheridan?

Lorien, if that’s who the formless being in Sheridan’s dream is, asked both the Vorlon and the Shadow questions. Why are those questions significant to him? He said that there was no good answer to “Who are you,” implying perhaps that the search for an answer is what matters.

Did the Shadows and the Vorlons get those questions from Lorien? Lorien claims to have met Kosh (who, oddly, he knew by name, which would seem to contradict the new Kosh’s statement that “we are all Kosh”) so presumably he has also met the Shadows. Perhaps each race latched onto one of the two questions, adopting it as its own.

Later, however, Lorien asked Sheridan three questions: who he was, why he was, and what he wanted. The middle question is new. If the Vorlons and the Shadows are supposed to ask the first and last questions, is there supposed to be another group asking the second? (See jms speaks)

One person did ask all three questions once: Sinclair, when he was captured during the Battle of the Line ([[And the Sky Full of Stars]].)

Kosh may have implied the presence of a third question in [[Deathwalker]] when he told Talia, “Understanding is a three-edged sword.”

Lorien echoed another statement of Sinclair’s, also from [[And the Sky Full of Stars]]. Sinclair said of his wingman Mitchell, “I tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen… you never listened.” Lorien said the same of the Shadows and Vorlons, or so it seemed, though he didn’t provide any more context or explanation.

Vir made a similar comment to G’Kar in [[Comes the Inquisitor]]. “I wish… there was something that I could do. I tried telling them, but they wouldn’t listen. They never listen…”

In [[Infection]], Garibaldi observed to Sinclair that people look for things to die for, because it’s easier than finding something to live for. Lorien echoed that sentiment at the end of this episode.

Lorien said he hated to see his children fighting. Does that imply he doesn’t approve of Sheridan’s war against the Shadows? For that matter, does it mean he doesn’t approve of the Vorlons and the Shadows fighting? If so, can he do anything about it?

Can Lorien leave Z’ha’dum? Perhaps the planet is part of him, or he’s bound to it in some way; in that case, Delenn’s plan to attack Z’ha’dum could prove disastrous, assuming the Vorlons are as interested in Lorien as the Shadows are.

Lorien said the Shadows think they return to Z’ha’dum to show him respect, but that they don’t understand any more. What don’t they understand? Why did they originally start returning to Z’ha’dum, and why don’t they understand now what they did long ago?
####Notes

The lighting at the end of the prison cell scene is symbolic; as soon as Londo agrees to free Narn, the cell door opens and G’Kar is bathed in white light, his life’s goal finally within reach.

The passage of time on Z’ha’dum, or at least in Sheridan’s condition, is similar to the effect of a black hole at the event horizon: time slows down to a standstill from the point of view of an outside observer.

As originally broadcast, Franklin cites the date as January 8 in his opening monologue, and says it’s been 14 days since Sheridan disappeared. In the second US broadcast of the episode Franklin’s opening monologue was fixed to say it was 9 days since both Sheridan and Garibaldi disappeared. (See jms speaks) However, the UK broadcast, and possibly others, used the original incorrect date. The engine part G’Kar handed to the man in the bar is an overthruster prop from “Buckaroo Banzai.”

Sheridan’s disappearance begins to unravel the alliance. Londo discovers that Emperor Cartagia has struck a disturbing deal. G’Kar decides to search for Garibaldi. Ivanova, Delenn, and Lyta head toward Z’ha’dum to search for Sheridan.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

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

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/067.html
####Plot Points

A thousand years ago, the Shadows seeded hundreds of worlds with their ships so their forces couldn’t be wiped out in a single attack. The explosion on Z’ha’dum destroyed the Shadows’ biggest city and threw them into chaos. Now they’ve decided to seek outside help, and have enlisted the Centauri to shelter a small fleet of their ships in case Z’ha’dum is attacked while they’re weak.

Londo and Vir are scheming to kill Emperor Cartagia, who Londo believes has seriously endangered Centauri Prime by giving land to the Shadows.

According to Kosh, Sheridan opened an unexpected door on Z’ha’dum. Whatever that means, Sheridan somehow survived the two-mile fall, and now finds himself in the company of an enigmatic being, Lorien, who appears to know why Sheridan survived.

The nonaligned worlds, believing Sheridan dead and the battle against the Shadows at an end, are beginning to withdraw from the alliance.

The Shadows have something called “the Eye” near Z’ha’dum. It appears to be able to telepathically contact normals, probing their minds and drawing them to the planet. It was this “Eye” that sensed Ivanova during her journey in the Great Machine on Epsilon 3 ([[Voices of Authority]].)

The Vorlons are aware of what happened on Z’ha’dum, but according to Kosh, plan to do nothing about it. Lyta, however, believes they’re planning something.
####Unanswered Questions

What did Kosh mean about Sheridan opening an unexpected door? A door to where, and why was it unexpected?

Was Morden the human who introduced Cartagia to the term “the big picture?”

What happened to Lyta while she was scanning for Sheridan?

What is the “Eye” at Z’ha’dum?

Why does it speak with a voice of infinite sadness?

How did Sheridan survive his fall?

Where is he now?
####Analysis

The Eye spoke to Ivanova and Delenn in the voices of their fathers. That’s the same image the old Kosh chose on more than one occasion (to Sheridan in [[Interludes and Examinations]] and to G’Kar in [[Dust to Dust]].) Is there a connection?

Is the Eye at Z’ha’dum the one Lady Morella referred to in the first of her prophecies ([[Point of No Return]]?) If so, how will Londo be able to save it? Will it be moved to Centauri Prime, or is it perhaps already there in some form as a result of Cartagia’s arrangement with the Shadows?

Perhaps the Eye is the Shadows’ main defense system on Z’ha’dum. That would explain why the White Star was able to get to the surface unharmed in [[Z’ha’dum]]. It wasn’t touched by the Eye because there was nobody onboard to influence.

The blackening of Lyta’s eyes was similar to G’Kar’s telepathic experience in [[Dust to Dust]]. Perhaps it’s simply a side effect of intense telepathic activity.

In [[Interludes and Examinations]], Morden warned Londo that the Shadows might turn their eye toward Centauri Prime if Londo stood in their way. Was he speaking in general terms, as it appeared to Londo, or was he referring to something more specific? If he meant the Eye in this episode, what implications are there in Londo’s reply that the Centauri would pluck the eye out?

Morden said Sheridan’s actions forced the Shadows to seek outside assistance earlier than they’d planned. That implies they thought they’d eventually have to do so. When were they originally planning to get help, and from whom? Seeking outside help would seem to put them on par with the Vorlons, who Morden castigated for doing exactly the same thing in [[Z’ha’dum]].

G’Kar credits Garibaldi with giving him a second chance and allowing him to redeem himself. Garibaldi probably had that capacity in part because he’d been given a second chance himself, by Sinclair.

The White Star seems to have been replaced with one of the other ships from the fleet; Ivanova and Lyta talked about taking the White Star to Z’ha’dum without referring to the fact that Sheridan destroyed the original White Star.

Kosh may not have meant that Sheridan opened a door in a literal sense; perhaps it’s more figurative. Maybe Sheridan’s attack on the Shadows has weakened them enough to make it possible for the Vorlons to wipe the Shadows out, if indeed that’s what they want.

“Some must be sacrificed for the greater good” is a sentiment that’s widely shared, and “the greater good” typically means “your own good.” Kosh planted the idea in G’Kar’s mind, implying it was the way to the salvation of the Narn people ([[Dust to Dust]].) Justin told Sheridan that some races are lost along the path of evolutionary progress, but that humans would likely come out on top ([[Z’ha’dum]].) And here, Cartagia uses the same reasoning to justify, in his mind, the destruction of his own people, if it means his deification. About the only one firmly opposed to the idea is Delenn, who, as Lennier observed, treasures each life ([[Grey 17 Is Missing]]) and would sacrifice herself to save another ([[Comes the Inquisitor]].) The latter, of course, also applies to Sheridan, and is amply demonstrated by his journey to Z’ha’dum to save Centauri Prime.

What did Lyta mean about the new Kosh being darker than the old one? His demeanor is certainly less pleasant, but does she sense something beyond a simple difference in personality?

Why did Lyta put on the mask after returning Kosh to his suit, if she has gills and can breathe in his quarters? Perhaps simply to conceal her modification from anyone who might see her emerging from his quarters. But gill implants aren’t unheard of ([[The Gathering]]) and it’s presumably widely known that she’s Kosh’s aide, so there would seem to be little to gain by concealing that.

Ivanova may not have been the only one awake during the hour of the wolf. Emperor Cartagia visited his heads late at night, and Londo called Vir in the middle of the night.

Who or what is Lorien? Quite possibly, he’s a Soul Hunter ([[Soul Hunter]]) since he has a similar gem implanted in his forehead. If so, does that mean Sheridan is indeed physically dead? The Soul Hunters capture the personalities of the dying, then spend their days talking with the dead souls and learning from them. Sheridan’s environment might simply be what one of the Soul Hunters’ globes looks like to the occupant, and Lorien might be projecting himself inside somehow in order to converse with Sheridan.

If, on the other hand, Sheridan survived physically, could it have been due to the presence of Kosh in his mind? Kosh has already shown that Vorlons can fly ([[The Fall of Night]]) and that they have telekinetic power ([[Interludes and Examinations]].) The latter might well have softened Sheridan’s landing.

Does Lorien’s presence on Z’ha’dum (if that’s where he’s speaking with Sheridan) imply some connection to the Shadows?

Sheridan and Lorien greet each other with the Vorlon question: “Who are you?” Perhaps Lorien knows what significance that question has to the Vorlons.

Sheridan dropped his rank insignia on the ground. This parallels his experience in [[There All the Honor Lies]], in which he had to give up his insignia during one of Kosh’s lessons and in return was granted “beauty… in the dark.” His current situation is certainly the darkest he’s seen.

Now that the Shadows are on Centauri Prime, will they begin eliminating Centauri telepaths as they did to the Narn? ([[Ship of Tears]])

Why didn’t Ivanova bring along more than one telepath on the White Star? Given that for all she knew, Z’ha’dum was crawling with Shadow vessels, going there with only Lyta ran the risk of the White Star being blown out of the sky the moment it emerged from hyperspace. Granted, telepaths are a scarce, strategically valuable resource, but she could probably have justified bringing three or four others to hold any nearby Shadow ships at bay.

Is this the arrival of the Shadows and their minions mentioned by Londo in [[War Without End part 2]]? If so, why did Londo blame Sheridan for it? Certainly Sheridan’s attack on Z’ha’dum prompted the Shadows to seek shelter, but as Londo described it, it seemed more like he thought Sheridan had intentionally neglected Centauri Prime.
####Notes

Filming began August 26, 1996.

Continuity glitch: During the Morden-Londo scene, when Londo is about to sit down, Morden begins picking at his left hand. After Londo is seated, he drops a flake of skin he clearly just removed from his right hand.

Third season finale. A face from Sheridan’s past takes him on a dangerous mission to meet his Shadow counterpart. Londo receives important news about his political future. The Shadows mass a fleet against Babylon 5.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Melissa Gilbert as Anna. Ed Wasser as Morden. Jeff Corey as Justin.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/066.html
####Backplot

The Shadows claim that the Icarus was sent to Z’ha’dum by Earth after Interplanetary Expeditions planted a homing device on the Shadow ship discovered on Mars ([[Messages from Earth]]) and traced its path through hyperspace.

A million years ago there were many immensely powerful species roaming the galaxy, but most left for “greener pastures,” leaving the Vorlons and the Shadows behind.

The Shadows claim they and the Vorlons are “shepherds,” guiding younger races through the evolutionary process, though they have different methods: the Vorlons are like parents, trying to get their children to play nice and get along, while the Shadows believe that only through conflict and death can races become stronger and more advanced. They also claim that by enlisting the help of the Minbari and others against the Shadows, and by manipulating the younger races genetically, the Vorlons haven’t been playing by the rules.

The Shadows claim that the Vorlons’ genetic tinkering is responsible for the sudden appearance of telepathy in humans, and that they got involved with Psi-Corps to try to minimize the threat to themselves.

The Shadows’ own name for themselves is 10000 letters long, and unpronounceable.

Z’ha’dum is, according to Delenn, the Shadows’ homeworld.

The Shadows badly want to have Sheridan on their side because he has succeeded in uniting the various races into the “Army of Light,” something that’s anathemic to their goal of growth through universal conflict. If he unravels the Army of Light, it’ll stay unravelled, but past experience has shown that killing him would simply cause someone else to take his place.
####Unanswered Questions

If the future as seen in [[War Without End part 2]] is unchangeable, then how does Sheridan survive?

What was left of Anna after she was removed from the Shadow ship and sent to Sheridan?

Was the entire crew of the Icarus put inside Shadow ships, or were some of them killed?

What was behind the door Anna wouldn’t let Sheridan open? (See JMS Speaks)

How much truth is there in the Shadows’ statements?

Why did the Vorlons and Shadows stay behind when the other First Ones left?

Where exactly did the other First Ones go, and why?

Were the Vorlons also responsible for telepathy in Narns and Minbari around the time of the last war?

If the Vorlons and the Shadows are trying to guide the evolution of the younger races, do they have an objective in mind? If so, what?

Who or what is Justin? Where did he come from? Was he also a member of the Icarus crew?

What is the pit Sheridan jumped toward? (See Analysis)

Anna told Sheridan that time doesn’t work the same way on Z’ha’dum as elsewhere. How does time work there, and why is it different?

Was the destroyed city the only city on Z’ha’dum?

How badly have the Shadows been hurt?

Did Morden and/or Justin survive?

Did Londo get off the station after his warning?

Where were the Minbari ships shown at the beginning of the episode when the Shadows appeared?

Why did the Shadows take Garibaldi? Luck? Their plan? His plan?

What ever happened to Mr. Garibaldi?
####Analysis

Given that Anna most likely lied about the fate of the Icarus’ crew, and that they tried to mislead him about what had been done to her, much of what Sheridan was told may be lies or misrepresentation as well, and it’s possible that important elements of the relationship between the Vorlons, Shadows, and the other First Ones were left unsaid.

The Shadows have a similar worldview to that of the Lumati ([[Acts of Sacrifice]],) namely that individuals deserve to fall by the wayside if they aren’t strong enough to fend for themselves. The Drazi and others might also come to agree with the Shadows’ motives if they were explained.

Assuming Sheridan has survived somehow, what will Delenn and Kosh do to keep the Shadows’ side of the story from becoming public?

Anna told Sheridan, “It was supposed to be an equal balance between our side and the Vorlons.” According to who? Did both sides agree to follow rules of conduct? Are they acting on behalf of some other party who wants to see which style of evolutionary help will prove more fruitful?

Some part of Kosh is definitely in Sheridan’s head — Sheridan sees or hears him twice. The first time is just before he leaves for Z’ha’dum, when Kosh says, “If you go to Z’ha’dum, you will die.” The second time is just before the White Star crashes into the Shadow city, when he tells Sheridan to jump into the pit.

Sheridan decides he is willing to sacrifice himself in the nuclear destruction of the Shadow city for two main reasons — first, to help defeat the Shadows, and second, to try to avoid the destruction of the Centauri Homeworld he has foreseeen ([[War Without End part 2]]) His willingness to sacrifice himself also brings to mind the judgment of Sebastian ([[Comes the Inquisitor]]) that both Sheridan and Delenn can sacrifice themselves for their cause. Delenn also told Sebastian the same thing the Shadows told Sheridan: that if they were killed, another would come along to take their place.

Anna claims that the Shadows believe they’ll die if anything Vorlon touches Z’ha’dum. Is that simply a superstition, or do they have some reason to think that’s true? Perhaps they foresaw the detonation of the White Star in some way — as it turned out, that belief wasn’t too far from the truth.

Justin is probably “the man in between” from Sheridan’s dream ([[All Alone in the Night]]) — Sheridan’s counterpart. But if he’s truly equivalent to Sheridan, does that mean he’s in control of the Shadows? Of course, given the amount of manipulation by the Vorlons and the Minbari, it’s questionable whether Sheridan is really in control of the army of light in any meaningful way; Kosh and Delenn have steered him toward their viewpoints from the beginning. Still, if Justin is Sheridan’s counterpart, he’s more than a simple spokesman, and if that’s the case, it begs the question, how did he achieve that position?

Another interpretation is that “the man in between” implies that there’s a third person, a “man on the other side.” The presence of Garibaldi and two versions of Sheridan in his dream supports that interpretation. In that case, who is Sheridan’s opposite? Perhaps it’s Sheridan himself: if Justin had managed to convert him to the Shadows’ side, he would have become the man on the other side.

Both Justin and Sheridan drink tea to help them sleep ([[And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place]].)

Sheridan’s first question to Justin is, “Who are you?” That’s the same question Sebastian asked Delenn and Sheridan ([[Comes the Inquisitor]].) One could plausibly consider it the Vorlon question, their version of the Shadows’ “What do you want?” ([[Signs and Portents]].) Significantly, Justin refuses to answer the question in any direct way, even claims it’s not important who he is. That probably points to a major philosophical difference between the Vorlons and the Shadows.

Justin claimed there were two elder races left behind. Does that mean the Shadows don’t know about the Walkers at Sigma 957 ([[Voices of Authority]]?) Or would they not consider that race to be remaining behind?

What did Justin mean when he called Sheridan a nexus? Does it imply there’s something inherently special about Sheridan, or does one become a nexus simply by being in the right place at the right time? Certainly Sheridan’s decisions affect the fates of millions of people now, but was that destined to be the case?

Delenn said that nobody returns from Z’ha’dum the same as they arrived. How does she know, and what does she mean by that, exactly? Is it simply a matter of all visitors to Z’ha’dum being put inside Shadow warships?

The Shadows don’t seem to have very good security, given that they failed to detect that Sheridan was carrying a second gun. On the other hand, it’s possible they did detect it, but elected for some reason not to do anything about it.

Z’ha’dum’s defenses are similarly flawed; the White Star was able to crash into the surface of the planet intact, apparently with no opposition on the way down. Why weren’t the Shadows vigorously protecting their homeworld? Obviously they left the White Star alone while it was in orbit because of their guarantee to Sheridan, but once it started plummeting toward one of their cities, it’s odd that they didn’t shoot it out of the sky.

The pit Sheridan jumped into was more than a simple depression; as he fell, just before the White Star detonated, he appeared to be passing through a tunnel of some kind. Perhaps he was transported to safety by some means; that would explain Kosh urging him to jump. If so, what is the pit, and did the Shadows build it, or are they merely taking advantage of something that predates their presence on Z’ha’dum? If the latter, was the city surrounding the pit a Shadow installation, or was it peopled by someone else?

It’s also odd that, given that they moved their base underground “for security purposes,” the Shadows would build a large, exposed dome above the pit.

Perhaps the pit is related to the Shadows’ absence. In [[Chrysalis]], Delenn asked Kosh, “Have the Shadows returned to Z’ha’dum?” That implies they’d been somewhere else. Perhaps the pit is a gateway of some kind, and Sheridan will survive by passing through it.

Is Sheridan’s descent into the pit related to Londo’s odd greeting in [[War Without End part 1]], “Welcome back from the abyss, Sheridan?” If so, does that mean he somehow spends the intervening seventeen years either in the pit or associated with it in some way? The former is unlikely if Sheridan and Delenn already have a son seventeen years later.

A parallel to Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” is possible: Gandalf fell into the pit at Khazad-dum with the Balrog, died (as Sheridan will, according to Kosh) and was reborn as Gandalf the White, an even more powerful figure.

Sheridan may also, if he survives in some fashion, qualify as “the one who is already dead” from Lady Morella’s prophecy ([[Point of No Return]].) It’s an even closer fit since Sheridan would be The One who is already dead.

In [[Interludes and Examinations]], Kosh said he wouldn’t be there to help if Sheridan went to Z’ha’dum. But that’s not how it turned out; Kosh was there, though it’s not yet clear how much help he was. What would Kosh have done for Sheridan on Z’ha’dum if he hadn’t been killed?

This is the second time Sheridan has leapt from great heights to avoid a bomb ([[The Fall of Night]].) And both times, Kosh was involved, though Sheridan didn’t know that when he leapt the first time. Will Kosh’s presence in Sheridan’s mind somehow save him once again?

Ivanova’s plan (or possibly Sheridan’s) to plant mines near an upcoming Shadow attack is the same strategy Sheridan used to defeat the Black Star in the Earth-Minbari War ([[There All the Honor Lies]].) How will the Minbari, who denounced Sheridan’s tactic as dishonorable then, feel about its use against the Shadows? Perhaps they’ll have no problem with it, since presumably Ivanova won’t use a fake distress call to lure the Shadows in as Sheridan did to the Minbari.

Sheridan has now destroyed both the Black Star and the White Star, further justifying the Minbari nickname for him, Starkiller ([[Points of Departure]].)

If the Shadows were planning to implant Sheridan, as the arrival of the Shadow implied, why did they surround the station? Would they have attacked? Their warning to Londo implies so. Perhaps they came both to attack if necessary and to pick up Garibaldi.

Shadow ships seem to have instantaneous communication with Z’ha’dum; they left Babylon 5 as soon as the explosion occurred. That’s perhaps not so remarkable; B5 has near-instantaneous contact with Earth, and it’s not clear how far Z’ha’dum is from B5.

The Shadows may have taken Garibaldi to try to alter him and get him to work for them. Justin said, “Once you’ve been inside of one of those ships for a while, you’re never quite whole again. But you do as you’re told.” Garibaldi may already be altered by virtue of his transportation in the belly of the Shadow ship.

Ivanova immediately knew that Sheridan was gone. Simple deduction based on the missing bombs and White Star and the sudden departure of the Shadows, or did she sense something telepathically?

If human telepathy is the result of Vorlon genetic tampering, is the same also true of Minbari and (former) Narn telepathy, and of other races as well? What, then, of the Centauri, who (to judge by Londo’s failure to see Kosh in [[The Fall of Night]]) haven’t been altered by Vorlons? Where did they get their telepathy?

Again assuming that all human telepaths owe their abilities to Vorlon modifications, Ivanova’s genes, or rather those of her ancestors, have been altered by the Vorlons. What other changes did the Vorlons make in addition to granting telepathy? Will Ivanova, for instance, be more susceptible than other crewmembers to images projected by the new Kosh?

The Vorlons may have had more than one motive for creating telepathy among the younger races. There’s the obvious reason, namely that telepaths are useful as weapons against the Shadows. But it may also be that the Vorlons’ goal of universal cooperation, if Justin’s representation is to be believed, is furthered by widespread telepathy. Presumably people are less likely to fight if they can feel their blows landing on an opponent’s body from the other person’s point of view, and certainly direct mind-to-mind contact would enable much more productive cooperation. The Vorlons may feel that telepathy is ultimately most useful as a means of pacification, not as a weapon.

If so, the path to that goal cuts straight through Shadow territory; the Psi Corps, as represented by Bester in [[Ship of Tears]], is perhaps internally cohesive, and its members cooperate with one another effectively, but its leaders hold the rest of the human population in contempt (“Normals are expendable,” as Bester put it.) It’s plausible that eventually that will lead to conflict between telepaths and normals, with the winners in charge afterwards — exactly the process the Shadows advocate.

Likewise, the Shadows’ actions seem to be at odds with their stated goal. As Morden said to Sheridan, every time the Shadows come out and try to put their plans in motion, someone tries to unite all the other races against them. Given that the Shadows seem to have been defeated in at least the last two wars, and probably many others, it’s likely that someone succeeds in uniting all the races against them every time. By attempting to create conflict, they instead promote unity and cooperation.

Of course, it could be that the Shadows and Vorlons actually want exactly the opposite of what Justin claimed, and they realize that if they push in one direction, the younger races will move in the other.

The Vorlons’ tinkering with humans may have been foreshadowed as far back as [[The War Prayer]], in which Kosh told Sinclair, “We take no interest in the affairs of others,” while he was studying images of Earth history. Perhaps he was simply studying the effects of Vorlon intervention.

Morden seemed disgusted by the thought of the Vorlons tampering genetically with humans. Why is that more objectionable to him than the Shadows’ implantation? Perhaps it’s because the Shadows aren’t aiming to directly modify the species with their tinkering; presumably humans who are put inside Shadow ships never return to human society.
####Notes

The episode’s title, originally under wraps as mentioned below, was announced by JMS at the San Diego Comicon on July 6, 1996.

The concept of someone being a nexus also appeared in the novel “The Demolished Man” by Alfred Bester, which also contains the inspiration for the Psi Corps. In the novel, the term is “focal point,” and it’s suggested that a focal point can cause tremendous changes not only to the lives of other people, but to the very structure of the universe.

Delenn’s rendition of the human saying, “What is past is prologue,” is from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

Sheridan launches a preemptive strike against the Shadows. Franklin jeopardizes his life while trying to do a good deed.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Shirley Prestia as Barbara. Melissa Gilbert as Anna.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/065.html
####Backplot

In Minbari tradition, when two Minbari become close it is the custom for the female to keep vigil at the male’s side for three nights while he sleeps. This is thought to reveal the male’s true personality, because while you’re asleep, you can’t keep up your guard, and this helps the female decide whether the relationship should continue.
####Unanswered Questions

How many ships did the League worlds withhold from the battle?

How many ships were destroyed in the battle? How many people died?

Why has Anna Sheridan come to Babylon 5? Is she as much of a pawn of the Shadows as Morden? (See Analysis)

How will Anna Sheridan’s presence affect Sheridan’s near-engagement to Delenn?

How did Anna get into Sheridan’s quarters?

Why have the Shadows not yet attacked Babylon 5?

How badly were the Shadows hurt by this battle?

Why did Sheridan keep dreaming the dream after Kosh died? Is it because of the piece of the Vorlon inside of him, and if so, is it somehow guiding him?

How did Anna know Delenn’s name? Did Morden tell her?

Were the Vorlons approached to be part of the battle fleet?

Who else might have survived the Icarus?
####Analysis

In this battle, it’s said that for each Shadow ship that was destroyed, two Army of Light ships were destroyed. This forces the question: who has more ships, the Army of Light, or the Shadows? And if the Shadows have as many or more, what does that bode for the coming battles of this war?

It’s plausible that Anna Sheridan is acting on behalf of the Shadows just as Morden is. Will Sheridan react to her presence with an understanding that she’s now an emissary of the Shadows?

Delenn had a flashforward to Anna’s arrival ([[War Without End part 2]].) Why, then, was she surprised to see Anna? Perhaps she didn’t expect it to happen that night. It’s also true that Anna didn’t identify herself in Delenn’s flash, so perhaps Delenn didn’t get as complete a view of the future as Sheridan (and earlier, Garibaldi and Sinclair) did.

This episode resolves, at least initially, most of Sheridan’s dream from [[All Alone in the Night]]. Sheridan is “the hand,” one half of a pair of opposing forces. He wears the Psi Corps badge to signify their alliance with Bester, and his position as someone in charge of large numbers of telepaths. Ivanova’s statement, “Do you know who I am?” refers to her latent telepathic ability ([[Divided Loyalties]].) However, it’s still not clear who the “man in between” is. It’s also not clear whether Sheridan’s analysis, even with the help of Delenn and Ivanova, is actually correct.

Perhaps Anna Sheridan is the “man in between” from Sheridan’s dream, despite the personal pronoun problems. Or perhaps she’s an envoy of that man.

“The man in between” implies someone on the other side. Who might that be?

Sheridan openly talked about Ivanova’s latent telepathy in front of Delenn. Does Ivanova no longer consider it such a secret, now that she’s presumably beyond the reach of the Psi Corps? Or does Sheridan simply trust Delenn so much that it didn’t occur to him he might be violating Ivanova’s trust?

Who is the third spotlight on the Minbari flagship meant for? Most likely it’s simply a result of the Minbari doing everything in threes. Sheridan and Delenn gave orders from more than one place in the tactical center, so it’s probably not a matter of the lights denoting different functions.

Garibaldi’s empathy for Franklin, to the poi substance abuse ([[Survivors]], among other episodes.) He presumably knows something of what Franklin has been through.

When Franklin and Sheridan are discussing Franklin’s experience, the doctor comments, “Moments are all we have.” Sheridan pauses as if remembering something. He may be recalling Delenn’s similar comment in [[War Without End part 2]]: “Savor the moments, for they will never come again.”
####Notes

Franklin’s stumble into the crowd was reminiscent of two scenes from [[Chrysalis]], both Petrov’s approach toward Garibaldi, and Garibaldi’s later emergence at the party.

In Britain, Channel 4 edited out seven seconds of the attack on Franklin.

In a video message in [[Revelations]], Anna Sheridan was originally played by Beth Toussaint, not Melissa Gilbert.

Some people have pointed out an apparent continuity glitch, but it’s not. When Franklin is being wheeled into medlab after being stabbed, he sees Garibaldi, Ivanova, and Sheridan above him, even though Sheridan hasn’t yet arrived on the station. But if you look at the surrounding shots from Franklin’s point of view, it’s clear he’s simply hallucinating and imagining that the doctors around the gurney are his fellow officers; nowhere but that one shot do any people in command uniforms appear.

The Egyptian blessing was first mentioned in [[A Distant Star]].

Londo uses G’Kar and Vir to gain power in the Centauri Royal Court. Sheridan is consumed by his analysis of the Shadows’ strategies.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Louis Turenne as Brother Theo. William Forward as Lord Refa.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/064.html
####Backplot

The Minbari have been constructing a fleet of warships based on the White Star design. They are manned by Rangers.

Sheridan has stayed away from Delenn up until now because “she has enough problems of her own.”

There is a thriving underground on Earth opposing President Clark.

Na’Toth is believed to have been on Narn at the time of the Centauri attack ([[The Long, Twilight Struggle]])
####Unanswered Questions

What does the countdown to Z refer to? (See Analysis)

Why didn’t Delenn inform Sheridan of the fleet of White Star-class ships before now?

How long have the Minbari been building the ships?

How big is the White Star fleet?

What will Sheridan use the data crystal given to him by the Reverend for?

Will Virini use the data crystal that Londo gave him? Will it result in Refa’s family being discredited?

Will G’Kar respect Londo more now that he has freed the Narns, or does he see Londo’s ploy as purely self-serving?

How did Londo get G’Kar to listen to him long enough to describe the plot, and how did he convince G’Kar it wasn’t a trick?

Virini mentions that Londo’s house is gathering a lot of funds. Where is Londo getting the money?

Did Refa’s telepath find out about any of the activities Vir has been involved in, such as his work to help the Narn?

What is the real reason for the Shadows’ attack pattern?

Is Na’Toth in fact still alive?
####Analysis

It seems likely that the “Z Minus…” times refer to Z’ha’dum, but they might also refer to a more specific “Zero Hour.” The question remains, what happens at Z? A Shadow offensive? An offensive against Z’ha’dum? Someone’s arrival on or from Z’ha’dum?

G’Kar, in cooperating with Londo and killing Refa, has become an unwitting help to Londo in serving the Shadows. His desire for revenge against Refa and his need to save a small number of his people seems to have served the Shadows’ greater purposes, at least to the extent that Londo’s good fortune is part of their plans.

G’Kar may have been in on Londo’s plan even before he left Babylon 5, possibly even before Vir spoke to him. The story about Na’Toth was solely intended to lure Refa to Narn; there was no need for Londo to deceive G’Kar about his intentions, since G’Kar would almost certainly have been willing to risk a trip to Narn for the sake of two thousand prisoners.

If the already-poisoned Refa could be considered “one who is already dead,” Londo may have just passed by one of his prophesized chances for redemption.

Neroon’s statement in [[Grey 17 is Missing]] that non-Warrior Minbari had constructed ships may have been foreshadowing of the fleet revelation.

Why did Delenn find Sheridan’s attempt to think like the Shadows so abhorrent? Are there things about them she knows but hasn’t revealed yet that would cause that reaction?

Delenn said that the first wave of White Star-class ships was now ready. How many waves are planned?

Now that Londo thinks he has avenged Adira’s death ([[Interludes and Examinations]]) will he be less eager to continue dealing with the Shadows? And will he ever discover that it was Morden, not Refa, who arranged to have her killed?

A few readers have commented that since a replica of the Centauri throne room is being built on Narn, perhaps that’s where Sheridan’s flashforward ([[War Without End part 2]]) takes place. That’s unlikely, though, since Londo forces Sheridan to look out the window and see the devastated landscape of Centauri Prime.
####Notes

The song from which the title is derived, “No Hiding Place,” refers to the Book of Revelation, in which man attempts to hide from the wrath of God in mountains and rocks. Revelation 6:15-17.

During Refa’s death scene, as the vocalist sings, there’s a closeup of G’Kar just as she sings the name “Jesus.” G’Kar-as-Jesus allusions are found elsewhere in the series as well, but this may be the most direct one.

The mass driver attack affected the climate of Narn much as it’s theorized a nuclear winter or asteroid/comet strike would affect Earth: the particles thrown up by the asteroids used in the bombardment have created a layer in Narn’s atmosphere blocking out the sunlight and altering the heating of the atmosphere, which has disrupted the wind patterns on the planet.

Refa’s death scene may be a homage to “Cabaret,” one of JMS’ favorite films. See jms speaks.

Delenn agrees to lead the Rangers, but Marcus must protect her from a deadly threat. Garibaldi investigates a secret level of the station.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Robert Englund as Jeremiah. John Vickery as Neroon. Time Winters as Rathenn.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/063.html
####Backplot

The forces of light are now actively recruiting telepaths, but it’s been a slow process.

Garibaldi’s grandmother was a police officer in Boston. (First mentioned in [[By Any Means Necessary]].)

Valen originally set up the Rangers 1000 years ago, under the control of the Warrior Caste, but they have been inactive until recently.

Grey Sector in B5 is mainly comprised of industrial units.

No Minbari has killed another Minbari in 1000 years.

Delenn’s father died (“passed beyond the veil”) 10 years ago because he was heartbroken about the Earth-Minbari war. Delenn’s mother entered

the Sisters of Valeria.

The security forces on B5 use PPGs rather than bullets because bullets run the risk of puncturing the station’s hull.
####Unanswered Questions

What will be the limits of Ivanova’s promise to Franklin?

How will being chosen as leader of the Rangers change Delenn?

Is Neroon right in suggesting Delenn is taking over control of Minbar?

Who or what was responsible for an entire level of Grey sector being lost from the view of the B5 residents?

What will happen to Grey 17 and the people there?

What will the future relationship be between the Warrior Caste and the Rangers?

Was Kosh present at the ceremony? If not, why not?
####Analysis

Tension among the Minbari castes is increasing. Some members of the warrior caste think Delenn is a religious zealot who is trying to grab hold of military and political power. The warrior caste is unhappy about the religious caste building warships without telling them; believes the Rangers should be commanded by one of them, now that Sinclair has left; and is unhappy about non-Minbari being trained with Minbari in the Rangers.

However, Neroon’s experience with Marcus may change some of these perceptions.

Delenn’s mother joined the Sisters of Valeria. Valeria is also the being that Minbari who were present at Kosh’s appearance in the garden ([[The Fall of Night]]) claimed to have seen. Is this just a coincidence, or is there a deeper relationship?

Jeremiah’s group must have contained some highly skilled computer hackers. Getting the lifts to pass by their level would be the least of their troubles; since the station spins to simulate gravity, lower levels have greater apparent gravity. Everyone below their level would be expecting slightly lower gravity than they’d actually experience. Perhaps the difference would be too slight to alert people in a residential sector, but presumably industrial operations would be affected if gravity was off by a few percent.

Jeremiah clearly knew about Minbari religion, given the similarity of his view of the universe and Delenn’s ([[Passing Through Gethsemane]].) Yet in that episode, Brother Edward clearly hadn’t learned about Minbari beliefs, implying that the Minbari aren’t generally open or forthcoming about them. How did Jeremiah learn about Minbari religion?

Garibaldi’s makeshift gun couldn’t have worked as shown. Even if the steam were enough to detonate the gunpowder in one of the bullets, the first one to go off would almost certainly have been the one closest to the back of the pipe, where the heat was greatest; all the bullets would have been propelled out the pipe at once, and probably at low speed.

Franklin’s backup file on the underground railroad is code-named “Harriet.” This is probably a reference to Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave who was instrumental in running the original underground railroad in the United States.
####Notes

Sinclair’s belongings include a medal for fighting on the Battle of the Line, his identicard, an Earthforce insignia, and the Ranger brooch.

When Garibaldi falls unconscious, the surrounding rubble includes, among other things, a newspaper with the headline “Santiago Elected.” That may indicate the amount of time the cult spent sequestered in Grey 17; Santiago’s re-election took place three years earlier ([[Midnight on the Firing Line]].) It’s unlikely the paper dates from Santiago’s original election; unless his previous term was less than a few years, the previous election would have happened long before Babylon 5 was constructed, possibly even before Babylon 4 vanished in 2254.

Lyta tests the limits of the Shadows’ newly-discovered weakness. Dr. Franklin goes on a journey to discover his place in life, and meets a singer in Downbelow. The new Ambassador Kosh arrives on the station.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Erica Gimpel as Cailyn. Jennifer Balgobin as Dr. Hobbs. Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander. Robin Sachs as Na’Kal.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synop/062.html
####Backplot

Lyta has previously carried “pieces” of Kosh with her. This is most likely what she was doing at the end of [[Passing Through Gethsemane]].

At least ten Narn ships have survived the battle with the Centauri, damaged but able to be repaired. A new Narn fleet seems to be gathering.

It takes the White Star 20 minutes to recharge its jump engines after they’ve been taken offline and their energy diverted into the weapons systems.

The Vorlons are a long-lived race, are relatively few in number, and death is a rarity among them. It had been a very long time since a Vorlon had died.

Franklin is a Foundationist. The Foundation apparently borrows customs and beliefs from various cultures, perhaps in the belief that no one people has all the right spiritual answers.
####Unanswered Questions

What was the message the Vorlon ship showed to Sheridan?

Lyta, a P5, could barely hold one Shadow ship at bay. How much telepathic energy is required to defeat a Shadow ship? What effect would a high-rated telepath like Bester have on a Shadow vessel?

Is Lyta still “only” a P5, or has she been enhanced by her relationship with Kosh?

Why does the new Vorlon insist on being called Kosh in public and private? What does he mean by his statement that “We are all Kosh?” (see Analysis)

Where did the pattern in Kosh’s quarters come from, and what does it mean? (see Analysis)

Why did Lyta bleed from her eyes during the battle? Was it just the strain, or is there some deeper explanation?

Why didn’t the forces of Light take the destroyed Shadow craft in tow for analysis?

Why didn’t the Minbari cruiser open fire on the “held” shadows?

Lyta required ‘line of sight’ to the Shadow ship in order to attack it. Did the Minbari telepaths also need to see the Shadows in order to attack them?

How did the Vorlon ship know where to find Sheridan?

Does the “piece” of Kosh that may be left behind in Sheridan have anything to do with Sheridan’s place as “The One?” How might it fit in with Kosh’s statement that if Sheridan goes to Z’ha’dum, he will die? It may explain Kosh’s final words to Sheridan: “As long as you’re here, I’ll always be here.”

Do the Shadows know a piece of Kosh survived?

Does the different style and color of the new Vorlon ambassador’s encounter suit denote anything?

Is this the same Vorlon who was on Minbar in “War Without End”

How did G’Kar manage to persuade the other races to come to Sheridan’s aid in his battle against the Shadows?
####Analysis

The strange pattern which the new Vorlon sees on the screen in Kosh’s quarters could be a representation of Kosh’s death. It could be construed as a diagram of two or more Shadows attacking a Vorlon. It could also be construed as a diagram of Shadows being accompanied by a human. Presumably the human would be Morden, and the images were burned into the wall in some form, silhouettes, when Kosh was killed.

It’s clear that Lyta believes, based on her vision, that Sheridan may hold part of Kosh within him. What that means — for Sheridan, for Lyta, and for Kosh — remains to be seen.

How did the piece of Kosh get into Sheridan’s mind? If it was the result of Kosh’s contact with Sheridan, might G’Kar also have a piece of Kosh following their contact in [[Dust to Dust]]?

More disturbingly, might Morden also have a piece of Kosh, present as he was at Kosh’s death? Perhaps that was why the Shadows brought Morden along; they wanted someone there who could carry part of a Vorlon.

In [[All Alone in the Night]], Kosh tells Sheridan, “I have always been here.” Could he perhaps have been referring to Sheridan’s mind, implying that Sheridan has carried a piece of Kosh for quite some time?

Might the statement that “We are all Kosh” suggest that the Vorlons exist more as a collective whole than as individual entities? (See also JMS speaks.)

The tide may be turning, now that it’s clear that telepaths are effective weapons against the Shadows, especially considering that all major races except the Narn have telepaths. (Which begs the question: what will the Shadows’ response be?)

Telepathic control over Shadow ships is tenuous at best, and may be limited to preventing them from attacking; the three ships being held by the Minbari telepaths were free to flee the scene when G’Kar and the others arrived.

In [[Revelations]], G’Kar told Na’Toth that when Narn warships jump into normal space, they’re briefly out of contact because of the energy drain of the jump engines. Yet the G’Tok was able to fire on the Shadow warship before it even left the vortex. Does that mean that the weapons systems take less energy than establishing faster-than-light communications? Perhaps Narn FTL communication involves the use of the jump engines to beam a signal into hyperspace, and the effect in [[Revelations]] was simply a matter of the jump engines needing to recharge from the ship’s main power source.

The Shadows now probably know that the White Star is capable of solo jumps. It seems Sheridan has decided that keeping that capability a secret is no longer of strategic importance ([[Matters of Honor]].) Or perhaps he figures that the secret is out by now anyway, perhaps as of Delenn’s emergence from a jump point in the White Star in close proximity to Babylon 5, and thus presumably in full view of a large number of people ([[Severed Dreams]].)

The new Kosh’s ship is reddish in color, as is his encounter suit’s eyepiece, perhaps suggesting the link between Vorlons and their ships. Every sentient race, according to G’Kar, has food resembling Swedish meatballs. The Narn call it “breen.” Since the Vorlons have manipulated all the younger races, perhaps Swedish meatballs are really a Vorlon delicacy, part of an intricate plan to defeat the Shadows through culinary unity.
####Notes

In Australian aboriginal cultures, a [[walkabout]] is a ritual in which a young man goes on a solitary journey through the wilderness in an attempt to learn more about his own character and strength.

Metazine, the painkiller Cailyn used, was also used on Sinclair to keep him unconscious in [[And the Sky Full of Stars]].

In the initial UK broadcast, as well as the first-run US broadcast, Patricia Tallman’s first name was misspelled “Patrica” in the opening credits.

JMS wrote both songs in this episode. See jms speaks.

When the ship bearing the new ambassador arrives, Sheridan originally says, “Welcome to Babylon 5.” This line was edited out later.

Ambassador Sinclair returns to pull Babylon 4 through time ([[Babylon Squared]].) Part 2 of 2.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Michael O’Hare as Ambassador Sinclair. Tim Choate as Zathras. Kent Broadhurst as Major Krantz.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/061.html
####Plot Points

Sinclair and Zathras travelled back in time with Babylon 4. Since the Minbari would never accept a station commanded by a human (a race they hadn’t encountered yet,) Sinclair entered a chrysalis using the same kind of device Delenn used to become half human. His transformation was complete, though, not halfway; to all appearances he became a Minbari. When he arrived in the past, he was accompanied by two Vorlons. He introduced himself to the Minbari as Valen, and went on to lead the war and form the first Grey Council.

Later, he wrote himself a note describing what was to come, and what he would have to do. He also wrote a note to Delenn.

Sinclair’s transformation caused the start of the migration of Minbari souls to human bodies by linking the two species. Delenn’s transformation in the other direction was, in part, an attempt to restore the balance that had been upset. (See Notes)

“The One,” explains Zathras, is really three: Sinclair is The One who was, Delenn is The One who is, and Sheridan is The One who will be.

The three are a whole, consistent with the Minbari tendency to divide things into threes. (Or, perhaps, The One is responsible for that tendency somehow, maybe due to Sinclair’s teachings.)

Sheridan and Delenn, in at least one possible future, will have a son named David.

Londo, as emperor of a wrecked Centauri Republic seventeen years after the start of the Shadow War, will be made to wear a “keeper,” a creature of some sort attached to the side of his neck. It’s visible only when asleep. When it’s awake, it forces him to do its bidding, apparently on behalf of the Shadows. In the end, he will ask G’Kar to kill him before the keeper forces him to betray Sheridan and Delenn.

But the keeper will awaken as G’Kar strangles Londo, and the two will die at each other’s hands, leaving an astonished Vir to pick up the imperial emblem.
####Unanswered Questions

Who was at the door in Delenn’s flashforward? (See Analysis)

Was one of the Vorlons accompanying Sinclair Kosh? Was the other the Vorlon who later spoke to Rathenn on Minbar in part 1? The two encounter suits were the same as that Vorlon’s.

Why was there an explosive discharge when Sinclair touched Delenn’s suited hand?

What became of Zathras? Did he have a hand in the planning of the Great Machine?

Is Sheridan’s vision of the future inevitable?

What is the price of victory over the Shadows, and why was Delenn so dismayed about it?
####Analysis

How did Sinclair get the chrysalis machine? Did the Vorlons supply it? It seemed to do a much more thorough job on Sinclair than it did on Delenn; in appearance, at least, Valen was a pure Minbari, not half-human.

An odder explanation is that Sinclair got it from Delenn, who got it (indirectly) from Valen; in that case, the machine was never actually invented.

When and how did the Vorlons board Babylon 4? There were two Vorlon ships next to the station when the Minbari cruisers approached it; did they come back in time with Sinclair, or did the Vorlons of a thousand years ago know where and when B4 would appear? Perhaps Sinclair called them.

Delenn’s transformation took several weeks. Presumably Sinclair’s was comparable. Did it take that much subjective time to travel back 1000 years, or did the station sit unnoticed in the past until Sinclair was ready? If the former, then the Vorlons must have boarded the station while it was in transit through time (assuming they gave Sinclair the machine.)

Why did Sinclair choose to call himself Valen? Was it simply because of the contents of his letter? In that case, nobody ever actually invented the name; it was chosen because it was the name he ended up using.

Did the Grey Council realize that they’d captured Valen at the Battle of the Line? Most likely not, or Delenn’s counterpart wouldn’t have ordered her to kill him if he remembered what happened ([[And the Sky Full of Stars]].)

On the other hand, if Delenn’s transformation was really in part an attempt to restore the balance upset by Sinclair’s change a thousand years earlier, then Delenn must have known about Valen’s true nature for quite some time. Perhaps she alone recognized Sinclair’s true identity at the Line, but couldn’t tell the rest of the Council, who almost certainly would refuse to believe what she’d discovered.

Why did the machine transform Delenn into a hybrid human and Minbari, while Sinclair (from all outward appearances) was transformed into a full Minbari? Did Delenn choose to only transform herself halfway? If so, has she truly restored the balance between humans and Minbari, or is there still something left to do?

Besides Delenn and the people on the White Star bridge, how many others know Valen’s true identity? If it became widespread, the information might seriously alter the face of Minbari religion; learning that their greatest spiritual leader was actually a member of a race many of them hold in contempt would probably test the faith of many Minbari.

Sinclair flashed back to the Soul Hunter telling him that he was being used, presumably by the Minbari ([[Soul Hunter]].) Exactly what did he mean by that? Perhaps there was a Soul Hunter present at Valen’s death, and Sinclair was familiar to them already. Or maybe the Soul Hunter found out about Sinclair’s eventual identity when he peered into Delenn’s mind.

Probably of less significance, Sinclair’s other memory was of Neroon ([[Legacies]],) who eventually ended up on the Grey Council. What impact, if any, that had on Sinclair’s tenure on Minbar is unknown. Given Neroon’s dismissal of the reason for the Minbari surrender at the Line ([[All Alone in the Night]]) it seems any respect he had for Sinclair was short-lived, and that if the Council did know of Sinclair’s true identity, Neroon didn’t believe it. Neroon was also Sinclair’s prosecutor in comic issue 3, “In Harm’s Way.”

Now that Sinclair has travelled back in time, the accuracy of Valen’s prophecies is probably at an end. Valen could predict the start of the Shadow War, and the breaking of the Grey Council, because he’d lived through it, but anything after his departure to the past is a complete unknown to him (unless, of course, the Vorlons have some way of telling him.)

The appearance of two Vorlons next to an unfamiliar Minbari might not have been such a shock to the Minbari warriors who found Sinclair. In “In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum”, Delenn claimed that the previous Shadow war marked the last time the ancients walked openly among the younger races. So it’s entirely possible that the appearance of a Vorlon was, if not commonplace, then nothing resembling miraculous.

On the other hand, the two Vorlons were flying above encounter suits; maybe they’ve been secretive all along, and even when they walked openly among the other races, always hid behind masks. That would make sense if they wanted to maintain the illusion of angelic appearance, since as Kosh said in [[Matters of Honor]], maintaining that appearance in front of a lot of people is a great strain on a Vorlon.

Did Babylon 4 travel through space as well as time, or did it appear in what would later become Sector 14? If the latter, does its appearance there have anything to do with the location of the Great Machine?

What is Londo’s “keeper?” Who gave it to him? What exactly is it forcing him to do, and why? The fact that it’s invisible when awake suggests that it’s associated with the Shadows, who have mastered the art of invisibility.

Does Morden have a keeper too? Is that why the Shadows treat him as an equal — because they know he’ll never betray their cause?

Or maybe the Shadows are being controlled by some other party, though that seems unlikely.

“We all have our keepers,” Londo says. Does that include Sheridan and Delenn? Perhaps there’s a connection between Londo’s guest and the dream sequence in [[All Alone in the Night]], in which Ivanova and Garibaldi both have birds on their shoulders.

By granting a reprieve to Sheridan and Delenn, Londo may be fulfilling one of his chances for redemption ([[Point of No Return]].) Morella told him he must not kill the one who is already dead; perhaps that refers to Sheridan — who certainly qualifies as “the one” now in another context. Londo’s greeting in part 1, “Welcome back from the abyss, Sheridan,” tends to support this possibility, though of course it’s not clear what Londo meant by that.

Kosh’s warning to Sheridan in “In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum” and [[Interludes and Examinations]], “If you go to Z’ha’dum, you will die,” probably also ties into this, especially since, judging by Delenn’s plea, it seems that Sheridan has gone to Z’ha’dum at some point in the intervening seventeen years. The “death” Kosh referred to may simply be the death of innocence as noted by Delenn, and not literal physical death.

Londo’s death at G’Kar’s hand may also be the last part of Morella’s prophecy; death may be Londo’s greatest fear, or perhaps death with the knowledge that he hasn’t righted his wrongs.

Londo’s dream in [[The Coming of Shadows]], in which he sees a fleet of Shadow ships flying overhead while he stands alone in a desolate wasteland, may be a vision of the Shadows’ minions coming to Centauri Prime as he says they did.

Kosh’s prediction to the Centauri Emperor in [[The Coming of Shadows]] appears to be literally true: For Centauri Prime, the war has ended in fire.

What were the Centauri, or perhaps someone else, trying to get out of Delenn? She refused to answer their questions, she says; what were they trying to learn? It appears the Centauri captured her, which implies there’s still a conflict of some kind going on, even after the Shadows have been driven off. The presence of Londo’s keeper makes it unclear that the Centauri were the ones trying to question her.

“We created something that will endure for a thousand years,” Delenn tells Sheridan. What will they create? And what happens in a thousand years — will the Shadows return again and break up their creation, much as Valen’s creation, the Grey Council, has recently been destroyed?

In the Centauri cell, Delenn tells Sheridan, “Our son is safe. Nothing else matters.” Why is David in danger, and what has Delenn done to ensure his safety?

What could possibly happen to G’Kar in the intervening seventeen years to cause Londo to refer to him as an “old friend?” Londo, of course, may simply have been speaking facetiously — but in that case, what was G’Kar doing in the Centauri palace?

Is death at G’Kar’s hands Londo’s greatest fear, and thus his final chance for redemption ([[Point of No Return]]?) Or is his fear more abstract than that, the fear that his death dream will come to pass as he’s envisioned it?

When Londo sees himself strangled by G’Kar in his dream, does he know that it’s at his own request? How much of the context of his death does he know already?

In [[Babylon Squared]], the crewman who sees the blue-suited figure appear in the hallway tells Krantz, “It’s back.” Presumably the B4 crew had seen Sheridan appearing and disappearing, since Delenn had only recently switched places with him.

Delenn appears in the hallway in the present time (or rather, the same timeframe she’d reached via the White Star,) so in that specific instance there was no time-shifting, just movement through space. How did she do that? Perhaps, as she implied in Part One, the Minbari have the technology for rudimentary time manipulation, so she used something from the White Star.

The woman at the door in Delenn’s flashforward causes her to drop the snowglobe in shock. Very few people would cause someone as poised as Delenn to do that. One of them, though, and one whose arrival has been foreshadowed, would be Anna Sheridan.

Why does Delenn urge Sheridan to avoid going to Z’ha’dum? If he has already gone there by the time she is thrown into the cell with him, then Kosh’s prediction about Sheridan dying if he goes there is wrong, or at least not as immediate as it originally sounded. On the other hand, the fact that they have a son is good evidence the two of them will become much closer; perhaps the arrival of Anna Sheridan (if that’s who’s at the door in Delenn’s flashforward) will complicate their relationship, and it’s to avoid finding out about Anna that Delenn tells Sheridan to stay away from Z’ha’dum.

Are the flashforwards completely random, or might there be something guiding people to visions of certain events? The Vorlons appear to have some perception that extends beyond time; perhaps they are manipulating that perception when it appears, even briefly, in others.

The assumption at the end of the episode seems to be that by successfully pulling Babylon 4 back in time, the crew has averted the Shadow attack on Babylon 5 in eight days, in which Ivanova sends out the distress call heard in part one. Does that mean that Sinclair’s flashforward to the firefight aboard B5 has also been averted? What about Lady Ladira’s vision of the destruction of Babylon 5? ([[Signs and Portents]]) If all those glimpses of the future are no longer true, how much validity do the remaining ones have? Each of them could be from a completely different possible future, none of which will end up ever taking place.

Was Zathras supposed to tell Sheridan, Delenn, and Sinclair about The One? Were Draal’s instructions simply to not reveal anything until prompted by Sinclair?

Where did he come up with the term, and with its definition? If he knows Sheridan is The One who will be, he must have been using the Great Machine to peer forward in time (not unreasonable, given its obvious time-bending abilities.) Will Draal be able to do the same and offer insights into the events to come? Zathras implies that perhaps he can do things even Draal can’t, and that may be one of them.

The distinction between the three members of The One echoes the migration of Minbari souls. Sinclair, after his transformation, appears to be fully Minbari, and is The One who was. Delenn is halfway between human and Minbari, and is The One who is. Sheridan is completely human and is The One who will be. Perhaps it’s symbolic of a shift of power from the Minbari to humanity.
####Notes

####Inconsistencies with [[Babylon Squared]] (B2). See also jms speaks.

• Not an inconsistency per se, but in B2, there was no mention by Krantz of the explosion of the Shadow bomb or the presence of possibly hostile personnel on the station, which he definitely knew about in WWE2. If it’s not an inconsistency, why didn’t he mention it to Sinclair?
• In B2, Krantz told Sinclair that Zathras was first seen in a conference room. “There was a flash, and there he was,” Krantz said. In this episode, Zathras was discovered in a supply room by security guards.
• Zathras tells Sinclair and Krantz that The One has stopped B4’s motion through time to let the crew get off. But in WWE2, the station appears in 2258 by accident after Major Krantz unexpectedly powers up the time equipment. And the idea of faking a power drop in the fusion reactor to cause the crew to evacuate was Ivanova’s, not any of The One’s.
• In B2, when The One appears in the corridor, there are audible grunts of pain; they’re clearly in a male voice, not a female one. When Sinclair returns to the station and removes his helmet, the B2 version of events includes a computer voice intoning, “Present time atmosphere now breathable.” No such voice is heard in WWE2, though arguably Delenn was meeting him just inside an airlock, and the suit computer was referring to the fact that there was no longer a vacuum outside.
• Delenn puts her hand on Sinclair’s shoulder in B2, and her arm is draped in a red robe. But in WWE2, she’s wearing much darker colors.

Another possible inconsistency: Delenn claims that Sinclair’s transformation began the migration of Minbari souls to human bodies that ultimately led to the end of the Earth-Minbari War. However, in [[Points of Departure]], Lennier claims that the soul migration has been going on for roughly two millenia, twice as far back as Sinclair took Babylon 4.

The voice at the door seems to be that of Bruce Boxleitner’s real-life wife, Melissa Gilbert, though of course that doesn’t imply anything about which character she’ll be playing on the show. However, she’s been announced as a guest star in the season finale, so the flashforward may well have been only a month or two ahead.

Ambassador Sinclair returns to pull Babylon 4 through time ([[Babylon Squared]]) Part 1 of 2.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Michael O’Hare as Ambassador Sinclair. Tim Choate as Zathras.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/060.html
####Backplot

The last Shadow war nearly ended in defeat when the command center, a Minbari space station, was destroyed by Shadow forces. But shortly thereafter, a replacement arrived out of nowhere: Babylon 4. With Babylon 4 in place, the Minbari, the Vorlons, and their allies were able to drive the Shadows off Z’ha’dum and destroy a good two-thirds of the Shadows’ warships. Until Delenn arrived at Babylon 5, the origin of the replacement station was a mystery to the Minbari.

Six years ago, just before Babylon 4 vanished, some of the Shadows’ allies recognized the station from the last war. A group of Shadow fighters tried to deliver a fusion bomb onto the station, whose destruction would look like an accident and would lead to a Shadow victory, or a stalemate, in the previous war. They were fought off by the White Star, which travelled back in time through the rift in Sector 14 to stop them. These events were recorded by Varn in the Great Machine.

The Great Machine is responsible for opening the time rift and allowing Babylon 4 to be pulled backward through time. However, opening the rift strains the Machine, and Draal, to its limits.

The White Star’s Vorlon technology includes the ability to learn from past experiences. Its previous encounters with Shadow vessels have strengthened its resistance to some Shadow weapons.

There is at least one Vorlon on Minbar, a fact that’s known to at least some of the former Grey Council.

In one possible future, Sheridan is destined to win the war against the Shadows, but not entirely destroy them; some Shadow minions will come to Centauri Prime, where an older Londo reigns as Emperor, and lay waste to the capital city.

While on Minbar, Sinclair gained a reputation among the Rangers for answering questions cryptically.

The Rangers were put together with the help of the Grey Council, or at least some of its number, including Rathenn, the Minbari who restored Sinclair’s memory in the comic issue “In Darkness Find Me.” He’s an old friend of Delenn’s; she asked Draal about him in [[A Voice in the Wilderness part 1]] And he seems to revere her, accepting Sinclair’s status without question at her behest.

At the close of the last Shadow war, someone who knew Sinclair would be on Minbar left him a note in a sealed box. The box was stored in a temple for over nine hundred years with instructions to not open it until a specific date, a date which has now arrived.

During their first visit to Babylon 4, Garibaldi and Sinclair both saw the same flashforward of Garibaldi defending the station against unknown attackers.
####Unanswered Questions

Who left the note for Sinclair? (See Analysis)

Sinclair has a scar on his cheek (as also shown in [[Babylon Squared]].) Where did he get it?

Where did Delenn’s note come from? How long has she had it?

What was the Vorlon doing on Minbar? Has he/she/it been there all along?

How far into the future has Sheridan been thrown?

Why did Sheridan end up on Centauri Prime, presumably some distance from Sector 14?

What did Londo mean by greeting Sheridan, “Welcome back from the abyss?”

Where did Zathras come from? Has there been a community of his people on Epsilon 3 for generations, or are they more recent arrivals?

Why was Zathras honored to meet Sheridan? What were the things Draal instructed him not to mention?

When Zathras was looking at the Great Machine, he said, “Not good.” What was he talking about? Was the strain of opening the time rift causing the Machine to malfunction?

Were the Shadows, or their allies, also responsible for the sabotage of Babylons 1, 2, and 3? If so, why didn’t they destroy Babylon 4 before it was finished?

Did Babylon 4 survive the war? If so, where is it now?
####Analysis

It seems likely that Sinclair left himself the note. In [[Babylon Squared]], Sinclair was shown to be present on Babylon 4 when it shifted through time; and from his message to Garibaldi, it seems the note told him he was destined to stay in the past and help defeat the Shadows then.

If that’s correct, and the Minbari holy books contain instructions about the box, it suggests Sinclair was involved in writing the books. Very possibly he was Valen, “a Minbari not born of Minbar,” as Lennier described Valen in [[Passing Through Gethsemane]]., Sinclair, as the Grey Council discovered ([[Points of Departure]]) somehow has a Minbari soul.

Which leads to the question, what does Sinclair’s time travel have to do with the Minbari soul migration, if anything? Does he have a Minbari soul because he’s a giant figure from Minbari legend, or vice versa?

Presumably, if Sinclair is Valen and Draal knows about it, that’s why Zathras was honored to meet Sinclair. What Zathras knows about Sheridan, though, is an open question — perhaps he has been watching recent events unfold on Babylon 5 and simply respects Sheridan’s stand against Earth and the Shadows.

Rathenn appears to defer to Sinclair. If a former member of the Grey Council looks to Sinclair for direction, Sinclair must be one of the most influential people on Minbar.

Londo’s description of Sheridan’s victory over the Shadows makes it sound like a fairly distant event, but the Centauri capital city was burning while Sheridan stood there. Perhaps the Shadow minions Londo mentioned have been slowly destroying the city, building by building, since the close of the war, and the Centauri have been powerless to stop them. Or, perhaps, the end of the war isn’t as far back as Londo implies. (It’s interesting to note that Londo doesn’t appear surprised by Sheridan’s appearance or by the fact that Sheridan hasn’t aged.)

Sheridan looks older (his hair is lighter) and may be dressed in something other than his uniform as he visits Londo in the throne room — it looks like he’s wearing a leather jacket, but his outfit isn’t shown clearly enough to tell for sure. If it’s different, though, could his trip forward be along the lines of the flashforward experienced by Sinclair and Garibaldi, rather than a physical transfer? If so, where is his body?

If Babylon 4 is being sent back to help defeat the Shadows in the previous war, will other equipment be sent too? For instance, loading the docking bays full of Minbari fighters (or better still, Vorlon fighters) could do as much to turn the tide of battle as the mere presence of the station, especially assuming that Minbari and Vorlon weapons have improved in the intervening thousand years.

On the other hand, perhaps the non-destruction of the Shadows in the last war wasn’t a matter of military strength after all; perhaps the Shadows hid somewhere such that they were impossible to wipe out. If so, will the same thing happen again? Londo’s accusation suggests it will, to some extent.

How long after Delenn arrived on Babylon 5 did she figure out where Babylon 4 came from? Were the Minbari really so uninterested in Babylon 4 that the Grey Council never saw a picture of the station? Did Delenn recognize the similarity in design as soon as she arrived, or did she find a picture of Babylon 4 in B5’s archives?

Along similar lines, was the station not identified as “Babylon 4” when it appeared in the past? If it was, the Minbari should have at least heard of the Babylon Project in its earlier stages, and would have known B4’s identity before Delenn arrived on B5. It’s possible the Minbari lost whatever records contained the name of their second base of operations, or that Sinclair convinced the Minbari to leave such information out in the interest of not altering the future.

If the Great Machine opened a rift for Babylon 4 six years ago (while, it should be noted, the machine was under Varn’s control, not Draal’s) and can still open a rift today for the White Star, will it be able to open other rifts to send more people back? Or is Draal simply not as capable of handling the strain as Varn was?

On the other hand, maybe the original time rift was generated from the present day by Draal, and Varn wasn’t involved at all. In that case, the Machine may only be able to manipulate time once.

If B4 was being pulled back in time, why did it reappear four years later than it vanished? Sinclair, according to [[Babylon Squared]], interrupted the station’s time travel to allow the crew to get off. But if it was travelling backward through time, that should have caused it to reappear some time before it vanished.

Maybe B4 will have to be pulled forward to the present day, from which point Draal can send it back — that is, maybe Draal can only open rifts between the present day and some other time, not between two arbitrary times.

The Great Machine’s time-manipulation abilities suggest that perhaps it was built specifically to pull Babylon 4 back through time. If so, who built it, and how did they know about Babylon 4? Their technology in that area exceeds the Minbari’s, which says that the Machine’s builders were First Ones. In that case, what was the role of Varn’s people?

Delenn told Sheridan that the Minbari did not have the technology to control a time field “as unstable as this one.” How much time-manipulation technology do they have?

If there’s a Vorlon on Minbar, could it have been responsible for Delenn’s childhood vision ([[Confessions and Lamentations]]?)

In [[Babylon Squared]], Zathras hands his time stabilizer to the space-suited figure (possibly Sinclair,) who promptly vanishes. Was that a replacement for Sheridan’s stabilizer, or for another broken one?

Ivanova’s wish has come true — she’s on Babylon 4 and Garibaldi is left behind. ([[Babylon Squared]])

In Ivanova’s distress call, she says, “This is Earth Alliance station Babylon 5.” Presumably in the heat of the moment her Earth Force training kicked in and she didn’t consider that B5 isn’t an Earth Alliance station any more. (See jms speaks.)
####Notes

As in [[Babylon Squared]], the term “unstuck in time” is a reference to Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s “Slaughterhouse Five.”

Garibaldi’s attempted passwords: “Jeff,” “Jeffrey,” “peekaboo” (Garibaldi’s computer password, most recently used in [[Ceremonies of Light and Dark]],) “Susan,” “Michael,” “socks,” “fasten,” “zip” (the last three from the conversation between Sinclair and Garibaldi on their way to Babylon 4 in [[Babylon Squared]],) and finally, “hello, old friend,” Sinclair’s opening line in the message delivered to Garibaldi by the Ranger in [[The Coming of Shadows]].

Viewers outside North America may have some difficulty recognizing all the partnerships to which Sinclair compares himself and Sheridan.

“Butch and Sundance” were Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, two outlaws from the days of the Old West (of more recent fame for the movie in which they were portrayed by Paul Newman and Robert Redford). “Lewis and Clark” were not Lois Lane and Clark Kent, but Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who explored much of the territory of the Louisiana Purchase (a vast expanse between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains that the United States acquired from France in 1803) from 1804 to 1806, eventually reaching the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. “Lucy and Ethel” were Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz, the characters portrayed by Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance in the 1950s sitcom “I Love Lucy.”

The building in which Sinclair and Rathenn talk bears some resemblance in outline to the encounter suit of the Vorlon inside — and even more resemblance to a Shadow.