####Overview

An old acquaintance requests Londo’s help. Sheridan is plagued by visions nobody else can see.
####Guest Stars

Carmen Argenziano as Urza Jaddo. William Forward as Refa.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/039.html
####Backplot

In his youth, Londo was a swordfighter of no small repute, and House Mollari was one of the most well-respected in the Republic.

Earth Force has confiscated all the files on the Babylon 4 incident (cf. “Babylon Squared,”) but Garibaldi had the foresight to make a copy first.

Refa and his associates on Centauri Prime are consolidating their power by having their political opponents declared traitors. Some of those opponents are well aware of his involvement in the assassination of the Prime Minister (cf. [[The Coming of Shadows]].)
####Unanswered Questions

What was the creature? Was it involved somehow in Babylon 4’s movement through time, or did it just happen by Sector 14 after the fact?

Will Londo’s support of Urza have an effect on Refa’s plans?
####Analysis

The fact that there’s still a spacetime rift of some sort in Sector 14 suggests that it may be possible to travel freely back and forth between 2259 and whenever the creature came from. Unless, of course, the creature was involved in Babylon 4’s time travel; in that case, its presence may have caused the rift to reopen.

Londo believes he has a destiny to fulfill. What exactly does he think it is? Is it based in part on his dream? (cf. [[The Coming of Shadows]]) Or is it a more general notion of bringing the Centauri back to power with the help of Morden, without any specific role for himself?
####Notes

The names of the last Centauri Emperor and Prime Minister, Turhan and Malachi respectively, just happen to be the first names of the actors who played those roles in [[The Coming of Shadows]].

Garibaldi and Sheridan were getting a large number of foul balls on the baseball diamond. Since the station is spinning, the Coriolis effect would make playing baseball an interesting proposition, to say the least, especially near the center of rotation — a high enough ball would pass beyond the axis and land on some other section of the interior, perhaps even the “ceiling!”

Visual gaffe: When Londo was knocked down and he dropped his sword, the sword fell and skidded on Londo’s left. But when he reached for the sword to deliver the fatal blow, it appeared that he reached to his right.

Effects glitch: In the closing shot of the station, the background starfield and part of Epsilon 3 are briefly visible through the docking bay, as if part of the station has just turned transparent.

The Centauri method of dealing with traitors — execution followed by confiscation of property — is similar to what the Romans used to do, and it apparently has the same effect. Romans who knew they were about to be convicted of treason often committed suicide to prevent their families’ inheritances from being seized.

####Overview

Sheridan discovers a connection between Morden and the death of his wife. The station is inundated by Narn refugees. A new Earth Alliance agency tries to recruit station personnel.
####Guest Stars

Ed Wasser as Morden.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/038.html
####Backplot

####Delenn and Kosh tell Sheridan about the Shadows and the Vorlons:

**D**: There are beings in the universe billions of years older than either of our races. Once, long ago, they walked among the stars like giants. Vast, timeless… they taught the younger races, explored beyond the Rim, created great empires. But to all things, there is an end. Slowly, over a million years, the First Ones went away. Some passed beyond the stars, never to return. Some simply disappeared.

**S**: I’m sure this is all very interesting, but what does any of this have to do with Morden?

**D**: Not all of the First Ones have gone away. A few stayed behind. Hidden or asleep, waiting for the day when they may be needed. When the Shadows come again.

**S**: Shadows?

**D**: We have no other name for them. The Shadows were old when even the ancients were young. They battled one another over and over across a million years. The last Great War against the Shadows was ten thousand years ago. It was the last time the ancients walked openly among us. The Shadows were only defeated, not destroyed. A thousand years ago, the Shadows returned to their places of power, rebuilt them, and began to stretch forth their hand. Before they could strike, they were defeated by an alliance of worlds, including the Minbari and the few remaining First Ones who had not yet passed beyond the veil. When they had finished, the First Ones went away. All but one.

**S**: There’s still one of them left. Where?

**D**: (indicates Kosh, to Sheridan’s great surprise) That is why Kosh cannot leave his encounter suit. He would be recognized.

**S**: Recognized? By who?

**K**: Everyone.

**D**: For centuries the Vorlons stood alone, the last remaining guardians. Watching and waiting.
####More

Delenn’s question to Kosh (cf. [[Chrysalis]]) was, “Have the Shadows returned to Z’ha’dum?”

The Icarus, an Earth exploration vessel carrying Anna Sheridan, arrived at Z’ha’dum in late 2256 (see Analysis.) A landing party, exploring a cave, inadvertently discovered the Shadows, awakening them. The Shadows destroyed the Icarus so its crew could not return to warn others, and killed the crewmembers who wouldn’t cooperate. Morden was one of the crew.

Delenn and Kosh knew about the reawakening of the Shadows immediately — maybe even witnessed it somehow as it was happening.

The Earth government has formed a new agency, the Ministry of Peace (nicknamed “Minipax” by its employees,) with the alleged goal of helping reduce internal tensions among the EA’s populace. Its first visible action was to establish a program called the Night Watch, paying people 50 credits a week to wear black armbands and report suspicious people to the authorities so that troublemakers can be reformed before they disrupt the peace.
####Unanswered Questions

Is Sheridan’s wife still alive?

What is the Ministry of Peace really up to?

Will Talia join?

Similarly, what significance is there in the fact that Delenn narrated Sheridan’s vision? Was she sharing it with him, or had she seen it before?

What kind of information did Morden bring for Londo?

What, if anything, happened to the ship that originally discovered the ruins on Z’ha’dum? Someone must have discovered them before the Icarus’ arrival, since the crew of the Icarus knew they were going to explore an ancient civilization.
####Analysis

Delenn’s opening remarks about the First Ones bear a striking similarity to G’Kar’s comments about the beings at Sigma 957 (cf. [[Mind War]].)

Could those beings also be First Ones? If so, are the Vorlons aware that they are still around in some form?

Her remarks also echo her comments about humans in [[Babylon Squared]] — suggesting that she believes humanity has the capacity to eventually rival the First Ones.

Delenn stated that all but one of the First Ones have gone away, and that the last one is Kosh. But does she mean that only one race remains, or only one individual? Or is there a difference where Vorlons are concerned? (See jms speaks)

If Kosh would be recognized by “everyone” because (as implied by Delenn) his race had once walked openly among lesser ones, it’s plausible that Kosh may resemble something from legends thousands of years old — an angel, perhaps, since the Shadows bear some resemblance to demons and Kosh’s suit seems to have room for wings. This would tie in with Kosh’s statement in [[Hunter, Prey]] that Sheridan must be ready “to fight legends” before Kosh will reveal himself — otherwise he’d be mistaken by some as a divine being rather than an alien. Of course, angels and demons are far from the only figures in the human pantheon, let alone alien mythology, and Kosh may be something else entirely.

Or the encounter suit may allow Kosh to control who gets visions like Sheridan’s; if he took it off, everyone who tried to look at him would see something different, something personal. (See jms speaks.) This brings up a potential connection to the flashes in [[Babylon Squared]]; perhaps the Vorlons were involved in Babylon 4’s time travel, and the flashes were a side effect of that.

Why did Delenn demand to see Kosh in [[Chrysalis]] before she was willing to undergo her change? She seems to know enough about Vorlons that she would have had some idea what he looked like. Did she simply want to verify that Kosh was one of the First Ones mentioned in the Minbari history books? Or does his appearance have something more directly to do with her wanting to become partially human? That’s assuming he was showing himself to her at all, rather than sending her a dream sequence.

How did Kosh know what happened on Z’ha’dum? Or was he just inventing the scene he showed Sheridan based on what he figured must have happened? Perhaps he gleaned it from his meeting with Morden in [[Signs and Portents]], though Delenn claims she and Kosh have known about it for the past three years.

The Icarus expedition seems to have set forth in late 2256. In [[Revelations]], which is set in early 2259, Sheridan’s sister says that it’s been two years since Anna’s death. In this episode, Delenn implies that the Shadows were awakened three years earlier. Late 2256 makes sense if both of them were rounding.

The Shadows on Z’ha’dum may have been awakened in 2256, but they weren’t the first. The creature in [[The Long Dark]] awoke during the Earth-Minbari War and was headed for Z’ha’dum. What caused it to wake up before its masters did, assuming its masters are the beings the Icarus discovered?

Delenn’s question was, “Have the Shadows returned to Z’ha’dum?” That implies they were elsewhere; if so, where? Perhaps the same thing that drew the abovementioned creature to Z’ha’dum also drew the Shadows there. In that case, they may have already been awake before the Icarus arrived.

Sheridan let Morden go so he wouldn’t suspect that his true nature is known. But the damage may already be done; Morden and his associates are likely to be suspicious of his sudden release. The reason given to Morden — “it was all a mistake” — is going to seem especially suspicious; “the Centauri asked for your release” or “you’re right; we can’t hold you without charges” seem like they would have been better excuses. Of course, the latter may be what Zack told Morden.

The Night Watch armbands seem more a tool of terror than of peace, reminiscent of the armbands worn by Nazis and other tyrannical regimes, a constant reminder to everyone that they’re under observation. The program seems designed to cause people to turn in their neighbors, and it’s probably naive to believe that people accused of suspicious behavior (or worse, suspicious “attitudes”) will simply be put into therapy and released shortly thereafter. Combined with the Ministry of Public Morale (cf. [[And Now For a Word]]) it suggests the Clark government is more interested in keeping the citizenry under its thumb than anything noble.

If it’s true that the Night Watch considers thoughts dangerous, they may well be involved with Psi Corps somehow; certainly it would make sense for them to try to involve telepaths in rooting out undesirables. Or, perhaps more likely, they’re simply another of Psi Corps’ machinations.

The Shadows aren’t the only ones inhabiting places of power. Londo observed that the technomages (cf. [[The Geometry of Shadows]]) were usually cloistered in their places of power. And now the technomages are headed for the Rim, or beyond it, because of a great darkness approaching; what do they hope to achieve?

Unless the holding cell cameras are very advanced, the Shadows’ invisibility is not all that good. Presumably there are aliens on the station who can see well into the infrared or ultraviolet; the Shadows would be easily detected by such beings in any public area. Perhaps that’s how Kosh knew who Morden was in [[Signs and Portents]]. On the other hand, it may simply be that some aliens have seen the Shadows with Morden, but didn’t think them remarkable enough to be worth mentioning; they’re probably far from the weirdest-looking creatures walking around the station.

Talia was able to detect the Shadows without even trying. That suggests that telepaths will be a valuable weapon against the Shadows — which leads to the suspicion that the Shadows are working to co-opt Psi-Corps behind the scenes so human telepaths will be less likely to work against them. It’s not clear whether her ability to sense the Shadows was typical for a P5 telepath, or a result of her enhanced abilities (cf. [[Mind War]].)

It’s also worth noting that Talia saw Morden darken the same way Delenn did in [[Signs and Portents]] — does this mean Delenn has some telepathic ability?

In [[Infection]], Franklin says the Ikarans built their war machines to fend off invasions, the last of which was 1000 years ago. Could they have been participants in the last conflict with the Shadows? Will the technology obtained by Earth in that episode be used in the upcoming war?

Morden’s triangular hand placement while he was in his cell is reminiscent of Lennier’s meditation posture. Perhaps there’s no connection, or perhaps there is.
####Notes

The name “Ministry of Peace” and its abbreviation Minipax are from George Orwell’s “1984.”

The convention mentioned by Talia is probably not the one described in the novel “Voices” because the novel takes place before [[The Coming of Shadows]].

Delenn’s narrative bears some resemblance to Gandalf’s description of the coming of Sauron near the beginning of the first book of “The Lord of the Rings.” In particular, this passage:

“The rumours that you have heard are true: he has indeed arisen again and left his hold in Mirkwood and returned to his ancient fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor. That name even you hobbits have heard of, like a shadow on the borders of old stories. Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again.”

####Overview

Babylon 5 is embroiled in a deadly conflict between the Narn and Centauri; an ISN reporter covers the story and tours the station.
####Guest Stars

Kim Zimmer as Cynthia Torqueman. Christopher Curry as Senator Quantrell.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/037.html
####Backplot

The Narn homeworld was invaded by the Centauri around 2110. The occupation lasted for approximately 100 years.

G’Kar joined the resistance after his father was executed by the Centauri.

41% of Earth Alliance citizens feel that Babylon 5 isn’t worth the time and expense.

The Centauri have been using the space around the station as a transfer point for weapons for the war effort.

Over 250,000 humans died during the Earth-Minbari War.

Back on Earth, the Clark government has formed the Office of Public Information and the Ministry for Public Morale — both very Orwellian names. (see jms speaks)

Senator Hidoshi, Sinclair’s main Senate contact in season one, is no longer in office.

Sheridan received the EarthForce Silver Star for valor during the Earth-Minbari war.
####Unanswered Questions

How long have the Centauri been using Babylon 5’s space to move weapons?

Will the news report affect the public’s perception of Babylon 5, and if so, will the station become more popular or less?
####Analysis

Delenn’s emotions seem to come to the surface much more readily now than they did before her change. (see jms speaks)

The Earth-Minbari War wasn’t very devestating at all in terms of loss of life. 250,000 dead is tiny compared to, for example, the tens of millions killed in World War II. Since most of the war was probably fought in space, in ships with relatively small crews, that’s understandable — in fact, that many dead probably means that Earth’s combat fleets were nearly eliminated in their entirety — but the war seems to have had an impact on Earth far greater than warranted by human losses. Human pride may ultimately have been the bigger casualty.

The fact that the Narn cruiser destroyed a similarly-sized Centauri ship in a one-on-one battle suggests that the two are fairly evenly matched technologically. If the Centauri are indeed crushing the Narn military, as denied by G’Kar, they must have far superior numbers, or frequent help from the Shadows.

One reason for keeping Babylon 5 around was conspicuously absent from Senator Quantrell’s list: the planet below the station is one of the most strategically valuable places in the known galaxy, considering what lies beneath its surface (cf. “A Voice in the Wilderness”.) Given that the planet’s contents were entrusted to the Babylon 5 Advisory Council, it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep the station up and running.

Earth would probably prefer to keep the planet a secret to keep people from trying to take it (and Babylon 5), so it makes some sense that Quantrell didn’t mention it; but given the battle that took place over control of the planet, it must be a poorly-kept secret at best.

####Overview

Sheridan is in hot water when he kills a Minbari warrior in self-defense.
####Guest Stars

Caitlin Brown as Guinevere Corey. Sean Gregory Sullivan as Ashan.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/036.html
####Backplot

Minbari clans are like close-knit families. One surrenders some of one’s identity to the clan, and in return the clan is expected to shoulder the responsibility for one’s actions. Despite this, clan leaders sometimes engage in secret plots without the knowledge of the clan members at large.

Sheridan’s tactics in the Earth-Minbari War (cf. [[Points of Departure]]) are considered completely without honor by many Minbari; he used a fake distress signal to lure the Black Star into a minefield.

Vir was considered a failure by his family. He was sent to Babylon 5 at their behest, mostly to get him out of their hair. There was little competition for the post, which was thought to be something of a joke.
####Unanswered Questions

What was Sheridan supposed to learn from Kosh’s lesson? (see Analysis)

How did Kosh know what Sheridan would find in the chamber?

Who were the people living there?

Will Vir’s family take him up on Londo’s offer?

What fate awaits the teddy bear?

Who was the human who stole Sheridan’s link? Did he have an ulterior motive for helping with the setup, or was he simply doing it for money?
####Analysis

Considering her dramatic entrance, Sheridan’s lawyer didn’t actually do much of anything. Who sent her, and what was she supposed to be doing for Sheridan?

One interpretation of Kosh’s lesson is that he was teaching Sheridan to give humanity the benefit of the doubt. Even in what Sheridan considered the most dangerous, nasty place on the station, one can find beauty. If Kosh’s pledge in [[Hunter, Prey]] to teach Sheridan “about you” is taken broadly to mean “about your kind,” this is at least a plausible scenario.

Another possible interpretation: Going to the darkest, dingiest, “worst part” of B5 was an analogy to Sheridan’s current very “bad” situation. This is partly confirmed by Kosh’s statement that having a “bad day” was perfectly appropriate for the lesson he had planned. What Sheridan saw there was “beauty… in the dark”, which was exactly what he needed. He was obviously relaxed and feeling much better after the experience, and he thanked Kosh for helping him.

The lesson? When things are at their absolute worst, don’t simply satisfy your basic needs (eating, sleeping), take time out to enjoy something that will make you feel better despite the conditions. It will help you deal with adversity. Alternatively, the lesson is that even in some of the worst places/situations, there can still be beauty if you allow yourself to look for it.

Why the monastic chant? Sheridan said in [[Points of Departure]] that he had met the Dalai Lama in Tibet. The chant wasn’t Tibetan — it is a Gregorian chant, part of the Christmas Mass. The entire incident may have been projected into Sheridan’s mind by Kosh or by someone else. The fact that Sheridan could see it might also be related to his dream in “All Alone in the Night.”
####The Latin lyrics:

Puer natus est nobis et filius datus est nobis;

cujus imperium super humerum ejus;

et vocabitur nomen ejus,

consilii Angelus.

Cantate Domino canticum novum;

quia mirabilia fecit.

####One English translation of which is:

Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;

on whose shoulders the world’s dominion rests;

whose name is;

He who was sent to us from the great

Heavenly Wonder-Counselor.

Sing unto the Lord a new song. He has made wonders.

####There are two quotes here, one from Isaiah 9:6, the other from Psalm 98:1:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

and the government shall be upon his shoulder:

and his name shall be called

Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,

The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

O sing unto the Lord a new song;

for he hath done marvellous things:

his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

Whether this particular chant has any bearing on the story, or was just selected because it sounds good, is an interesting question, but a couple rather tenuous connections can be made:

1. The second verse mentions a “hand” being victorious; recall that Sheridan was told, “You are the hand,” in [[All Alone in the Night]].
2. The fourth issue of the comic series, dealing with Sinclair’s appointment to the Minbari homeworld, is titled “The Price of Peace,” one letter removed from the description of Jesus above. (That one is probably just a coincidence.)

It’s also worth comparing Kosh’s lessons to his encounter with Talia in [[Deathwalker]]. When she asked what his negotiations meant, he advised her to “listen to the music, not the words” — advice that might apply to Sheridan’s lesson as well.

The plight of the teddy bear mirrors the story Sheridan told to Delenn; if the bear is really supposed to represent Sheridan, is its fate perhaps a foreshadowing of Sheridan’s?
####Notes

Londo’s mention of “a certain Minbari” lying is probably a reference to Lennier’s lie in [[The Quality of Mercy]].

The Centauri expect their dolls to be anatomically correct.

“Honour and shame from no condition rise; Act well your part, there all the honour lies.” – Alexander Pope, “An Essay on Man” Epistle IV, 1733-34

Possible Ranger sighting: When Vir and Londo are talking in the Zocalo, a man in what looks like a Ranger uniform walks by twice. Once as Vir says, “Centauri Prime is sending a replacement,” and again as he says, “It’s my problem, not yours.”

The bear is from the Vermont Teddy-Bear Company. It’s a “twenty inch” with “JS” embroidered on the front and “Ba-bear-lon 5” on the back.
####Peter David says:

Specifically, on page 13 of their 1994 Winter Collection Catalogue, they have the Custom Embroidered Bears. Ordered with a baseball shirt and hat (NOT jacket), he’s 20 inches high and his fur color is ‘Pockets (thick milk chocolate)’…

I should point out that ordering the bear for Joe was my wife’s idea. She’s a big bear fan. At present she’s hard at work on a Minbeari…

Caitlin Brown, who plays Guinevere Corey, played Na’Toth in season one.

The Minbari text Delenn showed Lennier can be deciphered using the Minbari alphabet as rendered on the B5 trading cards. Replacing Minbari characters with their corresponding Latin ones yields the English text, “Chester is very spoiled. I guess it’s my fault. I loved him too much.”

####Overview

A fugitive with sensitive information about the Earth government flees to Babylon 5. Tony Steedman as Dr. Everett Jacobs. Bernie
####Guest Stars

Casey as Derek Cranston. Richard Moll as Max. Wanda De Jesus as Sarah.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/035.html
####Backplot

After the victory over the Dilgar, the Earth Alliance experienced a period of rapid expansion bolstered by a general sense of optimism, a sense that the future was bright. Somewhere along the way, that was lost — Dr. Franklin says the future was like waiting for that special toy for Christmas, and when you get it you find that the reality doesn’t measure up to your expectations.

Dr. Franklin studied medicine at Harvard. One of his teachers, Dr. Everett Jacobs, went on to become then-Vice President Clark’s personal physician. Dr Franklin says, “A lot of us looked up to him as a role model. He’s the best there is.”

Dr. Jacobs examined Clark before and after the “accident” on Earth Force One that killed President Santiago — and found no evidence of the viral infection Clark used as an excuse to leave the ship shortly before it was destroyed.
####Unanswered Questions

How and when will Dr. Jacobs’ data be used?

What did Kosh and his ship say to each other after Sheridan and the others left the docking bay?

What did Kosh teach Sheridan?

How did Sheridan convince Kosh to allow his ship to be used to save Dr. Jacobs?

What did the ship “sing” to Dr. Jacobs?
####Analysis

Why was the fact that Kosh’s ship is alive such a surprising thing to have confirmed, when a simple “scan for life forms” was able to detect it? In all their surface probes while the ship sat in the docking bay, it seems odd that nobody thought to scan for life, especially since it was already known or at least suspected that Vorlons use organic technology (cf. [[Infection]].)

Sheridan mentions to Kosh that there’s a council meeting to discuss the Narn refugee problem. That might be related to the smuggling operation started in [[Acts of Sacrifice]] — has it been revealed already? (Not necessarily, of course; there are probably thousands, if not millions, of refugees who have nothing to do with that operation.)

Kosh speaks to his ship, and it displays some text in an unknown script, presumably the Vorlon written language. That implies that Kosh and his ship are not in telepathic contact, or at least not when he’s not on board — somewhat remarkable, considering that Kosh and the ship have both demonstrated telepathy or something like it (Kosh in [[All Alone in the Night]] and the ship in this episode, both with Dr. Jacobs and, more importantly, the maintenance workers referred to by Ivanova.)

There may be a Ranger (cf. [[The Coming of Shadows]]) in this episode, though it’s very subtle. As Sheridan and Garibaldi reach the bottom of the stairs, just before Sheridan sees the red ribbon, a man walks by the two of them, wearing the same outfit as the Ranger from the aforementioned episode. Which might be coincidence, except that Garibaldi notices the man, even turns and watches him climb the stairs, before looking back at Sheridan, who is meanwhile occupied with the ribbon.

A couple viewers have commented that Sheridan looks a bit too smug as he gives the data crystal to his co-conspirator at the end, almost as if that isn’t the real crystal. Is it? Does he trust her? Is he up to something other than what the General thinks he is? (Recall that we never heard his answer in [[All Alone in the Night]].) Also, he doesn’t give her Dr. Jacobs’ code to unlock the data, though of course he could simply be giving her an unencrypted copy.

On a related note, did Sheridan keep a copy of the crystal for himself?

Sheridan confronts Kosh twice. The first time a bit tentatively, the second time directly. Amazingly, he engages Kosh’s interest and actually begins what may develop into a dialog (or at least a monologue) with Kosh.

Also of note, the first time Sheridan confronts Kosh he says that Kosh “called to him.” This is a reference to the dream sequence in [[All Alone in the Night]]. Kosh replies, “I sought understanding. I listened to the song. Your thoughts became the song.” Sheridan asks, “Has this ever happened before?” and Kosh says, “Once.” When was that? One possibility is Talia Winters (cf. [[Deathwalker]]) — Kosh told her to “listen to the music, not the song.”

Kosh’s second conversation with Sheridan, of course, bears close analysis, especially given its relation to Sheridan’s dream in [[All Alone in the Night]].

1. Sheridan: “You wanted to see me?”
2. Kosh: “You wanted to see me.”
3. “Well, I guess everybody does. See what you really are, inside that encounter suit.”
4. “They are not ready. They would not understand.” Analysis: It’s not obvious exactly who he means by “they.” At least one person was ready to see Kosh, namely Delenn (cf. [[Chrysalis]].) Of course, it begs the question once again: what is Kosh, that one might not “understand” when one saw him? (And why does he care whether people understand?)
5. “Am I ready?”
6. “No. You do not even understand yourself.” Analysis: Is Kosh speaking in a general sense here — “You aren’t self-actualized” — or is there something specific about Sheridan that Kosh knows and Sheridan doesn’t?
7. “Could you help me to understand you?”
8. “Can you help me to understand you?”
9. “Well, I can try. Is that what you want? An exchange of information? I tell you something about me, you tell me something about you?”
10. “No. You do not understand. Go.” Kosh turns away.
11. “Dammit, what do you want? What do you want from me? You know, ever since I got here I’ve had the feeling that… that you’ve been watching me. The records show you hardly ever went to council meetings until I showed up. When I was captured… it was you who reached out and touched my mind. Now you call me here… why? Just to throw me out? Are we just toys to you? Huh? What do you want?”
12. Kosh spins around to face Sheridan again. “Never ask that question.” Analysis: Almost undoubtedly a reference to Morden’s question in [[Signs and Portents]] — but it raises another question of its own, namely, why does that question mean anything special to Kosh? How does Kosh know what Morden asked of the various ambassadors? Perhaps it’s what the Shadows always ask, since Kosh seems to know about them. Perhaps the Vorlons were, themselves, asked that question a thousand years ago.
13. “At least I got a response out of you. So what’ll it be, Ambassador?”
14. “I will teach you.”
15. “About yourself?”
16. “About you. Until you are ready.”
17. “For what?”
18. “To fight legends.” Analysis: Two interpretations are immediately apparent: “to fight the Shadows” (who are legendary to the Narn and probably others) or “to dispel myths.” The first seems too obvious, given Kosh’s tendency to be cryptic. The second interpretation suggests that the Vorlons aren’t revealing themselves because they feel they’ll be associated with something from mythology. Once Sheridan learns to combat those preconceptions, he will be ready. (See Notes.) Alternately, it could refer to Sheridan himself; he’s a legend of sorts to the Minbari, possibly an obstacle to the joining of humans and Minbari as envisioned by Delenn (cf. [[All Alone in the Night]].)

Do we now have a clue to the telepathic abilities of the Vorlons? This reference to “the song” and Sheridan’s thoughts “becoming” the song during his dream sequence hint rather strongly that telepathy is the Vorlon’s primary means of communication. If so, then this confirms that Sheridan’s dream wasn’t altogether a dream, and that he may have some latent/budding psi skills himself.

Further note: The constant jabber that occurs when Kosh speaks. It sounds like there are…many “voices” in it. If telepathy is common to Vorlons, then they may have some equivalent to a “hive mind”, or at least constant and unbounded access to each other. If so, then why does Kosh periodically return to the Vorlon homeworld? Further, does the same physical “Kosh” return? Still further, if each Vorlon is to a greater or lesser extent all Vorlons, does it matter which physical Vorlon is present? Taken to the extreme, the tag “Kosh” is simply a convenient referent supplied by the Vorlon hive-mind to the folks at B5. (Of course, it may well be the ship that needs to return home, not Kosh at all.)

In this episode we see that the ship is an independent entity, in essence a living creature. It shows up as a non-human life form, even though we are shown that Kosh himself was not on board. Further, Doctor Jacobs says that the ship “sang to him” while he was unconcious and aboard. This hints strongly that the ship shares “the song,” which means that it’s part of the Vorlon community mind.

If the ship is part of the Vorlon super-entity, and if the ship is itself organic technology, then this implies that the Vorlons can create any kind of physical creature they want, with that creature sharing the community mind. That means that the ship is nearly as much or as much a Vorlon as Kosh.

A number of readers have speculated that the ship is actually Kosh, and the encounter suit just a remote probe or a servant. That seems unlikely, though, given the events of [[The Gathering]], in which the Vorlons were ready to start shooting over an attack on what was in the encounter suit. But it’s worthy of mention.

A Biblical reference that might be relevant, or might just be a coincidence: During Sheridan’s secret meeting, Sarah tells him “Whatever you do, I suggest that you do it quickly.” This is the same thing Jesus Christ said to Judas Iscariot immediately before Judas went out to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin. If this isn’t a simple coincidence, the implication is that Sheridan will eventually betray someone. The victim isn’t clear, though. His cadre on B5 are obvious candidates, as is the cabal he and Hague are members of. But for that matter, it might be the Psi-Corps (though his betrayal could be for the Psi-Corps, cf. [[All Alone in the Night]] and Bester’s comment at the end of [[A Race Through Dark Places]].)

A more whimsical connection is that the actress speaking the line is named Wanda de Jesus.
####Notes

A relevant reference might be “Childhood’s End” by Arthur C. Clarke (though the shape of the Vorlon encounter suit suggests the opposite association from the one in the book.)

When Franklin and Garibaldi stop to eat, it appears they’re actually munching on Kellogg’s NutriGrain Breakfast Bars (though the scene doesn’t provide a close enough look at the bars to tell for sure, so it probably doesn’t count as product placement.)

During Sheridan’s meeting with Sarah, they are in what looks like an equipment room. She sets up two devices, presumably to defeat any bugs or scans. The problem is that she leaves them there when she leaves. During their next meeting they are not in evidence at all, and again she isn’t shown retrieving them before she leaves. Of course, Sheridan could have taken them. (See jms speaks.)

In addition to its ants (cf. [[Mind War]]) B5 has roaches.

Sheridan has what he considers very good shielding on his office. He talks to Ivanova quite openly there immediately after Agent Cranston leaves.

Kosh’s comments to Sheridan bear some resemblance to the Dalai Lama’s observation (cf. [[Points of Departure]],) namely, “It will be even better when you begin to understand what you do not understand.”

Minor continuity glitch: when the station’s scanners are configured to look for Dr. Jacobs, the display reads “Dr Evert Jacoby,” not “Dr. Everett Jacobs.”

####Overview

G’Kar asks Sheridan to intervene militarily on behalf of the Narns; Ivanova tries to institute an ambassadorship with a visiting alien.
####Guest Stars

Paul Williams as Taq. Ian Abercrombie as Correlilmerzon.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/034.html
####Backplot

The Narn pushed the Centauri off their world through a war of attrition, so it was no longer worth the Centauri’s effort to stay — open, direct warfare is new to them.
####Unanswered Questions

What was that gift?

Will the Lumati’s alliance with Earth be significant?
####Analysis

The situation between the Narn and the Centauri on Babylon 5 seems destined to explode sooner or later, even if things were quelled the first time. If one side begins to lose badly, revenge will be a natural reaction. Perhaps it will be just such an incident that pushes Earth into taking sides, assuming that’s going to happen.

It also seems like only a matter of time before the Minbari smuggling operation is discovered; eventually it’s plausible that the Centauri will get sick of the Minbari nosing around in the middle of war zones, though they may decide they don’t want to risk fighting them. How much trouble Sheridan will be in if his plan is discovered remains to be seen.

Given the Lumati’s feelings about natural selection, it’s unclear how desirable they’ll be as allies. If Earth needs help, they might well decide that that means humans are inferior, and withhold their aid.
####Notes

In keeping with his newfound importance, Londo’s outfit has changed slightly; it is crisper, darker, with a slightly more military look.

On a more editorial note, this episode is arguably the first to drive home how different the situation is now than it’s been in the past. The dark undercurrents that have always been present in the series begin to surface here, in the form of G’Kar’s desperation, Londo’s casual lack of concern over the killing and his calm assurance that the Centauri will defeat the Narn, Sheridan’s loss of composure with G’Kar, and the general sense of hostility around the station.

The Lumati’s arrogant attitude toward other species bears some resemblance to Star Trek’s Prime Directive.

####Overview

Sheridan is kidnapped and taken to an alien ship. The Grey Council decides Delenn’s fate. General Hague makes an unofficial visit to the station.
####Guest Stars

Robert Foxworth as General Hague. Marshall Teague as the Narn.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/033.html
####Backplot

The Minbari have installed a new leader.

Sheridan’s appointment to Babylon 5 was more than a coincidence. He was picked by Santiago, who knew that his record made him look like a hard-nosed military man, just the sort Santiago suspected Clark would want to replace Sinclair with. But Santiago also knew that Sheridan was a patriot who would stand against the forces seeking to undermine the Earth government. In his first months on the station, Sheridan’s real assignment was to evaluate the crew, find out who could be trusted.

General Hague, and others, are working to expose the machinations behind Santiago’s death and other recent events. They suspect the Psi-Corps is behind the conspiracy, but so far have been unable to prove anything. Alit Neroon (head of the Star Riders clan, cf. [[Legacies]]) has replaced Delenn on the Grey Council.
####Unanswered Questions

Sheridan’s dream is a big unanswered question, lent weight by Kosh’s comment after Sheridan’s return. See Analysis.

Why was Neroon appointed to the Council?

What does Delenn think is about to happen? Why does she believe she is about to descend into darkness and fire?

Is the foray by the Streibs related to what the Shadows are doing, or is it just coincidental timing?

How did the Narn know so much about the Streibs and their ship?

What was done to Sheridan? He was left with three scars on his face, one of them on his forehead. Might he be carrying an implant of some sort now?
####Analysis

Neroon’s appointment to the council is troublesome. Presumably new members are approved by majority vote. The three warrior-caste members probably voted for him; that means one or two of the remaining five members must have voted for him as well, probably from the worker caste.

Valen’s wishes seem to be held in less than the highest regard by some Minbari.

With four members, the warrior caste now effectively controls the Grey Council. On any issue they need only win over one other member to have a majority. It is unclear how far the Council’s power extends now that a new leader has been installed, and that leader conceivably sides with the religious caste, but it looks like hard times have arrived for Delenn’s compatriots.

That being the case, how does this mesh with Sinclair’s gathering of rangers? (cf. [[The Coming of Shadows]]) Some of them, recall, are Minbari.

Are they primarily religious caste? Is there enough difference of opinion within the warrior caste about humans that he’s able to attract warriors?

We never actually hear Sheridan’s answer to Hague, though it is probably “yes.” If it isn’t, Sheridan’s meeting with the rest of the command staff may be a ruse to draw Hague’s people out into the open — on the assumption that Hague will try to work via one of the others — and expose the counterconspiracy. Sheridan’s possible link with Psi-Corps (see below and [[A Race Through Dark Places]]) makes this at least a plausible There’s more to the dream sequence than is apparent at first glance, and it’s chock full of ambiguities. A shot-by-shot rundown with analysisscenario, if an unlikely one.

Another, simpler, possible interpretation follows the rundown:

1. Sheridan is in his quarters, in uniform. The lights are out.
2. Ivanova is in the quarters with him, in uniform, hair draped over her left shoulder. The door is open. She raises her fingers to her lips and says, “Shh.” Analysis: Someone or something has entered Sheridan’s mind to give him a message, and is warning him to watch and listen, not try to participate. The “something” might also simply be part of Sheridan’s own subconscious. This probably relates to Kosh’s answer to Sheridan’s first question.
3. Sheridan looks confused.
4. Ivanova, now with a raven perched on her right shoulder, says, “Do you know who I am?” Analysis: The raven is typically symbolic of death; Ivanova may represent destruction, perhaps eventually siding with the forces of darkness. In older literature, the raven was often a thief, rather than a harbinger of death.
5. Sheridan looks to his right, and finds himself in a Babylon 5 corridor. He looks up.
6. On a catwalk, in harsh lighting, gripping the railing, is another Sheridan. He looks to his right. Analysis: It’s unclear what kind of uniform the Sheridan on the catwalk is wearing; possibly a Psi-Cop uniform. The angle of the shot is similar to Sinclair’s first view of Knight Two in “And the Sky Full of Stars.” This Sheridan perhaps represents another side of Sheridan’s personality (more on that below.)
7. Garibaldi, also apparently on the catwalk, is in uniform and has a dove(?) on his left shoulder. “The man in between is searching for you,” he says. Analysis: “The man in between” may refer to the Sheridan on the catwalk, a part of Sheridan that isn’t sure which side it should be on. Of course, it could be a reference to someone else entirely: someone between light and darkness, for instance. (Sinclair?) As for Garibaldi’s dove, the dove is traditionally a symbol of peace, perhaps implying that Garibaldi will work to stop the Great War. [[Babylon Squared]] strongly suggests that Garibaldi will ally himself with the side of light.
8. Ivanova, in a veil and black dress, is standing behind Sheridan, who is now wearing a turtleneck and a jacket. Analysis: This funereal garb lends some weight to the idea that Ivanova represents death. (It really is Ivanova, though some readers have disagreed; see jms speaks.)
9. As he turns, we get a brief glimpse of a metal pin on the left breast of his jacket: a Psi-Corps badge. And in fact, his jacket appears to be the uniform of a Psi-Cop, with the leather strap down the right side in front. Analysis: Sheridan’s change of clothes is perhaps the most ominous part of the entire sequence. Combined with Bester’s comment in [[A Race Through Dark Places]] that he was told to expect Sheridan to be sympathetic to the Psi-Corps, it suggests some yet-to-be-revealed connection between Sheridan and the Corps, something that may cause a conflict of interest as he works with Hague’s people.
10. Ivanova, still veiled, says, “You are the hand.” Analysis: Hands abound in Babylon 5, from Kosh’s hand in [[The Gathering]] to Londo’s dream hand in “The Coming of Shadows.” Presumably Ivanova isn’t referring to Kosh’s hand. If she is referring to the hand from Londo’s dream, it suggests that Sheridan will become a pawn in Londo’s machinations; recall Elric’s comment in [[The Geometry of Shadows]] — the hand reaching out across the stars is Londo’s. Alternately, if Sheridan’s Psi-Cop uniform is taken to mean that he’s symbolic of Psi-Corps as a whole, perhaps she means that Psi-Corps, not Sheridan, is the hand. Or, more sinister, that Sheridan is unknowingly acting on behalf of the Psi-Corps, perhaps as the result of some mental conditioning (which would explain Bester’s comment at the end of “A Race Through Dark Places.”)
11. Kosh is standing behind Sheridan in the corridor; Sheridan is back in his normal uniform. Sheridan starts to turn toward him.
12. In what seems like a simple switch of camera angles, Sheridan now appears to be sitting down in front of a backlit wall with an organic look not unlike that of the Streib ship’s interior. “Why are you here?” he asks. Analysis: The change of scenery suggests that “here” refers to a different place or time or context than the rest of the sequence. Perhaps the question means, “Why are the Vorlons involving themselves with the other races?” Of course, it could mean what it looks like: “Why are you in my dream?”
13. “We were never away,” Kosh answers from the corridor. “For the first time your mind is quiet enough to hear me.” Analysis: Depending on the meaning of Sheridan’s question, the answer says different things. If the former refers to the Vorlons in general, the answer can be taken to mean, “We’ve only just allowed you to notice us.” The second part of the answer suggests that Sheridan’s question refers to the dream, though. See below for a possible explanation of this question and the rest of the dream. Also note that Kosh uses both “we” and [[me]] — see jms speaks.
14. Sheridan is back in the corridor, standing. “Why am I here?” he asks, in a tone that makes the question sound unconnected to the previous one. Analysis: Again, it’s unclear what “here” means. Babylon 5? The dream? His circumstances?
15. “You have always been here,” answers Kosh. Analysis: Kosh’s repetition of this statement after Sheridan’s return may mean it is very important; or perhaps Kosh was indirectly telling Sheridan that the dream wasn’t a simple construct of his subconscious. (Of course, Kosh might have read Sheridan’s mind outside medlab and pulled the line from Sheridan’s memory of the dream.) As for the meaning of the line itself, only time will tell. “You” might refer to Sheridan himself, or to some group (e.g. the human race) of which Sheridan is a part.

Another way of looking at the dream sequence, more metaphysical, is that Sheridan entered a psychic continuum, an astral plane, for lack of a better term. That makes many of the comments less ambiguous:

• “We were never away. For the first time your mind is quiet enough to hear me.” This is the first time Sheridan has been in a mental state to consciously recognize the plane; Kosh and everyone else have always been there to some degree.
• “You have always been here.” Sheridan has always had some presence in this psychic world; he just hasn’t been able to consciously recognize it.
• “The man in between” refers to someone between the physical and spiritual worlds. Perhaps the Sheridan in the sequence is Sheridan’s spiritual side, and “the man in between” is Sheridan, searching for his higher soul.
• Ivanova and Garibaldi, as shown in the sequence, are either the projections into this other world of the real people, or are abstractions for something else (darkness and light?)
• Sheridan’s Psi-Cop uniform may mean that the Corps plays a part in bridging the physical and astral worlds.

####Notes

The Streibs are probably a reference to Whitley Strieber, whose popular book “Communion” dealt with alien abduction.

Effects glitch: When Ramirez’ damaged Starfury jumps back to normal space, the vortex is orange, not blue as it normally is when a ship is arriving.

Marshall Teague, the Narn, also played Nelson Drake, the assistant turned living weapon, in “Infection.”

Ravens and doves, from the King James Bible:

• And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth; and then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came in to him in the evening; and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet another seven days, and sent forth the dove, which returned not again unto him any more. –Genesis 8:6-12
• And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
• So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. –1 Kings 17:1-6

Some raven references in various other mythologies:

• Hugin and Munin: Odin’s two ravens (thought and memory)
• Kurkil: Mongol creator god who flew to create the Earth and mankind
• Mictla or Mictlantecuhtli: Aztec god who rules the underworld
• Moragga: Celtic. The incarnation of the Goddess as war.
• Raven: Amerindian creator and trickster god. Created all living creatures out of wood and clay. Similar to Coyote.
• Yangwu: Chinese. The sun-crow.
• Yetl: Amerindian. The thunder-raven who dragged the flooded earth above the water.
• In Japanese culture, the dove symbolizes war because doves were used as messengers during battles.

####Overview

Dr. Franklin’s father arrives, leading 25,000 ground pounding soldiers on the station. The troops’ arrival elicits fear from both humans and non-humans that the troops may be going on a secret mission that will involve the station becoming an armed camp.
####Guest Stars

Paul Winfield as Gen. Richard Franklin.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/032.html
####Backplot

Dr. Franklin’s father is an Earth Alliance military hero, a veteran of the Dilgar war and several internal conflicts on Earth. He was rarely around for his children when they were growing up; when he was around, he tried to run the family like a boot camp.

With the advent of the Narn-Centauri war, the Earth Alliance is trying to solidify its hold on several strategic sectors near both, in anticipation of the day when Earth will have to choose sides.

Sheridan served a tour of duty on the planet Akdor, in a system bordering on both Narn and Centauri space.

Garibaldi’s father, Alfredo, served under General Franklin in the Dilgar war, and was a well-regarded soldier.
####Unanswered Questions

####Analysis

Babylon 5 is now heavily armed, ready to take on a warship. Which raises the question: why wasn’t it before? Mere shortsightedness on the part of the designers — a station like Babylon 5 seems a natural target — or something else? Even if there originally didn’t seem any need to heavily arm the station, the attacks on the station in [[Signs and Portents]] and “A Voice in the Wilderness, part 2” should have demonstrated that B5 will come under attack from time to time.

On the other hand, Franklin did say that the station was being upgraded with the latest from Earth Force R&D, so maybe its previous weapons were simply the best the previous generation of technology had to offer. Budget constraints may have also played a role.

The tail end of the news broadcast mentions that more divisions of Earth troops will join the 356th on Akdor. That implies some sort of permanent presence on the planet itself, as opposed to just “in the system” as General Franklin mentioned.

Delenn’s transformation doesn’t appear to be getting the widespread publicity one might expect; the troops didn’t seem to recognize her at all. Perhaps they simply don’t follow the news.
####Notes

[[GROPOS]] stands for “ground pounders” and refers to the Earth Alliance’s equivalent of the U.S. Marines. In fact, the term “Earth Force Marine Corps” was contained in the Gropos’ marching song.

####Overview

When the Centauri emperor visits the station, Sheridan tries to keep G’Kar from going after him. Londo and Refa plot to expand their power. A mysterious man seeks out Garibaldi.

Winner of the 1996 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
####Guest Stars

Turhan Bey as the Centauri Emperor. Malachi Throne as the Centauri Prime Minister. William Forward as Refa.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/031.html
####Backplot

Sheridan joined the Earth military a few years before the Earth-Minbari War. A planetary draft was established during the war.

The Centauri have sent many ships into Vorlon space; none have returned, but strange stories about the Vorlons have found their way back to the Centauri homeworld.

Sinclair’s duties on the Minbari homeworld extend far beyond normal ambassadorial functions. He is taking part in the preparation for the fight against the great darkness that many of the Minbari believe is approaching. To that end, he is in command of a small army of “rangers” — individuals, Minbari and human, who roam the frontier, gathering information too sensitive to report back via normal channels.

The Centauri Emperor employs four telepaths, linked since birth; when he leaves the royal court, two accompany him and two stay behind, so he and his representatives at the court are constantly aware of each other’s circumstances.
####Unanswered Questions

What is the meaning of Londo’s dream? (see Analysis)

Why is Sinclair in charge of the rangers? Is he the only one in control, or is he a piece of a much larger chain of command?

How did the rangers get started? How are they expanding? What or who is drawing them to Minbar, and how?

Why does Sinclair think Garibaldi should stay close to the Vorlon? How much does he know, and how long has he known it? (Recall that in [[The Gathering]] Delenn gave Sinclair information about the Vorlons, though it’s not clear how complete or accurate it was.)

Will Londo become emperor some day?

What will the Narn’s first move against the Centauri be?

What did the Emperor know about Vorlons that caused him to want to ask Kosh his question? What does the question mean? (see Analysis)
####Analysis

When the two telepaths on Centauri Prime entered the throne room, a human and two Minbari were talking to the prime minister. Most likely they were there on unrelated business, but it’s possible they were rangers, there to gather information. (See jms speaks)

As soon as Londo lied about what the Emperor told him, the two veiled telepaths exchanged a look and left the room hastily. It may be that they knew he was lying; whether they’ll tell anyone, and if so what impact that will have, remains to be seen.

Kosh seems to have a perception that extends into the future; or perhaps he is simply basing his comment on the results of the last great war against the Shadows.

Londo’s dream, which has been foreshadowed from day one ([[Midnight on the Firing Line]]) contains a lot of information, if it’s to be taken literally.

The hand seems a clear reference to the “great hand, reaching out across the stars” as seen by Elric in “The Geometry of Shadows.” If so, the hand is Londo’s. Presumably it is a metaphor for his expanding power and influence.

Londo stands in the middle of fine sand, a desert (or perhaps decimated ruins; witness the dead vegitation and patterns in the sand) and watches several Shadow ships fly overhead. This appears to be on Centauri Prime. He is dressed in his ambassadorial uniform and appears to be roughly the same age as in the present. One implication is that the Shadows will either attack Centauri Prime or (more likely) come to its defense. It should also be noted that Londo has never seen a Shadow ship in the present. One reader suggests that Londo’s expression can be interpreted as Londo looking on, helpless, as a great evil is done; for the first time realizing who’s really the pawn in his relationship with the Shadows.

When Londo receives the crown, he is again not much older than in the present, possibly slightly older than when he’s observing the Shadow ships. Perhaps he is crowned after calling in the Shadows to help defend Centauri Prime. (Of course, the new Emperor would have to be dead first.) The person crowning him appears to be fairly old.

Much later — twenty years, give or take — Londo, in white Imperial attire, sits in the throne and looks around, face filled with regret or resignation. Nobody else is visible, and the throne room seems bare compared to the scene at the beginning of the episode. It’s as if everything has been lost; he is Emperor, but Emperor of nothing, perhaps of a dead world.

Then he sees G’Kar, also aged 20 years, face half-covered by a strip of black cloth. The two try to strangle each other. Londo appears to go limp as the dream ends; presumably he is dying. The cloth across G’Kar’s face appears to cover an injury; he may be missing his left eye.

Londo’s old age in the last scene suggests that it takes place around the same time as the attempt to snatch Babylon 4 through time (cf. “Babylon Squared.”) Sinclair seemed to have aged about the same amount, though of course humans and Centauri may age at different rates, and something may have caused Sinclair to age prematurely. But barring those two factors, it suggests that the war is still raging at the time of Londo’s strangulation, and that it will last at least twenty years.

It’s also worth noting that the dream contained only one spoken line, from “Chrysalis:” “Keep this up, G’Kar, and soon you won’t have a planet to protect.” (It was spoken over a scene from “Midnight on the Firing Line.”)

Londo may well be serious when he tells Vir he has no wish to become emperor; his premonition may have convinced him that it’d be bad to seek the position. But the vision remains; he may find himself taking the throne in spite of himself down the road.

The state of G’Kar’s left eye may be a reference to Norse mythology, in which the god Odin gives up his left eye for wisdom.

“It’s a small price to pay for immortality,” says Refa. A reference to everlasting fame? The Centauri propensity for elevating emperors to godhood? (cf. [[Chrysalis]])

The emperor’s question implies that he was in on something that isn’t general knowledge, possibly something about the Vorlons. One explanation may lie in dreams; perhaps the emperor’s death dream (according to Londo in “Midnight on the Firing Line,” such dreams are commonplace among the Centauri) told him that a war would begin after his death. Why he thought Kosh would know how the war would end — assuming the war is what the question referred to — is still an open question, though. (See jms speaks)

Along similar lines, why did the emperor speak his dying words to Londo, rather than Refa? Did he know what Londo was really up to, or was he simply guessing that Londo was likely the catalyst who would bring his empire into war, based on Londo’s handling of Quadrant 37 in [[Chrysalis]]?

The Narn government apparently approved of G’Kar’s would-be assassination attempt, even though he lied about it in his will; presumably he wanted to protect his people from revenge attacks by the Centauri.

####Notes

The script for this episode is printed in its entirety in JMS’ “The Complete Book of Scriptwriting,” ISBN 0-89879-512-5, published by Writer’s Digest Books.

The votes for the Hugo Award were as follows. The two numbers listed are number of nominations received and final number of votes cast.

####Overview

Bester asks Talia to investigate an “underground railroad” of unregistered telepaths.
####Guest Stars

Walter Koenig as Bester.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/030.html
####Backplot

Michael Garibaldi says, “The Corps got started because of our own fears.” The sudden appearance of real psi abilities in otherwise unremarkable people caused so much concern among the general population that those showing such talents were gathered together into a group that could be more easily controlled — and Psi-Corps was born. Its members are deeply conditioned to prevent any psi from using his or her talents to dominate normal people or disrupt society. But this conditioning isn’t absolute, and attitudes molded early in life can still evolve over a persons lifetime.

Given that psis were forced into this essentially closed society, shunned by the rest of humanity, it isn’t surprising that the loyalties of the telepaths turned to the Corps itself. Soon Psi-Corps gained control of itself, and eventually the organization began pursuing its own goals. The leadership began to exert ever greater control over the lives of the members, in an effort to enhance the abilities of their people.

The level of control exerted by the Corps over its members grew as they began seeking to enhance the abilities of their people, extending even to marriage and reproduction. Eventually the onus became too great and too pervasive for newly awakened psis to tolerate, and they began seeking ways to escape. The Psi-Cops exist to counter this, to search for and either capture or eliminate psi talented people who escaped early detection or who fled Psi-Corps.

Now the Corps has become a power in its own right. Though the organization was intended to keep psis under control, it has itself come under the control of those very people. As a group, they must feel seperate and different if not outright superior to the rest of society, and who have long been held in a position of subservience. They are organized, ruthless, and determined to pursue their own agenda.

“We created our own monster.” — John Sheridan
####Unanswered Questions

Where have all the unregistered psis been going?

How long has this “underground railroad” been running?

We see Ivanova giving Sheridan his morning briefing, and in it she says that B5 has been running in the red for a while because, “there’s been a lot of Earth Force military transports coming through.” Where were they going?

Has Talia turned completely against the Corps?

Why, and by whom, was Bester told that Sheridan would be sympathetic to the Psi-Corps?

How much did Talia tell Ivanova about the situation, and about what’s happened to her?

“What am I?” “The future.” What does that mean? The future of telepaths? Of humans in general? Does it refer to Talia’s new powers, to the fact that she’s now likely to work against Psi-Corps from within, or something else? Is there even more to Ironheart’s gift?

Will Bester notice that his gun was never actually fired?
####Analysis

The core of Psi-Corps indoctrination was summed up by Bester.

You were raised by the Corps,
Clothed by the Corps.
We are your father,
And your mother.

What Psi-Corps has become was also demonstrated by Bester. Standing with another Psi-Cop, he looks down at a captured rogue telepath who he has just forcibly mind-scanned. “He’s dead,” the other Psi-Cop says. “It doesn’t matter,” Bester replies, apparently assuming she was concerned he wouldn’t be able to read the man any more. Talia doesn’t see this, since it happened on Mars Colony, but she does meet a stream of rogues who are on B5, in transit through the “underground railroad.” From them she learns, first hand and with undeniable truth, that the experience she has had with the Corps is far from unique. Indeed, her experiences were mild compared to the stories she hears. Abductions. Experiments. Breeding programs that don’t rely on volunteers for subjects. And as a telepath speaking to telepaths, she can’t avoid the full truth and force of the events she hears.

How can a Psi-Corps operative turn against the Corps? The impossibility of it is clear: The highest rated, strongest telepaths are “turned into” Psi-Cops. When the guardians are stronger than everyone else, how do you turn against them? Unless you are truly exceptional like Matthew Stoner in [[Soul Mates]] you can only flee, immediately, before someone else scans you and reads your intention. Matthew Stoner may or may not have eluded the clutches of Psi-Corps for a time, but in the end he was firmly returned to them. Talia Winters’ whole life experience tells her that she cannot turn against the Corps, no matter what her opinions may be about the integrity or intentions of the organization.

But several events changed her mind about this — and it was not the tales of woe told by the folks in the underground railroad, though they undoubtedly inclined her toward rebellion. What allowed her to rebel was the realization that her shields were much stronger than she thought they were. A year ago Jason Ironheart, a victim of Psi-Corps experimentation, visited the station (cf. [[Mind War]].) He became something vastly powerful, and departed. But before he left, he gave his onetime love Talia Winters a gift, the very thing that Psi-Corps was trying to induce in him: telekinesis. And the strength to keep that gift secret.

Talia’s telekinetic powers are at least somewhat stronger than suggested at the end of [[Mind War]]. She can not only move her penny with her thoughts — she can cause it to fly across the room with enough force to embed itself in the wall.

Telepaths can combine their powers through physical contact. What are the limits to such unions? Would a hundred linked telepaths begin to approach some of Ironheart’s power, or perhaps become greater than just a collection of individuals? Does this perhaps have something to do with the Minbari prophecy suggesting that humans are destined to walk among the stars? (cf. [[Babylon Squared]])

Or it could simply be that by touching, the telepaths were able to help each other focus their individual energies; that’s supported by the railroad leader’s comment that what they did shouldn’t have worked.

The “Underground Railroad.” The timeline of the underground railroad stretches back to before B5. There is a group of people that have actively been working to keep people with psi ability out of Psi-Corps. Dr. Franklin implied that it was mostly doctors, and it makes sense that their ability to alter or manipulate medical and genetic records would make them logical and necessary members. But there is no reason to assume that the organization is comprised solely of doctors.

Dr. Franklin was a member before he came to Babylon 5. When Jason Ironheart came to B5 he brought with him another rogue, who disappeared into downbelow while Jason went through his spectacular confrontation with Bester and his subsequent transformation. This unnamed telepath (who we’ve met before, in [[Chrysalis]]) apparently contacted Dr. Franklin. Between them, they extended the underground railroad through B5 — though where the rogues were going after B5 is unclear. Nor is it clear that Dr. Franklin will actually put a stop to the railroad. Dr. Franklin’s answers to Captain Sheridan’s demand that he put a stop to it were quite evasive. The telepaths actually at the station agreed to leave, which they intended to do anyway. Dr. Franklin admitted that his part in it was over, and that others would have to take over — but he never actually said it would stop.

Ironically, the person Garibaldi first suspected was aiding the railroad was Ivanova. He was wrong. She wasn’t connected to it. But neither was Talia at the time. Now Talia is talking to Ivanova. What did they discuss, alone and late at night in Ivanova’s quarters?

Did Ironheart’s unnamed friend have ulterior motives when he put Garibaldi onto Devereaux’ trail in [[Chrysalis]]? There’s evidence the Corps was involved in Santiago’s death (cf. [[Revelations]]) so it’s plausible the man knew something of the plot, and wanted to foil it without revealing himself.

Along similar lines, Bester’s request to Talia that she keep an eye on Sheridan and the others for their reactions to President Santiago’s death implies that he knows something other than an accident occurred, even that he (or someone he’s associated with) was involved. His offhand comment that he’d been told Sheridan would be sympathetic to the Psi-Corps also implies that there may be more to Sheridan’s appointment as head of Babylon 5 than meets the eye.

“Who’d have thought?” John Sheridan asks Ambassador Delenn. He was speaking at the time about the common trait of laughter, shared by humans and Minbari, but he could equally have been speaking of the whole scene. A human ship captain, commanding a giant station on the fringe of human controlled space, having a quiet dinner with the Minbari ambassador — who also happens to be a member of their ruling body and who is also, to some degree “half-human.” Moreover, she has apparently chosen him to teach her about humanity on a personal level. How personal this can get… who can say?

Finally, there is a telepath who can operate on the side of the “good guys.” True, there are all the telepaths who have passed through the “underground railroad,” but they are untrained or at best, trained but fleeing. Talia is fully trained and Psi-Corps doesn’t know that she has turned–and she is strong enough to maintain her independence. It’s likely she will be a very important player now, and her personality may develop in new directions now that she isn’t under the heavy hand of Psi-Corps.
####Notes

This episode takes place in March, 2259, three months into Sheridan’s tour of duty with B5.

There is a subthread in this episode about lack of sleep. Bester gets Talia out of bed, Talia gets Ivanova out of bed, and Ivanova and Sheridan spend a night sacked out in his office (he in his chair, she on the couch). Coincidence?

“Knock Knock” (who’s there) “Kosh” (Kosh who?) “Gesundheit!” — Sheridan

Judy Levitt, who plays the Psi Cop opposite Bester in the scene on Mars, is Walter Koenig’s wife.

Production gaffe: In the scene outside Earhart’s, when Delenn is asking Sheridan to dinner, a boom microphone is visible for an instant at the top of the screen.