Archive for the ‘Babylon 5 Season 3’ Category
Above: Lt. Commander Laurel Takashima in 2257
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War Without End, Parts I and II:
https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/babylon-5-war-without-end-parts-i-and-ii-1996/
In the Beginning:
https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/babylon-5-in-the-beginning-1998/
The Gathering:
Referenced Here: https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/babylon-5-divided-loyalties-1995/
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Earth Alliance President Elizabeth Levy Addresses the Troops Before the Battle of the Line in 2248: “Though Earth May Fall….”
(NINETY-FIRST IN A SERIES OF BLOG POSTS)
The first four seasons of Babylon 5 aired in syndication as part of the Primetime Entertainment Network (PTEN). This platform ceased to exist in 1997. So series creator J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) pulled material intended for the fifth season into the fourth season and wrote and filmed the series finale, Sleeping in Light, the subject of the next (and final) post in this series of posts. Then Turner Network Television (TNT) picked up Babylon 5 for the final season, commissioned some telefilms, and began to air the first four seasons. Along the way, TNT gave JMS a chance to re-edit the pilot movie (The Gathering) and asked for a prequel, set to air on the Sunday night before the channel began to air first season episodes the next day.
I remember this well, for I was thrilled, and had videotapes and a VCR ready. I had never seen The Gathering before, and the only cut of it I have seen fully is the re-edit that TNT broadcast and that is now available on disc. And In the Beginning was wonderful, combining footage from episodes with new scenes to establish the background to the series and its universe.
There is a serious question among Babylon 5 fans about when to watch In the Beginning. Should a B5 novice watch this first, or after the fourth season? JMS reveals much of the back story throughout the first four seasons, so viewing In the Beginning first spoils surprises during the series. On the other hand, this is a useful way to initiate a novice into the awe and splendor that is Babylon 5.
It is the Earth Year 2278. Centauri Prime, the homeworld of the Centauri Republic, is devastated, with fires burning in the capital city. (The fires are presumably the result of Drakh retalliation for the Resistance efforts led by Vir Cotto.) Two cute and precocious children, Luc and Lyssa Jaddo, run through the royal palace. They are related to Urza Jaddo, for whose death Londo Mollari was responsible in Knives (1995). https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/babylon-5-knives-1995/
A Centauri woman comes to round up the children, who have wandered into the darkened throne room. The children find the only window not boarded up, look out, and notice the devastation. They wonder what happened to all the buildings. The woman tells them that bad people made the buildings fall down. Then she tells the children that they should not have entered the throne room, and that they need to leave.
But Londo Mollari, a.k.a. Emperor Mollari II, does not mind. It has been too long since he has heard the sound of laughter in the throne room. He summons the three guests to his throne, where he asks the children a generally fateful question in the Babylon 5 universe:
What do you want?
One might recall Londo’s bad answer from earlier in his life, when Mr. Morden asked him that question. Mollari’s reply (to restore Centauri glory and destroy the Narn homeworld) set in motion a series of events that led to his current bad situation–a puppet controlled by aliens on his devastated homeworld.
The children have simpler ambitions, though. They want merely to hear a story. Lyssa wants to hear a true story, and her brother desires to hear one about heroes and great battles. So Londo Mollari, a pitiful old man filled with regrets and who knows his sins, tells them the story of the Earth-Minbari War, which ended in 2248, with the Minbari surrendering on the eve of final victory over Earth.
The present tense for this telefilm is within the third-season two-parter, War Without End (1996). URL here: https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/babylon-5-war-without-end-parts-i-and-ii-1996/. So we audience members know already that this the last day of Londo’s life. I will return to this point later in this post, but I mention this now to explain why I place this post at this point in the series of Babylon 5 posts.
Back to the Earth-Minbari War…..
It is the 2240s, and the Earth Alliance is full of itself, replete with military pride and hubris. Earth, under one government, has expanded into outer space, where it has colony worlds, is expanding its sphere of influence, and is boasting over the recent victory over the Dilgar in a war. Next, they plot to attempt to make contact with the Minbari, but a young Londo Mollari, stationed on Earth, attempts unsuccessfully to prevent this.
Delenn with Dukhat
The Minbari, meanwhile, have heard about the Humans, but have not met them, either. The Minbari leader, Dukhat, is preparing his acolyte, Delenn, to join the Grey Council, the ruling body. He also has a secret: Dukhat is is secret contact with two Vorlons, Kosh and Ulkesh, who tell him that the Shadow threat is returning. So Dukhat tries to persuade the Grey Council to investigate this threat, and decides that the warship carrying the council members will take the scenic, not obvious, route to Z’ha’dum, to see if the Shadows have returned there. Maybe then the Council will support helping the Rangers, who are few in number and marginal in influence, with their task.
But before long, an Earth ship encounters the Grey Council vessel and fires on it, killing Dukhat. It has all been a cultural misunderstanding, but a costly one. The Grey Council gives the order to declare war, with Delenn, its newest member, breaking the tie. The Humans do not stand a chance against one of the oldest space-faring races with superior technology.
Lt. Commander John Sheridan’s Destruction of the Black Star
Much of the story of the war is old hat to those who have seen Seasons 1-4. It is sufficed to say that we see events characters discuss during those seasons. We see Lt. Commander John Sheridan, First Officer of the E.A.S. Lexington, assume command after the captain dies in a Minbari attack. We witness him destroy that Minbari vessel, the Black Star, with tactical nuclear weapons. One might recall Captain John Sheridan tell the story to Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova in Points of Departure, the first episode of the second season, but seeing the events is more powerful than hearing about them.
Emperor Mollari II Laments the Fate of Centauri Prime
Emperor Mollari II is a great storyteller. He is also a patriot. Everything good and bad he has done has flowed from his patriotism. So, as he tells this sad tale of the Earth-Minbari War and reveals that he was complicit in scuttling an attempt at peace talks between the Humans and the Minbari, he looks out over the burning capital city and laments.
2248: On Earth, time has run out. The Minbari fleet is on its way, and they will destroy Earth. President Elizabeth Levy addresses the soldiers, telling them that they will certainly die, but that their sacrifices will allow civilian ships to escape and the human race to continue in neutral territory. The President’s voice breaks:
We do not believe that survival is a possibility. We believe that everyone who joins this battle will never come home. But for every ten minutes we can delay the military advance, several hundred more civilians may have a chance to escape to neutral territory. Though Earth may fall, the human race must have a chance to continue elsewhere. No greater sacrifice has ever been asked of a people, but I ask you now, to step forward one last time, one last battle to hold the line against the night. May God go with you all.
(This is a powerful scene, especially with Christopher Franke’s music.)
Yet the Minbari surrender at the Battle of the Line. They have, of course, discovered that the soul of Valen, founder of the Grey Council, lives inside one Human, Jeffrey Sinclair. Delenn herself gives the order to surrender.
And so the construction of the Babylon station begins, but ends in destruction. The same is true of Babylon 2 and Babylon 3. And Babylon 4 disappears shortly after becoming operational. That is how we get to Babylon 5.
The woman and the children leave, and Londo is left alone again. He consumes enough alcohol to put his Keeper to sleep and watches the captive Sheridan and Delenn in their cell. And the movie ends.
Sheridan and Delenn’s son, David, has already turned sixteen years old. Under the influence of the Keeper inside the urn, David Sheridan has traveled to Centauri Prime, with his parents not far behind. This is how they have come to be in custody. But, as Delenn says, David is safe now. A novel tells of how, after these events, doctors removed David’s Keeper and the younger Sheridan went on with his life.
We know from War Without End that Londo frees Sheridan and Delenn and asks them to free his people. Then the Keeper awakens and discovers Londo’s betrayal, just as G’Kar honors Londo’s wishes by strangling him. G’Kar dies in the struggle too.
We know from novels that Vir, who has been aware of the Drakh presence on Centauri Prime for years and who has led the Resistance, finds Londo dead and kills the Emperor’s Keeper. Vir escapes from pursuing Drakh, flees to Minbar, and secures Interstellar Alliance aid in defeating the Drakh and in rebuilding Centauri Prime. He also becomes Emperor Cotto. Voices in the Dark establishes that he dies in 2291, after thirteen years in office, succeeded (presumably) by Dius Vintari, son of the mad Emperor Cartagia. Hopefully, Galen’s prophecy concerning the events of 2301 does not come true.
And Vir commissions a giant statue of Londo to stand guard over one side of the capital city and a giant statue of G’Kar to stand guard over the opposite side of the same city. We know this from a novel too.
If you want to see the background to the series arranged chronologically, In the Beginning is the film for you. And if you want to study the acting of Peter Jurasik, who portrays Londo Mollari, you are in for a treat. The character Londo Mollari begins as a buffoon in The Gathering (1993) and the first season (1994), but becomes more complex. He turns into a villain, then a hero, eventually into a pawn, then, at the end of his life, a martyr. He is the most compelling character in the saga, and the skilled acting of Peter Jurasik brings him to life.
We have one more stop on our journey. Sleeping in Light is the greatest series finale ever. So I have decided to save the best for last.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 20, 2010 COMMON ERA
All images are property of Warner Brothers, and I do not profit from said images.
There is a Shadow behind Captain Sheridan.
(FIFTIETH IN A SERIES OF BLOG POSTS)
It was two years ago, in series time, that G’Kar issued the first warnings that the Shadows had returned to Z’ha’dum. The Vorlons had known before that. The forces of Light have moved cautiously, gathering their forces, until recent episodes. Now the Shadows strike back against Sheridan in a personal way–via his wife, presumed dead for years.
Sheridan’s First Reaction to Anna’s Return
About a year prior (in In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum), Delenn and Kosh had told Sheridan that Anna had died on Z’ha’dum. The Shadows, they said, had killed those who refused to cooperate. This was obviously not true, so why is Anna alive now? And why is she speaking cheerfully in support of the Shadows?
Recall also Kosh’s warning to Sheridan from In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum: “If you go to Z’ha’dum, you will die.”
Not the Anna Sheridan John Sheridan Knew; Not the Woman He Married
Perhaps the most terrifying horror movie is the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. To recognize a person outwardly as someone known yet to realize that the soul is absent is scary. That is what the Shadows did to those among the Icarus crew who did not cooperate with their ultra-Social Darwinian plans for war and genocide; they stuck them inside ships and converted them into CPUs, in the style of what they were planning to do to the rogue telepaths in Ship of Tears. Dr. Franklin realizes this when he finds scars consistent with implants, such as those on the rogue telepaths in coolers aboard Babylon 5 until technology enables someone to remove the implants.
Sheridan, realizing the truth but not telling Anna what he knows, agrees to go with her to Z’ha’dum, to meet with the Shadows. They travel aboard the original White Star, which makes Anna uneasy because the ship is based partially on Vorlon technology, and the Shadows despise the Vorlons.
John Sheridan, Justin, and Anna Sheridan
On Z’ha’dum, Anna introduces John Sheridan to Justin, a middle man (“the man in-between” who is seeking Sheridan, according a Kosh-induced dream from the second season). Justin, along with Anna and Mr. Morden, explains the Shadows’ agenda: to promote progress via bloodshed. Then Captain Sheridan tells them that he knows what the Shadows did to Anna.
Shadow Vessels Outside Babylon 5
With Captain Sheridan on Z’ha’dum, the Shadows send ships to Babylon 5. Oddly enough, they do not destroy it. They are waiting for something. Commander Ivanova scrambles fighters to protect the station, and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi is in one of them.
Delenn Weeping
Aboard Babylon 5, Delenn opens a message from Captain Sheridan. It ends with, “I love you, Delenn. Goodbye.”
Captain Sheridan, with Nowhere to Run
Captain Sheridan, pursued by the Shadows and his body snatcher wife, flees to a balcony overlooking a vast underground city (covered by a dome) and a very deep hole. He knows that the Shadows do not; he has just sent the White Star, with two thermonuclear weapons aboard, flying toward his position.
The White Star breaks through the city dome, and the weapons detonate as Captain Sheridan falls into the very deep hole.
Back at Babylon 5, the Shadow vessels break off. One picks up the starfury fighter piloted by Security Chief Garibaldi, and Commander Ivanova realizes telepathically that Captain Sheridan is dead.
The Shadow War pauses as the Shadows lick their wounds.
The episode ends with G’Kar’s narration:
It was the end of the Earth year 2260, and the war had paused, suddenly and unexpectedly. All around us, it was as if the universe were holding its breath. Waiting… All of life can be broken down into moments of transition or moments of revelation. This had the feeling of both….G’Quon wrote, ‘There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.
Thus ends the third season of Babylon 5. The fourth season is the most intense of the series. That season features the resurrection of Captain Sheridan, the end of the Shadow War, a Minbari civil war, the resolution of the Earth Civil War, and the creation of a new galactic order. Stay tuned and keep reading!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 30, 2010 COMMON ERA
All images are property Warner Brothers, and I do not profit from said images.
Commander Ivanova: “Well, who wants to live forever?”
(FORTY-NINTH IN A SERIES OF BLOG POSTS)
Shadow Dancing resolves Dr. Stephen Franklin’s walkabout while advancing the Susan Ivanova-Marcus Cole relationship and building momentum toward the creation of the Interstellar Alliance, which culminates at the end of the fourth season. The episode does all this breathlessly and with many wonderful character moments. Follow along with me.
The Shadow War heats up. Sheridan knows that the Shadows will attack soon in a specified sector of space. So he sends Commander Ivanova and Marcus Cole aboard a White Star ship as advance scouts. When they send the signal, the gathered multi-species forces (formerly quarreling among themselves) will emerge from hyperspace and attack the Shadows. This is to be the opposite of the Shadows’ divide-and-conquer strategy.
Aboard their ship, Marcus speaks Minbari to Susan Ivanova:
He tells her that it actually means, “My words are inadequate for the burden of my heart.” That is true, in a way. Marcus loves Susan, but tells her that only once–at the end of the fourth season. His love is deep, taking the form of selfless devotion–perhaps as close to agape as a human can get.
But I get ahead of myself. Back to our regularly scheduled program.
The multi-species attack against the Shadows succeeds, ending with Shadow vessels retreating. Yet the Shadows are not done yet. Shortly afterward, a Shadow vessel launches a ship with one passenger on board. That vessel heads for Babylon 5.
While on walkabout, Dr. Stephen Franklin nears death after attempting to stop an assault and battery on another person. Bleeding and injured, he meets himself at last, or so he imagines. Imaginary Dr. Franklin lectures real Dr. Franklin about not running away from his troubles anymore. So our good doctor crawls to the safety of security personnel, who notify medical personnel.
Later, the recuperating Dr. Franklin accepts his old job back. He tells Captain Sheridan that he (Franklin) had defined himself by what he was not. So he had missed many moments, which was all he had. Now Franklin had come to define himself by what he was–alive; “everything else is negotiable.” These are wise words indeed.
Now, back to that person from the Shadows-dispatched vessel.
When Minbari become close, the female watches the male sleep for a few nights. If she likes what she sees, the two become closer. If not, the relationship ends there. So it is that Delenn is watching Captain Sheridan sleep when the door opens and Sheridan’s wife, Anna, presumed dead for years, enters.
Anna Sheridan, Not Really Dead
This is a delicate situation–and a perilous one. The Shadows sent her.
Roll to end credits.
The next episode is the third season finale, which has haunted my memory since I watched it the first time in 1996.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 30, 2010 COMMON ERA
All images are property of Warner Brothers, and I do not profit from said images.
Captain Sheridan Thinking Logically about Illogical Things While Delenn Looks On
(FORTY-EIGHTH IN A SERIES OF BLOG POSTS)
Series Creator J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) is a lapsed Roman Catholic turned Atheist–not a militant Fundamentalist Atheist in the style of Christopher Hitchens, Bill Maher, or Richard Dawkins–just an Atheist. Yet, in Babylon 5, JMS gave religion its due, for better and worse. This pattern continues in And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place.
Z MINUS 14 DAYS
Captain Sheridan is spending too much time in the War Room, becoming cranky while analyzing battle strategies of the Shadows. There don’t seem to be any actual strategies, just random attacks. This, Sheridan says, is enough to make one’s hair stand on end. That, Delenn jokes, explains the Centauri. Delenn convinces Sheridan to leave the War Room long enough to join her and some guests for dinner.
The guests are four religious figures from Earth: a Buddhist monk, an Islamic cleric, a rabbi, and the Rev. Will Dexter, a Baptist minister. These men are agents of the Resistance against President Clark’s administration. They believe that change is not optional; it will come. The real question is who will change the world, and they want to do that. They reveal that the Resistance is alive and well back home, although many people accept Clark’s dictatorship passively, and others embrace it actively.
Lord Refa and Minister Drigo on Babylon 5
The struggle between Ambassador Londo Mollari and Lord Refa plays out on Babylon 5. Refa brings Minister Drigo from Centauri Prime to demonstrate what “Londo has become,” and Londo tries to persuade Drigo that Refa is not trustworthy. Drigo is not impressed with either man.
Londo uses Vir Cotto, his long-suffering aide, to advance his own position within the Centauri Republic. Londo orders Vir to deliver a false message to G’Kar, to lure the former ambassador back to Narn, where the Centauri forces can capture him. Vir is unwilling, but he has no choice.
Lord Refa has Vir abducted and scanned by a Centauri telepath. Armed with Vir’s memories of Londo’s orders, Refa departs for Narn.
Reverend Dexter Counseling Captain Sheridan
Late at night, Reverend Dexter wanders past Captain Sheridan’s office and finds Sheridan still working. Dexter asks with whom Sheridan shares his burdens. The answer is no one. Dexter then says that Delenn loves Sheridan; that much is obvious. Also, Dexter states, Sheridan needs to empty his “worry tank” regularly in order to be a good officer and commander. And, Dexter advises, Sheridan should share his burdens with Delenn.
Z MINUS 13 DAYS
G’Kar returns to Narn, which suffers from the environmental damage the Centauri war has wrought. Refa, accompanied by contingent of security guards, has arrived, also.
Back on Babylon 5, Sheridan finally understands the Shadows’ strategy. They are herding war refugees into a “safe zone,” which they will strike in time. Such an attack will induce great terror among the enemies of the Shadows.
Speaking of terror…
Back on Narn, Refa meets G’Kar face-to-face. G’Kar, Refa says, has taken his last steps as a free Narn. Yet G’Kar knows something Refa does not. Londo has made arrangements with G’Kar for the release of 2000 Narns from captivity in exchange for G’Kar’s help. 1000 have their freedom already. Londo has informed G’Kar of Refa’s role in the Narn-Centauri War and the subsequent genocide. Also, the Centauri guards, who are loyal to House Mollari, desert Refa. This leaves Lord Refa to meet his fate at the hands vengeful Narns, just as, back on Babylon 5, a Gospel singer belts out a jaunty Hellfire song, “And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place.”
There is no hiding place for Lord Refa.
Londo springs Vir from captivity on Babylon 5. Vir is understandably angry about how Londo has used him, but what can the diplomatic aide do? Londo has accomplished his goal: House Mollari is ascendant, and House Refa is disgraced.
Reverend Dexter’s sermon during the service aboard Babylon 5 is very good. Who is the enemy? The enemy is not the one who disagrees with us or who is different from us. The enemy is not the alien, for we are all alien to one another. No, the enemy is the one who tells we that we ought to fear and hate the aliens and those who are different from us and who disagree with us. The enemy is hate itself, and that hate will destroy the person who harbors it.
Later, aboard the White Star, Delenn shows Captain Sheridan the newly completed White Star fleet, built to fight the Shadows. Then they kiss for the first time.
There are two more remarkable episodes left in the third season. Hang on; you are in for an emotional roller coaster.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 29, 2010 COMMON ERA
All images are property of Warner Brothers, and I do not profit from said images.
Captain Sheridan Witnesses the Arrival of the New Vorlon Ambassador, Ulkesh
(FORTY-SEVENTH IN A SERIES OF BLOG POSTS)
Season 3 is spiraling toward its stunning conclusion, the best season finale in the history of television. So follow me on this journey.
Walkabout begins with humor. G’Kar dines with Na’Kal, who is fighting the good fight against the Centuari occupation of their homeworld. Na’Kal is impressed with the fresh breen G’Kar is serving him. Actually, G’Kar, says, the food is Swedish Meatballs, not breen. Every civilization he has encountered has a dish just like the one the Humans call Swedish Meatballs. It is a galactic mystery.
Remember that the next time you enjoy Swedish Meatballs.
Captain Sheridan, Ulkesh, and Commander Ivanova
Ulkesh, the new Vorlon Ambassador, arrives on Babylon 5. He is a very different Vorlon than Kosh, who cared about people. Ulkesh, in contrast, is a very cold and angry fish. Lyta was off-station on a mission for Kosh when the Shadows killed Kosh. She is upset about Kosh’s death, but that pales in comparison to how Ulkesh and the other Vorlons feel.
Ulkesh assaults and frightens Lyta Alexander (pictured above) before discovering that she knows nothing firsthand about Kosh’s death.
HINT: The Vorlons are about to become villains.
Now, back to the show.
Lyta joins a White Star mission and exacts her revenge on the Shadows, but not before she says, “Burn, you bastards!” She uses her Vorlon-enhanced telepathic powers to neutralize Shadow vessels so that the White Star can destroy some Shadows.
Along the way Lyta learns that there is a piece of Kosh hiding within Captain Sheridan. This, too, is an important detail for the series arc.
Dr. Franklin on Walkabout
You might wonder why this episode’s title is Walkabout. Here is the answer: Dr. Stephen Franklin, aware of his “stim” addiction, is on walkabout around Babylon 5. He is trying to find himself. (He does find himself, but not in this episode.) Dr. Franklin does find a bar Down Below, where Cailyn, a singer, entertains the denizens.
Below: Cailyn
Dr. Franklin becomes romantically involved with Cailyn, who, he learns, has just six months to live. Singing gives he great joy while helping others. If one is going to live, one might as well live, and Cailyn does this to the full.
Walkabout is a combination of wonderful character development, food humor, and story arc advancement. It is worth many viewings.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 29, 2010 COMMON ERA
All images are property of Warner Brothers, and I do not profit from said images.
Centauri Emperor Mollari II in the Earth Year 2278
(FORTY-SIXTH IN A SERIES OF BLOG POSTS)
The Earth Alliance Station Babylon 4 in 2254
Do you recall Babylon 4? It was the immediate predecessor to Babylon 5. Babylon 4 became operational in 2254, and disappeared 24 hours later. The first season episode Babylon Squared tells the tale of B4‘s reappearance in 2258, when the crew of B5 rescued the crew and civilians trapped aboard B4 before it disappeared again. Babylon 4 was destined to become a base of operations for the forces of light in a great war–but when?
War Without End, Parts I and II, answers that question–and a few more. This is a pivotal two-parter within the series arc of Babylon 5. So follow the proverbial bouncing ball with me.
Former Commander/Ambassador Jeffrey David Sinclair on Minbar
It is the Earth year 2260. Jeffrey David Sinclair, commanding officer of Babylon 5 (2257-2259) and Earth Alliance Ambassador to the Minbari Federation (2259-2260), is on Minbar, where he is now full-time head of the Anla-shok, or the Rangers, who are dedicated to fighting the Shadows. Sinclair receives a 1000-year-old letter addressed to himself. The author of the letter is Valen, the now-revered Minbari war leader from the previous Shadow War. Valen is so revered that many Minbari react to difficult situations by saying, “In Valen’s Name.”
Shortly thereafter Sinclair departs for Babylon 5, where Delenn has received a letter in the same handwriting.
Commander Ivanova from a Parallel Timeline
Meanwhile, the great machine on Epsilon 3 is expending great energy open a hole through time and space near where Babylon 4 used to be. From this gateway comes a transmission from a parallel timeline: Commander Ivanova is sending a distress signal from Babylon 5, which is under attack from the Shadows. The time stamp indicates that the message is from the near future, too. How weird is that?
Delenn’s Surprise History Lesson
Sinclair arrives on Babylon 5, but does not stay long. He, Sheridan, Delenn, Ivanova, and Marcus Cole board the White Star and head back in time to 2254, thanks to the great machine at the heart of Epsilon 3. En route, and still in 2260, Delenn reveals historical records she has received from Epsilon 3 recently. Babylon 4 became the Minbari base of operations 1000 years ago, during the previous Shadow War. Allies of the Shadows, recognizing B4 in 2254, tried to destroy it, but the White Star prevented them from doing so. Now the intrepid crew of the White Star needs to do this, so that history will remain unchanged. They succeed, of course.
Zathras
On the way to accomplish this goal the White Star receives a new helper: Zathras, from Epsilon 3. Zathras brings time stabilizing devices, so that people will not become unstuck in time. The best laid plans of mice and men….
The White Star arrives in 2254, saves Babylon 4 from the Shadows, and attaches itself to the hull of the space station. Then the adventures aboard Babylon 4 begin, and we, the viewers, see the rest of the story Babylon Squared began.
You can find my entry for Babylon Squared here: https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/babylon-5-babylon-squared-1994/
Jeffrey Sinclair, Aged Prematurely
Due to a technological difficulty, Sinclair’s time stabilizer malfunctions and he ages greatly when Babylon 4 shifts from 2254 to 2258. This explains his appearance at the end of Babylon Squared, when his younger self returned to Babylon 5.
Below: 2260-Delenn and 2260-Sinclair aboard Babylon 4 in 2258
John Sheridan and Delenn on Centauri Prime in 2278
Captain Sheridan has adventures in time and space. He jumps forward to 2278, on Centauri Prime, where Londo Mollari is the Emperor and the planet is in ruins. Londo blames Sheridan and Delenn for the fate of his planet and promises to kill them shortly. Then he sends them away to a cell. Delenn, remembering that John had told her years ago of this time jump to 2278, encourages him not to go to Z’ha’dum.
Londo, drunk yet surprisingly lucid, summons Sheridan and Delenn. The Centauri Emperor has a Keeper attached to his body and plugged into his central nervous system:
Londo is not his own master most of the time. The Keeper, which is under telepathic control by aliens and usually invisible (except when it is asleep), controls the emperor. But the keeper falls asleep when Londo drinks, and then Londo can be free. The emperor had put on a good show for the Keeper and his masters previously, but now that the Keeper is asleep, Londo frees Sheridan and Delenn. He wants them to free the Centauri people from the alien oppression.
The Death of G’Kar and Londo Mollari
The Keeper will awaken soon, and when it does it will force Londo to betray Sheridan and Delenn. So Londo summons his old friend G’Kar, who, at Londo’s request, strangles the emperor as the Keeper awakens. The Keeper forces Londo to strangle G’Kar, too. So the prophecy from the first episode of the first season is fulfilled, but does not mean what one might have expected. G’Kar and Londo do not die as enemies; they die saving Centauri Prime.
Vir Cotto becomes the next emperor, and Sheridan’s forces liberate Centauri Prime.
And 2260-Sheridan jumps back in time to 2258, aboard Babylon 4.
The events of Babylon Squared unfold, and Sheridan, Delenn, Ivanova, and Marcus return to the White Star and travel back to 2260 and Babylon 5. Sinclair and Zathras ride B4 back to 1260, when Minbari warriors board the station and find Zathras and Valen.
Below: Valen
Back in 2258-2259 Delenn had used alien technology to transform herself into a Minbari-Human hybrid–to set right the balance of the transfer of Minbari souls into Human bodies. For nearly a 1000 years Minbari souls had found new homes in Human bodies. The event that started this transfer was Jeffrey Sinclair’s use of the same alien technology to make himself a Minbari.
Valen was the greatest of the Minbari–a Minbari not born of Minbari. He came out of nowhere, defeated the Shadows, created the Anla-shok, and created the Grey Council. For a thousand years Minbari quoted Valen’s prophecies, actually the memories of Jeffrey David Sinclair.
Thus the first commanding officer of Babylon 5 fulfilled his destiny–a millennium before he was born.
War Without End is staggering. Watching it is the best way to enjoy and understand it. So I encourage you to do exactly that.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 29, 2010 COMMON ERA
All images are property of Warner Brothers, and I do not profit from said images.
ALWAYS Be Very Afraid When Mr. Morden Visits
(FORTY-FIFTH IN A SERIES OF BLOG POSTS)
We all have problems, but how do we deal with them? Do we make foolish decisions, or wise ones? Do we attempt to handle them by ourselves, even when they are greater than we are, or do we seek help?
And do we understand what others say when they speak to us?
Keep these questions in mind as you read the rest of this post.
Vir Cotto Making Romantic Arrangements for Londo Mollari, Awkwardly
I.
Lord Refa is no longer returning Mr. Morden’s calls. (Refa wants to avoid the second half of Londo’s poison.) And Londo is expecting a visit by Adira, his girlfriend from Born to the Purple, from early in the first season.
Vir Cotto had been the Centauri Ambassador to Minbar, briefly. Then he got caught helping Narns escape to freedom. This happened a few episodes ago in Sic Transit Vir, which I did not summarize or review. (I preferred to get on with the main series arc.) Now Vir is back on Babylon 5 as Londo’s aide, under Mollari’s watchful eye. Morden witnesses Vir making arrangements for Adira’s visit and stumbling over questions about garters and such matters. Then Morden hatches a plot to arrange for Adira’s poisoning and death, which he blames on Lord Refa. Londo, heartbroken, turns to Morden for help in taking revenge. Londo resumes his dance with the Devil.
This can lead only to bad results.
Dr. Stephen Franklin Has a Major Problem
II.
Dr. Stephen Franklin has struggled with his addiction to stimulants, or “stims,” during the third season. They keep him alert during long work hours, but at what cost? Finally, in Interludes and Examinations, Dr. Franklin hits the proverbial wall. Security Chief Michael Garibaldi, a recovering alcoholic, recognizes all the signs of trouble and tries to help Dr. Franklin, who rebuffs him. Then Dr. Franklin realizes that Garibaldi is correct, yet admits his addiction. Yet the good doctor takes matters into his own hands; he resigns his position aboard Babylon 5. He decides to go on Walkabout, whereby he walks until he finds himself, which he does a few episodes later.
I pause that part of the story now, before I get ahead of myself.
The Vorlons Attack the Shadows for the First Time
III.
Captain John Sheridan cannot persuade member species of the League of Non-Alligned Worlds to join his cause without a victory against the Shadows. Only the Vorlons can provide that victory, and they have held back until now. So Sheridan asks Kosh to convince his fellow Vorlons to attack the Vorlons. Kosh agrees ultimately, but with a caveat: He (Kosh) will not be around to help Sheridan any longer. Sheridan mistakes this for a threat, but it is merely a statement of fact.
The Vorlons attack the Shadows, and Sheridan gets his new allies. But the Shadows kill Kosh in revenge. Kosh, dying, appears to Captain Sheridan in the form of Sheridan’s father David. Kosh says:
“It’s too late for me. I’m sorry for what I did before. I knew what was ahead. I guess… I guess I was afraid. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you… you kind of get used to it. I wish I could have done more for you. There’s so much I should have said… And now it’s too late. You’re right. It’s time you begin this war your way.” He wrenches in pain again. “I’ve got to go now, John.”
Below: Kosh as David Sheridan
What will the Vorlons do now, that Kosh is dead? Stay tuned and keep reading.
One of the themes of Interludes and Examinations is that one should name make big decisions out of anger or fear. Most of us know this when we are calm, but not when we are in the moment. And we reap the harvest we sow. Some things never change.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 28, 2010 COMMON ERA
All images are property of Warner Brothers, and I do not profit from said images.
SUNDRY THOUGHTS 
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