lurkers-guide/ftp/Guide/033.All-Alone-in-the-Night

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   _Contents:_ [9]Overview - [10]Backplot - [11]Questions - [12]Analysis
   - [13]Notes - [14]JMS
   
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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. [15]Robert Foxworth as General Hague. [16]Marshall
     Teague as the Narn.
     
Sub-genre: Action/intrigue
[17]P5 Rating: [18]8.33

Production number:  211
Original air date:  February 15, 1995

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mario DiLeo

  Watch For
  
     * A momentary change of clothes.
       
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
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. [19]"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 [20]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. [21]"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 [22]"A Race Through
       Dark Places") makes this at least a plausible scenario, if an
       unlikely one.
     * 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 analysis (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 [23]"And the Sky Full of Stars." This Sheridan perhaps
            represents another side of Sheridan's personality (more on
            that below.)
         7. [INLINE] _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. [24]"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 [25]jms speaks.)
         9. [INLINE] _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 [26]"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
            [27]"The Gathering" to Londo's dream hand in [28]"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 [29]"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 [30]"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 [31]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 [32]"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.
       
jms speaks

     * One episode will look very much unconnected to the arc until the
       last five minutes, at which point there's a revelation that will
       likely astonish some and confirm suspcions for some other viewers.
     * Streibs, actually. Similar to, but not quite the same as the
       [33]Grail bunch.
     * Delenn's flyer is called Zhalen.
     * [34]Re: we/I... yes, it's interesting, isn't it? You'd almost
       think it was contradictory or something.
     * And of course there's the story of the man who dreamed he was a
       butterfly, and when he awoke, wondered if he was actually a human
       who dreamed he had been a butterfly, or a butterfly who was
       dreaming he was a human....
     * _Who was the woman in the veil?_
       It's Ivanova.
     * In a way, there are several Sheridans in that dream, signifying
       changes currently in the works, changes yet to come, messages
       forthcoming or unrecognized. It's a very reflective dream, which
       will grow clearer the deeper one gets into the show.
     * Certainly there are some archetypes that always creep into a work
       of this sort; for all we all not Jung at heart...?
     * You'll see at least one piece of Sheridan's vision decoded before
       season's end.
     * Remember, Kosh was the one who sent those images into Sheridan's
       brain, not anybody else; he was communicating useful information
       that may come up down the road, but in rather symbological form.
     * Yes, Sheridan was speaking in the Drazi's native language, trying
       (without success) to get through; they're a cranky species to
       start with, and this didn't help.
     * Sheridan learned a smattering of various languages while on patrol
       on the Agamemnon.
     * During the Minbari war, the Narns were selling us weapons, so
       Sheridan and other Earthforce captains had to learn at least a
       smattering of Narnish for purposes of negotiations.
     * The aliens from Grail are similar to, and distant relatives of,
       the streibs, but not the same, no. A closer shot would've revealed
       red slitted eyes instead of the black eyes of the one in Grail.
     * Pledging oneself to someone's side is not common, and carries
       great significance. From that point onward, you are bound to that
       person until your death, and you must defend that person at the
       cost of your own life.
     * Some tie-ins...remember Sheridan in "A Distant Star" saying that
       he was feeling beached, abandoned? His unsureness in taking on
       this post, what if it was a mistake? A number of his actions come
       into a clearer light once you know he was in essence checking them
       all out, and putting on a hard "I'm a nice guy" attitude.
     * _Wasn't attacking the Streibs an act of war?_
       The Streib saw an alliance between Earth and Minbar at that
       moment, which is the LAST thing they wanted to go up against.
       Also, you don't go to war at the drop of a hat just because
       somebody sinks or shoots down one of your ships. This is one of
       the cliches in storytelling. And what the Streibs were doing was
       totally unjustifiable in any event. Do you gear up for the massive
       hassle of total war -- supply lines, fleets, all the rest --
       because of this incident? Remember, the purpose of the ship was to
       find races weak enough for them to attack with impunity; they
       don't want to go up against a force that can strike back.
     * I doubt we'll be seeing these guys again for a long time, if ever.
       So I don't consider them on the level of certain shadows or stuff.
       They came, they grabbed, we whomped.
     * By the way, in addition to the re-appearance of Neroon, you may
       have noticed that the first Grey Council member Delenn addresses
       is the same one we saw in "Points of Departure."
     * Membership in the Grey Council is usually for life; a person can
       choose to leave but only under truly extraordinary circumstances
       (kind of like being appointed to the Supreme Court). In Delenn's
       case, though, remember that she didn't quit, she was booted out.
     * Sheridan and the other fighters flew at a slight angle right past
       the window in C&C. I don't see where the problem is in this. The
       window wasn't used as a monitor, it was used as a window. The
       starfuries came out of the cobra bays as the station rotated them
       planet-side, they banked, and headed toward the gate, passing C&C.
     * Ejecting would not have purchased Ramirez's life because when the
       system came back on line with its analysis, it announced that the
       radiation was "already at terminal levels." From the instant he
       heard that, he was a dead man waiting to stop moving. He could've
       sent the ship back, risking a faulty autopilot...and might've died
       for nothing if it encountered the *slightest* glitch en route.
     * One of the themes in this show is how you face life...and how you
       face death. Ramirez faced his honorably. In the end, honor and
       dignity are all we have left.
     * If you trust Sheridan, there's no need for a lengthy report; plus,
       a written report, no matter how well encrypted, can be broken or
       fall into the wrong hands. The best record of a secret meeting
       that could get you fired or killed is no record at ALL.
     * Re: Kosh's voice carrying some emotion...starting at about "All
       Alone in the Night," or maybe one before (memory fades), I took on
       the job of directing the voice sessions for Kosh. He was moving
       from a neutral delivery to things that had to carry specific
       emotions and implications for the future, and nobody else knows
       what all this stuff means, so it fell to me.
     * Also, I noted somewhere in a preview for upcoming episodes, among
       the things coming, "conspiracies of light as well as dark."
       Perhaps that is now clearer.
       

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