lurkers-guide/ftp/Guide/038.In-the-Shadow-of-Z-ha-dum

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   _Contents:_ [9]Overview - [10]Backplot - [11]Questions - [12]Analysis
   - [13]Notes - [14]JMS
   
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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. [15]Ed Wasser
     as Morden.
     
Sub-genre: Drama
[16]P5 Rating: [17]9.30

Production number: 217
Original air date: May 10, 1995

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

   _Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before
   proceeding to the spoilers; it's worth seeing unawares._
   
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
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.
     * Delenn's question to Kosh (cf. [18]"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 [19]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.
       [20]"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 [21]"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 [22]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 [23]"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
       [24]jms speaks.) This brings up a potential connection to the
       flashes in [25]"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 [26]"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 [27]"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
       [28]"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 [29]"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. [30]"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. [31]"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 [32]"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. [33]"Mind War.")
     * It's also worth noting that Talia saw Morden darken the same way
       Delenn did in [34]"Signs and Portents" -- does this mean Delenn
       has some telepathic ability?
     * In [35]"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 [36]"Voices" because the novel takes place
       before [37]"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."
       
jms speaks

     * "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum" is an episode that is as emotionally
       raw as [38]"Chrysalis" with some major revelations that force
       Sheridan to make the most important decision of his life.
     * Correct; Delenn and Kosh have said nothing about G'Kar's claims
       because they're trying to keep a low profile.
     * The shadows know that Kosh knows, because the Vorlons *always*
       know; they also know (or think) that they're in a superior
       position because if Kosh should tell the others, either a) most
       wouldn't believe him, or b) the shadows would move aggressively
       now, costing untold lives. They're more worried about an alliance
       between lots of races than the Vorlons alone.
     * I would not create a race as potentially unstoppable as the
       shadows without making sure they had one -- but only one --
       Achilles' heel. Though it may take our characters a long time to
       figure out what that is...almost *too* long....
     * No, "all but one" refers to the race, not an individual. The First
       Ones are various species/races. One of these species/races is
       still around at this time. The Vorlons. Of which Kosh is one.
     * BTW, the one big reason that Sakai [Catherine, Sinclair's old
       flame in the first season] could not have filled Anna Sheridan's
       role in awakening the shadows...and this is the one thing that
       everyone who advocates this theory tends to forget...is that they
       were *already up and awake* in the first season, as we saw in
       "Signs and Portents." They were up, around, and had had some time
       to build stuff up, reclaim some of their ships, and in other ways
       get organized and develop their contacts.
       Also, Morden was already working for them.
     * _Why did Delenn demand to see Kosh?_
       She wanted to see Kosh to assure herself that the Vorlons, who
       she'd never met before, were who she believed them to be, and that
       this was a true Vorlon and not a pretender. He had to be in place
       as part of Valen's prophecy.
     * The rim, and the "veil" beyond which the bulk of the First Ones
       passed, is the Galactic rim. As for why the shadows are doing what
       they're doing...that's kind of the key to the whole thing, which
       we haven't turned yet.
     * Some of the first ones just got bored after millions of years, and
       went off in general. The rest, for the most part, went beyond the
       Rim for the same reason you cut down old trees to make room for
       new ones.
     * _Are the First Ones as old as the universe itself?_
       Well, to some degree you're limited by the amount of time it takes
       to evolve life per se, then into intelligent life, then into
       spacefaring life. You need time after the Big Bang for planets to
       be formed, cool, develop environments capable of supporting
       life...then the long haul begins.
       So yes, on the one hand, you've got races that are millions of
       years older than humans, who were prowling around while we were
       still furred, fanged, and slamming bones together. But they're not
       as old as the universe, because they can't be.
     * Exploration and archeological/scientific vessels like this usually
       piggy-back on Explorer or other jump-capable ships, with an
       arrangement that they'll be there for X-number of days or weeks,
       then another ship will come that way and again piggy-back them
       out.
     * Thanks. I like Vir a lot. Many folks were willing to write him off
       in the beginning, not understanding that there was more beneath
       the surface (a problem Vir has also had in his "life"). But you
       gotta be careful; characters have a way of surprising you. And I
       like that, and intended that, Vir be the first one to stand up to
       Morden.
     * Again, look at the Kosh/Morden scene in [39]"Signs." A light is
       suddenly blown out off to one side. Morden didn't move. So who did
       it...but his constant companions?
     * _Kosh's command to Morden in "Signs"_
       His comment would have been addressed to the shadows and their
       current emissary.
     * _How does Morden communicate with the Shadows so easily?_
       Well, one can always assume that Morden received some help, in one
       form or another, in adjusting to the shadows....
     * The difference is just in accent. ZA HA DOOM is the way I
       pronounce it, but ZA cHA DOOM is also acceptable (from someone
       who's learned to more or less accept the 47 different ways in
       which one may pronounce straczynski).
     * And, as you note, one of things that I like to play with is the
       layering of ambiguity. Let's say, just for the sake of argument,
       that we set up two sides: Shadowmen vs. Vorlons, which looks like
       evil vs. good. Fundamentally, I would find that boring. What you
       would then have to do is get into WHY they're doing what they do,
       and HOW they're doing what they do.
       There is, for instance, the "good" that says, "We know what's best
       for you, we'll protect you, nurture you, but you'll do it our way,
       and we'll keep you away from ideas and beliefs you shouldn't be
       exposed to." Okay, maybe that fits one definition of good...but is
       it?
       On the flip side, for instance, there's the "bad" that says "There
       must be conflict and death, because it's only through conflict and
       death that we grow stronger, that we can eventually create an
       ordered universe. The gene pool must be kept strong. To do that,
       there must be war and strife and death." Okay, maybe that fits the
       definition of evil, but is it?
       The key, again and always, is that nothing is what it seems on
       Babylon 5. And even if it looks like it IS what it is, you have to
       look at WHY it is what it is...and maybe at that point it isn't.
       One of the things about this show is that you see as much as
       you're willing to see. You can gloss over it, say, "Okay, these
       are the good guys, these are the bad guys." But the closer you
       look, the more you see the shades. I imagine when the Shadowmen
       are more fully revealed, some folks'll think we're going for a
       basic good/evil conflict...but believe me, there's a hell of a lot
       more involved in it than that.
     * _(From a 1993 GEnie message -- presumably we can replace
       "Sinclair" with "Sheridan" now.)_
       I've just sat here for five minutes trying to decide how to phrase
       this and not give something vital away...and it's damn near
       impossible.
       (another five minutes passes)
       Okay, look...do this. Get a piece of paper. Write down the
       following: "Sinclair sees the hand, but Sinclair does not see the
       hand. And five other people standing in the room would not see the
       hand that Sinclair sees, or see the hand that they see."
       I know it looks like gibberish. But trust me on this. Put the
       piece of paper in your wallet (next to the condom) and hold onto
       it for about two years. Assuming we're still around that long, at
       some point that message will make absolute and perfect sense.
     * Kosh is always and forever *exactly* what he appears to be, no
       less and no more. At the same time, Kosh is absolutely *nothing*
       like what he appears to be.
       These are not contradictory statements.
       And this is about the straightest answer I've given yet on the
       subject, believe it or not.
     * I think it would be just about impossible to put Kosh on the
       outside of a mug.
     * Exactly. You will note that Macabee says, of the Ministry, "...or
       Minipax, as we like to call it around the office." It's an
       in-house joke, not the real name of the thing.
     * Re: the two speeches by G'Kar and Delenn...yes, they were
       constructed specifically to echo one another, because the walkers
       at Sigma 957 are one of the older races that flit through but
       don't really pay any attention to us anymore.
     * The Vorlons are one of the remaining ancient races; Kosh is one of
       the Vorlons, not the last of them.
     * Kosh is a Vorlon. The Vorlons fought the Shadows. There are many
       Vorlons, back home. (The Writer committed an error in that he used
       too many pronouns in that segment of dialogue.)
     * _Was Kosh's line about Sheridan going to Z'ha'dum a warning or a
       threat?_
       Yes.
     * How do you get a shot of Morden's head on a pike past the censors?
       Easy.
       You frame the shot so the head is draped...in shadows.
       If I were to be planning such a thing, of course....
     * MPs (Military Police) also wear armbands. So do the Red Cross and
       some United Nations forces.
     * _How many times did you shoot the scene with Talia slapping
       Sheridan?_
       Only twice. Mainly 'cause she tended to whack him real hard. [...]
       The take you see is the first one printed.
     * He said stop because Zack had found the right wavelength (at least
       briefly) and didn't want him to go further and lose it again.
     * _Will Vir, even metaphorically, get to wave at Morden?_
       That would be telling.
     * _Was the Great Machine inside Epsilon 3 built by a member race of
       the First Ones?_
       Could be.
     * No, Varn was not one of the First Ones.
       
  Bruce Boxleitner speaks
  
     * _Bruce: what has the most challenging episode been for you so far,
       and why?_
       The episode we just finished filming today. It's called In the
       Shadow of Za'Ha'Dum and my character deals with some very personal
       issues.
       

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