lurkers-guide/ftp/Guide/042.The-Long-Twilight-Struggle

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   _Contents:_ [9]Overview - [10]Backplot - [11]Questions - [12]Analysis
   - [13]Notes - [14]JMS
   
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Overview

     The Narn-Centauri War reaches a turning point. Sheridan is
     contacted by a powerful ally, who offers assistance. [15]John
     Schuck. [16]W. Morgan Sheppard as Warleader G'Sten. [17]William
     Forward as Refa.
     
Sub-genre: Action/Intrigue
[18]P5 Rating: [19]9.49

Production number: 219
Original air date: August 1, 1995 (UK)
                   October 18, 1995 (US)

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Flinn

   _Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before
   proceeding to the spoilers; it's worth seeing unawares._
   
  Watch For
  
     * A change in the number of candles in G'Kar's quarters.
       
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Backplot

     * The new Centauri emperor, Cartargia, is acting mostly as a
       figurehead, a front for Refa and his compatriots.
     * A treaty among all the aligned worlds outlawed the use of mass
       drivers as a weapon of war, similar to the Earth treaties
       outlawing the use of chemical and biological weapons.
     * Draal says he has found other beings on Epsilon 3, ones who take
       care of the great Machine Draal is at the heart of. One of them is
       a fellow named Zathras (cf. [20]"Babylon Squared.")
     * Delenn has been in charge of all the Rangers on Babylon 5. She now
       shares that command with Sheridan.
     * Sheridan does not know that Sinclair is behind the Rangers.
     * The Centauri seem to have gravity control technology. Londo
       watches as the Centauri bombard the Narn homeworld, standing --
       seemingly in gravity -- aboard a motionless ship. (Either that, or
       they have magnetic shoes.)
       
Unanswered Questions

     * What's Zathras doing on Epsilon 3, and how did he get there? If
       the planet has been undisturbed for at least the past 500 years
       ([21]"A Voice in the Wilderness, part 2,") is he that old?
     * Where was Zathras such that Draal, with sight that extends across
       light-years, couldn't find him? Perhaps he wasn't in another
       place, but another time (see [22]"Babylon Squared.")
     * Will the great machine be involved in pulling Babylon 4 through
       time?
     * Now that Londo has stated he no longer wishes to associate with
       the Shadows, his usefulness to Lord Refa is at an end. How will
       Refa handle this?
     * What exactly was G'Kar told to do in the Kha'Ri's last message?
       Ask for sanctuary, obviously, but anything else?
     * What other technology do the Shadows have that we haven't seen
       yet?
     * Have the Narn unwittingly discovered a weakness of the Shadows?
       (see [23]Analysis)
     * Now that G'Kar has been stripped of his homeworld and position on
       Babylon 5, what can he contribute to the battle against the
       Shadows?
       
Analysis

     * Londo is now convinced that his associates are far too powerful
       for their motives to be solely for his benefit. He realises that
       he has become a pawn in their larger game, and that his personal
       quest for more power has lead to the death of esteemed friends and
       many innocents. While convinced of this, and that he has allowed
       himself to be maneuvered at every turn by the will of others, he
       still carries through with his role as a paper tiger
       politician/ambassador.
     * The Shadows show some new weaponry. It appears that each ship can
       "give birth" to a cluster of forty or so of the smaller fighters
       G'Kar encountered at Z'ha'dum in [24]"Revelations." We are not
       shown that these fighters are re-assimilated at the end of the
       confrontation, and it is also unknown how many times each Shadow
       can do this.
       The second weapon has the ability to disrupt a jump point so that
       it is fatal for any ship to attempt to use it. Once an attack
       against the Shadows begins it appears you can leave only when they
       so allow it.
     * The Shadow "wounded" during the battle is thrown off course by the
       loss of one of its spines. After the battle is finished, a second
       Shadow joins with it as if to assist it. The broken spine is
       clearly visible on the ship that does not move during the docking
       procedure. It suggests that the damaged Shadow was unable to
       function as effectively, perhaps because it was in pain.
     * With Draal offering the resources of the highly advanced
       technology at his command, it appears that Babylon 5 is one of the
       few places that may withstand a Shadow assault. That it can become
       the base of operations for the Army of Light is now clear.
       Perhaps more importantly, Babylon 5 can probably also withstand a
       frontal assault by Earthforce, though they might prefer to destroy
       it from within.
     * The Centauri use of mass drivers flauts all previously signed
       conventions, and it appears (cf. [25]"And Now for a Word," where
       the Centauri are discovered using Babylon 5 to transport mass
       drivers and energy weapons) that they have been planning this kind
       of assault on the Narn homeworld for some time.
     * A mass driver uses a heavy object (such as a small asteroid)
       launched from orbit toward a planet's surface at low speed. As it
       falls through the planet's gravity well it gains considerable
       momentum. On impact the immediate area becomes a crater, and huge
       quantities of dust are thrown up into the atmosphere, blocking out
       sunlight and causing something like a nuclear winter. E. E. "Doc"
       Smith's [26]Lensman series, written from 1937 to 1948, is the
       first literary SF work to use mass drivers as weapons for
       planetary bombardment as shown in this episode. (If you know of an
       earlier work, send me mail!)
     * All of the major governments (with the exception of the Vorlons)
       are now under serious internal stress. They are either
       introspective (Earth,) skeptical of present danger (Minbari,)
       overextended (Centauri,) or occupied (Narn). It appears that the
       Shadows have achieved, either directly or indirectly, effective
       destabilization of every major power that might stand up to their
       forces.
     * Ambassador Kosh openly lets the Rangers know of his involvement.
     * It appears that Garibaldi's friendship with Londo has strained to
       the breaking point.
     * Sheridan now has access to the Rangers. This appears to be
       fulfilling the dream induced by Kosh (cf. [27]"All Alone in the
       Night") where he is described as being "The Hand." Presumably this
       reference is to his role as someone who will help lead the forces
       of light as the right hand man of "The One."
     * A fully prepared numerically superior Narn task force is easily
       destroyed by the Shadows. Unless more effective combat techniques
       are discovered, the battle with darkness will have to involve more
       subtle tactics.
     * Londo hasn't forgiven Refa for the death of his friend Urza Jaddo
       ([28]"Knives.")
     * Londo's cough in the council chamber scene sounds suspiciously
       like the one in his dream in [29]"The Coming of Shadows." Could he
       be coming down with something? (See [30]jms speaks)
       
Notes

     * JMS premiered this episode at the Chicago Comicon on July 1, 1995.
     * W. Morgan Sheppard also appeared in the first season episode
       [31]"Soul Hunter" as the title character.
     * The episode's initial airing, in the UK, was 50 years, almost to
       the day, after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima during
       World War II. Considering the obvious parallels between the
       Centauri use of mass drivers and the American use of the atomic
       bomb, that's a serindipitous, if unintentional, bit of timing.
     * "Now the trumpet summons us again: not as a call to bear arms,
       though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though in battle we
       are; but as a call to bear the burdens of a long, twilight
       struggle--year in and year out, rejoicing in hope, patient in
       tribulation--a struggle against the common enemies of
       man--tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself." --John Fitzgerald
       Kennedy. An [32]audio version of his speech is available. [INLINE]
     * In the first Londo-Refa scene, just before Refa sits, what looks
       like a wooden duck with its wings outstretched is visible on a
       shelf beside the throne. Perhaps it's a Centauri cat (cf.
       [33]"Chrysalis.")
     * Candles are used subtly to represent hope, here and in previous
       episodes (see [34]jms speaks.) At the beginning of G'Kar's prayer
       scene, the shelf behind him is filled with burning candles -- but
       by the end, as his people's last hope is destroyed by the Shadows,
       they've all gone out.
     * Likewise, when Londo and Refa are talking, they're both cloaked in
       shadow -- until Londo expresses misgivings about his associates
       and emerges into the light.
     * The battle sequence was directed by Mojo of Foundation Imaging;
       the mass-driver sequence was directed by John Teska. The episode
       has more effects footage than any previous one, nearly five
       minutes' worth. The effects took almost a month to produce.
       
jms speaks

     * "The Long, Twilight Struggle" is probably the biggest episode of
       the entire two years to date, story and EFX and character wise,
       and will have a profound effect on the series that I'd compare to
       a cross between "Signs and Portents" and "Chrysalis".
     * I don't want to say anything about "The Long Twilight Struggle" at
       this time, to avoid hyping people. Suffice to say it's a very
       strong episode.
     * Hell, in some ways, when compared with "Struggle," "The Coming of
       Shadows" is a light comedy in which nothing much happens.
     * Without spoiling anything...yes, in this regard, I've always noted
       that there are some echoes of WW II in the overall storyline, and
       some applies here. Also, again, the purpose of a large measure of
       the show is to elicit discussion of such issues as this...where
       are the mora, (moral) responsibilities in such a situation? What
       are the ethics of mass warfare? Where does expediency begin and
       compassion end? *Should* compassion have to end for the greater
       good?
       If we can start some bar fights, I'll have done my job.
       Fact is, I don't have one single damned good answer. But I've got
       a whole LOTTA questions...
     * Thanks. Yes, there's a WW II parallel, not in terms of justifying
       one or the other -- one can make compelling arguments for and
       against the use of atomic weapons to close the war, but I leave it
       to those who were there to have made the right decision, because
       they had to live with it -- but in terms of strategy and wartime
       logic.
     * Thank you. I'm quite frankly thrilled beyond words at the
       preliminary reactions from the UK to this episode; we worked
       *really* hard on it, and I can't tell you what the reactions mean
       to us.
     * Thanks. It's definitely one of my favorite episodes. The intensity
       is terrific.
     * Yes, "They're being bombed back to the stone age" is a Vietnam era
       quote.
     * Re: what you could see of the planet's surface...one of the side
       effects of the technology used is that, realistically, it would
       throw up a *hideous* amount of smoke, dust and debris, and you
       wouldn't see much of anything.
     * _Why isn't Londo floating weightless?_
       Some races, like the Centauri and the Minbari, use drive systems
       built to varying degrees on magnetic and gravitational forces;
       some of them don't so much go to a planet as create a situation
       where they are drawn toward it. One of the side effects of this is
       a field allowing for artificial gravity. Earth doesn't have this
       level of technology, however.
     * Re: your note about 500 Narns for every 1 Centauri...you may want
       to check our own history. During the occupation of some parts of
       Europe during WW II, similar tactics were used. In some cases the
       threat rose as high as 100-200 Jews or Russians executed for every
       Nazi killed; much the same has been done in earlier history. Five
       hundred to one is a figure relatively consistent with what humans
       have done from time to time when we wish to instill terror. So I
       find this a curious quibble.
     * Actually, Londo *specifies* that the 500 will include "the
       perpetrator's own family."
     * _Was Draal's voice dubbed?_
       No, his voice wasn't dubbed, or changed, by anyone; might've been
       a glitch in local audio or something.
     * Thanks. Draal's played by John Shuck, who did a great job. And
       yes, we'll definitely be seeing him again. (We first met him in "A
       Voice in the Wilderness.")
     * _I loved the part with Draal calling out for Zathras_
       Yeah, that was a rather Draal bit of humor, wasn't it?
     * In part it's John's take on the character, but what I indicated to
       him was that Draal's gone through some considerable changes by
       entering the heart of the machine; it's given him greater
       understanding, and the freeing aspects of greater humor. It's
       almost like -- and I hate to even use the reference because
       somebody'll say "Oh, that's what he's doing," and I ain't, it's
       just a point of comparison -- Tom Bombadil in LoTR...quite funny,
       but also someone not to be trifled with.
     * It wasn't intended that Delenn should touch Draal; it sorta
       happened on the set, and no one really noticed, and it wasn't
       worth going back and reshooting the whole thing. My sense is that
       if it's like a virtual reality situation, she would "feel" it even
       though it's not there, if the image was impinging correctly on the
       brain.
       But in either event, the image is not and should not be considered
       to be solid.
       As for Londo's shot...the director called "cut" I think a bit too
       soon, we used every frame we had to extend that shot (and, in
       fact, we even went so far as to freeze the final frame and extend
       the shot by a smidge, if you look at it carefully). Nonetheless, I
       think it works pretty spiffily.
       As for the mass drivers, the amount of energy required to move
       something that big would generate huge amounts of heat, possibly
       making them even white-hot hence the glow.
     * _An actor's job is to physicalize the script. Can you give an
       example?_
       Yes, I think that's accurate. The most obvious place where it
       worked was where Londo looks through the window to Narn being
       bombed below. There's no dialogue, and he has to convey a range of
       emotions just through his face....which is a terribly difficult
       thing to do, and he did a superb job of it.
     * Mass drivers use asteroids freely available in space, accelerated
       and fired into a planetary atmosphere. EA non-rotational ships
       have zero g. EA tech is generally much lower in weapons tech and
       other areas than the Minbari and Vorlons, among others.
     * Actually, what Delenn said was, "...the Rangers *in this area* are
       under my direct command." So Sinclair's post as Ranger One remains
       back on Minbar.
       And yes, Sinclair has apparently been described as the One...but
       you must ask...the one *what*?
       Expect final answers to this one late this coming season.
     * _On each season's music for the opening credits reflecting the
       mood of the season_
       What do I have in mind for season three? What I indicated to Chris
       Franke was to look at a piece of music he did in "The Long,
       Twilight Struggle" and interpolate some elements of that into the
       main theme, with a very hard sound. The piece in question is about
       the middle of the first really...um...busy scene after the act
       break.
     * Until "The Long Twilight Struggle," nothing else has come close to
       that scene [the attack on the Narn outpost in "Coming of Shadows"]
       for me. But there's some stuff in there that finally manages to to
       surpass it. Just gorgeous and scary and awe-inspiring.
     * _These Narn heavy cruisers were different than the ones in
       [35]"Midnight on the Firing Line."_
       There are various kinds of ships the Narns have, some older than
       others; the ones in the first ep were older ones.
     * _About the Narn/Shadow battle_
       Thanks. Yeah, that scene is one of my favorites; a lot of work
       went into it, and I think it shows.
     * _Secret of Narn success in injuring a Shadow ship?_
       Not much to the secret...they coordinated their firepower on one
       of the ships, in hopes of doing damage.
     * G'Kar's prayers would have been unrelated to the wounding of the
       shadow vessel.
     * _Was the Shadow ship permanently disabled?_
       It was in shock, but it would've recovered in a bit more time.
     * _Were there four Shadow ships stacked together after the battle?_
       Actually, what's probably confusing is that the shadow vessels are
       bi-level, so when two come together it looks like four or so; but
       it's just the two.
     * Thanks. One of the things I wanted to try was to find a way to
       stage long-range combat. One of the things everyone says is that
       even though real aerial combat tends to be at great distance --
       and space combat would be conducted over thousands of kilometers,
       you probably wouldn't be able to even SEE your opponent at that
       range, just pick up the enemy ships on your scanners -- you can't
       do that for TV because you need to have both in frame, hammering
       each other short-range, to make it work for viewers.
       But I've always liked a challenge, so I thought I'd see if I could
       make it work. The two sides are, as noted, thousands of kilometers
       apart, and take most of that sequences just to catch up with each
       other. And frankly, I think it's probably one of the most dynamic
       battle sequences we've ever done, so you can expect more in the
       future, now that I've kind of got the hang of how to do this.
     * Agreed. The use of different tactics and weapons at different
       distances gives a sense that there is a *strategy* behind what's
       going on, that it's not just two ships coming with city blocks of
       one another and clobbering each other. Strategy implies
       intelligence, and to see intelligence in the shadow vessels is
       scary indeed.....
     * The reason for the placement of the jump points is *very* straight
       forward.
       By virtue of their size and the tremendous forces unleashed by
       punching a hole into hyperspace, you want to form it a little
       distance away or risk being severely damaged. If they formed the
       points between them and the enemy, which was quite capable of
       avoiding them, it would be entirely possible for the shadows to
       get in front of the point and cut off their sole means of escape.
       Usually, better to form them behind you, so the enemy can't block
       your way out, and take a possible hit or two to your aft sections
       than be totally cut off. They didn't anticipate the extra weapons
       the shadows had.
     * _Were those Narn cruisers especially big?_
       The cruiser is the same size as that sent to look into Z'ha'dum;
       it's just a matter of perspective and how close the camera gets.
     * _Did the shadow ships phase out to avoid the energy mines?_
       No, they didn't phase out so much as absorb the energy, at cost of
       great pain.
     * Well, they're organic technology, so they can feel, but only after
       a fashion.
     * "Why didn't the fighters do anything?"
       They did. Look more closely. They engaged the Narn fighters in
       dogfights all over the place. They're hardly more than specks
       against the huge ships, but they're definitely there.
     * _One Shadow ship in "Signs and Portents," two in "Chrysalis,"
       three in "The Coming of Shadows," four here?_
       Give Tim Lynch a ceegar. Yes, more ships are starting to appear,
       as more ships become available.
     * _They only have four ships?_
       Never said you're seeing their entire fleet, you're seeing what
       they can afford to send out at any given moment on relatively
       low-priority jobs.
     * Dave: yup. Londo's never coughed before, and this was very
       deliberately placed. He's on the path, like it or not.
     * _The Vorlons lodged an official protest! Is this the first time
       they've taken an action like that?_
       Yeah, that's pretty much the first time since the pilot where the
       Vorlons got involved with the Sinclair situation.
     * Bingo. As I mentioned before, the "long twilight struggle" title
       is a quote; you correctly identified the source in the [36]JFK
       quote.
     * _About Sheridan's closing speech_
       Certainly, Sheridan is slowly growing more into a leader who must
       be able to step to the front in this kind of way, yes.
     * _What does "the balloon is going up" mean?_
       There have been many explanations for where this phrase comes
       from. Most of them are obviously spook etymology, but the first
       one I heard -- and who knows if this is right -- comes from WW I,
       where just before one side would go into battle, they'd send one
       man up in a hot air balloon to scout the enemy's location. If you
       saw the balloon going up, you knew combat wasn't far behind.
       Wherever it comes from, though, that's the general meaning of the
       phrase.
       _Editor's note: Apparently the term dates back to the American
       Civil War, during which balloons were deployed by the Signal Corps
       before battles._
     * Candles are, I think, wonderfully emblematic of life, and of being
       a single ray of light, or hope, in a dark place. The Grey Council
       stands between the candle and the star; watch G'Kar's action re: a
       candle in his quarters...and in that scene (for those who've seen
       TLTS) note how many candles are in the room in the beginning, and
       at the end.
       We are the candle that burns brightly, stubbornly,
       effectively...but briefly.
     * [37]The candles in G'Kar's quarters
       Sherry...thank you. The level of attention to detail is the *only*
       way that this story will be told properly. It means you sit down
       with the director, and others, and you make totally clear --
       there, and in the script -- what you saw in your head when you
       wrote it. As well as repeatd verbal themes, cues, phraseologies,
       it's important (since this is a visual medium) to incorporate
       visual cues that add to the thematic thrust of the piece, that
       create a mood, or convey an emotion or a thought on an almost
       cellular level. The hardest part is being careful not to OVER use
       them, because then they lose all meaning and impact.
     * Re: G'Kar's position on the council...Sheridan could have carried
       on, but it would've been basically useless. The Centauri now
       occupy and run Narn, and thanks to the surrender and agreement to
       the Centauri terms, call the shots as far as who can legitimately
       speak for Narn. Sheridan could've kept G'Kar *in the room*, but
       he'd still be powerless, without portfolio, and the whole concept
       of the council would be shot. He is now simply Citizen G'Kar, same
       as any other Narn. No, Londo isn't of higher rank in the council
       than Sheridan, but he speaks for the Centauri, and the Centauri
       speak for Narn.
     * Re: Earth's attitude toward the Centauri...stick around for 2 more
       episodes.
       Re: not recognizing the Centauri rule...on what basis would or
       could Earth do this? If the Narns had not agreed to total and
       unconditional surrender, sure, there might be a case you could
       make...otherwise, one doesn't have a leg to stand on.
       Vampyr...okay, (poink), I've now made you Babylon 5 Person here.
       So how could Sheridan "take Londo down a peg" in any manner
       consistent with reality? Yell at him? Sure, but to what effect? He
       had nothing to back it up. Before, in "Shadows," he had a bluff he
       could run; now that's not relevant because the actions have all
       been taken, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
       Sometimes, things happen in the real world, and we'd love to see
       the person taken down a peg, as you say...but sometimes actually
       *doing* that in a real world situation, or a fairly rigorous
       fictional situation, is a different matter.
       

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