lurkers-guide/guide/024

<h2><a name="OV">Overview</a></h2>

<blockquote><cite>
G'Kar brings news of a terrible new enemy.  The arrival of
Sheridan's sister opens up old wounds for the new commander.
Dr. Franklin employs an unorthodox procedure to try to bring Garibaldi
out of his coma.  Delenn's mysterious change is completed.
</cite>

<a href="http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Leech,+Beverly">Beverly Leech</a> as Elizabeth Sheridan.
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Bruton,+Macaulay">Macaulay Bruton</a> as Garibaldi's aide.
</blockquote>

<pre>
Sub-genre: Drama
<a href="/lurk/p5/intro.html">P5 Rating</a>: <a href="/lurk/p5/024">8.40</a>

Production number: 202
Original air date: November 9, 1994
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000087EYB/thelurkersguidet">DVD release date</a>: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston
</pre>

<h3>Watch For:</h3>
<ul>
   <li> <a href="#gaffe">A magically refilling drink.</a>
</ul>

<p>
<hr size=3>
<p>

<h2><a name="BP">Backplot</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li>	Sheridan's wife Anna was killed two years ago when her ship exploded on
	its way to explore the recently discovered ruins of an ancient
	civilization on the Rim.

   <li> The Book of G'Quan, the holy book of G'Kar's religion (cf.
	<a href="012.html">"By Any Means Necessary"</a>) mentions an ancient
	enemy that rose to power a thousand years in the past, a power so
	great it nearly overwhelmed the stars themselves.  And the book
	contains drawings suspiciously siimilar to the Shadows' ships.

</ul>

<h2><a name="UQ">Unanswered Questions</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li> Is Delenn's new appearance an outward transformation, a complete
	physical rebirth, or something even more fundamental?

   <li> What exactly has she become?

   <li> Was the result what she thought it would be?  She didn't seem to know
	what had happened to her when she first emerged from the chrysalis;
	clearly she didn't go into the process with detailed knowledge of the
	outcome.

   <li> How much does G'Kar suspect about Londo's involvement with the
	Shadows?

   <li> Why did President Clark order Garibaldi's aide returned to Earth?  Was
	he aware that the clandestine transfer would take place, or did 
	someone else arrange that to stop the prisoner from being interrogated
	by Clark's people?

</ul>

<h2><a name="AN">Analysis</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li> The Book of G'Quan, assuming G'Kar was describing the text itself
	rather than his interpretation, says that the ancient enemy came from
	the rim of known space, the planet Z'ha'dum.
	That implies that the Narns, or some among them, were
	technologically advanced at least a thousand years ago; otherwise they
	would presumably have had no way of knowing the origin of the enemy,
	certainly not well enough to locate its home planet.  Given that they
	are not particularly advanced compared to the other major races, one
	of three things must have happened:

	<ol>
	   <li>	Some event, possibly the last great war, reduced their
		capabilities enough that they had to start nearly from scratch.
	   <li> They advanced technologically at a very slow pace, or not at
		all, over the past millenium.
	   <li> Another race used the Narn (or their world) in the war,
		departing when it was over and leaving the Narn with only
		legends of the great enemy.
	</ol>

	If the second is true, it's possible that some of the other races
	acquired <em>their</em> technology from the Narns, an interesting twist
	on the established idea that the Narns are obsessed with obtaining
	technology from others (cf. <a href="000.html">"The Gathering."</a>)

   <li> When G'Kar's wingman crashed into the Shadow fighter, the Shadow
	ship appeared to writhe in pain.  It appears that employing living
	technology is a common trait of the very advanced civilizations
	(cf. <a href="004.html">"Infection."</a>)  The question naturally
	arises: are the Shadow ships <em>ships</em> in the traditional sense,
	with crews or pilots aboard, or are they autonomous entities?

   <li> The fact that a one-man Narn fighter was able to destroy a Shadow
	ship implies that the Shadows can be overcome by force, assuming they
	aren't so numerous as to overwhelm all their opponents.

   <li>	Delenn flat-out lied when she said her government approved her
	transformation (cf. <a href="023.html">"Points of Departure."</a>)
	Yet they have made no move to replace her as ambassador.  Perhaps
	they fear the consequences of working against the prophecy more
	than they fear what she's doing.

   <li> Dr. Franklin hasn't tried the healing machine on anyone, not even
	experimentally.  Perhaps he hasn't been studying it -- which seems
	strange, given its potential to utterly revolutionize the practice
	of medicine.  Now that he knows it works, he may be more inclined to
	use it in the future, possibly in place of hazardous conventional
	treatments.

   <li> Anna Sheridan's research vessel was destroyed in an apparent accident
	on the Rim, on its way to explore an ancient civilization.  The
	similarities to the destruction of the Narn ship sent by G'Kar are
	too great to ignore.  She very possibly was killed by the Shadows,
	something which won't endear them to Sheridan if he learns about it.
	If that's true, the question of how the ruins of the civilization
	were discovered in the first place remains unanswered.

</ul>

<h2><a name="NO">Notes</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li> The poem G'Kar read to Na'Toth is from "The Second Coming" by W. B.
	Yeats (quoted sections emphasized):

	<blockquote>
		Turning and turning in the widening gyre<br>
		The falcon cannot hear the falconer;<br>
		<em>Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;<br>
		Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,<br>
		The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere<br>
		The ceremony of innocence is drowned;</em><br>
		The best lack all conviction, while the worst<br>
		Are full of passionate intensity.<br>
		<br>
		Surely some revelation is at hand;<br>
		Surely the Second Coming is at hand.<br>
		The Second Coming!  Hardly are those words out<br>
		When a vast image out of "Spiritus Mundi"<br>
		Troubles my sight:  somewhere in the sands of the desert<br>
		A shape with lion body and the head of a man<br>
		A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,<br>
		Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it<br>
		Reel shadows of the indigant desert birds.<br>
		The darkness drops again; but now I know<br>
		That twenty centuries of stony sleep<br>
		Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,<br>
		<em>And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,<br>
		Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?</em><br>
	</blockquote>

   <li> Garibaldi's aide is named Jack, though it's easy to miss; Garibaldi
	mentions the name once after Talia leaves medlab and he speaks to
	Franklin and Ivanova.

   <li> The closed captioning spells G'Quan "Sh'Quon," but JMS has used the
	shorter spelling on several occasions, so it's the one used here.

   <li> <a name="gaffe">Continuity gaffe:</a>
	In the scene with Sheridan
	and his sister in his quarters, he drains his drink, walks
	toward the bar, and before he gets there, the glass refills
	and he drains it again.

</ul>

<h2><a name="JS">jms speaks</a></h2>
<ul>
   <li> Re: the ever-improving CGI...there's an action scene in the teaser
	of the second episode, "Revelations," that is particularly amazing.  And
	there is one shot of a Narn ship in extreme close-up toward the end of
	the scene that looks absolutely *solid*, and every bit as real and
	detailed as any model, and then some.  It cannot be distinguished from
	a physical object.

<p>
   <li> One aspect of the Yeats quote, and the Lincoln quote, and the
	Tennyson quote(s), and the many others, is that I think a lot of folks
	at some point tuned out of, or aren't interested in, literature and
	poetry because they've never really been exposed to it.  So just to be a
	little subversive, I work some of it into the show.  I choose that which
	has meaning to the show, and the characters, in the hopes that (as has
	happened here), viewers will dig out the original material and be
	exposed
	to some *really* nifty writing.  Granted that television must entertain
	at minimum; it should also elevate and ennoble and educate, and this is
	too good an opportunity to waste, provided one does not become didactic
	about it.

<p>
   <li> Speaking of looking into the abyss...which comes from "Revelations,"
	it's a partial quote.  Neitzsche: "When you look into the abyss, the
	abyss looks also into you."

<p>
   <li> Re: inconsistent writing and Narns...please bear in mind that there
	are two ways to encounter shadowmen: going out there, and them coming in
	to see YOU.  The Narns need not be (and were not) spacefaring when they
	encountered the shadowmen.  Or, more accurately, were encountered BY
	them.

<p>
   <li> Copies of the evidence were made, but the question is what is the
	available evidence to BE copied?  Frankly, there isn't much.  There are
	no witnesses, very little physical evidence.  If you tried to make a
	case with what they've got, you'd be laughed out of the courtroom.

<p>
   <li> Yes, since you've sussed it...the plan was to turn Delenn from
	male to female in "Chrysalis," in my original plans, as well as making
	her half-human.  And yes, it would've had one hell of an impact...but my
	concern when I made that decision not do do this back in the pilot was
	based on the reality that we couldn't do it well.  The "male" voice,
	altered by computer-enhancement, just sounded REAL bogus; we couldn't
	get it right, and I had to decide between dropping it, and doing
	something the people would rightly describe as lame all season, just
	for one big payoff.  It was a tough call, but it had to be made.

<p>
   <li> <em>Why does Delenn's hair go under her bone ridge?</em><br>
	When Delenn's structure changed, the epidermal layer on the head
	grew thinner; there is now a gap between the skin, and the bone which
	has grown out.  Hair can be draped through it, or laid over it.

<p>
   <li> Correct; the Narn bridge is CGI.  Re: the explosion...we shot a
	lot of live pyrotechnics for Ron's use; but don't recall offhand which
	was used here, live or CGI.

<p>
   <li> Anna chose to take Sheridan's last name.  Her decision.  You have the
	option.  Some do, some don't.  If you start to pass rules that no woman
	CAN take her husband's name or she's betraying something, then you're
	being just as restrictive as those who insist a woman MUST take her 
	husband's name.  Me, I'm pro-choice on every level.  She felt like it.

	<p>
	(And I note that my own spousal overunit kept her own name.  But then,
	who in her right mind WOULD take Straczynski...?)

<p>
   <li> Another thing that can be now re-interpreted is the look on Jack's
	face when Garibaldi didn't go for the whitewash of the security 
	guard's financial records in "Sky," and how that body managed to get 
	out of the station without security being aware of it....

<p>
   <li> Next week, in "Revelations," you get G'Kar, Londo, Delenn, Lennier,
	Na'Toth, Kosh, Garibaldi, Talia and everybody else.  Because there 
	was SO much happening in #1, that got slid back a bit; also, there's
	a fair amount of time required for everything to do what they're 
	supposed to be doing.  (Note that we're operating pretty much in
	real-time; "Points" is around 8 days after the events of "Chrysalis,"
	and "Revelations" is about another week after that.)

	<p>
	One thing I noted here some time ago, as a large part of the reason
	I dropped "to be continued" from "Chrysalis" is that this is more of 
	a three-parter than a two, and some threads pulled in "Chrysalis" 
	won't be fully resolved in some ways until the third and fourth 
	episodes.  There is a LOT going on, and if we try to cram it all into
	one episode (as I at first tried with "Chrysalis, Part Two") you 
	don't give ANY of them the proper time to have any impact.

	<p>
	Finally, we're getting new people sampling the first episode of the
	season, as is true of most shows.  Thus, you have to put into 
	dialogue a fair amount of stuff that otherwise you could just imply
	or rely on past experience/prior knowledge.  So you kind of introduce
	the newbies to the situation, and that requires a fair amount of
	exposition.  This is pretty much localized to "Points," however; with
	the next episode, we're up to full speed.  Episode 2 deals with as 
	many issues/plotlines as "Chrysalis," with the main difference being
	that here, they're *resolved* rather than left hanging.

<p>
   <li> Yes, generally stories are self-contained, but in the case of season
	endings like "Chrysalis," it takes time to get everything back up and
	running again.  The bigger the explosion, the longer it takes to clean
	up the mess.

<p>
   <li> Re: Lennier, the Grey Council fellow said, "Tell them what we've told
	YOU," not someone else.  Just to clarify.

<p>
   <li> [Talia's] not seeing the shooter from outside Garibaldi's POV.  That
	shot in particular is *exactly* from Garibaldi's POV.  It's a lot 
	like what is done in hypnosis, going back into somebody's memory and
	dragging out details they might have seen but not noted; the eye sees
	more than the brain recalls at any given moment.  When we shot that
	scene, I was on-set, and the camera was put *exactly* where Garibaldi
	was standing, so we'd be very careful that it WAS his point of view.
	So though I hate to contradict you, it's not "a stupid plot hole from
	hell."

<p>
   <li> Oh, I'm quite sure there was backup made of the data.  But step back 
	for a moment and ask what that entails, and will any of it stand up 
	in ANY court of law?  There's a difference between that which we knor
	or (make that know or) believe, and that which we can prove.  Without
	the one most important piece of all, Garibaldi's aide, the rest is 
	speculative, inconclusive, circumstantial and conjectural.

<p>
   <li> Yes, if Laurel had stayed with the station, either she would have
	pulled the trigger on Garibaldi, or been directly involved in other
	ways.

<p>
   <li> "Morden is the mongoose."

	<p>
	So what's needed now is a conveniently placed cobra....

<p>
   <li> The platform seen in the opening of "Revelations" is a hazardous
	materials platform, which is still cleaning up the radioactive debris
	and other stuff from the blown Minbari cruiser in the last ep.

<p>
   <li> <em>About Na'Toth's change of actresses</em><br>
	The actor wanted to pursue other avenues.  She'd primarily worked as
	a romantic lead in films, then came in at the last minute to help 
	with season one.  She then wanted to go back to that.  The character
	stayed because we need the character to have some prior knowledge of
	the situation, rather than bringing in somebody new.

<p>
   <li> Re: Na'Toth...you have to remember this was not our decision, but 
	rather Caitlin's, in order to pursue some romantic lead parts.  We 
	made an offer equal to the other cast, but she opted out to pursue 
	films.  We cast the best actor to come in the door to fill Na'Toth's
	boots, and we need that character there because of the prior knowledge
	she needs to have to fill her role in the story.  Mary Kay is, I think,
	trying to reinterpret the character.  We're nudging in the other
	direction.  One way or another, this will be made to work.

<p>
   <li> Actually, no, it's not a rumor; I'd mentioned this some time ago, but
	apparently some didn't see it....
	<p>
	So to repeat: we'd had to replace Mary Woronov with virtually no
	notice after we found that she really had a hard time with the narn
	prosthetics (wouldn't wear the contacts, and other stuff).  In a 
	panic, our casting director called in a favor from Caitlin Brown, who
	is mainly a leading-lady type actor.  She came in and, in fact, for
	the first episode (shooting almost immediately afterward) wore a 
	variation of the Ko'Dath makeup, because there wasn't time to make
	one specific to her.
	<p>
	She came in without being under the 5-year option that generally
	exists in these situations.  Did one year, about 9 episodes, as 
	Na'Toth.  And had to turn down a couple of leading-female parts. 
	During the hiatus, she did a romantic lead character in a film with 
	Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep.  And had to ask the hard question: 
	do I continue to grow as a romantic lead actor in feature films, or 
	play Na'Toth?  She is a VERY gorgeous woman, and felt awkward hiding
	behind the mask and cutting herself out of leading female parts in
	feature films to do it.
	<p>
	We went 'round and 'round about this for some time, it was a very
	difficult decision for her because she likes the show and everyone
	here, but finally opted out.  On one level it's a pain in the butt,
	but we respect her decision.  And it *is* her call, not ours.
	<p>
	(Quick aside...pfffttthhpplttt to those who, in their theory that
	Sinclair/O'Hare quit, said that I'd naturally say it was mutual 
	because I could never say it was the actors choice because somehow
	I'd get in trouble.  No, I *would* say it if O'Hare had opted out on
	his own.  And in this case, that's exactly what happened.)
	<p>
	We didn't recast Sinclair because that character is going somewhere
	from whence he may (and will) return, and because that serves the 
	story; in this case, we are recasting Na'Toth.  By the end of season
	one, Na'Toth knows stuff that I need that character, G'Kar's aide, 
	to know.  (Though I was briefly tempted to do the Murphy Brown 
	Secretary line, with G'Kar getting a new aide every so often due to
	terrible airlock accidents...but I went to lay down for a while and
	the notion passed.)
	<p>
	So no, it's not a rumor, it's quite true.  In fact, we just finished
	up a casting session and found someone who's very right for the part;
	and though we weren't confined to this, is actually about the same
	height, same build, same attitude as Caitlin, and whose voice is very
	similar.  I don't think much difference will be noted in the long run,
	really.

<p>
   <li> The Narn aren't waiting.  Or, more accurately, G'Kar isn't.  The rest
	of the Kha'Ri (Narn inner circle government) are still somewhat 
	skeptical.

	<p>
	The Minbari know the shape of what's coming, but they know full well
	that if they go to us with this, we won't believe them; there's still
	enough residual dislike over the war that they feel we have to find 
	this out for ourselves (and we will).

<p>
   <li> Let's just say for now that about a thousand years ago, Narn was used
	as a lay-over and supply spot for a Shadowman group that landed there
	for a time, and used it briefly as a base of operations.

<p>
   <li>@@@931198604 <em>Is the name "Z'ha'dum" a reference to Khazad-dum
	from "The Lord of the Rings?"</em><br>
	Not really, no...I always imagined that Z'ha'dum was originally
	the Minbari word for the place, and the Z'ha has echoes in Entil-zha
	and Isil-zha. The dum (doom) part is obvious.  Not to say I wasn't
	aware of Khazad-dum, but it wasn't on my mind at the time.

<p>
   <li> Re: "switching places"...this is *exactly* what I noted early on; 
	the intent to set up in the very beginning a situation where those 
	who've seen basic SF before on the tube will go, "Oh, okay, I got it
	...this is the Bad Guy, this is the Good Guy, this is the Comic 
	Relief, this is the Ally," and so on, because that's generally what's
	been the case in TV SF; you set up the various sides from day one, and
	virtually nobody moves.

	<p>
	So you get them to rely on their conditioning, then you begin to move
	the chairs around, so suddenly what you THOUGHT was the good guy is 
	maybe something else; and what you THOUGHT was the comic relief is a
	tragic and dark figure; and what you THOUGHT was the bad guy is maybe 
	one of the real heroes of the story.  And you try and make the path
	that results in those changes as interesting, moving, or scary as 
	possible.

<p>
   <li> Of course Londo realizes he's being...not exactly set up, but that 
	he's getting into a very bad situation.  But on the other hand, he 
	sees that perhaps this is his last chance to grab for something more
	than what he is; he's not a young man anymore, and offers such as
	this, even though he knows there will be a price someday (as he 
	states to Morden), do not come along every day.

	<p>
	Here is the key to characterization: who is your character, what does
	he want, how far will he go to get it, and what is he prepared to 
	lose in that process?

<p>
   <li> Morden is human.
	<p>
	Morden dat I can't say.

<p>
   <li> Actually, G'Kar's makeup wasn't changed this year; the actor put on a
	few pounds over hiatus, which shows in the face, which changes how the
	prosthetic looks.  This was dropped very quickly by Andreas, however,
	and the makeup has adjusted itself.  (Hell, we all put on a few pounds
	during hiatus.)

<p>
   <li> Oddly, the new makeup takes *longer* for Mira than the old, which went
	on in a couple of fairly straightforward pieces.  Now there's a lot
	more detail work and more pieces.

	<p>
	Also, the intent is that G'Kar looked at both Sheridan and Londo, not
	sure which of them may have leaked the info, though I think the 
	editing may have focused too much on Londo in that shot.

<p>
   <li> The only time a name is associated with his aide is when Garibaldi 
	refers to him later, at which time he just says Jack.

<p>
   <li> <em>Jack had had contact with the PsiCops in "Mind War"</em><br>

	No, Jack wasn't *seduced* at that time ...but he WAS there to meet
	them, and escort them to see Sinclair.  Why him?  Perhaps a contact 
	there...?

<p>
   <li> <em>What would be different if there hadn't been cast changes after
	"The Gathering?"</em><br>
	The only problem with answering how things would've been different
	is that some information might get out by inference about how things
	might still *be*.  However, to do what I can with the question (never
	let it be said I don't try to accommodate....).
	<p>
	If Lyta had stayed on B5, her arc would be pretty close to that of
	Talia, except that she would have begun to form a strong link to Kosh,
	first in the form of dreams, then something with implications that 
	could be read as menacing or benign.
	<p>
	If Dr. Kyle would have stayed around, he would have moved more into
	the position of advisor/paternal figure for Sinclair.  He also would
	have continued to be more scientist than doctor.
	<p>
	Takashima would have been revealed as having been in on the Vorlon
	assassination attempt by season's end, and would have betrayed 
	Garibaldi in the events in "Chrysalis," either giving him over to 
	those involved with the coup, or pulling the trigger herself.  While
	we would know this, our characters would not, for as much as another
	full season.
	<p>
	Carolyn Sykes would've gotten into major trouble with one of the
	major EarthCorps.
	<p>
	Finally, if Sinclair had stayed with B5 at this juncture, the events
	in "Points" (the reveal of the Minbari surrender) would've taken place
	in episode 3 instead of 1.  Episode 1 would've consisted mainly of the
	events in "Revelations," which was mainly as a bystander to the events
	around him, since the sister aspect specific to Sheridan obviously 
	wouldn't be there.  Basically, with all the events surrounding Delenn,
	Londo, G'Kar and others, he didn't have one whole hell of a lot to *DO*
	in the first six to eight episodes, since that segment was set aside
	primarily to introduce the Shadowman war and get that cranking, and
	Sinclair had no real direct connection to that.

</ul>