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The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5
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[1][ISMAP]-[2][Home]
### GUIDE ### [3][Background] [4][Synopsis] [5][Credits] [6][Episode
List] [7][Previous] [8][Next]
_Contents:_ [9]Overview - [10]Backplot - [11]Questions - [12]Analysis
- [13]Notes - [14]JMS
_________________________________________________________________
Overview
Sheridan tries to rally support for his cause as direct
confrontations with the Shadows begin in earnest. Friction
increases between Londo and Morden. [15]Jennifer Balgobin as Dr.
Hobbs. Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri. [16]Rance Howard as David
Sheridan. [17]Ed Wasser as Morden.
[18]P5 Rating: [19]9.31
Production number: 315
Original air week: May 6, 1996
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jesus Trevino
_Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before
proceeding to the spoilers; it's worth seeing unawares._
_________________________________________________________________
Backplot
* During the last war with the Shadows, a thousand years ago, they
did roughly what they're doing this time, seemingly attacking at
random in the form of quick strikes. The intent may be simply to
keep the major powers off guard, so they never know when the next
attack will occur.
* Vorlon ships are linked closely to their individual owners.
Unanswered Questions
* Who will replace Franklin as head of medlab?
* Why did the Shadows wait until the Vorlon attack to move against
Kosh? They could presumably have done it at any time. (See
[20]Analysis)
* Do the Shadows know that the Vorlon attack was just a one-time
thing, or do they now believe that the Vorlons are on the march?
How will that affect their strategy, if at all?
* How did Delenn know there wouldn't be a body?
* What was the flash of energy that coursed through the station
after the fight was over?
* Does Lyta know about Kosh? How will she react when she finds out?
* Was the data crystal on Talia Winters ([21]"Deathwalker") placed
on Kosh's ship?
Analysis
* Londo's new pact with Morden may foreshadow the loss of his second
chance for redemption ([22]"Point of No Return.") With Londo's
poison coursing through his veins, Refa certainly qualifies as
"the one who is already dead," and now Londo has vowed to kill
him. Along similar lines, Kosh qualifies now too; Londo may
attempt to kill Kosh's replacement, not realizing it's another
Vorlon entirely.
* Londo played right into Morden's hands. Morden was obviously
responsible for Adira's death (he paid off one of the ship's crew,
and he found out about her arrival from the Zocalo vendor) and
it's unlikely Refa even knew about her, much less participated in
her poisoning. But any such protest on Refa's part will likely
fall on deaf ears if Londo speaks to him.
* On the other hand, it's also possible that Londo is attempting to
fool Morden. Certainly Londo knows that Morden is up to no good --
their conversation in the hallway, and Londo's glare when he talks
about people who deserve to die -- are evidence of that. Maybe
he's playing along with Morden in an attempt to trip up the
Shadows' plans. The same hallway conversation offers evidence to
the contrary, though; even then, Londo felt he had already been
through worse than Morden's associates could dish out, and with
Adira's death, that's probably only intensified.
* "The galaxy can burn. I no longer care," says Londo. This echoes
the conversation between Emperor Turhan and Kosh in [23]"The
Coming of Shadows:" "How will this end?" "In fire."
* Londo's conversation with Morden -- putting an end to a previous
pledge and going on the offensive due to the loss of a loved one
-- is in some ways a parallel of Sheridan's conversation with Kosh
at the end of [24]"In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum."
* Londo promised to pluck the Shadows' eye out if it turned toward
the Centauri homeworld. Foreshadowing, perhaps, for whatever
happens to G'Kar's eye in Londo's dream ([25]"The Coming of
Shadows.")
* What _do_ the Shadows want? Delenn seems to know more than she's
telling. Morden's keen interest in the Centauri's continued
aggression may provide a clue, but it's ambiguous at best. If they
simply want a constant state of chaos in the galaxy, their current
strategy will eventually backfire; there won't be anyone left to
carry on fighting.
* The fact that the Shadows attacked Kosh immediately after the
Vorlon victory over the Shadow fleet smacks of the notion that
there was a deal of some sort between the two races: the Vorlons
stay out of the fighting, and the Shadows leave them alone. If
that's true, one sobering interpretation is that both races
consider the war something of a game. On the other hand, the truth
could be just the opposite; the Shadows may not have wanted to
touch Kosh for fear of causing Vorlon retribution.
* Along similar lines, Kosh told Sheridan that the Vorlons didn't
want to attack because "it is not our time." What did he mean by
that? What constitutes the Vorlons' time? Kosh also mentioned that
the Vorlons were still few in number, and were still preparing.
Are their preparations simply a matter of boosting their manpower?
* Even in his last moments, Kosh still chose to hide behind
disguises and symbolism, appearing as Sheridan's father rather
than himself. Or maybe it's not by choice after all; maybe all he
can do is communicate with people in terms they already
understand, though his recreation of the Icarus expedition in
[26]"In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum" suggests otherwise.
* A more charitable explanation is that Kosh didn't want Sheridan to
realize he was in trouble, since Sheridan would have been inclined
to race to Kosh's quarters to try to save him -- something that
would have meant certain doom.
* Kosh treated Sheridan like a child, calling him "impudent" and
"disrespectful" before finally giving him what could be considered
the Vorlon equivalent of a spanking. Then he appeared as
Sheridan's father. That suggests a certain condescending attitude
on the part of the Vorlons toward the other races. Is that
attitude based on anything? Delenn said the First Ones guided the
younger races; maybe to Kosh, humans _are_ children, and the war
against the Shadows is a test of maturity.
* How long has Kosh known what was going to happen to him? He
implies here that Sheridan will die on Z'ha'dum because he won't
have Kosh's help ("You said that if I went to Z'ha'dum I would
die." "Yes, now.") Did he know why that would be when he first
warned Sheridan in [27]"In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum?" Were his
lessons for Sheridan, teaching the latter to fight legends, meant
to provide Sheridan with the confidence to disobey Kosh's wishes
when the time was right?
* There is something of a thematic link between Kosh's expectation
of death and the story of Jesus played out by Brother Edward in
[28]"Passing Through Gethsemane." Kosh knew what was coming,
perhaps knew he _could_ avoid it for a little while, but also
believed it would be the wrong thing to do. So he waited in his
quarters to face his executioners. Of course, Edward didn't try to
fight his killers off, so the parallel isn't exact.
* Kosh's death was instantly known to the Vorlons, which suggests
that all the Vorlons are linked together in some fundamental way.
Perhaps the killing of Kosh, then, was less a blow against him
personally than a slap in the face of the Vorlons as a whole.
* If Kosh knew what was going to happen, why did he remain in his
quarters, easily found? Perhaps he believed that the Shadows would
go after Delenn or Sheridan in that case, and he considers them
more valuable than himself.
* Why can't Kosh's replacement continue Sheridan's education and
assist him at Z'ha'dum as Kosh would have? Presumably there was
nothing special about Kosh from the Vorlons' point of view. Or
maybe the Vorlons are so few in number that Kosh was the only one
among them who's able to provide whatever assistance he had in
mind.
* The Vorlons still use conventional jump points rather than the
faster hyperspace entry and exit technique employed by the
Shadows. Is that a conscious decision on their part, or does it
imply that the Shadows are more technologically advanced in at
least some respects?
* The Vorlons' telepathy must be different than what humans are
capable of; the Shadow ships were able to function as the Vorlons
attacked, unlike the ship near the White Star when Bester was
aboard ([29]"Ship of Tears.") On the other hand, the small Vorlon
fighters did seem to be doing a good job of confusing the Shadow
warship they were attacking; it seemed to spin around randomly,
and never fired back.
* This episode was full of power surges and drains: the one noted by
the C&C tech when Kosh and Sheridan were arguing, the lights
dimming when Morden confronted Londo, the battle between Kosh and
the Shadows, and whatever happened when Kosh died. Perhaps someone
will put two and two together and have security promptly
investigate any odd power level changes.
* The C&C tech said that the power surge was "a non-localized
phenomenon" -- exactly the phrase used by Delenn to describe the
Minbari concept of the soul in [30]"Passing Through Gethsemane."
* What is Earth's official reaction now that open hostilities with
the Shadows have broken out? Has Sheridan usurped Earth's official
relationships with all the alien governments he's recruited into
his alliance? The Shadows certainly have their fingers in at least
some aspects of the Earth Alliance, but they don't have total
control yet; there must be some people in the Earth government
advocating taking up arms against the Shadows.
Notes
* The masked alien is a Gaim, whose name is probably a reference to
Neil Gaiman. The title character of Gaiman's "Sandman" -- one of
JMS's favorite works -- has a mask of similar appearance.
* The character of Dr. Lilian Hobbs is named after a fan, [31]Dr.
Lilian Hobbs, who won the bidding at a charity auction at the Wolf
359 convention in Manchester in 1995.
jms speaks
* Script 15 is entitled "Interludes and Examinations," and has a
plot turn I hadn't seen coming, but which fits perfectly into the
arc; I think you're going to be stunned. (I was.)
* Re: titles...yeah, you got to watch out with this show, sometimes
I put on deliberately dull titles when I want to sneak up behind
you quietly. The more innocuous sounding, the more you should
worry....
* The visual styles in transition between shots came from the
director, which he went over with me when we had our tone meeting.
* "Just wondering if we would see the First Ones from Sigma 957 this
season, since there are supposed to be some direct confrontations
between the Army of Light and the Shadows?"
No. It isn't their time yet.
* Let me answer this way...whenever I'm going to unveil something on
the show, I begin to point to it in upcoming episodes. I've begun
pointing to the question of what the shadows want, and why they're
doing it. So, logically, I'm now going to have to follow up on
that....
* In general, you always know when I'm going to start answering a
question, because I begin to point at it in episodes; I'm now
beginning to point to the shadows and ask, "What do THEY want?"
The answer is coming.
* It wasn't my idea. It was Kosh's idea. It was his pulling me that
way that led to it. "Trust me," he said. I followed.
And yeah, it does hurt. Pat Tallman was devastated at the
screening. Even my own crew wouldn't talk to me for a day or so
after the script came out.
Which is when I knew it was the right thing to do.
* It's funny, out of all the awful terrible things I've done to our
characters over these 3 years, the one that honked off the whole
crew was the Kosh development. On one level, they loved it...loved
how it tightened the screws...but they still didn't want to know
from me for a day or two.
* Yeah, that's _[Kosh's death]_ the story turn that surprised even
me. (And, of course, I can't wait for the folks who'll say it was
over a contract dispute with the actor....)
* I'm just waiting for some nit to come out of the woodwork and
announce that the real reason for what happened to Kosh was that
Kosh had a contract dispute over money or walked off the show....
* _The mentor always dies in heroic sagas._
I think Kosh sort of "hit the wall" when he saw that Sheridan
wasn't going to go away; I think finally he was ashamed, and
recognized his fear, and in a sense the air went out of him, and
he reconciled himself to what had to be.
You're right about the mentor; sooner or later, the mentor has to
step aside (or fall by the wayside) for the others to grow into
the hero's journey. Originally this was slated to happen a bit
later...I think, on some level, I was reluctant to do it, because
to write this kind of stuff you have to *feel* it yourself, and I
think I was avoiding that as much as Kosh was avoiding his fate. I
didn't want to go through writing that. So I kept putting it off.
I knew it *had* to be done...but not yet....
And that's when, for lack of a better explanation, Kosh stepped up
and began to pull me in that direction in the script. It was time.
His passing shouldn't be frittered away or minimized; it should
happen at the right moment, and this was that moment. It's almost
impossible to describe this to a non-writer, but the character,
this fictional construct, was simply determined to have his way,
and that was the end of it. I kept trying to dance away in the
script, to go back into safer waters...but each time was pulled
back in this direction, until finally I had to admit that yes,
this was the right time, and the right way, to do this.
And Kosh fell.
But what finally convinced me was the realization that this was
not only right for now, but right for *later*...though you won't
know what that means for a while yet.
* Mainly, I think I was just trying to avoid it...put it off as long
as possible...but the character knew, even more than I did, that
this was the right time to do this. It's a very hard thing to do
this to a character; the only way to get that kind of emotion into
a script is to feel it yourself as you're writing it, and that's a
painful thing to do. So I was avoiding it. But he outfoxed me...as
usual.
That's Vorlons for you.
* "So, to sum up, has it been hard making these changes after you
and all of the fans have gotten to know them? Or is it simply a
matter of: "Well...it's their time...?"
It's both, kinda. In the case of one character, who's been with us
a long time, and who...shall we say delicately, is en route to
becoming an ex-character by the end of this season...it was hard
knowing the actor, because the actor said, "Was there something I
did wrong?" To which you can only answer truthfully and say no,
not at all, just the opposite...you did a GREAT job, that's why
we're offing you. If you'd been just mediocre, nobody'd CARE."
In another case, also later this season, it was *very* difficult
for me personally to do it, very emotional...and I wouldn't
probably have done it at all if the character hadn't basically
grabbed me by the lapels and dragged me kicking and screaming to
that point of the story and said, "Look, this is right, you know
it, I know it, now DO it." So I did. (And the cast and crew were
equally stunned. Of everything that's been done on the show to
date, THAT one thing got the biggest reaction; nobody'd eat across
from me for two days at lunch after that.)
Bottom line...you've got to go where the story leads you. That
*has* to be your first and foremost obligation. If it's anything
else -- catering to the audience's expectations, or your own
preferences -- rather than doing what the cold logic of the story
*demands* you to do...you're finished.
* The Kosh stuff, his scene with Sheridan, and his passing, is very
moving. I showed it at Marcon this weekend in Ohio, and many
folks, including Patricia Talman -- who hadn't seen it yet -- were
in tears at that. That, to me, is the moment when you know you've
done something, when you can make people *feel* something. Not
just a plot exercise, but you hit down deep where it hurts, or can
make someone laugh. It's all about touching emotion...or what's
the point?
* Actually, there wasn't much about Kosh I disliked...except his
cryptic ways...they're all annoying that way.
* When they shot the scene itself...no, not a lot of emotion in the
Kosh sequence in his quarters, because it was all very technical,
bits and pieces. But in the hallway scene with Sheridan, and the
later scene with Delenn and the others...yes, very much so.
It was *extremely* difficult to write. As a writer, the only way
to evoke a feeling in your audience is to feel it yourself and
communicate that honestly in the text. It was just awful.
* "1. presumably Adira was actually poisoned by Mordens cronies,
since he was looking for a way to hurt Londo, and we saw him
finding out information about her?"
Correct.
"2. In the final credits, a ranger is mentioned. I don't remember
seeing any rangers in this episode - where did he come in?"
His scene was snipped for time, it was a small one, didn't add
much to the story, but you have to keep those credits in under SAG
rules.
"3. Will we ever find out why Kosh allowed himself to be
"poisoned" in the pilot episode now?"
You're assuming he allowed it.
"4. What was the flash of light running across B5 when Kosh died?"
A non-localized phenomenon.
"5. Early on, when Sheriden was talking to Delenn, he wants to
know "what the Shadows are really after". Delenn looks like she is
resolutely not saying anything and hoping that the conversation
moves on before Sheriden presses for an answer... which it does.
Does Delenn know what the shadows are after (considering the war
from a 1000 years ago, I would have thought that the star faring
Minbari would have had pretty good records)?"
They do, and she does, and she's making a few mistakes that may
come back to haunt her in the not too distant future.
"6. Will you tell us? (answer = cryptic "YES" no doubt!)"
In the fullness of time.
* The Delenn/Sheridan axis is proceeding, but I've been very
deliberately holding off the kiss, and what would follow that, so
I could do it in a very special way. You'll see soon enough....
* "JMS, why did you edit out the scene where the Ranger follows
Morden and ends up being killed by the Shadows? Don't you think
fans of the show would rather see that than the scene in the bar
where Garibaldi asks for info on Franklin's blood from the other
doctor? When you edit the show please keep in mind what the fans
would what to see. Rangers and Shadows fighting is much more
exciting than a unimportant scene that could have been left out
easily."
Because it was important to set up what Garibaldi wanted, where it
was, and how he was going to gain access. It had to show his
concern for Franklin, the moral ambiguity in asking for this, the
betrayal we see on Franklin's face, the difficulty in Dr. Hobbs
dealing with his request. The ranger scene was a brief piece that
was really unconnected to the rest of the story, had no setup
elsewhere or payoff, was only a brief piece of action. I needed
the time to establish the character and plot information in the
Garibaldi scene.
And when you cite what "the fans" want to see, bear in mind that
there ain't no such critter. There's what *you* like, but *you're*
not the entirety of the fans. Some fans thought "Avalon" was one
of the best of the series to date; others thought it was just a
character piece and wanted more action and arc and called it a
"waste." Some people when they read a novel read for the action,
then when they come to a few pages that establish the look of the
forest, or some character background, jump ahead a few pages to
where the action starts up again. Some do just the opposite.
My obligation, first and foremost, is to the story, and to tell
that story as best I can. If I start trying to second guess what
*The Fans* want, when there is no ready concensus, when there
ain't no such thing, when different fans want different things,
it'll just get watered down and wander around lost.
* The voice-over is something I mentioned here a few months ago as a
tool I was adding to my toolbox to use as counterpoint, or segue,
in ways I hadn't tried before. I use it again here and there,
though the key with any new tool is not to go nuts and use it all
over the place when a better one, maybe the one you already had,
is better suited to the task.
* Just a quickie aside...the background/depiction of Brakiri space
was taken right from a Hubble deep-space shot. We use them a lot,
as provided to us by the folks who keep track of it all and keep
it running.
* One can certainly argue that Franklin's actions were hasty, that
he is basically running away from the *consequences* of the
problem he has, as much as from the problem itself. This will, of
course, have to be dealt with.
* _Is Franklin still on the war council?_
Franklin would be off the council for a while; he has to go and
figure his life out first.
* You'll see more of Franklin, as he tries to deal with his problem.
At first it's not too bad, but with time....
* _Why is Londo still on the station? Why do they let him stay?_
B5 is still a place of considerable commerce, access to lots and
lots of other races and diplomats...it serves Londo's purposes for
now, and there are probably lots of Centauri back home who would
prefer he stay here. As for the rest...better the devil you know
than the devil you don't. At least on B5 they can keep somewhat of
an eye on him.
* _Why didn't Londo mention Adira periodically?_
Basically because it's hard in an episode to just bring up
something out of the blue unless you're going to use it. You're
stuck with, "Boy, I wish Adira were here...so what's for dinner?"
Which will mean nothing to the folks who didn't see the first
season unless you then talk more about her, show her...and then
suddenly you REALLY have to deal with it or it's intrusive.
* _Will Londo discover Morden's role in Adira's death?_
Anything's possible.
* One theme of the show is how we each deal with the traumas that
beset us, and the choices we make. The difference is in how we
handle them. In "Shadow" and "Interludes" both Londo and Sheridan
have to confront somewhat similar losses: the death of a loved
one. But Sheridan, at the last, was willing to suck in the pain
and do what was right, however much it grieved him, and forego
revenge...Londo, on the other hand, has embraced revenge.
* _Why doesn't Londo just have Refa killed?_
Refa is a powerful guy now, with powerful allies; he [Londo] needs
money, in large amounts, and more influence, so when and if Refa
would get it, there wouldn't be the kinds of repercussions that
might otherwise come, as with a mafia hit, for instance.
* _Why don't they keep Morden off the station?_
They would do so, but since the fall from Earth, as Susan
mentioned, they've had to hire guards who may not be above bribes,
as we saw in the teaser. And Morden is good at covering his
footsteps.
* _Did Morden eliminate Adira's killer to cover his tracks?_
No, Adira's killer is still alive...can be useful, those folks.
* The "crystals" were diamonds, he was bribing various people to let
him in and otherwise do things for him. And yes, Delenn's holding
back some information still, and Kosh was outnumbered.
* Sheridan has doubtless noticed by now that Delenn is holding stuff
back from time to time...may even mention this in a few episodes.
* The shadows looked for Morden's opinion; he's an advisor, in a
sense, on lower-species politics.
* _Have the Shadows been getting bigger?_
No, they're about the same height consistently; it's probably an
artifact of the camera angles and lighting.
* _How did the Shadows get aboard?_
They physically come aboard. There's no beaming-in tech in the B5
universe.
* _About Sheridan's confrontation with Kosh_
I don't think Sinclair would've handled that scene in the same
way; it needed someone who'd go toe to toe with something very old
and dark and dangerous in his way. He had to get under Kosh's
"skin," as it were. Needle and outrage and upset him until he got
through...whatever the cost.
* There was a bit edited out of the Sheridan/Kosh conversation, but
nothing of real importance. It was at the beginning, as he catches
up with Kosh, and discusses his meeting with the League worlds and
how important it would be for the Vorlons to get involved.
* Bruce did a great job in that scene; there's a touch of madness in
it, which is quite understandable. As for the Rangers, they get a
new, added role later this season.
* Bruce is doing a *great* job, and definitely growing into the
part.
* Bruce is a hell of a lot better than some folks were willing to
give him credit for in the beginning. I think that's coming out
now as his role becomes more deep and more serious.
* "The "arc" is fully alive for you now, I think. Without these
characters living and breathing inside your mind I don't see how
one man could write as much as you have over the past two seasons.
What I *have* noticed is that all the actors now seem to be
responding to the story you're telling."
Yeah, it's kind of a funny thing...the deeper we got into the
season, as the actors saw only one name on script after script,
and they began to understand what was coming, and it's all *very*
consistent...the sense of this being a novel really came through
for everyone in a very profound way. You could really feel a
change in everyone's attitude, though it'd be hard to put into
words. A sense of, "This is it, this is the story, we're moving
now, we're doing something nobody's ever done." They know how hard
it is for anyone to write this many scripts, which is why it's
never been done before, and I think they not only respected that,
but felt they had to rise to the challenge and give just as much
at that end of it. Usually you tend to hit a slump energy-wise in
your third year; not here. Everyone's just hitting all cylinders.
* Sheridan has almost certainly not learned all he needed to know.
* _Why didn't Kosh leave?_
Because I think, on some level, Kosh knew it was inevitable; a
price had to be paid. In a way, Lincoln had the same
feelings...why was he to live when so many had died? In a way, he
knew he wouldn't live much longer. Also, it would mean
running...and the Vorlons don't run. If he fled, another would pay
the price...and that also wouldn't be right.
* I think Kosh realized that some things have to be, and that as
we've said from the start, there is always a price to pay.
* He knew a price had to be paid, and if it wasn't him, it'd be
someone else. Because he knew there was no getting around it. He's
too prideful to run.
Remember Gethsemane....
* Kosh fought and fought hard. And he did not go down easily...and
one might say that yes, he did not go down alone...but not
entirely in the way you're thinking.
* _How could you kill Kosh before explaining Sheridan's dream in
[32]"All Alone in the Night?"_ The problem is we're telling
different stories. What makes it interesting for me is that
Sheridan *isn't* prepared, Kosh *didn't* finish his training. It
isn't nice and tidy. And to stop and explain the dream in
"Interludes" would've meant taking, oh, about 3-5 minutes OUT of
that episode, and it's very tight as it is. And it would've just
been a case of, "Here, here's this bit of exposition relating to
something you've seen before."
No, the dream *does* get explained...and it gets explained *this
season*, in the course of the final five. In detail. But at the
right time, and in the right place. To have explained it sooner
wouldn't work, it has to come at the right moment, with the last
bits of information our characters need to *use* that
interpretation.
* _Did Delenn's certainty that there wouldn't be a body stem from
her knowledge of the Vorlons, or of the Shadows?_
More about the Vorlons than the shadows.
* _Why doesn't Delenn tell Sheridan what she knows?_
Delenn's been holding back. More than she should. There will be a
price.
* "Why didn't the Shadows get on the horn and start screaming that
they just made sushi out of Kosh. The alliance is new, shaky,
unsure of Sheridan. What a great time to screw over everyone by
announcing we killed Kosh."
Because for starters, it's bad form. If you kill somebody else's
ambassador, that's not the sort of thing you proclaim proudly, it
tends to bounce badly back onto you. Also, this was primarily a
personal situation. There's more, but it's a bit further down the
road story-wise that might help clarify this further.
* _Why wasn't a Soul Hunter present at Kosh's death?_
Because it was very sudden, and they learned the hard way to leave
Vorlons alone.
* _Could the Soul Hunters sense Kosh's death?_
It's not that easy a question, or that straightforward a
situation, as you'll see soon enough.
* _Why didn't you show the fight between Kosh and the Shadows?_
I thought about that long and hard when writing the script, and I
finally came to the conclusion that there was literally *nothing*
we could show that wouldn't be disappointing...it's a conflict on
another whole plane, and should have an almost cosmic or ethereal
feel to it. If we showed Kosh shooting a defensive field, or a
shadow opening his suit with a can opener, or anything else
obvious and physical, it would've diminished the scene. The
vorlons are mythic, indirect, you see them out of the corner of
your eye, so it fit that the proper metaphor would be to handle
the battle that way.
Even if we'd had ten million bucks to do that sequence...I
would've made the same choice.
* _Did Sebastian know about Kosh's fate when he asked Delenn about
dying alone?_
Actually, Sebastian said that bit about dying alone to both
Sheridan and Delenn. Who knows, he may have known something....
If Kosh had run, which wasn't in his character in the first place,
someone else would've paid that price.
Londo still has chances, if he doesn't blow them. You'll see a bit
more about this in the two-parter.
Yes, some Vorlons do appear to us as female versions.
* _Did the Shadows only realize what Kosh was when they fought him?_
Oh, no, the Shadows and the Vorlons know each other from way, way
back.
* _Did one of the Shadows attacking Kosh have wings?_
No, none of the shadows there were winged.
* There is something thematically present about growing up, and
parents, and coming of age that threads through the story.
And yes, there's the deliberate irony...that just as we finally
start to really hear from Kosh...he's gone. Snatched away just as
we got close. Which would add to the feelings.
* _Kosh also appeared as G'Kar's father ([33]"Dust to Dust.")_
That's what Kosh tends to play into, the whole father aspect,
though others might take the other approach in this.
* It's likely a matter of both, choosing an element which is
strongest in the other person, which for Sheridan and G'Kar would
be their respective fathers, who would also be authority figures
to them...so it's both manipulation and emotion.
* _What happens to Lyta now?_
She'll now have to work with the incoming replacement Vorlon, who
might be just a bit miffed....
* As for Kosh's ship...it headed for the nearest star, the local
one, and basically dived into it....
* _Why was one of the Vorlon ships red?_
Not special per se, just to establish that they have more than one
design.
* Lyta was off-station running an errand for Kosh.
* The red ship was simply another variation on the standard; nothing
too major about it...and yes, when Lyta returns from her errand,
she'll definitely get into this, and there will have to be some
explanations made, though not to her....
* The different color just goes to show some measure of
individuality in design, and there are some hierarchies implied
here.
* _Are there lots of Vorlons in the big mother ship?_
There's a bunch in the big ship.
* _Why didn't the mother ship attack?_
I think we just didn't see those shots; it was used in the attack.
* Vorlon/Shadow tech is more or less at the same level; the Vorlons
had the benefit of surprise.
* _Are the Shadow ships more sensitive to pain than the Vorlon
ships?_
I suppose you could say they are, yes....
* _What were the ambassadors doing in the war room?_
Usually you only get the main war council and the support staff
who monitor the progress of the war; the ambassadors were called
in on Sheridan's hunch that now the vorlons would get involved.
* _About the flash of light on Morden's mask, as compared to the end
of [34]"Divided Loyalties"_
Certainly the flash of light was an echo of Lyta's mask. As for
Delenn, I think she was just stunned, just emotionallly worn out
over this.
* Delenn mentions in the tag that the Vorlons will be sending
someone to quietly replace Kosh. It's a bit darker character.
* _Will we be able to tell the difference between Kosh and the
replacement?_
You'll know the difference. Believe me.
* The two aliens in the start of the episode were a Brakiri and a
Gaim.
"Interludes" for me marks a slight transition in the story, from
one "shape" to the next up...the demarkation between the
hero-cycle and the myth-cycle in the arc.
* _Answers to a few reader questions_
1. Kosh died fighting, I guess, and I'm also guessing that he took
some Shadows with him. How was this fight different than the one
we didn't see in "Signs and Portents"? Were there more Shadows
this time or are they getting stronger?
They were not initially prepared to kill him. That was a
territorial or jurisdictional squabble. This was retribution.
2. If Kosh did take out some Shadows, will more be sent to Morden
as replacements?
He didn't. Hurt 'em good, but didn't take them out.
3. Did Kosh project to Delenn, G'Kar, or anyone else besides
Sheridan during the fight?
No.
4. Did Garibaldi ever get a chance to speak with Kosh about the
Talia/Abbut data crystal as hinted at in "Divided Loyalties"?
Yes.
5. Besides being extremely old, was Kosh an average Vorlon or
particularly special in terms of strength, skill, or status? No
other ambassador on the station has demonstrated the clout back
home to sortie an entire fleet at a moments notice. Delenn and
Londo have only called on forces from a particular faction in
their polities.
He was certainly well regarded...one of the older of the vorlons.
* I'll put it to you this way...Kosh was old enough to have had a
first hand familiarity with Valen. Vorlons live a REAL long time.
* Valen led the prior shadow war and formed the grey council roughly
1000 years before B5's current time.
* _Won't anyone notice Kosh's ship leaving?_
For Kosh himself, yes, very few had direct contact with him; so
that's workable. As for the ship...this objection assumes
omniscience on the part of the outside characters.
Consider: the quarter million people aboard B5 get their
information about what happens outside second-hand, filtered
through B5 itself. If the staff manning C&C decide to not show
that information, or give access to it, it doesn't exist. As for
the ships outside, they move to and from the jump gate, and are
only interested in what's happening in this small area of space to
avoid running into anything. They don't generally keep track of
where all the other traffic is going; that's C&C's job.
And it isn't as simple as looking out your window. The distance
from Epsilon 3 to its local star is more or less equal to the
distance from Earth to our sun. That's a LOT of space and a very
small ship. You are not going to be able to track it visually, and
who'd want to keep an eye on it all the way to the local star?
* _About Kosh's ship_
It was made for Kosh, as Delenn points out, was almost a part of
him; it wouldn't function as well, if at all, for anyone else.
There was nothing else to be done.
* A personal transport is assigned to one vorlon for life, changing
and evolving over time. Little fighters have a more primitive
system. It's not the same thing as a shadow-vessel merge. A big
Vorlon cruiser has a full crew.
[40][Next]
[41]Last update: June 1, 1997
References
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