The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5
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<!-- TITLE And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder -->
<h2><a name="OV">Overview</a></h2>
<blockquote><cite>
The evidence of a Centauri connection to the cargo ship attacks is revealed
to the Alliance.
</cite>
</blockquote>
<pre><a href="/lurk/p5/intro.html">P5 Rating</a>: <a href="/lurk/p5/104">9.21</a>
Production number: 517
Original air date: June 10, 1998
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00019071C/thelurkersguidet">DVD release date</a>: April 13, 2004
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Goran Gajic
</pre>
<p>
<hr size=3>
<h2><a name="BP">Plot Points</a></h2>
<ul>
<li>@@@897549573 The Alliance has formally declared war on the Centauri.
<li>@@@897549573 Londo and G'Kar have returned to Centauri Prime, where
they've been imprisoned because Londo refused to allow G'Kar to
be arrested as ordered by the Regent.
<li>@@@897585142 Zack has discovered Garibaldi's drinking problem, but
has agreed to give Garibaldi time to work it out on his own.
Garibaldi's drunkenness has started to cost lives, and contributed
to the start of the war since he was unable to warn Sheridan about
Centauri ship movements.
</ul>
<h2><a name="UQ">Unanswered Questions</a></h2>
<ul>
</ul>
<h2><a name="AN">Analysis</a></h2>
<ul>
<li>@@@897585142 Why didn't the White Stars have a secondary contact
other than Garibaldi? Garibaldi wouldn't have been in his office on
alert 24 hours a day even if he weren't drinking; given the gravity of
the situation, it's odd that the White Star captain didn't try to get
in contact with someone else (Delenn or Lennier, for example, would
presumably have been sufficiently trustworthy) to make sure the report
was heard in time.
<p>
<li>@@@897585142 In a sense, the minister was probably right; the
attacks really <em>are</em> being staged by a third party, namely the
aliens in the Royal Court. And it's possible their goal is exactly
what he accused the Narn of: to implicate the Centauri. Perhaps they
want to see Londo's empire crushed by the Alliance,
revenge for Londo's rejection of the Shadows
(<a href="072.html">"Into the Fire."</a>)
<p>
<li>@@@897592140 Sheridan's declaration of war on the Centauri gives
Londo's comments in
<a href="060.html">"War Without End"</a>
a different spin. Londo said, "There's the legacy of your war,"
referring to the flames engulfing the city below the Centauri royal
court. Perhaps Alliance forces were responsible for the destruction,
and Londo's comments about Sheridan allowing the Shadows' minions to
come to Centauri Prime referred to the fact that they caused the war
to start.
<p>
<li>@@@898534358 Londo and G'Kar watching the Centauri fleet fly overhead
is a visual reference to Londo's dream in
<a href="031.html">"The Coming of Shadows"</a>
in which he watches a fleet of Shadow ships fly over the palace.
His dream eventually came true in
<a href="067.html">"The Hour of the Wolf."</a>
<p>
<li>@@@898541873 Which parts of his book do G'Kar's later chapters correct?
Perhaps the parts the Narn in
<a href="100.html">"The Ragged Edge"</a>
was referring to when he quoted the book as saying the Centauri
shouldn't be trusted.
<p>
<li>@@@898537086 Garibaldi's failure to warn Sheridan was foreshadowed in
his dream in
<a href="103.html">"Darkness Ascending."</a>
<p>
<li>@@@909090791 Sheridan's blockade of Centauri space could make life
more difficult for his father, who needs a rare Centauri drug to treat
a blood disease
(<a href="082.html">"The Exercise of Vital Powers"</a>).
</ul>
<h2><a name="NO">Notes</a></h2>
<ul>
<li>@@@902861573 Garibaldi had a bowl of oranges on his table, a pretty
expensive commodity on the station
(<a href="025.html">"The Geometry of Shadows."</a>)
That may mean he's making a lot more money as Director of Covert
Operations than he was as the station's security chief. Or, more
likely, that Lise isn't above spending some money to keep his diet
healthy; she can no doubt afford to ship oranges just about anywhere.
<li>@@@897593295 Director Goran Gajic is Mira Furlan's husband. The
character of Aldous Gajic in
<a href="015.html">"Grail"</a>
was named after him.
</ul>
<h2><a name="JS">jms speaks</a></h2>
<ul>
<p>
<li>@@@897935317 "I have to say this was one of the best episodes of
the entire series. If this is any indication of what the rest of the
season is like.......watch out."
<p>
Well, the next episode is even more so...and the one after that,
more so still. You get a slight breather for an episode or so -- still
very strongly arc, though, just not as in-your-face hardhitting -- and
then the last are whammers.
<p>
"I suspect a stream of apologies to you are about to begin."
<p>
Yeah, right, and pandas will fly out of my butt.
<p>
<li>@@@887704242 Haven't seen the director's cut yet, but Goran did a
great job, based on dailies.
<p>
<li>@@@897585142 It was shot for shot what I wrote...but at the same
time, a director can realize that well, or poorly. I thought that
Goran did a terrific job.
<p>
<li>@@@897933568 <em>How much of the tension in the opening scene was
thanks to the director?</em><br>
It's shot for shot what was in the script, but at the same time, a
director must take that shot and make it live. Goran did that
admirably. He kept the camera moving, framed his shots very nicely,
got into the emotion of the scene, and worked very well with the
editor; we only did a light dusting in the editing room.
<p>
Since a number of folks have asked, here is the opening scene as
written. (I only have the first draft in my home computer,
modifications were done in the office, which involved trimming some of
this for time.)
<p>
****************
<pre>
FADE IN:
EXT. BABYLON 5: A new shot, closer, emphasizing the darkness of the station in
eclipse.
INT. DELENN'S QUARTERS - BEDROOM
Sheridan is in bed, alone as we will discover in a moment. He rolls over,
stirring, and we SHOOT PAST HIM to the doors, where we SEE a single flickering
light through the translucent glass. He sits up.
INT. DELENN'S QUARTERS - FRONT ROOM
REVERSING past Delenn to the bedroom doors. She is seated on the floor, a
single candle burning before her, the flame halfway down it, praying or
meditating as the doors open and Sheridan stands in the opening. His voice is
quiet.
SHERIDAN
Delenn...? Are you all right?
She nods, distantly, not taking her eyes off the candle.
SHERIDAN
You should sleep. It'll be morning
soon. You'll need all your strength
for what's ahead.
She nods again, but doesn't move. He gives it a BEAT, knowing
she is in a place where he can never reach her, then goes back
into the bedroom, leaving the door open. We PUSH IN SLOWLY on Delenn's face
TIME-CUT - HER QUARTERS - LATER - ON THE CANDLE
The fragile, guttering flame has now burned three-fourths of
the way down. As we slowly PAN UP to Delenn's face, not having moved in all
this time, we become aware of the SOUND of the shower running. She doesn't
note it, until it stops. Then there's a BEAT and she looks up toward
ANGLE - THE BEDROOM
Still mainly dark, suggesting pre-dawn, mainly just the light
spilling from the bathroom entrance as Sheridan comes out in a
robe, toweling his hair. His manner here is sober, almost
somber. He's trying to keep this normal, but knows that this
is going to be a difficult and momentous day. The more we can
set that tone here, the better.
SHERIDAN
It's...all yours.
She nods, distantly. WIDEN as he goes to the bed and sits. He
pulls on one slipper, puts his foot down, and picks up the other
slipper...and just sort of stops. He doesn't want to put it on.
He doesn't want this day to come. He doesn't want to do what he
knows he's going to have to do. The slipper just dangles from
his fingers, the strings cut. Delenn gets up, approaches and sits next to him,
both with that faraway, haunted look. She touches his back, and leans against
his shoulder for a moment, both taking comfort and strength in the momentary
contact. Then she gets up and moves into the bathroom, the robe sliding off
her shoulders as she steps OS.
A BEAT, and Sheridan finds the wherewithal to put on the other
slipper...and sits there momentarily as we HEAR the VO SOUND of a GAVEL
POUNDING, and the VO SOUND of the council, along with:
SHERIDAN (VO)
There comes a moment, in all of our
lives, when we have to do something
we'd rather not do. When we know
something we'd rather not know. This
is one such moment.
He stands and moves OS.
</pre>
<p>
<li>@@@897935317 <em>Was the part about Sheridan dropping the slipper
added in a later draft?</em><br>
Yeah, that was a visual pun written into the script, the other
shoe dropping...but also reflecting that kind of low energy thing in
the morning, when you put one slipper on, and you just *don't* want to
leave...and you just let the energy drain away, and the slipper falls
from your hand...which also overlaps the gavel dropping, as scripted.
<p>
I took a great deal of care in blocking out every shot in that
one, as opposed to some other cases, as with Mike Vejar, where I wrote,
in "The Face of the Enemy," "They pull down Sheridan like a pack of
wolves bringing down a lion" knowing that he would then take that and
turn it into art. And he did.
<p>
<li>@@@897935317 <em>Why did they check the bodies to determine what kind
of weapon was used? Why not the debris from the ships?</em><br>
That's what was said, in addition to the rest. Reference was made to
examining the damaged ships.
<p>
<li>@@@897935317 <em>Why doesn't Sheridan warn Londo about the Shadows'
allies being on Centauri Prime as he saw in
<a href="060.html">"War Without End?"</a></em><br>
Well, do bear in mind that the events in "War" were 17 years
after the fact, so the shadow allies could have come at any time;
Sheridan didn't fully understand what a keeper was, and also bear in
mind that there is no reason to suspect anything in this situation.
People can indeed start wars without having keepers on them, you know.
We do it all the time. He would have to have some overwhelming
proof...and even then, if he says anything to Londo, he might risk
changing the timeline, and that would have potentially disasterous
consequences.
</ul>