Babylon 5 Rewatch: The Summoning/ Falling Towards Apotheosis

[selenak]

The Summoning

Wherein Lyta finds out that life with the Vorlons has become as bad, if not worse, than life with the Psi Corps. The domestic abuse imagery is as blatant as I remember, between Kosh II stripping Lyta's quarters of everything but the bed, the increasingly ruthless use of her body for transfer, and the scornful "respect?!". I remember wondering which Vorlon, Kosh 1 or 2, was more representative of the species, when first watching this, but of course the episode itself answers this by revealing what the Vorlons are up to: destroying each and every planet the Shadows have put some of their vessels on. This deeply shocked me the first time around. Decades later, I still think it's horrendous, but I also think it's one of those storytelling decisions that really marked B5 as different. One of the many reasons why I dislike DS9's Prophets so much is that DS9 did the "Prophets vs Pagh Wraiths" scenario and asked the audience to accept the Prophets as good despite also letting the Prophets do some truly evil deeds (Sarah Sisko comes to mind). One of the many things that made me throw up my hands when the Star Wars sequels thought it was a good idea to top A New Hope's destruction of Alderaan with wiping out whole planetary systems. Off screen. Without taking the trouble to get the audience invested in someone from said systems first.

Now, B5 planted early warning signs that the Vorlons might not be that angelic (Kosh's reording of Talia'ss mind, the Jack the Ripper episode), while also showing Original Kosh as a being that did come to care about the younger species. (Not just via his relationship with Sheridan. Note that in s1, Kosh dismisses the Centauri and the Narn both with "they are a dying people". By mid s3, he intervenes in the middle of G'kar's assault on Londo with a vision that causes G'Kar to have an epiphany. Now, from a purely pragmatic pov, there's no point. The Narn and G'Kar may be useful to Sheridan who is useful to the Vorlons (at this stage), but there's no need for G'Kar to be stopped having a go at Londo for this to continue. And even if G'Kar killed Londo and would therefore cause a lot of Narn to be killed in retaliation, that's not something changing the odds of the up and coming war against the Shadows. Intervening doesn't help the cause, it helps G'Kar, the invidual. (It also saves Londo's life and mind, but I doubt this was Kosh's priority.) And of course, we will see Original Kosh being willing to do far more Sheridan in the next episode. My point is, the show showed us one particular Vorlon becoming emotionally invested... but also didn't stop the warning signs, and then when Kosh II arrived really laid it on fast and thick till we get, in this episode, the conclusion: the Vorlons are now as big a threat to the rest of the galaxy as the Shadows. And we do feel the terror of their actioins. (Unlike in SW.) A plague on both their houses.

Meanwhile, on Centauri Prime, we get Vir going from "maybe there's a way to take Cartagia out that's not assassination?" to "Let's kill him!!!!" when presented with Cartagia's gleeful delight at torturing G'Kar. This, btw, is why I think Vir's last scene with Lyndisti in s3's Sic Transit Vir is so ooc, since I don't think Vir would have reacted differently if Cartagia had kissed him. G'Kar's torture with its 39 lashes isn't the last time JMS goes for the obvious religious parallel with G'Kar, though Sheridan is the one returning from the dead in this episode. Back in the day, I felt like Londo and Vir when watching, desperately hoping G'Kar would scream and survive, because at this point I wasn't sure about anyone's survival anymore. Now, I'm familiar enough with the episode to make some technical observations on how you don't actually see much of the whipping - it's all done via reaction shots, and for my money far more effective close-up on the gore would have been. Also, the Centauri Prime scenes get the stark pools of light in darkness treatment that used to be reserved for Minbari and Grey Council related scenes. Most importantly, though, Cartagia wanting to have his scream provides as with another Londo and G'Kar scenes as Londo talks G'Kar into screaming (though G'Kar waits until the very last moment, to make a point; btw, G'Kar being unwilling to give an opponent the pleasure of hearing him scream in pain was one of the earliest things we found about about him in season 1's Parliament of Dreams).

If you're in need of some comfort after all that hurt for G'Kar, andraste wrote an excellent missing scene in which Londo returns to G'Kar's cell post-whipping, Camera Obscura. (No spoilers beyond this episode. Also no sex, this is platonic h/c.)

Lastly: Lennier's facial reaction when Sheridan returns from the dead does come to mind when debating whether or not a certain spoilery thing in s5 is ic. Otoh, the Sheridan and Ivanova reunion does more for me emotionally than his reunion with Delenn; Sheridan and Ivanova do have a great captain/first officer/older brother/youngers sister type of relationship, and I don't think anyone else has hugged Susan for a while now.


Falling Towards Apotheosis

More terrible news as the Vorlons show they mean business and wipe out planets and the refugee centers said planets' inhabitants flee to. This episode is where the different reactions to Sheridan's and Garibaldi's respective returns really are being flagged. Now Garibaldi is extra paranoid, but you don't have to be to notice. (Mind you, on this rewatch I also got why Sheridan was avoiding him, at least till Franklin checked Garibaldi for signs of the same type of Shadow caused lobotomy that Anna went through. Sheridan comes recently from an experience of interacting with someone whose true personality has been destroyed, and presumably isn't keen on another. Otoh, Garibaldi isn't wrong when wondering why everyone accepts Lorien as benevolent on Sheridan's say so and Sheridan's return from the dead as something good without any check-ups while giving him the third degree. (The show is a bit cheating here, because we did see Sheridan and Lorien on Z'ha'dum talk aat length, whereas we saw of Garibaldi's imprisonment just enough to make it clear Bad Mysterious Stuff must have happened.)

Sheridan did come back with a somewhat greater degree of ruthlessness; I somewhat doubt s2 Sheridan would have decided he needed to kill the Vorlon ambassador this quickly. (Not, you know, that I mourn for Kosh II.) What struck me not for the first time is that Lyta risks life, sanity and limb again for Sheridan & Co.; something to keep in mind for Epiphanies a few episodes later. This is also the episode wherein we learn Sheridan now has a 20 years life span, as Lorien couldn't resurrect him for a longer time than that. During my original watch, when I was annoyed by Lorien, I also was side eying this (I couldn't decide whether it felt like a cheap deus ex machina get out of the Z'Ha'dum death or not), but now I think it's a good compromise between showing going to Z'ha'dum did have long term consequences for Sheridan and keeping the leading man around (though old time viewers know my heretical opinion there). Also, JMS likes the number 20 as much as he likes "a thousand years", as in s1 Londo tells Sinclair it will be 20 years from now that he and G'Kar will kill each other. (Which means Sheridan's current life expectancy is two or three years longer than Londo's, depending on how literal Londo was.)

Kosh I getting out of Sheridan to finish off Kosh II: verily, he did come to care. You know, I do wonder what would have happened if Kosh hadn't died. Would he have gone renegade once his government decided on this policy? Would the Vorlons have let him or sent a punishing expecition to B5? (Thus ending the story too early, because the station could not have survived a full on Vorlon attack at this point.)

Meanwhile in my favourite seasonal subplot on Centauri Prime: Londo finds out he's now on a schedule: 7 days till the Vorlons arrive at Centauri Prime to turn it into ashes, during which time he has to get rid of the Shadows, get rid of Cartagia and create a new government so he can fulfill his promise to G'Kar. Talk about high stake goals. This is also when we get a scene with Morden (somehwat less crispy looking, but still not in Sheridan-shape yet) that intrigues me for a new reason this time around. Because Morden in his "no way the Vorlons are going to blow up Centauri Prime! Way too many people here! Who'd do that?!!!" actually doesn't sound like the smooth salesman of Faustian pacts we're used to. He gives me the imipression of both wanting to believe what he says but not being really sure. I don't think it occured to Morden that his own life could be at stake in this evolution-through-conflict lesson, and now he's died (or almost died) once already and didn't like it. Otoh getting the hell out of there doesn't seem to be an option for him, either.

The reason why I didn't think about Morden's pov in this scene before is that the Londo and Cartagia interaction is so compelling. Because otoh, Cartagia proves his dangerous mixture of madness and intelligence by seeing through Morden (it's just unfortunate that he wants to turn Centauri Prime into dust for his own reasons), otoh, Londo shows he's on top of his game when talking Cartagia - who at first assumes Londo is simply after an excuse to run - into going to Narn. It's another very I Claudius-as-filmed-by-The-BBC-scene, with however an unClaudian ending. Because after Londo has succeeded with Cartagia, he's in a hurry (and on the clock courtesy of the Vorlons) and so when Cartagia asks what to do about G'Kar just mutters a platitude before rushing off... thereby failing to save G'Kar's eye. The future, as prophecied by Lady Morella and Londo's own dreams, is one step closer. (This entire plot is really constructed like clockwork, I'm in awe.)

Back in the day, hobsonphile observed that Cartagia is downright flirtatious in that scene, which makes it even more creepy and intense, and also gave me an idea for a story: In the Pale Moonlight. No spoilers beyond this episode.

The other episodes

Comments

[cahn]

AHHHHHH

I was totally floored by the Vorlon reveal. I did not see that coming at all, even after Lyta got knocked around, and then I remembered Jack the Ripper and was like JMS YOU WERE PLANNING THIS ALL ALONG

I also was very unsure about G'Kar's survival, and although I thought he wouldn't scream until the end, I wasn't sure...

Otoh, Garibaldi isn't wrong when wondering why everyone accepts Lorien as benevolent on Sheridan's say so and Sheridan's return from the dead as something good without any check-ups while giving him the third degree.

True! Is this followed up on? (I assume it is, since Garibaldi called it out specifically.) (uh, you don't have to answer this unless the answer is no -- which in principle should give me the same information, but in practice I'll forget I asked it, so it won't.)

This is also the episode wherein we learn Sheridan now has a 20 years life span, as Lorien couldn't resurrect him for a longer time than that.

Heeeee, I think it's rather hilarious that I was right about him having a short life span, only with the wrong mechanism -- I was thinking delayed death (such as in "you will not surely die") rather than resurrection.

I thought 20 years made it seem like a bit of a copout, really, and I was surprised that this was considered such a terrible thing -- although in one's 60's is early to die in the US, it's not so uncommon as all that. Although perhaps people live longer by that time (I guess they do, if mean lifespan is 100) and/or they've managed to fix cancer and heart disease. To be fair, Sheridan doesn't seem too put out by this, it's Delenn who thinks it's terrible. I was surprised he didn't counter by saying they could die next week from either the Vorlons or the Shadows, but then again I guess they kind of know that they survive from WWE. And also that he still has to be alive at the time of WWE, so he couldn't die any sooner than that.

Because Morden in his "no way the Vorlons are going to blow up Centauri Prime! Way too many people here! Who'd do that?!!!" actually doesn't sound like the smooth salesman of Faustian pacts we're used to. He gives me the imipression of both wanting to believe what he says but not being really sure.

Oh, huh! Interesting, I definitely didn't clue into that.

Because after Londo has succeeded with Cartagia, he's in a hurry (and on the clock courtesy of the Vorlons) and so when Cartagia asks what to do about G'Kar just mutters a platitude before rushing off... thereby failing to save G'Kar's eye. The future, as prophecied by Lady Morella and Londo's own dreams, is one step closer.

THE EYE THAT DOES NOT SEE
AHHHHHH
I missed that! (I mean I missed that it was the eye that does not see, not that he failed to save it.)

Will read the fic, thanks! (Might take a while, and I might fall a little behind watching this month, but we'll see!)

ETA: As soon as I hit the submit button, I realized that I'd forgotten two things:

1) This ep does explain poignantly to me exactly why Delenn felt so strongly that she tried to change time by warning Sheridan not to go to Z'ha'dum. But the thing I wonder is, Sheridan told Delenn exactly his reasoning and how it arose from her telling him to go to Z'ha'dum, so wouldn't you think that she would try not to say anything? Maybe she was trying to say more and got cut off -- I forget exactly the sequence.

2) Re resurrection: I kinda laughed at the Jesus imagery at the beginning of this episode, with the woman falling in the crush of people and Sheridan saving her, which did foreshadow the theme of resurrection (which I didn't realize until it happened). I liked that it's different Jesus imagery than one usually gets! (In general I am really enjoying JMS's thorough familiarity with religion and how it shows up thematically.)

[selenak]

I did not see that coming at all, even after Lyta got knocked around, and then I remembered Jack the Ripper and was like JMS YOU WERE PLANNING THIS ALL ALONG

He did. "What kind of people use Jack the Ripper to torture their allies?" is a question few, if any asked during the original broadcast of "Comes the Inquisitor", but it was highly relevant.

True! Is this followed up on?

Mumble mumble spoiler mumble mumble spoiler mumble.

20 years and Sheridan dying in his sixties didn't seem to me as such a terrible fate in the 1990s, when I was much younger. As I'm turning 53 this year, I see dying in one's 60s a bit differently now. :) But yes, still, it's not the worst, even taking into account the human life span is longer by the 23rd century. As for Sheridan knowing he will get said 20 years as opoposed to dying by Shadow or Vorlon tomorrow, not necessarily, since he assumes he changed timelines by going to Z'ha'dum. (I.e. that the future where Delenn warned him not to go is the one where he didn't go.)

Sidenote: Of course, the Minbari life span is implied to be far longer than the human one, so Delenn's perspective on "20 years" is colored by this as well. As for why Future!Delenn didn't consider Sheridan's explanation of his motives, future!Delenn had just witnessed the Keeper reveal on Londo and was in a hurry, and yes, seemed about to say more, with Sheridan being pulled back to the present directly aftere she delivered her warning.

Conversely: or it's possible Future Delennn knew she had to close the time loop, since Sheridan had confided in her what exactly she had said. Maybe Future Delenn has accepted she only has two or so years more with Sheridan (since, see above, the timing of Londo's death and Sheridan's). This is as possible as her wanting to save Sheridan, for all we know.

In general I am really enjoying JMS's thorough familiarity with religion and how it shows up thematically.

I hoped you might. It does come up repeatedly this season.

[cahn]

Conversely: or it's possible Future Delennn knew she had to close the time loop, since Sheridan had confided in her what exactly she had said.

Ohhhh that's a good point, I hadn't thought of that. I can also imagine that she knew she had to close the time loop but would absolutely have said more if she'd been able to.

Also! I keep remembering things I wanted to say!

Lastly: Lennier's facial reaction when Sheridan returns from the dead

Heh, I was watching for that after remembering how much he protested about the purity of his love :) He... definitely had two reactions there, didn't he.

Otoh, the Sheridan and Ivanova reunion does more for me emotionally than his reunion with Delenn; Sheridan and Ivanova do have a great captain/first officer/older brother/youngers sister type of relationship, and I don't think anyone else has hugged Susan for a while now.

This was The Best. I absolutely love Sheridan & Ivanova and their older brother/younger sister relationship, and it's clearly so important for both of them (and I feel that Ivanova, in particular, really needs someone like that in her life).

(Sheridan/Delenn, in contrast, I kind of mostly feel like, "wow, that was fast??" Like, I know intellectually that it's been two years, which is certainly enough for a romance to blossom, and when I think about it I know there have been lots of scenes with the two of them. But somehow even so, I always feel weirded out by how fast Sheridan fell for her. I think maybe I don't feel the chemistry between the actors (both of whom I really like otherwise)? Also I guess I felt a little weirded out by how, the last time they were together, she was watching him sleep, and now he's proposing marriage to her? Seems like they skipped over some steps there, like, idk, talking about what this would mean for human/Minbari relations?? At the very least?? Maybe they did all of that offscreen, but I would have liked to see at least some indication.)

[selenak]

re: Sheridan/Delenn, I feel about them the same way I do about, say, Aragon/Arwen, i.e. a canon ship I can see the thematic point of and where I like both characters, but I can't say I'm into the relationship itself (i.e. seeking out fanfic, or repeatedly watching shippy scenes, that kind of thing). Re: chemistry, I don't think they have either the kind of scorching chemistry of, say, John/Aeryn (another canon pairing I'm merely okay with, safe in s4 where I anti-ship them, though that's thankfully over with in The Peacekeeper Wars; but be that as it may, I can't deny they have great chemistry), nor does it feel anti-chemistry like. It's just on a "okay, carry on" level.)

(Around the middle of this season, I'll tell you whom Delenn has the best chemimstry with imo. Doesn't mean I think she should have settled down with that person for life.)

I absolutely love Sheridan & Ivanova and their older brother/younger sister relationship, and it's clearly so important for both of them (and I feel that Ivanova, in particular, really needs someone like that in her life).

Yes indeed, especially given her rl brother and mother died tragically (one in the Earth/Minbari war, the other through suicide), and she was distant to her father. Ivanova does way better in the friends than in the romantic and blood family relationships department.

[watervole]

I found the part that had the most impact for me this time around was the flood of refugees and knowing they didn't have enough space to take them all.

That really hits home at present...