#Ambassador G'Kar

[mostcursedofpastas]

Babylon 5, Season 1, Episode 6, Mind War

(Sorry about the low volume, I wasn't able to figure out how to fix it.)

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

August: Fantasy & Sci-Fi

Babylon 5 / Andreas Katsulas as Ambassador G'Kar

Just look at the sheer number of materials and textures that go into making this costume, from the ornate breastplate to the padded shoulders and studded sleeves. The designer for this show, Ann Bruce Aling, had a background mostly in theater design, and it shows in the bold design work. Combined with the prosthetics that turn the actor into an alien, the whole effect is a great example of worldbuilding through costume.

[bacchanal5]

Edited from comic by https://hitsujigoods.com/

[chasingmypen]

22: G'Kar (Babylon 5)

[therighthandofvengeance]

Babylon 5 Characters as Literary Devices

BESTER: gallows humor, pejoratives BYRON: off-rhyme CARTAGIA: metonymy DELENN: stage directions, catharsis, paralipsis FRANKLIN: juxtaposition, truism GARIBALDI: allusion (to Looney Tunes specifically), limerick (namely the one he taught Delenn) G'KAR: hypophora, surrealism IVANOVA: non sequitur, nemesis, pun, sardonicism, satire, tragicomedy KOSH: foreshadowing (which therefore contributes situational irony) LENNIER: enthymeme, pastiche LOCHLEY: synecdoche, tautology LORIEN: deus ex machina LONDO: circumlocution, hamartia, hubris, volta LYTA: litotes, oxymoron MARCUS: idiom, verisimilitude MORDEN: cacophony, syllogism, utopia NA'TOTH: onomatopoeia, poetic justice NEROON: in media res SINCLAIR: enjambment, frame story SHERIDAN: suspension of disbelief TALIA: paradox, understatement VIR: epiphora, parrhesia ZACK: maxim, tmesis ZATHRAS: mise en scene, malapropism

[ddagent]

Ambassadors G’Kar, Delenn, and Londo Mollari in 1.05 The Parliament of Dreams

[quasi-normalcy]

Apparently there was an episode of the Drew Carey Show where Ryan Stiles dressed up as Ambassador G'Kar?

[robotshellyeah]

some thoughts about Deathwalker:

my favorite thing about babylon 5 has always been the conversations between the ambassadors and their aides. the show is not always a story from the perspective of the human characters - sometimes you get a window into how the aliens interact with each other when humans aren't around. I really liked the scene between Na'Toth and G'Kar about why she attacked Jha'dur. if it had been her explaining herself to a human like Sinclair or Garibaldi, the cultural practice underlying her desire for revenge would have been portrayed as "alien" and less legitimate. but instead she tells it to G'Kar, who understands her completely and tells her that her behavior was right (he says that she wouldn't be narn if she felt differently, and that he's proud of her!) and therefore we the audience are reassured that her motivations are not to be dismissed. it was refreshing to see G'Kar take her side and only tell her to wait because it was necessary for political maneuvering

the plotline with Talia was kind of upsetting - I don't think I appreciated when I watched the show for the first time in college how violating that experience would be, and Sinclair and Garibaldi were so nonchalant about it at the end. Talia was like "Kosh hired me under dubious circumstances, exposed me to terrifying stimuli, and recorded my thoughts without consent presumably with the intention of using them later to hurt me" and Sinclair and Garibaldi were like "lol yeah he's a wild one". I guess there's nothing they can do about it but still yikes

why was Garibaldi allowed to go through Jha'dur's stuff when she was unconscious, seems ethically questionable

my opinion of G'Kar is so heavily influenced by how he is in the later seasons, I forgot how slimy he is in season 1. I think he experiences the most character growth of any of the cast.

Lennier is the guy we all know who's way too into military history

[filmjunky-99]

b a b y l o n 5 created by J. Michael Straczynski Ambassador G'Kar of the Narn

[gretchensinister]

Babylon 5 rewatch, S1 E3: Born to the Purple

Oh lol the TV-safe strip club

Yeah just take the bottle G'Kar

Lando is the first person in the series to canonically get laid (and wait till you learn later in the series what he's using!)

VIR on his switch in a meeting

"What do you want, you moon-faced assassin of joy???"--This is a line that has lived in my head for I guess 30 years now. Sometimes I think it when my alarm goes off

G'Kar on Vir's switch at the meeting

Don't worry the probe goes in your mind

Starlaces spotted! That would be a fun item to recreate actually

I mean, it's surely to simplify things for the actors, but Adira and Lando have such different accents that it makes me think, "oh, I wonder what that means socially/regionally for each of them"

Lando really is a Romantic at heart, I suppose

Oh, it's Ivanova

That's such a 90's pillow on their couch

As a kid I looked at the data crystals and was like "that's cool but inconvenient because you can't label it like a tape or floppy disk" and then I ended up with several unlabeled flash drives and those aren't even aesthetic

I hope Vir was in that cheery mood on purpose *at* Lando

We're going to the MALL to commit INTERPLANETARY CRIME

VIR YOU'RE BEING PROMOTED

"Don't give away the homeworld." --another line that stuck with me

Piss off Drakis

I forget what happened to KoDath, because NaToth became G'Kar's attache later

How did the station develop a criminal underworld so quickly

The Shady Bug again! You build a bug, you use a bug

Lando I love your cloak but it really doesn't fit with the vibe

In a way...it was really lucky for Ivanova to be able to do that, with her so far away.

Mmmm marbles (he did just put what looked like a marble in his drink right?)

Background people like "damn was that the ambassador kicking a guy?"

Oh Lando...

[kyliafanfiction]

Babylon 5: Born to the purple (finally having time to do this on the day)

*The whole 'G'kar is a horndog' thing gets kind of ignored after Season 1, which does make sense (it sort of comes back in Season 5, for one scene), but it was a thing earlier on, including in this line where G'kar agrees with 'all things in live females are the greatest'

*K'odath's disbelief that G'kar would be there raises questions about Narn society and G'kar's repuation back home *God, this episode hits harder in Hindsight *I love how Arcy B5 got later on, but I also like the opening to Season 1, because it lent itself to the more episodic feel of Season 1

*Oh yeah, this is the episode with Ivanova using Gold Channel

*Vir's use of the weird Gameboy like thing is hilarious. We never see that again, probably because he learns to do it back in his quarters. *B5 throws words like 'Sector' and 'Quadrant' around without much of a real sense of place and size. No clarity as to where these places are. *This episode tells us so much about Centauri society, and really drives home where Londo sits at this point. *MOON FACED ASSASSIN OF JOY *I don't think I've ever noticed the narn playing Vir's game before when I've watched this episode. *G'kar being so thrown by Londo's Mood *THIS ASSHOLE. And plot thickens. *God, it's so heartwarming though, how much he cares about her. This is not just some 'I want a pretty woman' thing. He really does love her *Londo's password is so very him at this point in his life. *I just wish Talia had been taken to dinner by Ivanova here. *cries in shipper* *Ivanova being protective of her console feels so in-character you forget... *"Figment of your demented imagination" *I do feel like Mollari's cipher should have requried a specific tone too, but I guess a voiceprint is pretty secure *Don't Give Away The Homeworld :rofl: *"get your feet moist" I love it when Londo and Vir get earth sayings wrong *Just a casual use of a tazer in public *I get that slavery is legal in Centauri space, but how is it legal on B5?

*damn that is a fancy bug. *Trakkis, when a man says "get out" in that tone, you GET OUT

*Vir walks in with such a swagger *Negotiating via subordinates is hardly unheard of G'kar. *"Don't give away the homeworld" *You know, I get it's conservation of Characters, but these Ambassadors really do need bigger diplomatic staff. And more competent ones. Ones you can actually trust to do the job *Then I hurt Him *"My good and dear friend" ah, Londo of this season. Such a decent guy, in a lot of ways. :rofl: *Londo's failure to talk the guy around is hilarious. But sinclair's deceptions *And here it is. The other key backstory element for Ivanova **cries* fuck. *Sinclair's strategem is so risky, I'm surprised there were no downsides. *"Coming from you Ambassador, that's a real compliment" *And the thing is, Talia has a point. The Psicorps rules about these things are there for a good reason. But this is one of those things where you'd think warrants could exist. But apparently there just is no room for that? *Not that they could get a warrant in this context but *I do love the 'don't think of an elephant' trick she pulls on him *G'kar saved Londo's career, and he's gotta hide that fact so much. :rofl: *I do wonder what exactly is in those Purple Files *I love that Garibaldi knows not to press her about it. Just "it won't happen again" *God, Londo... the ending.

[babischlong-six]

Ambassador G'Kar my beloved ❤️

Doodling him in my notebook and kicking my feet like a teenage girl writing in her diary

[audible-smiles]

G'Kar is by far my favorite character on Babylon 5, which of course means that the episodes I look forward to most are the ones where his planet gets invaded and he loses his position as ambassador, or he's captured and tortured, or he almost dies trapped in an elevator. you know how it is with blorbos.

[woodsfae]

B5 s02e21 • Comes the Inquisitor Jack the Fucking Ripper table of contents • previous episode

Oh, man. G'Kar is totally right, but of course no one's taking him seriously.

"Are you willing to sacrifice all that you are to keep all that you have?"

Yeah, war destroys you. Everything G'Kar says lately I'm like "That's absolutely horrible! But you're right!"

Oooo, Vir Cotto is up to something! I hope he keeps exceeding my expectations.

Another Delenn and Kosh secret meeting. I am so amused by their relationship. And interested! Lennier said Kosh was calling for Delenn. Was it on the local landline, or something more metaphysical? Is Lennier a telepath? I'm guessing that Delenn isn't actually a telepath, just has incredibly well honed insight, but we've seen so little of other species' telepathy that I'm just itching to learn more. It would be sensible to assign a telepath to be high-ranking, but isolated dignitaries' aides.

O.o The Vorlon have something called inquisitors! And one is going to interrogate Delenn!! Whoa. I wonder if they're a Vorlon, or just a contact of the Vorlons.

I love how there's always more and more and more worldbuilding and plot for me to sink my teeth into. The silliest episodes and exchanges are still so rich and dense with information.

omfg. MORE AWKWARD FLIRTING. And Delenn and John haven't even mutually held hands yet.

Lennier: "If you do the right thing for the wrong reasons, the work becomes corrupted, and ultimately self-destructive. Ambassador Kosh wishes confirmation that the right people are in the right place at the right time."

That's a bit of an american xtian idea of rightness of actions. US Pres Nixon was a bad dude, but he still passed the civil rights act, which has immeasurably improved lives. It doesn't diminish all the lives saved or the good done that he was also a slime-sucking toerag.

The guy G'Kar is meeting has a really strong prescription on his glasses. And of course people are war profiteering off the desperate Narn.

The Narn are more dangerous now than they've ever been. They're backed into a tiny corner, with nowhere to go but out and through anyone trapping them there.

This person arrived on a Vorlon ship…. I'm so curious if Vorlons are humanoid or can disguise themselves believably as different, lower-order species. He's implying he's human, but I have my doubts.

oh-hohohoho!! Protective Sheridan! cute.

WHOA. This guy, Sebastian (?) first met the Vorlons in 1888! incredible. A genuine Victorian in the 23rd century, who's going to psychically interrogate an alien from a society which has been spacefaring for tens of thousands of years. That's so cool.

Garibaldi: "Don't endanger B5. Got it? OK. Here's my illegal contacts who can help out, maybe. ;) byeeeeee <3"

Garbaldi, a real quote this time: "Like you said. I never start a conversation unless I know where it's going, but I always leave a little room for someone to disappoint me. Thanks for not doing it."

Made me laugh. And then also uncomfortably squirm. I'm a little like that, too. (damn you JMS, making me identify with characters I dislike! *shakes fist*)

This meeting with Sebastian and Delenn is so fairytale-like.

Someone should tell Sebastian and the Vorlons that you get better results with positive reinforcement than with punishment methods. It gets harder and harder to think the more you are in suspense of when the next pain will come. How very Victorian of this guy, though.

"Do you know how many have stood before me as you stand now? Proud, defiant, full of their own boated self-importance. Confident that they are chosen, special, chosen of God? All of them have broken. And better for everyone that they did. Better to spare others the illusion of false hope. You have the audacity to presume that you are on a mission form god, embarked on a noble cause. I don't believe it. And by the time you leave here, neither will you."

I dunno, dude. You might have gotten better results if you'd taught people to cultivate the type of qualities you think you need to succeed.

This whole thing makes a little more sense if I assume he's telepathically reading her and using her being pushed off balance to see more truth in her mind…I guess. This feels like very dated ideas of psychology. People are not more themselves when they're in pain, being arbitrarily punished, and given no useful instructions. They're just confused and hurting.

I think, that like a fairytale, he's already given her the answer disguised as a lie - he said if she removed the manacles, she would be failing the Vorlons. I think if she stands up for herself and refuses to be electrocuted anymore, she will show true strength of will and clarity of purpose.

Hah, Vir didn't even know he was getting into an elevator with G'Kar. very awkward. But actually, they could be good friends! Vir hates genocide, G'Kar hates being genocided.

Vir: "I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do, but… I tried telling them, but they wouldn't listen. They never listen! I'm sorry." G'Kar: cuts his hand with his knife "Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead. How do you apologize to them?" Vir: "I can't." G'Kar: "Then I cannot forgive." Me: 🥺

How very decent of Vir to say something, though. I bet he's the only Centauri who has said, to a Narn, that they are sorry and tried to prevent the atrocities from taking place.

Back to Sebastian the Victorian who rivals Freud in his weird-ass theories about finding the truth about people!!

This dude is a sadist. Perhaps the Vorlons' true test is seeing if someone will ever decide the universe is better off without him.

Hmmm. He will reward her for admitting that she questions herself, her clarity of purpose, and her beliefs. He's still full of shit, though.

"Your only destiny is to be the nail that get hammered down. Bang, bang, bang."

asshole.

Sebastian: "You're being a fool!" Delenn: "Then I am a fool. But it's better to be what I am than what you are." Sebastian: "And what am I? Please - tell me." Delenn: "You are a creature which has received pain and given pain, and taken too much joy in its application. You have aspired to dreams and been disappointment because you are not strong enough , or worthy enough, or right enough. So you lash out at anyone who believes they can make a difference because it reminds you of your own failure. You have to prove they're just as bad, just as flawed as you are. Am I close, Mr Sebastian?" Sebastian: "Bang." *electrocutes Delenn*

Yeah, he needs to die. There's no fucking way that standing there and taking being degraded, verbally abused, and physically tortured is what the Vorlons are looking for.

There's a lot in this episode I disagree and agree with, and all of it so completely believable and understandable in a complex situation. The writing on this show is so smart and impresses the hell out of me over and over again. Not this part with Sebastian, though. That's just wacked out of the Vorlons.

Yes, Lennier to the rescue!! More heads are better. Cooperation and collective action is key. Being tortured alone doesn't make you strong, it just makes you injured.

And he's not done yet! Getting reinforcements, gathering allies! Siccing Sheridan on Kosh!

Sebastian was expecting, or pretending he was expecting, someone to interfere.

Oh. Well a line of flame and concussive force wasn't a power I expected from Sebastian! What a fun practical effect! My guess is that they put a line of gasoline or kerosene on the floor, then Sebastian struck his cane, with something to strike a spark, on the end of the line of flammable liquid. Then, Sheridan did a fantastic pretend-to-be-blown-away jump back and they added the air punch with CGI in post production.

Sheridan's all tied up, and the mind games continue! I judge the Vorlons less for this extreme action because they're so higher-dimensional I'm impressed they are even able to interact with the cast in any meaningful way. Like how we can make a puppet bee dance the dance of "Food five miles to the south-west across a river," but we don't have the fine manipulations to stroke the bees with our puppet antenna and say "welcome home, sister. Give me your burden so I can carry it into the hives while you rest."

And I judge Sebastian less because, since 1888, he has been a little bee trying to learn from the puppet-bees, and that would warp anyone.

But seriously, the torture is unhelpful.

Delenn, you badass.

Sebastian: "One single move, gesture, and his life is snuffed out. Or yours. You would trade your life for his? I thought you had a destiny. Is that destiny not worth one life?" Delenn: "If I fall, another would take my place, and another. And another!" Sebastian: "But your great cause?" Delenn: "This is my cause! Life! One life, or a million, it's all the same!" Sebastian: "Then you make the sacrifice willingly?" Delenn: "Yes!" Sebastian: "No fame, no armies or banners or cities to celebrate your name. You will die alone and unremarked. And forgotten." Delenn: "This body is only a shell. You cannot touch me. You cannot harm me. I am not afraid."

Delenn is fine as hell for that, for her emotional fortitude, and for her grace and sincerity. But really, there was no need for the 4d torture chess. Particularly the christian ethics lesson aspect. Sebastian is deranged. He's been 'round the twist since the 1880s.

Background check on Sebastian! He and his address are either going to be accurate, or have never existed in any capacity.

Sinclair's Rangers arranged for the communication between that one Narn and his family on Narn! They are super useful! Good job Sinclair!

It'd be a real nut-kicker if, after G'Kar has earned, once again, the faith of his people in exile, the weapons-dealer rips them off.

Records confirm that Sebastian lived on earth in London in 1888. And that he vanished without a trace. Right after Jack the Ripper's last murder. He was a fanatic, and a murderer, by his own admission. And now he tortures and murders at the direction of the Vorlons. They tore him down and then set him loose with the same directives as his self-appointed former mission of violence.

Jack the Ripper: "Perhaps, they will finally let me die." Sheridan: "I think that might be wise."

STONE COLD. a;dskgfjas;dkjgas I agree. Dude is incredibly twisted and doesn't even enjoy it. Do the Vorlons know they took a madman and drove him even more mad? Do they know their little bee they took from its hive has been longing for death?

I don't want to come to the notice of higher beings. Particularly not B5's version of them.

on to the season finale!

[whatmathgodwrought]

Londo: My sequined disco shirt is too tight. But it does not matter, for I have forgotten how to PARTY!

Vir: Ah, then shall I cancel the gala which doubles as a covert assassination attempt on Ambassador G'Kar?

Londo: No! The event is still on. Call my tailor. Do I have to spell it out for you?

[toliveanddieinstarlight]

So the thing I love about this is that not only did G'Kar win Best Ambassador with slightly more than half the votes of the other ambassadors combined, but also that he received 0% of the votes for Worst Ambassador.