#i have at least one for delenn and one for sinclair and one for sheridan and and and and

[mylittleredgirl]

at least once a week during this b5 spiral i’ll have a realization of something that kicks me in the chest and i start a tumblr post like “do you every think about—” and then i stick it in drafts thinking no, i should write it as a fanfic so i can really share my pain with the group. and then i don’t write that, and think well, at least a better tumblr post, and then i don’t write that either and just stare into the abyss for two to thirty-six hours

[woodsfae]

B5 S03E19 Grey 17 Is Missing previous episode - table of contents

I'm not sure how this episode is going to go, because prior to this I have always watched B5 high (I started this saga while taking hydrocodone pain meds I was allergic to post-wisdom teeth removal) or sober (which I quickly stopped doing, because the recaps were a dry and stale recounting of the plot in a most unpleasant way), but now I can't have THC for awhile (pre-op instructions for what will hopefully be my last surgery for awhile) and so I am experimenting with liveblogging while tipsy. 

So far I thimk that tipsy b5 blogging may be the era of run-on sentences. play video. 

Harry Sanders says in response to the question "are you a telepath,": "sure." 

I am guessing that Mr Sanders is not a telepath. But I am a huge fan of people fucking with Zack Allen. Queer icon Harry Sanders tries to flirt his way into the job. sadly, he fails.

Unnamed maintenance worker gets sucked into a maintenance tunnel with random wires trailing out of it. That probably won't be relevant later :)

Someone, I am assuming Sinclair, spoke of Delenn "with great reverence" to his Minbari friend regularly. I LOVE THAT OMG. *shipping intensifies* 

Harlan Ellison consulted on this one, too?? That's so cool. My Eepectations just went up. Minbari With The Nose thinks that Delenn should take over as Ranger One. Are they going out of their way to not say his name? 

Calling a gun with bullets a slugthrower is a pretty amusing thing to share with Star Wars. I once read a crossover fic where Han Solo (iirc) went on smuggling runs to B5 to pick up kyber crystals, which the B5 people have been using for mere data storage. 

"I swear it's like the Centauri triangle in there - something's always going wrong."

I only support Garibaldi's casual racism because actually, everything IS always going wrong with the Centauri....but has the Bermuda Triangle myth been supplanted with a centauri space equivalent?? And what makes it a triangle in 3d space?

Stephen Franklin is looking rough. Withdrawl. Withdrawal? Sad plotline. Space AA is not my favorite plotline. Also, Mr Dr Franklin, maybe don't compain about people following you around when you haven't even left Babylon Five???? That's a cry for help if ever I saw one in metaphor. If you wanna be alone like...barter some medical attention for a ride to an abandoned planetoid. 

Gray 17 is a level of b5? Cool. I thought it was going to be a person that disappeared. And it is several of them at least. But there's also thirty official grey levels but only 29 accessible. I like it. 

Delenn looks extra pretty today. 

Why does this Minbari know about siren songs? Convergent cultural evolution, or does this guy like Earth ancient-greek sailor myths? 

It's genuinly hilarious (and apropos) for a Minbari Ranger to think it pollutes the rangers for humans to be admitted. This warrior class Minbari thinks it's heretical for Delenn-of-the-clerics to consider taking command of the Rangers, which he thinks are the rightful domain of the warrior caste. 

hm. Where'd he go. That won't come up later, either. 

Garibaldi is leaning into one of his strengths: investigation. He's counting the seconds the elevator takes between Grey levels. Grey  like the grey council, or pure coincidence?

ALSO. no minbari has killed another minbari for a thousand years?? I find that very hard to believe. Domestic violence? manslaughter?? What kind of statistical fuckery are they employing to make that something Delenn can say without winking??

Delenn: "I want your word that you will not tell [Sheridan] about [the warrior class dick threatening to kill me]. Your. Word." 

*cue Lennier hinting unsubtly about Delenn's life being in danger*

I did not expect Level 17 Grey to come up. Where is the missing number if Grey 17 is missing, it goes to Grey 30, but there's only 29 levels? This mystery is deeper than I expected it to be!

 The missing floor, once Garibaldi rules-lawyers the lift into stopping there, is trashed. And it says Grey 17 in a different place than the other floors. AND there's what looks like a technical diagram for a trash can where the other floors have their designation signs. Idk what this means, but it's a data point!! 

Well. I would drop kick that puppet if it talked to me on a trashed level. But Michael Garibaldi let it DART him. like a SCHMUCK. Don't let it do that. hit the follow button for more HOT TIPS FROM MICHAL. (pronounced like McCalll, not like Michael).

Lennier!!!! YES HE IS TELLING SOMEONE. But not Sheridan. Love his rules-lawyering. Super cute. My guy. Lancelot (purely platonic version).

I would kiss Lennier all over his sweet face. And he would not like it. I am sure. 

Garibaldi has recovered-ish from his darting of unknown substance. FUCK THAT PUPPET. burn it with fire or smth. 

Who is this council of lost persons?? Jim Henson's dream?????!

"My name is Jeremiah. Welcome to the end of the world." 

YES PLEASE. This is good plot, and I like it. 

Delenn is really beautiful this episode. I think the red/blue rich, saturated colors particularly flatter her. But she is always unfairly pretty and generally lickable.

Delenn's mother entered the sisters of valeria soon after Delenn was born, and she's only seen her twice. TWICE. And Delenn's father died ten years ago. She does not mention siblings. How old is Delenn? If it isn't a plot-relevant spoiler, please let me know if you know it. 

Her thoughts on missing her father are both relatable and wistful. It made me thoughtful about the same topic. 

Jeremiah says the reason the Minbari almost defeated the humans in the war was because the Minbari are closer to the truth than humans. AND we have learned that the people on Grey Level 17 is because they hacked the system and detached themselves from the rest of B5. Isolationists being isolationist on a tiny little level of a space station is illogical and funny and very, very human.

The Minbari offended by Delenn running the Rangers is called Neroon! That's super familiar and I think I've met him before. He says "During the war I killed fifty thousand of you....what's one more?" Well my dude. I bet you didn't kill fifty thousand humans in one-on-one combat. And I'm gonna go ahead and bet on Marcus's staff-fighting prowess over his. 

GET 'IM MARCUS.

This is a well-choreographed and filmed staff fight. 

Jeremiah on Grey Level 17 actually is super aligned with Delenn's philosophy on the universe. But is far more freaky about the practical side of the philosophy. tbh. I think Jeremiah did LSD one too many times. 

Garibaldi isn't super serious about his threat because his choke hold lacks a fulcrum...Jeremiah could break it anytime he liked if he knew how to identify what wrestling hold he was in....signed...someone whose father wrestled in highschool and taught them from a young age to identify and break choke holds by neck-feel....

GO MARCUS GO GET NEROON. 

Neroon: "Why? You must have known you could not win....so why do it?" Marcus: "For [Delenn]. [...] In Valen's name." 

LANCELOT MOVE OVER, GALAHAD HAS ARRIVED

Jeremiah: "Listen. Listen. The only way out is-is to find a purity of thought. A purity of belief! That is the door! The door of the mind." 

Hm. This dude is craycray. And his further speech does nothing to dispel the notion. What is screeching?? 

If Sinclair was Entil'Zha, wthen what was this Minbari Ranger going to designate Delenn?

Damn it, Neroon lives. Bring! Back! Galahad! fuck u neroon. You don't deserve a capitalized proper noun name.

wtf is this thing hunting on level 17 grey?? I don't recognize its silhouette. 

Michael Garibaldi (paraphrased): HOW DO WE HURT THIS THING??? *looks at .38 bullets in hand*

Me, reliving my misspent youth: IF YOU GRAB THE SHELL OF THOSE .38s WITH PLIERS THEN HIT THE PRIMER WITH A BALLPEEN HAMMER U CAN SHOOT IT

(yes I did this shit for fun as a child and I am EXTREMELY LUCKY I did not have a mishap of a permanent injury variety)

hmm. Garibaldi sorta used my childhood fun trick but with a pipe to protect his fragile hands.. UNLIKE ME AND MY PLAIN PLIERS AND HAMMER

Neroon kicked Marcus's ass but Marcus is going to recover -a relief. But Neroon!! FUCK OFF. 

"you are more noble than I" - Neroon (paraphrased)

THAT'S A GALAHAD MOVE. psych. Marcus got you with his ideological purity and ironic wit!!

The murderous thing on Grey level 17 was a "zarg." OK. Please, if it isn't spoilery, remind me what that is. 

This episode feels a bit more disjointed than they usually are, but I liked it. And fuck Neroon!!! Get behind Delenn or shut the fuck up. 

*a perfectly good episode. but also. GET BEHIND DELENN OR STFU!!

onward

[rosallora]

S2E22 The Fall of Night

Attache to attache communication... Vir and Lennier love. Instant adoration for that relationship. Same time tomorrow.

And of course... G’kar was right about the Centauri pushing for more worlds.

Oh my god. He really isn’t the same Londo. He’s just... he can’t stand down.

Ministry of Peace... always a good sign (sarcasm).

Oh Ivanova... no family. She has Sheridan at least, and Garibaldi! And the ambassadors. I love her very much. And I love that she’s unwilling to leave Babylon 5, to betray her fellows, to join the Night Watch... she’s a wonderful character. I wish she had gotten to be with Talia. I miss Talia.

The Night Watch, oof. It’s back.

Why won’t the Minister of Peace (Lantz) talk with G’kar? I am just. Augh.

OHHH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALLIANCE? WITH THE CENTAURI? WHAT THE FUCK!

I cannot believe this is happening. GET OUT THERE FIGHTERS, IT’S TIME! And YAY! The Narn are safe :)

I can’t wait for Babylon 5 to go rogue. We’re gonna see it. So far!

I fucking hate Welles! He can burn in Helles.

Kosh OUTSIDE THE SUIT! Beautiful. Amazing. Very Gender.

We’re going FULL thoughtpolice. YEP. YEP. Sedition is a powerful thing.

I love Sheridan’s reaction to Kosh’s true form - the idea that the Vorlons have been manipulating people from the very beginning. It really says it out loud, really makes it clear. Love it.

And Christ on a Cracker. We’re going to get Rogue Bab5. There’s no way that we’re going neutral on this. And there’s no way we’re going to be abiding by the shithole called Earthdome.

Anyways - that’s a wrap on Season 2.

I’m trying to get my thoughts together. I like the side stories - Keffler chief among them. He had a full arc, he found his own personal closure. His story is done, and it’s a catapult into the future.

I want G’kar to continue being a part of the show, and I want for him to continue doing what he can for the Narn. Seeing him advocate in the streets, speaking up against the Centauri... he’s a brave man. I know that my admiration of him will likely only grow more as the show enters Season 3.

I have a suspicion that Ivanova will join the Night Watch, if only to have a woman on the inside.  The way that the offer was given to her, and her consideration in the last shot of Season 2 really confirmed that for me. The fact that we also ENDED with Ivanova in frame suggests to me that next season we might also see a shift in station power.

Sheridan has done a good job as captain, but I think it might be time for her to take the helm. Sheridan is very much a soldier, and he does operate like one. I think that his obedience to the rules will definitely force him out - or really, his refusal to find the loopholes that Sinclair might have. I think that Sheridan will have to step down from his position, and I believe that could be an interesting direction for the show to go in. If not, then not!

I have high hopes for Vir and Lennier going into Season 3. I love the attaches, though Na’toth has pretty much disappeared from the show at this point. But the mutual expression of worry that the two of them exchanged showed a special kind of commiseration between the two that I’d like to follow. Lennier’s continued support of Delenn is also big - sometimes she’s just silly, she messes up, and he’s there for her. I think Lennier is my FAVORITE attache by far! But I look forward to Vir perhaps working AGAINST the Centauri, and taking the actions that he felt that he was too helpless to in Season 2. He’s my horse to bet on.

The Talia/Ivanova thing will HAUNT ME FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I hope we can get Talia back.

See you in Season 3!

[toliveanddieinstarlight]

Season 2, Episodes 7 and 8

Soul Mates:

There aren’t a lot of opportunities for this show to pass the Bedchel Test - your predominant recurring female characters are basically Ivanova, Delenn, Talia, and Lyta (and later Lochley). There are moments here and there, of course, but I really like this one. Besides, Ivanova has the Best Hair, so this scene just makes good sense.

Londo is particularly cruel here. He's got to be sure even at this point which of his wives he'll be divorcing, but he just twists the knife at every opportunity. He is so fucking awful.

I don’t think I ever noticed it before, but HOLY SHIT G'Kar tossed a grape or something at Mariel and she caught it and they totally had a Moment. 

I love Ivanova being right over Londo's shoulder in this scene. Her reaction to overhearing Lennier is Very Good.

My favorite thing about this episode is that there's a blooper reel from Londo's party where Sheridan calls in to Medlab as "Sinclair" and everyone loses it.

Londo doesn’t deserve you, Timov. Divorce him, marry meeeeeeeeee!

A Race Through Dark Places: As wrong as I may have been about Talia, I will never come around on Bester. Bester is fucking scum. That said, he is definitely the reason I started reading Alfred Bester the sci-fi novelist, and he was a solid fuckin writer. A number of his short stories are excellent, and he was the first winner of the Hugo award. The Demolished Man is absolutely worth reading.

That penny of Talia's should be an artifact by this 2259. We totally got rid of coins by 2100, right? You'd think coin collectors would lose their mind over a 150-year old penny. 

There's been a lot of focus on telepaths and the Psi Corps the last couple of episodes. We got a little early push regarding The Shadows in the first couple of episodes, but they’re on the back burner for a bit. I wonder what it would have done to the pacing of the season to vary the distribution of the telepath episodes with the coming of Shadows episodes. 

You think the telepaths would have come up with a better term for non-telepaths than "normals". Hell, you could at least start with "neurotypical".

[brightephemera]

Babylon 5 for the fandom meme? :D

Aw heck yeah!

SPOILERS FOR BABYLON 5. A LOT.

the first character i ever fell in love with:

Delenn, actually. She’s so earnest, so spiritual and yet so cognizant that history cannot be wished away.

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not:

Garibaldi was my hero, but he loses luster with every rewatch.

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not:

Delenn/Sheridan. Definitely my least favorite aspect of Delenn.

my ultimate favorite character™:

Ouch. Uh, Lennier? Delenn? Vir? G’Kar? Londo? G’Kar and Londo only when taken as a unit? Vir stands up better than Lennier in Season 5, so overall, Vir.

prettiest character:

Captain Lochley.

my most hated character:

Sheridan. I like Morden more than I like Sheridan. I like the First Ones lurking in the unknown regions more than I like Sheridan. I probably like Byron more than I like Sheridan, but it’s hard to tell because I skipped most of his scenes. Would that I could have done the same for Sheridan.

my OTP:

Talia/Ivanova. I would’ve loved to see more of that relationship before the bottom fell out. Platonically, of course, G’Kar/Londo forever.

my NOTP:

I didn’t have a problem with a lot of the plot pairings, except as mentioned Sheridan/Delenn.

favorite episode:

Wait, picking one? “And The Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place” was spectacular.

saddest death:

Sheridan. I don’t even like him and that episode brought a tear to my eye.

favorite season:

2 and 3 are both stellar and 3 builds on 2, so probably 3.

least favorite season:

5. If you skim the first half the remainder is comparable to previous seasons, but man, there’s some clunky stuff in there. Season 1 had trouble finding its footing but for Sinclair I’ll forgive a lot.

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate:

Sheridan?

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave:

Morden. My good and dear friend, Mr. Morden.

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave:

Vir, absolutely.

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship:

Does Londo/G’Kar count?

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship:

Zach Allen/anybody, really. Or Garibaldi/Lise.

[tallysgreatestfan]

003 Lennier do it

How I feel about this character: He is so cute and intelligent and loyal, and I can totally relate to his insecurity and self-hate. After Delenn, he is my favorite character, and his arc is interesting and painful to watch

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Delenn, Firell, Vir (although its rather that I love seeing them together no matter if its friendship or romance), sometimes Marcus too

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Vir. They have very similiar personalities and absolutly need someone to hang out with and discuss all the exhausting things that happend

My unpopular opinion about this character: I think he would have fitted better to Delenn than Sheridan. They share IMO much more similarites, believes and traits, and altough I don’t think that she loves him the way he loves her, I can’t help but see it as clearly more complicated than her just not loving him back - all the touches, the way she looks at him, these comments one can’t help but interpret as encouraging.  Its not romantic love, but something more complicated that could one day become romantic love. They would have a hell of problems and mutual hurts they caused each other to solve, but overall I think they would be better for each other.                                                                                                                Also, I think that he is really sexy with his slender built, that crest and his submissiveness.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: That he and Delenn found a way to solve the problems between them, either with them ending up together or at least him finally overcomming his unrequited love and stay best friends with her. Ah, and I wished we would have got to know more about his clan and how he grew up.

My OTP: Delenn/Lennier

My OT3: Delenn/Lennier/Sinclair. I totally ship Delenn and Sinclair, they have an amazing understanding and respect for each other, and I could see that Sinclair with his calmness and wisdom (and secretly being Valen) could be the only human Lennier could ever accept as a lover. Damn, I need to write about that AU

[believerindaydreams]

though I would like to write a story called “dreaming of oranges”

Upon quiet, thoughtful reflection, a whole “AU rewrite with Sheridan and Sinclair switched around” would require a rewatch of everything up to “Into the Fire” and at least twenty thousand words to do properly. And a lot more guff about Minbar than I can probably handle convincingly. And writing Sinclair, who strikes me as being one of those sneaky bastards who are great on the small screen but hell to write dialogue for. 

(cut for spoilers. Lots of spoilers)

Counterpoints: the fascination of dealing with this Minbari paradox, with the Grey Council struggling to grasp how their greatest icon could possibly also be Starkiller. How long it takes them to tell Sheridan why they asked him to be ambassador; around the end of Season Two or so, I think. In this version, Sheridan thinks he’s been posted to Minbar because new Clark wants him off-stage for some reason. In this version, he’s right; Clark’s heard just enough rumblings about a White Star fleet in the making to want a war hero on the spot to keep an eye on developments (Clark can always blame any unfortunate developments on Minbari War Syndrome, if necessary). Sheridan would, I think, have some genuine Earthforce concerns about helping Minbar build an entire flippin’ warfleet of White Stars, and want some very solid evidence about this whole Shadow War...so enter the Rangers, and Sheridan spends a year thinking they just wanted him to be Entil'zha. 

Probably some reluctant mutual admiration with Neroon, and Sheridan finding he gets on better with the warrior caste, ironically enough; there’s some common ground there and they agree that the religious caste’s five hour dinners are ridiculous. And Marcus shows up! With a lot of terrible jokes resulting, no doubt. 

Back on the station, everybody’s getting used to Sheridan’s replacement, the restrained and thoughtful Sinclair (and his on-and-off girlfriend Catherine). Garibaldi’s glad to have his old friend back; Susan takes somewhat longer warming up to him. Londo and G’Kar run into each other at the post office, one carrying a bag of oranges and the other parcelling up a set of Narn heating stones, and find themselves actually agreeing on something- namely, that landing up stuck on Minbar must be one of the worst possible fates for any hot-blooded sentient in the entire known galaxy. 

(Cut to: Lennier, holding a letter and pointedly not looking annoyed.)

So Sheridan starts deciphering the Shadow War, based partly on data gathered by the Rangers. Though some he’d be getting straight from Babylon 5, because Ivanova bullied the Epsilon III crew into providing them a reliable and secure communication system (you know she would). Gotta keep Sheridan in touch with the main crew somehow, especially if he’s going to fall in love with Delenn long distance...

who is aware that falling in love with Valen is an exceptionally terrible idea, but finds herself doing it anyway. Not that she intends to mention this to him; she’s already keeping far too many secrets from him, so what’s one more...until the end of Season Two (or thereabouts, anyway). When Sheridan calls her to say, well, this year on Minbar’s been fun, but now he’s going to pull every string he has in Earthforce to get back the Babylon 5 posting. Or anything that’s not planet-side, really...

so now she has to explain to him that he’s Valen, and destined to stay on Minbar. Sheridan’s reaction would be amazing to write- contradictory, frustrated energy, partly fascinated by the odd culture that he’s spent a year aiding, and partly completely exasperated by that culture and wanting out already. Anger with the very notion of being forced to do anything because of fate, and a very worried realisation that if he was to accept the truth of this duty, it’s not in him to say no. Not when the fate of billions might depend on it. 

But then, he argues with Delenn, if he’s going to be Valen then his destiny is to fight Shadows, and it might just be that he needs this experience to help save Minbar’s past. They settle on a temporary compromise; Sheridan’s given the first White Star to captain for as long as the war continues, on a top-secret basis. No longer. 

(Sheridan sleeps very hard, his first night back in space; and she spends it watching him.)

As for what’s been happening back on the station....Nightwatch is starting to make things nasty, Sinclair’s girlfriend has vanished under mysterious circumstances, and he’s starting to question why everybody leaves him out of the loop on things. Garibaldi notes that after all the hard work Sheridan went through on Babylon 5, a lot of people are gonna be cool on any replacement- and also that anybody taking lessons from Vorlons is going to sound a little touched after a while. 

As a way of asserting his authority, and also because he shares Delenn’s philosophy that all lives are precious, Sinclair forbids Lyta Alexander to search for a possible spy who can only be uncovered via murder. Talia gets to live; Lyta makes a break for it to Vorlon space. Susan decides that her instinct to keep some of the particulars of the anti-Clark, pro-Hague campaign away from Sinclair were probably wise, if he’s going to be such an idealistic with weird delusions of godhood and mutterings about Z’ha’dum- concerns that Garibaldi makes light of. Even after Sinclair falls out of a tube and gets saved by an angel in front of half the station. 

Season Three, Sheridan’s on the White Star and Sinclair’s on Babylon 5, with Delenn splitting her time between both (Lennier is concerned that Delenn is plunging through Minbar relationship rituals with accuracy but unseemly speed.) Sheridan offers Vir a few tips about life on Minbar. Sinclair concentrates on maintaining Babylon 5′s diplomatic status, trying to walk the line between keeping the station’s ideals and keeping in with Clark’s administration. All’s going well until some idiot blows up a ship at Ganymede, whereupon martial law is declared and everything goes haywire. Sinclair reluctantly declares that Babylon will secede, but emphasizes the unarmed, neutral nature of the station (he previously forbade the GROPOS crew from using the place as a base for combat operations, which is helpful in terms of propaganda and unhelpful in that the station still doesn’t have a decent defence grid).

“Is he seriously expecting God to reach out of the heavens to save us?“ Susan asks Garibaldi, in complete exasperation. 

“...when a guy like Jeff asks, it might just happen.“

Severed Dreams happens, with everything much the same as before except that Sheridan comes riding in with Delenn to save the day. ISN declares Sheridan a Minbari-tainted traitor, and the White Star attracts a good deal of fascination. Nobody cares about Sinclair, still. Franklin asks if they arranged it this way on purpose, with one dramatic hooligan drawing attention away from that station’s real work. Sinclair smiles and says nothing.

Some time later, Garibaldi spends an annoying day stuck in Grey Sector, and shoots a monster with some old-fashioned bullets. Nothing else happens that days. 

The campaign to fight the Shadows is progressing, slowly but surely, and the scope of Sinclair’s behind-the-scenes work is becoming slowly evident; he’s been quietly soothing small conflicts from breaking into worse conflicts, garnering favour with alien governments, and there’s a sturdy compact of ships to join up with the White Star fleet. All seems well, until Catherine comes back to Babylon 5 for the first time in months- and asks Sinclair to come with her to Z’ha’dum. 

Kosh says that this is not the time. Sinclair ignores the Vorlon and asks Sheridan for a White Star; Sheridan reluctantly agrees. 

Time passes. Sinclair doesn’t come back. But Shadow ships start coming out, attacking everywhere- many, many Shadow ships, far more than anyone had expected, or even thought possible. Despite a huge smoldering crater in their planet.) 

The Babylon 5 crew take council in the War Room, how to proceed next; and Sheridan gives a rousing speech to the Non-Aligned Worlds about honouring Sinclair’s memory, by putting up the best resistance they can. The appeal to martyrdom works; the anti-Shadow alliance vows that they will fight on whatever the cost. 

“You have forgotten something,” Kosh says to Sheridan. 

And Sheridan looks at the Vorlon, out at the planet below, and knows he can’t delay any longer, that the full fury of the Shadow forces must be lessened a thousand years earlier. Epsilon III is waiting for him. 

Delenn goes with him. So does Ivanova, who won’t let her old captain go without one last mission, so does Marcus, following the One. They ride the station backwards in time; Sheridan’s previous encounter with the rift causes him to age- but very strangely. Zathras clucks and tells him that he’ll probably only have twenty years more to live, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. 

Station prepared, there’s nothing left to be done but take leave of each other. Marcus offers to go back instead, and Sheridan sharply tells him not to play tempter; Susan salutes her old captain, and thanks him for giving them all a chance. Delenn stands before him, waiting, and can only say she has no ritual for this. 

All Sheridan can say, through his own tears, is that if his sacrifice shapes a world that’ll nurture her one day, it’ll be worth it- 

and Sinclair walks through the door, serene as none of them have ever seen him before. 

“When did you get here?“ Susan asks. 

“Before,” Sinclair says, in obliquely Vorlon fashion; and provides little more explanation when he’s pressed. Franklin was right, he explains; Catherine was a Shadow of her former self, quite literally, the Army of Light needs its martyr more than a figurehead, the universe needs him no longer- not here, that is. But it could use him elsewhere. A thousand years in the past...

“But who are you, to think yourself Valen?“ Delenn asks him, uncertain, unwilling to take hope too easily. 

“One who came back from Z’ha’dum alive.” Sinclair takes the triluminary, and it glows blue at his touch...

(Back on Babyon 5, Sheridan and Delenn talk the matter to pieces. How the triluminary must have reacted to shared ancestors in either direction, human or Minbari. Whether it requires Vorlon-inspired madness, to carry through the attempt at godhood. If she would have risked paradox, to follow him back; if he would have shirked duty, to stay.)

But that’s all for the future. 

For now?

Nothing more or less than a miracle. 

[nonbinarysasquatch]

Babylon 5: The Gathering

“There is a hole in your mind.”

Non-Spoilery review:

Let’s face it: The Gathering is a terrible starting point. Sure, I like it well enough (in fact, I like it a great deal) but Babylon 5 is my favourite tv series ever.

I remember back in the 90s catching glimpses of Babylon 5 and hearing things about it here and there. But I’m fairly certain it wasn’t until the SciFi channel aired The Gathering (in 2000) that I actually caught any of it. I… was not blown away. I was still curious about the show because of the things I’d heard about it but it wasn’t like I watched The Gathering and was suddenly DYING to watch more of it.

Watching it now… I think it’s fine. Some of the acting is either too stiff or too campy (even from Patricia Tallman who I love.) A lot of the humour doesn’t work, the pace is too slow and the story isn’t that exciting. At least on a surface level.

The CGI: Yeah. It’s dated. But this show wasn’t some big budget production and the CGI was necessary. People will probably also speculate on the possibility of their being a remastered version of the series and the answer is: no, probably not, probably never. The DVDs are probably all we’re ever gonna get. The original masters of the series were lost in a fire, making what would be an expensive and not very profitable restoration anyway, even more expensive. It’s far more likely there will be a reboot of the series than there will ever be an HD release of the series. There’s just no money in it and B5 only becomes more obscure year by year.

Chances are if you are a new viewer, you’ve just watched the special edition of the episode. I’ve seen the original version but it’s been a while. In my opinion, the special edition is better, even if neither are amazing. There are folks out there who don’t agree and that’s fine. The main differences are, completely different score, some bad effects edited out and some of the humour edited back in. Londo’s opening narration is also different, being entirely rewritten and re-recorded.

Spoiler time (Ro13):

Obviously, the main reason this is hard to watch is because so much feels wrong when compared to the rest of the series. The characters, the ones who return anyway, are off and largely seem less likable than they later will, though a lot of that is deliberate.

It’ll be interesting to see reactions to Delenn’s changed appearance. The idea of Delenn changing genders as well as becoming part human is interesting. In retrospect, I’m not sure I would’ve been comfortable with the way JMS would have handled the concept of gender but it could’ve been interested.

God, I always cringe at Sinclair telling the guy to “stick to the list.” Sure, the guy probably doesn’t want to get eaten but that whole thing is just WEIRD and doesn’t really match things we see later in the series. If you want to make a series about not being xenophobic, it’s probably best not to start it off with apparent xenophobia.

Jeff is probably the closest to how the character will be portrayed throughout season one. I’ll be perfectly honest, in that back in the day I wasn’t into Sinclair as a character. Not until his story was completed in War Without End. I unequivocally preferred John Sheridan. Today… well, I still prefer John Sheridan and that’s mostly because Bruce Boxleitner has a more charismatic onscreen presence. But there’s no question that on paper, Sinclair is the more interesting and sympathetic character and Michael O’Hare plays him brilliantly. I absolutely love the scene where he describes the battle of the line to Carolyn Sykes. It’s the best scene of this episode.

(To be clear: I love each and every Babylon 5 character dearly… Maybe not Lennier. I… have complicated feelings on Lennier. He’s that good friend you used to have who really disappointed you that one time and you have a hard time remembering the good times because they just FUCKED UP SO BAD. And his choices reflect on who he was. It stings worse than anything Londo did because you never expect much from Londo. I expected better from Lennier.)

Laurel Takashima… I really don’t have many thoughts on her. Had she stuck around she would’ve been Control, suffering some version of Talia’s fate. Tamlyn Tomita’s performance is fine and I’m curious what JMS would’ve done with her in Season 1. One thing I’m going to lament going forward is that The Gathering is as diverse as the cast ever really gets.

Garibaldi. Ah, file under conflicted character feelings. When later learning that JMS had often given Garibaldi aspects of the late Jerry Doyle’s personality… well, let’s I wasn’t shocked. But I don’t think there’s much to remark upon Garibaldi in the Gathering. He’s basically already the character he’s going to be, complete with distrust of telepaths.)

Delenn is pretty weird in this first episode. One thing I’ll talk about during season one is how weird the Minbari are towards Sinclair, assuming they know he’s Valen. I feel like JMS really fleshed out the Minbari over the course of the series (even retconning in a third caste.) They don’t really feel quite right here. Delenn is a strong contender for my favourite character (it waves between Delenn, Ivanova and G’Kar) but obviously she’s not the character she’ll become, even ignoring the makeup.

G’Kar… G’Kar is also kinda removed from his season 1 portrayal but it’s less of a problem than it is with Delenn. After all, he’s *supposed* to be seem like a bit of a villain at first. But aside from that Andreas Katsulas hasn’t quite owned the role just yet. I used to hate that G’Kar comes to Lyta about the telepath thing but upon repeated rewatches I’m more OK with it. I have a lot of feelings about the Narn and G’Kar’s character arc.

Dr. Kyle. I really like Benjamin Kyle. I think it would’ve been interesting to see an older character sticking around on the show. I mean, I love Stephen Franklin (even if I think Richard Biggs was guilty of falling into hammy soap opera acting from time to time) but I do think Kyle would’ve brought something different and it would’ve been interesting to see where JMS would’ve taken the plot of him having seen a Vorlon.

Lyta Alexander. I *love* Patricia Tallman. But as I said above… not all of her performance is great here. The telepathic arc is one of my favourite parts of the series (which is part of why I don’t hate Season Five like so many people do, not that telepath colony story is amazing… I just don’t hate Byron and that arc as much as most people. I think it’s fine and I think Season Five is pretty much on par with Season Two, though definitely a step down from Three and Four.)

And Londo. Man, I love that his big hair in this was literally a practical joke (JMS was still new at the whole show runner thing and when he was showed the hair he approved it just to not seem like an asshole.) I’m curious how new viewers will feel about Londo. I think after first watching the series, he was my favourite character but over the years he’s slipped a little. He’s a more traditional tragic figure. Makes terrible decisions but doesn’t change course until it’s too late to avoid his fate. But as I get older… I don’t know. The trope appeals to me less.

Rating: 7.75 (based on a combination of quality and importance)

Bechdel Test: Fail

[sumergosuigeneris]

March 22, 2019

Watching a thing with people who all did post-bacc work. One shows his school ‘spirit’. Out of all of them. It’s the school I hate. And it’s a cult. An incredibly successful cult. With an amazing marketing department as well, but that’s almost beside the point. The school shows up in tv and movies, etc... because it’s a motherfucking cult. I swear some genius a long time ago figured out a way to convince students that it’s a ‘thing’ to make sure their logo or mascot or just something related to the school shows up in anything they do. It’s not Harvard btw. They probably cribbed Harvard, and then told people that Harvard stole it from them. I hate New Money. Not that I have any money. Nor is Old Money good. But New Money man...yuck.

Nausea today. And allergies, I guess. At least that’s the meds I’m taking. And the fucking jaw. And I didn’t got to work. I could still go....My friend who has cancer handles that better than I handle little shit. I feel guilty as shit, but I have the time, so...I’d question whether I’d have gone in if the boss was in today, but there’s a strong possibility he’ll be in the office in the afternoon, so...

Ongoing debate about whether or not to move. I really like the area I live in. I also feel like moving, especially depending on where I move, I could be betraying my values. And I really like the view. On the other hand, I could potentially move somewhere so cheap that I’d still save a bit of money, even including all the moving fees and costs. I could also potentially get an in-apartment washer&dryer. I think I’d be willing to compromise my values for in-unit laundry. Is that terrible?

I’m impressed with how many people are 24/24 right now. I’m pleased at 16/24. Or is it 25?

So many pepto pills and anti-anxiety pills. I’d been okay for a little while in the morning, and able to eat something normal, but it came back with a vengeance. And I have cramps? And my jaw? Everything is weird without the bite guard in place right now. I can’t tell if my teeth are meeting on both sides or not. I think the bite guard is completely thicker on the left side, which may be the problem. Should have remembered to bring it when I went to the dentist. How many months ago was that?

Can’t decide whether or not to see Us this weekend or not. It’s $5 on Tuesdays, but I really want the opening weekend to break the record.

I finally got around to looking up the bucks rewards thing. Um, it changed in 2016. I had no idea. I wonder how many free drinks I lost? But I also used to get free coffee from my peeps, so at least it probably evened out, at most I still got extra freebies. However, i read something that said rewards used to expire after about a month? My memory sucks, I guess. Or again, I lost a lot of rewards.

Noticed a couple wrong things in B5. But mostly consistent. What really bothers me is The One. Sinclair goes back and is the one who was. Delenn is the one who is. So it would only make sense to me that Sheridan would travel into the future. Delenn kept helping through and after the war, so in my mind, she never stopped being the one who is until she died. Which, other than winning the war, makes Sheridan superfluous. Superfluous in the now, I mean. But also, it’s interesting b/c I could almost understand it making more sense with Sheridan being the one who is, and Delenn being the one who will be. Sheridan wins the war. Delenn is a diplomat, an experienced government runner type of person. Send her to the future to run things, or whatever.

And I hate finding out that Ivanova was written out b/c of some weird contract shit. I’ve read what she said at the time, and what JMS wrote at the time, and what has been said since. I need to got back and reread the first two based on the last. But anyway, I had really liked Ivanova.

I want ice cream. But I don’t want to go out. And I don’t know if my tummy wants it.

Cat has been cute. Spent a big chunk of the day with me, which she doesn’t usually do when I’m home sick/being lazy. the funny thing is, she went to the bathroom and got a little caught up in her fur, so she stank. And that’s when she wanted to lie super close to me, and didn’t automatically move/leave when I tried to get her. Normally, she’s all princess and the pea about things. She’s a contrary bitch. But then again, so am I.

Here’s something that’s been bothering me, and been really painful. I’ve read some stuff for a while now regarding Native Americans. It has to do with whether or not someone is ‘really’ Native American. Actually, I think I’ve written about this, but I have a new thing. Anyway, so just having Native American genetic heritage apparently isn’t. While it is not exactly accurate to say that all tribes and/or all Native Americans believe this, a lot do. And yes, I know that a lot, though not nearly all, of it has to do with tribal recognition, etc...But then today, I read something about a problematic person. Not naming names, but you know or this isn’t for you. So anyway, said person is EITHER biracial OR was raised believing so. So when I read people talking about it, it one person said ‘it’s complicated. He was raised his entirely life believing he was black’ and this made it sound like he found out as an adult at some point. Anyway, someone responded to that saying ‘it’s not complicated. He’s white.’ So this tells me it’s about your genetics, not how you were raised. Which is the opposite of what I’ve gotten from what NAs say. So, what I get out of this is: if you have genetics but not culture, that ain’t it. If you have culture but not genetics, that ain’t it. So......that makes me and others like me - nothings.

Also, so Latinx/Hispanic being ethnicities, not races, complicates the situation. First of all, MOST people consider ethnicity and race to be synonymous. Again, it’s not. So, you can be Black and latinx, white and latinx, indigenous and latinx, etc...For example, the punk-ass motherfucker who just got ‘elected’ president of El Salvador is arab and latinx.  Even though he’s a cocksuckingmotherfuckingdouchebag, he’s 100% Salvadoran. Anyway enough about him. So, when we think of the URMs, we inaccurately think of all latinx/hispanic peoples, but what we’re REALLY referring to is mestizos. There are purely indigenous people from the top to the bottom of the Americas. But most indigenous people are mixed. Now, genetically I have indigenous blood, and white blood. It could be argued that that makes me mestizo, but I, and many others, would disagree. Mestizo is a THING. It’s indigenous people being raped and having their human rights and cultures and all sorts of things stolen from you. So, anyway, I don’t know if my Colombian father was mestizo or not. Now, I’m definitely latinx/hispanic, and I’m definitely genetically/legally Native American, and I was raised as a URM. But with all the nuance and such, I don’t know if I’m really just freaking out or a fraud or a reject. I really really really really really want to take a dna test. But I can’t. On principle. No test until I own my dna AND they can’t give/sell that shit without my permission period.

One Day at a Time is so great. I’m watching it again. Elena coming out...I know they have lupe and lydia freaking out in private, but I think the initial pretending of being okay with it is really just a wonderful first step. First, it is a big deal for the person coming out to not be initially met with horror or whatever. But second, it means they WANT to be accepting and supporting. For whatever reasons, not everyone is 100% comfortable. Really, sometimes it’s just that they have to shift their perception of ‘a’ person. Not b/c of anything except the patriarchy has us assuming everyone is straight until otherwise informed.

I wish I could avoid reality completely - there’s certainly enough tv and books to get me through. I’ve had panic attacks over the number of books I’ll never read. I wonder when the panic attacks over tv will start.

Gowd I identify with certain schneider things so much. It’s funny when it’s him, but embarrassing when it’s me.

[mylittleredgirl]

"atonement" is one of my very favorite b5 episodes, because it explains so much about delenn and her choices.

lennier is wrong when he suggests that her choice to marry a human stems from guilt, because she undeniably loves that man, but the fact that she was in a position to fall in love with sheridan is directly related to what happened in the past.

she instantly and fully believed that sinclair has a minbari soul at least partly because it allows her to end the war. she places herself on babylon five, then personally takes up the mantle of prophecy over the objections of the grey council to become (almost) human herself. she sacrifices her body and her identity because she has spent her life since the war trying to make up for her mistake.

the reveal adds so much to specific earlier episodes as well as her general story. her fully traumatized response at the beginning of "soul hunter" makes so much sense now.

and the lady of the lake scene from "a late delivery from avalon"...

delenn believes she is responsible for the war because, in a moment of grief and rage, she ordered revenge that turned into a holy war.

"king arthur" believes that he started the war because, under orders, he fired the first shot.

and she takes excalibur from him—the king's burden, the symbol of both the tragic misunderstanding and his personal guilt—so he can be healed and given back his life, reborn into a new purpose.

it's perfect that the scene is silent, and that it's delenn's only scene in the episode. i only wish that it could have happened after "atonement" in the chronology of the series, so that this act of symbolic forgiveness could have been framed as part of her silent deliverance as well.

[woodsfae]

Babylon 5 S03E17 War Without End: Part Two previous episode - table of contents

Emperor Londo of the Great Victim Complex. 

And so the fall of Babylon 5 begins, with two idiots deciding to take on Ivanova! 

DUDE sick fight moves by Susan Ivanova. And Marcus  must be internally fist-pumping that he pulle off a drop-out-of-the-ceiling attack. Style points: 1 Marcus, 100 Susan.

Zathras sees all. Zathras knows all. Poor Zathras. 

Oooooooo. Future John and Delenn have a baby! How exciting. Delenn calls Sheridan's time "so many years ago" and references the "terrible, terrible price," That's something for me to chew on. I wonder if it will be revealed this episode or is foretelling for the season 3 finale or even later. I am really not sure how the pacing on B5 goes or if they'll still be fighting the Shadows into season 5. 

The Shadows are only visible when they sleep? That's cool and unsettling information, but I'm not sure how that tracks with Londo's next reveal, which is that he is also possessed? So perhaps Londo tries to turn on the Shadows at some point and is leashed instead. 

G'Kar!! Down an eye and plus a sick leather patch. Must be time for Londo's death vision! I hope G'Kar gets to live to enjoy it. Londo caused a lot of death for the universe and the Narnuan people. Aww and then he didn't. I am a bit bummed that G'Kar's end appears to be with Londo, dying together as the Shadow possessing Londo kills G'Kar back. It is pretty punk rock of G'Kar, though. Who else has choked a shadow-possessed Centauri emperor before?? No one except G'Kar of Narn.

Right before Sheridan is pulled away, she tells him not to go to Zha'dum, but all these prophecies seem to be self-fulfilling and an inescapable part of the paradox. 

Uh-oh, why's that spacesuit doin' stuff. Ah. Never mind, it's a "yeah, Sheridan's back!" Someone slap a time stabilizer on him before he gets yote into the timestream again. 

And there goes the theft of Babylon 4!! Time heist! 

There goes Sheridan. Shoulda put a time anchor on him! 

Revised Sinclair prediction: his aging as they move towards their own time aging him is the/a reason why he gets the ole Minbari physical transformation since Minbari live so much longer, to extend his lifespan. 

Oop, Sheridan's back again. Or the space suit he was wearing is, at least. 

Yeah Susan Ivanova. she can do anything. Ivanova has B4's command station. 

Delenn in the blue spacesuit?? Plot twist!!

Hmmm, so some of what I thought Sheridan was going to do (fight 1000 years in the past) is actually Sinclair's plot. That makes more sense, actually. 

Zathras makes it all very clear: "You (Sinclair) are the one who was. You (Delenn) are the one who is. You (Sheridan) are the one who will be." 

Babylon 4, A Thousand Years Ago

Valen?? Sinclair has always been the prophet Valen!! I did not see that coming. What an entrance! Appearing to Minbar flanked by two Vorlons, arriving in a vast space station in a flash of tachyons...Sinclair is Valen. fuck, that's cool. 

Next!

[woodsfae]

Back to it after only… checks notes five months!

Babylon 5 S02414: There All The Honor Lies season 2 table of contents • previous episode

:o They're being merchandised!

"This is demeaning! We're not some deep space franchise." - Susan Ivanova

snerk

In my viewing hiatus, I forgot how truly stunning Claudia Christian is.

Hah, Sheridan fell for the oldest pickpocketing trick in the book, the ole "slight of hand while "accidentally" bumping into you." But I didn't expect it to be a set-up for an attempted murder!

Sheridan really doesn't look like a Bruce.

Delenn with the Hair! Being a detective!

This does smell of a set-up. I agree with Garibaldi, who is much more genial and likeable this episode than I remember him being the last several episodes at least. Maybe the break endeared him to me. :P

Lots of people acting strangely.

I hate that the Minbari are by and large being so racist to Delenn. Also, flagrantly flouting her legal authority as not only the Minbari-appointed ambassador to B5, but also the Council-appointed investigator into this situation!

The investigative protocols are kinda messed up. Sheridan issuing orders about the investigation into his own actions is D: not good. And very ripe for accusations of abuse of his position!

Whew, thank goodness, we're back to the light-hearted B-Plot.

With human face masks.

Hah, about time a lawyer shows up.

Yewouch, the hits keep piling up An indictment from Earth government, too.

Kosh! Kosh! Kosh! Here to be teaching. One does not simply refuse the Vorlon Ambassador's Summons.

A room, low-ceiling, with mysterious tarps shapes dappled in light, dimly. Robed figures. We're into the high fantasy side of this sci fi show again.

Sheridan really said "I don't have any cash, sorry."

omfg. Floating red robed figures singing classical latin hymns. We really are in the high fantasy side of this show again.

This is a moment of true beauty. Fucking wild, how did Kosh arrange this? or is there a society of magical monks living in the Down Below all the time?

Vir is haunted by the agonies of the past for two. Since Londo has no shame or intention of developing a conscience.

It's nice to get some Vir backstory, though. Poor guy. Unsupportive family, shit posting in an out-of-the-way unimportant crap position. And now they're taking it away for him. Rude.

Sheridan's field trip with Kosh was just what he needed, actually.

Delenn's people are shunning her, but she gathers critical information through the power of research and cross-referencing databases! Queen shit.

Minbari martial arts stances are pretty amusing. But Lennier's most deadly weapon is persuasive argument and appeals to honor.

Minbari don't lie, except to protect another Minbari's honor. THe latter part generally not being disclosed to aliens. That's a pretty big loophole, though. Makes it more like "Prefers to be honest when it's not too uncomfortable."

Delenn's propensity for meeting with her allies in private, aesthetic surroundings is as endearing as much as it is a ploy, I think. It's great for the type of gentle honesty she fosters in her conversations.

Dang, knowing this perspective of Sheridan's military victory over the Minbari, it does seem like an insult that Earth appointed him the commander of B5.

This outcome, as suggested by Sheridan, is a tidy way to wrap it up. But the backroom dealing feels more…overt? And less through official channels than much of Sinclair's dealings. Though there were coverups under his tenure, too! Such is the nature of B5 politics, it seems. But it also makes it a bit difficult to remember which governments, and which characters, know what. A lot of misinformation gets sent home to various planetary governments and circulates B5!

This seems nice of Londo to do for Vir, but I bet Londo also doesn't want to risk the next assistant not being as loyal to him personally. Better to keep the current one, butter him up, and improve his circumstances a little, to encourage that loyalty more.

Or kill him if everything goes south! So candid! Plus a month with the dreaful family. Londo can't help but be an ass, it seems.

And so ends the monetazation of B5. A little bear jettisoned into space. Captain's whims win, capitalism fights another day, a thousand ways.

A good and fun episode! The Moment of True Beauty really made it for me. A great Kosh Field Trip plopped right in the middle of the action. Just like Vorlons making incomprehensible moves that confuse the lower life forms. I am glad to be back! Hopefully continuing to be!

onwards!

[woodsfae]

B5 s03e08 Messages From Earth table of contents • previous episode

We open on some morning military grousing, and a secret note and delivery from a chef! And it's real bacon and eggs from Marcus, because she helped him get an id card. And she said "Surprise me!" That's cute. What a rascal, casually able to arrange for highly perishable foods to be shipped out to B5 before they spoil. I wonder if he just liberated some senator or ambassador's expensive export shipment. Faked it spoiling or something.

And switch to Marcus, who is involved with shenanigans! Er, an actual fight through some narrow rooms and corridors! Hope he doesn't suddenly have a corpse on his hands. Disposing of a body on a space station isn't the easiest thing in the world.

Maybe we'll get G'Kar and Delenn back this episode? I would also like to see Na'Toth, if she hasn't died and I missed it, like I missed Ko'Dath's!

Last episode a Ranger or some sort of intelligence contact told Marcus things were up on earth and any Rangers in the area should move away from Earth for awhile, and now in this episode, there's speculation about President Clark having been involved with the deceased president's assassination.

Love seeing G'Kar! Boo prison. And good for Garibaldi for visiting him. I hope Garibaldi has been actually learning Narn. And he says he's trying although he wishes there was a translation! G'Kar says the Book of G'Quan cannot be translated and must be read in its mother tongue. Good for Garibaldi. He's been earning a lot of Conditional Brownie Points lately for good behavior. I appreciate the check-in with G'Kar. Hopefully he's making lots of progress in his telepathy while he's in the slammer.

G'Kar is using his prison sentence to meditate and write a book. Very productive! I bet the book will be a banger. Or perhaps is actually secret intelligence he's gathering with his new telepathy! Also, what a drama llama, fading back into the shadows when Garibaldi asks to read it. "When it is done…" *fades into shadow* I don't think it was meant to indicate a leaning towards The Shadows, though.

Garibaldi got a message about a package. The same one Marcus was expecting "in a week" last episode, perchance?

The package is, as I suspected, a person. Dr Mary Kirkish. She's on several hit lists. And I think Sinclair sent her? What a funny pan down the table at really awkward angles for every single one of their faces. The assembly of senior Rangers (?) plus Dr Kirkish the archaeologist.

Her team discovered an artifact at least a thousand years old buried on Mars. A Shadows' ship, in fact! And Earthdome says they've never seen ships like the one Sheridan released hyperspace footage of. Dr Kirkish says they must be lying, because she personally discovered one. Almost everyone who knew about the ship on Mars is dead or missing! The Shadows must have been building strength all over the galaxy for a long time. Someone touched the ship and he died instantly. Earthdome came and went, then a Shadows ship came and dug up the buried one. More confirmation that being in the physical presence of the Shadows feels wrongbad on an instinctual level, and triggers fear and loathing whether seen, heard, or in close physical proximity. It seems like even recordings of the shadows has that effect to some extent. I wonder how they shield their allies from it. Morden didn't seem to be badly effected by a fear/loathing aura when there were some in his holding cell with him.

Delenn is taking Dr Kirkish under her protection, it seems. Lennier swoops her away to safety. The Minbari probably do have better security than the humans can manage. So far it seems like they're probably less likely to work with the Shadows than humankind, too. Since they have historical and religious teachings of mortal enmity about the Shadows.

Zack Allen gets even more opportunities to be a collaborating bootlicker on screen! Joy.

Delenn going to John Sheridan quietly, alone, in the dark, asking if he's sure he wants to go through with something. With…?? I kinda wonder if they'll randomly get married like this, with very little on-screen buildup.

I must have missed some information earlier, because I didn't know Earthdome had any access to the crashed, 1,000 year old Shadow ship. But Sheridan and Delenn want to go through Earth's defense grid, go to the Shadow ship while evading all of Earth's defenses, and destroy the Shadow ship before President Clark can get his corrupt and fascist hands on it.

Dang, what an escalation! Acting directly against Earth, while trying to hide it! Dr Franklin will fake Sheridan, Delenn, and Lennier's deaths if they fail! Or they also might die! Damn. High stakes. I love how this show has huge leaps of plot when I'm least expecting it.

Delenn and John are being cute on the bridge of the White Star, as they should be.

Some Earthforce fascist is telling the Night Watch that Earth Dome is going to start making arrests of disloyal people within two months. He's demanding the Night's Watch start higher and more invasive levels of investigations into and volume of reporting people. Here's Zack Allen's latest moral checkpoint to fail! And they want to know if any of their informants know where the captain is! So they've already sussed him being perhaps away? Or they dislike that he frequently keeps his whereabouts confidential?

It's pretty cute that Sheridan is an argumentative person, until faced with Lennier's gentle logic. Lennier is right, Sheridan should get some rest. But I also don't know how the Minbari sleep SO vertically. There's comfortable slant, and then there's a whole forty-five degree angle!!

Cute little bedtime confidences being shared here! On smaller than twin-sized 45 degree angled meditation tables. Sheridan's adorable story of his dad standing outside in the wee hours of the morning spraying the hose on the roof so John could get some rest the night before a big test still seems more comfortable and sleepier than these Minbari beds.

Hah! He's so blown away by the idea that you can ask a smart speaker to play rain sounds. But also, what an intimate little hand hold across the void between their uncomfortable tables. Delenn is gonna love human beds once she adapts to the cultural difference. Or at least I hope she does! Get a comfy night's sleep, girl.

John has been sharing personal tidbits with Delenn, but she tends to share about herself but describing what Minbari in general do. I have my fingers crossed for her opening up about her past to some degree. She is open, and does share what she currently feels with those she trusts, but she really does not talk about her past at all. iirc, at this point we've only seen her past in flashbacks, and not through her own words at all.

This is a highly productive fight Susan and Marcus are having. Let's honestly say our feelings at each other at a relatively high volume, but not really shout!

Dang, that Shadows ship is not fucking around. It absorbed an EarthDome person, went insane, and started destroying everything around it. Is there another isolated jump gate they can destroy it with?

The bootleg videos of this are gonna spark so many conspiracy theories, lol.

Lennier's getting sassy in the face of near-certain death by Jupiter-crumpling! But Sheridan has a stressful MO of only winning unwinnable fights by barely surviving an overwhelmingly destructive force.

They're being accosted by Sheridan's old ship, the Agamemnon! Is the White Star large enough to carry its own jumpgate? Lol, I'm perfectly in time with the plot being revealed. They're gonna try to escape with only a little explosion caused by them activating the jump engine. Is the Agamemnon going to follow them through somehow? Seems…not?

I like that Delenn and John are both suggesting batshit insane and unhingedly dangerous plans now. And that they support each other in this highly risky behavior! I wanna see what they goad each other to do. They really seem to bring out "limits? What the fuck is that?" sort of attitudes in each other.

Zack Allen's wobbly moral backbone continues to be bendy as fuck. And the Night's Watch leaders really want to know why Sheridan's quarters haven't been accessed in four days. He and Delenn should just claim he was at her place if it ever comes up.

Zack Allen just kinda sorta took a moral stand! He refused to snoop on Sheridan, and got quite a scolding for it. It's so pathetic I can't even say well done Mr Allen. It's the most he's done, and it's so piddling. You gotta start somewhere, though. Choose to be better, then keep choosing. I'll applaud him if he keeps choosing to be better instead of diving headfirst down the fascism slide.

Of course Earth is using the Shadows ship getting away from them and the White Star's incursion as an excuse for more fascism. They would use absolutely anything that happened as an excuse. I really hope there's a ton of videos of the EarthDome and Shadows events and the destruction afterwards floating around on the 24th century thepiratebay equivalent.

Dang! A lot happened this episode! It was really a huge escalation for them to take the White Star up against Earth Dome directly. So far they've had huge successes when going out in the White Star to do stuff, and I wonder if that means they're going to start taking some losses and failing at some of their missions. Things have been going a little too well for them lately. And that concerns me!

next!

[woodsfae]

Babylon 5 s01e15: Grail First Previous

ToC

Never gonna be over how ridiculously soothing it is to see these dated graphics.

MINBARI AND DELENN HOORAY. Who is this human they venerate so highly?

Jinxo! What a great name. Deuce, suits this blackmailing dick.

Deuce has a Centauri Murder Accomplice? Or is the trauma literally being touched by their Tummy Sex Tentacles?

Wtf, Kosh ALSO has tummy tentacles that look exactly like Centauri Tummy Tentacles and helps lowlifes keep their thumb on their blackmailees? That’s a … choice.

🫠

lmao I love this beleaguered judge trying to rule on century-old alien abductions on earthlings.

Aldous Gajic is the personage Lennier and Delenn are so honored to meet. And he knows he’s a bit of a personage, too. Seeking the Holy Grail! There is so much mysticism in Babylon 5 and it always sideswipes me a bit when it crops up without notice. What else is real? The shroud of christ? Is the tree that Buddha gained enlightenment underneath in some alien’s arboretum? edit: I am now re-aware of the fact that the Bodhi tree Siddhartha sat beneath is still alive! The exact same tree, or at least one that's old enough and in the right spot to be the exact tree. Trees be ANCIENT!

“How sad. He is a holy man. A true seeker. Among my people, a true seeker is treated with the utmost reverence and respect. It doesn’t matter that his Grail may or may not exist. What matters is that he strives for the perfection of his soul and the salvation of his race. And that he has never wavered or lost faith.”

This reminds me very much of the Creepy Murderous Shak Tot speech from s01e02:

“Not all. Only the special ones. Leaders, thinkers, poets, dreamers, blessed lunatics. [...] We enshrine them, we worship them, talk to them, listen to them. We learn.”

No wonder the Shak Tot are drawn to the Minbari. They cultivate and celebrate dreamers, blessed lunatics, etc.

Interesting exchange between Delenn and Sinclair. Again. All their exchanges are so laden with double meaning and hidden meaning and intrigue that I suspect Delenn is on the show so relatively little compared to Londo/G’Kar to preserve the impact she always has.

Sinclair: “I wish [Aldous Gajic] luck. He’s probably the only true seeker we have.” Delenn: “Then perhaps you do not know yourself as well as you think.”

The fondness in their eyes when they look at each other is unbearable! If I didn’t suspect from seeing gifsets that Delenn ends up with someone not-yet-on-the-show (John Sheridan, I believe. Been waiting for him to appear) I’d be frothing at the mouth at their clear, deep affection for each other.

Nothing says I can’t froth over it regardless, but it does put a damper on parts of my foaming.

Ah, Mirriam Runningdear (a fantastic name) is only mindwiped, not dead. Kosh has mindwiping abilities. Yikes. And the Vorlon are freaked out about telepaths? What in the fuck.

Perhaps Talia could reprogram Mirriam with basic knowledge and human functions instead of going the long way ‘round by painstakingly teaching her absolutely everything starting with muscle control?!

Michael Garibaldi. Why do you have to keep being such a damn cop? Violently cleaning out the slums isn’t in any way conducive to solving poverty, crime, or ending the human drive to migrate in search of a better life.

Probably safer for Jinxo’s (Thomas Jordan) health and safety to leave, but he’s frantic to stay, for unknown reasons. He’s a highly skilled space station builder and worked on all 5 Babylons. What does he know? What safety function is he providing or think that he’s providing? (he has lovely green eyes)

Desmond Muzychenko. Much better name than Deuce, really.

Jinxo firmly believes that if leaves Babylon 5, it’ll be destroyed like all the other Babylons.

“I don’t have the curse, I am the curse.”

dun dun dunn!!! I typo’ed ‘fun’ four times trying to write ‘dun,’ and I think it deserves to be written if it tried so hard to be immortalized. Fun!

Babylon 1 was destroyed by sabotage right after he took a leave. Same for Babylon 2. B3 blew up after he took leave, hence the nickname Jinxo. B4, he didn’t take leave. Left once it was done, and he watched the station wrinkle “twisted like putty, then just disappeared. The minute I left.”

Aldous: “I’d say that you have the wrong nickname. They should have called you “Lucky.” […] To have escaped the worst each time - that’s a blessing. You’re a very lucky man. Perhaps each time you were exactly where you were meant to be.” Jinxo: “I never thought of it like that.” Aldous: “We never do.”

He seems to be a very kind man.

Na’ka’leen feeder is a critter the Centauri discovered during their colonization empire stage that can mindwipe people. Is Kosh (or a mystery Vorlon, I guess) running around with a highly illegal Crime Pet? What does this mean for Centauri Tummy Tentacles?

Londo seems seriously and genuinely disturbed about one perhaps being on Babylon 5.

The Minbari are so intense about helping a Seeker. Well, the religious half of them. When the warriors agree with the religious “it is a terrible thing, a terrible power, as recent events have shown us. Let us hope it never again happens in our lifetime.”

Well that’s unnerving. And now I expect it to happen again at least once a season.

Written words cannot express how freaky the non-Kosh voice coming out of this Vorlon-esque encounter suit is. I’m guessing it is a na’ka’leen and they’re highly predatory, and unfortunately sentient.

Where did Deuce get a Vorlon encounter suit??

Why WHY are there so many tentacles lately. Did tentacle porn spike in popularity in 1994? Don’t answer that.

Third pronunciation of Gajic so far. I have a lot of sympathy for this guy. I get about the same rate of novel pronunciations per introduction ratio for my name.

Vir is one-upping the Minbari is what he’s doing. Londo would care more if he was one-upping G’Kar, of course.

Panaceas and mystical methods of healing are a big theme in this season so far. Going to be interesting to see if/when they have a breakthrough that sticks.

Aldous is a fantastic staff fighter. And so earnest about cultivating Thomas “Jinxo” Jordan as a Seeker and blessed lunatic the Shak Tot would risk their lives to collect.

That didn’t really sound like Kosh. Feeder?

Tazer to the back > staff skillz

It really must be terrifying, thinking there’s a rogue Vorlon doing the bidding of the rising Boss Thug of the underworld.

Aldous is probably the most mystical thing to happen in the show so far. Ordering a bizarre, brain sucking Dalek-alike around successfully!

Aaaand it’s escaping. Bad news for sentients everywhere. idk if it’s going to eat Aldous, or die in his arms but I’d bet on one of the two.

hm, neither. But a Holy Mission being passed on to Thomas Jordan as Aldous dies is both fitting and spooky.

“[Aldous] found what he was looking for. What we’re all looking for: a reason. […] [a reason for] Everything, Commander. Everything.”

I do hope Garibaldi loses some sleep over the Curse, though.

[Thomas’ ship jumps away] Garibaldi: “No boom?” Sinclair: “No boom.” Ivanova: “No boom today, boom tomorrow. There’s always a boom tomorrow…what? Look, someone’s got to have some damn perspective around here! Boom. Sooner or later,”

Please can I have some Talia/Susan content. Just a touch. Even a glance! I'm dying, I'm starving!

Onwards!