Contents: Overview - Backplot - Questions - Analysis - Notes - JMS

Overview

The Interstellar Alliance headquarters moves to Minbar. Lennier faces the consequences of a terrible mistake.

P5 Rating: 8.91

Production number: 522
Original air date: November 18, 1998 (US)
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Copeland

Plot Points

• The Alliance headquarters on Minbar (in Tuzanor, described in novel "To Dream In the City of Sorrows") has been completed, and Sheridan and Delenn have moved in.
• G'Kar has named Ta'Lon ("All Alone in the Night") as his successor on Babylon 5.
• Franklin has appointed Dr. Hobbs ("Interludes and Examinations") as the new chief of staff of B5's medlab, thanks to her diverse experience and her willingness to stand up for what she believes in.
• Tessa Holloran (Number One) is, Lochley and Sheridan agree, working out well as the new head of Alliance intelligence. She's not joining Sheridan and Delenn and the rest of the Alliance cabinet on Minbar. Sheridan feels that Babylon 5, as a center of commerce and travel, is a better venue for intelligence-gathering.
• Garibaldi has taken over the day-to-day operations of Edgars Industries. Since the previous board of directors is gone ("Objects in Motion") he has gathered a group of the most vocal whistleblowers and critics from within the company and named them the new board.
• Lennier has, through inaction, tried to kill Sheridan. He has fled in shame and vowed not to return until he finds a way to redeem himself in Delenn's eyes. This is just as the ghost of Morden prophesized in ("Day of the Dead").
• Londo has given Delenn and Sheridan a gift for their child: an ancient Centauri urn, which Londo says is traditionally passed to the heir to the throne. The urn contains a Keeper.

Unanswered Questions

• Is the giving of the urn a real Centauri tradition as Londo claimed, or just something concocted by the Drakh to get a Keeper into Alliance headquarters?
• How can Lennier redeem himself? Where has he gone?
• In "The Deconstruction Of Falling Stars" we learn that a something newsworthy befalls Sheridan and Delenn's son David. Could this have something to do with the keeper in the urn?

Analysis

• G'Kar's statement that Ta'Lon is as ready as G'Kar was when he first came to Babylon 5 echoes Londo's reassurance to Vir ("The Fall of Centauri Prime") that Vir would do at least as good a job as Londo had.

• Londo's request for alcohol during dinner was more emphatic than might be expected. Has he already discovered that alcohol can put the Keeper to sleep ("War Without End")? If so, what was he hoping to say or do with the Keeper out of the way? Would he have warned Sheridan and Delenn about the Urn, told them about the Drakh, or something else?

• Delenn's ability to see the Keeper, if only vaguely, is reminiscent of her sense that Morden was touched by the Shadows ("Signs and Portents"). In this case, though, it seemed she didn't quite know what to make of the sensation, since she didn't mention it to Sheridan after Londo left. What enables her to sense Shadow influence?

• Londo believes the Centaurum will eliminate the position of Emperor after he's gone, which implies that he either doesn't believe or doesn't remember Lady Morella's prophecy that Vir would become emperor after Londo's death ("Point of No Return"). Or, of course, the Keeper might have been forcing him to say what he said, in order to encourage Sheridan to accept the gift.

Notes

• The first Centauri imperial palace was built 2000 years ago, according to Londo.
• Minbari have no word for "goodbye."
• Zack believes he'll still be on Babylon 5 when they turn out the lights.
• Of the original major players from the start of the series, only Vir is still on the station.

jms speaks

• When is the final day of season 5 shooting?
  It's either March 20th or 21st, I forget....

• Did you make any special notes in the script of "Objects At Rest"?
  Yeah, my instructions to Chris were the same there as for another scene next week, "break our hearts." And the two themes are actually pretty much the same, since they proceed from similar contexts. That section of "Rest" just puts me away every time.

• Will we ever find out what happened to Lyta and G'Kar?
  I'm writing 3 B5 short stories for Amazing Stories magazine; the first is a Londo (shortly after he became emperor) story; also doing a G'Kar/Lyta story, and a B5-setting story, all following these characters after the events of "Objects at Rest."

Last update: May 27, 2024