"In the Beginning," the B5 Earth-Minbari War prequel film, has Londo telling the tale to two children. Peter David's novelization states these children are Urza's grand-or-great-grandchildren (again, still in storage, can't check, to my annoyance, and the fan Wiki entries eliminate this fact). Londo does fulfill his promise to protect Urza's family.
Besides everything else hinted at here, let's not overlook how Londo talks about Adira. Simon noted this episode is when Londo are Refa move from allies to enemies. I disagree. This episode is where they move from friendly allies to allies of convenience. It's the death of Adira - for which Morden frames Refa - that turns their relationship to one of enemies... And Refa won't find out they are foes until it's too late...
This episode was obviously one of the two chances to avoid his fate Lady Ladiera will bring up next season.
Sheridan's flash of the Icarus does work better before watching "Shadow of Zha'ha'dum."
Given other episodes make such a big deal of how exposure to a tachyon field without a stabilizer can do things like, say, kill you immediately, and, in "War Without End," Sinclair will leave Garibaldi out to avoid exposing him to another blast of tachyons, and, as we see Sheridan's Starfury penetrate the tachyon field, AND Garibaldi has to go retrieve Sheridan, Garibaldi is DAMN lucky he survuves. It's enough to justify Christopher Franke's utterly ridiculous scoring for the sequence, where he busts into the full-on Babylon 5 theme as Garibaldi pulls Sheridan away from the rift.
No one looks forward to "Confessions and Lamentations." That's possibly the biggest, most horrifying gut punch episodes of the series - and Babylon 5 already had parents kill their own child over their religious beliefs on surgery.
First, petty nits. Yes, this episode was supposed to air before "Shadow of Zha'ha'dum," but was held back because of difficulty of animation (and roto) around the CG Grylor (an impressive CG beastie for 1990's TV).
But, in this episode, Franklin also says to Sheridan "7 months ago you were commanding a Starship..." Sheridan takes command in the first week of January. Seven months would make this August. Yet this airs after "And Now for a Word," which is set in September. OK, the BROADCAST was September, so we can say the report was filmed in July or August, but, still, I'm calling out the date anomaly.
Technically a spoiler, but I leave it here - for obvious reasons the actor portraying Sheridan's Dad in a five second visual cameo isn't the same actor who will be play Sheridan's dad when Dad gets lines.
I said I was being petty...
This is the last non-JMS script until season 5.
I think Carmen Argenziano's performance is near perfect. Centauri (nobility) is often over the top - operatic, even. Argenziano isn't using his normal speaking voice - like William Forward (Refa) it's obvious he's put real thought into the role, perhaps viewing other episodes of the show and/or talking with Peter Jurassik to make sure his Centauri feels utterly Centauri. I appreciate the effort.
As far as the story goes, it's a little odd Urza himself fails to put two-and-two together, utterly failing to reconcile Londo's rising reputation with the rising new order. I suppose it's their long friendship blinding Urza. Maybe it's general Centauri self-centeredness. After all Londo hasn't heard anything about House Jaddo being accused of treason.
Otherwise, there's so much foreshadowing and setup going on here, it's right on to the Spoiler post.
Except to note how the Londo/Vir relationship continues to develop. They are close enough now to sing opera at each other in the corridors, and for Vir to call out to Londo during the duel with true fear, but left out of the toast at Urza's banquet, and unseen behind Londo holding his dying friend.
SPOILERS
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"In the Beginning," the B5 Earth-Minbari War prequel film, has Londo telling the tale to two children. Peter David's novelization states these children are Urza's grand-or-great-grandchildren (again, still in storage, can't check, to my annoyance, and the fan Wiki entries eliminate this fact). Londo does fulfill his promise to protect Urza's family.
Besides everything else hinted at here, let's not overlook how Londo talks about Adira. Simon noted this episode is when Londo are Refa move from allies to enemies. I disagree. This episode is where they move from friendly allies to allies of convenience. It's the death of Adira - for which Morden frames Refa - that turns their relationship to one of enemies... And Refa won't find out they are foes until it's too late...
This episode was obviously one of the two chances to avoid his fate Lady Ladiera will bring up next season.
Sheridan's flash of the Icarus does work better before watching "Shadow of Zha'ha'dum."
Given other episodes make such a big deal of how exposure to a tachyon field without a stabilizer can do things like, say, kill you immediately, and, in "War Without End," Sinclair will leave Garibaldi out to avoid exposing him to another blast of tachyons, and, as we see Sheridan's Starfury penetrate the tachyon field, AND Garibaldi has to go retrieve Sheridan, Garibaldi is DAMN lucky he survuves. It's enough to justify Christopher Franke's utterly ridiculous scoring for the sequence, where he busts into the full-on Babylon 5 theme as Garibaldi pulls Sheridan away from the rift.
No one looks forward to "Confessions and Lamentations." That's possibly the biggest, most horrifying gut punch episodes of the series - and Babylon 5 already had parents kill their own child over their religious beliefs on surgery.
Non-Spoiler:
First, petty nits. Yes, this episode was supposed to air before "Shadow of Zha'ha'dum," but was held back because of difficulty of animation (and roto) around the CG Grylor (an impressive CG beastie for 1990's TV).
But, in this episode, Franklin also says to Sheridan "7 months ago you were commanding a Starship..." Sheridan takes command in the first week of January. Seven months would make this August. Yet this airs after "And Now for a Word," which is set in September. OK, the BROADCAST was September, so we can say the report was filmed in July or August, but, still, I'm calling out the date anomaly.
Technically a spoiler, but I leave it here - for obvious reasons the actor portraying Sheridan's Dad in a five second visual cameo isn't the same actor who will be play Sheridan's dad when Dad gets lines.
I said I was being petty...
This is the last non-JMS script until season 5.
I think Carmen Argenziano's performance is near perfect. Centauri (nobility) is often over the top - operatic, even. Argenziano isn't using his normal speaking voice - like William Forward (Refa) it's obvious he's put real thought into the role, perhaps viewing other episodes of the show and/or talking with Peter Jurassik to make sure his Centauri feels utterly Centauri. I appreciate the effort.
As far as the story goes, it's a little odd Urza himself fails to put two-and-two together, utterly failing to reconcile Londo's rising reputation with the rising new order. I suppose it's their long friendship blinding Urza. Maybe it's general Centauri self-centeredness. After all Londo hasn't heard anything about House Jaddo being accused of treason.
Otherwise, there's so much foreshadowing and setup going on here, it's right on to the Spoiler post.
Except to note how the Londo/Vir relationship continues to develop. They are close enough now to sing opera at each other in the corridors, and for Vir to call out to Londo during the duel with true fear, but left out of the toast at Urza's banquet, and unseen behind Londo holding his dying friend.