s2e3: The Geometry of Shadows
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It’s noticeable in this episode that season 2 is leaning into the long-running arc more overtly than season 1. If ‘Points of Departure’ and ‘Revelations’ were a two-parter to kick things off, it’s ‘Geometry of Shadows’ where we realise that all those plot threads are still going, most noticeably with Garibaldi’s continuing recovery. It’s a ratcheting up, subtle and almost hard to spot in retrospect, but there’s a definite shift in story structure.
This episode is critical for the arrival of Mike Vejar, a director that will go on to direct many superb episodes. Vejar was a master of the TV format and schedule, able to wring a level of production value from Babylon 5’s budget that isn’t always seen from other directors.
I’d forgotten this was Vejar’s debut, but already thought it might be him even before his name appeared on screen. There’s a visual density to the way he shoots the sets and the actors that makes everything feel more textured. He sets up his shots in a way that makes the show look higher budget than it is. He also moves the camera more than anyone else, incorporating camera moves that enhance the scene and the emotional state of the characters. He ties the camera and the edit and the music together in interesting ways, such as when Ivanova enters the Drazi’s holdout and we get a Scorsese-style one-shot all the way through. None of it feels showy for the sake of it.
Oh yeah, the Drazi. I forgot it was this episode. I remembered he technomages, but not the Drazi conflict. It’s always been deeply silly, while also making a decent if obvious metaphorical point. I reckon they hit just the right tone, never entirely tipping over into farce but also not overplaying the moral centre.
The Garibaldi stuff works well, especially Sheridan quietly putting the gun back into its holster without acknowledging it. For someone like Garibaldi, I’m glad the show is taking its time to show him coming back to work, and not glossing over the fact that his failure led to the President’s assassination and Sinclair’s departure. It wasn’t his fault, but Garibaldi will absolutely blame himself.
OK, technomages. I always loved the idea, and I like that they’re not explained or examined in any great detail. Michael Ansara is arch and over-the-top but it works brilliantly. Especially his anger and subsequent disdain and pity for Londo. All the technomage stuff benefits from the blu-ray remaster — it’s such a VFX-heavy episode, it was almost unwatchable in the previous DVD version. The only scene that doesn’t quite work is with the big stompy giant creature, which has aged rather severely: I think it’s actually the uninspired design that’s the issue, rather than the execution.
Talking of VFX, I’m still trying to figure out the creatures hanging off Londo’s back as he exits the scene. I’m pretty sure they were CG, given that they were animated, but they were tracked onto his back with such precision that my brain slightly broke. Having tried that sort of thing myself back in the day, the compositing skill required on that shot in 1994 on a TV schedule is off the chart.
Finally, let’s not forget the first appearance of Lord Refa. Slight spoilers there — yes, he’ll be back — but William Forward is immediately superb and it’s interesting to explore the repercussions of Londo’s actions at the end of season 1. I rather like that nobody has any idea how he did it, but they’re almost afraid to ask in case it breaks the spell.
Next week we’re on to ‘A Distant Star’.
‼️ SPOILER STUFF ‼️
The funny thing about season 2 is that the arc stuff and non-arc stuff is far less defined than in season 1. We used to get an essentially standalone episode with long-arc details scattered here and there, but now it feels like events are existing in a much tighter continuity.
Technomages are running away because they know the Great War is approaching. We won’t see them again until the Crusade spin-off.
Refa, of course, has a long an unfortunate story ahead of him.
The main spoiler beats here are to do with Londo, and Elric’s warnings. We’ll see the great hand reaching out of the stars at some point.
The line about thousands calling his name, followed by:
Londo: My followers?
Elric: Your victims.
Great lines, perfect delivery.
This was the episode that locked me in. This mix of epsiode plot plus backstory was nearly perfect.
I'm a huge fan of Michael Ansara, especially when a little over the top is what you need. He was great in DS9 and is still *the* voice of Mr. Freeze. Having him deliver that line to Londo was a perfect move. I waited nearly every episode for that payoff.
I agree about WIlliam Forward. His decision (assuming it was his) to take on that odd sort of eastern European accent that Jurasik used really sold him as another Centauri noble and even added a little menace. Stephen Furst would put it on every once in a while (notably when he answered Morden's question), but often slipped back to American English.
I took the Drazi storyline as an homage to "Let that Be Your Last Battlefield." I don't know if JMS ever confirmed that.
I had no idea that it a new director had joined, but in retrospect it makes sense.
This one convinced me that replacing the lead with a completely different character and *leaning* into the differences was the right move. I didn't know, of course, that it would require some serious hand waving when it came to a certain critical part of the arc (no spoilers) but to me, seeing how Sheridan deals with the Drazi and Garibaldi in very different ways than Sinclair would have, at least when it comes to his demeanor, told me that this was a new era, but still a good one.
SPOILERS
For an "arc heavy" episode, not as much as you'd think.
But let's talk Technomages.
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It was hinted at in this episode when Elric says "we will not be used," and in Crusade which, if it hadn't been cancelled would have had the following revelation, but it took the Babylon 5 Technomage novels to make explicit.
Technomages are Shadow weapons. They are counters to telepaths. Thing is, if you hibernate for a millennium, your generations of short lived weapons might decide they don't wish to be harbingers of chaos anymore.
Which is, of course, why they won't tell anyone where they are going. Word might get back to Zha'ha'dum.
The Technomage trilogy recons B5's s3 finale. The novels state Galen is on Zha'ha'dum on an unrelated errand - trying to wipe data on Technomages from the Shadow's central systems. It is his interference which prevents a mass of Shadows from ripping Sheridan limb from limb, and allows a White Star to dive bomb directly into the Shadow capital. What, you don't think Zha'ha'dum has orbital defenses?
Total retcon, but it works.
SPOT THE RANGER:
Again, I can't be 100% certain, but, during the final Elric/Londo scene "...your victims..." There's an actor
behind Londo whose head is chopped off by Londo's hair, and I'm pretty sure it's a Ranger. Otherwise it's a bit of an awkward place to leave an extra standing in one place for the entire scene when the other background actors are moving... But the edge of Londo's hair framing the actor... Your eye subconsciously is drawn to him then slides away because he's blurred. But I'm 90% convinced it's a Ranger quietly eavesdropping the old fashioned way. Ears-only.