"Signs and Portents" discussion [spoilers]

[ruuger]

Sorry for the delay - my internet connection was down last night.

This is the discussion post for the episode 1X13, "Signs and Portents". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Extra reading:

The article for "Signs and Portents" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

My two cents after watching this episode...

- I had forgotten how I loved to hate Morden and his Smirk(TM). I think I read somewhere once that Morden would have been revealed to be Sinclair's long lost brother if Sinclair had stayed on the show (I could be wrong, though).

- Delenn's triangle appeared on her forehead to let her know the Shadows were nearby... but I wonder how suspicious Morden was when she told him to leave.

- I like the way Kosh's ship folds its wings(?) when it docks at the station.

- We see the existence of bathrooms on the station, something I don't recall seeing much in other sci-fi shows. I mean, does the Tardis even have one? LOL.

- Wonder if when the seer heard panicked voices, it was the future that would have happened if B4 hadn't gone back through time, which meant there would be more Shadows in the 'present' to attack the station.


Things that made me eye the back of the couch:

"The Shadows have come for Lord Kiro... the Shadows have come for us all!"

- First sight of Shadow ship. Brr.

- When the seer drops the cup after seeing the Shadow ship attack the ship Lord Kiro was on, I thought the spilled drink looked like a Shadow ship. I was possibly overreacting by this point in my semi-gibbering state. :-p

- A big shadow (natural) passes over the station at the end...

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

This is the second showing of a bathroom, and there are more (I know, it's weird to remember this, but it is so unusual to see them.) Garibaldi and either commander seem to make a habit of meeting there! My husband pointed out a woman entering the bathroom after they left, and we had a lively discussion on whether the facilities are unisex on B5 afterwards. And the first time we saw a 'special' stall for the pak'mara...I don't think I want to know.

Agree on the couch; I still think the Shadow ships are full on scary. When Morden fades into darkness in Delenn's quarters...I think it was a great idea to rely on other's reactions rather than show much of anything about the Enemy. It builds it up nicely.

[widsidh.livejournal.com]

whether the facilities are unisex on B5

I *think* I saw a gender symbol on the wall, couldn't swear to it though.
Which begs the question whether the categories "male" and "female" appliy to all aliens species...

They are definitely unisex in BSG (even in the absense of aforementioned potentially ambiguous aliens), which somehow prefer. No queues at the Ladies', for one thing ;-)

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I watched S&P on the DVD with JMS's voiceover, and he sheepishly explained at the bathroom scene that the woman walking into it after Sinclair and Garibaldi left it was a mistake. So it seems that it wasn't a unisex bathroom. :-p

As for the alien bathrooms... I agree, there are some things We Aren't Meant to Know.

Morden becoming darker in Delenn's quarters was a good (and ominous) way of showing to the audience he's definitely not on the Light Side of the Force...

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

"So it seems that it wasn't a unisex bathroom. :-p"

Oh man, that's terrible. I was planning a fic about bathroom encounters...

[beatrice_otter]

But that's secondary canon--that was never said on the show itself. So if it's in your way, I'd feel free to ignore it.