"The Coming of Shadows" discussion

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 2X09, "The Coming of Shadows". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Summary:
The Centauri emperor visits Babylon 5.

Extra reading:
The article for "The Coming of Shadows" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, I guess! I've been trying to use the re-watch to catch new angles; sometimes it works.

Aargh, as to 'human'. It's hard to catch those humanisms in speech/writing! I have the same problem with 'man' and 'woman'. Male and female don't always work as substitutes when aliens are talking together, and making up gender nouns can be clunky.

'Sentient' doesn't quite work either. Narns are obviously sentient. (As an aside; I had to look that word up. Answers.com says it means experiencing sensation or feeling. Kind of a broader definition than I thought. I was going with a Descartes-like awareness of their own existence.) We get some hints that the Centauri consider them barbaric. And even some humans (in Season One; that goes away quickly.) Backward? Below them? Unworthy? Animals? *goes off to think*