"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

[widsidh.livejournal.com]

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing

That is precisely what Vir is doing, and (partly) why he is here as a character.
Here is the general decent everyman, he does see what is going on, at least enough to guess that it is no good will come out of it, but he doesn't do anything to prevent it. Maybe out of loyalty for Londo, maybe out of fear or because hefels he should do as he is told, or maybe just telling himself that everything will work out in the end.
For all our good intentions, most of us do not really know how we would react in these situation, and history tells that most people, normal, intelligent dcent people, are overcome by one or the other of these motiveation (or somthing similar). because at the end of the day it is *easier* to do nothing and not think of the consequences. No this is not an excvuse. It is merely an explanation.
Vir shows us that no later attempts at atonement can quite make up for the initial lack of action.

There is a line in the Catholic mass (and similar ones in most other Christian orders of service), where the worshippers ask to be forgiven "for what we have done and what we have failed to do". I have always found the second half the more important.

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

There is a line in the Catholic mass (and similar ones in most other Christian orders of service), where the worshippers ask to be forgiven "for what we have done and what we have failed to do".

Exactly. On a personal note, I have little doubt that I would have done what Vir did in that situation, or even less; and probably I would not have gone as far as he did later to make amends. He is an amiable everyman, and an entry character for a lot of people. Perhaps that's why he got the (relatively) happy ending.