I am sorry this is late. I went to the hospital on Monday with a kidney stone and didn't get home until yesterday. I hope to get next Monday up on time... I have to go back for a laser surgery to remove to the stone next Tuesday.
~~~
Recap and discussion for 2 x 16 – In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum
This is the biggie, folks. The proverbial s*^# hits the fan when John sees Morden in a list of the crew of the
Icarus that Anna had given to him before she left.
Garibaldi and Allen are watching the refugees from Narn come in. There are more than they have room for.
Morden meets Vir in the Zocalo, tells Vir he wanted to see Londo. Vir says he isn’t on the station. Morden asks Vir what
he wants and Vir answers him:
I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I would look up at your lifeless eyes and wave like this. The he wags his fingers in a wave. Morden is angry but he gives Vir a data crystal.
Garibaldi goes to talk to Sheridan about the Narn refugees and John is going through Anna’s things. The photos of Anna’s crewmates on the
Icarus are flashing on the screen and Garibaldi recognizes Morden, saying he’s been on the station before.
Garibaldi finds that Morden is still on the station so John asks him to detain him. He wants some answers.
A man named Pierce Macabee visits Talia, telling her he is the regional director for a new government ministry – the Ministry of Peace, and he is giving a lecture and her superiors said she might be of some help or support to him. She agrees to go to the meeting.
Susan catches Franklin dozing and orders him to get some rest and food.
Zack detains Morden when he tries to leave the station. Morden argues about being detained illegally and Sheridan tells him that the dead have no legal recourse. He tells Sheridan that he was rescued by a passing ship and denies any knowledge of Anna.
Franklin eats and drinks and tells Ivanova of his nightmares and of his religion: Foundationist.
John tried to catch Morden in a lie.
The Ministry of Peace meeting begins. Zack is there as well as Talia. The man talks about subversive thoughts and talks about the Nightwatch, designed to watch for bad thought. He encourages the people at the meeting to join for 50 credits a week and all they have to do is keep an eye out fopr troublemakers.
Garibaldi tells Sheridan that he has to let Morden go but he refuses; Garibaldi resigns.
Sheridan makes Zack the head of security and sends him to find Talia. Ivanova talks to Sherodan about Morden. Vir gives him a formal request from the Centauri to release Morden as he is protected by their diplomatic immunity. He refuses, saying Morden is in protective custody.
Talia refuses to scan Morden but Sheridan has her escorted back to her quarters and making sure she is in eye range of Morden. We see what she sees…the shadows. She collapses and goes to Medlab.
Delenn and Kosh ask Sheridan to release Morden and finally, they tell him that
they will tell him what Morden won’t but he just release him.
He agrees and Delenn tells him of the Old Ones and how all of them are gone except for one race: the Vorlons, who guard until the ‘shadows’ come again. And she is convinced that they are coming. The message sghe’d sent Kosh before she transformed was “Have the Shadows returned to Z’ha’dum?” and his answer had been yes.
Kosh shows Anna’s ship landing on Z’ha’dum and awakening the shadows, and all the crew had to serve the shadows or die.
Delenn tells him he must let Morden go so the Shadows do nt find out how much they know – last time, the shadows knew and caught them unready. She says they are not yet ready but will be soon. She tells him that Morden is NEVER alone.
Sheridan tells Zack to let Morden go – that they must not let the enemy know who much they know and tells a story about Churchill sacrificing British civilians for the greater good and Zack says: “How many lives is a secret worth?”
Sheridan adjusts the monitor in Morden’s cell until the shadows show up…
Garibaldi comes back.
Morden leaves.
Sheridan asks Kosh to teach him how to fight the shadows and tells him that he will go to Z’ha’dum. Kosh tells him if he does, he will die. John is not deterred.
Zack joins the Nightwatch but doesn’t take it seriously.
*
Quotes:
Morden: What do you want?
Vir Cotto: I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I would look up at your lifeless eyes and wave like this. [gives a mockingly cheerful finger waggle]
Vir Cotto: Can you and your associates arrange this for me, Mr. Morden? Capt. John Sheridan: I let him go. But there is a price tag attached. You've been teaching me so we can understand each other. That's not what I want any more. I want you to teach me... how to fight them. How to beat them. Because one day I'm going to go to Z'ha'dum and I'm going to stop them.
Kosh: If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die.
Capt. John Sheridan: Then I die, but I will not go down easily, I will not go down alone! You will teach me?
Kosh: Yes. *
Questions:
1. Were you surprised when Morden showed up on Anna’s crew list?
2. What did you think of what Vir said to Morden?
3. Are these shadows the ones G’kar has been talking about as well?
4. Did you find Sheridan unreasonable in his treatment of Morden? How far do you think he would have gone to get the truth?
5. Does Delenn becoming a hybrid make any more sense now that it did before?
6. Does Nightwatch give you a VERY creepy feeling?
*
Sources:
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5:
http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/038.htmlIMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517657/The Babylon Project:
http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/In_the_Shadow_of_Z'ha'dum
Wikia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Shadow_of_Z%27ha%27dum