Subject: In the Shadow of Z'Ha'Dum (Analysis pt.1/SPOILERS!!!)
Needless to say, this was a terrific episode! JMS: thanks ..again (and
again.. & again....!!!!) SPOILERS
Well, something for everyone! We not only saw several relationships move
forward by leaps I'd never have guessed, but it may be we've seen the last
of
Sheridan's smiles for a long time to come! And then there's all the new
facts, proving some theories and shooting others to hell. And, at long
last,
a clear view of a Shadow critter and of Z'ha'Dum. Wonderful!
My thoughts haven't entirely gelled yet but I think I better get some first
impressions down in the next couple of posts, do some re-watching and draw
serious conclusions later. So...first impressions:
1. Vir and Morden in the Zocalo>
Mr. Morden. Vir. I was expecting Molari. Uh. He was recalled to
Centauri Prime.... How's your war going? Why do you ask questions
when you know the answer?
Vir's right. What an odd thing for Morden to do, and he actually does it
twice. First, it seems somewhat strange that Morden and Londo would have
arranged to meet in the Zocalo, period (not in the gardens). Also, why this
accidental meeting with Vir? Not to grant the Shadows complete omniscience,
but we learn shortly afterward that Morden arrived two days ago and, whether
Londo had to leave before or after that time, surely Morden knew about his
departure before the moment that Vir explains about it!
I have a nasty feeling that Morden is testing Vir here. He wanted him to
come to the rendezvous. He asks him about the war on purpose in order to
plumb Vir's feelings, then follows it with: You don't like me, Vir. ...What
do you want? I found myself saying a heartfelt Good for you, Vir! at the
TV
set, but I'm afraid it's Vir who just had his head handed to him! Still,
he's going out in style. I loved the little wave!
One last, small thing: I assume that Londo was called away sooner than
he'd expected. Wonder how he's managing without the data on the crystal.
and, needless to say, I'm wondering what the data is. Fleet movements, I
would think. Or whatever else Shadow spies dug up for him.
Anyway, this was an eye-opening and thoroughly enjoyable scene. The
tension was thick enough to cut, and Vir has come into his own. Bravo!
2. Sheridan and Garibaldi (scenes before and after opening credits)
Ok, this I hated. The circumstances was far too pat and convenient for me
to suspend my disbelief. Granted, it's beautifully ironic that Sheridan would
have chosen the time he did to put away his wife's belongings. But I find
it hard to believe that Garibaldi would just happen to walk in as he's working
on it. I find it even harder to believe that Garibaldi would choose to scan
through pix of the crew. And I'm not terribly comfortable with Sheridan's
leap that Morden is somehow directly responsible for his wife's death just
because Garibaldi's seen him alive. He could have lucked out and pulled a
Pres. Clarke. Some people could have survived in a pod and been picked up,
suffering from amnesia. He could have a twin. I know I'm grasping, here,
and
I don't mean any of it really. It just seems that Sheridan got a tad too
suspicious, a tad too fast for my comfort.
Anyway, not my favorite scene. Wouldn't it have been better if
Sheridan
had just been viewing the tapes alone, and then looking at some kind of B5
boarding manifest, and made the connection on his own? Garibaldi! (on the
link) Come here! I need you to check something for me. ..I don't
know...anything
3. Talia and Pierce MacAbee. Our friendly, neighborhood Minister of Peace.
Every fascist-tending government should have one. So Talia's 'superiors'
want
her to come to the meeting, huh? Very interesting. I wonder WHICH
superiors?
The why is easy, of course. As we find out later, she could probe people's
minds for 'dangerous ideas'. Very scary!
BTW, did anyone else think the use of sunflowers in Talia's apartment might
be
intended symbolically? They immediately make me think of the large, whitish
alien-looking flower from which G'Kar removed the ant when lecturing Sakai
about ancient races, etc.
4. Dr. Franklin and Ivanova> How kind of her to put him to bed! But
really-
Was she busily going over the Duty Logs, and noticed he'd been logged on
duty
for the last 36 hours or something? Or did she just happen to be passing
by
MedLab and watch his head drop off his supporting hand? Or is she just
plain
WATCHING HIM?
5. Morden's 'arrest'.
At first, I wondered why Morden's companions didn't take any action to
protect
him (as they presumably did when Kosh confronted him). But of course they
wouldn't. To do so, would be to expose their presence in a public area.
And
I presume they could have gotten him out of the holding cell any time they
wanted to. I mean if Devereaux could do it, it's reasonable to assume
Morden
could. Both have a little help availible. I think Morden himself wanted to
see how the whole thing would play out.
Still I liked the interchange with Zack:
I'm going to have to ask you to step over there. (z)
I don't think that'll be necessary. (m) - I liked the edge to his voice.
6. Morden and Sheridan (part one)
I loved Sheridan's silence throughout the first part of this 'interview'.
It
gave an ominous, silent fury to his presence. Anyone but someone like
Morden
would have found it daunting. Of course, he just made the crack about
Sheridan's shoes, and kept on smiling.
Ok, I'm running out of both time and room for the moment, so I'll just add
one
more thing about this scene for now. Morden claims he was outside in an eva
suit, and that he doesn't remember what happened when everyone else was
'lost'. Does anyone remember a really old movie, called the Devil's Triangle
?
A yacht got lost in the Bermuda Triangle and when rescue finally came,
everyone was dead except one woman who didn't remember what had happened to
the others. As it turned out (spoiler for old movie!), she was possessed by
thedevil herself and was just professing ignorance. Chilling! (Especially
her smile, at the end). Notice any similarities here?
OK, folks! Hold that thought! I'll add more, later today, picking up where
I'm leaving off.
Sherry