Contents: Overview - Backplot - Questions - Analysis - Notes - JMS

Overview

Sheridan discovers a connection between Morden and the death of his wife. The station is inundated by Narn refugees. A new Earth Alliance agency tries to recruit station personnel. Ed Wasser as Morden.

Sub-genre: Drama
P5 Rating: 9.30

Production number: 217
Original air date: May 10, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Backplot

• Delenn and Kosh tell Sheridan about the Shadows and the Vorlons:
  

  D:

  There are beings in the universe billions of years older than either of our races. Once, long ago, they walked among the stars like giants. Vast, timeless... they taught the younger races, explored beyond the Rim, created great empires. But to all things, there is an end. Slowly, over a million years, the First Ones went away. Some passed beyond the stars, never to return. Some simply disappeared.

  S:

  I'm sure this is all very interesting, but what does any of this have to do with Morden?

  D:

  Not all of the First Ones have gone away. A few stayed behind. Hidden or asleep, waiting for the day when they may be needed. When the Shadows come again.

  S:

  Shadows?

  D:

  We have no other name for them. The Shadows were old when even the ancients were young. They battled one another over and over across a million years. The last Great War against the Shadows was ten thousand years ago. It was the last time the ancients walked openly among us. The Shadows were only defeated, not destroyed. A thousand years ago, the Shadows returned to their places of power, rebuilt them, and began to stretch forth their hand. Before they could strike, they were defeated by an alliance of worlds, including the Minbari and the few remaining First Ones who had not yet passed beyond the veil. When they had finished, the First Ones went away. All but one.

  S:

  There's still one of them left. Where?

  D:

  (indicates Kosh, to Sheridan's great surprise) That is why Kosh cannot leave his encounter suit. He would be recognized.

  S:

  Recognized? By who?

  K:

  Everyone.

  D:

  For centuries the Vorlons stood alone, the last remaining guardians. Watching and waiting.

• Delenn's question to Kosh (cf. "Chrysalis") was, "Have the Shadows returned to Z'ha'dum?"

• The Icarus, an Earth exploration vessel carrying Anna Sheridan, arrived at Z'ha'dum in late 2256 (see Analysis.) A landing party, exploring a cave, inadvertently discovered the Shadows, awakening them. The Shadows destroyed the Icarus so its crew could not return to warn others, and killed the crewmembers who wouldn't cooperate. Morden was one of the crew.

• Delenn and Kosh knew about the reawakening of the Shadows immediately -- maybe even witnessed it somehow as it was happening.

• The Earth government has formed a new agency, the Ministry of Peace (nicknamed "Minipax" by its employees,) with the alleged goal of helping reduce internal tensions among the EA's populace. Its first visible action was to establish a program called the Night Watch, paying people 50 credits a week to wear black armbands and report suspicious people to the authorities so that troublemakers can be reformed before they disrupt the peace.

Unanswered Questions

• Is Sheridan's wife still alive?
• What is the Ministry of Peace really up to?
• Will Talia join?
• Similarly, what significance is there in the fact that Delenn narrated Sheridan's vision? Was she sharing it with him, or had she seen it before?
• What kind of information did Morden bring for Londo?
• What, if anything, happened to the ship that originally discovered the ruins on Z'ha'dum? Someone must have discovered them before the Icarus' arrival, since the crew of the Icarus knew they were going to explore an ancient civilization.

Analysis

• Delenn's opening remarks about the First Ones bear a striking similarity to G'Kar's comments about the beings at Sigma 957 (cf. "Mind War.") Could those beings also be First Ones? If so, are the Vorlons aware that they are still around in some form?
• Her remarks also echo her comments about humans in "Babylon Squared" -- suggesting that she believes humanity has the capacity to eventually rival the First Ones.
• Delenn stated that all but one of the First Ones have gone away, and that the last one is Kosh. But does she mean that only one race remains, or only one individual? Or is there a difference where Vorlons are concerned? (See jms speaks)
• If Kosh would be recognized by "everyone" because (as implied by Delenn) his race had once walked openly among lesser ones, it's plausible that Kosh may resemble something from legends thousands of years old -- an angel, perhaps, since the Shadows bear some resemblance to demons and Kosh's suit seems to have room for wings. This would tie in with Kosh's statement in "Hunter, Prey" that Sheridan must be ready "to fight legends" before Kosh will reveal himself -- otherwise he'd be mistaken by some as a divine being rather than an alien. Of course, angels and demons are far from the only figures in the human pantheon, let alone alien mythology, and Kosh may be something else entirely.
• Or the encounter suit may allow Kosh to control who gets visions like Sheridan's; if he took it off, everyone who tried to look at him would see something different, something personal. (See jms speaks.) This brings up a potential connection to the flashes in "Babylon Squared"; perhaps the Vorlons were involved in Babylon 4's time travel, and the flashes were a side effect of that.
• Why did Delenn demand to see Kosh in "Chrysalis" before she was willing to undergo her change? She seems to know enough about Vorlons that she would have had some idea what he looked like. Did she simply want to verify that Kosh was one of the First Ones mentioned in the Minbari history books? Or does his appearance have something more directly to do with her wanting to become partially human? That's assuming he was showing himself to her at all, rather than sending her a dream sequence.
• How did Kosh know what happened on Z'ha'dum? Or was he just inventing the scene he showed Sheridan based on what he figured must have happened? Perhaps he gleaned it from his meeting with Morden in "Signs and Portents," though Delenn claims she and Kosh have known about it for the past three years.
• The Icarus expedition seems to have set forth in late 2256. In "Revelations," which is set in early 2259, Sheridan's sister says that it's been two years since Anna's death. In this episode, Delenn implies that the Shadows were awakened three years earlier. Late 2256 makes sense if both of them were rounding.
• The Shadows on Z'ha'dum may have been awakened in 2256, but they weren't the first. The creature in "The Long Dark" awoke during the Earth-Minbari War and was headed for Z'ha'dum. What caused it to wake up before its masters did, assuming its masters are the beings the Icarus discovered?
• Delenn's question was, "Have the Shadows returned to Z'ha'dum?" That implies they were elsewhere; if so, where? Perhaps the same thing that drew the abovementioned creature to Z'ha'dum also drew the Shadows there. In that case, they may have already been awake before the Icarus arrived.
• Sheridan let Morden go so he wouldn't suspect that his true nature is known. But the damage may already be done; Morden and his associates are likely to be suspicious of his sudden release. The reason given to Morden -- "it was all a mistake" -- is going to seem especially suspicious; "the Centauri asked for your release" or "you're right; we can't hold you without charges" seem like they would have been better excuses. Of course, the latter may be what Zack told Morden.
• The Night Watch armbands seem more a tool of terror than of peace, reminiscent of the armbands worn by Nazis and other tyrannical regimes, a constant reminder to everyone that they're under observation. The program seems designed to cause people to turn in their neighbors, and it's probably naive to believe that people accused of suspicious behavior (or worse, suspicious "attitudes") will simply be put into therapy and released shortly thereafter. Combined with the Ministry of Public Morale (cf. "And Now For a Word") it suggests the Clark government is more interested in keeping the citizenry under its thumb than anything noble.
• If it's true that the Night Watch considers thoughts dangerous, they may well be involved with Psi Corps somehow; certainly it would make sense for them to try to involve telepaths in rooting out undesirables. Or, perhaps more likely, they're simply another of Psi Corps' machinations.
• The Shadows aren't the only ones inhabiting places of power. Londo observed that the technomages (cf. "The Geometry of Shadows") were usually cloistered in their places of power. And now the technomages are headed for the Rim, or beyond it, because of a great darkness approaching; what do they hope to achieve?
• Unless the holding cell cameras are very advanced, the Shadows' invisibility is not all that good. Presumably there are aliens on the station who can see well into the infrared or ultraviolet; the Shadows would be easily detected by such beings in any public area. Perhaps that's how Kosh knew who Morden was in "Signs and Portents." On the other hand, it may simply be that some aliens have seen the Shadows with Morden, but didn't think them remarkable enough to be worth mentioning; they're probably far from the weirdest-looking creatures walking around the station.
• Talia was able to detect the Shadows without even trying. That suggests that telepaths will be a valuable weapon against the Shadows -- which leads to the suspicion that the Shadows are working to co-opt Psi-Corps behind the scenes so human telepaths will be less likely to work against them. It's not clear whether her ability to sense the Shadows was typical for a P5 telepath, or a result of her enhanced abilities (cf. "Mind War.")
• It's also worth noting that Talia saw Morden darken the same way Delenn did in "Signs and Portents" -- does this mean Delenn has some telepathic ability?
• In "Infection," Franklin says the Ikarans built their war machines to fend off invasions, the last of which was 1000 years ago. Could they have been participants in the last conflict with the Shadows? Will the technology obtained by Earth in that episode be used in the upcoming war?
• Morden's triangular hand placement while he was in his cell is reminiscent of Lennier's meditation posture. Perhaps there's no connection, or perhaps there is.

Notes

• The name "Ministry of Peace" and its abbreviation Minipax are from George Orwell's "1984."
• The convention mentioned by Talia is probably not the one described in the novel "Voices" because the novel takes place before "The Coming of Shadows."
• Delenn's narrative bears some resemblance to Gandalf's description of the coming of Sauron near the beginning of the first book of "The Lord of the Rings." In particular, this passage:

  "The rumours that you have heard are true: he has indeed arisen again and left his hold in Mirkwood and returned to his ancient fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor. That name even you hobbits have heard of, like a shadow on the borders of old stories. Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again."

jms speaks

• "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum" is an episode that is as emotionally raw as "Chrysalis" with some major revelations that force Sheridan to make the most important decision of his life.

• Correct; Delenn and Kosh have said nothing about G'Kar's claims because they're trying to keep a low profile.

• The shadows know that Kosh knows, because the Vorlons *always* know; they also know (or think) that they're in a superior position because if Kosh should tell the others, either a) most wouldn't believe him, or b) the shadows would move aggressively now, costing untold lives. They're more worried about an alliance between lots of races than the Vorlons alone.

• I would not create a race as potentially unstoppable as the shadows without making sure they had one -- but only one -- Achilles' heel. Though it may take our characters a long time to figure out what that is...almost *too* long....

• No, "all but one" refers to the race, not an individual. The First Ones are various species/races. One of these species/races is still around at this time. The Vorlons. Of which Kosh is one.

• BTW, the one big reason that Sakai [Catherine, Sinclair's old flame in the first season] could not have filled Anna Sheridan's role in awakening the shadows...and this is the one thing that everyone who advocates this theory tends to forget...is that they were *already up and awake* in the first season, as we saw in "Signs and Portents." They were up, around, and had had some time to build stuff up, reclaim some of their ships, and in other ways get organized and develop their contacts.

  Also, Morden was already working for them.

• Why did Delenn demand to see Kosh?
  She wanted to see Kosh to assure herself that the Vorlons, who she'd never met before, were who she believed them to be, and that this was a true Vorlon and not a pretender. He had to be in place as part of Valen's prophecy.

• The rim, and the "veil" beyond which the bulk of the First Ones passed, is the Galactic rim. As for why the shadows are doing what they're doing...that's kind of the key to the whole thing, which we haven't turned yet.

• Some of the first ones just got bored after millions of years, and went off in general. The rest, for the most part, went beyond the Rim for the same reason you cut down old trees to make room for new ones.

• Are the First Ones as old as the universe itself?
  Well, to some degree you're limited by the amount of time it takes to evolve life per se, then into intelligent life, then into spacefaring life. You need time after the Big Bang for planets to be formed, cool, develop environments capable of supporting life...then the long haul begins.

  So yes, on the one hand, you've got races that are millions of years older than humans, who were prowling around while we were still furred, fanged, and slamming bones together. But they're not as old as the universe, because they can't be.

• Exploration and archeological/scientific vessels like this usually piggy-back on Explorer or other jump-capable ships, with an arrangement that they'll be there for X-number of days or weeks, then another ship will come that way and again piggy-back them out.

• Thanks. I like Vir a lot. Many folks were willing to write him off in the beginning, not understanding that there was more beneath the surface (a problem Vir has also had in his "life"). But you gotta be careful; characters have a way of surprising you. And I like that, and intended that, Vir be the first one to stand up to Morden.

• Again, look at the Kosh/Morden scene in "Signs." A light is suddenly blown out off to one side. Morden didn't move. So who did it...but his constant companions?

• Kosh's command to Morden in "Signs"
  His comment would have been addressed to the shadows and their current emissary.

• How does Morden communicate with the Shadows so easily?
  Well, one can always assume that Morden received some help, in one form or another, in adjusting to the shadows....

• The difference is just in accent. ZA HA DOOM is the way I pronounce it, but ZA cHA DOOM is also acceptable (from someone who's learned to more or less accept the 47 different ways in which one may pronounce straczynski).

• And, as you note, one of things that I like to play with is the layering of ambiguity. Let's say, just for the sake of argument, that we set up two sides: Shadowmen vs. Vorlons, which looks like evil vs. good. Fundamentally, I would find that boring. What you would then have to do is get into WHY they're doing what they do, and HOW they're doing what they do.

  There is, for instance, the "good" that says, "We know what's best for you, we'll protect you, nurture you, but you'll do it our way, and we'll keep you away from ideas and beliefs you shouldn't be exposed to." Okay, maybe that fits one definition of good...but is it?

  On the flip side, for instance, there's the "bad" that says "There must be conflict and death, because it's only through conflict and death that we grow stronger, that we can eventually create an ordered universe. The gene pool must be kept strong. To do that, there must be war and strife and death." Okay, maybe that fits the definition of evil, but is it?

  The key, again and always, is that nothing is what it seems on Babylon 5. And even if it looks like it IS what it is, you have to look at WHY it is what it is...and maybe at that point it isn't.

  One of the things about this show is that you see as much as you're willing to see. You can gloss over it, say, "Okay, these are the good guys, these are the bad guys." But the closer you look, the more you see the shades. I imagine when the Shadowmen are more fully revealed, some folks'll think we're going for a basic good/evil conflict...but believe me, there's a hell of a lot more involved in it than that.

• (From a 1993 GEnie message -- presumably we can replace "Sinclair" with "Sheridan" now.)

  I've just sat here for five minutes trying to decide how to phrase this and not give something vital away...and it's damn near impossible.

  (another five minutes passes)

  Okay, look...do this. Get a piece of paper. Write down the following: "Sinclair sees the hand, but Sinclair does not see the hand. And five other people standing in the room would not see the hand that Sinclair sees, or see the hand that they see."

  I know it looks like gibberish. But trust me on this. Put the piece of paper in your wallet (next to the condom) and hold onto it for about two years. Assuming we're still around that long, at some point that message will make absolute and perfect sense.

• Kosh is always and forever *exactly* what he appears to be, no less and no more. At the same time, Kosh is absolutely *nothing* like what he appears to be.

  These are not contradictory statements.

  And this is about the straightest answer I've given yet on the subject, believe it or not.

• I think it would be just about impossible to put Kosh on the outside of a mug.

• Exactly. You will note that Macabee says, of the Ministry, "...or Minipax, as we like to call it around the office." It's an in-house joke, not the real name of the thing.

• Re: the two speeches by G'Kar and Delenn...yes, they were constructed specifically to echo one another, because the walkers at Sigma 957 are one of the older races that flit through but don't really pay any attention to us anymore.

• The Vorlons are one of the remaining ancient races; Kosh is one of the Vorlons, not the last of them.

• Kosh is a Vorlon. The Vorlons fought the Shadows. There are many Vorlons, back home. (The Writer committed an error in that he used too many pronouns in that segment of dialogue.)

• Was Kosh's line about Sheridan going to Z'ha'dum a warning or a threat?
  Yes.

• How do you get a shot of Morden's head on a pike past the censors?

  Easy.

  You frame the shot so the head is draped...in shadows.

  If I were to be planning such a thing, of course....

• MPs (Military Police) also wear armbands. So do the Red Cross and some United Nations forces.

• How many times did you shoot the scene with Talia slapping Sheridan?
  Only twice. Mainly 'cause she tended to whack him real hard. [...] The take you see is the first one printed.

• He said stop because Zack had found the right wavelength (at least briefly) and didn't want him to go further and lose it again.

• Will Vir, even metaphorically, get to wave at Morden?
  That would be telling.

• Was the Great Machine inside Epsilon 3 built by a member race of the First Ones?
  Could be.

• No, Varn was not one of the First Ones.

Bruce Boxleitner speaks

• Bruce: what has the most challenging episode been for you so far, and why?
  The episode we just finished filming today. It's called In the Shadow of Za'Ha'Dum and my character deals with some very personal issues.

Last update: May 27, 2024