Babylon 5/Recap/S03 E15 Interludes and Examinations

"At this moment the stone cold fact is that none of us can stand up to those ships. If we could just score one victory against the Shadows, it'd be enough to make some of the others come around."

- Sheridan

-

Ivanova explains in a voice over how the situation has changed now that the shadows are attacking openly and, it seems, randomly, against worlds close to the Rim. More security is needed on the station, but some of the new hires might not be what they seem, and they no longer have the resources for full background checks. As she explains this, we see Mr. Morden effortlessly bribing his way out of the customs queue. Dr Franklin is taking more stims and losing control, Kosh is in seclusion, and Mollari is preening himself in preparation for a long-expected visit from his mistress Adira Tyree. Meanwhile, in a back passage, Morden is recovering his bribe from the security guard's dead body. Yoink!

In Sheridan's office, the Brakiri ambassador insists they cannot fight the Shadows themselves. Sheridan says that he can't help, since they no longer have Earth's support. He turns to the Gaim ambassador on the other side of that table, imploring them to help their Brakiri neighbors. Thanks, but no thanks - If they join in the fight, the Shadows will take notice and come after them, too. The only way the Gaim ambassador will be swayed is if Sheridan can prove that he has power equal to that of the Shadows. Good luck with that.

In Medlab Dr. Franklin and Dr. Hobbs are arguing about a treatment that Dr. Franklin is about to give to a patient. Dr. Franklin dismisses her objections in a rude way and gives his own instructions to the medical technicians. Garibaldi arrives with an injured Security guard at the exact moment that the first patient's stats decline, causing Franklin to shout at the med techs that they were not following his instructions - when, in fact, they did exactly that. Dr. Hobbs' badgering and Garibaldi's persistence gets on Franklin's last nerve, causing him to shout at everyone. Switch to decaf, buddy! The new treatment works on the respiratory patient, and Franklin storms off.

Londo is by himself, recalling the time he spent with Adira a couple of years earlier, and the happiness that she brought him. His memories are interrupted by Vir, who has prepared the suite at Londo's behest. Londo tells Vir he will be right there. Along the way, however, his path is blocked by Morden, who is displeased with him. Lord Refa is no longer taking Morden's calls. Mollari realizes now that the Shadows are only using the Centauri to further their own goals, and is not impressed with Morden's veiled threats. After he leaves, one of the Shadows takes Morden aside, but Morden insists that they need Londo alive.

Garibaldi visits Dr. Franklin in his quarters to discuss about the incident in Medlab and his suspected overuse of stims. Dr. Franklin gets angry and refuses to listen to Garibaldi's offer to help him. Garibaldi leaves, inferring that he will have to use official ways to stop him.

Delenn enters the war room to find Sheridan sitting at the table, poring over reports of Shadow attacks. Their only hope is to organize all the other races into one force, something that has never been done before. If they can somehow score one victory against the Shadows, it might convince the others to join in the fight. Delenn says that that is exactly what they should do, and Sheridan asks how she intends to do that. "I'm sure you'll think of something," she says, and leaves. Puzzled, Sheridan mutters to himself about how everyone is beginning to sound like Kosh. Suddenly, his smile vanishes, and he begins formulating an idea.

Garibaldi searches through the Zocalo until he finds Dr. Hobbs sitting by herself, filling out forms. Garibaldi tells Hobbs that she was right, and that Franklin gave the wrong instructions to his assistants. Garibaldi tells her that he knows everyone in MedLab needs to have blood samples taken regularly and tested. Hobbs tells him that the only person authorized to see those results is Franklin himself. Garibaldi asks her to pull Franklin's files, but she refuses to do so - though she tells him where the information is stored. A knowing Gaibaldi gets up to leave, unaware that Dr. Franklin witnessed the whole transaction.

Vir Cotto is also on the market ordering sexy lingerie to be delivered to Adira's suite. He sees Morden coming and immediately tries to avoid him. Morden makes a beeline for the vendor with whom Vir was talking; uh oh. He's up to something. Morden, flashing his best used car salesman grin, tells the vendor Vir sent him to iron out some last-minute details.

Garibaldi makes his way into Franklin's office, and begins using the computer, but refrains at the last moment from opening the file. Franklin sees him, but Garibaldi aborts at the last minute. Moved by Garibaldi's trust in him, Franklin admits that he ran a test on himself to prove he was clean, but found enough stims in his bloodstream to prove that he was, indeed, an addict.

Sheridan is talking to ambassador Kosh in a corridor, trying to convince him to use Vorlon forces to score a victory against the Shadows. Kosh refuses, saying that this is Sheridan's war. This prompts Sheridan to hit the roof; his people have defected from their own government and put everything on the line, all according to Kosh's cryptic instructions - and now the Vorlons are refusing to lend any practical help? Sheridan sees that he is finally getting to Kosh and continues to berate him until Kosh calls him "impudent" and "disobedient", hitting him with an invisible energy burst to the point of making Sheridan bleed. Sheridan is not afraid and tells him that he has nothing to lose. Resigned, Kosh tells Sheridan that he will do as he has ask, but that there is a price: he will not be there to help Sheridan when he goes to Z'ha'dum.

Later, Sheridan is in C&C waiting for the arrival of the other ambassadors escorted by Delenn. The Shadow vessels are still attacking the Brakiri when Vorlon ships arrive and engage them, winning the battle. The Gaim nod to Sheridan in acknowledgement.

Londo and Vir are awaiting Adira's arrival in the cargo bay, yet after the last passenger has left the ship, Adira still is nowhere to be found. A group of medical officers appear from the ship with a body on a stretcher; It's Adira. Dr. Hobbs doesn't know how she died, but Londo suspects he knows-- he instructs Dr. Hobbs to inspect her for poison, and as the body is carried away, Londo begins crying.

The battle concluded, the victorious Vorlon ships enter their jump point and return from whence they came. Meanwhile, Morden receives word from one of his contacts, and seems troubled by what he hears. Kosh waits in his quarters when Morden breaks in with his Shadow companions, who collectively swarm Kosh. At the same time, Sheridan is having a dream in which his father is apologizing to him, and saying not blame himself for what happened. Sheridan wakes up shouting the name of Kosh and, in Kosh's quarters, the remnants of his encounter suit are left smoldering on the floor.

The Vorlons have asked that nobody be let in on Kosh's death, since such news could destroy the fledgling alliance. Since Kosh is typically unseen for weeks at a time, the Vorlons have time to send a replacement. Sheridan feels guilty, realizing that Kosh's warnings about not being able to be with him in Z'ha'dum referred not to Kosh's unwillingness to help him when the moment came, but to his future inability to do so.

Mollari has received the report on Adira's autopsy, confirming poison as the cause of death. Morden is in Mollari's quarters offering false sympathy, while subtly hinting (as in, not subtly at all) that it was Lord Refa who ordered the killing. Blinded by grief, Mollari does not realise that he is being played and asks for Morden's help in wreaking revenge on Refa.

Dr. Franklin meets with Sheridan and gives him his resignation, on the grounds that he cannot control his stim addiction any longer and needs to go away from the pressure of the job.

The Vorlons also asked that all of Kosh's belongings should be loaded into his ship and that the ship should be allowed to leave without a pilot. The ship was made for Kosh, it is part of him, and cannot survive without him. It will grieve and then perform its last duty as funeral vessel by destroying itself in the sun, in memory of Kosh.

Tropes:
"Sheridan: Every day, more and more people around here start talking like Kosh."
 * Bus Crash: The ex-slave Adira Tyre has not been seen since the Season One episode "Born to the Purple", when Londo purchased her freedom. She only appears in flashbacks in this episode.
 * Call Back: Kosh appearing to John Sheridan in the guise of his father is analogous to "Dust to Dust", in which he spoke to G'kar using his late's father's appearance.
 * Cryptic Conversation: Sheridan, resigned to the fact that nobody ever talks to him straight, lampshades the situation after his chat with Delenn.

"Londo: Everyone around me dies, Mr. Morden, except the ones that most deserve it. That is about to change. You said that you would go away for as long as I wanted. I no longer want that. All I want now -- is revenge. They took from me the one thing that I have... have ever truly loved. And you will help me, Mr. Morden, to strike them down. Give me this and the safety of my people, and let the rest of the galaxy burn. I don't care anymore."
 * Dead Person Impersonation: The Vorlons don't want news of Kosh Narenek's death leaking out. To prevent this, they have deployed a second Vorlon ambassador (Ulkesh) post-haste, believing that no one will tell the difference.
 * Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Kosh's patience is tested when Sheridan gets in his face.
 * Empathic Environment: As Morden intercepts Londo, the hallway is suddenly bathed in an infernal red light.
 * Eureka Moment: A lightbulb appears over Sheridan's head after comparing Delenn's riddle-speak with that of a Vorlon. He realizes that a precision strike by the Vorlon fleet would convince the non-aligned worlds that the Shadows are far from invincible.
 * Fascinating Eyebrow: Garibaldi deploys it in the MedLab during Franklin's freak out.
 * Flash Back: Londo reminisces about his lover Adira in a string of flashbacks. Later, he recalls the unpleasant exchange with Lord Refa, which ended with Londo slipping poison into his drink.
 * A Form You Are Comfortable With: Kosh masquerades as David Sheridan, John's father, while transmitting his final message into his dreams.
 * Heel Realization: In the hindsight of Season Four, Kosh is implied to have undergone one of these. Later on,.
 * Hurl It Into the Sun: Kosh's ship, evidentially unable to survive without Kosh, destroys itself by flying into the nearest sun.
 * I Want Them Alive: It's hinted that Morden's entourage is hissing at him to assassinate Londo. Morden, however, has other ideas on his mind.
 * Love Makes You Evil: Adira's death is the last straw for Londo; he has officially lost everyone who was ever close to him.


 * Manly Tears: You can see Franklin's eyes beginning to water as he admits his drug addiction.
 * Mentor Occupational Hazard / Sacrificial Lion: Kosh.
 * No Body Left Behind: Kosh's "body" was never recovered, though Delenn assures everyone that he's dead as Dillinger.
 * No-Paper Future: Subverted yet again, this time by Dr. Hobbs complaining about her paperwork. "Every time someone says we're becoming a paperless society, I get ten more forms to fill out!"
 * Practical Voice Over: Ivanova narrates the Cold Open in this episode.
 * Precision F-Strike: Sheridan has a few choice words for the Vorlon ambassador. "Up yours!"
 * Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Morden apparently isn't a big believer in loose ends. The Security officer who smuggled Morden past customs can attest to that.
 * Say My Name: Sheridan wakes from his dream shouting Kosh's name - but it's too late to help him.
 * Shirtless Scene: Garibaldi walks in on Franklin in mid-wardrobe change.
 * Sinister Silhouettes: Morden standing before Londo, framed in a red doorway. And Londo still isn't tipped off that this guy is serious trouble?
 * Tempting Fate: Londo's rejoinder to Morden. "There is nothing you can do to me that has not already been done." (O rly?)
 * To Be Lawful or Good: Garibaldi grapples with his legal obligations over his friendship and concern for Franklin. Ultimately, Franklin ends up being the one to turn himself in.
 * Viking Funeral: Kosh's ship is put to rest following its master's death.
 * Villains Never Lie: It's amazing that Morden can stand in front of Londo and lie so transparently. Londo clearly still has no idea who he's dealing with.