Straczynski Commentary on Babylon 5 Signs and Portents

[@SeeHere2]

Brilliant. One of my most watched episodes of Babylon 5. I do so hope J Michael Strazinski does become showrunner for Doctor Who.

[@AlexJones-ue1ll]

Back as a young man I watched this and in the end, when the Raider's encountered a certain shadow I was like "What the F was that?!?!". Until that point I was liking the show and enjoying it. It got me hooked by Parliament of Dreams when Sinclair showed the dominant faiths of Earth and I was literally smilling on the cleverness of that scene. I knew I from that moment that I was hooked; but the moment the half off-screen ship appeared and sliced the Raider capital ship I was awestruck and never missed a single premire of the show until I cried my tears at Sleeping In The Light.

[@AlexJones-ue1ll]

Lol, as he mentiones "How did the box survive" I do have to remember the question "How fast can a Starfury go?" and the answer was much like "The author needed it to survive" in it being "It can go in the speed of Plot". Never ever heard a better explaination of mechanics being just as good as the story they carry.

[@marcodavinci3150]

I still remember after the series was over during my 2nd rewatch how shocked I was when watching this episode and seeing how much foreshadowing was there all along! (pun intended). I still get chills and goosebumps everytime I hear her say... "the Shadows have come for us all!"

[@lucas_knight]

"What do you want?" and everyone thought Morden was a little unhinged. Little did we all know where this would lead.

[@JaimeWulf]

If I still had a 2nd monitor on my rig I could watch this at the same time but sadly I do not for now... I'll try to remember and come back to this again later when I can watch both at the same time...

[@MiguelFarah]

JMS, I DO appreciate the effort of syncing the commentaries to the episodes, but... it's a bit lost on me, because the episodes you've made those videos for so far are so dear to my heart that I don't need to watch them to know what you're talking about during the respective commentary. Indeed, a sign of how good of a show Babylon 5 is.

[@Phoenix-ej2sh]

Dammit. All these years I thought "the eye that does not see" was G'kar.

[@nastastu8026]

The hair is great! It adds more layers to the centauri race.

[@marcodavinci3150]

Always loved that moment during the battle when the B5 theme plays! So epic!

[@Anghellik9]

Wild how influential Synanon was back in the day, considering the places that went

[@kraketuss2600]

Thank you for finally clearify that with "the eye that does not see". You have no idea how many sleepless nights I've had over the past 30 years trying to figure out what events Lady Morella's visions actually referred to... Good to finally get a conclusion on one of them.. But.. diddn't this happen before lady morellas vision ? How could he save the eye when talking with the lady when he had allready lost it ?

[@telanian]

The 'eye that does not see' cannot be the artefact at the heart of this episode. It cannot be because when that prophecy is made in season three, that test is clearly stated to be a future test yet to come. I don't know if JMS is intentionally retconning his own work, but this is I think what was originally intended back in the 90's. *HUGE SPOILERS* * * * * * * * * * 1. The 'eye that does not see' is G'kar's eye, which Londo quite literally fails to save from Cartagia. However, the prophecy refers more generally to Londo's failure to speak out publicly against Cartagia's brutality. This is confirmed to be a failing in the season 5 episode 'The Long Night of Londo Mollari'. The point is that, while Cartagia obviously needed to be removed, murder was not the way to do it. 2. The 'one who is already dead' is Morden, who was dead as far as Earth was concerned. Again, the prophecy refers generally to Londo's brutality in murdering Morden - and all the Shadows generally - in order to remove their influence fully from Centauri Prime. This is confirmed to be a mistake, both in the episode itself where Morden warns Londo that the Shadows' allies will take revenge, and then later in season 5 when that very revenge duly happens. 3. Londo's 'greatest fear', which he ultimately surrenders to, is his own death at the hands of G'kar, which occurs sixteen years after the events of season 5. And, just as a bonus: The 'fire at the end of Londo's journey', which Londo actually avoids by surrendering instead to his greatest fear - ie death - is what would have happened had he remained alive. His Drakh keeper would have re-established control over him, Delenn and Sheridan would have been killed, and the Centauri military would then have attacked - and destroyed - the interstellar alliance. Londo would then have become a puppet tyrant, presiding over a shattered and destroyed galaxy enslaved under Centauri/Drakh tyranny, where 'billions of voices' (ie, his surviving enslaved victims) would cry out his name - as prophesied by the technomage Elric in season 2.

[@AlexJones-ue1ll]

Ye, I always considered the "eye that does not see" to G'Kar's eye as well. Though the prophecy about "you must safe the one who is already dead" might also be about Sheridan, since he died on Z'ha'dum and later Londo needs to save him when Sheridan is a prisoner of the Centauri when trying to safe his son. So there are different interpretations. And either way, G'kar may have lost his eye, but the jewel was called "The Eye" and as a jewel it can't see. And when Londo gets the reading, the prophetess mentions he has already squandered 2 of his 3 options. So Joe might me correct here and not redconning. In any case ... What is Prophecy but a dream that has not come true yet?

[@kurtjk01]

Rewatch the prophecy episode. The Emperor's widow speaks of part of the prophecy being in the past tense. And, with all due respect, I'm going to trust the information coming from the actual author who actually planned out the five year arc and actually saw it to fruition. Reminds me of the part of "Back to School" where the Dangerfield character hires Kurt Vonnegut to explain his book to him . . . And then the professor gives the Dangerfield character an "F" as he "doesn't understand what Vonnegut is saying in the book at all."

[@kraketuss2600]

What ? Are you seriously arguing with the author of the story what he really meant ?

[@telanian]

@@kurtjk01 I suggest you rewatch the prophecy episode. The Emperor's widow did speak about part of the prophecy being in the past tense, as you put it. Specifically, she said Londo had already failed two tests. However, she also said that Londo would still face three future tests, the first of which was 'the eye that does not see'. So I am afraid you are wrong. As at that time (season 3) the 'the eye that does not see' was a future test, and thus cannot relate to anything in this episode (in season 1). @Kraketuss In one sense, yes I am. As I said in my first post, JMS is entitled to retcon his own work if he wishes to. I am simply pointing out that what he is saying now clearly does not line up with what was originally intended back in the 90's. But feel free to present an argument demonstrating that I am wrong, if you can.

[@kraketuss2600]

@@telanian If Sincalirt can go back 1000 years with a battlestation to save the minbari from loosing the first shadow war. why cannot Lonmdo go back 12 months to save the eye artifact ? I mean, another part of that prophecy allready include time traveling "kill the one who is allready dead" is Sheridan in war whitout end part two. far off in the future.... But if we keep timetravel out of it.. Even if he somehow screewed up the logic, so that the timeline does not work. it still mean that this was the intended reference, since he says so himself.... And maybe the implementation of the reference was screewed up, but that does not suddently mean that the propehcy points to something different. It may also be that the prophecy meant for Londo to reclaim the eye from whoever he gave it to after he got the prophecy, and use it's influence to be emperor himself insted of Cartigia ? That might have changed things a bit (Londo was destined to be emperor one way or another remember, so that could have been the way to redemtion)

[@ScottRutter]

🎶 I don’t know how to say no to this. 🎶 #Ham4B5

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

Londo was the most tragic character in the series

[@kraketuss2600]

@Synthetic Worlds What is the timing explanation for "the eye that cannot see"? Since that proppet is talking about chanse he still have, but this thing with the eye happening allready now?

[@Tomurow]

That’s very timelord-style gear!🤠

[@thoughtheglass]

JMS you've said you wont make B5 again unless you get to make it as a feature length movie, but have you considered how great londo and g kar would be as sock puppets? you could have them reacting to things on your channel instant youtube gold!

[@yannatoko9898]

Thoughts!?

[@AgentExeider]

It's kind of messed up that due to YT's copyright policies he can show what he's watching and make commentary on HIS OWN SHOW.

[@AlexJones-ue1ll]

The sad truth is, that Warner Bros. owns the right to the show and they are hidiously vile about their copyright.

[@bcbock]

I think the Centauri hair was a barrier for my husband. I’d watch the show and he’d walk through a dramatic scene where Peter Jurasik was doing his best work. And my husband looks at the screen and laughs and makes a joke. I was totally involved in the story and the performance and it kind of ruined the moment for me. But eventually, when it came out on HBO Max, I rewatched it with him and he ended up liking it and only made comment on the hair a few times. As for the hair, I’m surprised it was kept. It just opens too many questions. How do they do it? How do they keep from ruining it when they sleep? And how do they get through those angular doorways on Babylon 5 without destroying their ‘do?

[@TimeToEvolve101]

Love love love

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

I think the hair works.

[@shaunkelly9053]

So wait… what is he saying the eye actually is? I’m not understanding him.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

So is the Eye that does not See the Eye in this episode - G'Kar's eye, or Londo himself? Also, I've always kind of been of the mind that 'the man in between' is Lorien...

[@jewelweed6880]

No. [Channelling a Vorlon]

[@AlexJones-ue1ll]

The man in between is the Middleman Sheridan meets when going to Z'ha'Dum at the cliffhanger from S3.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

So JMS tells us on the Lurker's Guide, but I do think he changes his mind occasionally. In the commentary he explicitly says the Eye is this episode's eye, for one. And Lorien himself says he is 'between tick and tock'. Either way, it works nicely, if so.

[@grandoldpodcast]

Doesn't the Centauri Prime books say something like Londo is the "I" that does not see. I might not be remembering right.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

More or less confirms Joe's double meaning suggestion, on the Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 website, @Sayomara Vesper .