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

Overview

Londo suffers a serious heart attack and must face his greatest fear to survive. Lennier decides to start training as a Ranger.

P5 Rating: 8.52

Production number: 503
Original air date: January 28, 1998

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Plot Points

• Citing discomfort with his personal situation now that Delenn and Sheridan are married, as well as a desire to fill the void left by Marcus' death, Lennier has left the station to train as a Ranger. He promises he'll return from time to time.
• Ever since he started dreaming of his own death, Londo has felt somehow that Sheridan would be nearby at the end. He doesn't appear to know the details of Sheridan's presence ("War Without End, part 2.")
• Londo has apologized to G'Kar for all his past misdeeds. It's the first time, he claims, that he's apologized for anything in his life.
• Londo's first wife was a dancer, as he mentioned to Garibaldi in "A Voice in the Wilderness, part 1.") His family later forced him to divorce her; they claimed she wasn't of a high enough social class and threatened to strip him of his inheritance if he didn't obey.

Unanswered Questions

• Was G'Kar aware of Londo's dream? Was G'Kar's in-dream suggestion that he was a projection left over from their telepathic contact ("Dust to Dust") at all true?
• Was Lennier truly following the calling of his heart as he claimed, or was he simply running away as Sheridan conjectured?

Analysis

• How did Londo know about Sheridan's limited lifespan? Why would Sheridan (or Delenn) have told him about it?

  If it's common knowledge, then Lennier probably knows too. What influence did that knowledge have on his decision to leave? He as much as said that he wanted to become a Ranger so he'd be more attractive to Delenn; does he believe that by becoming a warrior like Sheridan, he'll be able to take Sheridan's place at Delenn's side in twenty years?

• During his conversation with Londo, Sheridan's clothing changed several times, in line with his changes of uniform over the course of the show: first he wore an Earthforce uniform, then a shirt with no coat ("Severed Dreams.") Then he wore his Army of Light uniform ("Ceremonies of Light and Dark.") Next, he was dressed in the robes of the Entil'zha, just like Sinclair's garb in "War Without End." Finally, he was dressed in a simple white robe and hood like that of a Minbari acolyte, before he turned into a ball of light similar to the million-years-hence Ranger in "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars."

  Londo's dreams can be prophetic at least some of the time, the obvious example being the dream of his death. If this one can be taken literally, the implication is that Sheridan will be the next Entil'zha. That's consistent with Zathras' claim that he is "The One who will be" ("War Without End, part 2.")

  The meaning of the white robe is less clear; perhaps after he heads the Rangers he will turn his attention to Minbari spiritualism. It's worth noting that Delenn wore a similar robe during the rebirth ceremony in "The Parliament of Dreams," during the funeral ceremony in "Legacies," and after her transformation in "Revelations." Dukhat wore a similar robe in "Atonement." That last reference may be the most significant when considered in light of Delenn leaving the center space in the Grey Council open for "the one who is to come" ("Moments of Transition.")

  The robe, it should also be noted, shielded most of Sheridan's head from view. Could that be a trick similar to showing Delenn's arm in "Babylon Squared?" Will Sheridan, late in life, transform into a Minbari-human hybrid, possibly to cement his role as Dukhat's successor?

  The ball of light may be related to whatever event will lead to the legend (in "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars") that he was carried bodily into heaven after his death -- perhaps Lorien, a ball of light in his own right, will return and take Sheridan. Or perhaps there's still part of Lorien remaining in Sheridan, and it's that part that will depart when Sheridan's body dies.

• Once again the theme of finding something to live for is in evidence; it's a recurring one most strongly in evidence in "Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi," in which Lorien told Sheridan that something to live for was required if he was to continue living at all. The most relevant previous appearance of the theme, though, was in "Shadow Dancing." Dr. Franklin had similar near-death visions that caused him to reexamine his past and gave him the determination to live in order to correct past mistakes, a closer analog to Londo's experience than what Sheridan went through.

• Londo said he had never apologized for anything in his life, presumably referring to serious apologies rather than off-the-cuff conversational remarks. If that was because he was afraid to face the fact that he'd done great harm in the past, apologizing might count as facing his greatest fear, his last chance for redemption as prophesied by Lady Morella ("Point of No Return.") Of course, she was more likely referring to allowing himself to be strangled by G'Kar, since his next-to-last chance was to not kill the one who is already dead -- quite likely a reference to letting Sheridan go as he'll do in his final moments ("War Without End, part 2.")

• Lennier's decision to join the Rangers may have other aspects in addition to the ones mentioned in the episode. For example, he may feel personally responsible for Marcus' death, since he was the one who inadvertently led Marcus to discover the existence of the alien healing device ("Endgame.")

• Both Lennier and Londo followed the callings of their hearts in this episode, though Londo's heart was rather more emphatic about it.

Notes

• Londo's taste for fine bravari was first established in "Knives."

• Londo has apologized seriously twice before. First he apologized to Garibaldi for casting his vote against Sinclair in "The Gathering." The second time, he reluctantly apologized to Elric for recording their conversation in "The Geometry of Shadows." He has also apologized in casual conversation (e.g. telling Vir he was sorry to call so late in "The Hour of the Wolf") though he likely doesn't consider those to be true apologies.

• Lennier and Vir first sat together at the bar in "The Fall of Night," and according to that episode, it was a regular weekly event.

• Vir drank a Shirley Temple at the bar. Shirley Temple was a child film star, but a more subtle reference is that she later served as the U.S. ambassador to several countries.

• Vir said goodbye to Lennier using the Minbari hand sign (fingers and thumbs touching to form a triangle.) Presumably he learned that during his time as the Centauri ambassador to Minbar.

• An old Centauri story says that sometimes an angelic soul can be trapped inside a body that's done great evil, and can kill its host in an effort to break free and inhabit another body.

• The title of this script is similar to an earlier story, "The Very Long Night of Susan Ivanova," which was never produced.

• Medical gaffe: When Franklin described Centauri anatomy to Sheridan, he said they had a "bipulmonary system," clearly intended to mean that they had two hearts. But in medical jargon, "pulmonary" refers to the lungs, not the heart. A term like "bicardial" would have been correct.

• Medical gaffe: Franklin ordered a "toxology report" on Londo. Though it's a common mistake, he meant "toxicology." Toxology is the study of the bow (as in bows and arrows.)

jms speaks

• Is this the same story as "The Very Long Night of Susan Ivanova?
  No, just that since I ain't doing that story, the title became available, and it was most apt for this episode.

• Nothing like this was planned for Susan; I just liked the title and adjusted it.

• Was the lighting changed for the transition between Vir entering the transport tube and Londo emerging in the hall?
  We did the light change, and enhanced it further in post.

  How was the cameraman holding the camera during the rest of that scene?
  We attached the camera to his body.

  Was the single unbroken shot the director's idea?
  It was in the script.

• Is Bill Mumy off the show?
  Bill is still on the show; there's a bit of a break as his character is off on anla-shok training, but he does come back, and in fact has a rather substantial arc of his own at a certain point later in the season.

• G'Kar's artificial eye isn't red yet. Did the actor not want to wear the contact?
  No, the contact omission was kept because of the story and the character; it'll be dealt with down the line in more detail, but for now, that's why it's there.

• How did Londo know about Sheridan's shortened lifespan?
  It's common knowledge within the inner circle of the Alliance advisory board.

• Are Sheridan's last two outfits a preview of things to come in season five?
  Could be....

• Re: the idea that Londo has "apologized" before....

  Remember G'Kar's comment: that in other circumstances, Londo wasn't sorry he DID it, he was sorry he got CAUGHT. That was the point of the exercise.

• We're slowly bringing Londo full-circle, and what an odd little voyage it's been. And so much sadness yet to come.

• He can learn, yes, and he can better himself...but because of his actions, so many have died, so much grief has occured, that perhaps no amount of self-revelation can cover the blood on the floor.

  There's an excellent moment in the Night Gallery movie, where a prison camp commandant has fled to Brazil and, years later, is trying to live out his life in peace, realizes that mistakes were made, is actually trying to find a better life...but as one man dies at his hands says, "You have hung too many Christs on crosses for any god to forgive you."

• Could Delenn have stopped the Rangers from accepting Lennier?
  Yes, she could have...but it would have devastated him and undermined the Ranger structure.

Last update: June 22, 1998