Oops! As you may have noticed, this post was accidentally published without its plot synopsis. Apologies! The synopsis has now been added.
Overall: 9.1
Straczynski's writing can be quite stilted, but we'll tell you one thing: he knows how to put together a real whiz-banger of a season closer. In the five seasons of Babylon 5, we can recall being disappointed with only one of the five finales - and Chrysalis is not the one. "And so it begins" indeed!
Lengthy plot synopsis and review below the cut.
Plot Synopsis:
As SABR Matt notes below, many things happen in this episode. Allow me, then, to break it all up into separate threads -
A Metamorphosis Begins: Delenn's crystal structure is nearly complete when she sends Lennier out with an inquiry for Kosh. Later, Lennier returns with Kosh's cryptic answer: "Yes." At this moment, the import of the reply is lost on us, but Delenn immediately stops what she's doing and rushes out of the room. When next we see her, she is visiting Kosh in his quarters. She tells Kosh that she has great doubts and needs to see with her own eyes whether what she has heard is true. Kosh's encounter suit opens; we don't see what Delenn sees, but it is clear that it has strengthened her resolve. "You will not see me again as I am now," Delenn says to Kosh before she leaves.
Delenn goes to see Sinclair and shows him the triluminary. "I believe you recognize this," she says. She asks him if he recalls what happened to him at the Battle of the Line, and Sinclair admits that he has begun to remember. Delenn tells Sinclair that she and he have much to discuss. Sinclair begs off - at that moment, he is occupied searching for Garibaldi (see below). Delenn urges Sinclair to come to her quarters at his earliest opportunity. "I don't have much time," she warns.
It takes a reminder from Kosh, however, for Sinclair to finally make his way to Delenn's quarters. By then, however, it's too late: Delenn has been encased in a chrysalis formed by the machine she has been building. Sinclair finds Lennier sadly keeping watch over Delenn. "She is changing," Lennier explains, though he has no idea what Delenn is becoming.
A Conspiracy Succeeds: One of Garibaldi's informants, meanwhile - a lurker by the name of Stephen Petrov - stumbles, mortally wounded, into the Zocalo gasping a mysterious warning - "They're going to kill him!" With this, Garibaldi immediately launches an investigation to discover what it was Petrov knew. This search first leads Garibaldi to Downbelow, where another lurker reveals that Petrov was hired to load cargo for a man named Devereaux, who is said to spend much of his time haunting the casino. "Whatever he saw - whatever he knew - scared him half to death," the lurker says of Petrov. Garibaldi next corners Devereaux in the casino, but Devereaux is distinctly unwilling to cooperate with security. He tells Garibaldi to quit poking around in things that are too big for him. Garibaldi collars Devereaux and escorts the man to security himself.
Later, however, Devereaux and his accomplices manage to escape from custody. Garibaldi leaves his New Year's dinner with Sinclair, Catherine, and Ivanova (a dinner at which Sinclair and Catherine announce their engagement) to find out what the hell happened. Ultimately, Garibaldi learns that some of Devereaux's cargo didn't make it off the station, and he heads over to the cargo bay to conduct a little inspection. There, he and his aide discover the pieces of a "poor man's jamming device" - and the transmitters are set to jam Earthforce One's Gold Channel frequency! Garibaldi realizes at once that it is President Santiago who is in danger, and he sends an emergency message to Sinclair. Before Garibaldi can meet with Sinclair, however, he is stopped by Devereaux, and the security aide shoots him in the back.
Desperate to warn someone about what is about to go down, Garibaldi drags himself into a transport tube. He is discovered by New Year's revelers in the Zocalo and rushed to the MedLab. Before Dr. Franklin puts him under, Garibaldi warns Sinclair that Devereaux and his associates are planning to assassinate the president off the transfer point on Io. Sinclair runs into the C&C and tries to get in contact with Earthforce One, but he is too late. On ISN, we see Earthforce One disintegrate in a ball of flame. Later, when President Santiago is confirmed dead, Vice President Clark (who, conveniently, was shuttled off Earthforce One due to a supposed viral infection) takes the oath of office. In his first speech, Clark promises to focus his attention on the needs of Earth (implication: screw everyone else).
And Fateful Choices Are Made: We're not done, folks! Even though our heads are spinning already thanks to the plots described above, Straczynski throws in yet one more crucial storyline. Said storyline begins at an Advisory Council meeting. At this meeting, Londo and G'Kar argue over the disputed Quadrant 37. Londo claims that this region is neutral territory, but G'Kar refuses to recognize the treaty that established Quadrant 37's neutral status, as he insists the treaty was signed under duress. G'Kar further adds that the Narn must maintain a military outpost in Quadrant 37 to ensure their planetary security. "Keep this up, G'Kar," Londo replies portentously, "and soon you won't have a planet to protect." G'Kar storms out of the chamber.
Later, Londo's is ordered by the Centauri government to give Quadrant 37 to Narn. His dismay is palpable as he unloads his frustrations on Vir. Then a communication comes in from Mr. Morden. Morden is eager to have a chat with Londo and arranges to catch up with Londo in the garden. When Londo and Morden finally meet, Londo tries to thank Morden for recovering the Eye (in Signs and Portents), but Morden brushes off Londo's gratitude. What Morden wants to talk about now is Quadrant 37, a problem he claims he and his associates can fix. Londo initially scoffs at Morden's offer, but eventually, he grimly decides to accept Morden's help.
Meanwhile, Sinclair tries to persuade G'Kar to compromise with the Centauri. "We're standing at a crossroads," Sinclair tells G'Kar, "and I don't like where we're going." He urges G'Kar to choose the path of reconciliation. G'Kar seems disturbed by Sinclair's words, but he refuses to back down from his position.
Later, the Narn outpost in Quadrant 37 is utterly decimated by the same spidery ships we saw in Signs and Portents. Ten thousand Narn are killed in the attack. G'Kar vows to find who is responsible (at this point, he doesn't suspect the Centauri, as he believes they "don't have the will"). Eventually, G'Kar leaves the station altogether to pursue a hunch back on Narn. In the meantime, Londo, horrified by what he has just unleashed, confronts Morden. Morden is annoyed by Londo's sudden loss of nerve and tells Londo to enjoy the new attention from Centauri Prime. Meep!
After all of the above transpires, it's hard not to agree with Sinclair when he laments that "nothing's the same anymore."
Stephanie S.'s Ratings:
Writing: 10.0
I'm mainly going to talk about Londo here. I'll leave it to my co-author to discuss the equally well-crafted assassination plot.
I've seen at least one reviewer (whom I respect) complain that Londo's actions here don't square with the ruthless political mastermind we see in later seasons - that if Londo were truly as astute as he is written later on, he would not have fallen for Morden's con job - but I believe this assessment rests on a failure to closely examine both how Straczynski lays the groundwork for Londo's choice (in this episode and in others) and how Londo really behaves in this episode. (It also fails to take into account that people learn from their life experiences, but I digress).
First of all, let us consider the season-long build up. In the pilot movie, number one, there is an interesting moment in which G'Kar blackmails Londo into voting his way. Right away, this sets up Londo as a representative of a once great - but now humbled - former empire. Then, in episode one, Midnight on the Firing Line, the Narn go all out and attack a defenseless Centauri outpost, embarrassing Londo's own nephew in the process. And what's worse, the Centauri government decides not to act at all to defend its colonists. A left liberal who believes in racial or national guilt might think the Centauri government's appeasement here was the right course to take - that the Centauri deserve to be utterly humiliated for their myriad sins - but I'm not a left liberal, and the abandonment of the peaceful inhabitants of Ragesh III strikes me as a terrible dereliction of duty on the part of Londo's government. If I feel that way, imagine how Londo, a committed patriot, must've felt. And it goes on. In Signs and Portents, our last feature, Londo is forced to buy a priceless Centauri artifact from glorified space pirates. And in this episode, Londo is ordered to reward the Narn again for their aggression, this time with a major territorial concession. In the meantime, Straczynski also peppers the first season with clues that the Narn government has been attacking other neighbors and taking slaves. And G'Kar explicitly states more than once that he would like to see all the Centauri destroyed regardless of each Centauri individual's personal guilt or lack thereof. So it's incorrect to characterize the Narn as victims of brutal colonizers who are simply "taking back what is theirs." Instead, as Sinclair rightly observes, the Narn have become (genocidal) bullies themselves. Now, by no means am I trying to argue that Londo does the right thing here or elsewhere - he doesn't - but his motivations seem pretty clear to me. From Londo's point of view, his government has been coercing him to bow and scrape repeatedly before what is, to Londo's mind, clearly a threatening power. For a patriot like Londo, such a situation is absolutely intolerable. In fact, a patriot like Londo might be willing to do anything to change it.
Now that I've explained Straczynski's truly fantastic set-up, I can examine how Londo behaves in this particular episode. How exactly does Londo enter into his deal with Morden? The answer: not entirely blindly. Allow me to direct your attention to the first scene between Londo and Morden in the garden maze (highlighted below). In particular, pay attention to how this scene ends. After Morden presents his offer to deal with the problem in Quadrant 37, Londo asks, significantly, what the price will be. Londo's question here clearly demonstrates his awareness, even at this point, that he's not going to get Morden's help for free. Now let's move on to the later scene with Vir (also highlighted below). When Londo announces to Vir that he will take care of Quadrant 37 himself - thereby indicating to the audience that he has decided to accept Morden's help - he doesn't do so lightly. It is, in reality, a very grim affair. We can see in Londo's face that he is troubled by his own decision but is determined to steel himself for the bloody business ahead. So why does Londo seem so shocked by the annihilation of the Narn outpost in Quadrant 37? Well, in the second scene in the garden maze (see below), the viewer should pay careful attention to Londo's face on the line "...I thought that you might find a way to protect our ships or-or cripple their forces..." To me, his expressions reveal a man who has built up a tenuous self-deception and is now seeing it come crashing down. It's like he doesn't even believe what he's saying. While Londo didn't know exactly what shape Morden's help would take, he knew all along that it wouldn't be benign. And yet Londo made the decision to join forces with Morden anyway - not because he isn't a politically astute man at this point - as I've shown, he is - but because the humiliation of the Centauri (see above) has become so painful to him that he's willing to risk damnation to stop it.
So with all due respect to the aforementioned reviewer, what I see here is not inconsistency, but a masterful bit of characterization. Hence my perfect writing score.
Acting: 8.0
A few of the extras could've done a better job. For example, the woman who screams when she sees Garibaldi unconscious in the transport tube doesn't sell her shock at all. I also think Jerry Doyle's gasping delivery of Garibaldi's warning is only okay. On the other hand, Michael O'Hare (in his last performance as a regular) and Claudia Christian's reactions to the destruction of Earthforce One are absolutely perfect. And while I haven't yet talked about G'Kar in detail, it should be said that the late Andreas Katsulas does a marvelous job conveying G'Kar's tragic stubbornness in the face of signs that doom is about to descend - signs that G'Kar clearly recognizes. The grim resolution that Andreas brings to G'Kar's scene with Sinclair (see the highlights), for example, is a perfect mirror of the somber determination Peter Jurasik brings to Londo's scene with Vir. One might think that those two actually planned that. And while we're on the subject of Peter Jurasik, the nuances I discuss above are just as much a function of Peter's performance as they are a function of Straczynski's writing.
Message: 9.5
First of all, let me just point out that Londo's scenes with Morden take place in a garden. The only way the Biblical symbolism could be any more overt is if Morden handed Londo an apple.
With that out of the way, I can now discuss G'Kar, because I think his role in this episode highlights the principal theme: that in visiting revenge upon someone who has wronged you, you are likely to bring destruction upon yourself. As noted above, G'Kar has all along been an enthusiastic proponent of genocide where the Centauri are concerned. Throughout the first season, he has watched the shaming of the Centauri Republic with relish; indeed, he has even helped to bring it about. He is, in short, consumed by his desire for vengeance. Now, a lot of critical focus has been trained on Londo's choice in this episode, but G'Kar is also presented with a choice - and he too fails the test. In the face of Sinclair's warning - a warning he obviously takes seriously - he chooses to risk destruction in the service of his blood lust. And we all know how that's going to turn out in the end: Narn will burn in part because of G'Kar's intransigence. G'Kar - like the Kalderash people in Buffy the Vampire Slayer - will soon learn the price of refusing to forgive.
SABR Matt's Ratings:
Writing: 9.0
I certainly agree with Steph's comments about the strong characterization focus in this episode (particularly when it comes to Londo, and sneakily, Vir - I love that Vir tried to keep Londo and Morden apart in his own little way - subtle moments like that are what writing is all about for me). I won't spend too much more time on that. I do have a few other comments re: the writing though. Ironically, she gives no attention to Delenn - whose plot arc is responsible for the episode's title - but I think it's worth pointing out that JMS is trying to accomplish about five really important things in one hour of television and doing a pretty darned good job of it. Sinclair needs to be prepared to move on to his diplomatic posting - to make it extra painful, he speaks of marriage, only ot have that part of his life stripped away (his destiny is one she can't share), we've already discussed what needs to happen with Londo and G'Kar, Delenn needs to begin her transformation so that she may serve her purpose to unite the Minbari and humanity, President Santiago needs to get assassinated while VP Clark is conveniently out of the fracas, and oh yes, the Vorlons and Shadows must begin their machinations of war. Got all of that? I do think, however, that despite the strengths in plot and characterization, the show still suffers from stretches of really clumsy dialogue...so I have to be a little less enthused than my co-author here.
That said, President Santiago's assassination plot may have been one of the best-executed thriller-style storylines JMS ever attempted - I find it ironic, considering his background in comic book writing, that Straczynski is so poor at writing sci-fi action! Most of his straight (stand-alone) action plots are either full of bizarre holes or deeply unsatisfying on some level to me. But this one incorporated suspense, made perfect use of ancillary characters (like Garibaldi's aid - the plant for Clark's takeover regime on B5), sprung legitimate surprises on the viewers (so that we could be gawking in disbelief just as Claudia Christian was), and left us ringing with a great desire to see what happens on Earth in coming seasons. The coming civil war is a favorite arc-sequence of mine more so than my co-author, so when we get to the fourth season, you're going to be seeing a lot from me on this front.
Acting: 8.0
Julia Nickson and Michael O'Hare have never had any chemistry at all...it's quite disturbing watching them attempt to play romance...*shudder*. Otherwise, I think the main cast was quite on the ball this week. Claudia Christian is, IMHO, quite underrated in general and in particular by my co-author (who is so distracted by her raging yen for Peter Jurasik that she doesn't often notice what goes on in the human cast...LOL...I kid because I care, Steph!). To her credit, Steph did manage to point out Ivanova's fantastic reaction to the explosion of Earth Force One. I actually think the scene between Sinclair, Ivanova, Garibaldi and Catherina in which Ivanova and Garibaldi are invited to be best man and maid of honor at the big wedding is a cute little highlight for Claudia as well. :) And despite my negative reaction to O'Hare and Nickson, I did enjoy O'Hare's interactions with Andreas Katsulas and with Mira Furlan.
Message: 10.0
It's not a new story. When a war goes on so long that neither side can remember the incident that was truly the FIRST cause of conflict - people tend to get entirely caught up in the emotion and filled with blank, meaningless hatred and the violence becomes a never-ending cycle. Someone has to learn to forgive or neither side will experience joy again. Neither Londo (a man blinded by pride and patriotism) nor G'Kar (a man blinded by fresh rage) is ready to forgive yet. If G'Kar had been willing to take a less aggressive posture, Londo might never have fallen into Shadows and million of Narn lives could have been spared. Although it is not a new story...it's still an important lesson - particularly since we as humans tend to forget it every time someone deals us a perceived slight.
There is another message, however, that earn this show high praise in my view. The assassination of Santiago and the installation of Clark (who begins his tenure by speaking of focusing on the needs of EARTH (i.e. crushing the rebellion on Mars)) is a cold warning. The kinds of men who can take over when a nation of people are ruled by fear and selfishness, rather than reason, are not at all likely to be skilled leaders. Sinclair knows it too...no good leader ever took power by assassinating the previous leader.
Highlights:
LONDO: Vir - how many gods are there in our pantheon? I've lost count since our last emperor was elevated to godhood.
VIR: Forty-eight... no-no, forty-nine. Fifty if you count Zoog, but, you know, I never thought you should...
LONDO: Alright, let's say fifty.
VIR: Fifty.
LONDO: Now out of those fifty, how many gods do you think I must've offended to have ended up with G'Kar's teeth buried so deeply in my throat that I can barely breathe?
VIR: All of them?
LONDO: Sounds right. (He gets up and starts to pace.) And now I have to go back to the Council and explain to them that, in the interest of peace, the Centauri government will agree to give Quadrant 37 to the Narns. (He sighs heavily.) I think I'll stick my head in the station's fusion reactor. It would be quicker - and I suspect after a while I might even come to enjoy it.
VIR: Ambassador, why don't you --
LONDO: (interrupting) But this - this is like being nibbled to death by, uh -- what are those Earth creatures called? Feathers, long bill, webbed feet, go quack?
VIR: (ever helpful) Cats.
LONDO: Cats. Like being nibbled to death by cats. (LOL! Not quite.)
MORDEN: Ambassador.
LONDO: Mr. Morden! You never gave me a chance to thank you after you rescued the Eye from those triple-damned raiders.
MORDEN: Unnecessary. I'm here to be of service, Ambassador. My associates believe that you are person of great potential trapped in a position where you skills are unseen and unappreciated. They'd like to change that.
LONDO: Yes, I have heard this before - and I have stopped listening. There comes a time when you look into the mirror and you realize that what you see is all that you will ever be. Then you accept it, or you kill yourself -- or you stop looking into mirrors. No - nothing can be changed. (Ouch. Londo's self-loathing is hardcore.)
MORDEN: Then nothing's lost by trying. You have a problem, Ambassador Mollari. Quadrant 37? We can fix it for you if you let us.
LONDO: A heavily guarded Narn military outpost - and you and your associates are going to fix it? For me? (Londo starts to laugh.) You have a very peculiar sense of humor.
MORDEN: Yes, I do. Tell you government that you will personally take care of Quadrant 37.
LONDO: They'll think I'm drunk - or insane.
MORDEN: Perhaps.
LONDO: And you don't want credit for this grand endeavor?
MORDEN: No. We're simply here to help. Good day, Ambassador.
LONDO: Mr. Morden, if I may ask: what is the price for this "help"? (Your own damnation and the decimation of two worlds - oh, wait. He's not going to say that. Instead, he's going to say:)
MORDEN: (mildly) No price, Ambassador. But at some point in the future - if we deliver on our promises - we may come to you and ask for a favor. That's all. (Oh, that's all, is it? You liar.)
VIR: Ah, Ambassador, we've just had a message from Centauri Prime. They want to know if you've relayed their decision to the Advisory Council.
LONDO: No. No, I haven't. And I'm not going to.
VIR: (with irony) Ah. That should go over well.
LONDO: Send a reply to Homeworld. Tell them -- tell them that I will personally take care of the problem in Quadrant 37.
VIR: All right, I -- WHAT?
LONDO: (annoyed) Is there something wrong with your hearing?
VIR: No, it's just for a moment I thought I'd entered some sort of alternate universe or such -- Ambassador, are you sure you're feeling all right?
LONDO: (grimly) Vir, I am quite sober. (Gulp! Yes, you are. You don't know everything yet, but you already know enough to feel uneasy about what you're doing. If only you'd listen to that little voice inside your heart, Londo!)
G'KAR: Ah, Sinclair! What a joy to see you again! What can I do for you?
SINCLAIR: You can start by giving the Centauri some room to maneuver.
G'KAR: (lightly) Ah, back to that again, are we? As far as I'm concerned, this is a dead issue. We have to keep pushing forward.
SINCLAIR: G'Kar, you once told me that before the Centauri came, Narn was an agrarian world - a peaceful world. In order to be free, you had to learn to fight. No one questions that. But you've over-compensated. You're like abused children who've grown big enough to do the same thing to someone else - as if that will somehow balance the scales. It won't. If you let your anger cloud your judgment, it'll destroy you. (He said presciently.)
G'KAR: (more solemn now) We know what we're doing. Anything else, Commander?
SINCLAIR: Just that I've had this feeling lately -- that we're standing at a crossroads. And I don't like where we're going. But there's still time to choose another path. You can be part of that process, G'Kar. Choose wisely - not just for the Centauri, but for the good of your own people as well.
G'KAR: We all do what we have to. (A beat.) It's late. Please go now. (As I said, G'Kar can be just as frustrating as Londo in these early episodes. It's clear he understands and takes to heart what Sinclair is saying here, but he just can't bring himself to act on it. It's enough to make you want to pull out your own hair.)
(Garibaldi opens one of the boxes in Devereaux's stranded cargo. He finds a transmitter.)
GARIBALDI: Medical supplies? I don't think so. (He opens another box and finds an identical transmitter.) Look like some kind of transmitters. (He looks at the bottom of both transmitters.) That's weird. They're set to broadcast static. They're powerful enough to flood whatever channel they're using - blank it out, like sort of a poor man's jamming device. (He opens yet another box and finds another gizmo.)
AIDE: What's that?
GARIBALDI: Some kind of triangulation device. Helps determine the optimum placement for the transmitters. Location is set for -- (He reads.) -- 001 by 5 by 9. That would put it just off the transfer point on Io. What's the frequency on that transmitter?
AIDE: Uh... I can't make it out.
GARIBALDI: Here, let me see that. (Garibaldi looks at the bottom of the transmitter again and reads off the number.) 1-0-1-0-1-0-5. (He thinks.) That's the Gold Channel frequency for Earthforce One. Why would someone want to jam the president's...? (Then the terrible realization dawns for Garibaldi and for the audience.) Oh my God. (He activates his link.) Garibaldi to Sinclair!
SINCLAIR, on link: Sinclair here.
GARIBALDI: Commander, we've got a problem! Ultra-violet priority! Meet me in the briefing room in twenty minutes!
SINCLAIR, on link: What is it?
GARIBALDI: Not over the link. I'll tell you when I see you. (He closes the channel and turns to the aide.) Guard those boxes with your life. Don't let anything happen to them!
AIDE: Will do.
(Garibaldi runs out of the bay. The aide then activates his link.)
AIDE: This is Blue Alpha. Stand by.
(Out in the corridor, Garibaldi runs into Devereaux and his thugs.)
DEVEREAUX: I told you not to poke around in things that are too big for you.
GARIBALDI: (brandishing his PPG) Yeah, well, it's a little late for that. Up against the wall.
DEVEREAUX: I think not.
(And Garibaldi is shot in the back by his aide. MEEEEEEEEEP!)
GARIBALDI: (ripping the oxygen mask off his face) Command - Commander -
SINCLAIR: It's alright, Michael. I'm here. You'll be okay.
GARIBALDI: - got to -
SINCLAIR: Lie still.
GARIBALDI: - no - they're going to - going to kill the president - at the transfer point on Io. Warn! Warn!
(Later, in the C&C.)
ISN REPORTER on screen: As Earthforce One moves into position silhouetted against the surface of Jupiter, it's a sight guaranteed to impress voters.
SINCLAIR: (rushing in) Have you gotten through to Earthforce One yet?
IVANOVA: Conventional channels are being jammed. Started about five minutes ago.
SINCLAIR: What about the Gold Channels?
IVANOVA: The same. They're jamming all military transmissions around Jupiter.
SINCLAIR: Reroute to civilian channels!
CREW MEMBER: Rerouting.
SINCLAIR: Get Earth Central online!
IVANOVA: All I'm getting is a recorded message from the tachyon relay station on Proxima.
SINCLAIR: Are we still getting the ISN feed?
CREW MEMBER: Yes, sir.
SINCLAIR: Put it on screen and keep working on the civilian channels. If we can get through to ISN, maybe they can warn them.
IVANOVA: There it is.
ISN REPORTER on screen: It is our understanding that the president was scheduled to begin his New Year's Day speech ten minutes ago. So far there's been no word from Earthforce One on the reason for the delay. According to sources in Earthdome, the speech is expected to contain -- just a minute. We're picking up an emergency signal now.
(On screen, Earthforce One begins to come apart. As it falls toward Io, it explodes, fragments of the ship flying in all directions. In the C&C, we hear some of the crew members gasp. Sinclair and Ivanova are utterly speechless.)
ISN REPORTER on screen: Are - are we still on the air? (A long pause.) Station Io is dispatching hospital ships, but it doesn't seem possible --
SINCLAIR: Shut it off.
ISN REPORTER on screen: -- that anyone could've survived that kind of explosion --
SINCLAIR: Shut it off. (One of the most effective sequences in the entire series by far.)
MORDEN: Ambassador, you wanted to see me?
LONDO: Yes. What have you done?
MORDEN: Only what you asked me to do. You had a problem with Quadrant 37, we took care of it for you.
LONDO: Yes, but you killed ten thousand Narns!
MORDEN: (annoyed) I didn't know you cared. Ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million - what's the difference? They're Narns, Ambassador - your sworn enemy.
LONDO: Yes, I know, but I didn't think -- I thought that you might find a way to protect our ships or-or cripple their forces, not --
(Morden shushes Londo. A few people walk by.)
MORDEN: Ambassador, your name is being spoken at the highest levels of the Centauri government. They don't know how you did it. They don't care. They credit you with saving them from another embarrassment without creating a war in the process. They've noticed you, Ambassador - which was the point of the exercise. I hear they have great plans for you.
LONDO: Yes, but ten thousand in cold blood?
MORDEN: Ambassador, you're a hero. Enjoy it. (AIEEEEEE.)
SINCLAIR: Lennier?
LENNIER: You're too late.
(Sinclair approaches Delenn's chrysalis, mystified.)
SINCLAIR: What...? What is it?
LENNIER: A chrysalis. She is... changing.
SINCLAIR: Into what?
LENNIER: I don't know. (If I recall correctly, some people were expecting butterfly wings or something. LOL.)
G'KAR on screen: Na'Toth - by the time you get this message, I will be gone. I have certain suspicions about the attack on Quadrant 37. I'm taking the first transport back to Homeworld. You will not be able to contact me. I will contact you. (A beat.) And, uh, one more thing: tell the commander... he was right. We were at a crossroads - and there is no going back.
(In MedLab.)
LONDO: (referring to Garibaldi) How is he?
IVANOVA: They're still operating. It's taking longer than expected.
LONDO: Well, if you don't mind, I would like to wait with you. He is an annoying man, but... I would miss him if he... (And Straczynski brings back Londo's sympathetic side just to twist the knife. The bastard.)
(Morden meditates in an empty room. Two Shadows appear, though they are slightly out of phase.)
MORDEN: Yes. I think he's ready. He's perfect for our needs.
(The Shadows speak.)
MORDEN: No.
(More Shadow sounds.)
MORDEN: No. He suspects nothing. When the time is right, Ambassador Mollari will do exactly as we wish. Destiny is on our side. (I'll say again - AIEEEEEE!)
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