Mark Watches ‘Babylon 5’: S02E16 – In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum

In the sixteenth episode of the second season of Babylon 5, WHY HAVE YOU HURT ME THIS WAY. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Babylon 5. 

What do I even say I’VE EMBARRASSED MYSELF SO BADLY.

The Night Watch

Well, not as cool as that other Night Watch that I got to write about, unfortunately. Y’all, I do not trust Pierce Macabee, and I do not trust this newly-formed Ministry of Peace. Because over the course of this entire episode, and in spite of the fact that Macabee gave a whole-ass explanation of what the Ministry of Peace is, HE DIDN’T ACTUALLY TELL US WHAT THEY DID. So, people are just supposed to report others for having thoughts/actions/words/behaviors that lead to a breakdown of peace? That is suspiciously vague, y’all. That’s some 1984 bullshit. Is this literally the Thought Police? And I know that term has been wildly misappropriated these days, but in this context, that’s what this feels like. Exactly what does the Ministry of Peace do once someone is reported? Are they aware of the creepy history of armbands??? I DON’T LIKE THIS.

Vir

I’m going to devote the majority of this review to Sheridan and his discovery, but I needed to take a moment to openly acknowledge something else: Vir. Vir, who already got a lot more interesting to me in this week’s batch of episode, delivers perhaps one of the most brutal insults this show will probably ever have. I don’t know how anyone can top this. I deeply, DEEPLY respect that Vir answered Morden’s creepy question by saying that he wanted to be there WHEN MORDEN’S HEAD WAS IMPALED ON A PIKE. I just!!!! This is the revolutionary action we need!!! Okay, yes, it might be, but it’s also important to note that even though Vir says this and makes his distaste known, he doesn’t help Sheridan at all. He still does his job and is loyal to both Morden and Londo. So much for the sentiment. 

The Icarus

Wow, the name of that ship really is spot-on for this journey, isn’t it? Except Sheridan didn’t fly too close to the sun in this episode; he flew too close to the darkness. Look, I’m still reeling from what Sheridan learns about his wife’s ship, about Morden’s survival, and about the epic, ancient war that has played out throughout time. For a while, though, I had another theory percolating in my mind that I vocalized on video. I became increasingly worried that Sheridan was not right, that Morden was actually telling the truth as best as he could. What if he really was the only survivor and his story was right… at least up to the moment when the Shadows recruited him. Thus, this entire attempt was pointless; Sheridan wasn’t going to get the truth he wanted. 

Instead, Babylon 5 goes to a much, much darker place. We get confirmation that Morden is PERPETUALLY SURROUNDED BY THE SHADOWS. They are already here!!!! Oh my god, that one reveal alone made me want to curl up, and it also made me want to re-watch all of Morden’s prior scenes with the knowledge that the Shadows are RIGHT THERE next to him. But this is just one part of a greater nightmare, one that multiple episodes have been hinting at since the beginning of this show. I know I still don’t have all the pieces, but this massive chunk of mythology is enough to let me know that Babylon 5 is going to be EVEN DARKER THAN I EXPECTED.

And it isn’t a coincidence that this happens amidst a massive influx of Narn refugees to the station. The war that Londo helped start by allying with the Shadows has had horrific consequences for these people, and it continues to get worse. I’m happy that the Babylon 5 staff are taking on the burden of helping them without any real hesitation, despite that it’s taking a toll on them. (I’m worried about Dr. Franklin’s lack of sleep and food, though. That’s a LONG time to go without sleep or a meal.) But this is all a precursor; it’s a symptom; it’s an omen. These refugees are only the start of something worse. What if the Centauri win their war? What happens when the Shadows are ready to come out of hiding? Will they destroy the Centauri, too, no longer needing them? 

I don’t know. But when Delenn and Kosh finally reveal more of the history to Sheridan, it’s clear he’s now involved in something that puts him in way, way over his head. It’s a war that’s spanned such an absurd, inconceivable length of time, fought between ancient races that were thought to have disappeared. It’s hard to wrap your mind around all this when you think about how “In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum” started off as a mystery about the death of Sheridan’s wife, Anna. Where does it end?

Well, for starters: the Icarus accidentally found one of the Shadows on Z’ha’dum and woke it up. And unless there was another survivor, then that means everyone but Morden was murdered because they wouldn’t choose to serve the Shadows. So, we can infer from this that he’s become a representative of sorts of the Shadows. Why him? Why use him in the way that the Shadows do? Well, that’s not important as of yet; the confirmation is all we need, and it’s all Sheridan needs to know how serious this is. 

Oh, and then there’s that casual reveal that AMBASSADOR KOSH IS ONE OF THE FIRST ONES. Hi, hello plot thread first introduced in THE MOVIE THAT STARTED ALL OF THIS. Oh my god, I wasn’t ready for this reveal either? And with all of the other First Ones dead or gone, that means that this war is gonna be REAL fucked up. Look, we’ve already seen just how destructive the Shadows can be. What will happen when they come out full force? What’s that going to look like?

Thus, Sheridan is left with a horrible, horrible secret. It’s given a real-world parallel in Churchill and the bombing of Coventry in 1940. (Did that actually happen? I’ve heard of it before, but I can’t recall if all the details are true or if it’s been mythologized a bit since the war ended.) Sheridan knows what G’Kar spoke of, he knows the real stakes, and yet? He can’t tell anyone, even if it means saving people. If they show their hand too early, the Shadows will strike, and it’ll all be over. Billions will die. 

Oh my god, this show is so HAUNTING. Why are you all doing this to me???

The video for “In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum” can be downloaded here for $0.99.

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