Garibaldi recognizes Mr. Morden from the records of the Icarus, but he’s dead, isn’t he? Once you ask a question, fear the answers the Vorlon gives you. Meantime, black armbands become all the rage.

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David J. Eagle

What I Really, Really Want

MORDEN: What do you want? VIR: I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favorscome with too high a price. I would look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this.

SHERIDAN: I want you to teach me how to fight [the Shadows], how to beat them because sooner or later I'm going to Z'ha'dum, and I'm going to stop them.    More Stories The Name of the Place: SPACE.com's Babylon 5 Nexus Babylon 5 - 'And Now For a Word' Babylon 5 - 'There All the Honor Lies' Babylon 5 - 'Hunter, Prey'    Related Links SPACE.com's television coverage Babylon 5 The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 KOSH: If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die. SHERIDAN: Then I die. But I will not go down easily, and I will not go down alone.

ZACK: How many lives is a secret worth?

GUEST STARS

Jeff Conaway -- Zack Allen
Alex Hyde-White -- Pierce Macabee
Ed Wasser -- Morden

"Shadow of Z'ha'dum" was intended to air after "Knives", but the episodes were switched in the original airing schedule due to a delay in the effects.

WATCH OUT FOR

* Newspeak. "Ministry of Peace" is one of the expressions George Orwell coined in his dystopian novel 1984 . Its use here echoes just what kind of president Clark happens to be.

* A star is born? Although this is Ed Wasser’s fourth appearance as Mr. Morden, this is the first time that he is listed in the opening credits.

ANALYSIS

Yes, this is an episode about obsession, about the dark side of seeking truths and finding answers. Here, John Sheridan is a man possessed. He makes a choice, and it changes him.

But let’s look at those around him, as well.

Ivanova catches him this time, but it won't be so easy in the future, when his only hope of redemption will be to go on walkabout.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi acts to satisfy the needs of his conscience. He's willing to go only so far outside the lines, and holding Morden without cause is too much.

As a result, we see him in civilian clothes, stripped of his rank for the second time in the series so far. We’ll see this happen again and again, first when Nightwatch removes the "disloyal" Garibaldi, and then in the fourth season when Bester forces him to challenge Sheridan.

Waiting in the wings is Zack Allen, who will succeed Garibaldi each time the Chief steps down.

While Zack knows the score, he’s got a lower set of standards than Garibaldi -- here we see him willing to accept Nightwatch’s money. He should have learned something from what Vir told Morden about "favors with high prices."

COMING UP NEXT

"Knives"

Old friend wants to fight.
Protect my people, Londo.
Markab start to drop.