Sheridan needs a victory. Kosh gives him one, but there is a price to be paid.
(Originally aired on May 6, 1996)
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jesus Trevino
GUEST STARS
Jennifer Balgobin – Dr. Lilian Hobbs
Rance Howard – "David Sheridan"
Jan Rabson – Vendor
Ed Wasser – Morden
ANALYSIS
Kosh’s swan song closes out one of Babylon 5’ s triumphs: the first completely alien character in televised science fiction. He is nothing but a costume, a voice, and some words, and people still care when he dies.
Of course, JMS plays the Kosh card a little differently than usual here. Instead of appearing for a few cryptic lines, the Vorlon carries on two extended conversations with Sheridan and even takes on a human face.
Is this a cheat? Not really. JMS is pulling out all the stops in this episode, but he is playing the same melody louder. This is just more of the Kosh we know.
During Sheridan’s confrontation with Kosh, the camera stays in close, showing us every movement the encounter suit makes. We’ve seen these movements in previous episodes, and now we can recognize them as Kosh’s expressions. Experienced viewers can read the Vorlon’s "face" as easily as they can read Sheridan’s.
(It helps that Kosh is really, really angry.)
I’m ready for my close-up
Taking on David Sheridan’s face for a deathbed speech is a little trickier. The scene ducks one of the emotional limitations of costume-and-voice characters, but it also shows off some of Straczynski’s most artful writing.
Sheridan’s relationship with his father has been set up for weeks. We’ve been introduced to the character, and we understand the warm feelings between them. That keeps the image from being arbitrary.
We’ve also seen Kosh acting in a paternal role. It’s set up in the confrontation scene, of course, but we also saw Kosh playing G’Kar’s father in "
". The foreshadowing makes the scene believable, almost inevitable.
What makes the scene brilliant, though, is that JMS is already setting up something new. The "rebellious son" and "death of the father" scenes aren’t just emotional moments, they’re the first hints of the end of the Shadow War.
Even if you don’t know what’s coming, you can’t watch without starting to wonder, "What do the Vorlons and the Shadows really want?" The story train stops for just a moment of reflection, then begins pulling us forward again.
Past preparation, present emotion, hints for the future. This is one of those moments when everything comes together and lightning gets caught in the bottle.
COMING UP NEXT
"War Without End Part 1"
A note to yourself
Instructs from experience
Don’t forget to write.
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