B5 Rewatch: "The Coming of Shadows"

[icepixie]

The Coming of Shadows
My original reaction. Sadly, I never did teach a class on dramatic irony, so I never got to show this episode. But it would've been an EXCELLENT example.

It's weird--the first time through, everything about this episode was so immediate, and I was on the edge of my seat even though I had a shadowy idea of what was to come (see what I did there?). This time, I was much more detached, because I was busy going, "Oh, this connects to that! And that with this other thing! And this thing is totally referencing that thing that happened last season!"

Like Kosh's "[This will end] in fire." Well, yes. Four years later. And he casts a prophetic shadow over the Centauri emperor, because the Shadows and Vorlons are not so different as they would have us believe. (This time I caught the emperor noting that none of their expeditions to Vorlon space had ever returned. Hmmmmmmm.)

We also get the first mention of the Rangers, whom Sinclair describes as even more Tolkieny than I remembered, which is an achievement.

And Londo. Londo, Londo, Londo. Like rivendellrose says, this is the episode where he really can't go back. He had a choice (Vir was right about that), he made it, and now the consequences are pretty much going to last for the rest of the show. Too bad his dream didn't come a little earlier--obviously he wanted to stop the assault.

G'Kar and the emperor, on the other hand, also make choices, but get them snatched away at the last minute. Perhaps it's important to think you don't have a choice?

I feel like I should have more serious things to say about this episode, but there's not much left--it is its fantastic self, and I can do little but point and say, "Look! Fantasticness!" So I'll go with less srs bzns:

- Maybe Ivanova really just likes Centauri parties for the food? She was very interested in the buffet table at the reception for the emperor. *g*

- The Centauri Empire's government really, REALLY reminds me of Barrayar's. There's the backstabbing and plotting and strategy, court figures with more power than the monarch, the emperor getting to make very few choices of his own, and oh yes, we'll have a Mad Emperor Yuri in a couple of seasons.

- Is it canon that hair height indicates status for Centauri males? I got that impression from this episode. I'm also curious if they all wear wigs, as the emperor does. I don't think Londo's is a wig, but I'm not totally sure. (Obviously it's not Peter Jurasik's hair, but it might be supposed to be Londo's.)

Comments

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

That scene with G'Kar and Londo, I just... *Flails incoherently* I just love it so much! It's so horrible and painful and wonderful and fantastic! It kills me dead. And you're right, it is dramatic irony packaged up neatly in a lovely little sci-fi box - it's perfect. Because we know, and Londo knows, but G'Kar is so utterly clueless and just... aahhhhhh, it just drives me crazy how awesome that scene is. ♥♥♥

We also get the first mention of the Rangers, whom Sinclair describes as even more Tolkieny than I remembered, which is an achievement.

It's kind of impressive, isn't it? I remembered that they were very Tolkieny, of course, but... really, the green stones even? Seriously? And yet he still swears it wasn't borrowed or homage or anything at all? Puh-leeeeeease.

Is it canon that hair height indicates status for Centauri males?

I don't think it's ever actually been stated outright, but it definitely seems to be implied (although, judging from Londo early on, it's entirely possible for a person to ape a style far more high-status than his actual status). It's sort of on the level with the differences in the Minbari head-crests (in terms of the difference between Warrior and Religious, male and female) - there, but never really explained in detail in canon. ...And we don't talk about the nutball makeup artist who said that Minbari women carve theirs because that's just fucking stupid. And also insane. Ahem. Not like I have strong opinions about the Minbari and their head-crests or anything.