[B5JMS] A late arc question (for JMS or others)

[b5jms-admin at cs.columbia.edu]

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From: "BAMMFrazer" <BAMMFrazer at att.net>
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 02:56:56 GMT
Lines: 37

*Spoilers for those who have yet to watch all 5 seasons*
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Ok, so I was watching my old worn out VHS of War Without End the other day,
and it raised a question for me about the whole Londo/Centauri Prime plot.

I have not yet read the Centauri book trilogy, so if the answer is there -
apologies - and would someone be so kind as to fill me in?

Anyway, here is my dilemma: Given Sheridan's knowledge of the future from
this episode, how is it that he is unable to put two-and-two together in
Season 5 when it is learned that the Centauri are behind the attacks on
Alliance ships AND that left-over Shadow technology is involved? How come he
was unable to realize that the future he saw 3 years ago was now beginning
to take place? Why wasn't a force sent right then and there, to drive away
the "dark servants of the shadows" that Londo spoke of in the WWE
time-flash?

Ok, granted, there was an awful lot going on at the time, so maybe Sheridan
could not deal with the Drakh then - but did it really need to take 17
years - until David became involved (presumably via that urn) - for Sheridan
to get his act together and do something about the Centauri?

Anyone have an answer? Did I miss something along the way that explains
this? Maybe I should go read those 3 books now! :)

Thanks.



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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 19 Jan 2003 08:53:46 GMT
Lines: 34

>Given Sheridan's knowledge of the future from
>this episode, how is it that he is unable to put two-and-two together in
>Season 5 when it is learned that the Centauri are behind the attacks on
>Alliance ships AND that left-over Shadow technology is involved? How come he
>was unable to realize that the future he saw 3 years ago was now beginning
>to take place? Why wasn't a force sent right then and there, to drive away
>the "dark servants of the shadows" that Londo spoke of in the WWE
>time-flash?

First and foremost, he had actually very little information to go on; the
viewers have more, and that's where it can get confusing as to why he doesn't
act upon return.  Our knowing isn't the same as his knowing.

That flash took place 20 years down the road.  How does that tell him the
Shadows are there now, 20 years in the past?  They could have come within the
last 10 years, for all Sheridan knows.  The Cenauri have always been an
aggressive race, they were aggressive even before the Shadows, there's no
direct tie there.  Nor is there any tie in what Londo says to Sheridan and the
attacks on Alliance ships in the present, 20 years earlier.  He can't connect
all the dots because all the dots aren't there.  

The notion of the audience having information that the characters don't is key
to a lot of Greek tragedy, and that's kind of the mode I was going for here.

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
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