History Recap / BabylonFiveS02E21ComesTheInquisitor

** G'Kar has one that will only become clear when In The Beginning is released; he was indeed personally in charge of weapons sales to Earth during the Earth-Minbari war and was very happy then to sell a desperate Earth as many weapons as they wanted ... *and* to make the point they were going to have to pay through the nose for them. He is rather less smug at a sellers market with the shoe on the other foot.

* HeroicSacrifice: Both Sheridan and Delenn are willing to sacrifice everything they have -- including themselves -- to save the other.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: G'Kar rejects Vir's apology in this episode because Vir's apologies could not make up for the many dead. Vir would [[Recap/BabylonFiveS03E12SicTransitVir eventually find his own way to make things better]]. G'Kar himself will later learn forgiveness isn't about the dead, it's about the living and those yet to be, and [[Recap/BabylonFiveS05E18TheFallOfCentauriPrime while the Narn as a whole may never forgive the Centauri as a whole]], ''a'' Narn can forgive ''a'' Centauri.
** In their introduction, Sebastian makes a fleeting comment to Sheridan about how immorality still thrives. It's a hint to the reveal of who he [[UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper really is]] later on.
*** This is also the only hint the audience get that the Vorlons' sense of morality is - to say the least - somewhat more complex than human notions of "good".

* {{Irony}}: Sebastian notes that the Vorlons showed him the error of his ways, and wishes Sheridan better luck in his 'holy cause'. However, while Sebastian will forever be remembered not as a hero but only as 'Jack', the Ripper murders ''did'' actually have some positive outcomes, causing social reform movements and a considerable shakeup in the Metropolitan police.
** Then again, "Sebastian" did inspire a long stream of serial killers, among other many evils.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: G'Kar rejects Vir's apology in this episode because Vir's apologies could not make up for the many dead. Vir would [[Recap/BabylonFiveS03E12SicTransitVir eventually find his own way to make things better]]. G'Kar himself will later learn forgiveness isn't about the dead, it's about the living and those yet to be, and [[Recap/BabylonFiveS05E18TheFallOfCentauriPrime while the Narn as whole may never forgive the Centauri as a whole]], ''a'' Narn can forgive ''a'' Centauri.

* BrokenTears: In G'kar and Vir's transport tube scene. As each drop of his blood falls, G'kar's eyes water amid TranquilFury. Vir is so overwhelmed with guilt with what his people had done that he experiences his own breakdown.
* CassandraTruth: G'kar, in a busy B5 area, tries to warn everyone else that Centauri aggression will soon hit them. Everyone ignores him. By the end of the [[{{Recap/BabylonFiveS02E22TheFallOfNight}} season]], he is proven [[{{Foreshadowing}} correct]] again, just as he was correct about his warning to the others about the Shadows.

** It's been mentioned several times that Narns sold weapons to Earth during the Earth-Minbari war, ie [[{{Recap/BabylonFiveS01E01MidnightOnTheFiringLine}} Midnight on the Firing Line]]. It's these same weapons that G'kar are trying to buy.
** Vir has always tried to talk Londo out of the dark path he sees him taking, but [[{{Recap/BabylonFiveS02E09TheComingOfShadows}} he won't listen]]. Vir then tries what he can to apologize to G'kar.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: G'kar's ability [[AFatherToHisMen to lead his fellow Narn]] refugees on the station is [[LeaderWannabe questioned]] and he is asked to prove his capabilities by [[ImpossibleTask getting a message]] from the loved ones of the refugees from the Centauri-occupied Narn Homeworld.

He begins asking her why she is there, trying to down her reasoning that she is meant to be there, even when the world says otherwise. When he points out that the others may well be right, she admits she does consider that sometimes. [[ArmorPiercingResponse Taken aback, Sebastian allows her some time to rest]].

A while later Sheridan is tied to the wall, as Sebastian begins to question him, Demanding to know how far Sheridan is willing to go, how much he'll sacrifice. Sheridan refuses to answer and Sebastian starts using his cane to hit him with some kind of energy field, which becomes more and more intense until Delenn shouts, "Enough!"

* G'Kar has one that will only become clear when In The Beginning is released; he was indeed personally in charge of weapons sales to Earth during the Earth-Minbari war and was very happy then to sell a desperate Earth as many weapons as they wanted ... *and* to make the point they were going to have to pay through the nose for them. He is rather less smug at a sellers market with the shoe on the other foot.

* BlackMarket: G'Kar works with the black market to obtain weapons for the Narn resistance, warning his contact Chase that he intends to swindle the resistance that a very gruesome fate awaited him. Garibaldi soon gets wind of this and tells G'Kar to stop running the weapons through the station, giving him a contact at an outpost where G'Kar could have the weapons shipped instead which was less likely to be noticed.

* OrwellianRetcon: Watch Sheridan's lips during the last scene. When he says the words "East End", his lips say "West End". The original airing had Sheridan actually say "West End", as per the script; when it was pointed out that the script was wrong, JMS had Boxleitner re-record the line and dubbed it over the original.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: G'Kar rejects Vir's apology in this episode because Vir's apologies could not make up for the many dead. Vir would [[Recap/BabylonFiveS03E12SicTransitVir eventually find his own way to make things better]].

* AMillionIsAStatistic: The blood-dripping hand scene, where each drop represents millions.

* TheChainsOfCommanding: G'kar's ability [[AFatherToHisMen to lead his fellow Narn]] refugees on the station is [[LeaderWannabe questioned]] and he is asked to prove his capabilities by getting a message from the loved ones of the refugees from the Centauri-occupied Narn Homeworld.

** The irony is that G'Kar is doing this to the one Centauri on the station who never wanted the war to begin with.

* BecauseDestinySaysSo: Sebastian keeps mocking and trying to deconstruct this trope, but ultimately tells Delenn and Sheridan they are the chosen ones.

* ElectricTorture: The bracelets Sebastian gives Delenn shock her when he activates them with his cane.
* FireForgedFriends: After this incident, Sheridan and Delenn certainly are. Almost to a literal point.

** The irony is that G'Kar is doing this to the one Centauri who truly didn't want the war.

* MilesToGoBeforeISleep: Sebastian has been preserved for centuries for when the Vorlons need him, and seems to hope he's come to the end.
* ThePowerOfLove: Sheridan and Delenn, in the first but hardly last or most powerful use of this trope between them. If there was any doubt about where their relationship is going ''before'' this episode, there sure as hell isn't ''after''.

* ViewersAreMorons: The "only as Jack" line got some accusations of this, from people who thought it was too on the nose when the lead-up to it would easily allow someone to figure it out all by itself. JMS countered that several more fans wrote in saying they didn't figure it out until that line.

He begins asking her why she is there, trying to down her reasoning that she is meant to be there, even when the wolrd says otherwise. When he points out that the others may well be right, she admits she does consider that sometimes. [[ArmorPiercingResponse Taken aback, Sebastian allows her some time to rest]].

G'Kar meets with a man named Chase to arrange the purchase of weapons for an underground resistance. The price is too high, even with a discount, but G'Kar agrees to it, but gives Chase a dire warning before he leaves.

Sebastian begins to talk of what he did, how he felt the city needed to be taught a lesson, and pulled away from its course of immorality. When the Vorlons found him and showed him what he'd done he wept in despair.
He turns to leave with a parting comment:

Confused, Delenn tries to answer, name, position, family, but Sebastian is not satisfied with any of those and expresses his displeasure with a painful jolt from the bracelets. He begins berating and mocking her for her view that she has an important part in what will happen, and tormenting her with ever increasing levels of pain, seeming determined to break down this notion that she is on a divinely appointed mission, even if it kills her.

A while later Sheridan is tied to the wall, as Sebastian begins to question him. Sheridan refuses to answer and Sebastian starts using his cane to hit him with some kind of energy field, which becomes more and more intense until Delenn shouts, "STOP!"

Sebastian waves his cane and vanishes, and the two of them are released. They hug each other, though they're not quite sure what just happened, and then Sebastian appears at the door. He tells them they can go, they passed.

-->'''Sebastian''': How do you know the chosen ones? No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his friend. Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame... for one person. In the dark. Where no one will ever know or see. I've been in the service of the Vorlons for centuries, looking... Diogenes with his lamp looking for a man willing to die for all the wrong reasons. At last, my job is finished. Yours is just beginning. When the darkness comes, know this: You are the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

Confused, Delenn tries to answer, name, position, family, but Sebastian is not satisfied with any of those and expresses his displeasure with a painful jolt from the bracelets. He begins berating and mocking her for her view that she has an important part in what will happen, and tormenting her with ever increasing levels of pain.

He begins asking her why she is there, leading her down her reasoning that she is meant to be there, no matter what anyone else may say. When he points out that the others may well be right, she admits she does consider that sometimes. Taken aback, Sebastian allows her some time to rest.

G'Kar is speaking with a gathering of Narns, outlining his plans, but they are beginning to lose faith. They don't doubt his intentions, just his capability. One in particular, asks for some word from his family, which G'Kar promises to deliver, or step aside.

Delenn is exhausted and frustrated and in pain as Sebastian continues. She begins to point out some of his own deficiencies, much to his annoyance, and he activates the bracelets, bringing her to her knees.

G'Kar comes to Sheridan and asks for his help in finding the family. Afterwards, Sheridan decides that it would be better to keep him where he is, rather than have the local Narns put in an unknown. He has Garibaldi tell the Rangers to find them and get a message.