History Fridge / BabylonFive

* Why is "Ah, hell!" Mimbari for "continuous fire" - it's something Valen said once when backed into a corner and had to shoot his way out.

** WordOfGod on several occasions has it that the entire main arc is essentially Londo's story.

** Also, Londo isn't just an alchoholic. He is also addicted to power and prestige. In his constant effort to gain more respect he allies himself with other power hungry men, never notices how much damage they are doing to others, and when he realizes what he has done, he can never turn his back on his allies because he can't cope with loosing their respect. He lies to what few friends he has left, to hide his association with other conspirators, and when openly accused becomes violently angry and makes up justifications for what he did. And every time he manages to break free, it takes only a tiny nudge by a former ally or a personal tragedy to forget about all his promises to himself to never get drawn into it again. Mr. Morden also uses the classic drug dealer tactic of offering some first tastes of great power for free, but later makes increasingly greater demands for his continued service as Londos ace in the hole.

** David is still alive as of "Sleeping in Light" when he's an adult and serving as a Ranger. Given that humans routinely live over one hundred years by this time, he's likely to still be alive unless something has happened to him. Delenn may even have grandchildren and great-grandchildren depending upon how compatible David's genetics are with either humans or Minbari. However, Vir likely is not alive if the timeline given by Galen in "The Lost Tales" holds true. Galen states that twenty years in the future (from 2271) Prince Vintari will take the Centauri throne. Londo reigns for 18 years, which means that Vir gets 12 years as emperor. Of course, since Sheridan's actions altered the timeline, Vir may still be on the throne by that point, to be succeeded later by either Vintari or Vir's own son. Given that the academic panel in "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" didn't mention anything about a war with the Centauri in the hundred years since the founding of the Interstellar Alliance, it's likely Sheridan's plan of influencing Vintari to be less hostile toward Earth worked. And, given that Sheridan and Delenn fostered Vintari, it's likely she formed a bond with the Centauri prince as well. So Delenn isn't as completely without emotional bonds by that point as one might suppose, although it's understandable that she'd take extreme exception to those who'd run down the legacy of her loved ones.

** David is still alive as of "Sleeping in Light" when he's an adult and serving as a Ranger. Given that humans routinely live over one hundred years by this time, he's likely to still be alive unless something has happened to him. Delenn may even have grandchildren and great-grandchildren depending upon how compatible David's genetics are with either humans or Minbari. However, Vir likely is not alive if the timeline given by Galen in "The Lost Tales" holds true. Galen states that twenty years in the future (from 2271) Prince Vintari will take the Centauri throne. Londo reigns for 18 years, which means that Vir gets 12 years as emperor. Of course, since Sheridan's actions altered the timeline, Vir may still be on the throne by that point, to be succeeded later by either Vintari or his own son. Given that the academic panel in "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" didn't mention anything about a war with the Centauri in the hundred years since the founding of the Interstellar Alliance, it's likely Sheridan's plan of influencing Vintari to be less hostile toward Earth worked. And, given that Sheridan and Delenn fostered Vintari, it's likely she formed a bond with the Centauri prince as well. So Delenn isn't as completely without emotional bonds by that point as one might suppose, although it's understandable that she'd take extreme exception to those who'd run down the legacy of her loved ones.

** David is still alive as of "Sleeping in Light" when he's an adult and serving as a Ranger. Given that humans routinely live over one hundred years by this time, he's likely to still be alive unless something has happened to him. He may even have children and grandchildren depending upon how compatible his genetics are with either humans or Minbari. However, Vir likely is not alive if the timeline given by Galen in "The Lost Tales" holds true. Galen states that twenty years in the future (from 2271) Prince Vintari will take the Centauri throne. Londo reigns for 18 years, which means that Vir gets 12 years as emperor. Of course, since Sheridan's actions altered the timeline, Vir may still be on the throne by that point, to be succeeded later by either Vintari or his own son. Given that the academic panel in "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" didn't mention anything about a war with the Centauri in the hundred years since the founding of the Interstellar Alliance, it's likely Sheridan's plan of influencing Vintari to be less hostile toward Earth worked. And, given that Sheridan and Delenn fostered Vintari, it's likely she formed a bond with the Centauri prince as well. So Delenn isn't as completely without emotional bonds by that point as one might suppose, although it's understandable that she'd take extreme exception to those who'd run down the legacy of her loved ones.

** David is still alive as of "Sleeping in Light" when he's an adult and serving as a Ranger. Given that humans routinely live over one hundred years by this time, he's likely to still be alive unless something has happened to him. However, Vir likely is not alive if the timeline given by Galen in "The Lost Tales" holds true. Galen states that twenty years in the future (from 2271) Prince Vintari will take the Centauri throne. Londo reigns for 18 years, which means that Vir gets 12 years as emperor. Of course, since Sheridan's actions altered the timeline, Vir may still be on the throne by that point, to be succeeded later by either Vintari or his own son. Given that the academic panel in "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" didn't mention anything about a war with the Centauri in the hundred years since the founding of the Interstellar Alliance, it's likely Sheridan's plan of influencing Vintari to be less hostile toward Earth worked. And, given that Sheridan and Delenn fostered Vintari, it's likely she formed a bond with the Centauri prince as well. So Delenn isn't as completely without emotional bonds by that point as one might suppose, although it's understandable that she'd take extreme exception to those who'd run down the legacy of her loved ones.

** David had a Keeper put on him on his 16th birthday from the gift Londo gave Delenn and Sheridan, requiring them to return to Centauri Prime where London dies.

* In "A Late Delivery From Avalon," Marcus proposes that Mckintyre might actually be the real King Arthur, preserved by the Vorlons in much the same way that Sebastian a/k/a Jack the Ripper was. Franklin objects, saying that 'Arthur's' speech patterns are too modern. A very logical objection...except that Sebastian's speech patterns should be about 350 years out of date as well (of course, the only major character he interacts with for a significant length of time is Delenn, and [[TranslationConvention their entire conversation may have been in Minbari]]). Consider how well Shakespeare's works or the original King James Bible holds up for modern English readers to see what a difference this should make.

* Micheal Garibaldi, the brilliant security chief, failed to realize that forcibly seceding from the Earth Alliance would result in a disruption of his postal service? The same postal service provided by the Earth Alliance? Seems like a bit of an odd blindspot for his deductive skills.

* In the episode ''Intersections In Real Time'', the interrogator mentions that he takes a little bit of poison daily, so that he gradually builds up an immunity. He feels it is a metaphor for something, but he can't quite think of what it might be. He spends the entire episode declaring (entirely unironically) that [[TwoPlusTortureMakesFive the Truth]] is entirely arbitrary, and trying to bring Sheridan around to admit that. He has been touting Clark's propaganda for so long, he seemingly believes it by now, even as unbelievable as it seems to Sheridan and the viewers. This of course, blinds him to the very metaphor he is trying to explain. It's pretty much the only time in the episode that he seems to falter during his battle of wills with Sheridan.

* President Clark's entire administration has some very chilling real life echoes in at least two, if not three, different American Presidential periods - and one of them didn't even start until the 2000's rolled around. Pure brilliance on Straczynski's part.
* The Vorlon method of teaching the younger races doesn't work and never would! Just look at the Minbari, the only race we know to have significant long term influence by the Vorlons, they seem to have barely progressed technologically in the thousand years since the last Shadow war. The Vorlon teachings make a society so disciplined and rigid that there's little room for creative thought which leads to few innovations and improvements. Sure, to a Vorlon taking a few thousand years to progress is not a concern, but their immortal, the younger races can't do that because they don't live long enough to benefit from that kind of lifestyle. You'll notice that every single advancement we know of from the minbari occured due to direct alien influence (Valen restructured Minbari society and made all the castes equal, the Vorlons allowed the Minbari to use some of their technology to creat the White Stars and everything that happens to them during the series happens due to Delenn's constant contact with humans). Notice how humanity managed to coem up with ships that can fight and destroy White Stars in a little over a decade after being completely inneffective against the Minbari during their war? And all they ahd to work with was one Shadow ship for a couple of years, while the Minbari had Vorlon access for centuries and still needed the Vorlons to directly give them the technology. While the Shadows' methods go too far as well their methods actually do get results it's just they go to far and get themselves destroyed.

* Everyone gets what they want from Morden; Londo gets a return to Centauri Empire's imperialist days, and later G'kar gets to see the Centauri Empire bombed to rubble, and Vir gets to wiggle his fingers at Morden's head on a spike. Of course, only Vir actually appreciates what he gets.
* Morden visiting Lennier on the Day of the Dead seems fairly random, a surprise for the sake of a surprise, until I realised it makes perfect sense given Lennier's character arc for the season, Morden was the representative of the Shadows who always asked "What do you want?" and Lennier is now blinded completely by what he wants, Delenn. Just as Morden led those who answered his question into tragedy so too will Lennier's pursuit of what he wants.

* Delenn outlives every person who mattered to her, except maybe Vir, likely including her son. Marcus, Londo, G'Kar, Sheridan, Ivannova, Garibaldi, Zach, Lyta, Lennier and all dead for certain, it's stated something very bad happened to David Sheridan, possibly killing him as well, leaving only Vir in question. And not only are they dead but her loved ones sacrifices are being forgotten and insulted by the current generation. No wonder she's speant decades in seclusion.

* Delenn outlives every person who mattered to her, except maybe Vir, likely including her son. Marcus, Londo, G'Kar, Sheridan, Ivannova, Garibaldi, Zach, Lyta, Lennier and all dead for certain, it's stated something very bad happened to David Sheridan, possibly killing him as well, leaving only Vir in question. And not only are they dead but her loved ones sacrifices are being forgotten and insulted by the current generation. No wonder she's speant decades in seclusion.

* Londo and G'kar of ''Series/{{Babylon 5}}'' are not minor characters, though important, next to the stations crew, but are actually the two main protagonists. All the other characters are really just supporting cast to help telling their very own story.

** Which is the whole point of finding a "balance between order and chaos", as Delenn had said in "Into the Fire". "Who are you" and "what do you want" are both fundamentally important questions for all sentient beings, defining where you stand and where you are going, respectively. Focusing on just one without the other each carry its own set of dysfunctions. As an old saying goes: "give your children both roots, and wings."

** Which is the whole point of finding a "balance between order and chaos", as Delenn had said in "Into the Fire". "Who are you" and "what do you want" are both fundamentally important questions for all sentient beings, defining where you stand and where you are going, respectively. Focusing on just one without the other each carry its own set of dysfunctions. Or as an old saying goes: "give your children both roots, and wings."

* The Vorlon method of teaching the younger races doesn't work and never would! Just look at the Minbari, the only race we know to have significant long term influence by the Vorlons, they seem to have barely progressed technologically in the thousand years since the last Shadow war. The Vorlon teachings make a society so disciplined and rigid that there's little room for creative thought which leads to few innovations and improvements. Sure, to a Vorlon taking a few thousand years to progress is not a concern, but their immortal, the younger races can't do that because they don't live long enough to benefit from that kind of lifestyle. You'll notice that every single advancement we know of from the minbari occured due to direct alien influence (Valen restructured Minbari society and made all the castes equal, the Vorlons allowed the Minbari to use some of their technology to creat the White Stars and everything that happens to them during the series happens due to Delenn's constant contact with humans). Notice how humanity managed to coem up with ships that can fight and destroy White Stars in a little over a decade after being completely inneffective against the Minbari during their war? And all they ahd to work with was one Shadow ship for a couple of years, while the Minbari had Vorlon access for centuries and still needed the Vorlons to directly give them the technology. While the Shadows' methods go too far as well their methods actually do get results it's just they go to far and get themselves destroyed.

* Londo and G'kar of ''{{Babylon 5}}'' are not minor characters, though important, next to the stations crew, but are actually the two main protagonists. All the other characters are really just supporting cast to help telling their very own story.

* Londo and G'kar of ''{{Babylon 5}}'' are not minor characters, though important, next to the stations crew, but are actually the two main protagonists. All the other characters are really just supporting cast to help telling their very own story - Tropers/{{Yora}}
* President Clark's entire administration has some very chilling real life echoes in at least two, if not three, different American Presidential periods - and one of them didn't even start until the 2000's rolled around. Pure brilliance on Straczynski's part - Tropers/SorataYuy

* Londo and G'kar of ''{{Babylon 5}}'' are not minor characters, though important, next to the stations crew, but are actually the two main protagonists. All the other characters are really just supporting cast to help telling their very own story.
* President Clark's entire administration has some very chilling real life echoes in at least two, if not three, different American Presidential periods - and one of them didn't even start until the 2000's rolled around. Pure brilliance on Straczynski's part.

* I think it was years after I've seen the show for a second time, it struck me, that Londo and G'kar of ''{{Babylon 5}}'' are not minor characters, though important, next to the stations crew, but are actually the two main protagonists. All the other characters are really just supporting cast to help telling their very own story. - Yora
* While recently re-watching ''{{Babylon 5}}'' via DVD collection with his mother (her first exposure to every episode instead of just random ones here and there), both ThisTroper and she noticed something chilling. President Clark's entire administration has some very chilling real life echoes in at least two, if not three, different American Presidential periods - and one of them didn't even start until the 2000's rolled around. Pure brilliance on Straczynski's part. - Tropers/SorataYuy