History Recap / BabylonFiveS02E22TheFallOfNight

!The Fall of Night

* ExplainExplainOhCrap: Sheridan after Ivanova after Londo confronts them about Na'Kal and the Narn ship. Sheridan and Ivanova try to figure out how the hell Londo found out and grimly conclude it had to have been Welles who tipped him off. But Sheridan quickly realizes that Londo' 'wouldn't'' have come out in the open like this unless he'd already notified Centauri Prime -- which means the station's about to have "company".

* TaughtByExperience: A minor plot point. After a year of being on the station, Sheridan's had enough experience by now dealing with Londo and the Centauri ambassadorial/political style. So after Londo confronts him about the Narn ship, Sheridan quickly and grimly realizes Londo ''wouldn't'' have come out in the open like this unless he'd already notified Centauri Prime -- which means the station's about to have 'company'.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Sheridan's plan for sheltering the Narn cruiser falls apart because they didn't anticipate one of the Command Deck personnel was a Nightwatch loyalist (who then reports it to Wells once she learned of the impending Earth-Centauri non-aggression pact). Justified in-story, as Sheridan and Ivanova had just learned of the Pact and didn't have time to consider security implications and compartmentalization before Londo blew everything up.

* NeverMyFault: Welles and Lantz scapegoating Sheridan for the Centauri attack fiasco and forcing him to issue a public apology, even though it was Welles tipping off Londo about the Narn ship that triggered the entire mess. Of course, even if Sheridan had brought that up, it wouldn't have made any difference. He and Ivanova ''know'' it was Welles, but they have no hard evidence. And Lantz would just take it Welles' side, arguing it was furthering the aims of the non-agression pact.

* MyRuleFuIsStrongerThanYours: Zigzagged, when confronted about giving the Narn warship sanctuary and aid Sheridan defends his actions by quoting [=EarthForce=] regulations that state that he is obligated to help any ship in distress not currently at war with Earth. Unfortunately, this was Sinclair's SignatureMove, not his. Mr. Wells points out that he and Mr. Lantz should have been informed as soon as the Narn ship arrived and they force Sheridan to issue an apology, though take no other action beyond that.
* NeverMyFault: Wells and Lantz scapegoating Sheridan for the Centauri attack fiasco and forcing him to issue a public apology, even though it was Wells tipping off Londo about the Narn ship that triggered the entire mess. Of course, even if Sheridan had brought that up, it wouldn't have made any difference. He and Ivanova ''know'' it was Wells, but they have no hard evidence. And Lantz would just take it Wells' side, arguing it was furthering the aims of the non-agression pact.

* HollywoodTactics: Played to their logical conclusion: The Centauri cruiser opens fire on the Narn cruiser, the escorting Starfuries, and Babylon 5, [[ILikeThoseOdds all at once]], and without launching her own fighters first. She is quickly overwhelmed by by a swarm of fighters and heavy weapons fire from the station. Other major space battles in the show typically feature capital ships launching fighters to serve as a defensive screen or to harass the enemy.

* ContinuityNod: One of the pilots in another squadron mentions how Zeta Squadron's Furies were [[Recap/BabylonFiveS01E11Survivors delivered by the president]].

* IncrediblyObviousBomb: A ''very'' obvious example. A Centauri assassin plants one on the carriage that Sheridan is traveling in, hiding it behind his body until he gets off -- and deliberately making eye contact with Sheridan to distract him until it's too late to escape. He doesn't expect Sheridan's split-second calculation that ''almost'' certain death trumps certain death... and he ''definitely'' doesn't expect Kosh to turn out to be an angel.
** Not only is it incredibly obvious it's a bomb, it's an incredibly obvious ''Centauri'' bomb, done in purple and gold and even including a shape like a Centauri hair fan!

* NeverMyFault: Wells and Lantz scapegoating Sheridan for the Centauri attack fiasco and forcing him to issue a public apology, even though it was Wells tipping off Londo about the Narn ship that triggered the entire mess.
** Of course, even if Sheridan had brought that up, it wouldn't have made any difference. He and Ivanova ''know'' it was Wells, but they have no hard evidence. And Lantz would just take it Wells' side, arguing it was furthering the aims of the non-agression pact.

* NotHyperbole: General Franklin promised that the new defense grid could fight off a warship. He wasn't kidding. Now if only someone had told the Centauri...

* ShoutOut: The Ministry of Peace. [[{{Literature/NineteenEightyFour}} MiniPax]] for short.

** Upon introduction, Mr. Wells weara a Nightwatch badge first seen in [[{{Recap/BabylonFiveS02E16InTheShadowOfZHaDum}} when the Ministry of Peace was first introduced]]. He later meets with the local Nightwatch members, including Zach.