The Shadow's Long-Term Memory Problem

 Posted on 10/15/2000 by jmsatb5@aol.com to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated


> OTOH, why talk to G'Kar? 1000, G'Quon and his
>contemporaries, tho' not yet spacefaring themselves, made Narn an unpleasant
>enough environment for the Shadows that they left; don't they remember this?
>Even *more* significantly, 1000 years ago, Valen and the Anla'Shok (we'll
>assume they didn't recognize him in Sinclair, even if Kosh and the Grey
>Council have) kicked their sorry butts right off their homeworld and into a
>millenium of exile! You mean to tell me they don't remember THAT? Methinks
>the Shadows needed a good dose of Gingko Biloba!
>

No, because in every group there is always someone who can be corrupted by
offering him or her what he/she wants. Many on Narn wouldn't believe G'Kar's
suspicions, remember? So those individuals would be perfect foils for shadow
involvement, step by step, until it's too late to get out.

Races aren't monolithic or always consistent. Some of the most ruthless men in
concentration camps during WW2 were the capos or collaborators, Russians or
other groups who sold out their own kind to survive themselves. We do it; no
reason to suspect someone else wouldn't.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)



The Shadow's Long-Term Memory Problem

 Posted on 10/15/2000 by jmsatb5@aol.com to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated


> why approach G'Kar, then,
>a follower of G'Quon and thus among those people most likely to one day open
>his holy book and see that familiar picture, instead of some equally
>unprincipled Narn who worships G'Lan and will never get wise to their
>history on Narn?

The error you're making is the assumption that the shadows would know as much
about our characters as you, the audience, do. "Well, *I* know all about him
being a follower of G'Lan, so why don't they?" Because you're watching the
show, they're not. They sent Morden on a fishing expedition to see what they
could find because they've been gone a long time and want a sense of the room,
and who would bite.

As for Delenn...remember, the Vorlons had only RECENTLY made contact with the
Minbari -- which we, as audience members, know but they don't. So they would
naturally be curious to see what the situation was there...remember, some
Minbari didn't even BELIEVE the Shadows were back or would eve be a threat
again.

And finally, you must remember that the shadows didn't just come out and
introduce themselves...they were known only as Morden's associates for a long
time, and would've kept their real identity secret as long as possible, which
would've made it easier to manipulate anyone who "bit" (as was the case with
Londo).

The universe is a big place, and the shadows have been gone a long, long
time...of those endless billions of souls, we see a few of them via B5, and
thus the viewer has knowlege other characters or players don't. That's not a
failing on the part of the other characters.

>But okay, let's say I completely accept your argument, which I don't. <G>

Okay.

But it's my show, so I win.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)