315: Interludes and Examinations

It has been ten days since the Shadows commenced their open, random attacks on only the minor races.  The League of Non-Aligned Worlds is unwilling to lend their fleets to fight the Shadows unless Sheridan can promise they can match the might of the enemy and guarantee a victory.  Londo is eagerly making preparations for the arrival of his old love Adira Tyree, as he fends off the advances of Morden, who is wondering why Lord Refa is no longer willing to associate himself with him.  Sheridan approaches Kosh to ask him to bring the Vorlons in on the battle - and after much wrangling and persuasion Kosh finally agrees, but there will be a price.

Morden discovers Londo's association with Adira Tyree and arranges to have her killed on the transport from Centauri Prime.  When the other races see the Vorlons finally coming into the battle and winning, they agree to join in.  Morden and the Shadows break into Kosh's quarters with the intent to kill him; in his dying moments Kosh appears in Sheridan's dream as an image of his father, lamenting lost opportunities and past mistakes.

When Londo discovers that Adira has been killed he assumes Lord Refa is responsible - and reassociates himself with Morden and the Shadows to exact vengeance upon the galaxy as a whole.  Franklin, pushed by Garibaldi into admitting his stim addiction, resigns from his position.

Notes: Adira Tyree was first seen in Born to the Purple, and is seen again in Day of the Dead.  Londo had poisoned Lord Refa in Ceremonies of Light and Dark to dissuade him from involving himself with the Shadows; Londo takes his revenge in And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place, only to discover the truth of the situation in Into the Fire.

Kosh tells Sheridan that it is not yet time to involve the Vorlons in the War - possibly a reference to the Vorlon activities revealed in The Summoning and Falling Toward Apotheosis.  He also tells Sheridan he won't be there to help him when he goes to Z'ha'dum (see In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum and Z'ha'dum).  He tells Sheridan in his vision "I'll always be here", an echo of his prior statements in All Alone in the Night, Matters of Honor, Dust to Dust and In the Beginning; although the words appear to ring true given later events in Walkabout, Z'ha'dum, Whatever Happened to Mr Garibaldi? and Falling Toward Apotheosis.  Kosh's entire death sequence is recounted from his own perspective in the opening chapter of the novel The Passing of the Techno-mages #3: Invoking Darkness.

Franklin goes "walkabout" to "find himself", a notion his Foundationist beliefs claim that he can talk with himself about his mistakes and work them out to discover his true identity.  This process is seen through the episodes Walkabout, Grey 17 is Missing and Shadow Dancing.

The soundtrack of this episode is available on CD.

Guest Cast: Both William Forward (Lord Refa) and Fabiana Udenio (Adira Tyree) make reappearances in the form of flashbacks to Ceremonies of Light and Dark and Born to the Purple respectively.  Rance Howard makes a reappearance as Sheridan's father, David.  Jennifer Balgobin makes her first appearance as Dr Lilian Hobbes (see also Walkabout and Objects at Rest).