"Falling Toward Apotheosis" is an episode from the fourth season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5

Babylon 5

Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...

.

Synopsis

The Vorlons have started openly destroying worlds which have come under the influence of the Shadows

Shadow (Babylon 5)

The Shadows are a fictional alien species in the science fiction television series Babylon 5. Their homeworld is Z'ha'dum. In contrast to the Vorlons, whose philosophy is represented by the question "Who are you?", that of the Shadows is represented by the question "What do you want?", centering...

. Wishing to move against them, Captain Sheridan

John T. Sheridan

Lieutenant General John T. "Tom" Sheridan is Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, California.His previous duties include being Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office, and Program Executive Officer and System Program Director for Space Radar, Chantilly, Virginia...

 sets in motion a plan to remove the Vorlon ambassador

Ulkesh

Ulkesh Naranek is a character within the fictional universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. The voice for the character was provided by Ardwight Chamberlain.Ulkesh is a Vorlon, and is never named in the televised episodes...

 from Babylon 5.

On Centauri Prime, it is revealed that the Shadow vessels stationed there have made the world a target for the Vorlon advance. Londo Mollari urges Emperor Cartagia

Emperor Cartagia

Emperor Cartagia is a fictional character from the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Wortham Krimmer...

 to remove the Shadow's ships, and is refused. It transpires that the insane Cartagia expects to ascend to godhood when the Vorlons destroy his world.

Lyta Alexander

Lyta Alexander

Lyta Alexander is a character from the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Patricia Tallman.Lyta was introduced in the pilot episode "The Gathering" as a telepath assigned to the Babylon 5 space station by the Psi Corps, a fictional organization...

 lures Ambassador Ulkesh into a trap. The Vorlon's encounter suit is destroyed, and the Vorlon, revealed as a tentacled being of pure energy, is defeated by Sheridan, Lorien

Lorien (Babylon 5)

Lorien is a fictional character from the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. He appears at the start of season four and again in the last episode of the show. Lórien is also a name given to one of the Valar, god-like beings in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, of whom series...

 and a remnant of Ambassador Kosh. Sheridan is rendered unconscious during the battle, and is revived by Lorien. It is revealed that Sheridan only has another two decades to live.

Arc significance

• The new Vorlon is gone, driven off the station with the aid of a small piece of Kosh that Sheridan had been carrying around since Kosh was killed by the Shadows in "Interludes and Examinations
  Interludes and Examinations
  Interludes and Examinations is an episode from the third season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:Dr. Franklin confronts his addiction to stims....
  
  ."
• Sheridan has only twenty years to live.
• Sheridan and Delenn become engaged.
• Cartagia had G'Kar's eye plucked out, fulfilling part of the prophecy of Londo's dream, also seen during Sheridan's trip to the future in "War Without End"
• The true appearance of the Vorlons is revealed.