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Point of No Return (Babylon 5)
Encyclopedia
Point of No Return is an episode from the third season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5
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to take over station security. Londo receives a prophecy from Emperor Turhan's widow when she visits the station.
Londo Mollari prepares for the arrival of Lady Morella, the late Emperor Turhan's third wife. However, he foresees that the recent declaration of martial law by Earthgov will be most inconvenient to his trying to show her that the Republic's treaty with the Earth Alliance is justified.
Sheridan and the command staff receive word of the situation on Earth. President Clark has dissolved the Senate and ordered the arrest of its members. The Senators have barricaded themselves inside the Senate hall and have asked civilians to form a human shield around the Senate in order to protect them.
General Hague reveals his opposition to President Clark and has begun a coup by escaping aboard his ship, the EAS Alexander, along with several Earth starships. He urges more starships to defect in order to gather enough forces to depose Clark.
On Babylon 5, Sheridan and the command staff find the martial law decree difficult to stomach but are afraid to act openly against it since the local Nightwatch are extremely loyal to President Clark.
Due to the shortage of security personnel, G'kar is released from incarceration three weeks ahead of schedule.
Things on the station are made worse when Nightwatch is given orders by the Political office to take over Babylon 5's security, prompting Michael Garibaldi to oppose them. However, he is relieved of duty as the Nightwatch begin consolidating its hold on station security by recruiting more personnel and dismissing those that wouldn't cooperate and join.
Total chaos descends upon Babylon 5 when the martial law decree finally arrives and Sheridan is forced to publicly announce it. In a scuffle in the Zocalo, Vir Cotto is injured whilst protecting Lady Morella and the Centauri entourage make a hasty exit back to her suite.
Lady Morella confronts Mollari on the real reason he had requested for her visit, and Londo finally admits that he wants Lady Morella (who's a "seer" or "prophetess") to look into his future and tell him if the grand destiny he believes he is due will come true or not.
Morella tells Londo that his destiny to become an Emperor is unavoidable, but he still has a chance to save himself from damnation. He must "save the eye that does not see," must not "kill the one who is already dead," and if he still fails on those two, he must "surrender to [his] greatest fear, knowing it will destroy [him]."
For her closing remarks, Lady Morrela notes that Londo will be emperor, as would his attaché, Vir, saying that "one of you will be emperor after the other is dead."
G'kar meets with Ta'lon in his quarters and speaks to him about the revelation that he has had recently about the future of the Narn people and how the humans are the key to that. With that, G'kar offers his assistance to Sheridan to help solve his problem with Nightwatch.
Zack Allan is contracted by Sheridan to help neutralize the Nightwatch problem by telling him that he plans to ship over hundreds of Narns in order to replace the Nightwatch personnel currently running station security. Zack Allan, however, goes to his Nightwatch associates and reveals Sheridan's plan. Nightwatch then gathers all its members on the docking bays in order to intercept the Narns and arrest Sheridan and the rest of the command staff for treason. Once all the Nightwatch members were gathered in the docking area, Zack Allan seals them in between airlocks before narrowly escaping himself, revealing that he had turned on Nightwatch, allied with Sheridan, and had just led Nightwatch into a trap.
Via commlink, Sheridan informs the imprisoned Nightwatch personnel that the order for Nightwatch to take over station security is an illegal order because it was issued by the Political office, which is outside the direct chain of military command. He arrests the Nightwatch personnel on the grounds of treason and mutiny. Dr. Franklin then asks who will serve as the security force aboard Babylon 5 now that Nightwatch is gone, and Garibaldi responds by summoning G'kar and his Narn associates, revealing that Sheridan was serious about having Narns take over—it's just that the Narns are already aboard; the enlistees are from the local population.
Distrusting each other after the prophecy of Lady Morella, Vir and Londo sit at opposite sides of the room, staring nervously at each other and wondering whether or not the prophecy is true.
Towards the end of the episode, we learn that all of the defector ships save for the Alexander have been destroyed. All alone, the Alexander is now a fugitive and is being pursued relentlessly by Clark's forces. Sheridan and Ivanova note that Clark will soon go after them next, and they can simply contemplate on the grim nature of this future.
The prophecy may also refer to "the eye that does not see" as being the jewel known as the "eye" in Signs and Portents
but more importantly in Interludes and Examinations
and killing the one who is already dead may refer to the death of Mr. Morden, executed on Mollari's orders in season 4, or to Mollari's treatment of the Emperor's last wishes in The Coming of Shadows
.
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 B5 command staff deal with orders to allow the NightwatchNightwatch (Babylon 5)
In the Babylon 5 science fiction universe, Nightwatch was an Earth Alliance paramilitary organization set up during the Presidency of Morgan Clark...
to take over station security. Londo receives a prophecy from Emperor Turhan's widow when she visits the station.
Londo Mollari prepares for the arrival of Lady Morella, the late Emperor Turhan's third wife. However, he foresees that the recent declaration of martial law by Earthgov will be most inconvenient to his trying to show her that the Republic's treaty with the Earth Alliance is justified.
Sheridan and the command staff receive word of the situation on Earth. President Clark has dissolved the Senate and ordered the arrest of its members. The Senators have barricaded themselves inside the Senate hall and have asked civilians to form a human shield around the Senate in order to protect them.
General Hague reveals his opposition to President Clark and has begun a coup by escaping aboard his ship, the EAS Alexander, along with several Earth starships. He urges more starships to defect in order to gather enough forces to depose Clark.
On Babylon 5, Sheridan and the command staff find the martial law decree difficult to stomach but are afraid to act openly against it since the local Nightwatch are extremely loyal to President Clark.
Due to the shortage of security personnel, G'kar is released from incarceration three weeks ahead of schedule.
Things on the station are made worse when Nightwatch is given orders by the Political office to take over Babylon 5's security, prompting Michael Garibaldi to oppose them. However, he is relieved of duty as the Nightwatch begin consolidating its hold on station security by recruiting more personnel and dismissing those that wouldn't cooperate and join.
Total chaos descends upon Babylon 5 when the martial law decree finally arrives and Sheridan is forced to publicly announce it. In a scuffle in the Zocalo, Vir Cotto is injured whilst protecting Lady Morella and the Centauri entourage make a hasty exit back to her suite.
Lady Morella confronts Mollari on the real reason he had requested for her visit, and Londo finally admits that he wants Lady Morella (who's a "seer" or "prophetess") to look into his future and tell him if the grand destiny he believes he is due will come true or not.
Morella tells Londo that his destiny to become an Emperor is unavoidable, but he still has a chance to save himself from damnation. He must "save the eye that does not see," must not "kill the one who is already dead," and if he still fails on those two, he must "surrender to [his] greatest fear, knowing it will destroy [him]."
For her closing remarks, Lady Morrela notes that Londo will be emperor, as would his attaché, Vir, saying that "one of you will be emperor after the other is dead."
G'kar meets with Ta'lon in his quarters and speaks to him about the revelation that he has had recently about the future of the Narn people and how the humans are the key to that. With that, G'kar offers his assistance to Sheridan to help solve his problem with Nightwatch.
Zack Allan is contracted by Sheridan to help neutralize the Nightwatch problem by telling him that he plans to ship over hundreds of Narns in order to replace the Nightwatch personnel currently running station security. Zack Allan, however, goes to his Nightwatch associates and reveals Sheridan's plan. Nightwatch then gathers all its members on the docking bays in order to intercept the Narns and arrest Sheridan and the rest of the command staff for treason. Once all the Nightwatch members were gathered in the docking area, Zack Allan seals them in between airlocks before narrowly escaping himself, revealing that he had turned on Nightwatch, allied with Sheridan, and had just led Nightwatch into a trap.
Via commlink, Sheridan informs the imprisoned Nightwatch personnel that the order for Nightwatch to take over station security is an illegal order because it was issued by the Political office, which is outside the direct chain of military command. He arrests the Nightwatch personnel on the grounds of treason and mutiny. Dr. Franklin then asks who will serve as the security force aboard Babylon 5 now that Nightwatch is gone, and Garibaldi responds by summoning G'kar and his Narn associates, revealing that Sheridan was serious about having Narns take over—it's just that the Narns are already aboard; the enlistees are from the local population.
Distrusting each other after the prophecy of Lady Morella, Vir and Londo sit at opposite sides of the room, staring nervously at each other and wondering whether or not the prophecy is true.
Towards the end of the episode, we learn that all of the defector ships save for the Alexander have been destroyed. All alone, the Alexander is now a fugitive and is being pursued relentlessly by Clark's forces. Sheridan and Ivanova note that Clark will soon go after them next, and they can simply contemplate on the grim nature of this future.
Arc significance
- NightwatchNightwatch (Babylon 5)In the Babylon 5 science fiction universe, Nightwatch was an Earth Alliance paramilitary organization set up during the Presidency of Morgan Clark...
attempts to take over the station and is eventually rebuffed and replaced by a Narn security detail. - Prophecy reveals that both Londo and VirVir CottoVir Cotto is a character from the fictional Babylon 5 universe, played on screen by Stephen Furst. He is a Centauri male who was from a family of minor nobility, who would eventually become the Centauri Ambassador to Babylon 5, and then became the Emperor of the Centauri Republic in 2278.Vir Cotto...
are destined to become Emperor. The prophecy also foreshadows several key events in the future, such as G'kar having his eye plucked out ("the eye that does not see"), Emperor Londo allowing Sheridan ("the one who is already dead") and Delenn to escape imprisonment and free Centauri Prime from the Drakh, Londo's death at the hands of G'kar ("surrender[ing] to [his] greatest fear, knowing that it will destroy [him]") and the ascension of Vir Cotto to the throne.
The prophecy may also refer to "the eye that does not see" as being the jewel known as the "eye" in Signs and Portents
Signs and Portents
"Signs and Portents" is an episode from the first season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. It is the first episode of the series to dramatically advance the series "arc" and set up the events which lead up to the Shadow War; it was also used as the title for the entire first...
but more importantly 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....
and killing the one who is already dead may refer to the death of Mr. Morden, executed on Mollari's orders in season 4, or to Mollari's treatment of the Emperor's last wishes in The Coming of Shadows
The Coming of Shadows
"The Coming of Shadows" is a key episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. It won the 1996 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.-Synopsis:...
.
- The Earth civil war begins. General Hague and the EAS Alexander are fugitives.
- Martial Law is declared on Babylon 5
Trivia
- Lady Morella is played by Majel BarrettMajel BarrettMajel Barrett-Roddenberry was an American actress and producer. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek series, Lwaxana Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and for being the voice of most onboard computer interfaces throughout the series...
, widow of Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
creator Gene RoddenberryGene RoddenberryEugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
and known for playing the role of Nurse Christine Chapel on the original Star Trek series. Ms. Barrett played Lwaxana Troi, a Betazoid Federation ambassador and mother of Deanna Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation. She was the computer voice on all Federation starships on The Next Generation and subsequent series in the franchise. Her appearance was intended as a gesture of goodwill in the frequent rivalry between the two franchises.
External links
- Point of No Return at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 is a fan-run website that includes detailed episode guides and analyses, production history notes, background materials, references, and other information related to the science fiction epic, Babylon 5...