Babylon 5: The Unanswered Questions

[Neroon]

In a little less than three weeks, I will be moderating a panel discussion at a local convention about B5. Specifically, it concerns some of those things for which we never received an answer in the course of the series or its movies. The idea is to talk about which ones can be tossed away, and which are meatier to the point of madness. Awhile back I think I asked folks about this, here and in the DS9 forum. as well as met with the others on the upcoming panel. Here's what we came up with:

1. Who is Lando’s first wife?
2. Why was Delenn on Centauri Prime?
3. What was Kosh going to do with that data crystal of recordings of Talia?
4. The Telepath War?
5. What is Garibaldi’s most favorite thing in the universe?
6. What were each of Londo’s chances for redemption?
7. Why do G’kar and Mariel know each other?
8. Was Delenn’s story about the temple true or a story to comfort the Markab child? If true who or what appeared to her?
9. Is new Earth the Vorlon homeworld?
10. If Lochley was concerned enough about the safety of the station, why wasn’t Draal’s help requested? Does she know about Draal’s promise to put the Great Machine at Sheridan’s disposal?


We've discussed much of these in here before. Anyone have more they can add to the list?

 

[Mr Light]

1. Who is Lando’s first wife?
The strip tease dancer his family forbid him to marry. Didn't they talk about this in the show?
2. Why was Delenn on Centauri Prime?
You mean in the future? This was in the Centauri Prime novels. Drakh-controlled David lured Sheridan and Delenn there.
3. What was Kosh going to do with that data crystal of recordings of Talia?
The original intention: the copy was of Talia's original personality. When the evil one was revealed in "Divided Loyalties", Kosh would have just killed the Psi Corps sleeper and put the copy in, restoring Talia to normal.
5. What is Garibaldi’s most favorite thing in the universe?
Sex. Duh.
6. What were each of Londo’s chances for redemption?
Kill the Man Already Dead: Killing Morden and dooming Centauri Prime to the Drakh takeover. Save Eye Doesn't See: Not stopping Cartagia from plucking out G'Kar's eye. Giving into Greatest Fear: letting G'Kar strangle him to death in the future.
8. Was Delenn’s story about the temple true or a story to comfort the Markab child? If true who or what appeared to her?
Probably a Vorlon masquerading as Valen to make sure she'd be a faithful little follower in the coming war. Though I suppose it's possible that Valen got the same deal Sheridan did and ascended into being an angel and visited Lil' Delenn.
9. Is new Earth the Vorlon homeworld?
That's the implication. Though why humanity would want to go live on a musty old planet whose species essentially died out centuries ago is beyond me. Creepy!
10. If Lochley was concerned enough about the safety of the station, why wasn’t Draal’s help requested? Does she know about Draal’s promise to put the Great Machine at Sheridan’s disposal?
Because the Great Machine was one big honkin' deus ex machina that JMS never wanted to actually use since it would kill the drama. Also he probably forgot about that point. We're talking about the S5 "Gallery" episode right?

Other questions... How did Lennier die? How did Franklin die alone on some alien world? How did Lyta die? How exactly did the Drakh Plague get cured? What was the end result of the human experiments with Shadow Tech in Crusade?

 

[Booji]

I was always under the impression the wife Londo didn't get a divorce from was the stripper first wife. They really never gave any reason not to think that.

As far as #7, Gkar was banging her on the side.

 

[Mistral]

Lenier's fate, of course.

Why did the Alliance let Earth languish for so long after the Great Burn? While they did infiltrate Rangers, they seemed to take their sweet time fixing the planet up. Was it a lack of resources applied?

What happened to David and how come he was "safe" if he'd been taken over by the keeper Londo planted?

Why would historians 100 years later disavow Sheridan's legacy? What was happening on Earth for this to happen?

 

[Neroon]

Lennier's fate! Good one. Completely slipped my mind yesterday.

 

[Tulin]

Here's one for ya, ol' Ed ' roony.

Why, as G'Kar states, does every race have a food resembling Swedish meatballs?

Further, why do the Narn call it Breen?

Further to that, why do the Breen wear the exact same head mask as Princess Leia as Boushh in ROTJ?!?


*Tulin's head explodes*

 

[Jan]

(Keeping in mind that Neroon specified that the questions weren't seen onscreen, not that the answers aren't known at all)

6. What were each of Londo’s chances for redemption?
Kill the Man Already Dead: Killing Morden and dooming Centauri Prime to the Drakh takeover. Save Eye Doesn't See: Not stopping Cartagia from plucking out G'Kar's eye. Giving into Greatest Fear: letting G'Kar strangle him to death in the future.

Actually, JMS has said that the one who was already dead was Sheridan. Morden didn't die on Z'ha'dum.

Other questions... How did Lennier die? How did Franklin die alone on some alien world? How did Lyta die?

Both Lyta and Lennier died during the Telepath war. If they'd been able to make a deal with Pat Tallman, we'd have seen that in "The Path of Sorrows".

How exactly did the Drakh Plague get cured? What was the end result of the human experiments with Shadow Tech in Crusade?

Good questions.

I was always under the impression the wife Londo didn't get a divorce from was the stripper first wife. They really never gave any reason not to think that.

No, he had to divorce the dancer or he'd have been disowned by his family. Plus apparently she had voice that could shatter glass. Not that Timov didn't but can you really see little Timov as a former dancer?

As far as #7, Gkar was banging her on the side.

It would be interesting to have found out how they met, though.

Jan

 

[Jan]

Further to that, why do the Breen wear the exact same head mask as Princess Leia as Boushh in ROTJ?!?


*Tulin's head explodes*

There are no aliens called Breen in B5. Did you mean the Vree, maybe?

Jan

 

[Smiley]

What did G'Kar and Lyta do on their journey (not involving pleasure thresholds)?

 

[Tulin]

No, I meant the Breen in that other B5. You know the one that copied it? DS9 - I guess I just skipped a step.

 

[Neroon]

Further to that, why do the Breen wear the exact same head mask as Princess Leia as Boushh in ROTJ?!?


*Tulin's head explodes*

There are no aliens called Breen in B5. Did you mean the Vree, maybe?

Jan

He's being clever by referring to the race in DS9 known as the Breen.

 

[Jan]

No, I meant the Breen in that other B5. You know the one that copied it? DS9 - I guess I just skipped a step.

He's being clever by referring to the race in DS9 known as the Breen.

Oops! Neverrrr...miind....

Jan

 

[Tulin]

It just struck me as odd that suddenly this word "breen" is popping up all over the place.

 

[Neroon]

It just struck me as odd that suddenly this word "breen" is popping up all over the place.

Careful, 'cuz if you use it too much you'll become a hasbreen.

 

[Tulin]

Fail 'roony.

Now, it's 2:43 in the morning here and I MUST come up with one more question to stump you before I go to bed!!!

 

[The Evil Dead]

To this day it bothers me that we don't know how the plague was cured, I know it probably would've been cured during the 2nd or 3rd season of Crusade but I'd still love to know how it happened.

 

[Neroon]

To this day it bothers me that we don't know how the plague was cured, I know it probably would've been cured during the 2nd or 3rd season of Crusade but I'd still love to know how it happened.

That's a very good and valid question. The purpose of the panel is to come up with those things that drive you nuts in their incompleteness. If we can speculate our way to some reasonable conclusions, so much the better. Of course, some of this is handled in the books, such as the Centauri Trilogy. However, a great many people I tend to meet at this con have not read any of the trilogies.

Fail 'roony.

Now, it's 2:43 in the morning here and I MUST come up with one more question to stump you before I go to bed!!!

Pfffft.... I'm doped up on cold meds and Mt. Dew, so that's the best I can do.

 

[Starscape]

The "Telepath War", that took place between B5 and Crusade, was mainly the Rogue telepaths fighting to take down Psi-Corp, right?

But Sheridan predicted a war was coming between normals and telepaths... would the fall of Psi-Corp (and the changes instigated) prevent that war?

 

[RandyS]

Why did Clark hate aliens so much that he was willing to enslave his own race in order to keep them "safe"?

 

[Lindley]

What happened to David and how come he was "safe" if he'd been taken over by the keeper Londo planted?

That's answered in Legions of Fire.