As the Senate continues to investigate President Clark, an archaeologist brings news of a development back home that forces Sheridan to act against the Earth government. The Nightwatch tightens its grip on the civilian population.

Sheridan's unwillingness to fire on the Agamemnon may be a sign of trouble to come; he's not ready to think of Earth's military as an enemy. How long that loyalty will last is unclear, but at some point, if conditions on Earth continue to escalate and Sheridan continues to act covertly against the government, he'll be forced to choose between firing on his own people and death or capture.

The White Star is a Minbari vessel, yet Sheridan believed the Agamemnon would be able to track it. (See "Points of Departure.") Perhaps that was simply because the White Star was in Jupiter's atmosphere; it was thus unable to outrun the Agamemnon, and could be tracked via atmospheric disturbances.

The White Star is a formidable vessel, in any case; it has as much firepower as several Narn heavy cruisers, judging by its attack on the Shadow vessel (see "The Long, Twilight Struggle,") although this Shadow ship might have been smaller than those faced by the Narn. The Agamemnon was able to damage the White Star, but only after it had been grazed by a Shadow weapon and subjected to atmospheric conditions far outside its safety limits.

As the Earth Alliance plunges toward civil war, internal strife threatens to shatter the command structure of B5. Zack's loyalties are put to the test when the Nightwatch is ordered to take over station security. Londo receives another glimpse of his destiny.

One of Londo's two squandered chances was undoubtedly his action in "The Coming of Shadows," which sparked the Narn-Centauri War. The other is less clear. Perhaps it was his initial meeting with Morden, or the attack on the outpost in "Chrysalis." It may also have been his decision to ask the Shadows to defend Gorash 7 ("The Long, Twilight Struggle,") without which the Centauri wouldn't have been able to crush the Narn as thoroughly as they did.

"The eye that does not see" might refer to the Eye, the symbol of Centauri nobility that marked the start of Londo's association with Morden ("Signs and Portents.") It may also refer to G'Kar's eye, which appears to be injured or missing in Londo's dream ("The Coming of Shadows.")

The one who is already dead might be Morden, who's officially dead according to Earth Alliance records ("In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum") or perhaps G'Kar, whose old life is certainly gone. It's also possible that it refers to the memory of someone who is to die; Londo may be presented with an opportunity to discredit someone who would otherwise serve as a martyr. Along similar lines, it may refer to the wishes of someone already dead; for instance, destroying the chance for peace that Emperor Turhan sought before his death, something that would have been the Emperor's legacy.

Another possibility is a connection to the transfer of Minbari souls to humans; the owner of a particular previously-deceased Minbari soul (perhaps Sinclair) may prove troublesome to Londo in the future.

When President Clark tries to seize control of Babylon 5 by force, Sheridan is faced with the prospect of severing the station's ties with Earth. Delenn receives disturbing news from a Ranger.

Sheridan said he wanted to keep Draal a secret, and thus didn't ask for help defending the station. But anyone with two eyes now knows he has some interesting non-human technology at his disposal; he used the Great Machine to broadcast his holographic image all over the station. While Earth has free-floating holography (such as the Knights' image of Sinclair at the beginning of "And the Sky Full of Stars") it's a far cry from what Sheridan did.

Sheridan's secession from the Earth Alliance plays directly into Clark's hands in some respects. Clark can use the secession, and the Minbari involvement, to paint a picture of an alien-supported military coup against an elected civilian government, further proof of the need for martial law, the Nightwatch, and other draconian measures. No doubt he'll be able to make that version of the story believable to a large number of people back home, thus solidifying his power base.

The Shadows are apparently perfectly willing to double-cross the Centauri, at least in words. By offering to protect the League worlds from Centauri aggression, when the Centauri are using the Shadows to act out that aggression, they've effectively taken control of both sides of any potential Centauri border conflicts. What they'll do with that control, and why they want it, remains to be seen.

Originally posted by Jlbkwrm
I have a question about this episode

The Nightwatch orders its members on Babylon 5 to target Delenn in an attempt to undermine Minbari actions during the recent crisis. Londo presents Refa with an ultimatum.

Londo is playing a dangerous game with Refa; Refa will no doubt not take kindly to having his life threatened, and may retaliate against Londo either overtly or behind the scenes. Refa seems to have much of the royal court in his pocket while Londo's influence has waned since he broke off his association with Morden. Londo may find that he's bitten off more than he can chew.

However, the extent of the risk he's taking is a good indication that his realization of the dark nature of his former pact with Morden is complete; after this it will be very hard to turn back. It's interesting to note, though, that his basic goal hasn't changed, only his methods; note that he tries to dissuade Refa by talking about how dangerous the current Centauri policies are to their people. Londo is still first and foremost a patriot, not unlike G'Kar (at least until Kosh's revelation in "Dust to Dust.")

Londo and Sinclair have something in common; Londo's poisoning of Refa bears a passing resemblance to Sinclair planting a transmitter in G'Kar's intestinal tract. Or rather, claiming to -- which raises the question, did Londo really poison Refa, or just say so? Like Sinclair, Londo might figure that the poison that doesn't exist can't be flushed out by doctors.

The Army of Light is now dressed in black uniforms. Whether that's an intentional contrast on Delenn's part, or simply her fashion sense, only time will tell.

Londo introduces Vir to a surprising new acquaintance. A heavy influx of Narns to the station raises suspicions.

If Ivanova and Allen could follow the paper trail to discover that Vir apparently sent thousands of Narn to their deaths, others might be able to as well. Vir may find himself a target if any Narn who aren't in on his secret manage to access the records in question. Certainly Lyndisty is still in danger; lots of other Narn would undoubtedly like to get their hands on someone with her history.

There may also be a parallel between Londo's insect hunt and the typical Centauri attitude toward the Narn, who they regard as little more than bugs on two feet. If that parallel is intentional, Londo's line about the insects "evolving before my eyes" might have some relation to the Narns' changing position in the universe -- with G'Kar's help (and some prodding from Kosh) they're becoming something quite different than they were mere months earlier.

Evidence of the pressures of independence are starting to appear: B5's officers now drink an unidentified liquid instead of morning coffee and the ambassador of a major race -- albeit an ally of the government the station opposes -- can't get a maintenance crew to his quarters. The loss of Earth funding and support is likely to grow worse over time.

Originally posted by xVladx
Haven't seen the ep in a while, but I think the idea was that the Narn was always after Lindisty.