Babylon 5

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Good eye. JMS explained at the time:

Yes, we brightened things up a notch, but only a notch, because we
discovered that a lot of the good work being done on the sets and the
costumes wasn't being seen because we were too dark. So we went up about
one f-stop, but at the same time began using more shadows, textures and
colors, so the show has a denser look to it.

Except that increasing by one f-stop (somewhat confusingly, termed "stopping down") reduces the aperture by the square root of two (1.414159...) and therefore reduces the amount of light entering the camera by a factor of two. (The f/number value is the ratio of the focal length to the aperture of the lens.) I assume he meant "went down one f-stop" (that is, stopped up).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number
Stopping up would also have the effect of decreasing the depth of field so the bokeh might be more noticeable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh

 

[tomswift2002]

Nope. Morden wasn't dead until he met the sharp edge of an ax on Centauri Prime.

Technically he was, since he was part of the Icarus crew, the same ship that Sheridan’s wife was on. Throughout the series he was a puppet for the Shadows and even seemed to predict that the Shadow’s subordinate races would take over the Centauri.

 

[Jan]

Technically he was, since he was part of the Icarus crew, the same ship that Sheridan’s wife was on. Throughout the series he was a puppet for the Shadows and even seemed to predict that the Shadow’s subordinate races would take over the Centauri.

Perhaps legally but not in reality.

 

[Jedman67]

Technically he was, since he was part of the Icarus crew, the same ship that Sheridan’s wife was on. Throughout the series he was a puppet for the Shadows and even seemed to predict that the Shadow’s subordinate races would take over the Centauri.

They weren't killed, however. They became human puppets to the shadow, becoming their representatives.

 

[MacLeod]

Perhaps legally but not in reality.

That's the thing about prophecy it can be vague and open to interpretation, it could just as easily mean dead in a legal sense as opposed to a physical sense. And some of the remaining friends of the Shadows weren't happy with Mollari's actions to remove Shadow influence from Centauri Prime.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

It's funny that Commander Ivanova is credited as Lt. Commander Ivanova all during the second season intro credits.

 

[Jan]

It's funny that Commander Ivanova is credited as Lt. Commander Ivanova all during the second season intro credits.

The people doing the transfers were too lazy to follow the changes. Same reason why we see Delenn's transformation before the reveal in the show.

 

[Jedman67]

The people doing the transfers were too lazy to follow the changes. Same reason why we see Delenn's transformation before the reveal in the show.

During syndication they just recycled the credits for the whole season. During first run the suspense and mystery was kept.

 

[David cgc]

Between her departure in season 2 and her reappearance in season 5, did anybody ever reference in-world what happened to Na'Toth? Was the audience supposed to assume she died in the attack as G'Kar did, or was it Judy Winslow style handwave? "Attache? What attache? I haven't had an attache since that airlock incident. It doesn't look like anything to me."

IIRC, the only mention was in "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place," where Londo was going to claim she survived the bombings and was a prisoner on Narn as a ruse to lure G'Kar back there (which, of course, was itself a ruse), but on both levels, neither of them have to have any real information on Na'toth's whereabouts, beyond that Londo and G'Kar apparently thought she'd been on Narn during the bombings.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

What is the point of giving Refa the first half of a two part poison?

How is this scarier than a straight out poison threat? Giving him the second half of a poison isn’t easier than just giving a plain one part poison.

And if Londo thought Refa killed Adira, why did he need to ask Morden to get his revenge, if he had the ability to poison him at any time?

Not the most well thought out of B5’s plot points. It would make more sense if Londo had given Refa a poison that required consistent administration of antidote.

 

[Jan]

The first half of the poison was to make Refa disassociate with the Shadows. If he'd just killed Refa, the Shadows would have found another dupe. This way they at least spent some time trying to get through to Refa.

Who said Londo could administer the second half of the poison at any time? I'm quite sure Refa would have had hefty protection.

 

[MacLeod]

The first half of the poison was to make Refa disassociate with the Shadows. If he'd just killed Refa, the Shadows would have found another dupe. This way they at least spent some time trying to get through to Refa.

Who said Londo could administer the second half of the poison at any time? I'm quite sure Refa would have had hefty protection.

Assuming Londo wasn't lying about the poison.

Beep Beep

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The first half of the poison was to make Refa disassociate with the Shadows. If he'd just killed Refa, the Shadows would have found another dupe. This way they at least spent some time trying to get through to Refa.

Who said Londo could administer the second half of the poison at any time? I'm quite sure Refa would have had hefty protection.

If Londo couldn't administer the poison at any time, then Refa shouldn't be scared. Having one half of a two part poison is exactly the same as not being poisoned. Either way it requires exaclty one poison to kill you.

Unless Londo lied about being able to administer the poison at any time and Refa is monumentally stupid. Which I guess, is a real possibility.

 

[DrCorby]

If Londo couldn't administer the poison at any time, then Refa shouldn't be scared. Having one half of a two part poison is exactly the same as not being poisoned. Either way it requires exaclty one poison to kill you.

But that's just it, Refa doesn't know if Londo can carry out his threat or not. No defenses are perfect. That makes the threat alone good leverage. But poisoning is a long tradition in Centauri culture. So is spying and espionage between the many great Houses (Purple Files, anyone?). That requires networks of skilled operatives. Refa can never be sure Londo doesn't have a spy in his House. (Certainly, Londo was later able to bribe Refa's personal guard.) Londo has the wealth and other resources of an old great House at his disposal; Refa should underestimate that capability at his own risk. And Londo personally administering the first half of the poison should clearly demonstrate his willingness to get the other half to Refa, should he decide to.

I believe the Centauri had aspects of Renaissance Venice as part of their culture, as created by JMS. Read a little about them to see how cutthroat they could be in inter-House intrigues. Now add future tech to the equation to see how dangerous the Centauri could potentially be...

 

[David cgc]

How is this scarier than a straight out poison threat? Giving him the second half of a poison isn’t easier than just giving a plain one part poison.

Sure it is. A one-part poison would kill Refa's food taster, making it less likely Refa would ingest it (let's be honest, ol' Antono could be a little dense sometimes). An otherwise-harmless additive could actually make it through Refa's security.

And if Londo thought Refa killed Adira, why did he need to ask Morden to get his revenge, if he had the ability to poison him at any time?

It's very unclear what, exactly, Morden did to help Londo kill Refa, since everything Londo ultimately did was entirely within his power, requiring only money, connections, and politics. Maybe creating the forged data crystal that incriminated Refa? As for why Londo had Refa killed the way he did rather than following through with the poison, Londo himself explains that in his holorecording; "You see, it's not enough for me to simply kill you, Refa. I could do that at home, or here. But through your death on Narn, I will discredit your house and all opposition in the Royal Court."

 

[tomswift2002]

They weren't killed, however. They became human puppets to the shadow, becoming their representatives.

In a later season Morden implied that when the Icarus crashed on Z'ha'dum, all the crewmembers were killed, but the Shadows repaired the bodies and filled them with Shadow personalities and "souls" that could remember some of their former life, but the human personality and soul were gone.

 

[Jan]

In a later season Morden implied that when the Icarus crashed on Z'ha'dum, all the crewmembers were killed, but the Shadows repaired the bodies and filled them with Shadow personalities and "souls" that could remember some of their former life, but the human personality and soul were gone.

Not that I recall. The only time that might have happened that I know of was the exposition-heavy "'Z'ha'dum" where Justin, Anna and Morden try to convince Sheridan to join them. But there was nothing about the crewmembers being killed and revived, only the bit about Anna being put into one of the Shadow vessels:

You see, when she came here five years ago, she was given a choice. The same choice we're giving you. She made
the mistake of choosing badly...and our associates...well, they needed people to use as central processing units in their ships. We pulled her out as soon as we found out who she was...who you were...but once you've been inside one of those
ships for a while, you're never quite whole again. But you do what you're told. And so will you."
No indication that Morden was put into a ship (and it's been far too long since I read it but "The Shadow Within" novel indicates that he was given a different choice.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Regarding Morden's death status:

If you can use it in a sentence, it's a valid interpretation of prophecy.

 

[David cgc]

In a later season Morden implied that when the Icarus crashed on Z'ha'dum, all the crewmembers were killed, but the Shadows repaired the bodies and filled them with Shadow personalities and "souls" that could remember some of their former life, but the human personality and soul were gone.

I think you're conflating Delenn's assumption that the crew of the Icarus was killed with what we later found out actually happened.

In the Cavelos novels, we actually saw that Anna didn't remember a single thing about being human after she'd been put in a ship, and had to be coached by Morden and Justin not just on how to imitate her former self, but even the most basic areas of human life and interactions. What things to make your face do when people were talking, when you're supposed to sit down, everything.

 

[Gov Kodos]

The one I always think of besides the obvious one of G'Kar is Londo accepting the Keeper. That was an amazing scene.

I love that Londo got his wish in the end that he told Delenn and Drall about in Voice in the Wilderness.
As a young and foolish Centauri I swore I would die on my feet doing something noble and brave and futile.