So the more I see Ambassador Kosh, the more I can’t help but think, “Geez, it must suck to have such a small mouth.” How does he eat? Does he always have to use a straw? Think of all the interesting food he has to miss out on, like G’Kar’s homemade Huge Haunch Of Unidentified Meat.
What the heck is the “Hour of Scampering”? 
I love that phrase.
The Deathwalker has creepy eyes! And that got me thinking about all the make-up in B5, and how long it must take all the actors (the ones playing aliens) to have to go through make-up for every episode shoot.
I hope we get to see the Wind Swords eventually.
Kosh: You seek meaning?
Talia: Yes.
Kosh: Then listen to the music, not the song.
I found myself wondering about G’Kar’s inner thought processes. He promises Na’Toth fulfill her blood oath after the secret to Deathwalker’s youth elixir is secure, but what was he planning to do when Na’Toth realized that her blood oath would never get fulfilled? I said it before and I’ll say it again: nothing bad better happen to Na’Toth or I’m going to be very upset. She’s a strong female character and I love her wry sense of humour, plus her volatile emotions always make scenes interesting.
I’m glad that G’Kar didn’t seriously consider Jha’dur’s offer to consider selling her discovery to his people if he gave her Na’Toth’s head.
At least I ASSUME he didn’t seriously consider it.
I thought Sinclair pretty naive when he said that they should do what they could to help the immortality serum to be developed because it would mean a galaxy without sickness or death. Has he not read ANY sf/fantasy?!? There’s always a price. Garibaldi (whom I’m liking more and more with each episode) had the right level of cynicism, IMHO.
The whole subplot with Talia and Kosh and Abbut was pretty creepy. So it looks as if Kosh is plotting something in which he wants to make sure Talia can be kept under control….hm. Interesting to get more of a glimpse into Talia’s past; I hope we get to find out more.
Also curious about if those nonsense phrases passed between Kosh and Abbut had any real meaning:
“A herring is just a herring, but a good cigar is a Cuban.”
“A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from the bristles. Do you understand, Ms. Winters?”
Kosh’s destruction of the Deathwalker and her immortality serum was a surprise. Also the fact that none of the other ambassadors got angry with him; didn’t they want the serum? Though I suppose they were just glad that the Deathwalker was finally dead. Too bad…I thought she was a great Evil Villain. And she gave a GREAT final speech:
“You and the rest of your kind take blind confidence in the belief that we are monsters - that you could never do what we did. The key ingredient in the [serum] cannot be synthesized; it must be taken from living beings. For one to live forever, another one must die. You will fall upon one another like wolves. It’ll make what we did pale by comparison. The billions who live forever will be a testimony to my work, and the billions who were murdered to buy that immortality will be the continuance of my work. Not like us? You will become us. That’s my monument, Commander.”
Some great writing.
Next episode: Believers.
[For those who comment below: As the title of my blog indicates, I'm watching B5 for the very first time so PLEASE refrain from posting plot/character spoilers about upcoming episodes, or including links to pages with spoilers (unless you warn readers that they contain spoilers). Thanks so much! - Debbie]
8 comments ↓
If you understand Vorlons withing the B5 universe (or as much as they can be understood) you’ll know WHY nobody got mad at them.
You might as well get mad at a tornado, and it would be wise not to stand in front of it if you do.
Re: Kosh Eating
Don’t forget that all we see of the Vorlons is their “encounter suit.” They wear what is effectively a spacesuit because they breathe a different atmosphere. The only person who has seen a Vorlon outside their encounter suit was the doctor from the Pilot and he was sent away shortly afterwards.
From The Lurker’s guide, so you don’t have to look and see what you don’t want to ssee right now:
—
jms speaks
The Hour of Scampering is usually around tea-time, according to the Vorlon/Human Translation Dictionary.
—
On the actor’s in make-up: There were a number of actors that played multiple roles because once the production company knew they could tolerate the make-up and masks *and* hit their marks and deliver their lines, they were welcome back. The fact that one actor got a number of guest shots as different characters had no meaning to the story, it was that he was good, a known variable (and available).
I first thought the Hour of Scampering was quiting time, kinda like when the great cube praire empties into the parking lot.
Kosh-isms are one of the delights of the show. Trying to make sense of them can afford one many hours of debate with other fans also seeing the show for the first time, but they DO make sense. Sometimes it takes a long time for that meaning to become clear.
Abbut, on the other hand….
re Kosh: I thought that tiny whatever-it-is was kind of an eye - where his mouth is, or if such a thing even exists, I’ve no idea
I think it’s his iPod
Btw, I love the flying-saucer ships in this one!