Babylon 5: The Hook
Author: Nicholas Ryan |
Many fans of the Babylon 5 TV Series will agree that the single most important element of the show that kept us coming back for more was the mystery of the Vorlons and the Shadows. Two races of beings that were so advanced they no longer had material bodies. They were beings of light that placed their life energy into encounter suits to enable them to interact with the lesser races, with beings like us.
Many fans of the Babylon 5 TV Series will agree that the single most important element of the show that kept us coming back for more was the mystery of the Vorlons and the Shadows. Two races of beings that were so advanced they no longer had material bodies. They were beings of light that placed their life energy into encounter suits to enable them to interact with the lesser races, with beings like us.
The Vorlons and the Shadows were the thread that wove its way throughout the series, the one main story underlying the many episodic stories. It is what bound all the episodes together. With each episode we learned a little more about these two god-like races. They were billions of years ahead of us. In time, as the series progressed, we came to learn they were among the first races ever to come into existence in our galaxy.
We were no more to them than insects were to us and though they barely noticed us most of the times, they were very much interested in the affairs of the lesser races of the galaxy. This was the puzzle that many viewers applied their wits to. To see if we could figure it out before it was revealed to us explicitly. It became apparent that the Vorlons and the Shadows were aware of each other but they kept their distance from each other, as if there were some deep irreconcilable innate difference between them.
It was the Vorlons who made contact first, making themselves known to a small number of individuals from the Minbari and Human races. The extent of their involvement was minimal, offering nothing more than advice or maybe just being present to watch us. All they would impart to us was a warning - of a time that was coming when chaos and war might threaten our existence. We were to prepare ourselves but they could not get involved directly.
The Shadows on the other hand got involved directly. They chose individuals from the lesser races with whom they gave aid to. When needed, the Shadows would not hesitate to use their far superior warships to tip the balance in some dispute between the lesser races. Their warships, billions of years ahead of anything else, seemed indestructible and possessed a fire power that was unrivaled. Their shear power was unimaginable to us lesser races.
But where was all this going? Why did races as advanced as the Vorlons and the Shadows care at all about the outcome of the petty wars between the inferior races? As it turns out it was a difference between ideologies. The Vorlons embraced order and discipline over conflict, it is what worked for them, while the Shadows embraced chaos and war because that is what had worked for them in their development. Like all beings with an over-inflated sense of self-importance, the Vorlons and the Shadows wanted the lesser races to chose their way. In the end, what did the lesser races chose? Or did we chose at all? To find out the answer to that you would have to watch the entire series.
Many fans of the Babylon 5 TV Series will agree that the single most important element of the show that kept us coming back for more was the mystery of the Vorlons and the Shadows. Two races of beings that were so advanced they no longer had material bodies. They were beings of light that placed their life energy into encounter suits to enable them to interact with the lesser races, with beings like us.
The Vorlons and the Shadows were the thread that wove its way throughout the series, the one main story underlying the many episodic stories. It is what bound all the episodes together. With each episode we learned a little more about these two god-like races. They were billions of years ahead of us. In time, as the series progressed, we came to learn they were among the first races ever to come into existence in our galaxy.
We were no more to them than insects were to us and though they barely noticed us most of the times, they were very much interested in the affairs of the lesser races of the galaxy. This was the puzzle that many viewers applied their wits to. To see if we could figure it out before it was revealed to us explicitly. It became apparent that the Vorlons and the Shadows were aware of each other but they kept their distance from each other, as if there were some deep irreconcilable innate difference between them.
It was the Vorlons who made contact first, making themselves known to a small number of individuals from the Minbari and Human races. The extent of their involvement was minimal, offering nothing more than advice or maybe just being present to watch us. All they would impart to us was a warning - of a time that was coming when chaos and war might threaten our existence. We were to prepare ourselves but they could not get involved directly.
The Shadows on the other hand got involved directly. They chose individuals from the lesser races with whom they gave aid to. When needed, the Shadows would not hesitate to use their far superior warships to tip the balance in some dispute between the lesser races. Their warships, billions of years ahead of anything else, seemed indestructible and possessed a fire power that was unrivaled. Their shear power was unimaginable to us lesser races.
But where was all this going? Why did races as advanced as the Vorlons and the Shadows care at all about the outcome of the petty wars between the inferior races? As it turns out it was a difference between ideologies. The Vorlons embraced order and discipline over conflict, it is what worked for them, while the Shadows embraced chaos and war because that is what had worked for them in their development. Like all beings with an over-inflated sense of self-importance, the Vorlons and the Shadows wanted the lesser races to chose their way. In the end, what did the lesser races chose? Or did we chose at all? To find out the answer to that you would have to watch the entire series.
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