Babylon Squared - Arc Significance

Arc Significance

Events in this episode are clarified in the third season episode "War Without End."

• Although it was not clear during this episode whether Babylon 4 was stolen by people from the past or the future. It is revealed in "War Without End" that Sinclair helped steal it to help the Minbari fight a war against the Shadows a thousand years prior.
• Introduces the character of Zathras.
• Introduces the concept of "the One."
• Introduces the Anla-shok concept of living and dying for the One.
• Delenn receives a triluminary, is used in the season finale episode "Chrysalis" to transform Delenn in to a human-Minbari hybrid.
• First appearance of the Grey Council (outside of flashbacks) with some of the council members faces being shown.
• There are several inconsistencies between this episode and "War Without End." One, the method by which Zathras is captured, was changed.

One common mis-held belief, regards a change in the over-all story arc resulting from Michael O'Hare's early departure from the series; and is that the plan was to take Babylon 4 forward in time to replace the destroyed Babylon 5 during the 2260s Shadow war. This is incorrect and was never the intention, as stated by JMS several times over the years, (one such comment appears under the JMS speaks section on this site's entry for the episode: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/061.html#JS ) JMS rarely reveals what his original story was before cast changes, choosing only to say he always had 'outs' for everyone, but it was mentioned that had Michael O' Hare stayed with the series "War with out End" would have been towards the end of the series.