Babylon 5/Tropes Q to Z: Difference between revisions

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* [[Realpolitik]]: Though expressing reservations toward his government in private, Londo zealously defends the actions of the Centauri Republic when they begin to aggressively raid neighboring worlds, claiming they require a "buffer zone".

** Even [[Token Good Teammate|Vir]] will do this from time to time, as is part of his job, such as when he visited Sheridan to demand Morden's release in ''In The Shadow of Z'Ha'Dum'', despite the fact that he can barely tolerate Morden.

* [[The Reason You Suck Speech]]:

* [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]:

** Stephen Franklin to himself as at the end of his walkabout.

** Sheridan to the Vorlons and Shadows at the end of the Shadow War.

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*** Subverted in the novelization, where Sinclair laments that for the men and women fighting on The Line, all the speech did was firmly remind them that they were all about to die.

** Previously mocked in the episode "Points of Departure": Sheridan wants to give one to his crew upon his arrival, believing it to be a good luck charm, but one crisis after another delays it until finally he just ends up giving the speech to an otherwise empty room.

** [[The Reason You Suck Speech]] that Franklin gave himself (in the form of a trauma-induced hallucination) managed to turn into one of these towards the end.

** [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]] that Franklin gave himself (in the form of a trauma-induced hallucination) managed to turn into one of these towards the end.

* [[Rubber Forehead Aliens]]: The most infamous is of course the Centauri who don't even rise to the "rubber forehead" level and are basically people with unlikely haircuts and sharp teeth. ([[Bizarre Alien Biology|And many other bits that aren't obvious on television.]])

** But while B5 does have its [[Rubber Forehead Aliens]], it also has a far wider assortment of semihumanoid and completely nonhumanoid species than is usually seen in TV Sci-Fi: the giant mantis crime boss from the first season, the Shadows (the show's [[Big Bad]]), the Pak'ma'ra, the Nakaleen Feeder, and of course the Vorlons (an entire race that spent most of the series acting as [[The Watcher]]), just to name a few. And it's indirectly implied that the [[Rubber Forehead Aliens]] are the result of genetic tampering by Vorlons, as the humanoid species are generally the ones with telepaths, and {{spoiler|the projected form of an unsuited Vorlon is a [[Winged Humanoid]] found in most races' major religions}}, even though the Vorlons' true form is nothing like that.)

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* [[Sarcastic Clapping]]:

** The assassin in "The Parliament of Dreams", in response to {{spoiler|Na'Toth's attempt to convince him she's his secret back-up}}.

** Garibaldi expresses how moved he is (or not) by Bester's soliloquy about how he's just a [[Not Evil Just Misunderstood|misunderstood family man]].

** Garibaldi expresses how moved he is (or not) by Bester's soliloquy about how he's just a [[Not Evil, Just Misunderstood|misunderstood family man]].

* [[Second Episode Introduction]]: Several of the cast regulars were not present in the [[Pilot Movie]]; Dr Franklin didn't show up for the first proper episode either.

* [[Schmuck Bait]]: Marcus escapes his jailer by pretending that his collapsible pike is some sort of medical scanner, and that you activate it by staring down the hole at the end. [[Tap On the Head|Pow]]. Marcus repeats this feat with another mook down the hall, this time using a tennis ball ("Exogenesis").

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** During the filming of ''A Late Delivery From Avalon'', guest star Michael York took this ''very'' seriously. A member of the filming crew who slipped up and mentioned The Scottish Play by its given name around him was required to perform various rituals to prevent any mishaps from befalling the production of the episode.

* [[Screw Destiny]]: {{spoiler|The main cast eventually decides this and enlists the aid of the First Ones to fight both the Shadows and the Vorlons, ending their constant struggle for dominance.}}

* [[Screw the Money I Have Rules]]:

* [[Screw the Money, I Have Rules]]:

** Why Franklin turns Dr. Hendricks in at the end of the episode "Infection".

** When confronted with Londo's announcement that he plans to divorce two of his wives, Timov passes up ample opportunities to win his favor or (failing that) murder him. She instead saves her husband's life via a [[AB Negative|blood transfusion]], on the condition that Franklin cannot reveal that she's the donor. In the end, Londo begrudgingly keeps Timov as his spouse, since she's [[Honest Advisor|the least dishonest]].

** Played for laughs during Garibaldi's war against the post office. ("A Late Delivery From Avalon")

* [[Screw the Rules I Have Connections]]: Mere hours after {{spoiler|Jack}} is arrested, President Clark calls Sheridan to demand his extradition to Earth. Shortly after leaving the station, the prisoner 'mysteriously' vanishes while en route.

* [[Screw the Rules, I Have Connections]]: Mere hours after {{spoiler|Jack}} is arrested, President Clark calls Sheridan to demand his extradition to Earth. Shortly after leaving the station, the prisoner 'mysteriously' vanishes while en route.

* [[Screw the Rules I Make Them]]: Typically invoked by the Psi Cops.

* [[Screw the Rules, I Make Them]]: Typically invoked by the Psi Cops.

* [[Screw the Rules I'm Doing What's Right]]: several times, sometimes quite extravegantly as when Delenn broke the Grey council and Sheridan seceded from Earth .

* [[Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right]]: several times, sometimes quite extravegantly as when Delenn broke the Grey council and Sheridan seceded from Earth .

* [[Script Reading Doors]]: The automatic doors on the station are standard-issue space opera Script Reading Doors. There's a particularly striking moment near the end of "And the Sky Full of Stars" where a door opens the moment Sinclair decides to leave, before he's actually started moving toward it.

* [[Sdrawkcab Name]]: Londo's first wife Timov. It's indicative, too.

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* [[Serious Business]]: Drazi politics.

{{quote| ''Green.''

'''''[[What Do You Mean ~~Its~~ Not Heinous|Purple]]''''' }}

'''''[[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?|Purple]]''''' }}

* [[Sham Ceremony]]: {{spoiler|President Clark}}'s installation ceremony.

* [[Shame If Something Happened]]: Refa to Londo, after the latter voices his disgust at the [[Witch Hunt]] perpetrated on his Urza Jaddo.

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* [[He Knows Too Much|She Knows Too Much]]: Despite intentionally leaving Talia alive as a witness, Abel Horn is later ordered to terminate her after she scans his mind.

* [[Shell Game]]: The literal shell game is seen in "Soul Hunter", where a hustler tries it on in Downbelow and gets knifed by a suspicious mark.

* [[Shell Shocked Veteran]]: Sinclair and Garibaldi, though both have had time to deal with most of their problems. Both mention having nightmares about their experiences in the Earth Minbari War.

* [[Shell-Shocked Veteran]]: Sinclair and Garibaldi, though both have had time to deal with most of their problems. Both mention having nightmares about their experiences in the Earth Minbari War.

** From ''The Long Dark'', Amis is firmly in the full-blown crazy variety of this trope. Except it wasn't the war that messed him up, it was his entire squad (except for him) being wiped out by an invisible alien that could move through walls and killed its enemies by [[Body Horror|ripping their organs out through their mouths.]]

** Michael York's character from ''A Late Delivery From Avalon''. He's so full of guilt and remorse and becomes so divorced from reality for a time that he thinks he's [[King Arthur]].

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* [[Slow Clap]]: Having survived the tumultuous events of "Severed Dreams", Sheridan and co. take a lift down to the Zocalo, where a large crowd applauds them for taking a stand against Clark.

* [[Slow Doors]]: Zack diving under a shutter door just as the docking bay is locked down, thereby springing the trap on Nightwatch.

* [[Slow Motion Pass By]]: Talia detects Morden's shadowy 'entourage' by simply passing him in a corridor.

* [[Slow-Motion Pass-By]]: Talia detects Morden's shadowy 'entourage' by simply passing him in a corridor.

* [[Smug Snake]]: Allison Higgins, ISN anchor and the face of Clark's propaganda machine. One wonders if perhaps she's also a [[Stepford Smiler]].

* [[Snowy Screen of Death]]:

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* [[Spoiler Opening]]:

** The episode in which Na'Toth first appears attempts to keep the audience wondering whether she's really an assassin sent to kill G'Kar. The fact that she's been listed in the opening credits as a regular character since the start of the season pretty much kills the suspense on that one.

** The second season opens with one of the regular characters in a coma, a second {{spoiler|in a ''cocoon''}}, and a third mysteriously missing. This would be more worrying if they weren't all still in the opening credits. (Partly averted in the case of the second character; the opening credits in the first few episodes used a headshot from the previous season, thus at least concealing that on the character's return {{spoiler|she would be a [[Half Human Hybrid]] with long flowing hair}}. Even then, some reruns and DVD releases don't even get this right, using the later opening with the spoilery headshot for the whole season.)

** The second season opens with one of the regular characters in a coma, a second {{spoiler|in a ''cocoon''}}, and a third mysteriously missing. This would be more worrying if they weren't all still in the opening credits. (Partly averted in the case of the second character; the opening credits in the first few episodes used a headshot from the previous season, thus at least concealing that on the character's return {{spoiler|she would be a [[Half-Human Hybrid]] with long flowing hair}}. Even then, some reruns and DVD releases don't even get this right, using the later opening with the spoilery headshot for the whole season.)

** That also happens in the beginning of Season 4, where {{spoiler|G'Kar's line gives away the fact that they retake Narn, and Sheridan being listed means that he somehow survived his self-nuking in Z'ha'dum}}.

* [[Spring Loaded Corpse]]: A (supposedly) dead Markab discovered by Sheridan in Grey Sector ("Knives").

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* [[That's No Moon]]: Babylon 5 orbits a planet called Epsilon 3. Only it's not a planet -- it's a planet-sized machine.

* [[Theme Initials]]: John Sheridan and Jeffrey Sinclair. [[Author Avatar|Which surely has nothing to do with the show being created by Joe Straczynski]]. The [[Theme Initials]] of the romantic leads matched those of JMS and his wife.

* [[There Are No Therapists]]: The crew finds a man suffering severe delusions, thinking he's [[King Arthur]]. Seems there's no shrinks on B5 as Dr Franklin then decides to immediately break the man's delusion by reminding him who he is ({{spoiler|and the terrible guilt he carries for what he did}}). Of course it does not go rather well, [[Nice Job Breaking It Hero|as the man has a breakdown and goes catatonic]].

* [[There Are No Therapists]]: The crew finds a man suffering severe delusions, thinking he's [[King Arthur]]. Seems there's no shrinks on B5 as Dr Franklin then decides to immediately break the man's delusion by reminding him who he is ({{spoiler|and the terrible guilt he carries for what he did}}). Of course it does not go rather well, [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|as the man has a breakdown and goes catatonic]].

* [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill]]: "Death Clouds". These weapons, developed by the Shadows, consists of a giant net of [[Nanomachines]] which enclose over a planet, before launching thousands of [[Nuke Em|multi-megaton thermonuclear missiles]] that penetrate the crust before detonating, thereby [[Earthshattering Kaboom|tearing the planet apart from the inside]].

* [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill]]: "Death Clouds". These weapons, developed by the Shadows, consists of a giant net of [[Nanomachines]] which enclose over a planet, before launching thousands of [[Nuke'Em|multi-megaton thermonuclear missiles]] that penetrate the crust before detonating, thereby [[Earthshattering Kaboom|tearing the planet apart from the inside]].

* [[They Do]]: John and Delenn.

* [[They Look Just Like Everyone Else]]: The [[Cold Blooded Torture|"interrogator"]] in "Intersections in Real Time." If you saw him walking down the street, you'd probably peg him as an accountant.

* [[They Look Just Like Everyone Else]]: The [[Cold-Blooded Torture|"interrogator"]] in "Intersections in Real Time." If you saw him walking down the street, you'd probably peg him as an accountant.

** Also Justin, the man Sheridan meets on Z'ha'dum. He's a willing servant of the Shadows, and tries to get Sheridan to switch sides. But in appearance and manner, he's like someone's kindly grandfather.

** To a lesser extent, Morden. He gives off a creepy vibe one you know who he works for, but in his first appearance, he comes off as little more than a slightly weird handsome young man.

* [[They Would Cut You Up]]: This is what Jason Ironheart is afraid of in "Mind War" (though to his credit it's not really his own fate that worries him so much as what They will do with what they learn from cutting him up).

* [[Third Person Flashback]]:

* [[Third-Person Flashback]]:

** In the pilot show, this is notable averted when Kosh got poisoned and an telepath saw the events as seen from Kosh's eyes.

** In "Revelations", when Garibaldi attempts to recall who attacked him, most of his flashback is just a rerun of the actual scene of him getting attacked, including several shots of Garibaldi in third person. The sequence does contain one new shot, representing Garibaldi noticing a detail that passed him by at the time, and this is in first person.

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** For the Earth Alliance, this is an execution method reserved for mutiny and treason.

** In "The Corps Is Mother, the Corps Is Father," Bester and another Psi Cop ''hyper''space a "mundane" who killed one of their colleagues.

* [[Tie in Novel|Tie In Novels]] -- notable for having the tie-ins be [[Canon]], with series creator [[J Michael Straczynski (Creator)|J Michael Straczynski]] reviewing them and/or providing outlines. Events described in the novels were more than once later referenced in the series.

* [[Tie-in Novel|Tie In Novels]] -- notable for having the tie-ins be [[Canon]], with series creator [[J Michael Straczynski (Creator)|J Michael Straczynski]] reviewing them and/or providing outlines. Events described in the novels were more than once later referenced in the series.

** ''SOME'' are canon, others are disavowed. [[Word of God]] is that of the nine Dell books, # 7 is 90% canon and # 9 is 100% canon. The other seven books "[[Canon Dis Continuity|strayed too far from canon]]".

* [[Time Abyss]]: Lorien

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* [[Turn in Your Badge]]: In "Survivors", Garibaldi is suspended from duty and made to turn in his security authorization, communication link and sidearm after being framed for the sabotage he was investigating. True to the trope, he insists on continuing to investigate on his own.

** Following an order by the Political office allowing Nightwatch to take over B5's security, Nightwatch begin consolidating its hold on the station by firing staff who won't cooperate and join ("Point of No Return"). Ironically reversed at episode's end, when Sheridan relieves them ''all'' of duty, replacing the disloyal guards with Narns.

** [[Inverted Trope|Inverted]] in ''In The Shadow Of Z'Ha'Dum''. Garibaldi [[What the Hell Hero|resigns in protest]] when Sheridan refuses to release [[Smug Snake|Mr. Morden]] when he can't charge him with a crime, but he ''knows'' he had to have something to do with the death of [[Death By Origin Story|Anna Sheridan]].

** [[Inverted Trope|Inverted]] in ''In The Shadow Of Z'Ha'Dum''. Garibaldi [[What the Hell, Hero?|resigns in protest]] when Sheridan refuses to release [[Smug Snake|Mr. Morden]] when he can't charge him with a crime, but he ''knows'' he had to have something to do with the death of [[Death By Origin Story|Anna Sheridan]].

** And [[Played With]] in ''Conflicts Of Interest'': Garibaldi resigned several episodes previously, but never got around to turning in his Identicard and his issued gear until Sheridan and Zack Allen pressed the issue. Zack even knew Garibaldi well enough to ask for his ''backup'' gun too. {{spoiler|He didn't realize that Garibaldi would have a spare ''Identicard'' too.}}

* [[Twisting the Words]]: "The Illusion of Truth"

* [[~~Two~~-D Space]]: Averted. The human Star Furies have multiple thrusters and rotate across all three axes.

* [[2-D Space]]: Averted. The human Star Furies have multiple thrusters and rotate across all three axes.

* [[Two of Your Earth Minutes]] appears sporadically; averted just about as often.

** G'Kar and Na'Toth both speak of "Earth hours" in "The Parliament of Dreams". Oddly, they mostly do it when discussing a deadline G'Kar is facing -- which was set by a Narn, and which they discuss only with each other and with another Narn. So why don't they talk about it in terms of their own Narn hours?

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** In the second and third seasons, multiple such railroads are set up by various characters to help {{spoiler|Narn civilians}} escape the brutal occupation of their homeworld after their war with the {{spoiler|Centauri Republic.}}

* [[Undying Loyalty]]: Lennier and Vir. Ivaniva too, and Na'Toth. In fact pretty much every major character's second (except for {{spoiler|Garibaldi's, who in fact turns out to be [[The Mole]] and shoots him in the back}})

* [[Ugly Guy Hot Wife|Ugly Guy Hot Girlfriend]]: Londo may or may not be ugly by Centauri standards, but he's not terribly attractive by human standards, and so by ''Human'' standards, Adira is much better-looking than he is.

* [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife|Ugly Guy Hot Girlfriend]]: Londo may or may not be ugly by Centauri standards, but he's not terribly attractive by human standards, and so by ''Human'' standards, Adira is much better-looking than he is.

** One of Londo's wives is a ''very'' attractive woman who's also much younger than him. Possibly his other wives were like that when they were younger. However, as these were all [[Arranged Marriage|Arranged Marriages]], the trope isn't playing completely straight.

* [[Undisclosed Funds]]: In "The Parliament of Dreams", Catherine Sakai receives an eye-widening amount of money as a bonus for a job she recently completed. She receives the notification of the amount in writing, and the audience is not told exactly how much it is.

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'''Londo:''' Fanatic!

'''G'kar:''' ''Murderer.''

'''Londo:''' [[You're Insane|You are insane!]]

'''Londo:''' [[You're Insane!|You are insane!]]

'''G'kar:''' And ''that'' is why we'll win.

'''Londo:''' "[[Join the Army They Said|Go be the ambassador to Babylon 5]]", they say. "It will be an easy assignment". Ugh, I ''hate'' my life.

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* [[Weird Trade Union]]: As part of a one-shot joke Cartagia complains that the Centauri torturers have insisted on being called "pain technicians" ever since they got organized.

* [[Weld the Lock]]: Garibaldi and the Mars Resistance blow the lock on an Earthforce outpost (depressurising it to immobilise those inside) then weld it shut again.

* [[Well Done Son Guy]]: General Richard "[[In Series Nickname|Old Firestorm]]" Franklin.

* [["Well Done, Son" Guy]]: General Richard "[[In-Series Nickname|Old Firestorm]]" Franklin.

* [[Wham Episode]]: It's the [[Trope Namer]], so there's obviously plenty.

* [[Wham Line]]:

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{{quote| '''{{spoiler|Satai Delenn}}:''' Animals! Brutal! [[Berserk Button|They deserve no mercy!]] Strike them down, follow them back to their base and [[Disproportionate Retribution|kill all of them, all of them!]] ''[[Disproportionate Retribution|No mercy!]]''}}

* [[What Could Have Been]]: The role of Knight Two in "And the Sky Full of Stars" was originally offered to [[The Prisoner|Patrick McGoohan]] (who couldn't fit it into his filming schedule) and then [[Walter Koenig]] (who was too ill to take it). Koenig, of course, was [[Happy Ending|later cast as Alfred Bester]].

* [[What Could Possibly Go Wrong]]: Nice one, Sheridan.

* [[What Could Possibly Go Wrong?]]: Nice one, Sheridan.

* [[What Did You Expect When You Named It]]: Even putting aside the [[Faux Symbolism|unlucky connotations]] of "Babylon", Earthforce has already deployed ''four'' Babylon stations, each of which has either blown up or vanished. Did it not occur to them to maybe name it different next time?

* [[What Did You Expect When You Named It?]]: Even putting aside the [[Faux Symbolism|unlucky connotations]] of "Babylon", Earthforce has already deployed ''four'' Babylon stations, each of which has either blown up or vanished. Did it not occur to them to maybe name it different next time?

** Why do people keep insisting on naming ships Icarus? It never freaking ends well.

** For that matter, why do people keep insisting on naming ships Marie Celeste?

* [[What Do You Mean ~~Its~~ Not Awesome]]: Londo stabbing a bug in his quarters with an antique Centauri knife.

* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?]]: Londo stabbing a bug in his quarters with an antique Centauri knife.

{{quote| "'''THIS''' will teach you to trifle with the Centauri!"}}

* [[What Do You Mean ~~Its~~ Not Heinous]]: Earth Gov trying to make Sheridan pay fifty credits a month rent for his spacious quarters, which appear to be larger than many apartments on Earth.

* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?]]: Earth Gov trying to make Sheridan pay fifty credits a month rent for his spacious quarters, which appear to be larger than many apartments on Earth.

** Sheridan claims that it's not the money, it's the principle of the thing. If he lets the bureaucrats back on Earth get a toe in the door, then they'll start micromanaging his job until he can't wipe his nose without a countersigned order.

* [[What the Hell Hero]]: Garibaldi's reaction to Sheridan interrogating Morden in the second season episode "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum".

* [[What the Hell, Hero?]]: Garibaldi's reaction to Sheridan interrogating Morden in the second season episode "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum".

** Also his reaction to Sheridan in general during the 4th Season.

* [[What Measure Is a Non Cute]]: Spoo. The Interstellar Animals Rights Protection League's official policy on the treatment of spoo is "Kill 'em.".

* [[What Measure Is a Non-Cute?]]: Spoo. The Interstellar Animals Rights Protection League's official policy on the treatment of spoo is "Kill 'em.".

* [[What You Are in The Dark]]: Sebastian's inquisition is about establishing what Delenn {{spoiler|and Sheridan}} are in the dark, as the answer to this question is of vital importance to the Vorlons. When he's satisfied that they measures up he gives a rather epic speech on the topic.

{{quote| How do you know the Chosen Ones? No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his brother. Not for millions. Not for glory, not for fame... For one person. In the dark. Where no one will ever know or see.}}

* [[What Happened to The Mouse]]:

* [[What Happened to The Mouse?]]:

** The character of Lennier abruptly departs from the show in the penultimate episode. He is the only major character whose fate at the end of the series remains unknown.

*** He is dead. In "Sleeping in Light" Sheridan offers a toast to absent friends, standard [[Unusual Euphemism]] for the dead. Mentioned are Londo, G'Kar, Marcus... and Lennier. The plot outline for the Telepath War bluntly states that Lyta and Lennier die during it.

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** In the episode "Sic Transit Vir," Vir's fiance has captured a Narn, whom she offers for Vir to kill. After this scene, which ends before Vir takes any action, the Narn is never referred to again.

* [[When Things Spin Science Happens]]: Babylon 5 itself. Also seen on less-advanced Earthfroce warships, which rely on rotating sections to generate indoor gravity.

* [[Where Da White Women At]]: Talia once shared a romance with her black instructor, Jason Ironheart, when they were both at Psi Corps Academy.

* [[Where Da White Women At?]]: Talia once shared a romance with her black instructor, Jason Ironheart, when they were both at Psi Corps Academy.

* [[Who Wants to Live Forever]]:

* [[Who Wants to Live Forever?]]:

** Lorien explains to Susan that he and his race were born naturally immortal.

{{quote| '''Lorien:''' At first we were kept in balance by birth rate. Few of us were ever born, less than a handful each year. Then I think, the Universe decided that to appreciate life, for there to be change and growth, life had to be short. So, the generations that followed us grew old, infirm, and died. But those of us who were first, went on. We discovered the Vorlons and the Shadows when they were infant races and nourished them, helped them and all the other races you call the First Ones. In time, most of them died, or passed beyond the rim to whatever lies in the darkness between galaxies. We've lived too long, seen too much. To live on as we have is to leave behind joy and love and companionship, because we know it to be transitory, of the moment. We know it will turn to ash. Only those whose lives are brief can imagine that love is eternal. You should embrace that remarkable illusion, it may be the greatest gift your race has ever received.}}

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* [[Working With the Ex]]: Sheridan deliberately hires his ex-wife to command the station when he has to resign by reason of [[Awesome Moment of Crowning|becoming a president]]; they didn't work out romantically, but he still trusts her.

* [[World of Cardboard Speech]]: Ironheart gives one of these to Sinclair in ''Mind War''.

* [[Worth Living For]]: Stephen Franklin, after getting a lengthy [[The Reason You Suck Speech]] from {{spoiler|a trauma-induced hallucination of himself}}.

* [[Worth Living For]]: Stephen Franklin, after getting a lengthy [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]] from {{spoiler|a trauma-induced hallucination of himself}}.

** For Sheridan, this would be {{spoiler|Delenn}}, throughout the fourth season of the show.

** Delenn says that Sinclair is looking for something [[Worth Living For]] during the first season. Garibaldi implies the same, saying that Sinclair is constantly throwing himself into dangerous situations because it's easier to find something worth dying for than something worth living for.

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== XYZ ==

* [[You Already Changed the Past]]: Babylon 4 reappears four years after it disappearance ("Babylon Squared"). In the two-parter "War Without End," it is revealed that Babylon 4 was snatched by the Minbari and taken to the year 1260 AD to help fight the Shadows. To prevent this from happening, the Shadows sent a bomb to Babylon 4 just as it was about to come on-line in 2254. However, the White Star also goes back in time, destroys the bomb, and (as it turns out) [[Timey Wimey Ball|takes it back in time as well]]. However, this is not before the time travel device (sent by Draal and delivered by Zathras) malfunctions, dropping Babylon 4 back into present-day 2258, resulting in the events of "Babylon Squared." Sinclair then realizes that {{spoiler|he must take Babylon 4 back in time himself, and then uses the triluminary device to turn himself into a Minbari--specifically, Valen, who led them in the First Shadow War, organized their society, and effectively became the main prophet of their religion}}.

* [[You Already Changed the Past]]: Babylon 4 reappears four years after it disappearance ("Babylon Squared"). In the two-parter "War Without End," it is revealed that Babylon 4 was snatched by the Minbari and taken to the year 1260 AD to help fight the Shadows. To prevent this from happening, the Shadows sent a bomb to Babylon 4 just as it was about to come on-line in 2254. However, the White Star also goes back in time, destroys the bomb, and (as it turns out) [[Timey-Wimey Ball|takes it back in time as well]]. However, this is not before the time travel device (sent by Draal and delivered by Zathras) malfunctions, dropping Babylon 4 back into present-day 2258, resulting in the events of "Babylon Squared." Sinclair then realizes that {{spoiler|he must take Babylon 4 back in time himself, and then uses the triluminary device to turn himself into a Minbari--specifically, Valen, who led them in the First Shadow War, organized their society, and effectively became the main prophet of their religion}}.

* [[You Are What You Hate]]:

** {{spoiler|Ivanova's}} aversion to Psi-Corps, or telepaths in general. As we later discover, {{spoiler|Ivanova}} does not hate telepaths as people, but reacts with hostility toward any threat of being scanned, which would lead to being 'outed' as a P1. OK, hands up, who [[Self Fulfilling Spoiler|actually didn't see that coming?]]

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** The Drazi talk like this even though they've been around humans for a while.

*** [[All There in the Manual|According to some]] possibly-non canon material, the Drazi language is very simple, and they find languages with complex grammar rules (like English) hard to learn. Apparently their not incapable of learning, however. The Drazi ambassador's English is notably improved in the 5th Season.

* [[You're Insane]]: Sinclair's reaction in "And the Sky Full of Stars" when the interrogator explains his theory about Sinclair being a Minbari sleeper agent.

* [[You're Insane!]]: Sinclair's reaction in "And the Sky Full of Stars" when the interrogator explains his theory about Sinclair being a Minbari sleeper agent.

* [[Your Approval Fills Me With Shame]]: In "Acts of Sacrifice," Ivanova attempts to secure an alliance with a race of [[Social Darwinist|Social Darwinists]] who are about two steps removed from being [[A Nazi By Any Other Name|Space Nazis]]. She is extremely uncomfortable with their effusive praise for Babylon 5's "down below" ghetto, which they assume was deliberately planned to separate the "genetically inferior" humans from their superiors.

* [[Your Door Was Open]]