Can Someone Clarify? S3 Finale

[Hal_10000]

Spoiler warning

I've been slowly buying the entire series on DVD and watching it again in a rapture. But there was something about the season three finale I never understood. What were the Shadows intentions at Babylon 5? We see all these ships appear around the station. And then they wait for events to unfold on Z'ha'dum. Now it clearly wasn't their intention at first to grab Garibaldi, as they only did that after the explosion. So what were they doing there? Where the going to blow up the station if Sheridan joined them? Blow it up if they fit him with a control device? And if they weren't going to destroy it, why were they there? Why was Londo warned to leave?

Maybe I'm a bit dim or have forgotten something. But I never understood this aspect of that episode.

[DeMonk]

If my memory serves well, the Shadows intended to take away his support mechanism as making him a martyr wouldn't help at all. Others would simply take up the cause.
I always thought they would have destroyed Babylon 5 if Sheridan refused to cooperate. But since he died in the blast, it was no longer necessary to destroy his support base. The shadows saw a use for the place in the future. The next likely leaders were Delenn and Ivanova and Garibaldi. Garibaldi was supposed to be the easiest to manipulate so they decided to grab him and eliminate Delenn and Ivanova at a later stage.
Londo was warned because he worked for them and they had further use for him.

[grumbler]

I saw their retreat from B5 as a confused reaction to the loss of their main city, rather than a strategic move to save B5 for later. The sentients in the ships were centrally controlled, and their first reaction to the loss of control was to pull back to where they would regain it. they had been told to go to B5 space and await orders, and never got orders to attack so did not do so.

I saw the grabbing of Garibaldi as an attempt to salvage something from the confusion; the taking of a prize so they could claim the mission "was not a total failure."

Remember that these are just individuals in these ships, prone to doubt and confusion when their orders are not clear, but also anxious not to be blamed for any failures.

[Phil Harmonic]

I saw it purely as their capitol city was destoyed, something unthinkable and B5 was simply unimportant to the recall. Come back, someone major has happened, perhaps we are under major assault, all ships return at once.

I as well think if Sheridan didn't "die", and didn't coopreate, they would have put him in a Shadow vessel to bring him around to their way of thinking. I'm not sure whether or not they would have destroyed B5 but I cannot remember them ever appearing without and intent for mayhem.

[DeMonk]

Wasn't it explained more exstensively in the technomage books?
I have a vague memory of reading that some time ago. I'll check.

[yohoob]

bester explains it in the episode in season 4 when they find the telepath virus and deprograms garabaldi.

[cornholio1980]

I saw their retreat from B5 as a confused reaction to the loss of their main city, rather than a strategic move to save B5 for later.

My thoughts exactly. As for why they were there in the first place: To destroy B5 of course, should Sheridan not cooperate (which of course brings up the question why B5 wasn't destroyed the moment Sheridan pulled his PPG, but hey, nothing's perfect )

[Hal_10000]

My thoughts exactly. As for why they were there in the first place: To destroy B5 of course, should Sheridan not cooperate (which of course brings up the question why B5 wasn't destroyed the moment Sheridan pulled his PPG, but hey, nothing's perfect )

Yes, I think you guys have got me on the right track. The Shadows wanted to keep B5 because it was part of the fulcrum that was Sheridan. If he could be turned -- or put into a shadow vessel -- B5 could be used to their advantage. But if he refused and somehow escaped, they destroy it to cripple him and the Army of Light. Or if he refuses or is killed, the grab whoever will take is place (Delenn or Ivanova, I'm guessing) and try to convert them.

But his actions were completely unexpected (one thing I love about the series -- everyone has their own agendas and plans) and so their reaction was, "Great Scott! All right. Everybody back to Z'Ha'Dum and we'll figure out where to go from there. And while you're at it, grab that Garibaldi guy."

His self-sacrifice was not something they were really prepared for.

[Raapys]

What I found suspiciously strange was that the 2X Minbari Warcruisers that circled B5 when the episode started was gone when the Shadow ships appeared.

[Capt.Montoya]

What I found suspiciously strange was that the 2X Minbari Warcruisers that circled B5 when the episode started was gone when the Shadow ships appeared.

Was it really gone, or just out of the scene shot?
Heck it might have been a rendering mistake.

[grumbler]

What I found suspiciously strange was that the 2X Minbari Warcruisers that circled B5 when the episode started was gone when the Shadow ships appeared.

No one ever denied that the Minbari were smart.