The Man in Between

[iamsheridan]

Originally posted by Ben-Thayer Dunnthaedt
The fact that we DON'T know anything about him makes the character so compelling, and it augments the series.

So we can probably look forward to TMoS being a prequel: "Young Justin - the Man in the Middle".

I hate prequels!

/IamS

[bakana]

As best anyone was ever able to tell, IPX is the Earthforce equivalent of a "CIA Front company" dedicated to gathering as much alien tech as possible.

[Ben-Thayer Dunnthaedt]

And IPX certainly seems to fit the Megacorp margin, just like Edgars Industries.

I agree. Wasn't it in the first season that IPX was mentioned as a clandestine organization, and that no one knew much of anything about them?

I see Justin as one of those great and wondrous mysteries that serves to provide yet another example of what makes B5 such a work of art. Did that make any sense? The fact that we DON'T know anything about him makes the character so compelling, and it augments the series.

[bakana]

that Edgars' telepath virus was left-over Shadowtech

We don't know Where that Virus came from. Just that Edgars went to an inordinate amount of trouble to smuggle it through B5.

A fact that Garibaldi had problems with. The fact that Edgars Smuggled it was certain to attract Attention. If it was the Real Telepath virus Edgars was smuggling. It could very well have been a Decoy. Which is what Garibaldi seemed to be hinting. Edgars sidestepped the question and changed the subject rather neatly.

It's practically a certainty the virus came from one or another of the Shadows' servant races, but whether the Shadows themselves provided it or not is open to argument.

Given a Choice, we saw that the Shadows would prefer to convert their enemies to Chaos, one way or another. A sort of "Waste Not, Want Not" philosophy.

Some of the servant races, OTOH, might just prefer to eliminate the upstart Competition from Humans.

[Stunaep]

For one, Justin seems to have a lot in common with William Edgars. The whole behind-the-scenes thing, manipulating the goverment, and I'd bet good money, given that Edgars' telepath virus was left-over Shadowtech, that he too had been meddling with the Shadows. And IPX certainly seems to fit the Megacorp margin, just like Edgars Industries.

[grumbler]

Re: The Man in Between

Originally posted by Bonehead
But who, or what is Justin. We know he is the man in between, or the middle man, as he calls himself. He also speaks of the ones that decide the working day being 9 till 5, or hemlines etc, and he says he's with them. Same group, different department.

My impression had always been that he was the leader of the humans working for the Shadows, as Sheridan was the leader of the humans "working for" the Vorlons. He is clearly from earth, as he uses Earth idioms. My guess would be that his wasn't sent by the EA at all, but rather from one of the groups using the EA and the Shadows to pursue their own ends - perhaps by the same group that arranged for the Icarus to be sent to begin with.

Even JMS seems to contradict himself when approaching the subject.

JMS quotes an apparently inaccurate statement by Terry Jones, and makes an absolute statement of his own. I don't think this is a confusion on JMS's part. I think he simply didn't notice that Jones had included Justin in the crew of the Icarus when he posted that lengthy extract. I think JMS's own words should be considered definitive.

[Radhil]

Originally posted by Bonehead For that matter was he even human at all?

Yeah, he was human. Nothing other than his speechifying to suggest otherwise.

Another thought, if he was Sherridans equal and opposite, was he the leader of the Shadows or just their servant ?

I think JMS actually did post on exactly that, and his answer was along the lines of: Justin probably thought he was well regarded and well positioned by the Shadows, but thought and reality are often at odds.

Which makes me think it's much like Sheridan thought he was a war leader for the side of light, when aside from Kosh, the Vorlon probably regarded him as a pawn. Of course, he turned that around in the end.

[Bonehead]

Originally posted by nanorc
Since jms says ''He was assigned there later'', he would have to have been on board the Icarus before it was scrapped on Z ha dum.

I got the impression he ment assigned to Z'ha'dum, not the Icarus. But assigned by whom ?

Perhaps the Strieb amongst others were doing more than just gathering info on other races, but supplying humanoids for the shadows to use.

For that matter was he even human at all?

Another thought, if he was Sherridans equal and opposite, was he the leader of the Shadows or just their servant ?

[nanorc]

Since jms says ''He was assigned there later'', he would have to have been on board the Icarus before it was scrapped on Z ha dum.

Anne Sheridan wasn't a crew member aboard the ship either; its my understanding she was a civilian guest aboard the ship, under IPX.

[Bonehead]

Ok, something I've never fully understood. We all know of Lorien and the other first ones, which inlude the Vorlons and Shadows.

We also know of the oldest of the younger races like the Minbari and Drakh.

And of course the rest of the younger races.

But who, or what is Justin. We know he is the man in between, or the middle man, as he calls himself. He also speaks of the ones that decide the working day being 9 till 5, or hemlines etc, and he says he's with them. Same group, different department.

This implies to me that there are other forces at work in the B5 universe that we have yet to see.
Originally I thought these would be superior forces working for the universe itself, but JMS agreed with someones interpretation that he is to the Shadows, as Sebastian is to the Vorlon.

Well who precisely is he ?. Even JMS seems to contradict himself when approaching the subject.

Per the B5 Chronology by Terry Jones:

2257

"Sunday January 3rd. The Icarus lands on Z'ha'dum and the survey teams which
include Anna Sheridan, Morden and Justin, begin to explore.

jms

Question: I don't know whether anyone has already asked this but
> was Justin a crew member of the Icarus ?

No, he was assigned there later.

jms