I saw an interview with Bruce Boxleitner where he said that Peter Jurasik loved his character so much that he took the painting of Londo Molari when the show ended and had it hanging in his library in his home. 😂 So many legends that cant be replaced.
when a character is well written , and deep enough for the perfect actor for it to love playing them thats when Iconic art is made , thats a badass detail
@@fmlazarthat'd be Amazing! Hearing cursing in that Mittle-Europearisch accent. "bah! The Free-way? Free way? If it was Free, surely I'd be Moving just now, but No! It is Not a free way... It is an obstructed way, a blocked way, an Occluded way. Humans and their ridiculous ideas..."
"Your time has come and gone! It's our turn now. Soon you will wake to our teeth in your throats, sleep well embasador, sleep lightly." G'kar to Lando over the Ragesh 3 incident. Season 1.
"You're insane." "On any other day, Mr. Morden, you would be wrong. Today? Today is a _very_ different day." One of the best payoffs in an entire series full of spine tingling payoffs
"What are you going to do, Molari? Blow up the island?" "Actually... [dramatically pulls out a detonator] now that you mention it..." Amazing scene, but I still love the little coda that Vir gets with Morden after this more.
As good as Deleans only one captain has survived battle with a Nimbarry fleet. he is behind me. you are in front of me. If you value your lives be somewhere else. Sorry for any spelling errors.
Londo had an amazing character arc in this series. Starts out as a comical "fat Dracula", then steps up to villainous ambassador, then to a very dangerous mobster with a plan, then to a saddened emperor who would give anything to change the past.
"My shoes are too tight, but its OK, I have forgotten how to Dance" - Indeed, he once was a relatively carefree (but ambitious) ambassador, then his ambitions came partly true - at a hight cost - and now he's stuck (with a keeper watching his every move!) on the throne, but with little actual power...a really tragic figure!
@@dreamingflurry2729 That episode was one of the best of the entire series. _"War Prayer."_ _"My shoes are too tight. But it doesn't matter. For I have forgotten how to dance."_ ... But why, ambassador? _"Because you are still children! And children should be allowed to dance!"_ But the best line was when Vir disturbed him when he was with his dancer girlfriend, and as Vir's faced filled the scanner sceen: _"What do want, you Moon-faced Assassin of Joy?"_ 🤣 {:o:O:}
Don't think I ever saw the label "fat Dracula" used for Londo. But now it's mentioned there are times when watching Londo talk that it ALMOST looked as if I could see his upper canines trying to show themselves.
Lady Morella warned him of the path he was on. He was told "You must save the eye that does not see", then he says nothing when the sadistic Cartagia was torturing G'Kar and later took his eye. He was told “You must not kill the one who is already dead”, then he executes Mr Morden but saves Sheridan both of whom were believed to be dead after Z-Day. He was told “You must surrender yourself to your greatest fear, knowing that it will destroy you”, which is why he asks G'Kar to kill him. If he killed Cartagia after realizing he was insane he could have saved G'Kars eye. If he had taken Mr Morden off world rather than killing him, he might have avoided having the Shadow allies as his enemy after the war. There was only one prophesy he was able to understand before it was too late, so he may have even been the "I" that does not see.
"Aaahhhh, missster Morrrden!" God, I loved Molari's voice. Peter Jurasik was brilliant in the role. Come to think of it, the entire cast for Babylon 5 was brilliant.
You forgot the best scene with Morden, when Mollari gives Vir a "gift" that Vir asked for a long time ago when Morden asked Vir what he wanted. Vir replied to Morden that he wanted to live just long enough to see Morden's head on a pike so he can wave to it as he passes by. Londo gave Vir that gift.
had too, youtube kept blocking the video when it was a part of this one, however i did add some audio tracks to be able to add it here: ruclips.net/video/N0431E_82KE/видео.html
I still think my favorite scene from Londo is in the pilot. He was talking about how the Centauri used to control the quadrant and now it is basically a tourist attraction... "See the great Centauri Empire! Open 9 to 5... Earth time." It really helps you understand why he does what he does.
@@meleardil Technically, Vir did not get his wish, in full. The full text: _"I'd like to live _*_just long enough_*_ to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next 10 generations that some favors come with too high a price. I want to look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this [waves at Morden]. Can you and your associates arrange that for me Mr. Morden?"_ Bolding is mine. If the Vorlons blew up Centauri Prime, *_then,_* Vir would have gotten his wish word-for-word, by living Just Long Enough.
@@matthewteague623 Ah, but the the Vorlons blew up Centory prime then Morden's head would not be on a pike long enough for the next 10 generations to see as a warning.
I doubt even the casting director knew what harmony would be produced. Fantastic actors no doubt aided by a fully written arc - if only humanity could ensure such gold every time!
Londo as a character had the most astonishing range, from a oafish clown, a sympathetic ear to his friends, a calculating villain , and dark messiah, giving up his soul to save his people.
He did go through quite the character development wringer didn't he. I think he was always a decent fellow, but ended up over his head. As Garabaldi once said, once he realized he had the tiger by the tail, he was to scared to let go so hung on tighter. His True friends, and allies, did stick with him even through the troubled parts. Some he never quite realized he had.
Interesting you should say that of him. In "The Highest Treason", a man's love for Mankind causes him to turn traitor and kill millions if not billions of men, women and children. We were not taking a war with aliens seriously, and the aliens took slaves, so they weren't terribly destructive. He joined the alien side, proving a brilliant tactician, and convinced them to try to horrify us into surrender. It backfired, as he knew it would. Forever after, the name Sebastian McMain would be a greater insult than "Adolph Hitler" could ever be. But he saved Mankind.
Londo... The most twisted and deep "redemption arc" in modern serialised Sci Fi. Was he a monster? Yes. Did he regret it? Yes. Did he do things for morality as humans would understand them? No! Everything. Every single Thing, he did for the Centauri Republic. A greater "Emperor" they Never knew.
Even his deal with Morden was to restore the glory of his people, not for himself. In a backhanded way, it actually worked because the deal eventually led to Vir coming to the throne.
And the thing is, it wouldn't be needed. Centauri carry a variety of forms of identification, and that's before you get into DNA analysis. But you know what that instruction would do? It would keep him alive and conscious for longer during the beating. G'Kar wanted to make sure he suffered as much and as long as possible.
@@gatedude07 My theory is that this instruction was given because of Centauri culture? Seeing a severed head of a person has bigger impact than hearing about DNA analysis..maybe this was needed to make sure that his house would be totally discredited? I mean we had Vir wishing to see Morden's head on pike and we know what happened later..
2:50 My favorite line of this clip. "Your loyalty to our people, should outweigh your ambition" it's a line that every US presidential candidate should respect. They all need to hear that. ✌️😸
Presidential candidate, hell. Every citizen running for public office needs to feel that in his bones. In the US, one satisfies ambition through entrepreneurship, not public office.
Because sci-fi and fantasy movies don't seem to get respect when it comes to acting, maybe it is time to establish a specific acting award (like the Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy) for sci-fi and fantasy movies. Only those individuals who perform in those types of movies and TV shows would be eligible for the award. In addition to this scene, other scenes to nominate would be Shaw's monolog in "Star Trek: Picard" (where he recounts the events of "Worf 359") and Picard's "Ahab" scene in "Star Trek: First Contact."
8:30 - The juxtaposition of the gospel music and Refa’s death is peak television. The fact that Lennier and Delenn have no idea what to make of gospel music is an added bonus.
@@rh906 That’s exactly how I conceive of it. The orderliness of their society would be more inclined to the structured approach of Gregorian chant than the energetic explosions of gospel.
@@rh906 Part of it is not understanding Human religions and the full context of the music. On-top of that, their religious ways tend more toward structured ceremonial chants and things.
I always thought it was telling that G'Kar did not participate in Refa's death. The lives of his people motivated him, but he knew that there was nothing to be gained in the act itself.
And I love how he doesn't scold his men for acting out their revenge. He knows that his lack of need for that is his own. These men don't have his wisdom yet, but he knows that they need to learn the lessons of emotional and mental pain themselves.
Love B5 as a whole and many arcs were amazing but GKar was really another level. His "Never Again" speech was amazing, as well as "But I can forgive You".
The first time I saw the scene, it did not occur to me that the guns the guards on either side of Londo were carrying larger than the standard issue rifle for the palace guard. Love the detail that the guards on the outside of the doors had also stepped aside.
Refa got pretty much the worst fate in the entire show. Being stomped to death by a bunch of angry Narns! I don't know if enough people appreciated the actor who played Refa. Dripping with decadence and casual evil, he did a great job!
What do you mean, "underrated"? The show was a hit, and has kept up it's good reputation over decades, to the point where they are now discussing to remake it, or at least reuse the IP.
I love the subtlety here. You see Morden grasp the ring around his neck after the island blew up. This was his late wife's ring whom his "associates" promised to bring back if he worked for them.
He wore a pendant from an ancient civilization (the rune inscription read Love Has no Borders) He gave the pendant to his wife as a wedding gift. Morons wife and daughter died when their transport ship exploded in hyperspace. He newer got over it. While given a choice to serve the Shadows they promised him that they would end his wife and daughters suffering while being trapped in the half blown up ship in hyperspace. Before that incident Moron served as a Earth force Black ops officer attached to IPX technology department.
A few years back, I got to have a nice long conversation with Claudia Christian. I didn't want to "fanboy" out, so I didn't bring up B5. We talked about other things. When it did go there, we both agreed that the Londo/G'Kar arc was (her word) "Shakespearean." p.s. she was lovely to talk to.
The portrayal of the Centauri, especially through characters like Londo Mollari, has strong parallels to certain aspects of French history. The attire of Centauri nobility and prominent Centauri individuals in the series bears great resemblance to that of French courtiers, hinting at a connection between the two in terms of inspiration. The analogy between the Centauri Republic and France can be seen through various lenses. One possible comparison could be drawn to the period shortly after the Emperor Napoleon I was defeated. This era in French history was marked by a sense of loss, decline, and a struggle to redefine France’s role on the world stage after the fall of Napoleon’s empire. After Napoleon’s defeat, France faced a period of political instability, economic challenges, and social upheaval. The country had to come to terms with its diminished status in Europe and navigate a changing geopolitical landscape. This sense of decline and the struggle to adapt to new realities could be reflected in the storyline of the Centauri Republic in Babylon 5. Then again, France experienced another tumultuous period during the 19th century that saw the rise and fall of empires, revolutions, and shifts in political ideologies. The Bourbon Restoration following the Napoleonic Wars attempted to revive the monarchy but faced challenges from both internal dissent and external pressures. The July Monarchy under Louis-Philippe also grappled with social unrest and demands for political reform, ultimately leading to its downfall in the revolutions of 1848. The parallels between the Centauri Republic in Babylon 5 and France during these historical periods can be seen in their struggles to maintain relevance and power in changing surroundings, their internal divisions and conflicts among nobility and commoners, as well as their attempts to assert authority amidst external threats and shifting alliances.
Same with the conversation when he poisoned Refa's drink, or claimed too. He already knew Refa was not going to comply with a polite request. Kind of like when Garabaldi enters a conversation.
I watched B5 whenever I could as I was on the road in a Big Truck. Londo was an incredibly complex character in the series. I wish it could go on forever.
"Because your loyalty to your people should be greater than your ambition" - Londo .... Such incredible wisdom for us in our current political situation in the United States.
Oh it did, but the Slowness was well worth it I think. It set the stage and the characters and the dynamics between everyone. So much setup in the first season which would pay off in later seasons. Even the change of CO between seasons 1 and 2.
"And speaking of your associates, we must make sure that we can talk privately" "Do not move" PEW Pa PEW PEW PEW "I will have to have that painted over I suppose" 🤣🤣
How little Mr Morden reacted when the Shadows accompanying him were killed compared with how he strongly he reacted to the ships being blown up makes me think the ship they put him in to alter his mind was there on that island.
Could be, but I always thought it was because the ships were more generally a link to the rest of the Shadows... But yeah, it could be you're right and he had a more specific direct link to one of them. Very interesting to be sure...
If I remember right, the crew of the Icarus were given a choice. Join the Shadows or become the living link in one of their ships. Morden and those like him chose to join the Shadows and Anna Sheridan chose otherwise.
@@ronaldritchie1301 So we are told, but that might not be reliable information. IIRC it is Delen who tells Sheridan that (though I may be misremembering). But how would she have known? Only from the Vorlons telling her. And given how manipulative the Vorlons turn out to be, I wouldn't trust information from them much more than from the Shadows. Not to mention how would they even know? If I'm misremembering and it was someone associated with the Shadows who provided that information, then that's no more reliable because the source isn't trustworthy.
I always believed Morden and the others Sheridan met at the Shadows city were willing participants. I understood Ana Sheridan refused to cooperate and they stuck her in a ship.
Mr Morden was more complex than he appeared, not just a simple villain. He was convinced his actions were part of a greater good, his arrogance and immorality were means to achieve the ends he truly believed in. When Londo blew up the island, you see the fear, pain and grief in his reactions. Many of the Shadows on the island were his friends, his family. Fortunately he was spared from further anguish by becoming that touching and thoughtful gift for Vir.
He was given a choice by the Shadows. In Book #7 He was a Earth force special Black OPS that specialized in ancient linguistics attached to IPX Technology department. His wife and daughter died in transport ship in Hyperspace when it exploded in a terrorist attack.
After watching this video, There is ZERO chance of remaking B5 better than the original. No one can replace Jurasik, Katsulas and Stephen Furst. No one.
These are the reasons you don't mess with Londo and why you don't wake the sleeping dragon. Londo started the show as as a self engaged fool caring only for himself but by the end he was a wise, dedicated, caring leader who was prepared to accept the greatest suffering to save his people, if only he had leaders like that to lead us.
He also repeatedly acted against his better judgement and was indirectly responsible of a horrific interstellar war of conquest. It ultimately cost him everything he loved and cherished. I read that he died by G'Kar's hand at the very moment when rebel army led by a certain Vir Cotto was storming the gates of the capital.
@@kallemattiwaris2422 Indeed he did. And that death by G'Kar's hands was a tragedy all its own. It was foretold he would die that way and so he did, but the context of how it happened was totally different. Rather than as an hateful enemy murdering him out of vengeance, G'Kar kills him as a friend, out of necessity, with pity in his heart that he would have to do this to save both of their peoples.
@@kallemattiwaris2422 Note that he _asked_ G'Kar to kill him so his Keeper wouldn't awake and force Londo to rescind his orders freeing Sheridan and D'Lenn. And the Keeper awoke while G'Kar was strangling Londo, and forced Londo to defend himself and strangle G'Kar.
@@mgh7634 SPOILER ALERT: I do not recall so well as this was over 20 years ago, but he was "killing Londo" because of the parasite that was inside Londo? So effectively he was killing the "Shadow influenced Londo" - to which the "drunken-parasite free Londo" accepted as a necessity ?
I also loved him answering Morden's question. Great foreshadowing and later on you realize it was like making a wish on a monkey's paw. Londo got everything he said he wanted, just not int he way he wanted it.
The absolute pinnacle is Londo and G'Kar in G'Kar's quarters in "No Surrender, No Retreat" season 4. Londo goes to G'Kar to try to convince him to sign a statement of support for Sheridan's campaign against President Clark. Londo ends up confronting his sins while enduring G'Kar's scornful gaze. When Londo proposes they share a drink it mirrors the same moment in season 2 when G'Kar bought Londo a drink unaware that Londo had just engineered a war between their peoples. G'Kar's reaction and Londo's response are heartbreaking. The scene still moves me to tears even thirty years later.
I love this show and watch it every few years, but I wish I could've been at the props department when they were handing out the paper leaflets at the gospel singing scene and made sure they had something written on them instead of the blank sheets they're waving around. (still love the show!!)
I'm in such awe of the artistry and subtlety of this show and hooping the rebooted B5 will be at least this re-watchable; my wife and I watched this series together 4 times.
Some of the best scenes on B5 were between Peter Jurassic and Andreas Katsulis, Londo and G'Kar were an interesting odd couple and I'd loved to have met Andreas Katsulas before his untimely and early death.
So many faces in "No Hiding Place" that makes the end of Refa So, So Good. Years have passed since I watched the series, but some episodes just STAND OUT. This is one.
Realistically Londo couldn't have expected it to play out any other way. Morden was only a servant. He did as he was told, he didn't give orders to the Shadows. Even if Morden had agreed it's not as if he could have done anything. Londo had to know from the start he would have to use the nukes. I think he was playing this scene out to torture Morden a bit but mostly to show the guards and other witnesses he'd tried and really had no choice but to use nuclear weapons on his own home soil.
So many good lines from this show. Londo had some of the best. Never mind Kosh... when he did speak. The avalanche has already started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote. -Kosh
You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger, and you dont mess around with Londo Mollari
I like to think that Londo’s setting up of Refa became legendary in Centauri politics and that similar plots were colloquially referred to as “pulling a Londo.”
Londo had darkness and ambition embedded in every fiber of his being, but his first love was his people and his home. That was the difference in the end. He would subsume any part of himself, make any sacrifice for his people. His own soul be damned.
It's Londo's video but I will never tire of G'kar's exit at the end of The Rock Cried Out, like Henry Fonda strolling out of the courthouse at the end of 12 Angry Men.
While we all watch Londo go through his arc fascinating as it was, what struck me more so is that he saw Earth grow up along the way. From nearly being erased from the face of the planet to humbling the Minbari, to its own civil war, to a human becoming President of a Galactic Alliance. Londo saw it all.
I love moments in the hologram scene like at 5:40 where Refa reacts to Londo pointing at him or where 5:50 where G'Kar reacts to London walking through him
I know this is an older video, but I'd love to see a best of series! If you ever get back to babylon 5...it would be awesome. It's good to revist this classic
If memory serves, he found out Refa was innocent, and that it was actually the Shadows/Morden that did it to manipulate him, earlier in the episode of the final scene in this video. It was why, "Today is a different day".
Looking back, they way he manipulated those situations and the court. Masterful. Bet his peers had no idea what potential he had when they gave him the lauphable and inconsequential position aboard a human ambassadorial station. My how for the Centory, that position and Londo's worth changed as things progressed. He had a lot of good lines.
molari had a point with the resources that centari had it was not efficient, practical, appropriate, or useful to be fighting wars on more then 1 front at a time let alone 2 or even 12 fronts. refa just didn't understand when it comes to expansion or conquest that its easier to increase territory when you focus on 1 target at a time & 1 war front at a time. not to mention that you have to pay attention to how much you can successfully control with your resources. same thing in a way happened with star wars. palpatine just kept getting greedier & continued grabbing more territory without making sure that it was something that he could successfully control long term with the way he ran things. not to mention that he was tring to make sure that nobody in the entire universe would be able to challenge him & his power which was basically pointless due to everyone in existance will always have someone stronger then them no matter who they are & where they are.
I liked Peter Jurasik's accent. Sounds like an amalgamation of German, French and Russian accentuated English, perfectly illustrating the Centauri as a mirror of old continental powers. My favorite line of his, though is "being nnnibbled to death by ... CATS" (meaning ducks) XD
When G’Kar stod there with Refa you know instantly Mollari was telling the truth about Refa useing it to his advantige but at the same time I think he did care about those he mentiond even the narns that got killed
I saw an interview with Bruce Boxleitner where he said that Peter Jurasik loved his character so much that he took the painting of Londo Molari when the show ended and had it hanging in his library in his home. 😂
So many legends that cant be replaced.
when a character is well written , and deep enough for the perfect actor for it to love playing them
thats when Iconic art is made , thats a badass detail
He was also known to drive home in character because his schedule was so tight and sometimes he'd complain about traffic in Londo's voice.
@@fmlazarthat'd be Amazing! Hearing cursing in that Mittle-Europearisch accent. "bah! The Free-way? Free way? If it was Free, surely I'd be Moving just now, but No! It is Not a free way... It is an obstructed way, a blocked way, an Occluded way. Humans and their ridiculous ideas..."
Very true
I have an autographed and signed photograph by Peter of Ambassador London Molari 😊
"Only the heir to the throne of the kingdom of idiots would fight a war on twelve fronts." Such a good line.
fairly good advice
My favorite is "stupidity and arrogance in one package how efficient of you."
One can never know when an inconvenient truth will fall between the cracks. He had so many priceless lines.
This show has a ridiculous number of great quotes.
"Your time has come and gone! It's our turn now. Soon you will wake to our teeth in your throats, sleep well embasador, sleep lightly." G'kar to Lando over the Ragesh 3 incident. Season 1.
"You're insane."
"On any other day, Mr. Morden, you would be wrong. Today? Today is a _very_ different day."
One of the best payoffs in an entire series full of spine tingling payoffs
It’s a multi-layered payoff that ends tragically. And he was warned too.
"What are you going to do, Molari? Blow up the island?"
"Actually... [dramatically pulls out a detonator] now that you mention it..."
Amazing scene, but I still love the little coda that Vir gets with Morden after this more.
"A little wave, just like this."
"He played me!"
As good as Deleans only one captain has survived battle with a Nimbarry fleet. he is behind me. you are in front of me. If you value your lives be somewhere else. Sorry for any spelling errors.
Londo had an amazing character arc in this series. Starts out as a comical "fat Dracula", then steps up to villainous ambassador, then to a very dangerous mobster with a plan, then to a saddened emperor who would give anything to change the past.
"My shoes are too tight, but its OK, I have forgotten how to Dance" - Indeed, he once was a relatively carefree (but ambitious) ambassador, then his ambitions came partly true - at a hight cost - and now he's stuck (with a keeper watching his every move!) on the throne, but with little actual power...a really tragic figure!
@@dreamingflurry2729 "Nice shark. Pretty shark." --Londo Molari
@@dreamingflurry2729
That episode was one of the best of the entire series. _"War Prayer."_
_"My shoes are too tight. But it doesn't matter. For I have forgotten how to dance."_
...
But why, ambassador?
_"Because you are still children! And children should be allowed to dance!"_
But the best line was when Vir disturbed him when he was with his dancer girlfriend, and as Vir's faced filled the scanner sceen:
_"What do want, you Moon-faced Assassin of Joy?"_ 🤣
{:o:O:}
Don't think I ever saw the label "fat Dracula" used for Londo. But now it's mentioned there are times when watching Londo talk that it ALMOST looked as if I could see his upper canines trying to show themselves.
Lady Morella warned him of the path he was on. He was told "You must save the eye that does not see", then he says nothing when the sadistic Cartagia was torturing G'Kar and later took his eye. He was told “You must not kill the one who is already dead”, then he executes Mr Morden but saves Sheridan both of whom were believed to be dead after Z-Day. He was told “You must surrender yourself to your greatest fear, knowing that it will destroy you”, which is why he asks G'Kar to kill him. If he killed Cartagia after realizing he was insane he could have saved G'Kars eye. If he had taken Mr Morden off world rather than killing him, he might have avoided having the Shadow allies as his enemy after the war. There was only one prophesy he was able to understand before it was too late, so he may have even been the "I" that does not see.
Londo: _"and because, sooner or later, _*_you_*_ would do it to _*_me_*_ ..."_
Refa: silent, but thinks "okay that's fair."
And my guess there was no poison just a ruse to make him think there was.
@@scotttild That's what Londo tells Vir a little bit later.
@scotttild why would you think that? What is it about Londo's character says he wouldn't?
@@scotttild imagine the amount of invasive procedures would do looking for a poison that's not their .
@@scotttild Totally in his character to poison him. Also in his character to make him think he was poisoned
My shoes are too tight, and I have forgotten how to dance.
love that scene
"Aaahhhh, missster Morrrden!"
God, I loved Molari's voice. Peter Jurasik was brilliant in the role.
Come to think of it, the entire cast for Babylon 5 was brilliant.
Loved the scene at 5:53 when G'Kar moves sideways when Londo "walks through" him. Those little details show the quality of the show.
They had a complicated relationship.
@@estott3647And the show was all the better for it.
I like when Vir waves at Mordan's head on a spike.
All were excellent. Some had brief appearances , like the person who did Zahtras...he was fabulous.
You forgot the best scene with Morden, when Mollari gives Vir a "gift" that Vir asked for a long time ago when Morden asked Vir what he wanted. Vir replied to Morden that he wanted to live just long enough to see Morden's head on a pike so he can wave to it as he passes by. Londo gave Vir that gift.
had too, youtube kept blocking the video when it was a part of this one, however i did add some audio tracks to be able to add it here: ruclips.net/video/N0431E_82KE/видео.html
Best foreshadowing EVER!!!!!
Oh I loved that scene.
Vir was the only one to get what he wanted and not end up regretting it.
@@patricknakasone9376 Yes and no, Vir did become Emperor after Londo with the same, restrictions shall we say?
“And because I have poisoned your drink”
The expression Refa gives just screams
“You did what!?”.
TRUE STORY!
I still think my favorite scene from Londo is in the pilot. He was talking about how the Centauri used to control the quadrant and now it is basically a tourist attraction... "See the great Centauri Empire! Open 9 to 5... Earth time." It really helps you understand why he does what he does.
AGREED
*_"Can you and your associates arrange that for me Mr. Morden?"_*
*-- Vir Kotto*
Vir got his wish.
@@kevinknight9950
Yes and the only one who got it without serious negative consequences.
@@srenkoch6127 Actually the ONLY ONE who got his wish in full. Everybody else failed.
@@meleardil Technically, Vir did not get his wish, in full. The full text:
_"I'd like to live _*_just long enough_*_ to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next 10 generations that some favors come with too high a price. I want to look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this [waves at Morden]. Can you and your associates arrange that for me Mr. Morden?"_
Bolding is mine. If the Vorlons blew up Centauri Prime, *_then,_* Vir would have gotten his wish word-for-word, by living Just Long Enough.
@@matthewteague623 Ah, but the the Vorlons blew up Centory prime then Morden's head would not be on a pike long enough for the next 10 generations to see as a warning.
Peter Jurasik was such an amazing choice for this role. I honestly can't see a reboot succeeding for lack of him and Katsulas.
I doubt even the casting director knew what harmony would be produced. Fantastic actors no doubt aided by a fully written arc - if only humanity could ensure such gold every time!
It is straight up the biggest casting challenge of the reboot.
Londo as a character had the most astonishing range, from a oafish clown, a sympathetic ear to his friends, a calculating villain , and dark messiah, giving up his soul to save his people.
He did go through quite the character development wringer didn't he. I think he was always a decent fellow, but ended up over his head. As Garabaldi once said, once he realized he had the tiger by the tail, he was to scared to let go so hung on tighter. His True friends, and allies, did stick with him even through the troubled parts. Some he never quite realized he had.
Interesting you should say that of him. In "The Highest Treason", a man's love for Mankind causes him to turn traitor and kill millions if not billions of men, women and children. We were not taking a war with aliens seriously, and the aliens took slaves, so they weren't terribly destructive. He joined the alien side, proving a brilliant tactician, and convinced them to try to horrify us into surrender.
It backfired, as he knew it would.
Forever after, the name Sebastian McMain would be a greater insult than "Adolph Hitler" could ever be. But he saved Mankind.
Londo... The most twisted and deep "redemption arc" in modern serialised Sci Fi. Was he a monster? Yes. Did he regret it? Yes. Did he do things for morality as humans would understand them? No! Everything. Every single Thing, he did for the Centauri Republic.
A greater "Emperor" they Never knew.
Dude literally asked his friend to kill him to make the Vorlons not destroy his planet.
Even his deal with Morden was to restore the glory of his people, not for himself. In a backhanded way, it actually worked because the deal eventually led to Vir coming to the throne.
The only other one as deep as that of Londo was that of G'Kar!
@DBJ1703 my two favorite characters in the whole show.
They're talking about remaking the show for 'modern audiences' like Rings of Power, Wheel of Time and Willow. This was perfect as is.
AGREED
I dunno. A remastered version with updated CGI would be really cool.
there is no remaking of that acting
@@robertbusek30 only a remaster would be okay, but modern feminists would ruin the story arcs of Delen, Ivonova and Lyta and it would be tragic
I hate remakes.....
"leave his face and head intact; it will be needed later for identification" is such a chilling line
And the thing is, it wouldn't be needed. Centauri carry a variety of forms of identification, and that's before you get into DNA analysis.
But you know what that instruction would do? It would keep him alive and conscious for longer during the beating. G'Kar wanted to make sure he suffered as much and as long as possible.
With that caress to his neck.
@@gatedude07
My theory is that this instruction was given because of Centauri culture? Seeing a severed head of a person has bigger impact than hearing about DNA analysis..maybe this was needed to make sure that his house would be totally discredited?
I mean we had Vir wishing to see Morden's head on pike and we know what happened later..
Like I said before G'Kar was a Resistance Field Commander- not a Saint or a Boy Scout.
Londo Molari discovered too late that being a minor diplomat for a Fading Empire is better than being a power in an Evil Empire.
Minor diplomat on a remote assignment everyone thinks is a joke. That changed in a hurry.
2:50 My favorite line of this clip. "Your loyalty to our people, should outweigh your ambition" it's a line that every US presidential candidate should respect. They all need to hear that. ✌️😸
Presidential candidate, hell. Every citizen running for public office needs to feel that in his bones. In the US, one satisfies ambition through entrepreneurship, not public office.
This man should have won an Oscar for his performance as Molari.
Being a tv series, it would be the Emmy
Yes tho
@@joryadamson7854 that too!
Because sci-fi and fantasy movies don't seem to get respect when it comes to acting, maybe it is time to establish a specific acting award (like the Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy) for sci-fi and fantasy movies. Only those individuals who perform in those types of movies and TV shows would be eligible for the award.
In addition to this scene, other scenes to nominate would be Shaw's monolog in "Star Trek: Picard" (where he recounts the events of "Worf 359") and Picard's "Ahab" scene in "Star Trek: First Contact."
8:30 - The juxtaposition of the gospel music and Refa’s death is peak television. The fact that Lennier and Delenn have no idea what to make of gospel music is an added bonus.
They don't know what to make of it, but the do eventually get into it.
Which is odd considering they are Religious Caste. I think it is more about the energy vs the very Vorlon influenced "orderly" way they do things.
@@rh906 That’s exactly how I conceive of it. The orderliness of their society would be more inclined to the structured approach of Gregorian chant than the energetic explosions of gospel.
@@rh906 Part of it is not understanding Human religions and the full context of the music. On-top of that, their religious ways tend more toward structured ceremonial chants and things.
I hated that part of it. That type of "gospel" music makes me think its more about the performer than God.
I always thought it was telling that G'Kar did not participate in Refa's death. The lives of his people motivated him, but he knew that there was nothing to be gained in the act itself.
G’Kar understands justice, but he lost his desire for vengeance along the way.
And I love how he doesn't scold his men for acting out their revenge. He knows that his lack of need for that is his own. These men don't have his wisdom yet, but he knows that they need to learn the lessons of emotional and mental pain themselves.
Love B5 as a whole and many arcs were amazing but GKar was really another level. His "Never Again" speech was amazing, as well as "But I can forgive You".
My favorite Londo line;
"Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you."
CLASSIC LINE!
The way Londo finally dealt with Lord Rifa was Machiavellian in it's brilliance.
My favorite Londo moment was how he dealt with Morden.
Yes, tells Vir to go look outside :P
The first time I saw the scene, it did not occur to me that the guns the guards on either side of Londo were carrying larger than the standard issue rifle for the palace guard. Love the detail that the guards on the outside of the doors had also stepped aside.
Refa got pretty much the worst fate in the entire show. Being stomped to death by a bunch of angry Narns!
I don't know if enough people appreciated the actor who played Refa. Dripping with decadence and casual evil, he did a great job!
I cannot pass these shorts without watching them despite owning the entire series
Thank You 😀
This series was so well written. A true gem and underrated.
100% AGREE!
What do you mean, "underrated"? The show was a hit, and has kept up it's good reputation over decades, to the point where they are now discussing to remake it, or at least reuse the IP.
Loved Babylon 5 but hated the way they fast forwarded the ending into one episode..........
I love the subtlety here. You see Morden grasp the ring around his neck after the island blew up. This was his late wife's ring whom his "associates" promised to bring back if he worked for them.
Never noticed that before. Well done.
He wore a pendant from an ancient civilization (the rune inscription read Love Has no Borders) He gave the pendant to his wife as a wedding gift. Morons wife and daughter died when their transport ship exploded in hyperspace. He newer got over it. While given a choice to serve the Shadows they promised him that they would end his wife and daughters suffering while being trapped in the half blown up ship in hyperspace. Before that incident Moron served as a Earth force Black ops officer attached to IPX technology department.
"And because I have poisoned your drink!"
I love how he delivers that offhandedly, like an afterthought.
One of my favorite scenes is when Refa gets what's coming to him. Molari is definitely my favorite character from this show.
"And because...sooner or later you would do it to me."
Know your enemy.
A few years back, I got to have a nice long conversation with Claudia Christian. I didn't want to "fanboy" out, so I didn't bring up B5. We talked about other things. When it did go there, we both agreed that the Londo/G'Kar arc was (her word) "Shakespearean." p.s. she was lovely to talk to.
Claudia Christian was Ivanova, right?
@@crowbar_the_rogue Correct.
Did you talk about her performance in the movie the hidden?
@@seanspear6224 Nope. Just stuff that was going on in our lives at the time. You know, talking like normal people.
No such video should end without the scene of Vir waving at Mr. Morden's head on a pike!
Link to that video is in the description
I frickin loved Londo, such a dangerous person hiding beneath that air of jovial friendliness.
He turned out to be quite the friend to have. You just do not want to make him an enemy.
"My shoes are too tight." That line makes me weep.
The portrayal of the Centauri, especially through characters like Londo Mollari, has strong parallels to certain aspects of French history. The attire of Centauri nobility and prominent Centauri individuals in the series bears great resemblance to that of French courtiers, hinting at a connection between the two in terms of inspiration.
The analogy between the Centauri Republic and France can be seen through various lenses. One possible comparison could be drawn to the period shortly after the Emperor Napoleon I was defeated. This era in French history was marked by a sense of loss, decline, and a struggle to redefine France’s role on the world stage after the fall of Napoleon’s empire.
After Napoleon’s defeat, France faced a period of political instability, economic challenges, and social upheaval. The country had to come to terms with its diminished status in Europe and navigate a changing geopolitical landscape. This sense of decline and the struggle to adapt to new realities could be reflected in the storyline of the Centauri Republic in Babylon 5.
Then again, France experienced another tumultuous period during the 19th century that saw the rise and fall of empires, revolutions, and shifts in political ideologies. The Bourbon Restoration following the Napoleonic Wars attempted to revive the monarchy but faced challenges from both internal dissent and external pressures. The July Monarchy under Louis-Philippe also grappled with social unrest and demands for political reform, ultimately leading to its downfall in the revolutions of 1848.
The parallels between the Centauri Republic in Babylon 5 and France during these historical periods can be seen in their struggles to maintain relevance and power in changing surroundings, their internal divisions and conflicts among nobility and commoners, as well as their attempts to assert authority amidst external threats and shifting alliances.
This comment should be pinned.
As a French, I saw also a lot of Italian influence in the portrayal of the Centauri, mostly in their manners and protocols.
@@rjbmarchiac8693 perhaps French and Italian cultures played a hand in the inspiration for the Centory.
Londo must have been a BLAST to Play, especially the Older Version
100% AGREE!
Londo is perhaps the greatest character in any sci fi show. ‘Quack’😂. Peter Jurasik is just awesome in his role.
"Cats." 😄
Mr Molari. Remind me to never cross your path.
AGREED!
No hiding place...😂 the juxtaposition. One is serious and depressing and the other is happy and cheerful.
On the off chance the G'kar doesn't believe me. You have to give it to Londo he covers all his bases.
Same with the conversation when he poisoned Refa's drink, or claimed too. He already knew Refa was not going to comply with a polite request. Kind of like when Garabaldi enters a conversation.
On walking in and finding 2 of his wives about to kick off one bitchin' catfight - "LADIES, LADIES..... continue".
I watched B5 whenever I could as I was on the road in a Big Truck. Londo was an incredibly complex character in the series. I wish it could go on forever.
B5 has such great writing. Particularly the story of G'Kar and Mollari, which are unbreakable bonded together.
_"What do want, you Moon-faced Assassin of Joy?"_
Best. Line. Ever. 🤣
{:o:O:}
Poor Vir…
"Because your loyalty to your people should be greater than your ambition" - Londo .... Such incredible wisdom for us in our current political situation in the United States.
100% AGREE
Took a while for this series to get going, but once it did, top notch.
Oh it did, but the Slowness was well worth it I think. It set the stage and the characters and the dynamics between everyone. So much setup in the first season which would pay off in later seasons. Even the change of CO between seasons 1 and 2.
"And speaking of your associates, we must make sure that we can talk privately"
"Do not move"
PEW Pa PEW PEW PEW
"I will have to have that painted over I suppose"
🤣🤣
CLASSIC LINE!
If they updated the exterior space graphics this show could be released otherwise unchanged.
Molari is a tragedy of a character but during the time he had boy did he really win some respect...
To this day this scene when Lando says it's good for you to come to me from time to time and reefers face is priceless
How little Mr Morden reacted when the Shadows accompanying him were killed compared with how he strongly he reacted to the ships being blown up makes me think the ship they put him in to alter his mind was there on that island.
IIRC he made a Faustian bargain with the Shadows.
Could be, but I always thought it was because the ships were more generally a link to the rest of the Shadows... But yeah, it could be you're right and he had a more specific direct link to one of them. Very interesting to be sure...
If I remember right, the crew of the Icarus were given a choice. Join the Shadows or become the living link in one of their ships. Morden and those like him chose to join the Shadows and Anna Sheridan chose otherwise.
@@ronaldritchie1301 So we are told, but that might not be reliable information. IIRC it is Delen who tells Sheridan that (though I may be misremembering). But how would she have known? Only from the Vorlons telling her. And given how manipulative the Vorlons turn out to be, I wouldn't trust information from them much more than from the Shadows. Not to mention how would they even know? If I'm misremembering and it was someone associated with the Shadows who provided that information, then that's no more reliable because the source isn't trustworthy.
I always believed Morden and the others Sheridan met at the Shadows city were willing participants. I understood Ana Sheridan refused to cooperate and they stuck her in a ship.
Mr Morden was more complex than he appeared, not just a simple villain. He was convinced his actions were part of a greater good, his arrogance and immorality were means to achieve the ends he truly believed in. When Londo blew up the island, you see the fear, pain and grief in his reactions. Many of the Shadows on the island were his friends, his family. Fortunately he was spared from further anguish by becoming that touching and thoughtful gift for Vir.
GREAT OBSERVATION. i hadnt considered that
He was given a choice by the Shadows. In Book #7 He was a Earth force special Black OPS that specialized in ancient linguistics attached to IPX Technology department. His wife and daughter died in transport ship in Hyperspace when it exploded in a terrorist attack.
After watching this video, There is ZERO chance of remaking B5 better than the original. No one can replace Jurasik, Katsulas and Stephen Furst. No one.
100% AGREE
You cannot improve on perfection.
100% agree, I wouldn't watch a remake.
@@JB-xg7ioI'd watch a version with all of the cgi cleaned up a omega class destroyer as it was meant to be seen by 2024 standards.do nothing else.
@@thomas.parnell7365agreed. That would be good.
These are the reasons you don't mess with Londo and why you don't wake the sleeping dragon. Londo started the show as as a self engaged fool caring only for himself but by the end he was a wise, dedicated, caring leader who was prepared to accept the greatest suffering to save his people, if only he had leaders like that to lead us.
He also repeatedly acted against his better judgement and was indirectly responsible of a horrific interstellar war of conquest. It ultimately cost him everything he loved and cherished. I read that he died by G'Kar's hand at the very moment when rebel army led by a certain Vir Cotto was storming the gates of the capital.
@@kallemattiwaris2422 Indeed he did. And that death by G'Kar's hands was a tragedy all its own. It was foretold he would die that way and so he did, but the context of how it happened was totally different. Rather than as an hateful enemy murdering him out of vengeance, G'Kar kills him as a friend, out of necessity, with pity in his heart that he would have to do this to save both of their peoples.
Londo changed so much in this series. He went from a drunken joke to one of the most powerful and most feared men in the whole galaxy.
@@kallemattiwaris2422 Note that he _asked_ G'Kar to kill him so his Keeper wouldn't awake and force Londo to rescind his orders freeing Sheridan and D'Lenn. And the Keeper awoke while G'Kar was strangling Londo, and forced Londo to defend himself and strangle G'Kar.
@@mgh7634 SPOILER ALERT: I do not recall so well as this was over 20 years ago, but he was "killing Londo" because of the parasite that was inside Londo? So effectively he was killing the "Shadow influenced Londo" - to which the "drunken-parasite free Londo" accepted as a necessity ?
everyone liked to hate Molari until he dealt with Refa. One of the best episodes of B5. RIP.
molari got his soul back.
elevator scene with g'kar was amazing as well
I also loved him answering Morden's question. Great foreshadowing and later on you realize it was like making a wish on a monkey's paw. Londo got everything he said he wanted, just not int he way he wanted it.
The absolute pinnacle is Londo and G'Kar in G'Kar's quarters in "No Surrender, No Retreat" season 4. Londo goes to G'Kar to try to convince him to sign a statement of support for Sheridan's campaign against President Clark. Londo ends up confronting his sins while enduring G'Kar's scornful gaze. When Londo proposes they share a drink it mirrors the same moment in season 2 when G'Kar bought Londo a drink unaware that Londo had just engineered a war between their peoples. G'Kar's reaction and Londo's response are heartbreaking. The scene still moves me to tears even thirty years later.
I love this show and watch it every few years, but I wish I could've been at the props department when they were handing out the paper leaflets at the gospel singing scene and made sure they had something written on them instead of the blank sheets they're waving around. (still love the show!!)
My fave character from the show, I think this is the character I find myself quoting in actual real life the most.
I'm in such awe of the artistry and subtlety of this show and hooping the rebooted B5 will be at least this re-watchable; my wife and I watched this series together 4 times.
5.41...Love how Refa flinches from Londo's holographic finger jabbing at him.
I never noticed that as being odd until you pointed it out :-D
So many of them gone, but we will see them all again, when we follow beyond the rim.
"A toast, to distant friends, in memory still bright!"
DVD Collected Set. Watched it through multiple times. Yes, I know what's going to happen but I have always loved this show.
watching this show NEVER gets old
@@aaronangleaI watch this show every few months but during COVID it scared me to realize we were living this reality! JMS was way beyond his time! 💯
Londo is one of the greatest characters in science fiction. His voice, his mannerisms, they are classic and one of a kind.
He is a CLASSIC!
Great storyline! The gospel song has that message and a nice finishing touch.
No matter how many times I see and hear that scene, I get such excitement that I can't contain it.
The best part of that scene is Delenn and Lennier not knowing what to make of gospel music.
8:23 -- That juxtaposition is brilliant...Disturbing AF, but brilliant.
Some of the best scenes on B5 were between Peter Jurassic and Andreas Katsulis, Londo and G'Kar were an interesting odd couple and I'd loved to have met Andreas Katsulas before his untimely and early death.
They were each other's best allies, though neither would ever admit to such a thing. Prime example of frenemies.
So many faces in "No Hiding Place" that makes the end of Refa So, So Good. Years have passed since I watched the series, but some episodes just STAND OUT. This is one.
More than 20y later I still remember the story of the flower. 🌷
Peter Jurasik absolutely killed it as Londo. He just ate up the scenery whenever he was on screen.
Londo & G'kar were such a great part of the show. The scene in the demolished elevator was classic gold.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MIIIIIIIIIIIISTER MOOOOOORDEN
Whoa~! One of the best parts of my childhood. Love it! Might sub to HBO Max JUST for this show. Thanks for the memories! 😁👍
“I would have preferred a different way. I hoped you would be reasonable...”
Realistically Londo couldn't have expected it to play out any other way. Morden was only a servant. He did as he was told, he didn't give orders to the Shadows. Even if Morden had agreed it's not as if he could have done anything. Londo had to know from the start he would have to use the nukes. I think he was playing this scene out to torture Morden a bit but mostly to show the guards and other witnesses he'd tried and really had no choice but to use nuclear weapons on his own home soil.
So many good lines from this show. Londo had some of the best.
Never mind Kosh... when he did speak.
The avalanche has already started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote. -Kosh
My child will be only watching pre 2000s shows. Babylon 5 is a top priority.
So what're you gonna do? Blow up the island?
Actually... now that you mention it...
:D
The Realisation on Mordos face is priceless.
P.J brought londo to life , my fav character.
Another fav is when londo gives vir a present (morden )
Great scenes! Babylon 5 was a GREAT show! Thank you.
YOU'RE WELCOME!
very good video - but i miss the last part, where Vir gets his wish to wave good bye to mr. Morden 😅😄
My favourite moment in the entire series….
with that look away then back with a smirk
Ironically Refa was framed for killing Londo's lover....but everything else.....deserved.
He was one of those characters that people love to hate
You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger, and you dont mess around with Londo Mollari
I like to think that Londo’s setting up of Refa became legendary in Centauri politics and that similar plots were colloquially referred to as “pulling a Londo.”
@@aaronanglea Unless you're a technomage. Then its Fireflies Incorporated all day long.
Londo had darkness and ambition embedded in every fiber of his being, but his first love was his people and his home.
That was the difference in the end. He would subsume any part of himself, make any sacrifice for his people.
His own soul be damned.
@@Zieg_Games excellent observation
It's Londo's video but I will never tire of G'kar's exit at the end of The Rock Cried Out, like Henry Fonda strolling out of the courthouse at the end of 12 Angry Men.
While we all watch Londo go through his arc fascinating as it was, what struck me more so is that he saw Earth grow up along the way. From nearly being erased from the face of the planet to humbling the Minbari, to its own civil war, to a human becoming President of a Galactic Alliance. Londo saw it all.
Londo is such a great character. He has some of the best dialog and performance in the whole show.
No one should have ever underestimate Londo Mollari . Loved him and how Peter played him
Damn i miss acting like this powerful and well delivered
The best writing, dialog and acting in sci-fi. The various monologes of Londo and G'Kar are some of the best scenes on film.
Peter Jurasik was so damn good in this show.
The use of the gospel song "No Hiding Place Down Here" was a stroke of genius.
I love moments in the hologram scene like at 5:40 where Refa reacts to Londo pointing at him or where 5:50 where G'Kar reacts to London walking through him
I know this is an older video, but I'd love to see a best of series! If you ever get back to babylon 5...it would be awesome. It's good to revist this classic
Londo's "yes~" is iconic
Mollari would later find out that Refa was innocent of the crime that struck at him most.
If memory serves, he found out Refa was innocent, and that it was actually the Shadows/Morden that did it to manipulate him, earlier in the episode of the final scene in this video. It was why, "Today is a different day".
@@bruhnvhStill, Refa got what he deserved.
True, but Refa had committed so many other crimes his punishment was still more than deserved.
Refa might have been part of that scheme though even if Morden was the main perpetrator.
Knowing what the future holds for him and the Centari people makes the Mr. Morden incident a hollow victory indeed.
excellent analysis
Looking back, they way he manipulated those situations and the court. Masterful. Bet his peers had no idea what potential he had when they gave him the lauphable and inconsequential position aboard a human ambassadorial station. My how for the Centory, that position and Londo's worth changed as things progressed. He had a lot of good lines.
molari had a point with the resources that centari had it was not efficient, practical, appropriate, or useful to be fighting wars on more then 1 front at a time let alone 2 or even 12 fronts. refa just didn't understand when it comes to expansion or conquest that its easier to increase territory when you focus on 1 target at a time & 1 war front at a time. not to mention that you have to pay attention to how much you can successfully control with your resources. same thing in a way happened with star wars. palpatine just kept getting greedier & continued grabbing more territory without making sure that it was something that he could successfully control long term with the way he ran things. not to mention that he was tring to make sure that nobody in the entire universe would be able to challenge him & his power which was basically pointless due to everyone in existance will always have someone stronger then them no matter who they are & where they are.
Aah Mr Morden...
... I see they found you
"What are you going to do? Blow up the island?"
"Actually..."
NEVER underestimate Londo's dedication to the Centari people.
I liked Peter Jurasik's accent. Sounds like an amalgamation of German, French and Russian accentuated English, perfectly illustrating the Centauri as a mirror of old continental powers.
My favorite line of his, though is "being nnnibbled to death by ... CATS" (meaning ducks) XD
Saying in Londo voice: " accent is good, yes?"
Never remake this show. You can not improve on it. Just update the CGI. The acting was perfect. So leave it alone.
When G’Kar stod there with Refa you know instantly Mollari was telling the truth about Refa useing it to his advantige but at the same time I think he did care about those he mentiond even the narns that got killed