"You're insane." "On any other day, Mr. Morden, you'd be wrong. Today? Today is a very different day." Showing just the barest edge of the utter rage he'd been feeling since he learned Morden was the one who ordered Adira's death. Absolutely impeccable acting.
All respect to Peter Jurassic who played Londo Mollari. A GREAT actor who TRULY gave life to the character of Londo Mollari. And in my opinion if studios/companies/networks go ahead and 're-do/re-boot' the Babylon 5 series then they would simply be spitting on the graves of ALL the actors/actresses who were part of the Original (and in my opinion the ONLY TRUE) Babylon 5 show who have now sadly passed on. That's because EVERYONE KNOWS that ANY studio/company/network who actually DID do a 're-do/re-make' would UNDISPUTABLY change things, and the reason would be SOLELY because they HONESTLY and TRULY think that they actually KNOW BETTER than the ORIGINAL CREATORS of the series. And in doing so they will UNDISPUTABLY and COMPLETELY ruin/mangle/butcher the ENTIRE series. But with that being said however, I'd like to say AGAIN that ALL due respect is given to the late Peter Jurassic who NOT ONLY brought the character of Londo Mollari to life, but was ALSO a GREAT actor. Just my own personal opinion anyway
@@reedallen4613 you are apparently ignorant of the fact that the actual show creator is directly involved in writing and overseeing the reboot - which is intended to not just be an exact remake. Rather, there were plenty of other storylines going on that werent put on screen, and he plans on telling the main core concepts thru slightly different angles. Obviously there will still need to be the same races and such, but he's staying fairly mum on details. Why dont you tell HIM he's spitting on graves? I'm sure he'd find your ignorant anger quite amusing.
Londo Mollari, possibly the most complex character ever written in TV history. The comic relief to archvillain to antihero to tragic hero... What a guy!
G'Kar was a decently developed character as well. The whole show for me. Started out unimpressive. But as the seasons went on they really created a storyline that was incredible and complex.
@@friendcomputer2293 Never mind that, they likely survived serving Cartagia. At least under Mollari they don't need to fear being executed because they allowed their shadow to fall on him or something.
@@mithiwithi They would see this as a welcome and glorious change--to serve an Emperor who is an actual leader, instead of a fucking lunatic. it's too bad what happened to him. But in the end, he still died trying to serve and protect his people. He went out like a unit.
Two weeks ago, this was the first bit of Babylon 5 I'd ever seen. I was browsing favourite clips of Deep Space Nine and this scene popped up. I didn't understand who the characters were and assumed Londo to be the series' main villain and Morden to be the cocky handsome hero. Boy, was I wrong. $120 worth of seasons later, and I finally got to see the context leading up to this moment. Money well spent - what a fantastic show!
"They knew what was being asked of them." Imagine how that commendation was presented to their families. Not for running into danger, or standing and fighting, but for just... waiting.
I can almost imagine the few Centauri who remained on the island, knowing when the designated time was coming. One starts singing a well-known patriotic song from one of their operas. Another hears him/her and joins in. Slowly, the remaining populace begins singing to the point that the song can be heard all over the island. The Shadows have no clue what is going on and are confused to what this means. And then as the song reaches its final epic peak, Londo's detonation signal reaches the bombs.
Actor Peter Jurasik allows the viewer to see and hear the suppressed rage in Londo that those Centauri had to sacrifice themselves to save the planet. And when Londo concludes, "Oh, Mr. Morden, I have not even started with you yet." (He bites off the word 'yet'!)
Morden was so fortunate the Vorlons were en route, Londo was likely to have those "pain technicians" spend WEEKS on Morden. He'd have begged for the comparatively gentle treatment G'kar received.
Let's be honest John 'Nuke 'Em' Sheridan saw thermonuclear weapons as the solution to most problems, Shadows, Vorlons, Menbari Flagships, extra dimensional invaders... I mean as solutions go, it is pretty thorough
@@maddlarkin eh nuclear fusion they both explode the same either way you go Boom He was just nostalgic that's why he liked the nuclear bomb more that's all
For me it's Peter Jurasik's amasing performance delivering the lines..."I had most of our people evacuated from Selini during the night, a few stayed, to maintain the illusion of our presence. They knew what was being asked of them". Utterly believable as a leader who loves his people.
But a bit of drama queen effect. The evac would have drawn attention. As shadows knew what people felt he had to leave some behind so that the illusion of normality would not be broken and the shadow vessels evacuated. The nukes had to be placed on the surface as drilling might draw attention too...so the just placed the nukes close enough and ran... The scene with the remote tho...brilliant. Though in real life radio would take a few second to reach the bombs...right?
@@ahcokris no. Radio moves very, very fast indeed. Light speed, actually. Well, very fractionally slower in a atmosphere, but they can lap the earth seven times in a second. Centauri prime is earth like, so will be a similar size.
@@ahcokris Nukes are best detonated in the air for maximum destructive capability. A supply ship in a port a ship could shoot up a rocket and detonate it in seconds, although that would be a suicide mission. The fallout would circle the globe to varying degrees. The island would be a cratered radioactive wasteland. Nukes are extremely nasty but preferable to planetary destruction. Much more outlandish tactics are in the history books and worked out very well.
I always wondered if he was worried what the Shadows would do to him for losing control of an asset like Centauri Prime, or if he had a feeling Londo was going to have him executed?
@@lexxstrum I think he feared what Londo was going to do to him. Mr. Morden had a lot of valuable information to spill, if only he could be convinced. I'm sure Londo will think of something
lexxstrum // Before he was basically acting like he was walking with his gods by his side. Now he found himself alone and cut off from them. That was enough to make him go nuts.
@@magicmulder Not to mention, that two inferior lifeforms killed two of his gods within seconds. That was the first shock. The second were the nukes that destroyed the Shadow Ships and most of the Island they were stationed on
This reminds me of myself after seeing the Matrix trilogy. After that, anytime I see a guy with the last name of Anderson, in my mind I hear "Mr. Anderson" in Agent Smith's voice.
Loved his underlining of how dangerous the Minbari are - "The Minbari are one of the oldest space-faring races. Even at the HEIGHT of the Centauri Republic, when we were expanding in all directions - we! NEVER! opposed! the Minbari!"
Morden managed to give everybody what they asked for, but Vir was the only one who got it the way he wanted - and also the only who didn't expect to get anything at all.
Londo is one of the most tragic characters ever written. He was so human, so full of flaws, dreams, good intentions, hate, false pride as everyone else of us. JMS did the most amazing job by writing the story for him and G'kar. Londo suffered until the bitter end. Despite this victory, he was indeed doomed until his death. Thank you Peter Jurasik for bringing those wonderful scripts to perfection on the screen.
What left an impression on me was the cruel irony of his situation. Even though he became Emperor, he finds himself more powerless than he's ever been. He made a deal with the proverbial Devil, and he paid the price.
I love the contrast in Molari's expression when he blows up the island - he goes from that "I win, A-hole" smirk as he pressed the detonator, straight down to sad fury at the fact Morden forced him to sacrifice Centauri lives to get the Shadows off Cantauri Prime.
Delenn said he's never alone, but he finally feels alone. He probably had some implants that allowed him to communicate with the Shadows, and then felt they were gone from the island. Like his network was getting no connections anywhere on Centauri Prime. Of course, he didn't feel he was winning. Londo noticed he was afraid the Vorlons were coming to Centauri Prime to destroy the planet. He and the Shadows (but not their ships) probably would have left just before that happened.
"I'll have to have that painted over, I suppose." "You're insane!" "On any other day, Mr Morden, you would be wrong. Today? Today is a very different day."
Its was the pulse guns, one hit and scarred the door. He could care less for the shadows. Hes seen all their power and is more scared of the Vorlons (rightly so)
I think that this is at least partially because of the fact that Vir is -- far more than many Centauri, it would seem -- a highly ethical being who wants things for other people as much as he does for himself. There really isn't much selfishness in him at all, which is probably a big part of the reason why he's mostly immune to the influence of the Shadows. Even though Morden hasn't really done anything to Vir personally, Vir wants to see him dead because he can see that Morden is the kind of being who's quite willing to destroy other people for his own purposes. I find it interesting that the Shadow question ("what do you want?") is similar to the offer that the Devil is said to make to people in exchange for their souls -- the Devil offers people what they think they want in return for their souls, ut twists it so that what they thought they wanted ends up hurting them. In many ways, Vir functions as Londo's conscience (even though Londo doesn't listen to him as much as he should) -- so it seems only fitting that Vir would have a (relatively) happy ending. You get the sense as the series goes on that Londo would like to be more like Vir, but he can also see that it's already too late for him. Londo is like the hero of a Greek tragedy -- a large part of what dooms him is his pride.
I don't know if I would say Vir was completely happy. Given what havoc the Shadows cause across the galaxy, and especially how much harm that falls on Londo and Centauri Prime, Vir's story is bittersweet at best. But yes, he does get what he wishes for in response to Morden's question. The biggest difference is that, unlike Londo (and rather more like G'Kar), Vir doesn't wager a deal with Morden.
@@Elthenar Delenn was a bit inconsistent. She was a bit too smug to fit her backstory. Sheridan was worse; not quite a Mary Sue, but almost. Otherwise, I completely agree. Take, for example, Bester; he had a much more layered character than might be expected; it must have been SO much more fun to play Bester than to play Chekhov!
When he says "Oh, Mr. Morden, I have not even started with you yet," I imagine his guards whispering "Uh oh, shit got real. It ain't gonna end well for spider boy."
Londo is a true chess master. Morden walked right into that one. "What're you gonna do Mollari, huh? Blow up the island?" "Actually...Now that you mention it..." *pulls out detonator* "NOOOOOO!" *click* *planet shaking explosion*
I love that he didn't pussyfoot around or give Mordan a dozen 'last chance' time to change his mind when it was clear his mind is made up, just pull out the detonator and click
@Daniel Appleton "I had most our people leave during the night. A few stayed behind, to maintain the illusion of our presence. They knew what was being asked of them. I hoped that you'd be reasonable..." Mollari really didn't want to resort to that, like he said. But the Vorlons were coming. meaning the Shadows had to go, one way or another. Mollari could no longer afford to play around.
The implied shock wave arrived a bit too quickly, unless their location was closer than seems reasonable, but who knows where the throne room is on Centauri Prime?
Well it helps that the main characters don't get in shoot outs with grunts all the time. Only real big fire fight that comes to mind is Garibaldi's scrum up in Severed Dreams, but in that- all the Narns were nice enough to go soak the bullets.
It was the first modern TV show which enabled everything we enjoy today - and it is still, objectively, the best written and best structured show. Look at Game of Thrones. Complete, abysmal failure after season 4 and no proper conclusion of MOST story arcs AT ALL. B5 closed ALL story arcs in a beyond-satisfying way.
@@franzlyonheart4362 the resolution to the Garibaldi/Bester story arc was resolved off screen in the pages of the Psi Corps trilogy. Like most of the Babylon 5 books the story is canon in the B5 universe. Unfortunately, these books have been out of print for about 20 years, so it might be a challenge to find used copies at a decent price.
Peter Jurasik is phenomenal in this scene and this show but I also have to mention the fantastic Ed Wasser as Morden he is so smug , slimy and creepy in all his scenes especially when he has his invisible Shadow Warriors with him . The writing in this show was top class , I tear up when one of the most inhuman Aliens ( devout B5 fans will know who I'm referring to ) in this show meets his end sacrificing himself for the greater good, if a truly well rounded Alien character can bring out that sort of emotion you know it's great writing . Well done JMS . I also really loved the structure of this show it has to be one of the early examples of a show with an ongoing story through almost every episode a format which is very popular and common today .❤
This scene was fantastic. Three seasons we waited for Londo to stand up to Morden, and he finally did it with style and power. Peter Jurasik was fabulous in this series, and this was one of the shining jewels of his performances. Of course, what happened next made it even better.....
"My shoes are too tight. But it does not matter anymore, for i have forgotten how to dance" Well Londo, it seams you haven't forgotten all the steps! ;D
Another subtle aspect of this scene is watching Morden deflate when Londo detonates the nukes. For the first time in years, he is alone, totally alone, and the connection to his masters severed. Morden looks so puny as he stands in shock, clinging to his little obsidian stone.
Hey, I never noticed that before. Him clinging to his necklace like that. Makes sense, though. If you read the canon-novels, you know what that necklace signifies.
This scene is incredible. Everything we as the audience wanted Molari to do to Mr Morden finally came to pass. But, Peter Jurassik was perfection here. Watch his eyes the entire scene. There is utter loathing and rage in them. Remember, Londo now knows it was Morden who killed his love, and was played afterwards. I shudder to think of how badly Londo had him tortured before finally granting Vir his wish
And that scene with Vir was priceless as well. He waved exactly the way he waved when he answered Morden's 'what do you want' question. Quite the payoff scene.
+Gakgaming One of, if not the, best portrayal's of any character in anything, ever. Which is difficult considering how many phenomenal performances there were in B5 alone, but the actor who played Londo went above and beyond on so many levels.
Moral: You don't track blood on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, And you DO NOT mess with Londo Mollari ... especially when the safety of Centauri Prime is at stake.
One additional tidbit to your last part. Morden arranged to have Adira Tyree; who Londo was in love with, killed. So this was both for the safety of Centauri Prime and a measure of revenge for Adira.
@@ejpennine7479 Londo is a fine example of the saying "You get more out of people, when you have both a kind word and a big stick", because that is exactly how Londo operates. He'll start reasonable, put on the charm and politely ask you to do what he wants. Then he'll ask you again more firmly and explain why you should do as he asks and if that doesn't work, he'll tell you about the poison he put in your drink and that if you do as he says, he'll give you the antidote.
- You are afraid, aren't you?... THEY'RE AFRAID!!!... And speaking of your associates... we must make sure that we can talk privately... Do not move. goosebumbs ever when i watch this scene
He calls him insane, because londo knows how powerful the shadows are, and that they do not brook betrayal. People are generally afraid of the shadows, esp those who work with them. Morden only cares about himself, and cannot understand Londo, someone he assumed was much the same, throwing away his life by choosing this route (when he could just hop in a ship and get out of the way).
Londo had found out that Mr. Morden "played me like a puppet" by executing his dancing girl he loved and blaming it on his political rival so he'd rejoin the Shadows to get rid of him.
The second before Morden said, "What're you going to do Mollari, blow up the island?" I was thinking, "He should blow up the island," Not thinking the writers would do something as brute force as that. I figured they'd be trying to switch Londo away from that sort of thing. The second Morden said it, I said, "Holy crap, he IS going to blow up the island!"
maybe the very worst one being Mira Furlan... taken beyond the rim by the bite of a mosquito [West Nile Virus, if ppl dont know]. She had zero signs of any health issues - which wasnt the case with Andreas, Jerry, and we later learned, Michael O'Hare. Tim Choate (Zathras" to a motorcylce accident IIRC; and the first - RIchard Biggs - no one knew had the fatal heart issue until it happened.
Wiki: "Mainly retired from acting, Wasser founded a construction company called Waterstone Construction and works as a general contractor" Must be rebuilding Centauri Prime..
"What I have done? Oh, Mr. Morden. I haven't even started yet." Turns to guard, "Get me the com number for that contractor company on the island of Salini."
I know Babylon 5 predates DS9 (and "inspired" a lot of it) but Londo makes me think "This is what Dukat would be like if he could be bothered to take his prescriptions once in a while." Still a smug, reckless bastard of the highest order but despite what he says, he is very, VERY sane.
This is going to seem a bit petty for a 7 year old comment, but DS9 started a year before Babylon 5. Still, great characters, and I can always hear Londo saying "Mr. Garibaldi!"
@@TheYpurias DS9 aired before B5 but B5 actually started taping before DS9. It's a moot issue though aside from some very general ideas both series developed on their own naturally.
@@TheYpurias Actually JMS gave the outline of B5 to Paramount, but they rejected it - it was not "Star Trek" enough for them; then they came out with DS9. It was only in 2017 that it was revealed that there had been an out of court settlement between Paramount and WB over the it.
There is one absolute and unconditional truth in the universe, Babylon 5 is the greatest television show ever. By the way, I hate Sheldon Cooper's guts because he said Babylon 5 was derivative..
It is actually in his character. Only what he prefers and thinks is right and all others are wrong. (a lot of the humour of the show revolves around this) ^^ He is a bit of a man-child.
I have never actually made it far into the show either. It just feels soooo so stereotypical after a while. It always gets to one point where I really do not want to watch another episode and then I just forget about it for months.
Worfy I am a big fan. I have the entire DVD collection. I haven't watched it in years, saving the next watch when I am relegated into a nursing home. I do watch some episodes when I need some inspiration.
One of the most satisfying moments during the 5 yr arc. Love it when Londo narrows his eyes, you can feel the heat of anger behind them. Of course this was followed by Vir’s wave, another very cathartic moment.
1:37 Morden : "You're insane!" .... Molari : "On any other day , Mr Mordan you would be wrong ... today , today is a very different day!" Always love that
Londo is such an amazing character, and his arc was superbly written and acted. Sadly I don't see anything this complex ever returning to modern Science Fiction. Not with the likes of Star Trek Discovery, etc............Babylon 5 is criminally underrated.
I have watched the entire series at least five times. I have the DVDs. Even when I know what's coming, my butt still tightens when he pulls out that little detonator. It was actually my wife who bought the series on DVD. I once asked her if she'd ever watched B5 and she said yes, but not every one. I showed her this particular sequence and explained that she had to watch the series from the very beginning to really 'get' the show. She was sufficiently intrigued by seeing this much to agree to join me in my cramped office watching season 1 on Hulu on my (at the time) 17 inch monitor. One day she told me to expect a package in the mail but didn't tell me what it was. "No problem", I though to myself, "she probably bought a book or something..." No, she'd liked the show so much she bought the boxed set!
The whole series was designed from the start to have stuff started in season 1 only to finish in season 4. And some things that might have looked insignificant at first ended up being very significant much later on. I really like this way of storytelling. Not like in most shows where episodes are not related to another at all.
Gotta agree. The story-telling in this show was some of the best in sci fi. So many inter-weaving threads that all work together for the overall story arc.
JMS refers to it as "holographic storytelling" -- the idea that little bits of what appear to be unrelated plot eventually resolve into a much bigger picture that's only visible from the correct distance. Superb.
+FATEd Pondera That's the thing with the shadows. Physically they're quite weak. They rely on cloaking and subtlety to make up for that. The vorlons act openly, if subtly, frequently relying on raw power. The Shadows operate from, well, the shadows. Thus the name. They rarely attack openly because they aren't equipped to do so well, or to hold up in a direct fight against the Vorlon.
This scene, the one in "The Rock Cried Out No Hiding Place" where he teams up with G'kar, and the killing of Cartagia, all show that Londo will do whatever it takes, no matter the personal sacrifice involved and self-imposed sadness/regret, to protect what he loves most.
It's so amusing that Morden still calls them "my associates" even after everyone else knows them as the Shadows. I guess that's because, according to Anna Sheridan, their human proxies don't like that term and their real name is 10,000 letters long.
Josh Sweetvale Unlike Anna, he wasn't reprogrammed; he was convinced to work for the Shadows under threat of his family, which was ostensibly held by the Shadows, being killed if he disobeyed.
Henry Pickett His family died in an accident in Hyperspace. The Shadows got him to cooperate by telling him that they could rescue them from Hyperspace.
I know this is an old comment I'm responding to, but this reminds me of a scene of Star Trek TNG, the episode "The Defector". Picard has Tomalak......Hey, that's G'Kar!....by the balls, but Tomalak doesn't know it, until the end. It's great in that episode, and it's great here, too.
The brief smug smile that Londo elicits as he hits the trigger is quite satisfying, like a chess player that knows the next move is mate before his opponent.
I absolutely LOVE this scene, and the scene in "And the Rock Cried Out No Hiding Place" when the Narn get their revenge on Refa and Londo lets them. And of course, Vir looking up into Morden's lifeless eyes! Priceless!
Oh man.. just hearing Londo's voice from a long time gives me goosebumps. I Freaking love Londo (and practically every character in B5 because it is the greatest Sci fi show or show ever, to me).
Londo, played by Peter Jurasik, has to be one the most interesting characters in television sci-fi, straddling the line between good and bad. And G'Kar , played by Andreas Katsulas, was his perfect foil. Garak from DS9, played by Andy Robinson, also falls into this category, as does Luther Sloan of Section 31, brilliantly played by William Sadler. Sometimes it's not the good guy or the bad guy who are most interesting, though Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh is a rare exception to that. It's the characters that straddle the line who are most interesting. Oh, and I forgot about one of the best, Armin Shimmerman as Quark.
The one difference that I see between G'kar, Londo, and Garak, is that the first two were meant to be series regulars from the start, while Garak was, I think, meant only to be a one time throwaway character. But Garak was such a spectacularly good character that he earned a spot as a recurring character and later a semi to completely regular character on DS9. It's amazing to remember that Andy Robinson was the bad guy in the first Dirty Harry movie. But now, at least for sci-fi fans, I'd say that he'll be remembered more for being Garak.
I figured out what Londo was going to do about a half second before Morden asked that question. It was quite satisfying to know I was right. It was the only thing that could happen.
What else can you say about a character like Londo Mollari? You love him, pity him, fear him, root for him, hate him and cheer for him, often all at the same time. There are very few characters in film, TV or literature that have that kind of power.
Note that Molari activated the nukes himself, he didn't issue an order, he didn't signal to someone else, he chose to bear the responsibility alone for what he knew would mean the death of those few people still on the island. He didn't want anyone else's hands to be stained with blood. That's the mark of a true leader.
I haven't seen this episode in 20 years and still recognize that line, Peter Jurasik is one of the greatest ever, reveling in his role as much as Palpy.
He wasn't insane. He was having the most excruciatingly sane moment of his entire life. He had exactly one way to save his planet from the fate he had brought down upon it, and I'm pretty sure he at least strongly suspected that it would buy him a lifetime of personal suffering, but in that moment, he chose to pay the price with his eyes open. His internal monologue was probably something like "Well, this is where my choices have brought me. Nothing more than I bargained for, time to do an Emperor's job." Or maybe I'm overthinking it.
@@richardkenan2891 You're not overthinking it. That is the correct read. Because Londo was first and foremost a patriot; everything else, including himself, be damned . . .
You can't really compare new Star Trek to the fantastic story of Babylon 5. They're a completely different class. Babylon 5 is, a masterpiece. New Star Trek is simply aiming to earn all the fat duckets it can as opposed to have any lasting appeal. And that's all I care to say about the matter because, as soon as you list all the good and the bad, people crawl out of the woodworks.
S-094 Cam “I had most of our people evacuated from Cellini during the night, only a handful stayed behind to keep up a sense of normalcy...they knew what was being asked of them”
your head, on a spike, as a warning to others that there is a price too high to pay, and i can wave to your dead staring eyes ... or something close to this ;:))
Gotta love Londa Mollari. Unpredictable, as he can act happy go lucky, but change to be ruthless and terrifying!!! Scheming, as his opponents think they can outwit him but he always outwits them. Peter Jurasik absolutely played this character brilliantly One of my favourite character next to G'Kar!
Mollari truely love his people and world,If he known the cost to his people he would never taked Mr Morden,s deal,He will also sacrifice himself for them,That why he a Tragic hero.
I come back to the clip over and over just to hear Londo say "AHHH! Mr Morden"
I know, right?
Now imagine if the developers would have had Commander Shepherd say: "AAHHH! Mr. Mordin!" In Mass Effect 3 lol
Also, Morden's "NNNNOOoOoOOO"
@@nudegamer6496 I was reading about that Mas Effect character and this clip popped into my head. 😂😂
Every time as well as ‘Today is a very different day …”
"You're insane."
"On any other day, Mr. Morden, you'd be wrong. Today? Today is a very different day."
Showing just the barest edge of the utter rage he'd been feeling since he learned Morden was the one who ordered Adira's death. Absolutely impeccable acting.
That line for me is up there with the Doctor's 'Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many.'
All respect to Peter Jurassic who played Londo Mollari. A GREAT actor who TRULY gave life to the character of Londo Mollari.
And in my opinion if studios/companies/networks go ahead and 're-do/re-boot' the Babylon 5 series then they would simply be spitting on the graves of ALL the actors/actresses who were part of the Original (and in my opinion the ONLY TRUE) Babylon 5 show who have now sadly passed on.
That's because EVERYONE KNOWS that ANY studio/company/network who actually DID do a 're-do/re-make' would UNDISPUTABLY change things, and the reason would be SOLELY because they HONESTLY and TRULY think that they actually KNOW BETTER than the ORIGINAL CREATORS of the series. And in doing so they will UNDISPUTABLY and COMPLETELY ruin/mangle/butcher the ENTIRE series.
But with that being said however, I'd like to say AGAIN that ALL due respect is given to the late Peter Jurassic who NOT ONLY brought the character of Londo Mollari to life, but was ALSO a GREAT actor.
Just my own personal opinion anyway
@@reedallen4613 such wonderful sentiments for a great actor... Except for the fact that Peter is NOT dead yet...
"What I have done? Oh, Mr. Morden, I have not even started with you yet.'
@@reedallen4613 you are apparently ignorant of the fact that the actual show creator is directly involved in writing and overseeing the reboot - which is intended to not just be an exact remake. Rather, there were plenty of other storylines going on that werent put on screen, and he plans on telling the main core concepts thru slightly different angles. Obviously there will still need to be the same races and such, but he's staying fairly mum on details. Why dont you tell HIM he's spitting on graves? I'm sure he'd find your ignorant anger quite amusing.
Londo Mollari, possibly the most complex character ever written in TV history. The comic relief to archvillain to antihero to tragic hero... What a guy!
Him and Garak (DS9), both equally intricate characters
G'Kar was a decently developed character as well. The whole show for me. Started out unimpressive. But as the seasons went on they really created a storyline that was incredible and complex.
I LOVE HIM
lol. This thread almost makes me we wish we'd gotten a Londo & G'Kar sitcom.
@ajs1031
For me The story was about the relationship between Londo and G;Kar.
Guy walks in with ACTUAL lovecraftian horrors at his side.
Centauri Guards: Target practice!!
They serve Londo Mollari. After a while, nothing would bother them.
@@friendcomputer2293 Never mind that, they likely survived serving Cartagia. At least under Mollari they don't need to fear being executed because they allowed their shadow to fall on him or something.
Centauri Guards: YEET!!!!
@@friendcomputer2293Search "Magnificent Bastard" at TVtropes. Londo is their patron saint.
@@mithiwithi They would see this as a welcome and glorious change--to serve an Emperor who is an actual leader, instead of a fucking lunatic.
it's too bad what happened to him. But in the end, he still died trying to serve and protect his people. He went out like a unit.
Two weeks ago, this was the first bit of Babylon 5 I'd ever seen. I was browsing favourite clips of Deep Space Nine and this scene popped up. I didn't understand who the characters were and assumed Londo to be the series' main villain and Morden to be the cocky handsome hero. Boy, was I wrong. $120 worth of seasons later, and I finally got to see the context leading up to this moment. Money well spent - what a fantastic show!
The last day of the Shadow War is a strange point from which to enter Babylon 5 but good for you.
I'm having a hard time imagining Morden as the hero. Londo as the villian isn't TOO far off though.
Londo being the villain isn't... *wrong*, exactly? It's Londo. Categorizing him is an exercise in futility.
@@Firehawk376 really more of an anti-hero
@@sailingspark9748 No, that's not it either. He's... a tragedy in five acts, really. That's about the only accurate way to describe him.
"They knew what was being asked of them."
Imagine how that commendation was presented to their families. Not for running into danger, or standing and fighting, but for just... waiting.
I can almost imagine the few Centauri who remained on the island, knowing when the designated time was coming. One starts singing a well-known patriotic song from one of their operas. Another hears him/her and joins in. Slowly, the remaining populace begins singing to the point that the song can be heard all over the island. The Shadows have no clue what is going on and are confused to what this means. And then as the song reaches its final epic peak, Londo's detonation signal reaches the bombs.
Actor Peter Jurasik allows the viewer to see and hear the suppressed rage in Londo that those Centauri had to sacrifice themselves to save the planet. And when Londo concludes, "Oh, Mr. Morden, I have not even started with you yet." (He bites off the word 'yet'!)
"They stood and did their duty. We can ask no more of any citizen."
That's legitimately beautiful.@@danielhaire6677
"Oh Mr. Morden, I have not even started with you yet." That's an absolutely chilling line, perfectly delivered.
Well... we know how he finished with him. And Vir got what he wanted; Morden's head on a spike and that little wave goodbye.
This is only a small example of what im capable of doing 😅
Morden was so fortunate the Vorlons were en route, Londo was likely to have those "pain technicians" spend WEEKS on Morden. He'd have begged for the comparatively gentle treatment G'kar received.
@@andrewshouse9840 " What are you gonna do, blow up the island ? ". " Our survey says..... ".
I love the way he bites off the last few words.
Londo and Sheridan agree: for a Shadow infestation, use nukes.
Mordan all healed just to get his head cut off so sad
Let's be honest John 'Nuke 'Em' Sheridan saw thermonuclear weapons as the solution to most problems, Shadows, Vorlons, Menbari Flagships, extra dimensional invaders... I mean as solutions go, it is pretty thorough
@@maddlarkin eh nuclear fusion they both explode the same either way you go Boom
He was just nostalgic that's why he liked the nuclear bomb more that's all
Nuke'em on the ground, it's the only way to be sure. ;)
To be fair, nukes are Sheridan's solution to *checks notes* yep, pretty much all his problems.
For me it's Peter Jurasik's amasing performance delivering the lines..."I had most of our people evacuated from Selini during the night, a few stayed, to maintain the illusion of our presence. They knew what was being asked of them". Utterly believable as a leader who loves his people.
But a bit of drama queen effect. The evac would have drawn attention. As shadows knew what people felt he had to leave some behind so that the illusion of normality would not be broken and the shadow vessels evacuated.
The nukes had to be placed on the surface as drilling might draw attention too...so the just placed the nukes close enough and ran...
The scene with the remote tho...brilliant. Though in real life radio would take a few second to reach the bombs...right?
@@ahcokris it's space radio.
@@ahcokris no. Radio moves very, very fast indeed. Light speed, actually. Well, very fractionally slower in a atmosphere, but they can lap the earth seven times in a second. Centauri prime is earth like, so will be a similar size.
@@Rapscallion2009 i stand corrected :) thank you
@@ahcokris Nukes are best detonated in the air for maximum destructive capability. A supply ship in a port a ship could shoot up a rocket and detonate it in seconds, although that would be a suicide mission. The fallout would circle the globe to varying degrees. The island would be a cratered radioactive wasteland. Nukes are extremely nasty but preferable to planetary destruction. Much more outlandish tactics are in the history books and worked out very well.
After three seasons of Morden being smug and controlled, it was so satisfying to see him absolutely fall apart in this scene.
I always wondered if he was worried what the Shadows would do to him for losing control of an asset like Centauri Prime, or if he had a feeling Londo was going to have him executed?
@@lexxstrum I think he feared what Londo was going to do to him. Mr. Morden had a lot of valuable information to spill, if only he could be convinced. I'm sure Londo will think of something
You could say he lost his head.
lexxstrum // Before he was basically acting like he was walking with his gods by his side. Now he found himself alone and cut off from them. That was enough to make him go nuts.
@@magicmulder Not to mention, that two inferior lifeforms killed two of his gods within seconds. That was the first shock. The second were the nukes that destroyed the Shadow Ships and most of the Island they were stationed on
Still one of the best sci fi shows out there.
I want to meet someone named Morden just so he walks into a room I can say "Ahhh! Mr. Morden!" like that.
You have to do it and post it on youtube, DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL!
Well, in Denmark, there are firstnames called "Morten", which might be pronounced the same way if you like.
Why not Vir?
" _VIIIIRRRRR! WHERE ARE YOU VIIIRRR!!?_ "
This reminds me of myself after seeing the Matrix trilogy. After that, anytime I see a guy with the last name of Anderson, in my mind I hear "Mr. Anderson" in Agent Smith's voice.
My favorite Londo line: "Ah, yes, arrogance and stupidity, all in one package. How convenient."
Loved his underlining of how dangerous the Minbari are - "The Minbari are one of the oldest space-faring races. Even at the HEIGHT of the Centauri Republic, when we were expanding in all directions - we! NEVER! opposed! the Minbari!"
Sums up most politicians really. And quite a few CEOs
Kevin Grishkot What episode did he say that in?.
@@GofaqYusef ruclips.net/video/tF27OtzAslY/видео.html
Gakar's last words: "How disappointing."
Viir waving at Mr Mordens head, is my favorite moment in the entire series.
"Consider the gift" :)
I think its safe to say we all waved with Vir.
@@Pitchlock8251 With every finger. :)
Morden managed to give everybody what they asked for, but Vir was the only one who got it the way he wanted - and also the only who didn't expect to get anything at all.
@@cheezemonkeyeater
and NOBODY ever asked, how LONDO knew of that.
Londo is one of the most tragic characters ever written. He was so human, so full of flaws, dreams, good intentions, hate, false pride as everyone else of us. JMS did the most amazing job by writing the story for him and G'kar. Londo suffered until the bitter end. Despite this victory, he was indeed doomed until his death. Thank you Peter Jurasik for bringing those wonderful scripts to perfection on the screen.
Him and Andreas Katsulas. The amount of facial expression that he conveyed through all that makeup and prosthetics...
What left an impression on me was the cruel irony of his situation. Even though he became Emperor, he finds himself more powerless than he's ever been. He made a deal with the proverbial Devil, and he paid the price.
He's basically MacBeth. He even got a very similar prophecy of his rise and downfall.
I keep reading that in Mollari's voice
I was so sad when Garibaldi forgot to meet him at the bar. He was so excited to hang out with his good friend Mr. Garibaldi.
Hehe, for a character that basically started off as comedy relief Londo could be quite terrifying lol.
Londo and G'kar both grew a LOT during this series.
Londo is the Tyrion Lannister of B5
IMHO G'Kar grew far more than Londo.
phil giglio Which echoes the conversation G'Kar and Londo had in Season 5. "You did not grow up, Mollari. You grew old."
OOC is Serious Business
I love the contrast in Molari's expression when he blows up the island - he goes from that "I win, A-hole" smirk as he pressed the detonator, straight down to sad fury at the fact Morden forced him to sacrifice Centauri lives to get the Shadows off Cantauri Prime.
ahh mister morden I see they found you
Delenn said he's never alone, but he finally feels alone. He probably had some implants that allowed him to communicate with the Shadows, and then felt they were gone from the island. Like his network was getting no connections anywhere on Centauri Prime.
Of course, he didn't feel he was winning. Londo noticed he was afraid the Vorlons were coming to Centauri Prime to destroy the planet. He and the Shadows (but not their ships) probably would have left just before that happened.
Peter Jurasic and Andreas Katulas both did an awe-inspiring job with their portrayals. Remains impressive even after 20 years.
Yes indeed! Far better acting than 99% of what's seen in theaters today. The emotions and the eyes.
"I'll have to have that painted over, I suppose."
"You're insane!"
"On any other day, Mr Morden, you would be wrong. Today? Today is a very different day."
Painted over, because there are things more important than planetary destruction.
What did he mean by that?
@@maxpower6110 I think Londo was showing contempt for creatures that has everyone else terrified.
@@milan2c It was a sneer.
Its was the pulse guns, one hit and scarred the door. He could care less for the shadows. Hes seen all their power and is more scared of the Vorlons (rightly so)
Vir is the only guy in this series to ever get what he wants and be happy about it.
so true
Have been and still am a hard core treker but hands down I miss the hell out of BABYLON 5 ...peace and long life MrSkratch
I think that this is at least partially because of the fact that Vir is -- far more than many Centauri, it would seem -- a highly ethical being who wants things for other people as much as he does for himself. There really isn't much selfishness in him at all, which is probably a big part of the reason why he's mostly immune to the influence of the Shadows. Even though Morden hasn't really done anything to Vir personally, Vir wants to see him dead because he can see that Morden is the kind of being who's quite willing to destroy other people for his own purposes. I find it interesting that the Shadow question ("what do you want?") is similar to the offer that the Devil is said to make to people in exchange for their souls -- the Devil offers people what they think they want in return for their souls, ut twists it so that what they thought they wanted ends up hurting them.
In many ways, Vir functions as Londo's conscience (even though Londo doesn't listen to him as much as he should) -- so it seems only fitting that Vir would have a (relatively) happy ending. You get the sense as the series goes on that Londo would like to be more like Vir, but he can also see that it's already too late for him. Londo is like the hero of a Greek tragedy -- a large part of what dooms him is his pride.
I don't know if I would say Vir was completely happy. Given what havoc the Shadows cause across the galaxy, and especially how much harm that falls on Londo and Centauri Prime, Vir's story is bittersweet at best.
But yes, he does get what he wishes for in response to Morden's question. The biggest difference is that, unlike Londo (and rather more like G'Kar), Vir doesn't wager a deal with Morden.
Garibaldi, in the end, also gets what he wants... a family, responsibility, respect. The billions of credits don't hurt, either.
1:41 "Today? Today is a very different day." Such a great delivery of that line.
Londo is one of the best characters in all sci-fi.
That's true of most of the main cast of B5. G'Kar was every bit his equal. Good writing has that effect.
@@Elthenar Garibaldi
@@Elthenar Delenn was a bit inconsistent. She was a bit too smug to fit her backstory. Sheridan was worse; not quite a Mary Sue, but almost. Otherwise, I completely agree. Take, for example, Bester; he had a much more layered character than might be expected; it must have been SO much more fun to play Bester than to play Chekhov!
The whole cast was incredibly well developed and fleshed out.
He and G'Kar both are Uncle Iroh levels of awesome! So real and well-motivated. So flawed, yet so noble.
When he says "Oh, Mr. Morden, I have not even started with you yet," I imagine his guards whispering "Uh oh, shit got real. It ain't gonna end well for spider boy."
Londo is a true chess master. Morden walked right into that one.
"What're you gonna do Mollari, huh? Blow up the island?"
"Actually...Now that you mention it..."
*pulls out detonator*
"NOOOOOO!"
*click*
*planet shaking explosion*
I love that he didn't pussyfoot around or give Mordan a dozen 'last chance' time to change his mind when it was clear his mind is made up, just pull out the detonator and click
@Daniel Appleton "I had most our people leave during the night. A few stayed behind, to maintain the illusion of our presence. They knew what was being asked of them. I hoped that you'd be reasonable..."
Mollari really didn't want to resort to that, like he said. But the Vorlons were coming. meaning the Shadows had to go, one way or another. Mollari could no longer afford to play around.
Londo can be truly nasty if backed into a corner. Poor Refa found that out the hard way.
"'What I have done?' Oh, Mr. Morden, I haven't even STARTED with you yet!."
- Londo Mollari
The implied shock wave arrived a bit too quickly, unless their location was closer than seems reasonable, but who knows where the throne room is on Centauri Prime?
Yep. Centauri guards of any sort are total badasses. Unlike what you see in most shows, they're highly effective and well trained.
And unlike the Star Wars Stormtroopers, these guards actually hit their targets dead on.
Tucheh Stone invisible targets as well
Well it helps that the main characters don't get in shoot outs with grunts all the time. Only real big fire fight that comes to mind is Garibaldi's scrum up in Severed Dreams, but in that- all the Narns were nice enough to go soak the bullets.
Perhaps the shadow tagalong should have stood behind Morden instead off of to the side where it had a good view.
@@Krahazik They wanted to see what´s going on. Curiosity killed the Shadow.
I love how this show was primarily story driven rather than special effects driven. What a story!
It was the first modern TV show which enabled everything we enjoy today - and it is still, objectively, the best written and best structured show.
Look at Game of Thrones. Complete, abysmal failure after season 4 and no proper conclusion of MOST story arcs AT ALL. B5 closed ALL story arcs in a beyond-satisfying way.
@@bobbwc7011 except for Garibaldi!? What happened to him / that story arc?
@@franzlyonheart4362 Garibaldi did fine eventually.
@@zoetropo1 but how, i cannot recall any resolution to that story arc at all.
@@franzlyonheart4362 the resolution to the Garibaldi/Bester story arc was resolved off screen in the pages of the Psi Corps trilogy. Like most of the Babylon 5 books the story is canon in the B5 universe. Unfortunately, these books have been out of print for about 20 years, so it might be a challenge to find used copies at a decent price.
One of Londo's finest moments.
Alamandorious London was a genius in this scene
"I will have to have that painted over I suppose" ~ one of my favourite Londo lines!
Peter Jurasik is phenomenal in this scene and this show but I also have to mention the fantastic Ed Wasser as Morden he is so smug , slimy and creepy in all his scenes especially when he has his invisible Shadow Warriors with him .
The writing in this show was top class , I tear up when one of the most inhuman Aliens ( devout B5 fans will know who I'm referring to ) in this show meets his end sacrificing himself for the greater good, if a truly well rounded Alien character can bring out that sort of emotion you know it's great writing . Well done JMS . I also really loved the structure of this show it has to be one of the early examples of a show with an ongoing story through almost every episode a format which is very popular and common today .❤
I was like "Wait, isn't that the slimy weasel guy from "Hill Street Blues"?...
This scene was fantastic. Three seasons we waited for Londo to stand up to Morden, and he finally did it with style and power. Peter Jurasik was fabulous in this series, and this was one of the shining jewels of his performances. Of course, what happened next made it even better.....
*Vir Wave*
It never seemed to occur to Morden that more or less everyone he ever asked that question got what they wanted eventually. :D
@@mrz80 Actually it sort of does. If you can rewatch the scene where Morden asks Vir what he wants, Morden is not happy with Vir's wish.
@@tomleary508 but Vir got his wish.
"My shoes are too tight. But it does not matter anymore, for i have forgotten how to dance"
Well Londo, it seams you haven't forgotten all the steps! ;D
+Johan Johansson There are a lot of great quotes in B5. That is one of my favorite :)
"My shoes are too tight. But it does not matter anymore, for I still remember how to kick Shadow butt."
My favorite B5 quote.
The past tempts us, the present confuses us, the future frightens us.
- Centauri Emperor Turhan.
" Nibbled to death by cats. "
@@christosvoskresye "My shoes are too tight. I'll need to loosen them up by storing them in a Shadows bloody asshole."
"What I have done? Oh, Mr. Morden, I have not even started with you yet."
slashingraven Like. A. Boss.
I like how even the guards outside got outside of the line of fire.
The character of Londo earmarks for me the finest character Jurasik ever played in his entire acting career
It’s great when Morden’s smile slips when he realises that he doesn’t have the cards anymore
Morden grins.
Londo looks him over and smiles. "You're afraid, aren't you?"
Morden's grin falls.
@@nathanielhellerstein5871 Because the truth suddenly dawned on the Shadows.
Another subtle aspect of this scene is watching Morden deflate when Londo detonates the nukes. For the first time in years, he is alone, totally alone, and the connection to his masters severed. Morden looks so puny as he stands in shock, clinging to his little obsidian stone.
Hey, I never noticed that before. Him clinging to his necklace like that. Makes sense, though. If you read the canon-novels, you know what that necklace signifies.
Nergalsama01 Ok? How about for those of us that haven't read the novels, what the point?
Keeva2006 Yeah, zero plans to read the books, I have way too many books on my pile as it is. I'll just live in ignorance.
LordZontar you know its intersting to watch now knowing that
Reminds me of when he returns after the other nuke incident... "I'm a shadow of my former self..."
This scene is incredible. Everything we as the audience wanted Molari to do to Mr Morden finally came to pass. But, Peter Jurassik was perfection here. Watch his eyes the entire scene. There is utter loathing and rage in them. Remember, Londo now knows it was Morden who killed his love, and was played afterwards. I shudder to think of how badly Londo had him tortured before finally granting Vir his wish
Worse than ordinarily fatal radiation poisoning.
And that scene with Vir was priceless as well. He waved exactly the way he waved when he answered Morden's 'what do you want' question. Quite the payoff scene.
his head on a pike ...perfect
Breakage and dismemberment, starting at his toes and working up.
Sadly, they were under a tight time constraint, otherwise I am sure it would have been the stuff of legends.
"Today is a *very* different day."
THE most bad-ass scene ever! Thank you, Peter Jurasik and Ed Wasser for making it so memorable.
Such an epic charcter, such an epic performance!
+Gakgaming One of, if not the, best portrayal's of any character in anything, ever. Which is difficult considering how many phenomenal performances there were in B5 alone, but the actor who played Londo went above and beyond on so many levels.
which one ...two epic performances!
Yeah, and epic series all in all :)
Moral:
You don't track blood on Superman's cape.
You don't spit into the wind.
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger,
And you DO NOT mess with Londo Mollari ... especially when the safety of Centauri Prime is at stake.
You don't tug on Superman's cape.....
Smiles.
One additional tidbit to your last part. Morden arranged to have Adira Tyree; who Londo was in love with, killed. So this was both for the safety of Centauri Prime and a measure of revenge for Adira.
This is why you never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line (click)
@@ejpennine7479 Londo is a fine example of the saying "You get more out of people, when you have both a kind word and a big stick", because that is exactly how Londo operates. He'll start reasonable, put on the charm and politely ask you to do what he wants. Then he'll ask you again more firmly and explain why you should do as he asks and if that doesn't work, he'll tell you about the poison he put in your drink and that if you do as he says, he'll give you the antidote.
@@weldonwin its not that he'll give you the antidote, if you refuse, he will administer the 2nd half of the poison
- You are afraid, aren't you?... THEY'RE AFRAID!!!... And speaking of your associates... we must make sure that we can talk privately... Do not move.
goosebumbs ever when i watch this scene
No remake of this can possibly do this justice.
I smile when Morden tells Mollari he's insane. Um, he knew you walk around with invisible bodyguards. He's not insane. He's well informed. :-)
He calls him insane, because londo knows how powerful the shadows are, and that they do not brook betrayal. People are generally afraid of the shadows, esp those who work with them.
Morden only cares about himself, and cannot understand Londo, someone he assumed was much the same, throwing away his life by choosing this route (when he could just hop in a ship and get out of the way).
Londo had found out that Mr. Morden "played me like a puppet" by executing his dancing girl he loved and blaming it on his political rival so he'd rejoin the Shadows to get rid of him.
"Actually.......now that you mention it...."
jsgold2000 The smirk is what kills it. Londo was a boss
@@houstondragon 2:26 How do you like me now (Mr. Morden)?
that's not a cellphone is it?
The second before Morden said, "What're you going to do Mollari, blow up the island?" I was thinking, "He should blow up the island," Not thinking the writers would do something as brute force as that. I figured they'd be trying to switch Londo away from that sort of thing. The second Morden said it, I said, "Holy crap, he IS going to blow up the island!"
Molari at his absolute most bad ass. Such a great character, such a great show.
One of the most complicated characters on the show. And one of the best. It’s just so sad that so many people involved with the show have passed on.
maybe the very worst one being Mira Furlan... taken beyond the rim by the bite of a mosquito [West Nile Virus, if ppl dont know]. She had zero signs of any health issues - which wasnt the case with Andreas, Jerry, and we later learned, Michael O'Hare. Tim Choate (Zathras" to a motorcylce accident IIRC; and the first - RIchard Biggs - no one knew had the fatal heart issue until it happened.
Wiki: "Mainly retired from acting, Wasser founded a construction company called Waterstone Construction and works as a general contractor"
Must be rebuilding Centauri Prime..
He had some health issues as well. Good to hear he is back on track with his life.
The guy who played morden ?
@@maxstirner242 Molari.
Mollari was played by Peter Jurasik, Ed Wasser was Morden.
"What I have done? Oh, Mr. Morden. I haven't even started yet." Turns to guard, "Get me the com number for that contractor company on the island of Salini."
"Aaaah mr Morden" That was awesome delivery indeed. And i love how the music slowly got dark from 1:00 Up to "now that you mention it" :D
I know Babylon 5 predates DS9 (and "inspired" a lot of it) but Londo makes me think "This is what Dukat would be like if he could be bothered to take his prescriptions once in a while." Still a smug, reckless bastard of the highest order but despite what he says, he is very, VERY sane.
This is going to seem a bit petty for a 7 year old comment, but DS9 started a year before Babylon 5. Still, great characters, and I can always hear Londo saying "Mr. Garibaldi!"
@@TheYpurias DS9 aired before B5 but B5 actually started taping before DS9. It's a moot issue though aside from some very general ideas both series developed on their own naturally.
@@TheYpurias Actually JMS gave the outline of B5 to Paramount, but they rejected it - it was not "Star Trek" enough for them; then they came out with DS9. It was only in 2017 that it was revealed that there had been an out of court settlement between Paramount and WB over the it.
There is one absolute and unconditional truth in the universe, Babylon 5 is the greatest television show ever. By the way, I hate Sheldon Cooper's guts because he said Babylon 5 was derivative..
It is actually in his character. Only what he prefers and thinks is right and all others are wrong. (a lot of the humour of the show revolves around this) ^^ He is a bit of a man-child.
Worfy
I am only being sarcastic. But I did stop watching the show because the writers were not sensitive to Babylon-5 fans.
I have never actually made it far into the show either. It just feels soooo so stereotypical after a while. It always gets to one point where I really do not want to watch another episode and then I just forget about it for months.
Worfy
I am a big fan. I have the entire DVD collection. I haven't watched it in years, saving the next watch when I am relegated into a nursing home. I do watch some episodes when I need some inspiration.
sheldon is pedestrian
Always loved Vir waving up to Morden's head on a lampost, lol.
2:26: I love that little smirk as he pushes the button!
One of the most satisfying moments during the 5 yr arc. Love it when Londo narrows his eyes, you can feel the heat of anger behind them. Of course this was followed by Vir’s wave, another very cathartic moment.
This episode was one of most impactful of the story arc. Damn, what a great show this was. The dialogue in B5 is second to none.
1:37 Morden : "You're insane!" .... Molari : "On any other day , Mr Mordan you would be wrong ... today , today is a very different day!" Always love that
That "aaaaah" at the beginning, so full of contempt and yet also glee...marvellous acting.
Londo is such an amazing character, and his arc was superbly written and acted. Sadly I don't see anything this complex ever returning to modern Science Fiction. Not with the likes of Star Trek Discovery, etc............Babylon 5 is criminally underrated.
I have watched the entire series at least five times. I have the DVDs. Even when I know what's coming, my butt still tightens when he pulls out that little detonator. It was actually my wife who bought the series on DVD. I once asked her if she'd ever watched B5 and she said yes, but not every one. I showed her this particular sequence and explained that she had to watch the series from the very beginning to really 'get' the show. She was sufficiently intrigued by seeing this much to agree to join me in my cramped office watching season 1 on Hulu on my (at the time) 17 inch monitor. One day she told me to expect a package in the mail but didn't tell me what it was. "No problem", I though to myself, "she probably bought a book or something..." No, she'd liked the show so much she bought the boxed set!
I agree. The whole series was just a lead in for this one scene.
The whole series was designed from the start to have stuff started in season 1 only to finish in season 4. And some things that might have looked insignificant at first ended up being very significant much later on. I really like this way of storytelling. Not like in most shows where episodes are not related to another at all.
Gotta agree. The story-telling in this show was some of the best in sci fi. So many inter-weaving threads that all work together for the overall story arc.
JMS refers to it as "holographic storytelling" -- the idea that little bits of what appear to be unrelated plot eventually resolve into a much bigger picture that's only visible from the correct distance. Superb.
Each season was a "book", each episode a "chapter" in that book. Everything is chronological.
2:42 "maybe killing his girlfriend was a bad idea".
***** If Morden has any brains at all, he started thinking that back around 1:20 or so.
***** **Sarcastic tone** Oh really, ya think?!
+FATEd Pondera That's the thing with the shadows. Physically they're quite weak. They rely on cloaking and subtlety to make up for that. The vorlons act openly, if subtly, frequently relying on raw power. The Shadows operate from, well, the shadows. Thus the name. They rarely attack openly because they aren't equipped to do so well, or to hold up in a direct fight against the Vorlon.
Do you mean Ulkesh? And yeah, but that was a hell of a fight and needed the help of a remnant of Kosh to pull it off..
Claire Stark yep
This scene, the one in "The Rock Cried Out No Hiding Place" where he teams up with G'kar, and the killing of Cartagia, all show that Londo will do whatever it takes, no matter the personal sacrifice involved and self-imposed sadness/regret, to protect what he loves most.
Watched this when it first aired, one of the best sci-fi's I've ever watched.
One of my all-time favorite scenes.
sritger The whole of Babylon 5 is kinda my favourite scene. ;D
+playgrrrr Minus Season 5.
Bfdidc Nooooooooooooooooo
Londo is the statesmen you dread to see in peace, but desperately want when everything has gone straight to hell
It's so amusing that Morden still calls them "my associates" even after everyone else knows them as the Shadows. I guess that's because, according to Anna Sheridan, their human proxies don't like that term and their real name is 10,000 letters long.
He's also quite clearly been emptied out and filled with a pre-programmed personality, like Anna.
Josh Sweetvale Was he? I don't remember any indication that they stuck him in one of their ships.
Josh Sweetvale Unlike Anna, he wasn't reprogrammed; he was convinced to work for the Shadows under threat of his family, which was ostensibly held by the Shadows, being killed if he disobeyed.
Henry Pickett Hm.
Henry Pickett His family died in an accident in Hyperspace. The Shadows got him to cooperate by telling him that they could rescue them from Hyperspace.
The way he greets Morden is like saying "I have you by the short hairs, and you don't know it....yet!"
I know this is an old comment I'm responding to, but this reminds me of a scene of Star Trek TNG, the episode "The Defector". Picard has Tomalak......Hey, that's G'Kar!....by the balls, but Tomalak doesn't know it, until the end. It's great in that episode, and it's great here, too.
The brief smug smile that Londo elicits as he hits the trigger is quite satisfying, like a chess player that knows the next move is mate before his opponent.
One of TV's finest moments, not just sci-fi.
I absolutely LOVE this scene, and the scene in "And the Rock Cried Out No Hiding Place" when the Narn get their revenge on Refa and Londo lets them. And of course, Vir looking up into Morden's lifeless eyes! Priceless!
Most powerful scene in the whole series.
+Joe Snow Definitely up there! One of my favorite scenes. :)
+Joe Snow It's one of the best scenes ever to come out of the television box!
+cshubs Most definitely.
I havvve seen this scene so many times. It gives a very good feeling of satisfaction, seeing this low life being tricked so good.
now that you mention it...
Oh man.. just hearing Londo's voice from a long time gives me goosebumps. I Freaking love Londo (and practically every character in B5 because it is the greatest Sci fi show or show ever, to me).
Londo, played by Peter Jurasik, has to be one the most interesting characters in television sci-fi, straddling the line between good and bad. And G'Kar , played by Andreas Katsulas, was his perfect foil. Garak from DS9, played by Andy Robinson, also falls into this category, as does Luther Sloan of Section 31, brilliantly played by William Sadler. Sometimes it's not the good guy or the bad guy who are most interesting, though Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh is a rare exception to that. It's the characters that straddle the line who are most interesting. Oh, and I forgot about one of the best, Armin Shimmerman as Quark.
Babylon 5 is GREAT for their characters, Ivanova, Natoth, Kosh, Jaduur, Garibaldi, Morden everyone are excellent and very complex characters.
Agreed. Farscape is actually my favorite sci fi. Name a ship cooler than Talyn
I'd love a dialogue heavy scene that involved G'kar, Scorpius, and Garak.
These characters are more relatable.
The one difference that I see between G'kar, Londo, and Garak, is that the first two were meant to be series regulars from the start, while Garak was, I think, meant only to be a one time throwaway character. But Garak was such a spectacularly good character that he earned a spot as a recurring character and later a semi to completely regular character on DS9. It's amazing to remember that Andy Robinson was the bad guy in the first Dirty Harry movie. But now, at least for sci-fi fans, I'd say that he'll be remembered more for being Garak.
" What are you going to do, blow up the island ? ". Our survey says..... :)
Morden got seriously over - confident.
Actually... Now that you mention it...
NOOOOOOO!!!!!!
*click*
*KABOOM!!!*
I figured out what Londo was going to do about a half second before Morden asked that question. It was quite satisfying to know I was right. It was the only thing that could happen.
The best reason I keep coming back to this is to hear "Aaaaaaahhhh Missstuh Moooorden!" Perfect Londo
What else can you say about a character like Londo Mollari? You love him, pity him, fear him, root for him, hate him and cheer for him, often all at the same time. There are very few characters in film, TV or literature that have that kind of power.
Note that Molari activated the nukes himself, he didn't issue an order, he didn't signal to someone else, he chose to bear the responsibility alone for what he knew would mean the death of those few people still on the island. He didn't want anyone else's hands to be stained with blood. That's the mark of a true leader.
Say whatever you want about the guy he owned up to his shit for the most part.
I haven't seen this episode in 20 years and still recognize that line, Peter Jurasik is one of the greatest ever, reveling in his role as much as Palpy.
Epic moment.. loads of build up and pays off sublimely. JMS .. what a talented writer of epic proportions
fantastic show, that was ahead of its time !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Notice Mr Morden's smile falters JUST a little when Londo says "you're afraid aren't you"
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH MISTER MORDENNNNN
Right up there with Deep Space 9's Well, Hellooooo! Damar to Weyoun 8
damn it i read that with his voice in my head..haha
this comment needs to be at the top
+mosesmosestv I don't know about that. Weyoun had this almost "velvety" voice whereas Londo's kind of "grated" your ears.
@@mosesmosestv "You want to talk with Mr. Worf again, Weyoun? I'm looking forward to meet Weyoun 9" :D
"I can have that painted over, I suppose.."
In Pastels?
"You're insane!"
Martin Smith I
I thought it was "I will have to have that painted over, I suppose..."
i'm sure you'll get a good rate seeing who you are and how well you tip
"You're insane!""On any other day Mr. Morden you would be wrong. Today, today is a very different day." Londo wasn't insane. He was beyond P.O.ed
He wasn't insane. He was having the most excruciatingly sane moment of his entire life. He had exactly one way to save his planet from the fate he had brought down upon it, and I'm pretty sure he at least strongly suspected that it would buy him a lifetime of personal suffering, but in that moment, he chose to pay the price with his eyes open. His internal monologue was probably something like "Well, this is where my choices have brought me. Nothing more than I bargained for, time to do an Emperor's job."
Or maybe I'm overthinking it.
@@richardkenan2891 You're not overthinking it. That is the correct read. Because Londo was first and foremost a patriot; everything else, including himself, be damned . . .
This is literally the most cathartic scene in TV history, seeing Londo stand up against the shadows
One of the best, Molari scenes. For sure. Peace
Three minutes of Babylon 5 with more character and depth than the first three episodes of Picard.
What a wasted opportunity.
Picard was ok, but babylon 5 is a masterpiece.
Even Star Trek: the Next Generation had a Season 3...
You can't really compare new Star Trek to the fantastic story of Babylon 5. They're a completely different class. Babylon 5 is, a masterpiece.
New Star Trek is simply aiming to earn all the fat duckets it can as opposed to have any lasting appeal.
And that's all I care to say about the matter because, as soon as you list all the good and the bad, people crawl out of the woodworks.
@@hibbidyjibbidyy this guy gets it :)
Always destroy their imaginary friends first. Works every time.
One of the best shows ever!
Thanks for thinking of the deaf and ensuring closed captions are available.
I love the "good... good", bit at the start.... The first one was all business... The second one was all pleasure..
Years later, and I just noticed how thorough this scene was set up. The guards OUTSIDE the room stayed out of the line of fire.
I love the subtle grin of satisfaction on Londo's face, when he detonates those bombs.
And then how it disappears as he just killed tens of thousands of Centauri to save the rest.
S-094 Cam “I had most of our people evacuated from Cellini during the night, only a handful stayed behind to keep up a sense of normalcy...they knew what was being asked of them”
I loved this episode the most when vir got his wish
True to his word, Vir did wave exactly like he did when calling-out Mr. Morden back when they first met. :)
your head, on a spike, as a warning to others that there is a price too high to pay, and i can wave to your dead staring eyes ... or something close to this ;:))
Somewhere out there, a stormtrooper watches in disbelief that guards could hit a target that far away.
Possibly the best scene in the entire series.
Have to say one of the best scenes in Babylon 5 ever ! OK well if you don't count all the other brilliant bits that led up to it
right there with this one
ruclips.net/video/aNaykftl5bY/видео.html
Gotta love Londa Mollari. Unpredictable, as he can act happy go lucky, but change to be ruthless and terrifying!!! Scheming, as his opponents think they can outwit him but he always outwits them.
Peter Jurasik absolutely played this character brilliantly One of my favourite character next to G'Kar!
Mollari truely love his people and world,If he known the cost to his people he would never taked Mr Morden,s deal,He will also sacrifice himself for them,That why he a Tragic hero.
I feel like a great alternate title for this video would be something like "aggressive negotiations" or "moving the unmovable."
Quite possibly one of my favorite scenes.
B5 really never had the respect it was due. It was the best long form science fiction story ever.