Most fans of the Babylon 5 television show will acknowledge that the one element in the series that kept us coming back again and again was without question the puzzle of the Vorlons and the Shadows. These two races were evolved to the point where they were beings of light who had to place their life energy inside encounter suits just to be able to relate to us lesser races who still lived inside material bodies.
The mystery of these two races of beings was the story thread that connected most of the episodes, that provided the glue for the series. Fans were eager to return to the show hoping each new episode would give us one more clue into the motives of these two races. We learned that the Vorlons and the Shadows were billions of years in advance of us, that they were among the first races to come into existence in the milky way galaxy.
We were no more to them than insects were to us and though they barely noticed us most of the times, they were very much interested in the affairs of the lesser races of the galaxy. This was the puzzle that many viewers applied their wits to. To see if we could figure it out before it was revealed to us explicitly. It became apparent that the Vorlons and the Shadows were aware of each other but they kept their distance from each other, as if there were some deep irreconcilable innate difference between them.
It was the Vorlons who made contact first, making themselves known to a small number of individuals from the Minbari and Human races. The extent of their involvement was minimal, offering nothing more than advice or maybe just being present to watch us. All they would impart to us was a warning - of a time that was coming when chaos and war might threaten our existence. We were to prepare ourselves but they could not get involved directly.
The Shadows on the other hand got involved directly. They chose individuals from the lesser races with whom they gave aid to. When needed, the Shadows would not hesitate to use their far superior warships to tip the balance in some dispute between the lesser races. Their warships, billions of years ahead of anything else, seemed indestructible and possessed a fire power that was unrivaled. Their shear power was unimaginable to us lesser races.
But what was this great cosmic dance that the Vorlons and the Shadows were playing at? And what did it have to do with us? Near the end we find out that it was nothing more than a difference in ideologies. The Vorlons evolved to their apex by choosing a life of order and discipline, this is what had worked for them so this is all they knew. The Shadows had arisen out the ashes of chaos, conflict and war, it had made them what they were. What they both wanted from the lesser races was for us to chose one of their ways, to follow them up the same evolutionary chain. What did the lesser races do? To appreciate the answer to that question you would just have to watch the entire series.
The mystery of these two races of beings was the story thread that connected most of the episodes, that provided the glue for the series. Fans were eager to return to the show hoping each new episode would give us one more clue into the motives of these two races. We learned that the Vorlons and the Shadows were billions of years in advance of us, that they were among the first races to come into existence in the milky way galaxy.
We were no more to them than insects were to us and though they barely noticed us most of the times, they were very much interested in the affairs of the lesser races of the galaxy. This was the puzzle that many viewers applied their wits to. To see if we could figure it out before it was revealed to us explicitly. It became apparent that the Vorlons and the Shadows were aware of each other but they kept their distance from each other, as if there were some deep irreconcilable innate difference between them.
It was the Vorlons who made contact first, making themselves known to a small number of individuals from the Minbari and Human races. The extent of their involvement was minimal, offering nothing more than advice or maybe just being present to watch us. All they would impart to us was a warning - of a time that was coming when chaos and war might threaten our existence. We were to prepare ourselves but they could not get involved directly.
The Shadows on the other hand got involved directly. They chose individuals from the lesser races with whom they gave aid to. When needed, the Shadows would not hesitate to use their far superior warships to tip the balance in some dispute between the lesser races. Their warships, billions of years ahead of anything else, seemed indestructible and possessed a fire power that was unrivaled. Their shear power was unimaginable to us lesser races.
But what was this great cosmic dance that the Vorlons and the Shadows were playing at? And what did it have to do with us? Near the end we find out that it was nothing more than a difference in ideologies. The Vorlons evolved to their apex by choosing a life of order and discipline, this is what had worked for them so this is all they knew. The Shadows had arisen out the ashes of chaos, conflict and war, it had made them what they were. What they both wanted from the lesser races was for us to chose one of their ways, to follow them up the same evolutionary chain. What did the lesser races do? To appreciate the answer to that question you would just have to watch the entire series.
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