By Alison SW Weinstock (weinwalk@ma.ultranet.com)
August 10, 1996
In Babylon Squared Delenn and the Grey Council discuss humans:
"How do you know? What is it that makes the humans so special? What is it that draws you to them?"
"They fight, they argue, they are ruled by passions and fears."
"Yes, and that is their strength. They do not seek conformity. They do not surrender. Out of their differences comes symmetry; their unique capacity to fight against impossible odds. Hurt them . . . and they only come back stronger. The passions we delpore have taken them to their place in the stars and will propell them to a great destiny. Their only weakness is that they do not recognize their own greatness. They forget that they have come to this place through two million years of evolution, struggle and blood. They are better than they think and nobler than they know. They carry within them the capacity to walk among the stars like giants. They are the future . . . and we have much to learn from them."
She had not yet met John Sheridan, but she could be describing him.
My husband and I think differently - he is visual, artistic, non-linear; I am verbal, literary, pretty linear. But when we discuss a subject from our different perspectives we usually leap-frog over each other's thoughts and arrive somewhere remarkable. I asked him his assessment of Sheridan, and he said, "He is us, as we would like to see ourselves, rising to any occasion."
"Yes," I thought. He is us, and the essence of humanity, or what humanity can be. This upstart species is not very orderly, is not refined, is not controlled or dictated to by tradition, culture, class, or lineage. We are passionate and unpredictable, ingenious and prone to improvise. The best parts of our culture, the best parts of ourselves, are elements of diversity that create a whole better than the sum of its parts.
Martha Tonkin in Can't Hurry Love [an article formerly posted on the
John & Delenn Page] describes Sheridan as a 23rd century Jimmy Stewart.
I would use the same words but use Spencer Tracy's unselfconscious, confident
Regular Guy persona. He is at the same time the small-town Middle American
boy and the son of a diplomatic envoy. He chose the military as a career
but sought out the Dalai Lama. He asks interminable questions, dislikes
secrets, wants to take everything apart to see how it works, and beholds
the new and different with wonder, not fear. It is not just his early friendship
with Delenn that is childlike. He has retained the best qualities of a
child -- and the best qualities of humanity. He has all the human passions
but uses them as strengths. His
commitment to truth and justice is instinctive. He prefers to follow
the book but uses ingenious loopholes if he has to. And yes, he has no
sense of
himself as "special" - he is that genuinely humble man, as Martha Tonkin
wrote.
When he arrives at Babylon 5 he is already involved with General Hague in an organization trying to uncover the current Earth leadership's secrets. We know he is on the side of idealism. We see him in action, avoiding bloodshed by discerning the Tregati's tactics. At that point he has shown his intentions, but has not had those intentions truly tested. The one weakness which could bring him down is the guilt and loss he feels for his wife, lost two years previously. In "The Coming of Shadows", G'Kar is out of control with grief and hunger for revenge. It is Sheridan who walks up to him and tells him, "You're going to have to decide what's more important to you -- revenge or saving the lives of your people." It is easy for him to see what G'Kar must do. It will be harder when it is his turn.
For me the the proof of his heart, of his quality, to us and to Delenn and Kosh, come in "Acts of Sacrifice", "Hunter, Prey", and "There All Honor Lies".
In "Acts of Sacrifice" he goes to Delenn to ask for her support in his
plan to help the Narns. "But it is still a risk," she says, gauging his
commitment. "Yes, I suppose . . .," he responds, barely acknowledging the
relevance of risk. "But Ambassador, I've learned the hard way that governments
deal in matters of convenience, not conscience. If they fall behind, it
is up to the rest of us to make up the difference. If we don't, who will?"
(My emphasis; note the humility intrisic in his wording.) Delenn seems
tense with expectation. She doesn't help him; she says to herself, "Who
indeed," standing and turning away. She makes him make the journey himself.
"Is there anything else?" He follows her, and describes his plan to use
Minbari transports to ship all the "extra food" from the station to safe
zones. She smiles, she is pleased, and finishes his sentence. Then she
answers, ending with the rather broad statement, "What I have is at your
disposal." When he thanks her gratefully, she bows her head to him.
This exchange stands out to me as the sign she was waiting for that this
is the right man doing the right thing for the right reason.
In "Hunter, Prey" Sheridan has decided it is time to get to know Kosh. He tries to examine the Vorlon ship, then he pushes Kosh to communicate with him. Again, Kosh makes it difficult. He makes sure Sheridan really wants this, forcing him into anger (foreshadowing the confrontation in "Interludes and Examinations".) Once again, Sheridan passes the test. His motives are pure, and are his own.
It makes sense that in "There All Honor Lies" Delenn doesn't doubt him. He has already passed her test. "You can't have larger ideals if the smaller ones get compromised," he argues to Delenn, knowing she agrees but her government does not. Kosh takes him a step further reminding him in the midst of his messy situation of the existence of great beauty. We don't see any direct consequence of this except that it changes his perspective. But he makes a great gesture of generosity, unasked, in saving face for Lennier's clan and for Lennier himself by accepting a partially ambiguous clearing of his reputation. There is no hesitation, no doubt in his mind. Lennier must owe him a debt, as must his clan, as must the Minbari government, whether or not they choose to acknowledge it.
Now he is ready for the big one. In "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum", his
words to G'Kar get turned back to him. At this stage Delenn and Kosh
do not leave him on his own to get to the right decision. They give
him the information he needs to take that last step, and he is able to
do it. From that point on he is sure of his new allies and they seem sure
of him.
Where is John Sheridan emotionally, romantically? This is a man who has lived his career in fairly spartan surroundings, living alone. His ten year marriage must have consisted of him and Anna each living alone, with points of intersection when they could get together. He says he loved her every bit as much two years after her death, not able to get used to it. He was able to let go of the guilt and say goodbye, but that would have been just the beginning of the process.
I asked my husband, "So are you into the romance or is it a chick thing?" He laughed, and said, "Well, it's one of the most powerful relationships I've ever seen on TV." I took that as a yes! Anyone "paying attention," as JMS says, can see Delenn is nuts about John Sheridan. He is amazed, intrigued, and fascinated with her. I think the turning point for him has to have been in "Confessions and Lamentations". He honors her wish to risk her life to help the dying Markab, understanding why she must, but very distraught. She comforts him with the gentle touch of his face and the words of the hereafter. As has been said, when the door opens again they only have eyes for each other. They may each not realize it consciously, but they are bound together. Inevitably, when the Inquisitor tests Delenn he tests John as well.
Why is the relationship progressing so slowly? I think the practical reason is that the whole orchestral piece has to play out, and sometimes it's time for the brass, sometimes the woodwinds, sometimes the strings . . . But is this explainable in their characters? Remember, neither is young. Each has spent his/her career living virtually alone. Each has great responsibilities, and great worries in dealing with his/her own government. They are quite aware of stepping into new territory for themselves and their people. Neither seems particularly concerned about "species-ism," but that is surely bound to arise from certain factions on each side. In "Severed Dreams", with that magnificently gentlemanly and romantic kiss of her hand, as publicly as it is possible to be, Sheridan thanks her and wordlessly pledges his heart. In "Ceremonies of Light and Dark", when he expresses his feelings verbally, he kisses her hand again. This courtly behavior I think expresses the unique position they are in. They are partners in an extraordinary venture, and I think they tread carefully. They seem to make the most of the moments that present themselves. The look of annoyance on John's face after the near-kiss in "Sic Transit Vir" is cleverly overlaid with dialogue overlap of the next scene -- Londo's voice saying, "I hope there is a good reason for this interruption, Commander." John's thoughts exactly! But they may be wary of pursuing those moments.
"War Without End" had some very interesting moments which add in large and small ways to this point. When Sheridan slips to the future, he finds out some things. Not the least of which is the physical comfort and intimacy which the future Delenn feels for him (talk about change in body language!) The hands that caress his face, the Delenn who kisses him, knows him well. Watch carefully -- when she says, "John, I love you!," he gives a little smile that looks like pleasant surprise to me, and leans down for the kiss, clasping her tightly. Maybe the older body he has slipped into knows her as well, but it also shows this is not a big leap for him to make! Yet afterwards, back in his own time, he can consider the relationship a fait accompli, a closed question, and therefore put it on the back burner. It's possible.
Meanwhile, her time flash shows her something that makes her uneasy. Also, when she gives Sheridan her stabilizer, she time slips, but we are not shown where she goes. I don't know if that is relevant, but she has good reason to hold back a little. When Sheridan let Morden go in "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum", Morden (and therefore the Shadows) knew something of the man they were dealing with -- and they also knew his greatest weakness. I expect that they will use this weapon, and use it shortly, and that Delenn knows or suspects it. Therefore it would NOT be in her interest to take any action which could later be viewed as manipulative. In fact, she will not be able to help him, I fear, because he will, for the first time, distrust that help.
We do have indications, though, that this tunnel does have a light at the end. And we have glimpsed the future, so we can have faith.
". . . if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all."
[Image] Hamlet V ii
----------------------------------------------------------------------------