Sleeping in Light question (SPOILER)

Okay, so if you're reading this it contains a possible spoiler about Sleeping in Light, however, you were warned by the subject line, so I relieve myself of all liability.

When I first watched season 5, all the way through, back when it first aired on TNT, I was absolutely CONVINCED that Sheridan wasn't going to die at the end.

I honestly believed that someone would hook him up to the "alien healing device" and kill themselves to save him. I didn't know who, but come on, it was Sheridan, who wouldn't sacrifice themselves to keep him alve.

It just all fit perfectly, Sheridan had died, but Lorien had infused him with more "life energy" and the "alien healing device" worked by transfering "life energy" the technobable was in perfect harmony!

Anyway, I was just curious if anyone else thought something similar might happen. Perhaps I'm alone in the world on this one, but I'd like to know one way or the other.

BTW-Sleeping in Light brought me to tears upon watching it for the first time, nothing would have made a better ending.

It was always pretty clear to me that Sheridan was going to die. There'd been way too much foreshadowing for him not to.

I wanna cry every time I watch SiL.

I always thought that Sheridan would use the Triluminary to change his appearance (into what, I don't know). Think about it...Sinclair, Delenn, and Sheridan are collectively known as "The One". 3 individuals in a group. The Triluminary has 3 sides and 3 corners. Sinclair and Delenn both use the Triluminary to alter their appearances. Why not Sheridan also? As Zathras said, "All is 3".

Sheridan didn't die! He went to the rim to live with the First Ones. Right?

I think the series finale for Babylon 5 was the BEST series finale I have ever watched. It made me cry and it had its joyous side to it as well.

Sheridan didn't die! He went to the rim to live with the First Ones. Right?

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That part is unclear, however, all the air locks were sealed tightly and his body was never found. So, I do believe that he went to the rim but, as energy. I do think his "body" died. The Babylon 5 universe had alot to do with peoples souls, ex. Soul Hunter, River of souls, and lots of other segments within episodes. I believe Sheridans body died but his essence his "soul" if you will went with Lorien.

Good guess. I tend to agree.

This has been discussed here many times before, but I've no problem with doing it again. It was clear to me that Sheridan was going to die physically, and I agree with Nathan. I believe Sheridan's essence/soul/lifeforce/personna, whatever... were taken into Lorien and transported beyond the rim, so Sheridan definitely still exists in at least that form, and Lorien and the others may have made him into a separate being, something like themselves, but that is unclear, unknowable.

Will Delenn see him in the place where no shadows fall?

Will Delenn see him in the place where no shadows fall?

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I had heard that something was or was to be written about the fate of Delenn. A final quest for the 140+ year-old Delenn that somehow involved Valen. Was that ever put on paper? Anyway, I have no clue as to whether Delenn died or was transformed into light or what. Knowing her final fate would give us a hint about whether she got to see John again beyond the rim.

BTW - I don't remember what happened to Valen in the end. Did he die, disappear, or what???

Good question. Unless you just take that as a metaphor for the afterlife, if you want to take it literally, it could be the strongest evidence, though still weak, that Sheridan is made manifest as an individual again, beyond the rim, where "no shadows fall!"

Will Delenn see him in the place where no shadows fall?

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I had heard that something was or was to be written about the fate of Delenn. A final quest for the 140+ year-old Delenn that somehow involved Valen. Was that ever put on paper? Anyway, I have no clue as to whether Delenn died or was transformed into light or what. Knowing her final fate would give us a hint about whether she got to see John again beyond the rim.

BTW - I don't remember what happened to Valen in the end. Did he die, disappear, or what???

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I don't think anyone knew what happened to Valen. I thought I remember Delenn saying that he disappeared.

Yeah... I think Garibaldi's voiceover at the beginning said it best when he said "those of us, who understand, have been waiting and dreading the arrival of this day"

I think he meant us fans as well as the rest of the characters

I just know that I can't watch a sunrise without getting all weepy now either

ok, when Sheridan was talking to Lorien right before he died, I think he asked Lorien if he would ever see Delenn again. I remember Lorien saying no. Anyways, I may be imagining all of what I've said, it has been awhile since I've seen SiL.

[I have lost count of how many times I have begun a post with these words ... but here we go again]

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that Valen's body was never found (could have been one of the novels, or the "In Valen's Name" comic series).

That would then fit even better, assuming that the same happened when Delenn "died".

when Sheridan was talking to Lorien right before he died, I think he asked Lorien if he would ever see Delenn again. I remember Lorien saying no.

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Sheridan asked "Can I come back?" Lorien said no. "This journey has ended, another begins."

Scary that I memorized that!

Anyway, they could have met after Sheridan "died", but in our galaxy.

Valen's fate is unknown, as his body was never recovered. Hence, many Minbari think he will come back. When Sheridan's body disappeared, they began to say the same thing about him.

Delenn's fate, as far as I know, is completely unknown.

Someone above raised the point that Sheridan alone of the One did not change. I think he did, but in a very different way. Sinclair/Valen and Delenn changed back and forth between Human and Minbari, but Sheridan was the first Human to reach the level of the First Ones. (You could argue that Jason Ironheart beat him to it, but I bet Sheridan's a step above Ironheart in insight, if not in raw power.)

As evidence for this, I offer three examples of Sheridan being more than Human:
-- One, simply vanishing beyond the Rim. Not many get personally ushered into the afterlife by the Eldest.
-- Two, Sheridan is the only one Lyta can't control. Sheridan says it's because he's been touched by the Vorlons, but that may not be the whole story; he's been touched by other beings, too.
-- Three and most significantly, Londo's dream. As they walk along the corridor, Sheridan changes repeatedly, and lastly he turns into a glowing ball of energy EXACTLY like the one in Deconstruction of Falling Stars.

Example four:

He was also suffused with Lorien's life energy, which made changes to him at the cellular level (as noted by Dr. Franklin).

I always thought that Sheridan would use the Triluminary to change his appearance (into what, I don't know). Think about it...Sinclair, Delenn, and Sheridan are collectively known as "The One". 3 individuals in a group. The Triluminary has 3 sides and 3 corners. Sinclair and Delenn both use the Triluminary to alter their appearances. Why not Sheridan also? As Zathras said, "All is 3".

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There could potentially be several explanations for this:

1.
"The One"/"All is Three" may have nothing to do with their physical forms but only with their importance and actions.

2.
There's probably more than one Triluminary (haven't we seen at least 2 on screen), and a Triluminary may have even been what Lorien used to transform Sheridan in SiL (although I seriously doubt it).

3.
(And this is the one I prefer..) Sinclair changed completely from Human to Minbari. Delenn changed half-way from Minbari to Minbari-Human hybrid. With one complete change and one half change, maybe Sheridan completes the triad by not changing at all--or at least not genetically and not by a Triluminary--and remaining complete Human (Valen=Minbari, Sheridan=Human, Delenn=balance).

Also, the belief that Minbari souls were going to Humans could be reflected in the following cycle: Valen is Minbari, his descendant Delenn transforms from Minbari to part-Human, Sheridan remains Human but his destruction of the Black Star may have started a chain of events allowing Sinclair to be alive--and Human--long enough to later become Valen.

To take it even further...
The birth of David may represent a new balance of Minbari/Human soul exchange in which the two races "share" souls instead of the bulk of them "migrating" from one race to another.

Sheridan leading the Rangers and establishing peace may be the way the "Universe" gives something back to the Minbari.

Sheridan being full-time Ranger One after Delenn replaces him as ISA president demonstrates that the importance of Humans & Minbari in the grand scheme of things flip-flops back and forth between the two--but in relative harmony.

Did all of that make any sense? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Made perfect sence...