The Guided Arrow - poss spoiler

[QMCO5]

I just finished reading To Dream in the City of Sorrows and then coincidentally viewed Knives on my DVD. Then a light bulb came on that has to do with the whole traveling back in time problem dealing with Sinclair. All fans have racked their brains over the problem trying to make sense of it, even as a science fiction theory. While Sinclair is on Minbar the Vorlon Ulkesh keeps lecturing Sinclair that he is an arrow and must stay on track to the target. The Vorlons know that Sinclair is Valen, and they seem to be watching over the whole process from the time of the Battle of the Line. (Perhaps even earlier.) It occurred to me while watching Knives that if an unnamed creature came through the rift in Sector 14 and returned home the same way, why couldn't the Vorlons do the same thing? By going back and forth through the rift they could oversee and control the whole Sinclair story. What do you think?

QMCO5

 

[KoshFan]

I don't think the Vorlons need to go back and forth that way. Remember, Vorlons live a long, long time, and they are pretty good about figuring things out from limited data. I expect the Vorlons we saw on B4 with Valen are also the Vorlons we've come to know and love/hate in "the present." The Vorlons are so long-lived that they simply remember what happened back then and strive to ensure it happens correctly in the present.

 

[Galahad]

I think the arrow analogy is more about Sinclair's role as a person. ulkesh is basically saying you are the job, nothing more... just do it. whereas Kosh is saying you are an individual and you are important for who you are, never forget that, no matter what your destiny is determined to be. Kosh is basically giving Sinclair the Lorien/Sheridan prep talk. You can best help the people around you when you know who you are and what you want and why you are here.