The One Revisited (CHRYSALIS SPOILERS!!!)
Hill, Dave
SPOILERS begin just below ...
> "Will you follow me into fire,
> into storm, into darkness,
> into death?
> And The Nine said "Yes"
> Then do this in testimony to
> THE ONE who will follow
> who will bring death couched
> in the promise of new life
> and renewal disguised as defeat"
Anyone considered, having viewed Chrysalis, that *Delenn* might be the One?
Here she is, undergoing some very bizarre change -- one that is either
unique (or very unsual) for Minbari in general, or that has some
particularly unique (or very unusual) aspect to it (based on her dialog with
Lennier -- "What if you're wrong?").
One unique aspect would seem to be the use of the Triluminary -- one of
three such devices, which would argue that it has not been often (if ever)
used for such a purpose.
(And, though it's been discussed here, I have to wonder how many people,
seeing the episode, will look back and say, "Geez -- *That*'s what she's
been building all season?")
Another unique aspect would seem to be her relationship with Kosh -- and the
"promise" that must be fulfilled.
(Side note: Perhaps the purpose of the Vorlon fleet in The Gathering was
not to hustle off Sinclair to try him, but to *protect* him. Think about
it, and what sort of promises and communication there may have been between
the Minbari and the Vorlons. And why the Vorlons chose *this* time to
participate in the Babylon project. Did they make their decision *after*
Sinclair was named Commander?).
(Another side note: Was she already planning this when she was offered the
position of Head of the Grey Council, and is this why she turned that role
down? Or has she rushed into this because she is afraid that she is now
going to be recalled?)
So consider this: a Great War is coming, one in which the Minbari may well
suffer greatly, even as one of their number is reborn into a new form ("who
will bring death couched in the promise of new life"), and who may play an
instrumental role in saving her (?) people from destruction at the end of
that conflict ("renewal disguised as defeat").
With all the talk about Sinclair being The One (and why should Zathras'
"One" be the same as Valen's?), we may be been misled by another red herring
into ignoring Delenn.
*** Dave
*** (dh...@jacobs.com)
*** "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."