Chrysalis

Babylon 5 Season 1 Finale (Episode 22). Written by J. Michael Straczynski, directed by Janet Greek. Originally aired on October 26, 1994.

Primary Plot: Garibaldi uncovers a plot to assassinate Earth Alliance President Luis Santiago.

Secondary Plot: Morden helps Londo eliminate the Narn presence in Quadrant 37.

Tertiary Plot: Delenn begins a mysterious transformation.

Commentary: This is affectionately known as THE EPISODE WHERE ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. It's amazing how much JMS' writing makes you actually care about Santiago's death, even though the character is never even seen on screen (except in one quick still shot in Midnight on the Firing Line).

The corruption of Garibaldi's aide (later identified as Jack) is foreshadowed in And The Sky Full of Stars. If you watch his reactions to various things in that episode, it's fairly clear (hindsight being 20/20) that he was part of the conspiracy in that episode. Also, when Jack meets Bester in Mind War, that's generally considered to be the first contact Jack had with the Psi Corps. Furthermore, in Eyes, Jack is the masked evil dude in Ivanova's dream (you couldn't possibly pick that up except by checking the credits, though).

The fact that Vice President Clark very conveniently came down with a cold right before Earth Force One exploded is the first clue that he was in on the conspiracy. This line of thought is resolved in the Season Two episode Hunter, Prey.

The scene where Clark takes the oath of office aboard Earth Force Two was intentionally made to look exactly like the famous photograph of Lyndon Johnson taking the oath after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. While it's farfetched at best that a 2250s spaceship would enough look like a 1960s atmospheric airplane for the shots to be so similar, it is a nice homage.


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Butterflies go through life cycles containing forms and stages of metamorphosis. The stages, in order, are:

1. Larva
2. Pupa
3. Cocoon or chrysalis
4. Adult

Cocoon/Chrysalis Stage:

Monarch butterflies are one of the most famous butterflies around. Everyone knows them for their brilliant orange and black colors and their beautiful chrysalis. A chrysalis is just the specialized cocoon of some butterflies. While some butterflies use white, stringy, cottony cocoons, some use hardened shells, which are called the chrysalis.

The monarch butterfly pupa creates the chrysalis shell around it. It normally takes the monarch pupa 5-10 days to finish the metamorphosis into an adult butterfly. During the metamorphosis, the chrysalis first appears to be a green color (which is/was the same color as the pupa), but as the change progresses, the shell turns black, and then clear. When the chrysalis is clear, you can see the colors and patterns of the new adult butterfly's wings.

Pictures of the Chrysalis:

http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/bugpix/Monchrgr.jpg
http://www.emmajesty.com/htmldocs/pagehtmls/monarch/pupa.jpg
http://www.emmajesty.com/htmldocs/pagehtmls/monarch/darkpupa.jpg
http://www.emmajesty.com/htmldocs/pagehtmls/monarch/sidereadypup.jpg
http://www.emmajesty.com/htmldocs/pagehtmls/monarch/backpupaready.jpg

More Info:

http://www.zoomwhales.com/subjects/butterfly/species/Monarch.shtml

I found a chrysalis, green and yellow with tiny horns on a tarp today. It had to be moved so I gently plucked the spider web like threads holding it in a vertical posture and laid it down temporarily on another surface, horizontally this time. I certainly expected it would hold still, if I expected anything at all! But like a Mexican jumping bean this thing reminded me it was alive by squirming. I truly think the change from vertical to horizontal orientation disturbed its version of vestibular expectations and perhaps made it a bit “nervous”. I placed it on some yew branches which were in turn placed in a little cup where it would be safe and back in the “correct” position and it settled down, stopped wiggling and is now behaving like the happy little cocoon it is supposed to be.

Obviously the caterpillar just spun this little home and the potential to wiggle to safety will diminish as it hardens over the next few hours. It isn’t a baby, it is actually a middle aged bug, readying itself for maturity as a butterfly or moth but it is vulnerable like a baby right now.

Today has been a day full of bug silk. I woke to spider web heaven following a huge rain. Hundreds if not thousands of little to big webs filled my yard.

No conclusions, just observations.

You made me worthless
As I was becoming, with you, distracted
Crushed trembling lips as I emerged
Unfinished lessons deadly in defeat
Fighting to become strong, incomplete against your nearness
Rooting but unrooted
Mangled cast off love

Chrys"a*lis (?), n.; pl. Chrysalides (#). [L. chrysallis the gold-colored pupa of butterflies, Gr. , fr. gold. Cf. Aurelia.] Zool.

The pupa state of certain insects, esp. of butterflies, from which the perfect insect emerges. See Pupa, and Aurelia (a).

 

© Webster 1913.