The Babylon 5 Alien Camera Trick That’s Easy To Overlook
There’s an age-old problem that sci-fi shows have to contend with: How do they show aliens when the entire cast is, to the best of our knowledge, human? Star Trek would attach parts to the performer’s foreheads, but Babylon 5 took a different tactic with one race, the Vorlon, normally seen in massive encounter suits that hide their true appearance. The problem here is that the suits were so big that the Vorlon performers couldn’t walk through any of the doors on set.
I Have Always Been Here
If you go back and watch Babylon 5, pay attention to Kosh, the Vorlon Ambassador, and you’ll notice he’s already in the room. Hallway scenes, no problem; inside John Sheridan’s office, he’s there, but walking through a sliding door while telling Londo the Centauri are making a mistake? Can’t do it. Kosh is just there.
An Incredibly Elaborate Costume
The bulky encounter suits of Babylon 5 also made life a little difficult for the Vorlon performers. Kosh was played by two actors; Ardwright Chamberlain provided the voice, while Jeffrey Willerth was inside the massive encounter suit. Willerth had to wear Kosh’s “head” as a hat and would look out the “neck,” which makes it a minor miracle that the Vorlon’s scenes come off as well as they do.
Understanding Is a Three-Edged Sword
Within the universe of Babylon 5, the Vorlons are an ancient, highly evolved species that communicates via telepathy and utilizes encounter suits to conceal their true appearance. Despite the massive bulk, Vorlons are actually glowing octopus-like creatures, whether it’s from the energy of having touched a higher plane of existence or a form of bio-luminescence, which is something the fandom is still debating to this day. In practice, the species has been viewed as divine beings, which is something to keep in mind when you watch Kosh awkwardly shuffling along the space station.
A Bold Vision Let Down By Reality
In this case, the ambitions of J. Michael Straczynski and the Babylon 5 production team went far beyond what the television budget could handle when it comes to the Vorlons. At least with the Shadows, their ancient enemy, the spider-like beings are often invisible, sparing the team from depicting them on a weekly basis. Kosh, the Vorlon Ambassador, is a major part of the cast and frequently involved in story arcs as the voice of ancient wisdom, so there was no easy loophole for showing him on-screen.
Truly Unknowable Aliens
Even if Kosh simply appears in every room or awkwardly shuffles down the hall, the physical limitations of having to film on a soundstage don’t diminish the wonder of the series. Instead, it’s to the credit of Babylon 5 that, unlike Star Trek, it tried to show aliens that were completely alien compared to humans. The fact that viewers feel emotional about the fate of Kosh and find themselves rooting for the strange, awkward Vorlons is, again, a point in the show’s favor, no matter how odd they look on screen.
So, when you re-watch Babylon 5 again, see if you can notice the Vorlon camera tricks. An ancient, powerful species that could reach Hyperspace stopped by an itty-bitty door.
