Draal
Encyclopedia
Draal is a fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5
, played first by Louis Turenne
and later by John Schuck
.
society, he set out to visit his former student Delenn
on Babylon 5
one final time before leaving to go "to the sea." During his visitation, the planet Epsilon III was experiencing geological instability, which threatened the orbital trajectory of the space station. It was discovered shortly thereafter that the planet housed a massive, globe-spanning mechanical system called the Great Machine
, which was failing due to the terminal health of its supervisor, a lone alien named Varn. Because the Great Machine required a sentient mind to function as it's central operating system, Varn's declining health was causing systematic failures that threatened the planet's integrity. Draal, reinvigorated by a sense of purpose and the opportunity to assist others in a way he no longer could on Minbar, gladly and willingly offered to take Varn's place as the custodian of the Great Machine. He then utilized the planet's defenses to destroy the violent separatists of Varn's species who had returned to take back its weapon systems.
Once in place, Draal's presence restored the planet to a stable condition and warned all of Babylon 5 station personnel to refrain from landing on the surface; he intended to preserve Varn's mission to protect the advanced technology from misuse, and thus, barred anyone from journeying to the planet until they were ready. Draal indicated that the machine had a role to fill in some future event, and that he would come to them when ready.
and put the Great Machine at the disposal of Sheridan and his allies in the fight against the Shadows. Louis Turenne
was unable to reprise the role of Draal, so John Schuck
was selected to play the role of Draal. The difference in appearance between the two men was explained by having the Great Machine restore Draal's health and appearance, making him appear 30 years younger. In the meantime Draal had discovered that he was not alone on the planet, that there were others there who helped take care of the Great Machine, one of them a being named Zathras
.
Draal would appear again in the episode Voices of Authority
, again played by Schuck. This time he helped the crew of Babylon 5 make contact with an ancient race considered to be one of the First Ones
. While interfaced with Draal's computer, Susan Ivanova
found the evidence in the Great Machine that President Morgan Clark
had indeed orchestrated the assassination
of President Luis Santiago.
After this appearance, Draal was mentioned from time to time in other episodes, but made no further appearances in the series. Schuck became unavailable due to commitments to a play, and producers did not want to cast a third actor for the role. J. Michael Straczynski
has stated that he had other plans for the character, including an appearance in the first part of War Without End.
When Babylon 5 declared independence from the Earth Alliance
in the episode Severed Dreams
, the crew used Draal's holographic systems to allow Sheridan to broadcast the declaration to residents and crew on board the station. Ivanova asked Sheridan if they should seek Draal's help in defending the station. Sheridan said it was their fight, not his, and that he wanted to keep Draal's alliance with the station a secret as long as possible.
Later that year Draal used the Great Machine to expand the temporal rift in sector 14, where the Babylon 4
station had been. Doing so allowed John Sheridan and Jeffrey Sinclair to take the White Star back in time, and ensure that Babylon 4 entered the temporal rift and wound up 1,000 years in the past as was its destiny. Sinclair rode the station into the past, and became the Minbari
leader Valen
. Once Sheridan and the White Star arrived back in the present, Draal closed the rift so that no one else would become trapped in there.
After the Vorlons and the Shadows left the galaxy, President Morgan Clark
began a propaganda
war against Babylon 5 and its crew. In order to counter this propaganda, Sheridan and Ivanova decided to broadcast their own reports on the atrocities of the Clark regime from the station's War Room. Because of the great distance from Babylon 5 to Earth, Ivanova enlists the assistance of Draal and the Great Machine to provide the massive power needed to enhance the broadcast signal across the divide.
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, played first by Louis Turenne
Louis Turenne
Louis Turenne is a Canadian movie and television actor whose career has spanned over 20 years.Turenne is of French Canadian descent, having been born in Montreal, Quebec. Most recently, Turenne was known for his work on the Babylon 5 television series. Turenne played the Minbari Draal in the first...
and later by John Schuck
John Schuck
Conrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster...
.
Overview
In his first appearance in A Voice in the Wilderness, Draal was played by Louis Turenne. Feeling that he had no place in modern MinbariMinbari
The Minbari are a fictional alien race featured in the television show Babylon 5. The Minbari characters of Delenn and Lennier figure prominently throughout the series; Neroon, Draal, and Dukhat are less prominent Minbari characters....
society, he set out to visit his former student Delenn
Delenn
Delenn is a fictional lead character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Mira Furlan.-Overview:Delenn, an alien ambassador and leader from the planet Minbar, is one of the pivotal characters in Babylon 5....
on Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
one final time before leaving to go "to the sea." During his visitation, the planet Epsilon III was experiencing geological instability, which threatened the orbital trajectory of the space station. It was discovered shortly thereafter that the planet housed a massive, globe-spanning mechanical system called the Great Machine
Great Machine
The Great Machine is an enormous technological complex of networked machines beneath the surface of the planet Epsilon III in Babylon 5.-History:...
, which was failing due to the terminal health of its supervisor, a lone alien named Varn. Because the Great Machine required a sentient mind to function as it's central operating system, Varn's declining health was causing systematic failures that threatened the planet's integrity. Draal, reinvigorated by a sense of purpose and the opportunity to assist others in a way he no longer could on Minbar, gladly and willingly offered to take Varn's place as the custodian of the Great Machine. He then utilized the planet's defenses to destroy the violent separatists of Varn's species who had returned to take back its weapon systems.
Once in place, Draal's presence restored the planet to a stable condition and warned all of Babylon 5 station personnel to refrain from landing on the surface; he intended to preserve Varn's mission to protect the advanced technology from misuse, and thus, barred anyone from journeying to the planet until they were ready. Draal indicated that the machine had a role to fill in some future event, and that he would come to them when ready.
Involvement in the Shadow War
The next year, Draal appeared to Captain John SheridanJohn Sheridan (Babylon 5)
John J. Sheridan is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bruce Boxleitner. For most of the series, he is the commander of the Babylon 5 station; during the series' final season he is the President of the Interstellar...
and put the Great Machine at the disposal of Sheridan and his allies in the fight against the Shadows. Louis Turenne
Louis Turenne
Louis Turenne is a Canadian movie and television actor whose career has spanned over 20 years.Turenne is of French Canadian descent, having been born in Montreal, Quebec. Most recently, Turenne was known for his work on the Babylon 5 television series. Turenne played the Minbari Draal in the first...
was unable to reprise the role of Draal, so John Schuck
John Schuck
Conrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster...
was selected to play the role of Draal. The difference in appearance between the two men was explained by having the Great Machine restore Draal's health and appearance, making him appear 30 years younger. In the meantime Draal had discovered that he was not alone on the planet, that there were others there who helped take care of the Great Machine, one of them a being named Zathras
Zathras
Zathras is a race of characters in the science fiction television series Babylon 5, all portrayed by the late Tim Choate. There were ten of these characters who appeared on several episodes throughout the series...
.
Draal would appear again in the episode Voices of Authority
Voices of Authority
"Voices of Authority" is an episode from the third season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:Ivanova and Marcus go in search of the First Ones with Draal's guidance. A new political officer, Julie Musante, is assigned to Babylon 5. Sheridan has to deal with her inquiries...
, again played by Schuck. This time he helped the crew of Babylon 5 make contact with an ancient race considered to be one of the First Ones
First Ones
The First Ones is the collective name of a group of aliens from the television science fiction drama Babylon 5.-Overview:The First Ones are the ancient alien races of the galaxy, the first organisms to achieve sentience and the first to become spacefaring. Of these races, Lorien's was the first,...
. While interfaced with Draal's computer, Susan Ivanova
Susan Ivanova
Susan Ivanova is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Claudia Christian.-Character overview:...
found the evidence in the Great Machine that President Morgan Clark
Morgan Clark
William Morgan Clark is a fictional character and a major antagonist from the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, portrayed by Gary McGurk. His character rarely appeared on-screen, but is a major off-screen presence in the show....
had indeed orchestrated the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of President Luis Santiago.
After this appearance, Draal was mentioned from time to time in other episodes, but made no further appearances in the series. Schuck became unavailable due to commitments to a play, and producers did not want to cast a third actor for the role. J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
has stated that he had other plans for the character, including an appearance in the first part of War Without End.
When Babylon 5 declared independence from the Earth Alliance
Earth Alliance (Babylon 5)
The Earth Alliance is the name of a fictional alliance of the nations of Earth and off-world colonies in the television series Babylon 5. The transition of Earth government from a democratic, elected government to an authoritarian, militaristic one and back to a democracy again is a major theme of...
in the episode Severed Dreams
Severed Dreams
"Severed Dreams" is an episode from the third season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. It won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.-Synopsis:...
, the crew used Draal's holographic systems to allow Sheridan to broadcast the declaration to residents and crew on board the station. Ivanova asked Sheridan if they should seek Draal's help in defending the station. Sheridan said it was their fight, not his, and that he wanted to keep Draal's alliance with the station a secret as long as possible.
Later that year Draal used the Great Machine to expand the temporal rift in sector 14, where the Babylon 4
Babylon 4
Babylon 4 is a fictional space station from the television series Babylon 5.In the series, Babylon 4 was the immediate predecessor of Babylon 5 and the largest of the Babylon stations...
station had been. Doing so allowed John Sheridan and Jeffrey Sinclair to take the White Star back in time, and ensure that Babylon 4 entered the temporal rift and wound up 1,000 years in the past as was its destiny. Sinclair rode the station into the past, and became the Minbari
Minbari
The Minbari are a fictional alien race featured in the television show Babylon 5. The Minbari characters of Delenn and Lennier figure prominently throughout the series; Neroon, Draal, and Dukhat are less prominent Minbari characters....
leader Valen
Valen
Valen is a character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. Although he has only one scene in the show, he is an important character in the history of the Minbari, and is frequently mentioned...
. Once Sheridan and the White Star arrived back in the present, Draal closed the rift so that no one else would become trapped in there.
After the Vorlons and the Shadows left the galaxy, President Morgan Clark
Morgan Clark
William Morgan Clark is a fictional character and a major antagonist from the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, portrayed by Gary McGurk. His character rarely appeared on-screen, but is a major off-screen presence in the show....
began a propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
war against Babylon 5 and its crew. In order to counter this propaganda, Sheridan and Ivanova decided to broadcast their own reports on the atrocities of the Clark regime from the station's War Room. Because of the great distance from Babylon 5 to Earth, Ivanova enlists the assistance of Draal and the Great Machine to provide the massive power needed to enhance the broadcast signal across the divide.