My Journey through Babylon 5

[Cold Fuzz]

4x19 - Between the Darkness and the Light

The episode started off with a bang as Garibaldi gets confronted by Franklin, Lyta and the Mars resistance. I thought this was a pretty intense sequence of scenes. It was great to see Lyta come to the rescue, Garibaldi owes her big time.

The plan that led to Sheridan's rescue seemed a bit too convenient to me. Here you have the greatest threat to Clarke and they allow Garibaldi and co. to walk right in without any identification. The security seemed minimal as well for a place that is holding such an important prisoner. I was expecting something a lot more from this operation, it was all too easy for me and anti-climactic.

Susan was awesome in this episode though. The speech that she gave right before the big battle was totally bad***. The Whitestar fleet seems to be more than capable to deal with any Earth vessels, even those that have Shadow technology. The battle scene was definitely intense and one of the best I've seen in B5 so far. Now as for Susan, how injured she is remains to be seen.


4x20 - Endgame

The big showdown finally happens, and the result is as expected. The big battle over Mars never actually happens as Sheridan's plan with the telepaths works perfectly. I'm not sure what to think, if they really went head-to-head in battle I still think Sheridan's fleet would have come out on top as they had the backing of the alien ships as well. I was kind of hoping to see a huge space battle, but I know Sheridan was just trying to save as many human lives as possible.

The scene with Sheridan and Ivanova was touching. Though, from the start I had a feeling that she would pull through somehow. I didn't feel like the character meeting her end in this way was appropriate and that the writers were going to throw in something that would save her. The question now becomes is Marcus going to be saved in time or not? If he doesn't make it I don't see Susan having a very good reaction to it.

The battle is over but the aftermath leaves a lot of things up in the air, all of which I'm sure will be answered in the coming episodes. The main things I look forward to are:
Garibaldi and Sheridan finally talking face to face
Susan's reaction to Marcus' sacrifice
The virus and cure for the telepaths that Bester now has in his possession.
The status of Earth - who will be in charge, no defense grid, etc.

Wow, you finally reached Rising Star. It's been quite a journey, hasn't it? If you think about how everything you've seen had its roots with Psi Corps endorsing then Vice President Clark and then Santiago winning the reelection only to be assassinated later, it makes the Babylon 5 arc that much more awe-inspiring and breathtaking.

Rising Star will answer most of your questions, namely the fallout from Marcus' fateful choice, Earth's status, and the future in general.

I think Between the Darkness and the Light featured one of the best battles in the entire series. It went a long way to show that speed and maneuverability are essential to space warfare as much as things like sheer numbers and firepower. And Ivanova was incredibly badass in that episode.

Endgame could've been drawn out with an elaborate space battle against the Earth fleet but you're correct that Sheridan wanted to save as many human lives as possible.

Garibaldi's got quite a score to settle with Bester. Just exactly how this will affect him will create some interesting situations for him in season 5.

Now that the Shadow War is finished and the Earth Civil War is out of the way, you'll see the beginning of something... interesting. To quote Delenn from War Without End, it's "something that will endure for a thousand years."

[magictrick]

Wow, you finally reached Rising Star. It's been quite a journey, hasn't it? If you think about how everything you've seen had its roots with Psi Corps endorsing then Vice President Clark and then Santiago winning the reelection only to be assassinated later, it makes the Babylon 5 arc that much more awe-inspiring and breathtaking.

Yes it has been. I think when I look back on everything the best way I think to describe this show is as a true saga. Not many series out there have the ability to weave together plots and story lines that interrelate so much from start to finish. I realize there's still a full season left and I will offer final thoughts when it is all over but this is my impression so far.

[Cold Fuzz]

Yes it has been. I think when I look back on everything the best way I think to describe this show is as a true saga. Not many series out there have the ability to weave together plots and story lines that interrelate so much from start to finish. I realize there's still a full season left and I will offer final thoughts when it is all over but this is my impression so far.

Indeed, it's definitely a true saga. It's amazing how tightly written the entire series is. When I got to season 4 when I first watched the show back in the 90s, I started to realize that eventually, there were fewer episodes than there were behind. By the time I got to the final episode, I was truly going to miss the series. That's how much I had emotionally invested in it. There are very few stories where you want to follow along with the characters so closely and when you think about the changes they undergo from beginning to end, it's truly astounding.

Rising Star starts to point to this as several character arcs are nearing completion. The following episode explores B5's significance even more so.

[maneth]

Glad you're enjoying the show so much. These are some of the most intense episodes of the entire show.

[magictrick]

4x21 - Rising Star

Another great episode. I now see why this episode is important. Not only does it answer some questions but sets up something much more important. Actually Delenn's monologue at the end of the episode does an excellent job of this.

Susan's reaction to what just happened is exactly as I would have pictured it. The scene was really intense and emotional, and props to the actress for this. Admitting all her faults in the matter was not easy to watch. I am sad to see Marcus go as I was quite enjoying watching the character. I am sure Susan will remain deeply affected by what transpired and I look forward to seeing her character development in the next season.

G'kar, Londo and Delenn were excellent in this episode. I didn't really stop to think too much about The League of Non-Aligned Worlds throughout the series and how disjointed and fragmented it all sounded. Even though we saw evidence to support this over the past 4 seasons. How the new alliance will fare, remains to be seen, but just the formation of such a thing is an accomplishment.

Once again despite all that transpired in the episode the scene I enjoyed most was with G'kar and Londo at the end. They have great chemistry on screen are entertaining to watch when they want to kill each other and when they are sharing more calm and even humorous conversation as was the case this time.

This episode really felt like a season, even series, finale. I am guessing that what happens in the next episode will setup the story lines for season 5.

[maneth]

Can't say much without spoiling things for you. Suffice it to say that the makers of the show got confirmation of a 5th season pretty late in the day, when what became the series finale had already been shot. But I hope you'll enjoy the last minute substitution Deconstruction of Falling Stars anyway.

[magictrick]

4x22 - The Deconstruction of Falling Stars

I was curious as to why this would be the season finale, but then I read what maneth wrote above regarding the renewal of the show so it makes a bit more sense now.

I can't say I was a fan of the episode, especially since it seemed to be such a weak follow-up to Rising Star. I can see why they chose to do it this way, and there is some importance here for sure, but it just didn't live up to expectations. Even on its own merit and all comparisons aside, I didn't find the story line that interesting. All those politicians debating about Sheridan really wasn't all that exciting.

I did catch the hints about Susan though, and that is that she will likely not be part of season 5. I'm kind of disappointed to see her go, and I hope she gets a proper send off.

Season 4 was an interesting ride. It ended one major plot with the Shadows and started a whole new story line with the Earth civil war which it concluded too.

And now on to the final season!

[magictrick]

5x01 - No Compromises

I thought this was a great start to the new season. Mainly I enjoyed it because all the characters are back on Babylon 5 again. It had that feel of season 1 or season 2 which I haven't seen in a while, so it was good to see that again.

I am curious to see how the new Captain Lochley will make out. It looks like her and Garibaldi might be butting heads. She seemed sympathetic to the telepaths but then still rejected them in the end which I found odd. It is too early to tell what type of character she's supposed to be.

My only gripe with this episode is that there is no mention of Ivanova. I was expecting more conversation about her and the reasons she chose to leave (even though they may be obvious). I am wondering if there was any particular reason for the decision to write out the character?

[knowles2]

I glad to see you have made it to season 5.

Personally I think Season 5 is the weakest season of all. not to go into spoilers, but for me it did not really gel together.

I do not think they ever did find Sheridan father, probably to well protected by the few supporters Babylon 5 and Sheridan did have on Earth and Earth Military.

4x20 - Endgame

The big showdown finally happens, and the result is as expected. The big battle over Mars never actually happens as Sheridan's plan with the telepaths works perfectly. I'm not sure what to think, if they really went head-to-head in battle I still think Sheridan's fleet would have come out on top as they had the backing of the alien ships as well. I was kind of hoping to see a huge space battle, but I know Sheridan was just trying to save as many human lives as possible.

The scene with Sheridan and Ivanova was touching. Though,

In a direct, visible battle Sheridan could never have use those alien ships, I think that would have undermined him completely in eye of Earth population. It had to be seen to be a Human vs Human battle. Through it was really a Earth/Shadow left overs Vs Babylon 5/interstellar alliance/Vorlon left overs.

Even through much of Sheridan forces probably relied on aliens to keep them supplied, especially during the shadow war.


Using them to disable the last of the defence platforms and saving lives is different and acceptable and probably cemented Clark defeat. An no one ever going to find out about that secrete fleet of shadow tech enhance vessels that was destroyed by the White Stars.

[magictrick]

5x02 - The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari

And what a night it was for Londo. It has been quite a while since an episode was focused on Londo or G'kar, so it was nice to see them both prominently featured in this one. I had been expecting another serious encounter between the two and this time it occurred in Londo's dream but it was still interesting to watch. What an interesting and complex character Londo is. From all he had done with the Narn war and after, now he's developing in a different direction once again.

I felt bad for Lennier in this episode. He is in an unfortunate predicament and made the choice that he thought was best. I hope he will at least recur in a few more episodes, otherwise that's another long time character that leaves the show this season. Still no word on Ivanova either.

[DigiFluid]

4x22 - The Deconstruction of Falling Stars

I was curious as to why this would be the season finale, but then I read what maneth wrote above regarding the renewal of the show so it makes a bit more sense now.

I can't say I was a fan of the episode, especially since it seemed to be such a weak follow-up to Rising Star.

Yeah...it's kind of an odd piece of the overall lore. It's not that, IMO, it's particularly bad. It just doesn't really fit in well with regards to any other episode or movie of the franchise.

For my part, whenever I rewatch I kind of treat it as a coda of sorts--I don't watch it after 4.21, I put it aside. I do my rewatches chronologically so that the Season 5 finale is the last 'regular' episode I watch. It really does do a lovely job of closing out the themes and heart and soul of the whole JMS-verse. And then once I'm done, I may or may not (depending on my mood at the time) watch 4.22 after the fact. It functions much better as a coda/epilogue/appendix than a proper episode IMO.

[magictrick]

5x03 - The Paragon of Animals

I really like the title of the episode, not only because it's from Shakespeare but also because it fits in great with what is going on. Byron's speech to Lyta was one of my favourites that I've heard on the show. He was spot on. I can see Lyta continuing down this path and working with Byron towards his goals, which I'm unsure of at the moment. Either way, she may have finally found her place.

It's nice to see Garibaldi back to his old self. It was also fun to watch Sheridan, Delenn, Londo and G'kar getting along so well for a change. I don't think I've seen this type of camaraderie between all of them on the show yet. I'm used to seeing tension and arguments break out but as of late they all seem to be united and working together.

I'm quite liking season 5 so far. The tone of the show seems to have changed a bit as circumstances are not so dire. I am sure this will change as the season progresses, but all of a sudden not everything that happens is a matter of life or death.

[Savatage]

Indeed, it's definitely a true saga. It's amazing how tightly written the entire series is. When I got to season 4 when I first watched the show back in the 90s, I started to realize that eventually, there were fewer episodes than there were behind. By the time I got to the final episode, I was truly going to miss the series. That's how much I had emotionally invested in it. There are very few stories where you want to follow along with the characters so closely and when you think about the changes they undergo from beginning to end, it's truly astounding.

Rising Star starts to point to this as several character arcs are nearing completion. The following episode explores B5's significance even more so.

My thoughts exactly. I never understood why people went to conventions until I saw B5. It was the first time I really felt sad a show was over. I had to read the canon books and sought out some comics that JMS name on them. The great thing about the series is it never gets old - I find new things I missed with every re-watch. IMO, best sci-fi series ever. No, best series ever.

[Cold Fuzz]

4x22 - The Deconstruction of Falling Stars

This is an episode that usually gets mixed reactions from people. I for one love it as it provides a lot of closure, especially with regards to the distant future. There are some things that are implied in this episode but not stated outright. Since you're already into the first episodes of season 5, I'll go ahead and give you a rundown of JMS' future history in the B5-verse since it doesn't spoil anything for the rest of season 5.

• 1 million years into the future, humans have reached a state of evolution similar to the Vorlons. They use Vorlon-style encounter suits and organic ships.
  
• The Minbari have also reached this state of evolution.
  
• The Narn and Centauri do not. They don't die off but simply don't reach a First Ones-like state of existence.
  
• New Earth, which is mentioned briefly by the future Ranger, is actually the old Vorlon Homeworld.
  
• The Anla'shok and the Interstellar Alliance are still in existence 1 million years into the future.
  
• Our Sun is going nova much earlier than it should and for generally unknown reasons. The only real clue we're given is that moving to the Vorlon Homeworld (New Earth) is a cause for celebration.

5x01 - No Compromises

The first time I watched No Compromises, I actually had a "wow" reaction. Just like you, I noticed the tone and feel of the show had changed dramatically and it did recapture the adventure and "newness" of seasons 1 and 2. However, by this point, every single character knows of the blood and sorrow that it took to win this peace. Having said that, this is why the opening sequence and music for season 5 remains my favorite. I like the third season as well but this one recaps everything happened in the entire series in pretty spectacular fashion. In my opinion, it remains one of the best opening sequences to any show I've ever seen.

I could talk at great length about Lochley but I'll let her character speak for itself right now. She too goes through some changes by the time the year 2262 comes to a close.

And then there's Byron. All I'll say about him right now is no comment.

5x02 - The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari

Londo's final direction for the series is established with this episode. He's a much more sympathetic character now. He's genuinely changed... and that makes his fate at the hands of that Drakh Keeper all the more tragic. You see, that's what makes it a tragedy. If he showed no remorse for his actions, then we as the audience (and the other characters too) could write him off and give him the finger so to speak. But that's not what happened. He looked into himself, found the parts of himself that he genuinely disliked, and made changes for the better. What's left for him this season is the alarming chain of events that brought about that bleak future on Centauri Prime we saw in Sheridan's time jump into the future. Like with many things on Babylon 5, we already have an idea of what the ultimate destination is. It's about how we get there is the meat of the story.

5x03 - The Paragon of Animals

I'm actually pretty fond of season 5 myself and the tone of the show in this episode and in the ones that follow establishes why for me: Three major wars have been fought: The Narn-Centauri War, the Shadow War, and the Earth Civil War. This season is the metaphorical "day after." The aftermath of a war (or a series of wars in this case) is just as interesting to me as the war itself. As JMS once said, the war is hardware. The heart of the story is the people who participate in that war. The aftermath of these three major wars has some major fallout that hasn't been addressed yet, not the least of which is the uneasy peace between not just telepaths and normals, but between Psi Corps and telepaths who wish to be free.

Another big part of the remaining story lines are Londo's path and the well-being of the Interstellar Alliance. This episode establishes what the Alliance is really all about.

My thoughts exactly. I never understood why people went to conventions until I saw B5. It was the first time I really felt sad a show was over. I had to read the canon books and sought out some comics that JMS name on them. The great thing about the series is it never gets old - I find new things I missed with every re-watch. IMO, best sci-fi series ever. No, best series ever.

Absolutely it's one of the best sci-fi series ever. When I was younger, I was particularly fond of Trek and is various incarnations. But as I've gotten older, my tastes changed radically. Deep Space 9 is something I'll always love but Babylon 5 and Doctor Who have become the Alpha and the Omega of sci-fi for my tastes.

[magictrick]

Londo's final direction for the series is established with this episode. He's a much more sympathetic character now. He's genuinely changed... and that makes his fate at the hands of that Drakh Keeper all the more tragic. You see, that's what makes it a tragedy. If he showed no remorse for his actions, then we as the audience (and the other characters too) could write him off and give him the finger so to speak. But that's not what happened. He looked into himself, found the parts of himself that he genuinely disliked, and made changes for the better. What's left for him this season is the alarming chain of events that brought about that bleak future on Centauri Prime we saw in Sheridan's time jump into the future. Like with many things on Babylon 5, we already have an idea of what the ultimate destination is. It's about how we get there is the meat of the story.

That's too bad. I guess in the B5 universe when we see a time jump to the future it means that is the future that will actually happen. I know in other sci-fi shows they say that's just one of the possible outcomes, but as I understand it then, what Sheridan saw is the actual future that will happen no matter what?