TV: Babylon 5, S5 Disc 1

Babylon 5's planned final season almost didn't happen.  The syndicated drama market which sustained the first three years of the series dried up during year four,  and the writing was on the wall that B5's five-year arc was likely to close down early.  This led to the series wrapping up all of its major plot lines (Shadows, Clark, even the Minbari civil war) in season four, some more than slightly ahead of their planned end dates.  Further, the series finale was filmed as the last episode in season 4, since it takes place away from the series' present continuity at the end of Sheridan's 20-year half-life.



This puts the unexpected rescue of the series by TNT at a strange position: what now?

The unfortunate answer was that nobody knew.

Added to this is the problem absence of Claudia Christian, who left the series under contested circumstances shortly before the season began filming.  Plots that concerned Ivanova were, in classic B5 fashion, shifted to other characters with some diminished returns -- and adding the unwelcome parlor game of "hmm, this would be better if it happened to Ivanova..."

But now I'm getting ahead of myself..


Episode 1: No Compromises

With the tighter serialization in the last half of season four, the opener gives us a plot we haven't seen in awhile: someone arrives on B5!   It's Captain Elizabeth Lochley, the new, Sheridan-approved commander for B5. She's put off by her reception party (consisting of one lt. Corwin) and opines that a "hectic" station is "poorly run."  But then, nobody's been running B5 for... well some indeterminate time.  B5 is for the moment an independent state, and Sheridan brought her in as command as a bone to Earthers still angry about its secession.*  The A plot of this episode is to dump as much of her personality on the story to get everyone up to speed and on the side to manufacture antagonism between her and Garibaldi.**

In our "threat to the station" B plot, one of the show's long line of ineffective psychos has decided he's going to assassinate Sheridan during his IA inauguration.  That this man is former Earthforce, wanted for war crimes,  kind enough to send a voice sample for ID,  and still manages to get past security (twice!***) vaults him near the top rank for worst plots of the series.

Kicking off a longer-range C plot, sensitive, long-haired, english-accented telepath Byron ambushes Lochley to lecture about her business-first lifestyle and then impose on her for sanctuary for a pack of homeless telepaths. In keeping with tradition, the extra teeps have nothing to say, but do receive individual names that describe them like "somber" and "bright and beautiful."
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* There's other reasons for choosing her, specifically.  One seems especially left-field when later revealed, in light of how formally they talk to each other here, even when alone.  Keeping secrets from the audience this way feels cheap and arbitrary.  A related, unnecessarily long-to-resolve mystery about the new Captain is her "side" in the civil war.

** Garibaldi's job status is problematic for much of this episode.  He's ex-EA, ex-security chief, and an informal consultant for IA security.  For all of this he is treated by the station staff as if he never left -- except by Lochley to gin up their "tension."  He is permitted to command B5 security forces, run searches through the station computers and files on Earth, and even take out a fighter on short notice (and without a flight suit).   By episode's end he has taken the new post of Covert Intel head for the IA, which at least normalizes him for half the command chain.

*** Having botched his first attempt in a crowded room full of security, he flees after taking a hostage.  Not only is there no security to intercept him outside the room, Zack doesn't even try to alert anyone nearby, or to pursue the man himself.  He's done enough to "put out an APB," and shows no concern that this armed,  proven killer and war criminal who just took an innocent hostage will do any more harm!

Pros: G'Kar is the common link of all the few good scenes here.
Cons: In any episode, the introductory dialogue of Byron would be enough to be an episode's nadir.  In this one, it's only setting the bar.

Then: C
Now: D-

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Episode 2: The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari

Londo has a heart attack.  This triggers his titular long night in sick bay, as he lucidly dreams (chiefly of wandering around an empty corridor, encountering his many regrets) while the other characters discuss their conflicted feelings for him.

In the B, Lennier departs to undergo Ranger training, partially to replace Marcus but mostly for distance from Delenn and Sheridan's all-day lovefests.   The way Mira Furlan mugs when she's attempting a twitterpated grin, I hardly fault him.  Credit for everyone involved recognizing Lennier's hopeless love for her, and attempting to deal with it maturely.

Pros: The last commiseration scene for Vir and Lennier is a gem.
Cons: While the review-one's-sins-in-a-dream is not the most groundbreaking story, it sure looks good compared to last week...

Then: B-
Now: B
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Episode 3: The Paragon of Animals

Another B5 throwback: the B plot's opening scene with talky exposition.  The new alliance members who are not major powers are demanding the technology advances the IA promised them.  Now that new members are charged with adopting a liberal humanitarian statement of IA principles in return for their technology jumps, they're balking -- and Sheridan is counseled to give in.

The A plot concerns another planet we've never seen before under attack by some raiders or another This becomes the first test of the alliance: the Drazi, now tapped as the Menace of the Week, are supplying the raiders to loot their neighbors.   Timely intel helps the good guys put down the menace.

Continuing the arc that concerns Byron, Garibaldi gets an earful from the man himself when attempting to ask for his help gathering intelligence for the Alliance.  He then gets more of the same from Lyta, who's tired of being sporadically useful but mostly ignored, but as a personal favor to Michael she goes to Byron and enlists his help.  Worse, Byron already knew the secret of the "raider" mystery -- but apparently felt no need to tell the president; that nice guy who gave his cult safe haven!

These refusal scenes carry the three flaws of the arc:  Inescapably first is the unfortunate center of the arc: Byron, prone to some of the ugliest deliveries of florid dialogue in the series and now a Major Character whom we must endure regularly.   Second is a symptom of B5's tell-don't-show philosophy, as both he and Lyta describe at length the use and effects of telepathy and come up predictably short of imparting anything the "mundane" audience can relate to.   Third is that the arc in the whole is an over-discussed precursor to the Inevitable Telepath War, which never happens.*

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* The Telepath War is supposed to be the focus of a theatrical film which has yet to be made.  With two of the main cast now permanently unavailable, the slim odds grow fainter by the day.

Pros: Londo is back in the fold like he's never been since early in the first season.
Cons:G'Kar being used as wacky comic relief.

Then: C
Now: C

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Episode 4: A View From the Gallery

We have our Lower Decks/The Zeppo episode, as an average day on B5 is seen from the POV of a couple of a never-seen-before-or-again maintenance technicians.  It's the first time since A Day in the Strife where a mystery alien race appears and picks a fight with B5.*   Again, B5's location in the middle of the Major Powers makes their arrival problematic.

The technicians, Bo and Mack (solid, working-class names there!) answer longstanding questions about the series and offer droll insider/outsider comments on the cast and on critics of the series as their workday brings them into the action.  This conceit requires a light comedic touch to work, and as we know, this series has nothing like that -- take for example a lunch scene where Bo explains the "tastes like chicken"  joke.  If you have to explain it...
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* Bringing in a new, one-shot alien for the week is a thankless task.  The Drakh were an option, but having them easily beaten again would relegate them to near-Ferengi status. And so it's a never-before/ never-again seen alien race who, for no apparent reason, attacks B5...

Pros: Cool helmets!
Cons: Franklin's new why-I-became-a-doctor story rings hollow.

Then: B-
Now: C-