Babylon 5: The Complete Second Season

"And Now for a Word" took the unusual step of presenting a day-in-the-life of B5 seen through the eyes of a TV news crew, just as the Narn declared war on the Centauri. The inclusion of a PSI-Corps commercial paid homage to Paul Verhoeven's satirical ads in Robocop (1987), while his later Starship Troopers (1997) seemed at times like a spoof of B5's earnest space opera. In "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum," Sheridan learns that Morden was on the ship on which Anna died; the episode sees the captain pushed to his limits by grief and determination to discover why Morden survived. Three exceptional shows conclude the season. The Narn-Centauri war escalates in "The Long, Twilight Struggle," Sheridan faces a most unusual ordeal in "Comes the Inquisitor," and in "The Fall of Night" all hope of peace is shattered as a nerve-racking assassination attempt reveals a startling secret about Ambassador Kosh. --Gary S. Dalkin

Additional Features
Babylon 5: Season 2 presents all 22 episodes anamorphically enhanced at 16:9, with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Originally shot with eventual widescreen presentation in mind, the programs look far better than they did when broadcast. The effects shots, reformatted from full-screen CGI, show occasional pixilation, but the new compositions are more dynamic than the old 4:3. Always a show with powerful audio, the remixed soundtrack is rich and involving, if lacking the bass punch and complex layering of much more expensive theatrical productions. Extras include an introduction to Season 2 (8 minutes) and "Building Babylon: Blueprint of an Episode" (13 min.). More interesting is "Shadows and Dreams," an 8-minute feature on B5's two Hugo Awards. Three episodes have commentary tracks, with J. Michael Straczynski examining the politics, mythology, and production of "In the Shadow of Z'Ha'Dum" and "The Fall of Night," and stars Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, and Jerry Doyle have a decidedly lowbrow laughfest through "The Geometry of Shadows." --Gary S. Dalkin

The opening credits for the first two episodes are supposed show Delenn in her orignal season 1 form. Not until after "Revelations" are they supposed to show her in her new form. However, the DVD credits for episodes 1 and 2 show the new and improved Delenn and spoil the surprise.

It's just sad to know that whoever compiled this set really didn't know what they were doing and wasn't a true fan of the show. I'm amazed that JMS didn't notice this as well.

It's bad enough the the box and DVD splash screen give away this plot point, but to have the wrong credits on the DVD is just sloppy. We're supposed to be getting the show as it aired and we are not.

One of the reasons I bought the DVD sets is so I can show it to people who missed it the first time. Now they won't have the same viewing experience that I had.


"The Coming of Shadows"   July 11, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Back in the mid-nineties I really wasn't watching any TV show religiously. There was the occasional "Married...with children" episode, or once in a while I would watch "Star Trek: the Next Generation." Then I caught a single episode from season 2 of some Sci-fi show called "Babylon 5." The reason I know it was season 2 is because Bruce Boxleitner(of "Tron" fame) was the commander of the space station. At first I thought, "Okay, this looks like a slight variation on Deep Space 9, nothing more." I could not have been more wrong. What makes all "Star Trek" shows so frustrating is that they become predictable through repitition of plotting with only a handful of predictable characters. One knows that somehow the characters will resolve to succeed, usually in some positive re-affirmation of humanity. But on "Babylon 5" all the characters are flawed, there are many episodes that are left unexplained and/or unresolved. This makes for a very fresh experience with each story. More or less, there is a through story about "The Coming of Shadows," creatures that are oddly reminiscent of the "Buggers" from the Orson Scott Card novels "Ender's Game," "Speaker for the Dead," and "Xenocide." There are side stories, many of which are very humorous, that keep the show interesting most of the time. There are many reviews here that state that starting with season 2 is the way to go because of a respectable but fairly lackluster first season. I never saw the first season; even in syndication the networks only showed "Babylon 5" from season 2 on. There are also many reviews here noting all the references to "The Lord of the Rings." There are quite a few. There is "Za-Ha-Dum," then there is the Minbari council know as "The Nine," just to name a couple. There is an underlying reference, I feel, to the writing style of Jack Vance and his use of various cultures clashing violently and politically. Other none-too-subtle references come from George Orwell's "1984," such as the "Ministry of Peace" and the Psi-Corps(a thinly veiled nod to the "Thought Police"). Obviously, this is a thoughtfully well-written series. The acting from everyone is solid character acting of the highest quality. There is the occasional down moment, or ill-conceived sub-plot/side story, but overall I was thoroughly entertained and more often than not, completely enthralled with the through story leading me to the coming darkness. It arrives in season 3. Thank you.


Audio and video problems   April 22, 2004
After reading reviews of all the box sets and some of the problems some people have had,I just wanted to add my experiences.
I too had a few occasions where the picture would break up and even freeze as someone else has mentioned.
I removed the dvd from the player and cleaned it useing a cd/dvd spray cleaner.When I reinserted the dvd and played it again I had no further problems.
I have encountered this on one or two other brand new dvds of other shows and in each instance a good cleaning solved the problem.
The discs never look dirty or scratched and are always played fresh out of the case which leads me to believe it may be a coating of something that cant be seen by the naked eye but is detectable by the players laser.
It may not solve everyones problem but its worth trying before returning the discs for an exchange and then encountering the same problem.
I hope this helps as the series itself is great and nothing is more frustrating then having a problem in the middle of watching it.


Poor DVD Quality   April 14, 2004
 0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I have purchased all 4 seasons that were available. Every one of them have discs that are faulty. They "freeze" or skip scenes. Those scenes will not play. Pretty poor.

I have even tried these on other DVD players...same results.

Oh yes, and ever try to get someone to acknowledge this problem and correct it? Not happening.


BEST SHOW EVER. Good second season: "The Coming of Shadows"   March 13, 2004
"They walk among the stars like giants...."

Yes, Babylon 5 is the best sci-fi show ever produced, and season 2 is where the series starts to truly shine. After a rather boring first season, J.Michael Straczynski (series creator) took the reins and wrote ~75% of the show. AND IT SHOWS. Season 2 starts with battles, ends with battles, and has plenty of drama in the middle. A new race called "The Shadows" starts pulling strings, manipulating the characters, and ultimately spinning off a war. And just when you think all is dark and dreary and depressing... along comes season 3 where all hell turns loose! SO IF YOU'RE NEW TO BABYLON 5 then I recommend you start with season 2... which is where the show truly starts to shine.