Babylon 5: The Complete Fifth Season

This was immediately followed by a rare episode not written by J. Michael Straczynski. Much was expected of "Day of the Dead," penned by Neil Gaiman, the British creator of DC's landmark Sandman comic and graphic novel series. Yet despite a change of tone including a guest appearance by Penn & Teller as 23rd-century comedy favorites Rebo & Zooty, the story proved an incongruous side trip into an unexplained twilight zone of fantasy. As usual the season picked up toward the end, with a string of fine political episodes leading to "The Fall of Centauri Prime" and the haunting "Objects at Rest," in which Sheridan and Delenn leave Babylon 5 for new quarters on Minbar.

The final episode, "Sleeping in Light," was directed by J. Michael Straczynski and made an epilogue to the series. Set 20 years later, after all the sound and fury this quiet, elegiac tale is the apotheosis of the love story that proved the balance to the tragedy of the preceding darkness. A personal story resolved against a background of the epic, at once transcendent, deeply human, and profoundly optimistic, "Sleeping in Light" is as moving as any hour in the history of television drama and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to one of the greatest series ever made. --Gary S. Dalkin

The last few episodes from "The Fall of Centauri Prime" right on up to "Sleeping in Light" are all stellar pieces of good story telling. The sense of family and a bond between all of the major characters can be felt as each go their separate ways only to be reunited some years later in the touching finale.

Thanks J.MichaelStraczynski for giving us such a wonderful TV series. I don't think I'll ever see anything like this in my lifetime again. Just wonderful.


Excellent, but not the best B5: "The Wheel of Fire"   July 14, 2004
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J. Michael Straczynski's apt title for the fifth and final season of "Babylon 5", "The Wheel of Fire" is a suitable summary of what transpires. In the aftermath of the Shadow War and the successful rebellion against EarthGov's President Clark, John Sheridan is elected President of the Interstellar Alliance. However, all is not peace and tranquility, as he must soon contend with a telepath crisis on Babylon 5 involving the followers of ex-Psi Cop Byron (Robin Atkin Downes), and tensions between the Alliance and the Centauri Republic.

Here's a list of the episodes:

1. No Compromises (Captain Elizabeth Lochley arrives as B5's new commander and Sheridan is approached by Byron to create a telepath colony on the station.)
2. The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari (Londo comes to terms with his mortality after suffering a nearly fatal heart attack. Lennier arrives at a momentuous decision which will have tragic consequences towards the end of the season.)
3. The Paragon of Animals (Garibaldi seeks Byron's assistance in creating an Interstellar Alliance intelligence unit comprised of telepaths.)
4. A View from the Gallery (Maintenance workers offer a unique perspective on living and working aboard B5 as the station is attacked by mysterious aliens.)
5. Learning Curve (Delenn is reunited with an old friend, a Minbari ranger, while his students stop a racketeer's attempt to seize control of Downbelow's Brown Sector.)
6. Strange Relations (Londo avoids an assassination attempt, and G'Kar becomes his bodyguard.)
7. Secrets of the Soul (Franklin discovers a deadly secret about an Interstellar Alliance race, while Downbelow objects to the presence of Byron's telepath colony.)
8. Day of the Dead (Neil Gaiman penned this script about a Brakiri religious festival, in which Lennier, Garibaldi and Lochley must come to grips with their worst fears. Comedic duo Penn and Teller portray the interstellar comedic sensation Rebo and Zooty.)
9. In the Kingdom of the Blind (Byron tries to blackmail the Interstellar Alliance into giving his telepath colony a world of its own.)
10. A Tragedy of Telepaths (Lochley finally seeks Sheridan's permission to have Bester and his Psi Cops remove Byron's colony.)
11. Phoenix Rising (The telepath crisis is finally resolved, but not until after several deaths, and a final decision made by Byron.)
12. The Ragged Edge (G'Kar returns to Babylon 5, and to his dismay, discovers that his book was published, transforming him into a prophet hailed by countless fellow Narn. Garibaldi seeks out a possible human witness of a Raider attack, and stumbles accidentally on evidence implicating the Centauri Republic in thses attacks.)
13. The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father (Bester's "humanity" is revealed as he trains two young Psi Cop apprentices in apprehending a dangerous rogue telepath who has fled to Bester's "favorite" place, Babylon 5.)
14. Meditations on the Abyss (With Delenn's blessing, Lennier joins a White Star to uncover evidence pointing to Centauri involvement in the Raider attacks against Alliance shipping. Meanwhile Londo is officially appointed Prime Minister of the Centauri Republic, and he appoints Vir as his successor as ambassador to Babylon 5.)
15. Darkness Ascending (Lennier risks losing his life in uncovering key evidence proving Centauri involvement in the Raider attacks against shipping. Lyta seeks a homeworld for the telepaths, offering a Faustian bargain with G'Kar.)
16. And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder (The Interstellar Alliance receives proof of Centauri involvement against Alliance shipping, and authorizes a blockade of Centauri space.)
17. Movements of Fire and Shadow (Sheridan orders the White Star fleet to intervene in an unauthorized attack on Centauri Prime by some Alliance warships.)
18. The Fall of Centauri Prime (Sheridan arrives too late to stop the attack. Meanwhile the Drakh reveal themselves to Londo and obtain his obediance by threatening the Centauri homeworld with total annihilation. He is crowned Emperor soon after the Regent's death.)
19. The Wheel of Fire (EarthGov issues a warrant for Lyta's arrest. She is seized and held in B5's brig. Meanwhile G'Kar must contend with his religious followers.)
20. Objects in Motion (Garibaldi is warned that an assassin has arrived on Babylon 5, intending to kill him and his fiance, Lise Edgars. G'Kar joins in the plot organized by Sheridan to foil the assassination attempt.)
21. Objects at Rest (Sheridan and Delenn bid farewell to Babylon 5, bound for the new Alliance capitol, the city of Tuzenor on Minbar.)
22. Sleeping in Light (Written and filmed at the end of Season Four, when there was a strong possibility that Babylon 5 would not be renewed for a fifth season, this episode is a fitting conclusion to the series. It is set twenty years after the events chronicled in Season Four, when Sheridan asks his friends to visit him for the last time in his home on Minbar.)

Warner Brothers has done a fine job in digital remastering of these episodes. As before, it is replete with interviews with cast members and J. Michael Straczynski's comments of several key episodes.


Finished what it wanted to, but still ended too soon.   July 13, 2004
The fifth and final season of Babylon 5 managed to do what very few television series ever manage; it ended where it wanted to end and with an episode amongst the most potent in the entire series, not to mention television history. While just about the entire last quarter of this season is about saying goodbye as all the characters we've come to know and love through the preceding five years as they move off towards their own fate, the final episode with Sheriden's death is the most moving all of them.

The technical aspects of this season are naturally the best of the five. While season 4 contained space battles that still manage to spank pretty much everything out there, in this season everything looks its best. The detail paid by the graphic artists to all the ships and stations is outstanding and indicative of the mind set that went into all aspects of creating Babylon 5. (ie, to do amazing things with almost nothing.)

Story wise, season five is darker than those before it. The consequences of their choices come back to haunt characters like Mollari and Garibaldi. Here, Babylon 5 reminds us that it is not a show that wraps up such things quickly and easily, and that we have to live with whatever we've done. It's a shame that season 4 had to be so compressed, because the whole arc about the first stages of the telepath wars that results in this series is not Babylon 5's greatest moment. On the plus side, it gives the excuse to use Walter Koenig's fascinatingly evil character of Bester just as much as they did in the previous season (4 episodes, ep 6, 10, 11, 13). Considering his strength in this role, it's a true shame he's not been able to break away from the Chekov character and find roles in other works.

But, for every good thing there must be a bad. While Bester is back in full use, we are sorely lacking for Ivanova. It's a true shame she was unable to return. Tracy Scoggins does an admirable job as Capt. Lochley, but she just wasn't around long enough for us to really get to know her well enough.

The extras on the DVD are what fans have come to expect of the set. All of them are quite fascinating. The easter egg this time is a small featurette on the fate of Marcus Cole, whether he was left for dead or frozen in hopes of revival. It even incorporates fan opinions on the issue. Though if anyone has paid really close attention (and has a large enough TV) they'll be able to see the final outcome during the credits of the final episode. Beyond Babylon is probably the most interesting segment of the featurettes this time, as it details Joe's vision of the universe and the fans that supported it through its run.

Unlike the previous season, the cast commentary is great. While dominated by Boxleitner and Scoggins, everyone gets their fare share at voicing an opinion. Like the ones from previous seasons, it's extremely funny and will leave you wishing they had put more of them into other episodes. It also makes you realize just how perfect everything worked behind the scenes (with the exception of the managers at WB, but they were always problems for this series). Joe's two segments are interesting as always, and the one he gives during the final episode is very revealing as he talks about his own direction of the end of his series.

Ultimately, Babylon 5 endured and conquered its opposition. It lasted for the five years that Joe had originally planned and, according to him, ~95% of everything he wanted to do with it made it to the screen. And unlike a majority of television, the story of Babylon 5 truly ended, though the characters and their world would go on. While not the best of the series, it was an excellent ending.


Beautiful End to one of the greatest Shows of all time   June 5, 2004
Though Season 5 had some early rough patches. It starts rolling in my opinion after the issue between the Psy-Cor ends with Bryon and Lita.

"Sleeping In The Light" was filmed after Season 4 before they new they were picked up for a 5th season. So they held it off until the end of the 5th. BEAUTIFUL episode that had my strong will break down in a tear. Possibly one of the best final episodes ever in a series. Truly a masterpeice. Closing credits had me balling! Ivonava mentioned Marcus at the dinner table with Sheridan as a people to salute and remember just sunk my heart. Delenn, who probally one of the most beautiful characters ever in Sci-Fi her closing tribute to Sheridan again water filling my eyes.

Babylon 5 has been such a enjoy to explore and follow. So many great episodes that made you laugh, excite, and cry. Characters you love and characters you hate. This was a space station like no other.