Hello!
I am now gonna be doing a review on one of my favorite series.
You may have seen me quote it many times in the past...
...and there are times I'd actually call it my bible.
So lets have a look at the Babylon 5 series.
Hey! You're missing a few movies!
And a spin-off!
Well, I am actually just gonna do the complete series.
No canceled projects of any kind.
Now many of you may think that I am crazy having In The Beginning in the middle here,
and though it might introduce us to the characters well,
it can still be a bit confusing if you haven't seen the seasons prior.
In my personal opinion I'd put this movie between seasons 3 and 4.
The best place to start would be at The Gathering.
It began
in the earth year 2257
with the founding of the last of the Babylon stations
located deep in neutral space.
Created in 1993 by Joseph Micael Straczynski,
the pilot episode known as The Gathering
sets the stage for the rest of the series,
introducing us to the characters
as well as a few plots that will in time be revealed.
Babylon 5 is a 5 mile long space station.
created by the humans as a symbol of peace
after a long, harsh war with the Minbari.
Reason why it is called Babylon 5
is because the first 3 stations were destroyed by sabotage,
and the 4th disappeared mysteriously...
Its crew consists of only humans
and houses a quarter of a million people of varying species.
Many of the alien races have a representative there
serving as an ambassador to their home world,
among which are the 4 major alien governments.
Delenn, of the Minbari Federation, is pretty much a leader among her people.
The Minbari are a very religious people
whose holy number is 3...
3 parts to a story:
Beginning
3 parts to a story: Beginning Middle
3 parts to a story: Beginning Middle End
3 tenses:
Past
3 tenses: Past Present
3 tenses: Past Present Future
3 castes:
Religious
3 castes: Religious Warrior
3 castes: Religious Warrior Worker
Due to a misunderstanding
the Minbari were at war with the humans,
but at the Minbari's moment of victory they surrendered.
No one knows why except some of the Religious Caste.
The reason does get revealed eventually.
Londo Mollari of the Centauri Republic.
Now don't be too quick to judge his hair style.
Even though he looks like he got a bomb dropped right on top of his head
this is the 1st take on the series.
It does get better...
Suppose we could excuse it with that he has lost all care in the world.
His position of ambassador was given to him
simply because no one else would take it.
In short...
A joke?
Yes...
And a bad one at that.
The Napoleon, or Roman style of the Centauri
pretty much symbolizes their ways.
They felt that they were the heart of the galaxy.
The all mighty people conquering other planets,
and claiming that they created hyper jump technology.
They shared much of this technology with the humans.
However, not everyone were pleased to see them.
G'kar, of the Narm regime is Londo's arch enemy.
A hundred years ago the Centauri and Narm met.
No one knows what really transpired
but according to the Narn the Centauri invaded and enslaved them.
According to the Centauri the Narns were barbarians.
Tried to civilize them but the Narns wouldn't have it.
And a war broke out.
This war hasn't stopped and the reason seems to have been forgotten.
G'kar is mostly after profit and will sell to anyone.
The profit he makes will evidently lead to buying more weapons
to be used against the Centauri.
The final representative is Kosh Nerenek of the Vorlon Empire.
The Vorlons are an ancient and mysterious race of enigmatic beings.
No one knows exactly what they look like
yet everyone will recognize their appearance...
Kosh is the last representative of the major races to arrive on Babylon 5,
and is mysteriously poisoned as soon as he does.
One problem arises when the Vorlon Government insists that
no one break his encounter suit and see a naked Vorlon.
Talk about immense shyness...
However,
Commander Jeffery Sinclair, top ranking officer on the station,
tells Doctor Benjamin Kyle that the doctor's oath of confidentiality
is good enough, and that Sinclair will take full responsibility.
Kill the monitors. Stop all data recording.
I don't want any record of what goes on in there.
Jeff!
I take full responsibility.
Doctor Kyle comes to the conclusion that it is poison
but can't do anything about it unless he knows which poison was used.
He gets an idea,
a very risky one,
and consults the 2nd in command Lieutenant Commander Laurel Takashima.
He suggests using a telepath to go through Kosh's mind
and find out exactly who did it and how it was done.
We still need to talk her into it...
No!
Absolutely not!
After arguing the situation she delves in...
I don't know why,
but the way the suit is opening
it is almost as if Kosh is inviting her inside.
There's something...
...feeling my hand...
It was...
...poison...
Poison...
...in a...
...in a skin tab...
Who did it Lyta?
He did it!
He's the one!
He tried to kill the ambassador.
Ok, I'll agree that something does fall a little weak here...
Why would a Vorlon expose himself
if their appearance should at all times remain a secret?
I guess the poison could've entered one of the nozzles, but still!
I was talking with Kosh earlier
and I remembered something I couldn't quite figure out...
Kosh wears an encounter suit to protect him from our atmosphere
so how did the poison get into his system?
His hand should've been completely covered.
While Commander Sinclair stands trial for attempted murder,
Security Chief Michael Garibaldi tries to help out his friend
and investigates as much as he can.
Sinclair claims the lift kept him from getting to the reception,
but there were no records supporting that theory.
Mollari didn't make it to the reception either
because he met a very nice man
who claimed he could help Mollari win at the casino.
The only problem was that this particular man was found dead,
and the time of death was estimated to be
several hours prior to Mollari meeting him.
During which
the telepath Lyta Alexander stops by to visit Kosh...
Or does she?
What are you doing?
Stop! You'll kill
Ben! The ambassador?
I think I got to him in time.
Now would someone please tell me what the hell is going on around here?
Well, wouldn't you like to know?
After some more digging around
they discover that someone has smuggled aboard a Changeling Net,
allowing someone to look and sound like anyone else.
A system like this would have to put out alot of energy...
Laurel, can you calibrate the station's external sensors
to scan for energy sources inside the station?
We can try.
Good, do so. Garibaldi and I will be along shortly.
We have to stop by security.
There's a few things I want to pick up.
So the hunt is on!
They chase the person a little
and it comes down to a brawl between him and the commander.
Minbari?
Why?
Why did you do it?
There is a hole...
...in your mind.
The Minbari sets off a bomb
and Sinclair high-tails it out of there!
And makes it in the nick of time.
Do you need anything?
Coffee
2 sugars
cream
and aspirin.
So that's that...
Or?
I'm sure you're seeing a few holes in the story
but remember that this is just a quick look.
And speaking of holes...
Delenn...
Just before he died, the Minbari assassin looked at me and said:
"There is a hole in your mind"
An old Minbari insult...
Nothing you need worry about...
Notice the shift in her eyes?
Trying to hide something I would think.
But what?
Well, you'll just have to watch the series through and through!
It does get better.
Once the series was a go
Joe Michael Straczynski really put some more effort into this story.
He had definitely planned out at least 4 years of the story fully,
if not more.
The show was in a way revolutionary.
It did things no other sci-fi show did before.
One of the things was that it spanned a 5 year story arc.
The other was that all the space scenes were computer generated.
Not bad considering this was made in the mid 90's.
There was a slight change in cast but was properly explained away.
Doctor Benjamin Kyle was replaced by Doctor Steven Franklin
because of his bright idea of bringing in a telepath,
and for gazing upon the face of a Vorlon.
Lieutenant Commander Laurel Takashima was replaced by Lieutenant Commander Susan Ivanova
because she was part of Kyle's bright idea.
Commander Jeffery Sinclair stayed for one year
and was then replaced by Captain John Sheridan.
The reason was that Commander Sinclair was told the whole truth
about the Earth-Minbari war
and was then reassigned as a human representative
on the Minbari home world, and a little more.
However, there is another reason why the actor had to leave.
Michael O'Hare suffered from paranoid delusions.
Halfway through filming things were getting out of hand.
Joe Straczynski offered to suspend the show
so that Michael could get the treatment he needed.
But Michael didn't want to put the show
or the crew's jobs at risk.
He pushed on.
agreed to complete the 1st season,
but asked to be written out of the 2nd season
so he could seek treatment.
And I commend him for that.
Despite his mental illness he managed to get through that 1 season
and a 2-parter in season 3.
He retired from acting some years later and wasn't seen in public since.
He then died in September 2012,
so God bless him...
Getting back to Babylon 5,
as the seasons progress one is told of a great darkness to come.
Ancient beings known as the Shadows.
Known to be the arch enemies of the Vorlons,
like the complete opposite.
Wars are fought,
wars are won,
struggles get resolved,
conspiracies born,
and secrets revealed...
But not all of them.
Remember Byron.
The series also contains history lessons simply by repeating them,
as well as other political struggles.
Now, as I said:
once you've watched seasons 1 through 3
and the last episode ending on a cliffhanger,
now would be a good time to watch In The Beginning,
which tells the story of the Earth-Minbari war
from the perspective of Londo Mollari.
Then we continue with season 4 where 1 war is completed.
And then we stop after episode 8 and what a movie called Thirdspace,
which tells of an ancient device that opens the gates of hell.
Then it's back to season 4 where a conflict escalates
and is resolved with almost total destruction.
Come season 5,
Commander Susan Ivanova leaves and is replaced with Captain Elizabeth Lochley,
now commanding Babylon 5.
This season is filled with problems with regards to telepath rights,
G'kar's position among his people,
and allies to the Shadows making a mess of things.
Now somewhere between the next to last and the last episode,
there are about 19 years worth of stories which could've fitted in,
but only a few managed to get in and were sort of canceled.
One of which is a movie called River of Souls.
It is a complete movie
and a small side story
pertaining to the mistakes of a race known as Soul Hunters.
Then there is the spin-off Crusade
starting with the pilot movie A Call to Arms.
The story did seem kind of promising,
but then...
No.
Just...
No.
Lasted 13 episodes and was canceled.
The synopsis is that the Shadow allies poured a plague onto Earth,
and now there is a hunt for a cure.
We know something has been found based on the final episode of Babylon 5,
But we never know how it was found.
It had some interesting messages in it,
but it wasn't especially good.
But if someone can write a solid final episode,
or a movie where a cure was found,
I'll gladly accept this.
May even accept it as a book.
There was also the beginnings to a series about The Legend of the Rangers,
but the pilot couldn't kick off the series.
And finally, The Lost Tales.
Was supposed to be a number of episodes,
but only 2 were created.
Reason was that Straczynski wanted to make something spectacular,
but Warner Brothers would not give the budget needed,
or even the full creative license.
Straczynski announced that he would not do anything more with Babylon 5
Until he got the budget he was looking for.
So there you have it: Babylon 5
I thoroughly would recommend you getting the main series being:
The Gathering
The Gathering, In The Beginning
The Gathering, In The Beginning, Thirdspace
The Gathering, In The Beginning, Thirdspace, River of Souls
and all 5 seasons.
There are also book versions of In The Beginning and Thirdspace,
and from what I've seen many other books written.
Best thing about and a holy bible.
Except I don't follow it to the letter...
There have been some other things that have
influenced me somewhat...
Which could be a problem if I am to know
who I am...
But anyways,
may we all meet again in the place where no shadows fall.