he Great War is over. The forces led by Capt. Sheridan (Boxleitner) and Ambassador Delenn (Furlan) have succeeded in purging the galaxy of both the Shadows and their enemies, the Vorlons. Earth has been freed from the corrupt, fascistic government of President Clark. Now president of the Alliance, Sheridan returns to Babylon 5—now commanded by Capt. Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins)—hopeful that the defeat of their enemies will free him to lead the sentients of the galaxy to a brand-new era of peace and cooperation.
It's not to be. Forces once loyal to the Shadows are already preparing vengeance for the defeat of their masters, and there are new threats brewing even closer to home.
Ambassador Londo Mollari (Jurasik) awaits his coronation as Emperor of the Centauri Republic, feeling not triumph but fear of the terrible fate long foretold by his dreams. He does not expect an unlikely ally in the form of his longtime enemy G'Kar (Katsulas), nor does he foresee that
his rise to power will also be a descent into a most invasive form of personal slavery. Unable to change his destiny, Mollari takes his final step to his final damnation. As for G'Kar, he finds himself hailed as the new prophet of his people.
Michael Garibaldi (Doyle), tormented by his own experiences at the hands of the villainous psi-cop Alfred Bester (Walter Koenig), descends further into alcoholism, which causes him to fail the Alliance, to tragic effect.
Meanwhile, as a small group of rebellious telepaths seeks asylum on Babylon 5, Lyta Alexander (Patricia Tallman) has to decide where her true loyalties lie. Lennier (Bill Mumy) is guilty of his own act of betrayal. Dr. Franklin (Richard Biggs) announces that Delenn is pregnant. And that smash-hit comedy team, Rebo and Zooty (Penn and Teller), arrive for a command performance.
It all leads up to one day, many years later, when Capt. Sheridan wakes to realize he's almost run out of his borrowed time ...
Momentum meets the suits
Season five of Babylon 5 seems anticlimactic in several respects, thanks to the uncertain future that required Straczynski, producer Douglas Netter and company to resolve the fate of Earth's fascist government at the end of season four. With that major thread resolved so early, the final season loses one of its main engines, and much of what remains feels like treading water. There's still the fate of Centauri Prime to deal with, as well as the first major rumbles of trouble brewing from the Psicorps, and much of it is fine indeed, but the pacing still seems wonky. The momentum is off.
Non-arc highlights include "A View From the Gallery" (teleplay by Straczynski from a story by Harlan Ellison and Straczynski), which follows two lowly maintenance men as they roam throughout the station, repairing systems during a massive alien attack. The joke is that these two guys display several moments of genuine heroism, but remain invisible to the likes of Sheridan and Lochley; only Delenn sees the big picture. Forced at moments (especially during Dr. Franklin's soliloquy about compassion, delivered at a time when you would think he'd have better stuff to do), it's still one of the more likable episodes of the entire series.
Other highlights include "Day of the Dead" by Neil Gaiman, a genuine oddity that gives several major characters chances to speak with deceased figures from their respective pasts; several come away with uncomfortable self-knowledge or unnerving knowledge of future events. (It makes an interesting double feature with Joss Whedon's later Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, "Conversations With the Dead," which served the same function in its own series.) "The Corps Is Mother, The Corps Is Father" by Straczynski presents another crisis requiring the intervention of Psicorps Officer Alfred Bester, who comes off as not that bad a guy when seen from his own perspective: until, of course, that final moment when his true colors are revealed.
The episodes involving the damnation of Londo Mollari give that character's arc tragic resonance. Other elements don't work quite as well. The happy ending for Garibaldi after his alcoholic dereliction of duty contributes to interplanetary war, the odd friendship G'Kar feels for Mollari after events that should cement his hatred for the man, and the sudden betrayal by Lennier all seem forced by various degrees. Good writing and performances carry most of it. But at moments only just.
Extras include additional scenes, the ever-present (and, as is frequently the case, not very funny) gag reel, an engaging and unpatronizing documentary on the support the show received from fans, and data files involving various characters and situations from the show. Three episodes
boast commentary tracks: "Movements of Fire and Shadow," with Boxleitner, Jurasik, Tallman and Scoggins; "The Fall of Centauri Prime" by Straczynski; and most notably the series closer, "Sleeping in Light," by Straczyski. The latter entry, about Sheridan's death and Babylon 5's demolition, deserves special mention for the sheer emotion evident in Stracznski's voice. There's a very real sense, when the station goes up, that Straczynski feels every burst of fire. His reaction is very much earned.
