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Babylon 5, Season 5
It was the dawn of the last season...
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Babylon 5,
Season 5
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Starring Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins, Jerry Doyle
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TNT
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Premieres Jan. 21, 10 p.m. ET
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Encores Jan. 24, 7 p.m. ET
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Review by Jeff Berkwits
 ith the threat from the Shadows averted, the civil war on Earth settled, and the formation of the benevolent Interstellar Alliance, viewers might think that harmony and peace would prevail in the Babylon 5 universe. But the first episode of the long-awaited fifth and final season of the show firmly demonstrates that true celestial serenity has yet to reach the station or its exotic array of inhabitants.
Even as Babylon 5's former captain John Sheridan (Boxleitner) prepares to be inaugurated as president of the newly organized alliance--conferring with his cabinet to ensure proper security and with G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) to draft an oath of office--an assassin plots to kill him at the inauguration ceremony. Meanwhile, a small band of rogue telepaths fleeing the Psi Corps suddenly appears, seeking asylum on the station.
In the past Sheridan would have single-handedly managed these predicaments, but with the recent arrival of Captain Elizabeth Lochley (Scoggins), such decisions are no longer his sole responsibility. Lochley was handpicked by Sheridan--who was impressed by her ability to handle dangerous situations without resorting to violence--to take over as captain of the station, even though her allegiance during Earth's civil war is suspect. But the two don't always see eye to eye, and they quickly agree that she will handle the station's command and control functions, while he will handle the political decisions.
As the inauguration approaches, it becomes evident that politics and the day-to-day operation of Babylon 5 are not easily separated. Some of Lochley's security decisions rankle Garibaldi, and when she denies sanctuary to the breakaway telepaths--a group that Sheridan realizes will be significant in the future--the newly installed president finds he must override her decree.
A slow but deliberate start
Following the complex political intrigue and unrelenting pyrotechnics of B5 last year, viewers might expect a high-intensity extravaganza to open this season. Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski has instead opted for a slower pace, forgoing flashy special effects and focusing on important new personae and scenarios that will undoubtedly play a significant role in the final outcome of the overall adventure.
Tracy Scoggins does a creditable job as Lochley, presenting the character as a self-assured warrior who doesn't take chances and isn't afraid to argue with Sheridan, or anyone else, when questions arise concerning her command decisions. Another new player who appears to be integral to the future of the series is Byron (Robin Atkin Downes), the charismatic leader of the fugitive telepaths. His calm demeanor is reminiscent of Marcus, and while this resemblance is presumably intentional, whether Byron develops into a distinct personality remains to be seen.
The inaugural ceremony affords Straczynski the opportunity to inject some high-tech action and even a touch of humor into the episode, but the majority of the narrative is clearly devoted to laying the groundwork for the further escapades of Sheridan and his team. As a result, this particular chapter drags a bit, although such exposition is understandably necessary for a show as involved and ingenious as Babylon 5. It's clear that the stage is being set for a phenomenal series finale, and while this specific episode is not entirely excellent, it remains engaging and enjoyable.
This may not be an ideal episode, but it is without doubt a respectable start for the final season of television's quintessential science fiction saga.
-- Jeff
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Prey
They're better, faster, stronger...and they want us dead
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Prey
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Starring Debra Messing, Adam Storke, Larry Drake
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ABC
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Premieres Jan. 15, 8 p.m.
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Review by Craig E. Engler
 r. Sloan Parker (Messing) is a promising bio-anthropologist who works at a medical lab under her friend and mentor, Dr. Ann Coulter (Natalija Nogulich). Ann tells Sloan that she is on the verge of a major discovery, but before she can reveal the details to her protege, she is brutally murdered. The leading suspect would be the Manson-esque serial killer Randall Lynch (Roger Howarth), except that he's in prison, thanks in part to Ann's forensic testimony.
Sloan tries to figure out what her friend was working on before her murder, but it seems that FBI agent Tom Daniels (Storke) has deleted some key files from Ann's computer. The handsome and kindly Daniels later approaches Sloan about continuing Ann's work, which he says was being done on behalf of the FBI. But Sloan has been putting two and two together on her own, and she has already determined that what Ann had discovered was a new species of human, a species that apparently evolved due to global warming. And one that's indistinguishable from normal humans.
Lynch is a member of that species, and it's clear that his cryptic remarks made during his trial (whispering "you will all die" to Ann as he attacked her on the witness stand--easily throwing off the bailiff in the process) and later to Sloan herself during a prison visit are more than just the ramblings of a psychopath. The new species is not only smarter, faster and stronger than good old homo sapiens, it also wants to displace us on the evolutionary ladder, and outright killing seems to be the preferred tactic. What's worse, Sloan soon discovers that Daniels is one of them.
Battle of the Gen X stars
ABC is calling Prey a science-"fact" drama, although the science in the series is at best dubious and at worst ridiculous. The network may be doing itself a disservice by drawing attention to this weak link, which could otherwise be overlooked by viewers caught up in what is an engaging and promising show. Besides, the heart of this series is clearly the dynamic between its main characters, and the ever-growing mystery of just who is who and who's on whose side.
The villains in the show, part of the as-yet-unnamed new species, are aptly portrayed by Gen X actors Storke and Howarth, who maintain an appropriately indifferent-but-superior attitude toward the rest of the cast. They are clearly a new breed whose time has come, and they provide some surprising chills with their creepy, uber-human behavior.
On the other side of the coin are the 20-something doctors Sloan and her pal Ed Tate (Vincent Ventresca), who are convincingly brought to life by their Gen X actors. Messing in particular is called upon to drive much of the show through her performance, and she quickly proves able to the task. A nice counterpoint to their roles is Dr. Walter Attwood, their elusive superior, who has hints of villainy about him that are brought out nicely by veteran actor Larry Drake (L.A. Law).
The first episode of Prey was capably written by William Schmidt, who turned in a solid script that had a good mix of action and intellect, although it was not without its ups and downs. Unfortunately, the show starts on an up and ends on a down, blunting some of its own hard-won momentum. Nevertheless, Prey looks pretty good coming out of the gate, and it should prove to be an interesting series.
This has Millennium-ish qualities without being as overbearing, or as unrelentingly dark. It should do pretty well with both the mainstream and genre audiences, although SF fans looking for "tech" will probably be disappointed.
-- Craig E.
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The Postman
Neither rain nor snow nor gun-toting maniacs...
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The Postman
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Rated R
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Starring Kevin Costner, Olivia Williams
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177 Minutes
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Review by Brooks Peck
 n this film adaptation of David Brin's popular novel The Postman, Kevin Costner plays the otherwise nameless Postman, an actor who wanders a ravaged United States. The country has been fractured into feudal enclaves by a mixture of war, plague and environmental collapse, but it's slowly recovering. Traveling in Oregon, this actor is pressed into the service of the Holnists, a militant force led by the charismatic and unstable General Bethlehem. Soon the actor escapes this brutal regime and takes refuge in an old U.S. Postal Service jeep. Donning the long-dead letter carrier's uniform, he devises a scheme in which he poses as a letter carrier for the "Restored United States" assigned to establish a postal route in the west. This story, plus a bag of quite overdue mail, gains him shelter and food on the road.
But the uniform has a profound effect on those around him. After 15 years of chaos, this small symbol of the past's order seems to snap people out of their waking dream of day-to-day survival, reminding them that at one time authority was rather more benign than the Holnists' constant demands for tribute. Inspired by the thought of the government rebuilding itself, the people start to resist the Holnists.
The Postman never wanted to start a revolution, he just wanted a hot meal, but his postal movement spreads fast and far, and soon mail routes are being set up all over the state and beyond. Reluctantly he accepts the role of the legendary figure he has become, not to fight a war, but hopefully to stop one. And to stop the slaughter of the people who have sworn to lay down their lives for an office that is purely his invention.
There's a good film in here, but trim the fat!
After Waterworld, people might understandably be leery of another three-hour foray into science fiction by Costner, but rest assured this movie is more focused and entertaining. The story moves along suspensefully, at least for the first two hours, and none of the characters falls into any sort of leather-clad Mad Max-ian stereotype. Costner plays what appears to be his favorite role, that of the lone survivor, with earnest sincerity.
He is eclipsed by his co-stars, though. Olivia Williams is a spunky and resourceful foil to Costner's reluctant Postman, and her character is quite rich, much more than just a love interest. Will Patton is wonderful as Bethlehem, a not-too-bright man who has flowered in a simplified world, imposing a junior-high-school, might-makes-right legal system and surrounding himself with even dumber followers to enforce it.
After two hours, though, the film sags wearily. More and more the camera becomes obsessed with trying to convey just how incredibly significant the Postman's crusade and even his personal actions have become. This leads to agonizingly drawn-out, super-slow-motion scenes of blond cherubic children holding their grimy letters skyward as the Postman, blazing down the lane Pony Express style, leans out, reaching, reaching for that precious symbol of America's renaissance. It's exhausting.
The slightly unconventional ending makes up for some of the bloat, and all in all it's a fairly enjoyable film. Edited down to two hours, though, it might have been great.
Doesn't this concept just scream TV series? A lone, good-hearted wanderer moves from hamlet to hamlet spreading a message of hope against the backdrop of shattered America. And cheap, too: just redecorate some back-lot Old West towns with a few oddments of civilization, and add some extras in rags. There wouldn't even be car chases.
-- Brooks
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