t's 2281, 20 years after the Shadows were defeated by the Army of Light at the
battle of Coriana 6. The space station Babylon 5, once the last hope for peace,
now lies all but abandoned, and those who called B5 home have since moved on
with their lives. John Sheridan and Delenn have set up shop on the planet
Minbar, the new seat of the Interstellar Alliance. Michael Garibaldi has
settled on Mars, where he spends his time running the powerful company Edgars
Industries. Susan Ivanova is a respected general with the Earth Alliance, and
Dr. Stephen Franklin holds a high-level position with the Earth government.
These five friends have seen and done it all over the past two decades. They've
won a war, shattered a web of conspiracy and helped usher in a new era, losing
many comrades along the way. But there is a last task they must face, a final
debt to be paid. Because 20 years ago their strongest member and staunchest
fighter died. Sheridan, lured to the Shadow stronghold Z'ha'dum by his ex-wife,
stepped into the abyss and gave his life to the cause of Light. Yet even in
death Sheridan learned that there are options, and with the help of the godlike
alien Lorien, he was able to rise once again to carry on the fight.
But Lorien's gift of life was a temporary one, good for at most 20 years. And
now Sheridan's time is up. At night, on Minbar, he dreams of those final
moments and knows that he has only a few days to live. So he sends out
invitations, gathers his friends around him and prepares to depart this
existence with a party rather than a tear. His only wish is to see a sunrise
and feel space beneath him one last time.
Saying goodbye to old friends
Let's face it, there's no way to critique the final episode of the five-year
saga known as Babylon 5. Those who have been following the show know
that creator J. Michael Straczynksi has wrapped up all the loose ends, said the
things that need saying, and is ready to turn out the lights on the 250,000 tons of steel he set spinning in the sky all those years ago. To point out the
negatives and positives of this particular episode is a waste, for, like it or
hate it, this is something that simply must be seen.
And yet...and yet...and yet there are a few words that can be written about this denouement, some advice for viewers about to say goodbye to old friends. For one, make sure the VCR is running, because the end credits include a nifty
parting gift to the cast, crew and fans of B5 that needs to be seen
frame-by-frame in order to be appreciated. For another, make sure to find some
pictures of the people who normally lurk behind the scenes of B5, such as Straczynski and producer John Copeland, because they have cameo
appearances in this final show.
And for those fans who stopped watching after the end of the Shadow war, who
couldn't quite bring themselves to view the fifth season that in many ways was
so unsatisfying, this is an episode they won't want to miss. Originally shot to
cap off the fourth season when it looked like there wouldn't be a fifth,
"Sleeping in Light" stands apart from the overall series. It's a fitting end to the five years of ups and downs that B5 faced both on and off screen, and despite any flaws it is both a television and a science fiction landmark. If there are more words to be said about this show, they are simply: Thanks Joe. Good work. Goodbye.
