Babylon 5: Season 5
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | Tony Dow |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | Season 5 |
| Distributor | Warner Home Video |
| A disappointment after the superb two previous seasons, the final run of Babylon 5 found Claudia Christian departed and Ivanova replaced by Captain Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins), who in a soap-opera twist turned out to be Sheridan’s first wife. Sheridan was promoted to President of the Interstellar Alliance and the action moved to a group of telepaths seeking sanctuary from the PSI-Corp on B5. Giving a prominent role to Patricia Tallman’s Lyta Alexander, a love story for her was woven with the leader of the telepaths, Byron (Robin Atkin Downs).… | |
Reviews
Amazon.com
A disappointment after the superb two previous seasons, the final run of Babylon 5 found Claudia Christian departed and Ivanova replaced by Captain Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins), who in a soap-opera twist turned out to be Sheridan’s first wife. Sheridan was promoted to President of the Interstellar Alliance and the action moved to a group of telepaths seeking sanctuary from the PSI-Corp on B5. Giving a prominent role to Patricia Tallman’s Lyta Alexander, a love story for her was woven with the leader of the telepaths, Byron (Robin Atkin Downs). Meanwhile the aftermath of the Shadow War was explored as the origin of human telepaths became clear in “Secrets of the Soul,” and the appearance of PSI-Corp’s Bester (Walter Koenig) brought the plight of the refugees to a powerful close in “A Tragedy of Telepaths” and “Phoenix Rising.”
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
Barnes and Noble
Straying from some of the themes and characters established in the first four seasons, Babylon 5 changes significantly in its final, fifth season but maintains a consistent level of quality. The new direction is attributable to the desire of series creator J. Michael Straczynski to move beyond the space-opera formula and explore fresher, more mature story lines. Series regular Claudia Christian vanishes and is replaced by Tracy Scoggins, portraying Capt. Elizabeth Lochley, the first wife of John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner). This group of episodes finds Sheridan promoted to president of the Interstellar Alliance in the aftermath of the Shadow War, with an accompanying narrative shift to the plight of telepaths seeking sanctuary from the PSI-Corp on the Babylon 5 space station. One of the most memorable moments in Season 5 occurs when Lyta Alexander (Patricia Tallman) falls in love with the leader of the telepaths, Byron (Robin Atkin Downs). Additionally, the episode “Secrets of the Soul” details the origins of the telepaths, while the appearance of PSI-Corp’s Bester (Walter Koenig) signals a dramatic change for the refugees in “A Tragedy of Telepaths” and “Phoenix Rising.” Graphic-novel writer Neil Gaiman pens “Day of the Dead,” a delightful change-of-pace episode that features a guest appearance by Penn & Teller as 23rd-century comedy favorites Rebo & Zooty. The series comes to a satisfying conclusion with a string of fine shows, including “The Fall of Centauri Prime,” the haunting “Objects at Rest,” and “Sleeping in Light,” an epilogue of sorts that is set 20 years later and provides a welcome note of forward-looking optimism. Ed Hulse
