Why Babylon 5 Season Five Is Awesome
Jul. 27th, 2010 12:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrasteI realise I haven't been posting much lately - RL has been kicking me repeatedly in the head, I'm afraid. In the last week alone, I found out I failed last semester's exams, my grandmother was briefly hospitalized and my toaster broke. However, talk of my favourite TV show will usually summon me back to fandom. (For the record, Babylon 5 is my favourite TV show. Doctor Who is my favourite multi-genre multi-medium ... thingy. I can't just count the TV show when there are so many awesome audios and books and comics.)
Now, someone on my flist was asking what TV show she should watch next. Many commenters recommended Babylon 5, but with the caveat that the fifth season wasn't as good as the rest. This is one of those statements that makes me grind my teeth every single time I see it, and I see it a lot. Because while it does have some weak points, Season Five of Babylon 5 also contains many of my favourite parts, and I don't just mean the ones involving the people in my Dreamwidth icon. So I decided to make a list.
- To start with the obvious downside of Season Five: the abrupt uncancellation of the series means that we get the infamous telepath arc to fill the first half, which is indeed the weakest multi-episode storyline in the show's history. However, even that isn't all bad: it brings Alfred Bester to the station chasing his former protege. Byron may be a boring and annoying character, but more Bester is always awesome.
- The other fringe benefit of the telepath arc is what it does for Lyta, kicking off her final Dark Phoenix phase. Now angry and powerful, she's finally matured as a character, and watching her struggle to deal with a world that's far too fragile for her is one of the most interesting parts of the season.
- Speaking of Bester, this season also contains his wonderful final appearance in The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father. An episode told entirely from the point of view of the Psi Cops, it gives us an insight into them that we've never had before.
- It's got a couple of other stellar stand-alone episodes, too. (Well, as much as any B5 episode ever stands alone.) The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari is clever, sad and a wonderful summation of everything that most complex of the show's characters has been through in the past four seasons and where it's brought him to. The end of the episode, where he apologises to G'Kar for all he's done, is one of the most moving moments in the whole five years. More than that, though, this is the episode that really underlines how important Vir is to Londo, and it's appropriate that the reason he decides to face life after all is that he knows Vir would miss him.
- The other outstanding single episode of the season is the only one not written by JMS himself, but by none other than guest writer Neil Gaiman. Day of the Dead shows that Neil gets these characters as well as their creator does. In one case, arguably even better, as this is the best personal insight we ever get into Elizabeth Lochley. Adira's brief return is both heartbreaking and one of the last good things that ever happens to Londo Mollari.
- Speaking of Lochley, she's another good thing about Season Five. Having her be Sheridan's ex-wife was overdoing it, but it's nice to see a character introduced who was on the other side of the Earth civil war, but who's still sympathetic. She'll get more development in Crusade, but this is a good start. And Corwin's crush on her is adorable.
- Season Five is where G'Kar, quite by accident, finds himself a hugely popular prophet. His reaction to this and ultimate withdrawal from public life is the last phase of a character arc that started way back in Midnight on the Firing Line. And who could have predicted how it would turn out back then?
- And, of course, that brings us to my favourite part: Londo and G'Kar. Just ... Londo. And G'Kar. Who have gone from bickering opponents at the beginning, to genuine murderous hatred after the Centauri-Narn war starts up again, to reluctant allies against Lord Refa and then Cartagia, to ... this.
After everything Londo has done and had done to him, the universe sends him a consolation: actual affection and acceptance from the man who was angriest about all the wrong he did. The bodyguard who is also the guardian of his conscience and his soul, who in the end will be his only escape from the consequences of his actions.
And after what G'Kar has done - only avoiding Morden's trap because of the narrowness of his murderous ambition, then eventually falling so low that he resorts to mind rape - the universe shows that it has a sense of humour as he learns to love his enemy. (In whatever sense.) G'Kar actually does get punished for his hubris in Season One, not by what happens to his world and his people in the following seasons, but by what happens now, in his own heart. Every awful thing he ever wished on Londo and the Centauri comes to pass, and because he's evolved into a better person, because he actually cares about Londo, it brings him no joy at all.
- Speaking of the Narn, Season Five also sees a brief but very welcome return from Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth. Londo's clever plan to get her out of the palace yields two of the funniest seasons of the series. (The 'I need to borrow your clothes for a while' bit and of course the actual escape.)
- Season Five has Vir Cotto destroying a fruit stand in a fit of Centauri pride. If none of the other things on my list had ever happened, that would still be awesome. (I mean, Vir is awesome throughout this season, but that's hardly unique to this year and thus does not get to be on the list.)
- The Centauri arc that builds throughout the season and ends in The Fall of Centauri Prime is the culmination of so many earlier arcs, a wonderful conclusion for a series that's always been driven by its long-term plots. Everything Londo and his people did comes back to bite with big, scary teeth. There's a lot to love about that final episode, from the Regent's tragic death to the Greatest Scene Ever between Londo and G'Kar. Everything from day one has been driving us down to this: Londo forced to accept the Keeper, to save what he can of his beloved planet and people, the reason he's done all of this. And at the end, when nobody but the Drakh would ever know any different, he accepts his fate with grace and courage.
- Sleeping in Light, the last episode, is easily one of the finest series finales TV has ever been blessed with. The reasons why would be an entire post on their own, but it's a beautiful conclusion to a five year journey.
So with all the above, I just can't accept that Season Five is the weak point of Babylon 5. It has its flaws, but on the whole it's a triumphant conclusion despite the circumstances under which it was written and made.
Now, someone on my flist was asking what TV show she should watch next. Many commenters recommended Babylon 5, but with the caveat that the fifth season wasn't as good as the rest. This is one of those statements that makes me grind my teeth every single time I see it, and I see it a lot. Because while it does have some weak points, Season Five of Babylon 5 also contains many of my favourite parts, and I don't just mean the ones involving the people in my Dreamwidth icon. So I decided to make a list.
- To start with the obvious downside of Season Five: the abrupt uncancellation of the series means that we get the infamous telepath arc to fill the first half, which is indeed the weakest multi-episode storyline in the show's history. However, even that isn't all bad: it brings Alfred Bester to the station chasing his former protege. Byron may be a boring and annoying character, but more Bester is always awesome.
- The other fringe benefit of the telepath arc is what it does for Lyta, kicking off her final Dark Phoenix phase. Now angry and powerful, she's finally matured as a character, and watching her struggle to deal with a world that's far too fragile for her is one of the most interesting parts of the season.
- Speaking of Bester, this season also contains his wonderful final appearance in The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father. An episode told entirely from the point of view of the Psi Cops, it gives us an insight into them that we've never had before.
- It's got a couple of other stellar stand-alone episodes, too. (Well, as much as any B5 episode ever stands alone.) The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari is clever, sad and a wonderful summation of everything that most complex of the show's characters has been through in the past four seasons and where it's brought him to. The end of the episode, where he apologises to G'Kar for all he's done, is one of the most moving moments in the whole five years. More than that, though, this is the episode that really underlines how important Vir is to Londo, and it's appropriate that the reason he decides to face life after all is that he knows Vir would miss him.
- The other outstanding single episode of the season is the only one not written by JMS himself, but by none other than guest writer Neil Gaiman. Day of the Dead shows that Neil gets these characters as well as their creator does. In one case, arguably even better, as this is the best personal insight we ever get into Elizabeth Lochley. Adira's brief return is both heartbreaking and one of the last good things that ever happens to Londo Mollari.
- Speaking of Lochley, she's another good thing about Season Five. Having her be Sheridan's ex-wife was overdoing it, but it's nice to see a character introduced who was on the other side of the Earth civil war, but who's still sympathetic. She'll get more development in Crusade, but this is a good start. And Corwin's crush on her is adorable.
- Season Five is where G'Kar, quite by accident, finds himself a hugely popular prophet. His reaction to this and ultimate withdrawal from public life is the last phase of a character arc that started way back in Midnight on the Firing Line. And who could have predicted how it would turn out back then?
- And, of course, that brings us to my favourite part: Londo and G'Kar. Just ... Londo. And G'Kar. Who have gone from bickering opponents at the beginning, to genuine murderous hatred after the Centauri-Narn war starts up again, to reluctant allies against Lord Refa and then Cartagia, to ... this.
After everything Londo has done and had done to him, the universe sends him a consolation: actual affection and acceptance from the man who was angriest about all the wrong he did. The bodyguard who is also the guardian of his conscience and his soul, who in the end will be his only escape from the consequences of his actions.
And after what G'Kar has done - only avoiding Morden's trap because of the narrowness of his murderous ambition, then eventually falling so low that he resorts to mind rape - the universe shows that it has a sense of humour as he learns to love his enemy. (In whatever sense.) G'Kar actually does get punished for his hubris in Season One, not by what happens to his world and his people in the following seasons, but by what happens now, in his own heart. Every awful thing he ever wished on Londo and the Centauri comes to pass, and because he's evolved into a better person, because he actually cares about Londo, it brings him no joy at all.
- Speaking of the Narn, Season Five also sees a brief but very welcome return from Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth. Londo's clever plan to get her out of the palace yields two of the funniest seasons of the series. (The 'I need to borrow your clothes for a while' bit and of course the actual escape.)
- Season Five has Vir Cotto destroying a fruit stand in a fit of Centauri pride. If none of the other things on my list had ever happened, that would still be awesome. (I mean, Vir is awesome throughout this season, but that's hardly unique to this year and thus does not get to be on the list.)
- The Centauri arc that builds throughout the season and ends in The Fall of Centauri Prime is the culmination of so many earlier arcs, a wonderful conclusion for a series that's always been driven by its long-term plots. Everything Londo and his people did comes back to bite with big, scary teeth. There's a lot to love about that final episode, from the Regent's tragic death to the Greatest Scene Ever between Londo and G'Kar. Everything from day one has been driving us down to this: Londo forced to accept the Keeper, to save what he can of his beloved planet and people, the reason he's done all of this. And at the end, when nobody but the Drakh would ever know any different, he accepts his fate with grace and courage.
- Sleeping in Light, the last episode, is easily one of the finest series finales TV has ever been blessed with. The reasons why would be an entire post on their own, but it's a beautiful conclusion to a five year journey.
So with all the above, I just can't accept that Season Five is the weak point of Babylon 5. It has its flaws, but on the whole it's a triumphant conclusion despite the circumstances under which it was written and made.