Matters of Honour

045/301

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Kevin Cremin

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Marcus, Lennier

Guest starring: Tucker Smallwood (David Endawi), Ed Wasser (Morden), Ardwright Chamberlain (Kosh), Nils Allen Stewart (Large Man), Jonathan Chapman (Drazi Pilot), Kitty Swink (Senator), Andrew Walker (Psi Cop)

"We have danced our last little dance, Mr. Morden. Now it is time for you to go away."
Londo

Your average season opener. Nothing more, nothing less.

Notes:

• The scene where Marcus, Lennier and Delenn get into a fight with the thugs shows that even in human form Delenn is quite capable of defending herself.
• Delenn's make-up has been improved since season 2. It's now smoother and the bonecrest is a bit more crown-like.

My favourite scene:
"What kind of head of security would I be if I let people like me know things that I'm not supposed to know." Classic Garibaldi.

Convictions

046/302

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Mike Vejar

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Zack, Lennier

Guest starring: Patrick Kilpatrick (Robert Carlson), Louis Turenne (Brother Theo), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Morishi), John Flinn (Obnoxious Man), Jason Larimore (Lurker), Gwen McGee (Med Tech), Mike McKenzie (Drazi), Rick Johnson (Security Guard), Tom Simmons (Security Guard)

"It's nothing personal, Captain. It's just the times."
Robert Carlson

A rather entertaining episode, but not a groundbreaking one. Nevertheless it has unarguably some of the funniest scenes ever on B5.

Notes:

• Netter's Syndrome, the imaginary disease Lennier claims to have, is a reference to the show's executive producer, Douglas Netter. The 'obnoxious man', the guy bothering Lennier, is played by John Flinn, the show's director of photography.
• In most of the hospital scenes Lennier is not played by Bill Mumy, but by a plastic dummy (no, really!).
• Louis Turenne who plays Brother Theo played Draal on the first season episodes Voice in the Wilderness Parts 1 and 2.
• There is one thing that bugs me in this episode, I mean really bugs me, namely the fight between Sheridan and Mr. Madbomber Carlson. Fight scenes on B5 have never been ... are usually ... well, lets just say that I have seen better and leave it to that, but this one takes the credit as being one of the most unrealistic ones. I'm now talking about the part where Sheridan, wearing a white shirt, falls through a glass window WITHOUT GETTING EVEN ONE DROP OF BLOOD ON HIS SHIRT! Would it have been so difficult to splash a few drops of fake blood around?

My favourite scene:
Londo and G'kar trapped in the elevator. Unforgettable.

Day in the Strife

047/303

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: David J Eagle

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Vir

Guest starring: Stephen Macht (Na'Far), Marshall Teague (Ta'Lon), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Anne Bentancourt (Dr. Gonzales), Neil Bradley (Narn), Mark Hendrickson (Narn), Larita Shelby (Med Tech), John St. Ryan (Troublemaker), Michael Bailey Smith (G'Duk)

"Let's just hope that high-IQ boys back home give us all the right answers to this test. Otherwise we're gonna get hit with a five hundred thousand megaton weedwhacker"
Ivanova

A rather unremarkable and easily forgettable (and boring) little episode. The alien-probe plot is watchable, but we could've done without the Narn-plot.

Notes:

• Call me stupid, but I just don't get Corwin's "Well, there goes my fate in the Allmighty" quip
• This episode sees the return of Ta'Lon, the Narn Sheridan met when he was abducted by the Streib in All Alone in the Night

My favourite scene:
There isn't one particular scene that I like, but the alien-probe plot has some great lines and moments, such as "I don't want to be killed because of a typo. It'd be embarrassing."

Passing through Getshemane

048/304

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Adam Nimoy

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Zack, Lennier

Guest starring: Brad Dourif (Brother Edward), Patricia Tallman (Lyta Alexander), Louis Turenne (Brother Theo), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Robert Keith (Malcolm), Lynn Blades (Female News Anchor), Natalie Brunt (Business Person), Mark Folger (Centauri), Steven Gonzales (Male News Anchor)

"Where does justice end and revenge begin?"
Sheridan

A very though-provoking stand-alone episode (one of the best stand-alones alongside the fifth season DotD). It poses several moral, religious and philosophical questions without even trying to give straight answers to them. Besides, Brad Dourif is great, as always.

Notes:

• Adam Nimoy who directed this episode is the son of Leonard 'Spock' Nimoy.
• The main story of PtG (i.e. someone finding out that they have been mindwiped) was originally meant to be filmed during the second season, but unfortunately someone posted a very similar story idea on the net causing all sorts of copyright problems that delayed filming the story.
• Brad Dourif who plays the ex-serialkiller Edward, is probably most familiar to B5-fans for his roles as the sosiopath Syder on Star Trek: Voyager, the psychopath Luther Lee Boggs on The X-files and as the voice of Chucky the killer doll in the movie series of same name (a wee bit typecast, don't you agree?). Still, he is not just a B-actor - he is Grima Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and even received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

My favourite scene:

Voices of Authority

049/305

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Menachem Binetski

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, G'Kar, Marcus, Zack

Guest starring: John Schuck (Draal), Shari Shattuck (Julie Musante), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Gary McGurk (Vice President Clark), Ed Wasser (Morden), Vimi Mani (ISN Anchor), James Black (Security Guard)

"Good luck to you, Captain. I think you're about to go where everyone has gone before."
Ivanova

Again not a great episode, but not a bad one either. Voices of Authority is the episode where you can see the third season is slowly starting to shift from stand-alone(nish) episodes to big arc stories.

Notes:

• Draal is again (as in MoH) played by John Shuck who got the role after Louis Turenne (who returned to B5 in PtG as Brother Theo) fell ill.

My favourite scene:
Sheridan trying to get rid of the naked Ms. Musante. This scene has undoubtedly one of the best lines of the series (see above).

Dust to Dust

050/306

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: David J. Eagle

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Vir

Guest starring: Walter Koenig (Bester), Julian Neil (Lindstrom), Jim Norton (Narn), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Harry Hutchnison (Security Guard), John-Frederick Jones (Centauri Diplomat), S. Marc Jordan (Shop Owner), Judy Levitt (Psi Cop), Gwen McGee (Med Tech), Philip Moon (Ashi), Walter O'Neil (Crazed Man), David Shark (Man), Kim Strauss (Vizak), Dani Thompson (Ombuds)

"I'll rip it from your mind! Neuron by neuron! All of it, Mollari! All of it!"
G'Kar

Second to last 'ordinary' episode before the mid-season big bang. A rather standard fare saved by the return of Besterb and the interaction between Londo and G'Kar.

Notes:

• Judy Levitt who plays the female Psi Cop at the end of the episode is Walter 'Bester' Koenig's real-life wife. We have already seen her earlier in the same role in A Race Through Dark Places.

My favourite scene:
The montage of images when G'Kar invades Londo's mind.

Exogenesis

051/307

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by:

Regular cast: Sheridan, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, Marcus

Guest starring: Aubrey Morris (Duncan), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), James Warwick (Matthew Duffin), Wylie Small (Jacque Lee), Ross Gottstein (Vendor), Eric Steinberg (Samuel), Donald Willis (Trader), Michael McKenzie (Man), Carrie Dobro (Dr. Harrison), Kat Cressida (Kat), Roger Rook (Lurker), Leslie Pratt (Woman)

"Within us is the living memory, deeds and stories, civilizations and passions, wars and struggle, great beauty. But in time even we die, unless we find shelter within other living beings."
The Vindrizi

Unarguably the worst episode of the season (at least until we get to G17, which is also quite horrible), even worst than ADitS. The only redeeming factor is the pairing of Marcus and Franklin.

Notes:

My favourite scene:
Ahem... Marcus and Franklin's banter, perhaps?

Messages from Earth

052/308

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Michael Vejar

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Marcus, Zack, Lennier

Guest starring: Nancy Stafford (Dr. Mary Kirkish), Vaughn Armstrong (NightWatch Liaason), Merrin Dungey (Security Guard), Vimi Mani (ISN Anchor), Lorraine Shields (Cook)

"Right now, more than anything else in the world, I wish it would rain. Just for a little while..."
Sheridan

A brilliant little piece of action. A space adventure in the truest sense of the words. Excitement, action and humour in just the right amounts.

Notes:

• Dr. Kirkish was probably the 'package' Marcus was expecting in Exo.

My favourite scene:
I'm oddly fond of the scene where Sheridan is trying to sleep on the slanted Minbari bed.

Point of No Return

053/309

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Jim Johnston

Regular cast: Sheridan, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Zack, Vir

Guest starring: Majel Barrett (Lady Morella), Marshall Teague (Ta'Lon), Vaughn Armstrong (NightWatch Liaason), Lewis Arquette (General Smits), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Ed Trotta (Lt. General O'Reilly), Jonathan Chapman (Passing Minbari), Maggie Egan (ISN Reporter), Milton James (Centauri Official), Gunther Jensen (Nightwatch Guard), Tony Rayner (Man)

"I never thought it would end like this."
"Me neither."
Ivanova and Sheridan

A slighly more serious episode after the happy-go-lucky adventures of MfE. Not quite as good as the episodes both before and after it, but not bad. Not bad at all.

Notes:

• For those who don't know: Majel Barret who plays Lady Morella is the widow of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek. In the various incarnations of Star Trek she has played Nurse Chapel, Lwaxana Troi and the voice of the computer. She also had a part in the short-lived Earth: Final Conflict (not to be confused with Battlefield Earth).

My favourite scene:
Sheridan and co marching to confront the NightWatch.

Severed Dreams

054/310

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: David J Eagle

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, Londo, Zack

Guest starring: Bruce McGill (Major Ryan), Kim Miyori (Captain Sandra Hiroshi), Rance Howard (David Sheridan), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Phil Morris (Bill Trainor), James Parks (Drakhen), Jonathan Chapman (Religious Minbari), Maggie Egan (Female ISN Reporter), Matt Gottlieb (Male ISN Reporter), Kim Strauss (Narn)

"As of this moment, Babylon 5 is seceding from the Earth Alliance."
Sheridan

Without a doubt one of the best B5 episodes. There is only one scene that I don't like - Sheridan's conversation with his father. I just don't like it, simple as that. Still, that one scene doesn't matter as the rest is damn close to perfection.

Notes:

• Jerry Doyle broke his arm during the hand-to-hand combat scene. The last scene where Garibaldi walks with his hand in his pocket was filmed before this happened, but the end of the battle (where Zack helps injured Garibaldi) was filmed after it - if you look closely you can see that Doyle is really in pain when he leans to the wall.
• There's an effects/whatever glitch in the episode as the Roanoke is destroyed twice: first the ship that collides with Churchill can easily be recognised as Roanoke and later Sheridan asks it to surrender before it explodes the second time. JMS has has explaned this by saying that Sheridan had hit his head and was hailing the wrong ship.
• General Hague (who was last seen in was in second season's All Alone in the Night) was supposed to return in SeD, but unfortunately Robert Foxworth was double booked (to Deep Space Nine of all things) and chose the other series. JMS replied by killing Hague.

My favourite scene:
The final battle is one of the greatest moments on Babylon 5. I used to think that the destruction of Death Star at the end of Star Wars was brilliant, but this beats it ten to one.

Ceremonies of Light and Dark

055/311

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: John C. Flinn III

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Marcus, Lennier, Vir

Guest starring: William Forward (Lord Refa), Don Stroud (Boggs), Paul Perri (Sniper), Kim Strauss (Lennan), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Ed Wasser (Morden), Vincent Bilancio (Maintenance Man), Harlan Ellison (Voice of Sparky), Doug McCoy (Guard), Jim Cody Williams (Thug)

"What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen someone who's been reborn before? The crisis, for now, is over. Tell the ships... we are open for business."
Sheridan

There are many things in CoLaD that I don't like. At the beginning the scene where Sheridan, Garibaldi and Ivanova are talking about the computers and lock-codes and such is one of the worst pieces of exposition I have ever seen. It's just so silly how they explain the thing to each other even though they all seem to know it already. Another thing that bothers me is the fight scene at the end - all that is missing is cartoon effects saying POW, ZAP and BANG. And as for Sparky ... well, the less said the better. Yeah, definetely not one of my favourite aepisodes.

Notes:

• CoLaD is exactly in the middle of the series, hence Sheridan's line "Tell the ships... we are open for business." that mirrors Laurel Takashima's line "This is Lieutenant Commander Laurel Takashima. Our docking bays stand ready to receive you. Babylon 5 is open for business." at the end of The Gathering.
• The voice of Sparky is Harlan Ellison, the science fiction writer who is a friend of JMS and who has been involved in the making of B5 ever since the beginning (you can spot his name in the credits).
• Garibaldi's broken arm was added to the episode when Jerry Doyle broke his during the filming of SeD. Eerily, though, Sparky's comment "you got a broken arm or something" was written long before this happened.

My favourite scene:
Marcus' explanation on why he can't come to the rebirth ceremony. "Love to, can't really, next time."

Sic Transit Vir

056/312

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Jesus Treviño

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Ivanova, Franklin, Londo, Zack, Vir

Guest starring: Carmen Thomas (Lyndisty), Damian London (Centauri Official), James Jude Courtney (Narn)

"All I can say is that enthusiasm, sincerity, genuine compassion and humor can carry you through any... lack of... prior experience with... high numerical values."
Ivanova

A bit of light entertainment after the heavy action and drama of the last few episodes. STV starts off great with all the silly scenes from Londo's bughunt to Vir's marital problems, but unfortunately loses some of its charm somewhere around the time when Londo finds out what Vir's been upto.

Notes:

• This is the first episode that doesn't have Garibaldi in it
• The name of the episode is a pun on the well-known latin saying "Sic transit gloria mundi" - "Thus passes earthly glory". The word 'vir' in the title refers not only to the character of Vir, but also to the latin word meaning 'man'.

My favourite scene:
Londo hunting the bug is funny.

A Late Delivery from Avalon

057/313

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Michael Vejar

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Marcus

Guest starring: Michael York (King Arthur/David MacIntyre), Michael Kagan (Emmett Farquaha), Roger Hampton (Merchant), Dona Hardy (Old Woman), Michael Francis Kelly (Security Guard), James Kiriyama-Lem (Med Tech), Robert Schuch (Lurker), Jerry O'Donnell (Security Guard)

"You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe."
Marcus

At first this episode seemed like one of those StarTrekkian fish-out-of-water stories, but then it takes a rather dark turn when Franklin finds out who Arthur really is. The ending is a bit of a disappointment (a hollywoodian happy-ending), but basically this is a very good take on the subject. In addition to the good plot ALDfA also has great visuals and great music. Only some of the dream sequences look cheesy.

Notes:

• We get to see the source of David MacIntyre's trauma - the start of the Earth-Minbari War - in ItB.

My favourite scene:
Michael York has some good, dramatic scenes as Arthur, but I also like the funny scene where G'Kar's had a bit too much to drink. Oh, and Marcus is also a charm, like always.

Ship of Tears

058/314

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Michael Vejar

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar

Guest starring: Walter Koenig (Bester), Joan McMurtrey (Carolyn), Diana Morgan (Alison Higgins), Debra Sharkey (Med Tech)

"Your war... is now my war."
Bester

Looks good and has a good plot but something's missing... Still, although barely above average in writing, SoT is one of those episodes that will come back to haunt later.

Notes:

My favourite scene:
I have a weird affection to the scene where Bester sits in Sheridan's chair on the White Star. Don't ask me why.

Interludes and Examinations

059/315

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by:

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, Londo, Vir

Guest starring: Jennifer Balgobin (Dr. Lillian Hobbs), Rance Howard (David Sheridan), Ed Wasser (Morden), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Jan Rabson (Vendor), Jonathan Chapman (Brakiri), Maggie Ciglar (Tech), Doug Tompos (Med Tech)

"Give me this, and the safety of my people, and let the rest of the galaxy burn. I don't care anymore."
Londo

A true kick in the guts rollercoaster episode. Starts off a bit slow, but soon begins to gain momentum and, as in a rollercoaster, in the end all you can do is try to hold on and scream.

Notes:

• IaE has flashbacks to the episode Born in Purple
• The credits list Glenn Martin as a Ranger even though he doesn't appear in the episode (his scene was cut for time).

My favourite scene:
Sheridan's confrontation with Kosh. Is anyone else reminded of Star Wars and the scene where Darth Vader uses the Force to choke a guy?

War Without End I

060/316

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Michael Vejar

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Londo, Marcus, Zack, Lennier

Guest starring: Michael O'Hare (Jeff Sinclair), Tim Choate (Zathras), Time Winters (Rathenn), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Kevin Fry (Centauri Guard), Eric Zivot (Spragg), Ardwight Chamberlain (Vorlon)

"Delenn, the question of who stole Babylon 4 is the biggest mystery of the last decade. Now you are telling me that it was me? Is me, is going to be me? You can't be serious."
Sheridan

A bit of a disappointment. I waited so long for the meeting between Sheridan and Sinclair and when it finally happened... WWE1 has a hint of a great space adventure in the spirit of MfE, but in the end something is missing. Still, as it is the first part of a great two-parter, I'm willing to forget that.

Notes:

My favourite scene:
Garibaldi watches the transmission from future where Babylon 5 is destroyed.

War Without End II

061/317

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Michael Vejar

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, G'Kar, Londo, Marcus, Lennier, Vir

Guest starring: Michael O'Hare (Jeff Sinclair), Tim Choate (Zathras), Kent Broadhurst (Major Krantz), Bruce Morrow (B4 First Officer), Kevin Fry (Centauri Guard), Eddie Mui (B4 Tech)

"This future can only be changed by surrendering to the shadows and that price is too hight to pay."
Future Delenn

A lot better than the first part. Adventure in the spirit of MfE and revelations in the spirit of SeD. Entertaining and dramatic at the same time.

Notes:

• WWE2 borrows some material from Babylon Squared
• The events leading to the future Sheridan sees in his time flash are revealed in Out of Darkness, the third part of Peter David's Centauri Trilogy.

My favourite scene:
Sheridan explaining how he really isn't there in the cell on Centauri Prime. I think Peter David's Out of Darkness didn't get the surreal comedy of the scene. Also, the choral music on the background is one of the best pieces of incidental music in the series.

Walkabout

062/318

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Kevin G Cremin

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Lennier

Guest starring: Erica Gimpel (Cailyn), Patricia Tallman (Lyta Alexander), Jennifer Balgobin (Dr. Lilian Hobbs), Ardwight Chamberlain (Ulkesh), Robin Sachs (Na'Kal)

"Why is everything around here always a long story? Why isn't anything ever a short story? A paragraph?"
Garibaldi

Okay, I have to confess, this is the only episode that I have not seen in its entirety (if we don't count the ten minutes I missed from the beginning of And Now for a Word). Thanks to a thunder storm the power kept going on and off when Walkabout aired so I only caught a few minutes here and few minutes there (and one of my nails almost caught on fire when I was trying to light a candle, but that's another story).

Notes:

• The new Vorlon Ambassador who makes his first appearance in this episode is, according to Kathryn Drennan's book To Dream in the City of Sorrows, called Ulkesh.

My favourite scene:
I've only seen parts of this episode, so I don't really know.

Grey 17 Is Missing

063/319

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: John C Flinn III

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Marcus, Lennier

Guest starring: Robert Englund (Jeremiah), Vickery (Neroon), Time Winters (Rathenn), Katherine Moffat (Supervisor), Eamonn Roche (First Man), John Thom Barry (Maintenance Worker)

"I am a Ranger. We walk in the dark places no others will enter. We stand on the bridge and no one may pass. We live for the One, we die for the One!"
Marcus

Urgh!
Absolutely horrendous. There are no redeeming qualities in the Zarg plot. None what so ever. The only reason I gave G17 even one eyeball was because of the brilliant battle between Marcus and Neroon. What a waste of a good scene (and two great actors/characters) to have it in an episode like this.

Notes:

• The worst two episodes of the season (this and Exo) both have Marcus in them.
• I don't know anything about physics or guns or whatever but even I could see that the whole bullets in the steam pipe thing was crap.

My favourite scene:
The death of the Zarg... just kidding. The battle between Neroon and Marcus.

And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place

064/320

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: David J Eagle

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Lennier, Vir

Guest starring: Mel Winkler (Reverend Will Dexter), William Forward (Lord Refa), Louis Turenne (Brother Theo), Erick Avari (Rabbi Leo Meyer), Francois Giroday (Prime Minister Virini), Paul Keith (Drigo), Wayne Alexander (G'Dan), Marva Hicks (Singer)

"The enemy is fear. The enemy is ignorance. The enemy is the one who tells you that you must hate that which is different."
Rev. Will Dexter

For some reason this feels to me like the most third-seasonesque episode of the third season. Don't know why. A good episode nevertheless.

Notes:

• Recognize the Narn G'Kar talks to on his homeworld? He's played by Wayne Alexander, the actor we have previously seen in the role of Sebastian the Inquisitor in Comes the Inquisitor.

My favourite scene:
Refa's death juxtaposed with people singing a gospel song.

Shadow Dancing

065/321

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Kim Friedman

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, Marcus, Zack, Lennier

Guest starring: Melissa Gilbert (Anna Sheridan), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Shirley Prestia (Barbara Cooper), John Grantham (Thug) J. Gordon Noice (Man), Jonathan Chapman (Brakiri), Mark Hendrickson (Drazi Ambassador), Nicholas Ross Oleson (Thug), Doug Cox (James Cooper)

"Hello, you must be Delenn. I'm Anna Sheridan... John's wife."
Anna

A slightly disappointing episode mostly because the battle sequence doesn't come near to the intensity of the battle in SeD (then again, what could?).

Notes:

• ShD has flashbacks to the episode All Alone in the Night
• What did the little (mute?) girl have to do with anything? Is there some symbolic meaning in the scene that I'm just not seeing?
• Jeanne Cavelos' third techno-mage book Invoking Darkness shows the last scene in a slightly different light.

My favourite scene:
Not any particular scene, but Marcus in general.

Z'ha'dum

066/322

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Adam Nimoy

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova, Franklin, G'Kar, Londo, Lennier, Vir

Guest starring: Melissa Gilbert (Anna Sheridan), Jeff Corey (Justin), Ed Wasser (Morden), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Ron Campbell (Messenger)

"It was the end of the Earth year 2260, and the war had paused, suddenly and unexpectedly. All around us it was as if the universe were holding its breath, waiting. All of life can be broken down into moments of transition or moments of revelation. This had the feeling of both."
G'Kar

This is what B5's about - people being forced to make choises and do things they really didn't want to do. Sheridan sacrificing his future with Delenn and having to choose between her and Anna; Garibaldi helping a friend to embark on a suicide mission; Anna luring her husband to a trap. Absolutely brilliant episode in every respect. Definetely on my list of Top 10 B5 episodes.

Notes:

• Anna was originally (in the second season episode Revelations) played by Beth Toussant, in Z'ha'dum the role was taken over by Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Boxleitner's real-life wife.
• Adam Nimoy, who directed this episode, is the son of Leonard 'Spock' Nimoy.
• Z'ha'dum has flashbacks to the episodes Revelations, In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum and WWE2
• The truth about the fate of Anna and the rest of the crew of the Icarus is revealed in Jeanne Cavelos' book Shadow Within. Invoking Darkness, the last book of Cavelos' techno-mage trilogy on the other hand shows the events of Z'ha'dum from a whole new perspective.
• I can't help it, but every time I watch the ending I'm reminded of the movie Total Recall and the scene where Arnorld Schwarzenegger shoots Sharon Stone (who plays his wife) and says "Concider this a divorce!". I suppose two 500 megaton nuclear detonations are just one step further.

My favourite scene:
The ending. The music, the mood, the dialogue... everything. Perfect (I have ran out of words, but not out of punctuation).
"She can never come back, but I can love you as well as she did..."