Hour of the Wolf

067/401

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

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

Guest starring: Ed Wasser (Morden), Wortham Krimmer (Emperor Cartagia), Wayne Alexander (Lorien), Damian London (Minister Verini), Ardwight Chamberlain (Ulkesh), Mark Hendrickson (Drazi Ambassador), Rick Ryan (Brakiri Ambassador)

A little breather between two strong episodes. Entertaining and filled with girl-power, but no classic.

Notes:

• This is only the second episode since the beginning of the series that doesn't have Garibaldi in it (the first one was STV).
• The scene where the shadow vessels pass over Centauri Prime is from the second season episode The Coming of Shadows (notice the clever explanation for Londo's change of wardrobe) where Londo had a prophetic dream about it. It also appeared as a flachback in MoH.
• Wayne Alexander who plays Lorien has visited the series twice before as the unforgettable Sebastian in Comes the Inquisitor and as a Narn in Rock.

My favourite scene:
Its a tie between the one where Londo finds Morden in his quarters and the one where he realises just how insane Cartagia really is.

Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi

068/402

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Kevin James Dobson

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

Guest starring: Wayne Alexander (Lorien), Wortham Krimmer (Emperor Cartagia), Damian London (Minister Verini), Ardwight Chamberlain (Kosh), Lenny Citrano (Isaac), Anthony DeLongis (Harry), Rick Scarry (Centauri)

An episode filled with several very different, but nevertheless brilliant scenes (Sheridan's death, Delenn and Franklin's conversation, Londo and G'Kar's deal, Garibaldi's interrogation). There really isn't even one stupid, silly or boring scene (well, except maybe the one where the bartender goes through the Narn mugshots ...).

Notes:

• Whatever happened to Ms. Ivanova?
  This is the first episode since the pilot movie that doesn't have Ivanova in it.
• WHtMG has flashbacks to the episodes MfE and Z'ha'dum.

My favourite scene:
Sheridan's surrender to death. A great foil to the end of Z'ha'dum and a good example on how much music can influence the mood of a scene.

The Summoning

069/403

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: John McPherson

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

Guest starring: Wayne Alexander (Lorien), Wortham Krimmer (Emperor Cartagia), Kris Iyer (Dome Tech) Eric Zivot (Verano), Ron Campbell (Drazi Ambassador), Ardwight Chamberlain (Ulkesh), Jonathan Chapman (Ambassador Lethke), William Scudder (Ambassador)

A true WHAM. Every now and then you get an episode that isn't worth four or five stars, but still makes your heart race. This one is like that. What it lacks in artistic touch and style, it makes up in intensity.
And just as we thought that things can't get any worse, the Vorlons go and pull a deathstar...

Notes:

• Ivanova's quip about Marcus picking up a unicorn is a reference to an old (Celtic?) myth according to which this legendary creature can only be caught by a virgin. It only took me two days to get this joke...
• This is the first B5 episode where the entire main cast (i.e. everyone who has their picture in the main titles) was present

My favourite scene:
G'Kar's whipping. Viva Cartagia!

Falling Towars Apotheosis

070/404

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

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

Guest starring: Wayne Alexander (Lorien), Ardwight Chamberlain (Ulkesh), Wortham Krimmer (Emperor Cartagia), Ed Wasser (Morden), Tom Billet (Guard), Terry Cain (Young Woman), Khin-Kyaw Maung (Worker)

Again a bit of a breather. While plot-wise this episode is a true kick in the guts, something is missing. The episode never really gets off (and whenever I watch this I can't get the Cranberries song "Zombie" off my head, you know, the one that goes: "What's in your head, in your head ...zombie, zombie, zombie ...").

Notes:

• In Cartagia's 'shadow cabinet' the head closest to Londo is actually the head of Andreas Katsulas (not his real one, of course - he's not the zombie that keeps haunting me).

My favourite scene:
I'm not sure. There really aren't any great scenes, but I like the ones where Garibaldi bitches about Sheridan and the one where Cartagia announces that he doesn't like the way G'Kar is looking at him (and solves the problem by having his eye plucked out).

The Long Night

071/405

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Ohjaus: John LaFia

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

Guest starring: Wortham Krimmer (Emperor Cartagia), Bryan Cranston (Anla'shok Ericsson), Mark Bramhall (Centauri), Ron Campbell (Drazi Ambassador), Carl Reggiardo (Centauri), Kim Strauss (G'Lorn), Tim Barron (Humanoid), William Scudder (Jester)

A very dark and depressing episode (even on Babylon 5 standards) that is fortunately spiced up with a healthy dose of black humor.

Notes:

• At the end of the episode Sheridan reads the last stanza of the poem "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
  

  "Though we are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are - One equal temper of heroic hearts Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

  If you'd like to read more Tennyson, I recommend the poems "Charge of the Light Brigade" which tells a story not that different from Earth-Minbari War and especially the Battle of the Line, and "Crossing the Bar" which uses going to the sea as a metaphor for death.

My favourite scene:
Cartagia's death. All the way from G'Kar's Via Dolorosa to Cartagia's "I was to be a god, you understand ...". I also love the scenes with the jester.

Into the Fire

072/406

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Kevin James Dobson

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Ivanova, Lyta, Franklin, Marcus, Londo, Vir, Lennier

Guest starring: Wayne Alexander (Lorien), Damian London (Minister Verini), Ed Wasser (Morden), Julian Barnes (Durano)

Visually stunning episode which unfortunately resorts to one of the oldest cliches in the book: powerful aliens who manifest as friends and relatives (cf. for example the Robert Zemeckis movie Contact and the wormhole thingies in Deep Space Nine or even Kosh's manifestations to Sheridan and G'Kar).

Notes:

• The scene where Lorien and Ivanova are in Ivanova's quarters, was originally supposed to be in TLN, but was cut for time.

My favourite scene:
The one where Londo destroys the Shadow vessels. I get shivers down my spine every time I see the part where Morden mockingly asks Londo what he's going to do, blow up the island, and Londo just turns towards him and callously says "Actually, ... now that you mention it ...". Still, my favourite lines of the episode are the Vorlon/Shadow recital "You do not speak for the rest"/"They will not follow you if you are dead". Nice rhyme.

Epiphanies

073/407

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

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

Guest starring: Walter Koenig (Bester), Damian London (Minister Verini), Victor Iundin (Psi Corps Official), Robert Patteri (EA Pilot), Lauren Sanchez (News Anchor)

A slow-paced (and almost boring) episode that is only saved by Bester (hang on, I think I already used this review for DtD).

Notes:

• Epiphanies has a flashback to the episode WHtMG.
• At one point of the episode Zack says to the custom officers that with his luck the next person to enter the customs area is the Second Coming (the last two have been Bester and Londo). As soon as he leaves three Elvis impersonators - or three kings - enter (as is appropriate for an episode called Epiphanies).
• Due to time restraints 20 seconds were (poorly) edited from the scene with Sheridan and Delenn on the whitestar that is a strong competitor in the mushiest scene in B5 competition. J/D shippers were not pleased.

My favourite scene:
Can't really think one at the moment. Maybe the one where Lyta swats Bester telepathically.

The Illusion of Truth

074/408

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Stephen Furst

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

Guest starring: Jeff Griggs (Dan Randall), Henry Darrow (Dr. Indiri), Diana Morgan (Alison Higgins), Andrew Craig (Client), David A. Kimball (Parks), Albert Garcia (Ramirez)

Notes:

• TIoT has a flashback to the episode WHtMG.
• The newscast about B5 is broadcast April 12th 2261, 262 years after President Bill Clinton's establishment of a "Commission on the Future" in April 12th 1999. Coincidentally, this episode aired here in Finland on April 17th 1999...
• The confession in the broadcast is a reference to the communist hunts in USA during the 1950's. Beth Trumbo, Adrian Mostel and Carleton Jarrico are named after Dalton Trumbo, Adrian Scott, Zero Mostel and Paul Jarrico who were all blacklisted after they refused to co-operate.
• Dr. William Indiri seems to have gotten his medical degree from the back of a cereal box. When hostages begin to symphatize with their captors, it's called the Stockholm syndrome, not the Helsinki syndrome (I just can't imagine how anyone could confuse the capital of Sweden to the capital of Finland ...).
• There are two familiar names in the cryotubes: Carolyn Sanderson (Bester's lover) and John Flinn III, B5's Director of Photography...

Atonement

075/409

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Tony Dow

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

Guest starring: Brian Carpenter (Callenn), Reiner Shone (Dukhat), Robin Atkin Downes (Morann)

A very impressive episode. The humorous beginning and end distract a bit (even though they are at most parts hilarious), but the Dreaming is nearly perfect and resembles the brilliant CtI with it's black/blue/white mis e scene.

Notes:

• Robin Atkin Downes who plays the Grey Council member reprises his role in ItB (where we learn that the character is called Morann) and plays Byron during the fifth season.
• The song Marcus is singing is from the Gilbert and Sullivan (not Simon and Garfunkel) musical Pirates of Penzance. Read the lyrics on the B5 Songbook page.
• The name of Delenn's clan is Mir. It's a double reference to Mira Furlan and the Russian word 'mir', meaning peace.

My favourite scene:
The first contact between humans and Minbari and especially the part where Delenn gives the order to kill all humans without mercy.

Racing Mars

076/410

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Jesus Treviño

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

Guest starring: Donovan Scott (Captain Jack), Mark Schneider (Wade), Clayton Landey (Number Two), Marjorie Monaghan (Number One), Jeff Griggs (Dan Randall), Geoff Meed (Smuggler), Carrie Dobro (Brakiri), Timothy Starks (Guard), Brian Tahash (Smuggler)

A rather disappointing episode after Atonement's visual feast. Quite a few silly or even stupid scenes (including "Ivanova meets the smugglers" and almost the entire Mars plot) and in the end it is only Marcus and the hilarious Minbari ritual that save this episode.

Notes:

• Garibaldi states in a throw-away piece of dialogue that the pope is a woman ("He's not the pope, he doesn't even look like her!")
• Marcus and Franklin's password is based on the old nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (isn't there a comic strip by Gary Larson where Mary has a little lamb and also some gravy and potatoes ...)

  Lyta had a little Vorlon her fleece was white as snow and everywhere that Lyta went the Vorlon was sure to go.

  Mary had a little lamb Her fleece was white as snow and everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go

  It also goes to show how little respect even the 'good guys' have towards Lyta.

My favourite scene:
The marriage of Marcus and Franklin, and Marcus' attempts to drive Franklin insane.

Lines of Communication

077/411

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

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

Guest starring: Marjorie Monaghan (Number One), Paolo Seganti (Phillippe), G.W. Stevens (Forell), Carolyn Barkin (ISN Reporter), Jean-Luc Martin (Drakh Emissary)

Some improvement when comparing to RM, but not much. Starts of boringly, but Delenn's adventures in Drakhland make up in thrills. Then again, the drakh itself is nothing more than a rubber chicken on acid (anyone remember Masters of the Universe and Skeletor?).

My favourite scene:
The battle against the Drakh. Shame on anyone who accuses Delenn of getting too soft. I just love the look on her face as she gives Lennier the command to "end this".

Conflicts of Interest

078/412

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: David Eagle

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

Guest starring: Mark Schneider (Wade), Denise Gentile (Lise Hampton-Edgars), Tim Choate (Zathras), Charles Walker (Ben), Richard S. Horvitz (Mark), William John Murphy (Man), Ebony Monique Solomon (Young Woman), Wiley Pickett (Man)

Worst episode of the season. Over-acting, wooden dialogue and a boring plot. Especially the women seem to have suffered from a momentary loss of acting skills. Besides, of my three favourite characters (Sheridan, Delenn, Marcus) only one was present and even that was nothing more than a quick 'Hi!'. The only good thing in the entire CoI is the return of Zathras (or is it Zathras?).

Notes:

• CoI has flashbacks to Babylon Squared and and Voice in the Wilderness Part 2.
• The cartoon Garibaldi is watching is Duck Amuck, which according to JMS is a metaphor of his (Garibaldi's, not JMS's) current situation (he's being manipulated by others just like Daffy Duck in the toon is being manipulated by Bugs Bunny).

My favourite scene:
Zathras. No competition (What do you mean 'Zathras isn't a scene'?).

Rumours, Bargains and Lies

079/413

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Mike Vejar

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

Guest starring: John Vickery (Neroon), Ron Campbell (Drazi Ambassador), Chard Haywood (Religious Caste Minbari), Guy Siner (Religious Caste Minbari)

Silly, but unfortunately not always funny. Several visually stunning moments, but also a fair share of stupid ones. Still, quite an improvement when comparing to CoI.

Notes:

• When Delenn addresses the religious Minbari after the attack on Neroon, the lighting creates the illusion that she has a halo. I have no idea whether this is intentional or not.

My favourite scene:
Londo explaining the difference between the Centauri and the Drazi (you know, the great big...).

Moments of Transition

080/414

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Tony Dow

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Lyta, Zack, Lennier

Guest starring: Bart McCarthy (Shakiri), Walter Koenig (Bester), John Vickery (Neroon), Scott Adams (Mr. Adams), Christy Noonan (Businesswoman), Carl J. Pfeifer (Guard)

The first half of this episode is just about above average, but the second half is pure genius in the spirit of Comes the Inquisitor and Atonement.

Notes:

• Garibaldi's customer, Mr. Adams, is played by Scott Adams, the man behind the comic strip 'Dilbert'. His lines in this episode refer to two of the strip's characters, the megalomaniac dog Dogbert and the cat-cum-evil-Human-Resources-manager Catbert.
• If I'm not mistaking, one of the Minbari who escort Delenn to the temple of Varenni is played by the same actor, who in VoA played the role of the NighWatch member handing out pamphlets during Julie Musante's speech.

My favourite scene:
The Star Fire Wheel. One word: stunning.

No Surrender, No Retreat

081/415

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Mike Vejar

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

Guest starring: Richard Gant (Captain McDougan), Marcia Mitzman Gaven (Commander Sandra Levitt), Ken Jenkins (Captain Trevor Hall), Joshua Cox (Lt. Corwin), Skip Stellrecht (Guard), Neil Bradley (Philby)

A brilliant, highly under-rated episode. While NSNR may lack the zest and feeling of SeD, it is still among the best B5 episodes in the respect that it lacks boring and/or stupid scenes altogether (and no Rance Howard - that's a big bonus). Maybe not a classic, but definitely a good piece of craftmanship.

Notes:

• The captains of the surviving ships are a politically correct bunch.
• Corwin makes his first (and only) appearance during the fourth season.

My favourite scene:
The collision of one of the whitestars to an enemy ship and Sheridan's reaction to it.

The Exercise of Vital Powers

082/416

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: John LaFia

Regular cast: Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Lyta, Franklin, Zack

Guest starring: Denise Gentile (Lise Hampton-Edgars), Mark Schneider (Wade), Efram Zimbalist Jr. (William Edgars), Shelley Robertson (Ms. Constance), Kenneth Cortland (Patient), Sandy Grinn (Patient)

Again a bit of an disappointment. A slow and talkative episode that doesn't really have any stupid bits, but none really interesting bits either.

Notes:

• Garibaldi equates himself to Judas who was paid thirty pieces of silver for betraying Jesus (this Sheridan/Christ allegory is getting a bit too thick, don't you think?).

My favourite scene:
Lyta's first contact with the Shadow teep and not even that is a particularly memorable scene.

The Face of the Enemy

083/417

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Mike Vejar

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

Guest starring: Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (William Edgars), Richard Gant (Captain McDougan), Denise Gentile (Lise Hampton-Edgars), Marjorie Monaghan (Number One), Diana Morgan (Alison Higgins), David Purdham (Captain James), Ricco Ross (Captain Frank), Mark Schneider (Wade), Walter Koenig (Bester), Harlan Ellison (Psi Cop)

Wow... most of the episode is above average, but there are two scenes which make this episode unforgettable - the famous barfight and the scene where Bester releases Garibaldi. All I can cay is... Wow...

Notes:

• TFotE has flashbacks to Z'ha'dum, WHtMG and Epiphanies.
• The music in the background during the barfight is curiously (and suspiciously) similar to the song "Hardly Wait" which Juliette Lewis sings in the Kathryn Bigalow movie Strange Days. Read the lyrics for the song on the B5 Songbook section.
• The Psi Cop in Garibaldi's flashback is no other than Harlan Ellison whom we have previously heard as the voice of Zooty in CoLaD.

My favourite scene:
The scene in the bar. You know, the bar fight. It looks and sounds just absolutely stunning with the strobe lights, the still photography and the music.

Intersections in Real Time

084/418

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: John LaFia

Regular cast: Sheridan, Delenn, Ivanova (flashback), Garibaldi (flashback)

Guest starring: Raye Birk (William), Wayne Alexander (Drazi), Bruce Gray (Interrogator), Peter Brown (Minister)

A curious little episode. No special effects, no aliens (apart from the annoying drazi), no brilliant visuals, only one main character. There isn't even a single shot of B5 itself! There is only a slightly insane, hallucinating man and some sadistic violence (wait a minute... I think I just described Millennium...). Still, it manages to rise way above average. This is mainly because of the good dialogue and brilliant acting (even though Wayne Alexander does make his worst performance ever). Then again it does leave an odd after taste of "What, is this all?".
Not a great episode, but watchable (or at least it was until I read the 'unwritten motto' of the 'Quisition' in Terry Pratchett's novel Small Gods: "Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum. When you have their full attention in your grip, their hearts and minds will follow." Now I can't watch IiRT because I keep giggling like a maniac (I knew I shoudn't have studied Latin)).

Notes:

• IiRT has flashbacks to TFotE
• This was originally supposed to be the last episode of the season, but due to the fact that there was no telling whether or not there would be a fifth season, JMS speeded things up a bit.

My favourite scene:
I can't really say... there's some hauntingly beautiful music in the beginning and a few great lines, but I can't think of any single scene really.

Between the Darkness and the Light

085/419

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: David Eagle

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

Guest starring: Marjorie Monaghan (Number One), David Purdham (Captain James), Marc Gomes (Captain Eisensen), Bruce Gray (Interrogator), Musette Vander (Felicia), Greg Poland (Guard), J.P. Hubbel (Evan), James Laing (First Guard), Anneliza Scott (Assistant)

Plotwise a bit flawed, but visually beautiful and the ending leaves you with a huge EPDN. In my experience there are three categories of Great B5 Episodes. There are episodes (such as CtI) which accumulate their greatness over time. There are episodes like Z'ha'dum and SeD that demand to be re-watched immediately and lead to all-night rewinding orgies. And then then there are episodes such as this. When I wrote the first review of BtDatL it was almost four a.m. (in Finland B5 aired somewhere around midnight on saturday nights) and there was no way I was going to be able to sit still, let alone sleep that night - there was just too much adrenaline in my system. Alright, so what if Lyta acted a bit silly and freeing Sheridan was a bit too easy. This episode rocks.

Notes:

• BtDatL has flashbacks to Z'ha'dum, WHtMG and TFotE

My favourite scene:
The battle against the shadow-enhanced ships. Thrilling and beautiful.

Endgame

086/420

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: John Coupland

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

Guest starring: J. Patrick McCormack (General Lefcourt), Marjorie Monaghan (Number One), David Purdham (Captain James), Gary McGurk (President Clark), Carolyn Seymour (Senator Crosby), Julian Stone (Captain Mitchell), Ungela Brockman (Earthforce NCO), Maggie Egan (ISN Anchor), Karen Fineman (Kelley), Rick Kramer (Earthforce Officer), Kenneth Cortland (Telepath)

No! Not Marcus, anyone (well, almost anyone) but Marcus! Long before Eg aired here I heard rumours that something groundbreaking would happen in it, but stupid as I am, I assumed this meant The Big Battle at the End of the Season (tm) as in ShD and TLTS.
Despite of (but also partially because of) Marcus' death this is a great episode. Exciting and filled with eye-candy. The only thing that keeps it away from my B5 Hall of Fame is the fact that the first ten minutes are downright boring. It takes a while for Eg to take off, but when it does, it's worth it. Only a brief silliness in the form of the b-movieish shadow telepaths (Zap! Feel the power of the electrofinger teeps!) and the last 15 minutes are pure art.

Notes:

• Eg has flashbacks to the episode Revelations
• Cailyn Jaymes, the woman mentioned in one of Franklin's medical logs, was seen in the episode Walkabout. She was a terminally ill singer who had an brief affair with Franklin. The other entries refer to Marcus and Neroon's battle in G17 and, naturally, to the events of Revelations.
• Ironically, both Clark and Sheridan used shadow technology - Clark the shadow enhanced ships as seen in BtDatL and Sheridan the shadow teeps.
• Agamemnon's suicide run mirrors Delenn's decision to stay in the Starfire Wheel in MoT. Both Sheridan and Delenn were willing to die for their people and both were saved at the last moment by someone who is an enemy, but also a friend (Neroon and General Lefcourt).
• Clark's suicide note is a reference to Stanley Kubric's brilliant comedy Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

My favourite scene:
The last fifteen minutes. From Aggy's attempt to ram the defence platform to Marcus' last words.

Rising Star

087/421

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Tony Dow

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

Guest starring: Walter Koenig (Bester), Denise Gentile (Lise Hampton), Rance Howard (David Sheridan), Beata Pozniak (President Luchenko), Joey Dente (Luko), Michael Potter (General Foote), Alex Coro (Max), Maggie Egan (ISN Anchor), Julie Ow (Med Tech)

Already the second episode on this season that could have been the last one of the series (cf. ItF). A good episode with only one flawed moment - the scene where Garibaldi rescues Lise 'Damsel in Distress' Hampton. It's also sad that Claudia Christian did her best performance in her last (ok, second to last...) episode.

Notes:

• I have been wondering who, in fact, voted Sheridan for president? My, it couldn't have been the Advisory Board, could it? The one that consists of Sheridan's wife-to-be and two ambassadors who can never agree on anything? Let's imagine what the vote must have been like:
  
  Londo: I suggest [insert appropriate Centauri name].
  G'Kar: I will not vote for a Centauri swine.
  Delenn: Nay.
  G'Kar: I suggest [insert appropriate Narn name].
  Londo: I will not vote for a Narn ameba.
  Delenn. Nay.
  Delenn: I suggest my little honey-bunny Johnny
  Londo: Nay.
  G'Kar: Oh yeah, oh yeah! In that case I will vote 'yes'. HAH! Take that you Centauri swines!
  
  Result:
  Centauri swine - 1 vote
  Narn ameba - 1 vote
  Delenn's own little honey-bunny Johnny - 2 votes
  
  Hurrah for democracy! Does anyone remember the old joke "Who did you have to sleep with to get this job" ...

My favourite scene:
Sheridan and Bester locked in the same room (say what you will, but in my opinion it is Bester, not Justin who is Sheridan's equal and opposite).

The Deconstruction of Falling Stars

088/422

Written by: J Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Stephen Furst

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

Guest starring: Doug Hale (Derek Mitchell), Ken Taylor (Jim Bitterbane), Rob Elk (Henry Ellis), Bennet Guillory (Leif Tanner), Kathleen Lloyd (Elizabeth Metarie), Alastair Duncan (Latimere), Nick Toth (Exeter), Joanna Takahashi (Dr. Tashaki), Eric Pierpoint (Daniel), Roy Brocksmith (Brother Alwyn Macomber), Neil Roberts (Brother Michael)

A curious little interlude, but not really in my taste. The scene with the holographic crew is somewhat interesting, though. When I first saw the part where holo-Sheridan orders the execution of the lurkers, I immediately realised why my sister hates Sheridan. It was quite an odd feeling; as if I was watching B5 through her eyes.

Notes:

• In the opening scene one member of the welcoming party is holding a sign that says "Sic transit gloria mundi" meaning "Thus passes earthly glory". The name of the episode Sic Transit Vir was a pun on this very same phrase.
• The Roman numerals in the 3262 sequence refer to the different cameras brother Alwyn hid in the room.
• In the section set in 2762 the terms 'good fact' and 'real fact' are a reference to the 'doublespeak' in George Orwell's novel Nineteen-Eighty-Four.
• Why does G'kar run after Sheridan and Delenn in the opening scenes (right before the ISN reportage begins)? It's one of those scenes that really make no sense at all (at least to me). If some one knows what's going on there, please let me know.

My favourite scene:
I don't really like any particular scene, but I do love holo-Garibaldi's last line: "Rest easy, friends. Rest easy."