1.21 "The Quality of Mercy" & 1.22 "Chrysalis"

Having watched "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Stargate SG-1," and "Farscape" before I started watching "Babylon 5" this year it was rather surprising to get to the end of the first season and discover that the show ends not with a overly dramatic cliffhanger, but rather with a clear setting of the stage for the next season. This is a significant difference, because the cliffhanger is traditionally the first of a two-part story that does not have long term ramifications for the series and the characters, and that is clearly not the case here.

Episode 21, "The Quality of Mercy" (Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Aired August 17, 1994) is another first season episode that makes medical doctors in the far flung future stupid for the sake of the story. In "Believers" Dr. Franklin (Richard Biggs) could not understand an alien family that found surgery to be a violation of their religious beliefs and in this one Franklin not only immediately dismisses Dr. Laura Rosen (June Lockhart) as a quack, Rosen feels an inappropriate level of guilt for saving the life of her daughter (you will understand when you see the episode). This main plot line has Rosen setting up shop as an unauthorized free clinic using an alien machine that appears to work wonders, while the other key plot line has a man named Karl Edward Mueller (Mark Rolston), who has been found guilty of murdering two station residents and one member of the security staff.

We get an interesting look at crime and punishment in the B5 universe. There are three legal punishments for Mueller's crimes: he can be returned to Earth (they do not want him), he can be imprisoned for life (B5 does not have the room), or Talia Winters (Andrea Thompson) can use her abilities to do a psychic lobotomy. Of course, Winters is not prepared for what she finds in Mueller's mind when she enters it. Not surprisingly, this ends up being a "have your cake and eat it too" episode when it comes to the idea that the death penalty has been abolished in the future. Meanwhile the comic subplot has Londo (Peter Jurasic) giving Lennier (Bill Mumy) what he calls a tour of "The Babylon 5 that I know." Overall, this is one of these episodes where the characters should have been smart enough to avoid getting into the situations they do.

Episode 22, "Chrysalis" (Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Aired October 26, 1994) is clearly the most important episode of the first season with three major plot lines. The first has Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle) discovering a plot to kill President Santiago of Earth. The second finds Londo receiving help in a dispute with the Narns from the mysterious Morden, whose connection with the Shadows is only beginning to become clear. Finally, Ambassador Delenn (Mira Furlan) questions Commander Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) about what he remembers about being captured by the Minbari after the Battle of the Line. The Commander does not remember much and Delenn is willing to reveal more, but other crises intervene and by the time Sinclair tries to confront Delenn something strange has started happening to her that makes further communication impossible.

Obviously this is a very important episode, taking some of the points hinted at earlier in the season and in the key episode "Signs and Portents" and taking them in new directions. "Chrysalis" significantly ups the ante on this series and further sets the stage for the Shadow War. The two things I especially liked in the first season of "Babylon 5" where the complicated diplomatic squabbles with the alien ambassadors and the story lines that reflected a bigger picture of what the show was about. The season finale for season one brings those together and achieves the desired goal: at the end I am more interested than I was before in finding out what happens next.

The highlight of the series. Don't miss it.

What can one say for a Hugo winner episode? Apart for the great directing, acting and special effects, the "Coming of the Shadows" triggers the series of events that will lead the heroes to the Shadow War. Bringing in mind an Ancient Greek Tragedy, where the characters are driven by powers beyond their will, this episode evolves around Centauri Emperor Tourchan. A really tragic figure, he comes to B5 to ask forgiveness for old sins. But those sins drug him down and he dies before he has the chance to save his people's future. Mollari, a puppet of his Dark allies, makes sure of that. Meanwhile, G'car tries to act honourably, whatever that may cost. And in the heart of the events the Vorlon ambassador foretells the End: "In fire." After the first superb episode, it's hard to evaluate on "Gropos". This episode is not bad, however, compared to the previous one may seem boring. This is hardly the case. It is a decent story of good men and women who went to their deaths in a faraway planet, for reasons they may never know. In the meantime, the station has the chance to get armed for the war at hand and Dr. Franklin confronts his father. The highlight of the series. Don't miss it.