Babylon 5 At Its Best

With these Season 2 episodes, Babylon 5 emerged as the science fiction television show to watch. They show some fascinating tangents into the lives of the main characters that will propel them closer to the Shadow War. The highlight is the Hugo award-winning episode, "The Coming of Shadows"; the terminally ill Centauri emperor (Turhan Bey) arrives at Babylon 5, seeking to find a peaceful resolution to ongoing political strife between the Centaurl Republic and the Narn Regime. As a previous reviewer noted, all the elements of Greek tragedy are present, with Babylon 5's resident buffoon, Centauri ambassador Mollari (Peter Jurasik) making a bargain with the "devil", Mr. Morden (Eric Wasser), that he will eventually come to regret. Anyone who wants to see why Babylon 5 was the best science fiction television series of its time should buy this video set.

Babylon 5 at it's best!

Soul Mates: Where Mollari has the chance to divorce one of his wives. A joy to watch, this episode is filled with (a bit sinister) sense of humour.A Race through Dark places: Here comes Bester again... This episode gives hints to Talia's hidden destiny. Too bad it was a dead end...

Coming of Shadows: 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."

Gropos: 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.

ALL ALONE IN THE NIGHT. In this episode Sheridan finds himself kidnapped by aliens who experiment on him. Along with another prisoner, a Narn named Ta'Lon (we find him again in "a day in the strife") they try to escape while Dellen faces the Gray council to explain her transformation.

ACTS OF SACRIFICE. Another page of the Narn/Centauri War, and the episode shows G'Kar trying to keep the peace among the two populations on the station in his attempt to gather allies. The first evidence of Centauri war crimes are presented, while Ivanova tries to avoid having sex with an alien...