Television 

Five Thoughts on Babylon 5‘s “No Compromises”

By | June 8th, 2022
Posted in Television | % Comments

28 years ago, a science fiction show aired that changed the way TV operated. “And so it begins.” Building upon and strengthening the idea of Star Trek’s five-year mission, “who are you?,” this show proved that sci-fi TV could be something grander than an episodic adventure. “Nothing’s the same anymore.”

Welcome my friends. “I think of my beautiful city in flames.” This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. “These orders have forced us to declare independence.” The year is 2262. “Why are you here? Do you have anything worth living for?” The place: “We are here to place President Clark under arrest.”

Babylon 5.

Spoilers ahead.

1. T.N.T. Dyna-mite

Hi everyone. It’s lovely to be back. Can you believe it’s been 5 years since I first started reviewing Babylon 5? A lot has changed since then, just as a lot has changed since this show aired. There’s time to get weepy once we close the series out so I’ll leave it at that. Oh, and don’t worry. I won’t be subjecting you to the piecemeal first paragraph every time but I figured it’d be fun to simulate what the new opening felt like when I sat down to watch this episode.

As I mentioned in the “Rising Star” review, season 5’s fate was in limbo thanks to the closure of PTEN, only being saved at the eleventh hour by TNT. Under new management and with a brand new push to a much larger audience, Babylon 5’s first episode does a few things different from before.

For one, we get a big exposition dump via Lieutenant Corwyn to our new main cast member: Elizabeth Lockley. For another, the show has a slightly shinier veneer to it. The CGI is more intricate, the sets feel less claustrophobic, and the lighting is more even. Some of this is barely noticeable here, and I’m only aware of it because of all the articles I read to confirm bits of these behind-the-scenes details for here, and because I could actually see what was going on in the cockpits of the Starfurys. Even if you can’t put your finger on it though, the show feels cleaner, like it’s moved into a new era along with its characters, and whether it harms or benefits the show’s aesthetics is not for me to say…yet.

And who knows? Maybe this sheen will look quaint in comparison to the reboot, should it survive to 2023.

2. B5 Ain’t A Bad Place to Be

Once again I refer to my “Rising Star” review to establish the deal with our new character: Elizabeth Lockely. With Claudia Christian, Ivanova’s actress, having left the show at the end of s4, Sheridan now moving on to being President of the Interstellar Alliance and everyone else settling into new or old roles outside of CNC, there is an unexpected hole in the show’s construction that must be filled. What better person to fill it than character actor Tracy Scoggins, the original Cat Grant from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures and Monica Colby from The Colbys.

Right off the bat, Tracy is a perfect fit for the show, acting as a semi-antagonistic force while retaining the qualities that endeared both Sheridan and Sinclair to us. She has something to prove and is clearly being given a second chance. It’s hinted throughout the episode that she was on Clark’s side, which is a fascinating choice. What’s more, Sheridan’s trust in her adds an extra wrinkle to the whole affair. In a lesser show, I’d say this was a bad move, mostly because it hits too close to how media companies are currently laundering coup-supporters and participants and their ilk, but here, I trust Straczynski to fully explore the person that is Elizabeth Lockley and her relationship to the Earth Civil War.

Thematically, her coming in from the outside is also a strong move. While I would have preferred to have Ivanova, having an outsider in charge adds an extra layer of friction and uncertainty to the season as we, and the crew, gets used to this new person who seems to be a bit more of a stickler than Sheridan, and certainly more than Sinclair. Scoggins is knocking it out of the park and she already feels like she’s been a part of the Babylon 5 universe forever. She is not simply Ivanova 2.0 and I am so, so excited.

Continued below

3. Station Blues

I’ve gone two thoughts and, like, 800 words and I haven’t even established what the A-plot of the episode is, jeez. Well, turns out not everyone is happy with the defeat of President Clark’s regime and Sheridan has become a target for a dissatisfied John Wilkes Booth-type character. It’s a good first episode through-line, creating a sense of tension that permeates every plot even when Sheridan isn’t the focus. It’s also an easy entry point for new viewers as you really don’t need to know anything about the prior political situation to grasp why the guy’s bad news.

OK. Bad news might be a stretch.

It’s a nice episodic problem as opposed to all the serialized ones we’d had during the back-half of season 4 with an arc and a character that was just the right level of hokey for Babylon 5. I mean, come on. He threatens Sheridan with a sign, a text message that says “Have a nice day,” and a voicemail complete with historical references. He whines about Sheridan ruining all the stuff he ruined himself with his hate. He has a music box that’s playing the whole time. All that’s missing is him quoting the bible! I wonder what quote he would’ve picked. Maybe something from Exodus?

4. House of G’Kar

It’s a small thing but I love how G’Kar is essentially voted to be the conscience of Sheridan’s inauguration and thus the Interstellar Alliance. His character, and our understanding of him, has come a long way. He can be a thinker now, not just a resistance leader. He can apply his thoughts and ideas and principles to this new endeavor and build something that may have never been possible without his vision and determination.

I am a bit sad we don’t actually get to hear the oath he wrote or the principles he made to act as the foundational document of the Alliance. Sure we get a little of it, both in terms of the actual words and the sentiment behind his book containing the first page of every faith in the Alliance – which looked a bit slim to my eyes but what do I know about future religions – but it gets interrupted, twice, by the assassin. It leads to a great comedic moment, sure, but I still wish we knew the full scope of what he saw the Alliance being based on.

Ah well. I’m just glad to see G’Kar happy after all his hardship. It is earned.

5. Telepathy the Blues Away

The other major plot point in this episode is the appearance of a gaggle of telepaths who want to set up a colony on Babylon 5, since it is to remain an independent entity from Earthdome. The telepath war, both as a war between telepaths and between telepaths and non-telepaths, that’s been brewing is re-established with this while also adding a few items to Sheridan’s already overfull plate. But that’s not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about Byron and the sad boy who gets got.

Sad Boy with tragic past? I give him 20 minutes.

I. Lost it. When Byron and his crew showed up. I couldn’t stop laughing mostly because they were almost like a hippie commune, complete with an offering of flowers, a lack of last names, and the long hair and soft-spoken attitude. Byron is clearly either a pseudonym or Straczynski having way too much fun. Whatever the case, I can’t wait for more Byron just like I couldn’t wait for more Brother Theo. Love that guy.

I’m also sorry to say I could see where we were going with the sad boy whose name escapes me. He’s pretty much a plot tool to engender sympathy with Sheridan by learning about the assassin’s plan, stumbling in after getting shot, and saving him before dying. As soon as he was introduced as the sad boy with the flowers, I knew and you knew what was coming. It’s maybe the weakest part of the episode but I get why it was necessary.

We’ll miss you sad telepath boy. May your tragic past one day be resolved.

Continued below

That about does it for now. Join me again in a week as dive into the rest of the season as Lennier talks to Delenn, Londo talks to G’kar, and Londo begins his trek on the path of redemption…before the inevitable fall we know is coming on the station where it all began.

This is Elias. Signing out.

Best Line of the Night:

G’Kar: “I will not sleep, eat, drink, nothing! The words and I will be locked in mortal combat until one of us surrenders. Well — Now go. Go on. I have to give myself over to my muse. Goodbye.”


//TAGS | 2022 Summer TV Binge | Babylon 5

Elias Rosner

Elias is a lover of stories who, when he isn't writing reviews for Mulitversity, is hiding in the stacks of his library. Co-host of Make Mine Multiversity, a Marvel podcast, after winning the no-prize from the former hosts, co-editor of The Webcomics Weekly, and writer of the Worthy column, he can be found on Twitter (for mostly comics stuff) here and has finally updated his profile photo again.

EMAIL | ARTICLES


  • MoviesReviews
    Babylon 5: The Road Home

    By | Aug 25, 2023 | Movies, Reviews

    I was there, when Babylon 5 first came to streaming. I was there, when Babylon 5 was remastered. I was there for all five seasons of the station that wraps humans and aliens in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal . . . all alone in the night. I was there at the dawn of the new age, traveling The Road Home.

    MORE »
    Television
    Five Thoughts on Babylon 5: The Gathering

    By | Mar 1, 2023 | Television

    30 years ago (give or take,) the pilot for a science fiction show aired that changed the way TV operated. Building upon and strengthening the idea of Star Trek’s five-year mission, this show proved that sci-fi TV could be something grander than an episodic adventure. It all began in the Earth year 2257 with the founding of the last of the Babylon stations, located deep in neutral space. This is its story.

    MORE »

    -->