Babylon 5: Season 2 (1995)

The Coming of Shadows (1995)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. A self-contained world five miles long, located in neutral territory. A place of commerce and diplomacy for a quarter of a million humans and aliens. A shining beacon in space...all alone in the night. It was the dawn of the Third Age of Mankind – the year the Great War came upon us all."

After the shaky but very necessary build up of S1, Babylon 5 takes its place as the best science fiction TV series in the history of ever! Yes, I'm boldly going there, it's better than Trek. The bursting with potential element it carried in S1 comes to fruition.

Commander Sinclair is out, replaced by the kind of charismatic Captain that we were lacking before.

Delenn plays a significant role in S2 but when she finally shows her face it's not quite the one we remember from before... you'll see what I mean.

The complex relationship between Ambassadors G’Kar and Londo Mollari heats up to Shakespearean proportions. The protagonist/antagonist dynamic between the two men is a huge part of what makes B5 great; it's my favourite part of the show. Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar) was a superb actor and I'm deeply saddened every time I think of his passing.

Straczynski kicks his real plan into first gear and lets his story arc take centre stage. It builds slowly but steadily, and while there are still a number of standalone episodes, it's the arc that'll keep you hooked. Things spiral out of control all over the place, and when the station is caught in the middle trying desperately to retain neutrality the aliens turn their attention inward.

The banner for the season is 'The Coming of Shadows'. If you don't know what that refers to then you're in for a very special treat. How it's handled is perfect, with the dark spidery things in hyperspace given just enough exposure to keep the viewer on the very edge of their seat.

The series continued to be as impenetrable as ever for new viewers, which is its primary failing and conversely its greatest strength if you're one of the fans. It doesn't pander to the casual viewer. At its best it spoke directly to the thinking man, demanding their attention.

Alas, yet again, there are two duff episodes: Gropos (Ep.10) is duller than grey flannel undies, whereas And Now for a Word (Ep.15) has an interesting POV but is a real chore to get through more than once. But the nature of the show means almost every episode has something that refers to the arc or plays a significant role later on, so it's best to suffer them for the greater good. The Coming of Shadows (Ep.09) is essential viewing, so please don't skip it.