Babylon 5: To Dream in the City of Sorrows (1997)

To Dream in the City of Sorrows (1997)

Author: Kathryn M. Drennan | Page Count: 278

'Under his leadership, the Anla'shok were the most efficient and deadly fighting force the galaxy has ever seen. But Valen also recognized a danger in this. He knew that without an enemy to fight, such a group could become restless and dissatisfied...'

Excluding the novelizations of the TV Movies, City of Sorrows is the only Babylon 5 book that is one hundred percent part of the five year canon. It's fully sanctioned by creator J. Michael Straczynski and is penned by his then wife, Kathryn M. Drennan.

It's the story of what happened to Commander Jeffrey Sinclair after he left the station. It relies heavily on your knowledge of the TV series and as such is stuck between having to remain faithfully tied to it and trying to present something exciting and independently new.

Crusade (1999)

Crusade: The Complete Series (1999)

13 episodes, approx 44 mins each

The first failed spin-off from Babylon 5. In the year 2267 an alien race known as the Drakh, one-time servants of the Shadows, release a plague upon the planet Earth in a final defiant act of douche vengeance. Consequently, all life on the homeworld will terminate in approximately five years if a cure isn't found and successfully administered in time.

Earth Gov orders the destroyer ship Excalibur to scour the galaxy, dig beneath alien rocks and generally make themselves a pain in the butt of everyone else in order to find the magic cure.

The series managed thirteen episodes before being canned. In truth, it wasn't due to the poor quality of the series, it was the TNT network being interfering bints. Listen to the episode commentaries and you'll discover that J. Michael Straczynski had big plans for years 2-5: leftover Shadow tech; government cover-ups; the return of everyone's favourite bad guy behind a badge, Alfred Bester; a magical sword; and something called an Apocalypse Box, which you'll understand if you watch the show. Things could've turned out good.

Babylon 5: The Movies (1993-2007)

The Gathering (1993)

Dir. Richard Compton

A feature–length pilot that's notable mostly for setting up large chunks of the story arc that would help make Babylon 5 one of TV's best ever sci-fi series in subsequent years, although no one but series creator J. Michael Straczynski and the producers really knew back then because such long-running continuity wasn't the norm at the time.

Some of the acting is weak, but a few of the cast were replaced when the series went into production.

If you know B5 already, then The Gathering is worth hunting down, despite its flaws.

If you're new to the station, however, or not sure if a plot-heavy sci-fi show is really for you, it might be better to start with Season 1 of the TV series instead, even though it means missing out on some crucial back-story for certain characters. You can fill in the gaps later, but be aware that there are a number of notable differences between what was planned and what eventually came to pass.

Babylon 5: Season 5 (1998)

The Wheel of Fire (1998)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"No one here is exactly what he appears. Nothing's the same anymore. [...] I see a great hand, reaching out of the stars. Who are you? [...] Do you have anything worth living for? I think of my beautiful city in flames. Like giants in the playground."

Season 5 is the Ensign Red Shirt of the Babylon 5 universe. Almost everything went wrong, and there are a number of reasons why that was.

The most obvious reasons are studio dithering (see Season 4 post for info of that) and the writing having to be rushed to meet production dates.

Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) taking over as Station head and trying hard not to be perceived as the obvious replacement that she was didn't help. It's not Scoggins' fault she had to fit the powerful female template that JMS fell back on in times of need.

Babylon 5: Season 4 (1997)

No Surrender, No Retreat (1997)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"It was the year of fire - the year of destruction - the year we took back what was ours. It was the year of rebirth - the year of great sadness - the year of pain - and the year of joy. It was a new age. It was the end of history. It was the year everything changed. The year is 2261."

The events of the Season 3 finale are carried over into the beginning of Season 4. It closes doors that were opened in Season 2 and opens some that won't be shut until the very last episode of Season 5.

I think of it as Babylon 5's Dune season; expect political intrigue, religious motifs, betrayals, power hungry Emperors, plans within plans, assassinations, and wars on a planetary scale.

Elsewhere it deals with love, loss, identity, the desire to change and the things we must sacrifice to gain the ability to carry out such change. The Man In-between is revealed. And there are some exciting space battles for those that like that sort of thing.

Babylon 5: Season 3 (1996)

Point of No Return (1996)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. It failed. But, in the Year of the Shadow War, it became something greater: our last, best hope… for victory. The year is 2260."

Season 3 is bursting at the seams with story. I can only summarise, or the spoilers will be huge. The Shadow War continues to strike a cold tendril into the heart of the Alliance. Some of the major races exchange powerful blows. Capt. Sheridan is forced to take matters into his own hands. There's a second threat to the station that must be dealt with in a more subtle and secretive manner. A thread that was first introduced a year ago has a crippling effect on station procedure. Franklin has problems. A number of old faces return. Established relationships are put to the test and favours are called in. Something from Season 1 gets resolved… kind of. And more…

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.

Babylon 5: Season 1 (1994)

Signs and Portents (1994)

22 episodes, approx 44 mins each.

"It was the dawn of the third age of mankind – ten years after the Earth-Minbari War. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5."

J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5, set out to create a science fiction show unlike anything that had existed before: a show with complex plot threads that appealed to an adult audience; a show about more than just the weird alien of the week that was a metaphor for some part of us. I admit that sounds arrogant, but he did it and he did it well.

He populated his floating tin can in space with a number of different dramatic stock types culled from a wide variety of genres. They clash and forge friendships, fight and find comfort in the familiar just like everyone. No one in the B5 universe is infallible, everyone is flawed, and as such it felt real.