"It was the dawn of the Third Age of Mankind, ten years after the Earth-Minbari War. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. Its goal: to prevent another war by creating a place where Humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port of call – home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five-hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last best hope for peace. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5."
– Commander Jeffrey Sinclair

So begins Season 1 of Babylon 5. And we all are completely entranced from the beginning.

Or are we?

I personally liked the first season fine though many people advise new viewers to skip it. There are several reasons to watch, Sinclair being the first and most important one. Also, most of the seeds are sewn for the story arc in this first season.

Michael O’Hare was devastatingly handsome to me. The friend who sent me to B5 was a total Sinclair fan and she was looking to infect someone else. This was after B5 and Crusade were already done and televised. Sci-fi was showing one episode every weeknight at 7 pm so I was rolling through them at a pretty good pace. I had never seen a tv show quite like it. I was hooked from the start.

MY friend also kept telling me to pay close attention to EVERYTHING so I knew that Signs and Portents was really an apt name for this season. I loved the mysteriousness of the show.

ON this last rewatch, I was surprised at what an ass G’kar was originally, but then I remembered that he, above all characters, had the most growth. (With the possible exception of Vir.) Londo is a blithering buffoon, too, until he hooks up with Morden, then we see how terribly vicious the Centauri can be (or we think we do). Everyone changes… except Garibaldi. Garibaldi stays the same throughout, good or bad.



There is another theme that runs throughout season one as well. In Mind War, G’kar tells Catherine Sakai this: “I told you before you left: no one here is entirely what they appear.” This is a theme that is borne out time and time again through the entirety of the series but it is first evident, of course, in Season 1.

You all watched it: The stand alones, both good and bad, the arc stories, both good and bad and all in between. No character is entirely good though I suspect Sinclair is the closest one we will meet. No character is entirely bad though Morden will come the closest to that. What do you think? Who is your favorite good guy? Bad Guy?

I think Babylon Squared might be my favorite episode so far. It tells us that we really don’t know what is going on and we meet the wonderful Zathras. Could any character be more interesting, mysterious and funny? Which episode is your fave? Why?

And the guests: David McCallum, Walter Koenig, William Sanderson, John Vickery, Tim Choate, and of course, Ed Wasser. Those are just a few. The show has tons and tons of guests through all the years. Not to mention the stellar cast! Oh my! Any favorites there? I love tiny villainous David McCallum… I was totally in love with Illya Kuryakin when I was a very little girl and I also adored tiny little Chekov in Star Trek but if any of you know me, you know I do not like Teeps in general and Bester in particular.



All in all, I enjoyed the first season and fell entirely in love with Sinclair. It set the tone for the rest of the series. Yes, there were bad episodes but there were some great ones.

Here are some quotes:

"It's all so brief, isn't it? Typical human lifespan is almost a hundred years, but it's barely a second compared to what's out there. It wouldn't be so bad if life didn't take so long to figure out. Seems you just start to get it right and then .. it's over."
"Doesn't matter. If we lived two hundred years, we'd still be human. We'd still make the same mistakes."
"You're a pessimist."
"I am Russian, Doctor. We understand these things."
- Dr. Stephen Franklin Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova

"Ambassador, it is not my place to speculate on how anything gets in your bed."
- Aide Na'Toth to G'Kar

"You take, Zathras die. You leave, Zathras die. Either way, it is bad for Zathras."
- Zathras

"There comes a time when you look into the mirror and realize that what you see is all that you will ever be. Then you accept it, or you kill yourself. Or you stop looking into mirrors."
- Londo

"Understanding is a three-edged sword."
- Kosh

I’ll leave you all with this clip of Zathras:



Sources I’ve used this season:

B5 DVd set, Season 1
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/
The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105946/
Babylon 5: Signs and Projects by Jane Killick

Recap and discussion for Season 1, Episode 20 – Babylon Squared**

This is one of the pivotal episodes of the whole show, if not THE pivotal episode. It answers one question and poses many, many more, some of which will not be answered for some time to come.

We begin the episode with Ivanova, Garibaldi and Sinclair at breakfast. Ivanova is sleepy because she was called to C’n’C early to deal with a strange tachyon reading in Sector 14. Sinclair lulls her to sleep with some meditation and then he and Garibaldi hide their breakfasts and convince her that she’s slept through breakfast.

And then…

The pilot in Sector 14 reports something strange then he is engulfed in light.

Delenn leaves the station alone.

Alpha 7 returns to the station but the pilot is dead, dead of old age according to Dr. Franklin. A distress calls comes in from Babylon 4! Major Krantz, the officer overseeing the construction says they are damaged and need evacuation.

Sinclair agrees to help them. He and Garibaldi prepare to lead a force of fighters and escorts to remnove the station personnel. He assembles the men and tells them that anyone who doesn’t want to go doesn’t have to. They all go.

Delenn arrives at a huge Minbari ship. She meets with the Grey Council, which have summoned her to tell her she is to be their leader. She tells them she does not want to leave B5.

Sinclair and Garibaldi have ‘fasten or zip’ conversation.

They arrive at Sector 14 and they see - Babylon 4!

As they fly toward B4, they go through some sort of distortion field. They land and are shot at by some man who seems mad. They subdue him and are then met by Major Krantz. He asks were they passing through and Sinclair tells him they are from Babylon 5 and Garibaldi tells him they are from the year 2258. Krantz says they must hurry… \

A distortion field passes over them and Sinclair is in a burning ship with Garibaldi trying to get him to leave. Garibaldi is shooting at something we can’t see and –

Everything is normal again. Krantz tells them they have become unstuck in time.

Delenn does not want to go back into the Great hall – she does not want to lead the Minbari. She tells her friend on the Council that she must follow the calling of her heart. She must stay on B5. She says he must recall the Council.

B5 prepares to send the evac ships and Krantz tells Sinclair and Garibaldi that the time distortions began about 24 hours after the station came online.

He takes them to see their prisoner – Zathras. He looks at Sinclair and says, “Not the one! Won’t talk. Can’t talk.” Krantz says he just appeared in the conference room. Zathras tells them he needs this place, that a terrible war is coming and B4 is needed to help save the galaxy on the side of light. He tells them he lives for the One and would die for the One. He says he needs to pulls the station back through time.

A guard comes in and tells Krantz something and they all go look - at a figure in a space suit. Zathras says he’s the One.

The man is fading in and out and seems hurt. Sinclair goes to him and touches him and is thrown back several feet. While the others help Sinclair, Zathras goes to the figure and hands him something and tells him it’s fixed and to hurry. When Krantz and the others notice Zathras they chase him and he tells them they must go soon or they’ll be trapped forever.

Delenn tells the Grey Council she will return to B5. They tell her she could be an outcast and they vote 5-4 to allow her to return to B5.

Zathras tells Sinclair that the device he gave the man in the spacesuit is a time stabilizer and that he gave his to the man thus he will be stuck and die. Sinclair realizes this is what killed his pilot.

In the next time distortion, Garibaldi is sent to the past, to the time he told Lise that he was leaving for B5 and she was angry with him. It ends and he tells Sinclair they need to go. Krantz insists on taking Zathras as proof of what happened on B4.

A large pipe falls and traps Zathras. He entreats Sinclair to leave, saying “You have a destiny.” Sinclair goes. They run to leave the station.

After they are gone, the scene goes back to Zathras. He smiles as “the One’ in a spacesuit comes for him. He takes off his helmet and it’s Sinclair, older and greyer but still Sinclair. A hand touches him (we only see the hand) and tells him it’s time to go. The voice is Delenn’s.

Babylon 4 disappears.

Sinclair and the rest head home.

Delenn’s friend gives one of the three tuiluminaries and they are surrounded by signs and portents and that he feels a darkness coming…

*

Quotes:
Zathras: "Great war. Terrible war. A great darkness. It is the end of everything. Zathras warned, but no one listened to poor Zathras. Great war, but great hope of peace. Need place. Place to gather, to fight, to organize. To help save galaxy, on the side of light, so they tell me. The One leads us. The One tells us to go. We live for the One. We would die for the One. We pull this place through time to save us all.

Delenn, about the human race: "They do not seek conformity. They do not surrender. Out of their differences comes symmetry, their unique capacity to fight against impossible odds. Hurt them, and they only come back stronger. The passions we deplore have taken them to their place among the stars, and will propel them to a great destiny. Their only weakness is that they do not recognize their own greatness. They forget that they have come to this place through two million years of evolution, struggle, and blood. They are better than they think, and nobler than they know. They carry within them the capacity to walk among the stars like giants. They are the future, and we have much to learn from them."

– Delenn's Grey Council friend: "These are curious times. I feel a great change in my bones. A new beginning, an end I cannot say. We are surrounded by signs and portents. And I feel a darkness pressing from them."

*

Questions:
1. Did this episode surprise you? Were you expecting B4 to be real?
2. What did you think the first time you saw Zathras?
3. What did the man who shot at Sinclair and Garibaldi say? What do you think he meant?
4. Do you think the time distortion is natural or was it created?
5. Was the Grey Council right when they said prophecy must take care of itself? Does Delenn know more about what is happening than she will say?

Sources:
Wikia: The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Babylon_Squared
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/020.html
Babylon 5: Signs and Portents by Jane Killick, pages 157-163.

** I am sorry that I had to post this one out of order but with a death in the family, I simply did not get to it.

Season 1, Episode 16 – Eyes

Wonderful opening with Lennier dropping by Garibaldi’s quarters to discuss security and ending up begging to help him with his Kawasaki Ninja as a ‘history’ lesson.

Two men are seem discussing Ivanova in their quarters.

Sinclair talks about unrest on Mars and the possibility that arms might be funneled through the station.

One of the two men mentioned above begins to question Lou Welch in the Zocalo. They ask about Sinclair and Welch refuses to discuss Sinclair. He does report the incident to Garibaldi.

Garibaldi looks into them and finds Aron Franks and Harriman Gray. When pressed, Franks admits he is Col. Ari Ben Zayn, Earthforce Security, AKA Eyes. Gray is Psi Corps and they are there to investigate the command staff.

He questions Garibaldi about Sinclair and Garibaldi tells him little.

It is clear they are after Sinclair and Garibaldi tells Sinclair. The commander think je will be okay but Garibaldi tells him that he’s not sure it will,. That Psi Corps is too close.

Garibaldi is drafter to help Ben Zayn and when he goes to his quarters, Lenier has done quite a bit

Ivanova has a dream about her telepath other and how she was forced to take sleepers. When she wakes, she tells Sinclair that she will resign before submitting to a scan by Gray.

Ben Zayn tells Gray he wants full scans, which surprises the teep.

Sinclair, ever good at finding the loophole, says Ben Zayn cannot have Gray in the room unless there is a scecific charge. This really pisses Ben Zayn. Gray agrees and leaves, running into Susan and inadvertently reading her mind about her mother and Talia.

Susan is pissed but gets called away and when she calls Sinclair, he tries to leave but Ben Zayn relieves him of his command and takes over the station.

Ivanova tells Garibaldi that she will be dishonorably discharged before she will submit.

Sinclair calls Earth but is told he’s on his own.

Susan gets drunk and gets into a fight.

Garibaldi tells her Sinclair has a plan.

Sincl;air tell Gray that he should scan Ben Zayn and when he does, he finds that the man had a vendetta against Sinclair because he gets the post that Ben Zayn was in line for. He attacks and Sincl;air takes him down.

Lennier has finished the bike, even converting the furl system to an efficient, nonpolluting one. Garibaldi is a bit disappointed but the bike is gorgeous so they take a ride.

*
Questions:

1. Was Gray a bad man? Did you think he was fond of Bester?
2. Did Susan seem to be overreacting to you when you first saw this episode?
3. Did you think Sinclair was a troublemaker for using the rules against those who tried to attack him or the station?
4. Did you think Susan was unfairly harsh with Gray?

Quotes:
“If you enter my mind for any reason, I will twist your head off and use it for a chamberpot!" - Ivanova, to Agent Gray

"Protests are as much use with the Vorlons as fairy wings on a cement truck!" – Garibaldi, to Ben Zayn

*

Sources:
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/016.html
The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Eyes

Season 1 Episode 15: Grail

A man comes aboard the ship, a man that Delenn and Lennier consider a special guest but Sinclair and Garibaldi find it rather humorous when they hear that he searches for the Holy Grail. His name is Aldous Gajic. Delenn gently chides Sinclair, explaining that anyone who is a True Seeker is important and sometimes the journey is the important part. She tells him he is a True Seeker as well.

IN the Downbelow, Deuce, a thug (played by Williams Sanderson) tells a young B5 construction worker(Jinxo) that he wants the station blueprints or 100,00 credits or they’ll do something to him – they let him watch as a tentacle brain wipes a woman who testified against them. The thing lives in what looks like Kosh’s suit.

Then there is the hilarious lawsuit between Mr. Flinn and an alien who appears to be a vree (who looks like a Roswell Grey). The human is suing for damages to his ancestor. I loved this – it added nothing to the ep but was VERY funny!

Franklin has the woman Jinxo saw mindwiped in his medlab. They talk about finding out what did it.

While Aldous us exchanging some credits at an ATM, Jinxo picks his pocket and Garibaldi nabs him and they haul him before the Ombuds. Aldous takes Jinxo and says he will be responsible for him. Jinxo explains to Aldous why he can never leave the station: He left B1 and it was sabotaged, same with B2, B3 blew up and B4 disappeared so he’s afraid to leave this one… and cause so much death.

Alduis says he is lucky that he cares so much for the people on B5 that he wishes to save them.

Franklin and Ivanova discover the killer is a Na’ka’leen Feeder from Centauri space and they begin to hunt for it. Londo is terrified when they ask him about it and locks himself in his room.

Aldous tells how he became a seeker after the death of his wife and family because ‘the numbers finally add up.’

Deuce and his men catch Jinxo and Aldous and they also have the Ombuds. Aldous saves the Ombuds but is mortally injured. Security anbs the rest of the bad guys. Aldous dies and Thomas, Jinxo’s real name, decides to seek the Grail instead.

The ep ends with Thomas leaving the station and Sinclair and Ivanova waiting for the boom… and we get her most famous speech;
"No "boom" today, "boom" tomorrow. There is always a "boom" tomorrow. What? Someone need to keep some perspective around here. Sooner or Later... Boom!"

Quotes:

Aldous and Delenn:
Aldous: "These two sides of your culture – do they ever agree on anything?"
Delenn:"Yes, and when they do, it is a terrible thing – a terrible power, as recent events have shown us. Let us hope it never again happens in our lifetime."

Delenn and Sinclair:
Sinclair: "On Earth, the Grail is nothing but a myth – it's a nice story to tell your kids. For someone to spend his entire life looking for it is... well, it's not often taken very seriously."
Delenn:"How sad. He is a holy man – a true seeker. Among my people, a true seeker is treated with the utmost reverence and respect. It doesn't matter that his Grail may or may not exist, what matters is that he strives for the perfection of his soul – for the salvation of his race... that he has never wavered or lost faith."
Sinclair: "I wish him luck. He's probably the only true seeker we have."
Delenn:"Then perhaps you don't know yourself... as well as you think."

Questions:

1. This is one of the stand alone episodes, as JMS calls them, but was it really?
2. Was I the only one who thought the mind wipe creature’s tentacle looked a bit like one of Londo’s parts?
3. Did anyone else notice the unfortunate name of the ship that Thomas left on?
4. Did you LIKE this episode? What were it’s strengths and weaknesses?


Sources:
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/015.html
The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Grail
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517653/?ref_=ttep_ep15

If you have any links to any kind of fanworks pertaining to this episode, post them here.

Here is a little Morden for you:


And one of his friends:

Season 1, Episode 11 – Survivors

Not a favorite episode of mine though it is important in light of what is coming. To paraphrase Kosh – the avalanche is starting.

ISN News tells us that President Santiago is expected at Babylon in a day or so.

We join Garibaldi and Ivanova talking about the squadron of fighters they get from the president on his visit. Just as they are talking about the work that is going on making the Cobra bays readym there is an explosion at the Cobra bay and we see Sinclair in the C’n’C watching.

We see a survivor, badly burned in Medlab. Ivanova says a Lianna Kemmer, head of the president’s security detail wants to meet with him. Garibaldi says he knew when she was a child. She informs Sinclair that she will be taking over the investigation from Garibaldi, whom she treats quite rudely.

Garibaldi takes his anger out on a thug, beating him until Sinclair stops him and asks what is the real problem.

Garibaldi explains that 17 years earlier on Europa, he had known Lianna’s father and had been indirectly the cause of his death and had had to tell Lianna’s family the news; he had consequently stayed drunk for a long time afterward.

Franklin calls Sinclair down to Medlab where Lianna is interfering with his treatment. Nolan, the survivor, names Garibaldi as the bomber then dies.

Major Kemmer inssits that Michael be suspended and she takes over security. She had her second, Cutter, to search Garibaldi’s quarters, where they find blueprints to the Cobra bays and a large amount of Centauri currency.

Michael becomes a fugitive and gets drunk and captured with money he borrowed from Londo to try to prove his innocence. Meanwhile Sinclair has Lou Welch do something for him.

The Starfuries are to be delivered and Cutter goes to check them. Sinclair gets his report from Welch, who found bomb making gear in Nolan’s room along with Homeguard stuff. Kemmer is convinced enough that something is going on that she and Garibaldi go to check the Starfuries before the flyby they are about to do.

Cutter attacks them and Garibaldi knocks him out and gets Ivanova to stop the drop of the fighters.

Lianna and Michael talk and make up then she leaves to join the president after his visit.

*

Questions:

1. Who were the ‘survivors’ in the episode title?
2. Who did you think hated Michael more: Lianna or Michael himself?
3. Did you, for even one second, think Garibaldi did it?
4. What about G’kar? Londo?


Quote:
“The universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest." – G'Kar, to the fugitive Garibaldi


Note: Did you catch the mention of some ‘scientific’ things on Ragesh III that the Centauri had paid the Narn for quietly? A simple farming colony, huh?

Sources:
Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/011.html
The Babylon Project Wikia: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Post them if you have them... links to others' works is okay too if they're public.

Would you like a Jovian Sunspot?


Muhahaha!