Recap and Discussion for 4 x 20 – Endgame

The moment we’ve all been waiting for!

This episode was fast. Lots of things to do in this one. JMS was accused of hurrying this episode since everyone thought they weren’t going to get a season 5, but he says it would have been the same episode, no matter what.

We open on Ivanova in a coma and Delenn telling Marcus that they were moving her to Babylon 5.

Franklin and Lyta are finalizing the uploading of 30 teeps to 30 different Earth ships on Mars. We’ll finally find out what they’re up to.

Garibaldi is ordering strikes on ground stations.

And then…

We see one ground station being taken over by some of its own personnel who are also Mars Resistance. This happens to be the one Garibaldi, Franklin and Alexander are in. Franklin put some sort of headset on Lyta.


Sheridan and the Agamemnon are heading for Mars. They will neutralize mars then move on to Earth. Only Earth ships and Resistance will fight to keep it “clean’.

Earth ships wait in Mars orbit.

Lyta is getting ready for her part and Marcus takes his White Star into the Mar’s Atmosphere and strafes the guns and such.

The Earth Forces do nothing, waiting to see what Sheridan is up to. The fleet is led by General Lefcourt and his Apollo. He is Earthforce but knows and respects John Sheridan.

Sheridan et al. come out of hyperspace and Lyta goes outside to contact the telepaths in the Earth ships. The telepaths will find the nearest computer and merge with it, disabling the warships without damaging them or their crews. It works and Mars is won. Delenn and her fleet will stay at Mars to assist any disabled ships and mop up.

Meanwhile, Lennier let slip that there might be something on B5 that would save Ivanova and Marcus contacts the B5 computer and has it download pertinent medical files.

Sheridan heads for Earth.

Marcus tricks Lennier into going to Delenn and he takes his White Star toward B5.

When Sheridan gets to Earth, he transmits this message on all frequencies:
"This is Captain John Sheridan. We are here on the authority of a multiplanetary force that can no longer stand by and watch one of their greatest allies falling into darkness and despair. We are here on behalf of the thousands of civilians murdered under orders from the current administration, who have no one else to speak for them, and on behalf of the Earthforce units that have joined us to oppose the tyranny that has darkened Earth ever since President Santiago was assassinated three years ago. We are here to place President Clark under arrest, to disband Nightwatch, and return our government to the hands of her people."

"We know that many in the government have wanted to act but have been intimidated by threats of retaliation against your families, your friends. You are not alone anymore. We call upon you to rise up and do what's right. We have drawn their forces away from Earth and disabled them. The time to act is now."

Clark is at his desk and we see an Earthforce squad with a woman at the center heading for Clark’s office. She is Senator Crosby and is going to relieve him of his job.

Sheridan continues:

"This is not the voice of treason. These are your sons, your daughters, whose loyalties have never wavered, whose beliefs in this Alliance has forced us to take extraordinary means. For justice, for peace, for the future, we have come home!"

Clark activates the Earth Defense Grid and leaves a note with the letters circled, ‘Scorched Earth’ before he shoots himself. The defense grid is programmed to target Earth and the only ship able to stop it is John’s Agamemnon – until the Earthforce ship Apollo comes in from Mars and shoots the last platform.

Sheridan is summoned to the planet.

ISN goes back on the air with real news.

Franklin tries to contact B5.

On B5, we see Marcus and Susan, hooked up to the machoine and he tells her he loves her before we see him lose consciousness or maybe die.


*

Questions:

1. Was it ‘hurried’ or just really fast paced with lots of info that needed to be covered in a single episode?
2. Did the Marcus/Susan bit seem more melodrama than was needed?
3. Did you find it quite a leap that Marcus got enough info from Lennier to find the machine?
4. Seriously, wasn’t it a bit unbelievable that only the Agamemnon could destroy the last platform? There was whole fleet there!
5. What did you think of the whole episode?

*

Sources:
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517647/?ref_=ttep_ep20
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/086.html
The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Endgame
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endgame_(Babylon_5)