First a quick note. We have the holidays coming up and I am also in a play that is running until January. Given this I don’t know how many episodes I will be able to do between now and then. I am still slowly working my way through the script books. If I don’t write again until January, have a wonderful holiday season!

Anna Sheridan comes back at the worst possible time and she invites John Sheridan to come back to Za’ha’dum with her to learn the truth behind the Shadow War. The results are explosive.

Wow. Just as John and Delenn are spending their night together – a Minbari ritual, not anything bad – Anna arrives. Well to say the least John is shocked and upset and who can blame him? Anna agrees to go through any test he wants to prove her identity so she is sent to Dr. Franklin. Meanwhile, John confronts Delenn. Okay, so in all fairness Delenn had no reason to believe Anna would be alive, but I don’t think she ever checked either. Anna wants John to go back with her to Za’ha’dum to meet the Shadows and find out what the war is really all about. In the end he agrees if Anna tells about what happened with the Icarus. Anna says there was an accident and most of the crew were killed and also it destroyed their communications. So plans are made to go to Za’ha’dum. However Dr. Franklin’s report on Anna has something – she has scars where the implants on the telepaths who were going to be put in Shadow vessels were. John knows something is up and he gets Garibaldi to help him with his plans, ones Anna doesn’t know about. Once at Za’ha’dum, John is introduced to Justin and it isn’t surprising Mr. Morden is there as well. They say the Vorlons and the Shadows were left behind to shepherd the younger races, but they couldn’t agree on how to do it: the Vorlons being the lords of order and the Shadows the lords of chaos. They want John to join them willingly since he has the ability to lead whole worlds the same direction he goes, but they are getting his cooperation in any way or else they will cut off his support system: Babylon 5. Right on cue, the Shadows appear and surround Babylon 5. However John has no intention of cooperating after what they did to Anna – putting her in their ships destroyed her personality and even though everything else is the same she isn’t the same person any more. He escapes to a ledge over an abyss and calls down the White Star with two nukes on it. Before it hits, Kosh tells him to jump and he does. Then the capital of the Shadows is destroyed in a rather lovely explosion. John left a message for Delenn telling her about his plans and how he knows this is a trap and that he loves her. Delenn is heartbroken. The Shadows leave Babylon 5 alone, but Ivanova somehow knows what is happening. And Garibaldi who went out with the fighters is missing . . .

John is mad and Delenn is sad. Not surprising given that Anna is back.

Smug Mr. Morden.

The man in the middle: meet Justin.

Staring into the abyss.

Goodbye, John.

Anna doesn’t approve of John’s use of nukes.

It’s the battle we’ve all been waiting for as Sheridan goes head-to-head with the Shadows. Meanwhile, Franklin must finally come to grips with himself.

Delenn works at getting the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to contribute ships to a fleet that will attack the Shadows. Sheridan knows the Shadows have been drive the younger races to one spot, then demoralize them by flattening them there, but he needs someone on location to alert the rest of the fleet. Ivanova and Marcus are sent out in the White Star. Gotta love Minbari beds, by the way, though I don’t think Ivanova would agree^^; And nice going Marcus, saying something romantic in Minbari then translating it as something much more mundane^^; There is a smaller Shadow ship, similar to the White Star in size, that arrives in the area Ivanova and Marcus are watching. The good news is the White Star hasn’t been detected yet. The bad news, the moon they were behind soon moves and they are found out. The White Star does manage to destroy the ship, but not before being damaged by an attempted ram by the other ship. Engines, normal and jump, are off line. That, of course, is when the Shadow fleet arrives. The White Star decides to signal their fleet. Soon, the Shadow fleet spots them. That is when the Alliance fleet jumps in. Engines are back on line, and the battle is engaged with Sheridan and Delenn directing things from a Minbari cruiser. They manage to force the Shadow fleet to retreat, but with heavy losses.

Meanwhile, Franklin is still on Walkabout. He spots some guy getting hurt by some thugs and in trying to help he gets knifed in the stomach. The thugs retreat and the guy he was trying to help refuses to do anything since he’s a criminal and would be arrested. Franklin can’t get out of where he is. This is the point when he finally finds himself again and has a conversation with himself. His alter ego isn’t too pleased Franklin saying he runs away from everything. In spite of this, Franklin decides he wants to live and do better and somehow manages to find the strength to climb out. He is soon found and taken to Med-bay.

While the wounded are tended too and things cleaned up, Sheridan and company have to wonder what the Shadows will do next. His dream from Kosh in  All Alone in the Night starts to make sense, but what does it really mean? A single Shadow vessel moves through hyperspace. Meanwhile, Franklin has a new perspective and appreciation on life and is already helping out as much as his still injured and weakened body will allow. Sheridan of course gives him his job back. Then Sheridan leaves to spend a night asleep while Delenn watches for his true face. That is when Babylon 5 gets an unexpected visitor – Anna Sheridan, the captain’s wife who is supposed to be dead.

Between Franklin and the war, Garibaldi has lots to worry about.

Ivanova and Marcus don’t like the number of Shadow ships they see.

Franklin fights to live.

Sheridan and Delenn contemplate the price of battle.

Look who just showed up? Meet Anna Sheridan.

Ah, in this book we finish off season 2 and start season 3. This includes some wonderful episodes, including: The Fall of Night, Matters of Honor, A Day in the Strife, Passing Through Gethsemane, Messages from Earth, and Dust to Dust. I shouldn’t put it this way, but it is so fun to see the threads of fate squeeze tighter and tighter around our heroes . . . We get the demise of Keffer, the introduction of Marcus, and the atmosphere on set. Finally, we get treated to some preliminary notes on season three from the office of JMS. Another must have book for hardcore fans!

Edit: I can’t believe I forgot this! Arguably the most memorable and touching part of this script book are the reflections of JMS on Richard Biggs, Dr. Stephen Franklin on Babylon 5, who had passed away shortly before volume four came out. Richard Biggs, farewell. You will be missed.

Sheridan tries to unravel the Shadow’s strategy while visitors of a religious nature come to the station. Londo plots to get G’Kar to return to Narn.

Four religious representatives visit Babylon 5. The one who seems to be their unofficial leader, Reverend Will Dexter, seems to be an old acquaintance of Brother Theo’s – the two bicker like old friends. Sheridan’s been spending a lot of time in the War Room lately trying to figure out what the Shadows are up to, but he’s getting worn down. After a discussion of strategy and words at the same time Delenn gets Sheridan to promise to have dinner with these religious representatives, playing the trump card of Minbari honor^^; At the dinner we find these clerics are part of the resistance back on Earth and came to Babylon 5 to deliver accurate information about what is really going on back home. Later, Sheridan is spending a long night trying to get stuff done and has a heart to heart with Reverand Dexter, who convinces it’s okay for him to unburden and share the load occasionally. Sheridan does that with Delenn which makes him feel better, though no new ideas are immediately present. However, the conversation leads him to study the seemingly random Shadow attacks in a new way. The Shadows haven’t hit the area around Babylon 5 yet because people are fleeing there. When they do attack, the result on moral will be exponentially bad. However, Sheridan makes an injudicious remark about how it’s what he would do in the Shadow’s position and Delenn decides he needs a break. Desperately. Where better to have a break than at the services Reverend Dextor has arranged, complete with gospel singing? Later, Delenn takes Sheridan out to show him a surprise – a fleet of White Star ships. The forces of Light are now as ready as they will ever be to fight the Shadows. And we get Sheridan and Delenn’s first kiss:) Well, Delenn’s first kiss with Sheridan at least. Sheridan already had his first kiss with Delenn back in War Without End^^;

But this episode is owned by Londo and G’Kar. Londo wants to deal with G’Kar and he wants to do it now. He tells Vir to tell G’Kar that Na’Toth, whom we haven’t heard from since the fall of Narn, is being held prisoner under the building that used to house the Kah’ri. Since it is full of catacombs and G’Kar is the only member of the Kah’ri free, he is the only one who can supposedly save her. Vir doesn’t want to and at first refuses, but Londo blackmails Vir, threatening to let out the truth regarding Vir’s activities on Mimbar. So Vir does and Londo says. Meanwhile, Lord Refa and and a high ranking official from Centauri Prime arrive. Londo and Refa both snipe at the other to this minister when the other isn’t there. The fact is, the competition between their two houses is starting to tear the government apart. The Emperor doesn’t care how it ends, just that it ends. Londo says he will prove his worth to the Emperor above that of Refa or his house. Vir is incensed that Londo would use G’Kar like this. Some how Refa learns that Vir knows Londo’s plans and he kidnaps Vir. Vir doesn’t respond to bribery so Refa has a telepath take Londo’s plans from Vir’s mind. Eventually Vir is rescued by Londo and Vir is worried. G’Kar gets Garibaldi to have the Rangers sneak him onto Narn. Once there, he and others head through the catacombs under the government buildings but are surrounded by Refa’s people. However, G’Kar then shows  message from Londo. Londo wants Refa bad for the murder of his love Adira, among other things. He could kill Refa back on Babylon 5 or Centauri Prime but Londo wants to ruin Refa. To get G’Kar’s cooperation, he gave documents to the Narn detailing Refa’s involvement in some of the worst crimes against Narns, including authorizing the use of weapons of mass destruction. To ensure G’Kar’s cooperation, Londo has already freed a large number of Narn who are political prisoners. More will be freed when Refa is dead. Incriminating evidence is left to be found on Refa, and to put it shortly the Narn make quick work of him. With Refa dead and disgraced and his house ruined, the competition between the two houses is over. If you thought Vir was upset about betraying G’Kar, that is nothing to what Vir feels when he finds out how Londo used him.

Of special note is the juxtaposition of the gospel singing and Refa trying to get away from the Narn, with the gospel song playing throughout. It really is wrong to laugh, but the contrast is so . . . striking . . . I couldn’t help it.

Meet Reverend Will Dexter of the Baptist persuasion and Brother Theo’s “nemesis”.

Poor Vir has something to tell G’Kar that he doesn’t want to say.

Vir just can’t get a break this episode. First betraying G’Kar, now having his mind rummaged through.

Lord Refa laughed too soon. Never go up against both Londo and G’Kar – you’ll lose.

Delenn’s present to Sheridan: a fleet of White Star ships, and just in time.

Garibaldi makes a discovery about Grey 17 and Delenn takes over leadership of the rangers. Neroon objects, strongly.

Sheridan is actively recruiting telepaths, but is having trouble finding enough. He charges Ivanova with going to Franklin and getting his records from the underground telepath railroad. Franklin isn’t doing so good – withdrawal from stims has caught up with him and he doesn’t want to be bothered until he has figured himself out so he gives everything needed to retrieve his telepath information and in exchange he wants to be left alone.

Meanwhile, the rangers need a new leader and Ratheen tells Delenn she is the best choice and the one the rangers would follow. He brushes all Delenns’ objections aside. In the end Delenn agrees. Unfortunately, Neroon (and probably other elements of the warrior caste) don’t like this at all and Neroon tells Delenn he will stop her from becoming Entil-zah at any cost. Delenn does tell Lennier about this, but while she does take Neroon’s threat seriously she also can’t believe he would kill her since no Minbari has killed another Minbari for a thousand years. Lennier wants to tell Sheridan, but Delenn makes him promise not to. Lennier gets around this by telling Marcus instead. Yeah, gotta love Minbari logic. Lennier will find Neroon’s location and Marcus will delay him long enough for Delenn to become Entil-zah. Marcus does delay Neroon, but in the end it really is no match – Neroon is the better fighter. However, Neroon does stop. Why? Because a human was willing to die for a Minbari. Marcus is much the worse for wear after the fight but he will survive, though Delenn is distressed this happened. And I think for the first time, we hear Neroon laugh when he talks with Marcus in sickbay. Yeah, Marcus could make anyone laugh.

This last part of the story involves Mr. Garibaldi. There is a report that a maintenance guy is missing, so Garibaldi goes investigating. To put it shortly, he finds a missing level that has been cleverly hidden (Grey 17) and after getting tranked, wakes up with his comlink and gun missing. He finds the level has been taken over by a kind of religious cult headed by a very philosophical guy named Jeremiah. Garibaldi tricks Jeremiah into being alone, fights a monster, and manages to get out in one piece. Okay, I like philosophy, but this part was not the best part of the episode, though Jeremiah was an interesting character.

Yeah Franklin, getting off Stims is hard to do.

Okay Garibaldi, going into Grey 17 by yourself isn’t the smartest thing you’ve ever done.

Meet Jeremiah, self philosopher and proclaimed prophet of Grey 17.

Marcus v. Neroon. An uneven match, but that’s not the point. Protecting Delenn from Neroon is.

Becoming Entil-Zha.

We get some very memorable episodes in this edition, including And Now For a Word, In the Shadow of Za’ha’dum, Confessions and Lamentations, Divided Loyalties, The Long Twilight Struggle, and Comes the Inquisitor. Yeah, JMS was definitely ramping everything up at the end of season two to lead into season three. Only one more episode is left to the season, after which anyone who has been paying attention realizes that the Babylon project has failed but is evolving into something new to face what is coming both at home and abroad. As for what is included in the book besides these wonderful scripts, JMS introduces us to the people who made Babylon 5 happen cast wise. He tells us who they are, what their job was, and what they did to make this show come together. There is also a nice tribute to Richard Biggs who played Dr. Franklin and who passed away shortly before this volume was released. As a special bonus, there is an episode named Festival that was not even half way completed because it wasn’t working. Yeah, going with The Parlament of Dreams was a much better way of dealing with religion in the end – the final scene especially was quite powerful – though some of the jokes and gags in Festival about religion were pretty funny. The non-religious part of the story had potential and it is a pity JMS was never able to bring in Mr. Jones into the series. Well, you can’t have everything. All in all, another must have for fans.

Two in one day!

This is perhaps my favorite Babylon 5 novel of all time, and why not? We get very little about what happened to Sinclair between the time he leaves Babylon 5 for Minbar and returns to take Babylon 4 into the past. What ever happened to Catherine Sakai and the history of Marcus Cole are also questions every fan wants to know and we get those questions answered in To Dream in the City of Sorrows. Sinclair is frustrated and has to push the issue to get answers about what the Minbari want with him, and he is surprised by the answer. Fate seems to want to keep Cathrine separated from Jeff, but that doesn’t stop her from getting to Minbar. And when Marcus’ younger brother William appears on the family mining station, Marcus can’t believe what his brother has to tell him – until events tragically prove William right. Can Sinclair become Entil’za as the Minbari (well most of them) want and still retain what makes himself human? Oh, and we meet our second Vorlon to this point chronologically, and Ulrich is no Kosh.

Gasp! Is it really an episode update? Yes! The screenshot problem has a solution of sorts. We’ll have to see how well it holds and how much time I have for this.

Franklin meets a singer Downbelow, the new Vorlon ambassador arrives, and Sheridan decides to do a real life experiment with the Shadows.

So the new Vorlon ambassador arrives. He is definitely a Vorlon and definitely different from Kosh, although he will in effect pretend to be Kosh up to taking Kosh’s name to keep the newly formed alliance from fracturing. Lyta also is back. Kosh and Lyta both seem anxious to see if anyone was with the real Kosh during his last moments – it seems the Vorlons can put pieces of themselves in others. Unfortunately no one was there but Mr. Morden and his associates. The new Kosh isn’t to gentle when he interrogates Lyta. Well, Lyta asks the captain about what he knows and he tells her, including the fact that Kosh was in his mind once. Then Lyta thinks she hears Kosh for a moment.

Sheridan, however, has other worries and plans. What Garibaldi discovered suggests telepaths may be able to block Shadow ships, so Sheridan wants to test this by going into hyperspace and jumping out at the next Shadow attack. This is also a good chance to see what it takes to kill a Shadow ship. The war counsel, over Sheridan’s objections, insists he tack back up, both in fire power and telepathic power. He already asked Lyta to help. Since a Narn heavy cruiser is there helping to protect Babylon 5 (which fact Londo is not happy about), G’Kar talks to the captain of that ship about helping with the mission, but the captain doesn’t want to. This infuriates Garibaldi who shames G’Kar into helping anyway. So the White Star detects a Shadow attack and jumps out of hyperspace. Lyta tries to block the ship but at first can’t. When Sheridan touches her, she sees what happened to Kosh and she gets mad enough to stop the Shadow ship in its tracks. The White Star has to take off the jump engines to do it, but it destroys the Shadow ship. Unfortunately, it got out a call to help and four more Shadow ships arrive before the jump engines are back on line. The Minbari escort jumps to normal space and the telepaths are able to stop three of the Shadow ships but the fourth is still on the rampage. Just before the White Star is about to be destroyed, the Narn heavy cruiser jumps out. It with the White Star take care of one Shadow ship. Then another jump point opens and half the league seems to be there, thanks to G’kar. Lyta thinks she hears Kosh again so when everyone gets back to Babylon 5 she tells the new Kosh that she thinks a piece of his predecessor might be in someone else.

Meanwhile, Franklin is on walkabout. When Garibaldi corners him (Franklin hadn’t been in his quarters for several days) Franklin says basically he is trying to find himself since he has no idea who he is any more besides a doctor. He sees a lady, Caitlyn, singing in a bar Downbelow and the two hit it off. Caitlyn has a theory about how you can see a person’s soul if you catch the reflection in a glass just right. The two spend the night together. Franklin thinks Caitlyn could do much better for herself and wishes there was something he could do. Caitlyn asks for a strong prescription drug which Franklin feels an obligation not to help with. After Franklin is asleep, Caitlyn “borrows” his identicard to get the drug and she awakens him by collapsing after her return. Franklin gets her to Medlab and the doctors there give her the exact drug she used Franklin’s card to get. It seems she has a terminal neural illness and that drug is one of the few things that keeps the pain away. Dr. Franklin didn’t know about this since she was diagnosed before his arrival and then she disappeared. Caitlyn decided to spend her remaining days singing to the people in Downbelow since they need hope. Franklin orders anything Caitlyn needs. He sees her sing once more then goes on walkabout again.

Ah, the assumptions people make, ie Franklin about Caitlyn. Poor Lyta. If she knew she was getting a new boss so soon, I’m not sure she would have agreed to be the assistant to the Vorlon ambassador.

Welcome new Vorlon ambassador.

The new Kosh doesn’t seem nearly as . . . friendly. Lyta would agree.

Sorry captain, the war counsel can over rule you.

Meet Cailyn, a wonderful singer with a sad secret. Three cheers for her attitude in spite of that.

Garibaldi wants G’Kar to live up to what is in the book of G’Quan.

When Lyta’s mad, even Shadows are scared.

Reinforcements! Even Shadows don’t want to fight everyone all at once.

Franklin’s fractured soul.

So this script book commences season two. This in and of itself is of note, but Michael O’Hare who played Commander Sinclair left. JMS discusses this departure and casting Bruce Boxliner as the new Captain Sheridan and how he integrated Sheridan into the cast and the story – starting with one character, Ivanova, who already knew and liked Sheridan. Because of the roles Boxliner had previously played, JMS had to start at one point with the character and gradually move him over into a more serious role – that eventually includes going against his own government. He also talks about another new character, the starfury pilot Warren Keffer how he came to be and why JMS never liked the character (the actor was fine). All of this casting gives us some insight into some of the politics that go on behind the scenes between those who make shows and the powers that be. We have a number of excellent episodes included in this volume, from the introductory “Points of departure” to the sad and amusing “Acts of Sacrifice”. Once again, memos are included that detail script ideas. Some were discarded, some were used but rearranged or went in a different direction. And I agree with JMS, an episode with the alien ambassadors as the command staff and the command staff as the ambassadors would have rocked!

I know, I haven’t been here for a while. <ducks behind Garibaldi for protection> Things have been rather busy, and my computer, well it’s almost three years old now so while I can easily watch B5 like normal on a DVD player, screenshots are another matter and my computer no longer seems to like DVDs very much. I’m working on a solution for this. In the mean time, here are a few thoughts on the second JMS script book.

This book finishes up season one script wise, which include some very powerful episodes: Signs and Portents, A Voice in the Wilderness, Babylon Squared, and Crystalis, among others. Besides these gems from the B5 universe, JMS gives us the story of the carpet that shows us his method of story telling. In the back, we get notes and memos which describes minor characters, some of which were never used or used less than JMS was hoping and episode concepts. It is particularly interesting to see the ones that didn’t get made, and the ones that did get made but in a very different form than originally envisioned. As always JMS has commentary on all of the episodes, including Claudia Christensen being stuck in a star furry during an earthquake . . .

A must have for fans.