Holy cow, did I cry during this episode. I cried when I re-watched it to get clips for this post. I’m crying now…
Sheridan turns off the computer warnings telling him that his life signs are starting to fail. “Turn everything off,” he says irritably to the computer.
Then, as he sees the glorious emptiness of space before him, a smile comes over his face and he sighs, “Better.”
Woohoo, Ivanova’s back! If I didn’t already know this was going to happen, I think I would have jumped up and started cheering at the tv screen. 
And she’s a GENERAL now!
And Vir’s emperor!!!! And having fun.
But now this makes me wonder what happened to Londo. Did that scene with Londo and G’Kar strangling each other happen after all?!? I always assumed it didn’t because G’Kar was no longer angry with Londo, and plus he was wearing an eye patch in that scene instead of his prosthetic eye. Jeff theorizes that it really did happen.
If Jeff is right (and I’m starting to realize he probably is), it means that G’Kar came back. Now I feel like rewatching the episode where we see that flash-forward scene.
Garibaldi has a daughter! Who calls Franklin an uncle! 
I was amused to see Garibaldi still smoking cigars after telling the head of the previous campany board to leave his cigar behind.
SO great to see some of the old gang together. Even Jeff got choked up.
I was glad to see that being the Centauri Emperor hasn’t really changed Vir. But then what happened to the parasite spider thing? Wouldn’t it have passed on
OH WAIT!!! As I was typing the above I finally clued in. Londo had G’Kar kill him so that the creature on his shoulder would die, didn’t he? I’m remembering that finally. Which means that Vir didn’t have to go through the same thing.
But why would G’Kar want to die?
Vir’s story about the singing Pach’mara (sorry, I keep forgetting how to spell that word) and Londo crying was deeply moving. Speaking of deeply moving, I bawled when the group raised their glasses and gave a toast to absent friends, naming them one at a time: G’Kar, Londo, Lennier, Marcus.
LENNIER DIED? HOW DID LENNIER DIE? Don’t tell me if this story is told in one of the movies or a book I can read.
I love that Delenn seems very sensitive to Ivanova’s mood during the dinner and after.
“I’ve buried so many friends, Delenn,” says Ivanova. “And I’m beginning to resent it.”
Delenn asks Ivanova to be the head of the Rangers.
“I want to feel space beneath me,” Sheridan tells Ivanova as they lie in bed on his last night. “It’s where I belong. It’s where I’ve always belonged.”
I was crying pretty much non-stop from this point on.
Sheridan: When I was a kid, every Sunday dad would take us out for a drive. We never knew where we were going, that was half the fun. We’d just go. He’d say, pick a direction and one of us would point, off we’d go.
Especially during this last embrace. My heart was SO breaking for Delenn. She was being so brave.
Sheridan: Good night, my love, the brightest star in my sky.
Delenn: Good night, you, my sky, and my sun, and my moon.
And then the scene in the abnormally quiet and abandoned Babylon Five station…
A last good-bye with Zack:
Sheridan has certainly aged well, hasn’t he?
Sheridan takes a ship to Corianus (sp?), where they won the Shadow war.
A scene I found deeply moving: Delenn waking in bed back on Minbar, turning over and seeing Sheridan’s empty pillow, then rolling over and curling around the pillow, hugging it to herself.
So well done…
I’m glad Lorien joined Sheridan on the ship, just before the end.
“Well,” murmurs Sheridan. “Look at that. Sun’s coming up…”
The B5 crew say good-bye to the station one last time.
And B5 is officially de-commissioned and destroyed…
I’m glad that Ivanova did that last voice-over.
“Babylon Five was the last of the Babylon stations. There would never be another. It changed the future, and it changed us. It taught us that we have to create the future or others would do it for us. It showed us that we have to care for one another because if we don’t, who will? And that true strength comes from the most unlikely places. Mostlly, though, I think it gave us hope…that there can always be new beginnings, even for people like us.”
And the part about Delenn getting up every morning before dawn to watch the sun come up, for as long as she lived…
I was -sobbing- by this point.
Cool to have a fast-forward photo gallery of all the people responsible for B5, and then the before/after credits of all the B5 cast. I had to pause on Marcus’s computer entry to read what it said.
“Indefinite hold in the event of new resuscitation technology.” YAY, so maybe he’ll come back?!?? And maybe he and Ivanova will get together after all??? (albeit older) Oh PLEEEEASE.
I will post more (summary-like) when I’ve had a chance to recover from this episode. LOVED this series. It had ups and downs, but way more ups than downs. What an adventure. Thank you all so much for sharing the ride with me.
But meanwhile…what should I watch next? There are movies, aren’t there? I definitely want to read those follow-up books and stories you all have mentioned (to Allison: yes, please! could I borrow that?).
Hm, need to buy more tissues…
22 comments ↓
*sob* this has to be the saddest episode in any series ever! didn’t you just love the music when B5 was blown up?
During the “War Without End II” flash-forward, Londo mentioned that he’d drunk enough to put the Keeper creature to sleep for a while so he could talk to Sheridan and Delenn. He needed G’Kar to kill him before it woke up again and make him stop their escape (the creature did wake up, but too late to do anything other than make Londo try to fight back, so Londo and G’Kar both ended up dead).
By the way, that’s JMS himself shutting it all down…
Apparently JMS’s music direction to Chris Franke for the station blowing up was ‘break their hearts’.
The fate of Londo and G’Kar (and Vir) is all in the Centauri trilogy of paperbacks. I can pass them onto you this weekend. I also have the Bester trilogy and a one-off book that features Sinclair and Marcus on Minbar.
That final episode is just gorgeous. I still cry every time I see it. We never do find out what happened to Lennier, which is just really haunting… I’m so happy for Vir, though, that he ends up content and reforming Centauri Prime. And, like you, I’m so moved by the story he tells about Londo at that final dinner. Love that Susan becomes leader of the Rangers, too- that’s so appropriate.
Could say more, but there’s the bell.
But why would G’Kar want to die?
You could say that he had nothing left to live for. He’d freed his people, conquered even the Centauri in his way, and finally come to terms with Londo, his opposite and nemesis.
I’m not entirely certain that I believe that of G’Kar; his spirit was great and his life certainly could have had value going forward — but it may well have been hard for him to see that. And, if he must die, it’s fitting that he does so to save Sheridan’s (and Delenn’s) life one more time.
This is one of the all-time saddest episodes of any show I’ve ever seen.
now go back and start watching the episodes with commentary
those are fun and informative as well.
yeah, the movies are collected into a box set as well
and Crusade… the spin off is also available (shame that it was axed)
and of course, Legend of the Rangers and The Lost Tales.
As to movies, I’d start off with “In The Beginning.”
As to Lennier, we never get any word about him. He’s absent not because he’s dead (though he may be), but because he’s, well, absent.
As to Marcus, JMS did in fact write a short story for a magazine that told the story of Marcus’ fate. You could probably dredge up a copy if you wanted, through contacts in the fandom. But you really don’t want to. Really. You don’t want to. I, personally, was much happier with things before I read what JMS thought happened, and have since decided to ignore that short story completely as a mass hallucination or something.
I happened to be home from college when this episode first aired, and my Mom and I just sat in front of the TV with a box of tissues crying the whole time. So well done, but so sad.
It’s interesting: this episode was actually shot at the end of year 4 when they didn’t know they’d be renewed, and then replaced by the far-future episode when they found out. The whole 5th season, everyone on the cast and crew knew EXACTLY what was coming and how to work towards it… this show just amazes me.
The thing that struck me; throughout the series, candles are used as a metaphor for life, for lives. When a life is lost, a candle goes out, and so on. A candle being snuffed, in Babylon Five, is always a serious and tragic thing.
Now think about the one time when it’s not tragic at all, when it’s absolutely the right thing to do to put out a candle, and apply that to the metaphor.
JMS may not have a religion himself, but he understands religion. Completely.
Erm, it’s not Ivanova in bed with Sheridan on his last night. Even jms wouldn’t throw that one at us.
Even reading your report brings tears to my eyes — I still cry every time I watch this episode. The shock in Delenn’s eyes when they embrace one last time, even though she knew it was coming, Babylon 5 ending in fire as predicted so many times, Ivanova’s final voiceover, all of it.
Yes, lots more to read and some movies to watch. (Now I can watch the Lost Tales. The only B5 I’ve not seen.) I watched this episode last night and still cried even though I’ve seen it at least 8 times now-counting twice last night (I watched JMS’s commentary. Do that when you can. Probably less tears–its harder to hear the dialogue because JMS talks over the dialogue and the talking tends to give you some distance from what is being watched.)
I saw most of the series when it orginally ran, and I taped the series (twice) when TNT was showing it Mon-Fri. And yes, I usually skipped watching this episode when TNT aired it.
Don’t forget to watch the gag reels on the DVDs. There are some priceless clips in them.
Do post something when you watch the movies and later, if you re-watch the series!
B5 is one of the few shows that I have watched again & again, from beginning to end. (Like re-reading my favorite books.) Because of the dialogue and the character development. I may have seen the original Trek episodes more times than B5, but watching one or two Trek episodes doesn’t make me want to watch the entire series all over again. But watching almost any B5 episode does. (Twin Peaks is the other show that effects me in the same way.)
Nope, you never find out how Lennier died. That still and will always annoy me because seriously, you just don’t do that to favorite characters.
This episode made me cry like a little girl. I was the certified Tissue Box Queen of the house that night and cried almost nonstop through the whole thing. Even my *mom* was crying at the end, and she never does. It was so beautiful and so sad and such a perfect way to end the series. God, I love B5. How is it possible that this can be so amazing? I’ve had many favorite shows in my time but nothing is like this, and I don’t think there will ever again be anything like this.
And the story of Marcus? Don’t read it. Seriously. Just no.
I use Vir as an inspirational story when my roomie gets down. Look at how he started, roomie, and he became emperor!
roomie: uh?
If anyone wants some of those things that you can’t find published any more, ay arr eye ess tee gee dee at gee mail dot com says “text files available.”
Most of what I was going to say has been said, but–yes, the movies are excellent. In the Beginning and Thirdspace especially. But I also really enjoyed River of Souls (which made me really like Lochley), and then there’s A Call to Arms, which also doubles as the pilot for Crusade.
More good stuff, um… happyme did a great overview vid to What About Everything by Carbon Leaf, but half of my internet has vanished and I can only find the old version without the new footage. Still, http://www.mysideyourside.co.uk/happyme/index.htm is her page and it’s the top vid on the list. I’m trying to find links to more but my internet is not cooperating.
And, uh, there’s fic out there, some of it written by me. Um. Oh, heck, it’s all linked at the top of http://aris-writing.livejournal.com/ if you’re interested.
I wanted to let you know how much I’ve really enjoyed your reviews of Babylon 5. Your reviews inspired me to watch the series again and it was great to watch an episode and then see your insights and reactions to it.
You don’t know me but you do know my daughter, Acacia Sears, and I found your B5 journal through here. We also met in the hall at Balticon.
Anyway…Thank you very much for this walk through the B5 universe. It was a blast to travel it with you!
Well, you need to watch Babylon 5: In the Beginning if you haven’t already, which gives you some backstory to the Earth-Minbari war, and flashes forward to just before Londo and G’Kar have their final encounter.
You can pretty much give Thirdspace a miss, and you might want to consider if you want to watch A Call to Arms which leads into Crusade (which was a disaster of incredible proportions and a complete waste of potential, even though certain plot points about the history get thrown up during its course). Do not, on pain of death, watch Legend of the Rangers, but do watch Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark. It’s pretty pedestrian, but I did enjoy the music and the more detailed CGI of Babylon 5’s exterior which makes the old girl look really good.
I recommend the novel trilogies (The Psi Corps trilogy, the Centauri Prime trilogy specifically), especially if you want to find out what happens to Londo and G’Kar, and the fate of Bester.
And, of course, it ended in fire, as Kosh promised, as the Lady Ladira foresaw all the way back in Season 1. Just not in the way we thought it would.
*Do not, on pain of death, watch [i]Legend of the Rangers[/i], *
I’ve been a lurker for a while but I just had to pop in to second this - it’s awful awful awful.
My bf suggested Farscape as a potential next project. It’s fairly huge and sprawling, and while it’s no B5 it’s still fun. To be honest you won’t find another B5. Nothing before or since has managed the depth of plot and characterisation.
You could also try Firefly, but that won’t take you very long to get through.
I also reccomend the techno-mage trilogy by Jeanne Cavelos. Those books are fantastic…I read those before I watched any B5, and it’s what made me decide to watch the show in the first place. They are wonderful.
Go back and watch the commentary to this episode. Now. No spoilers as in other commentaries. Turn on the subtitles so you can see the dialouge when you can’t hear it under JMS talking. He was the director of this episode (his first), so he talks from the point of view of the director, the writer, executive producer and creator.
Like I said B4, you suddenly got ahead of me, so my re-watching was not done until last night. After watching SiL commentary, watch In The Beginning. It’s viewing would have been better at the end of the 4th season, as it did add insight to what came before.
Soundtrack audio CDs did come out at the time of transmission and still may be available at Roper’s table or on Amazon. I got 2 collections (the first 2 available), and the CD dedicated to Sleeping In Light. There are other discs for other episodes.
Next watch through, go that Lurker’s Guide and read up their analysis, re-cap and JMS talk-back about the individual episodes as each is seen. Also use it to find the JMS suggested sequence to watch Crusade episodes, which will help the story flow a little bit better, instead of the TNT production/airing order.
I haven’t commented before but I have been really enjoying your commentary on watching B5 for the first time. It has reminded me of the emotions and enjoyment I went through when I first watched it. B5 is the best TV series ever! I absolutely love it. My favourite characters were G’Kar, Garibaldi and Vir although I liked them all. I would definately recommend the follow on books - they are all good reads.
Thank you for your entertaining blog.
Waah, no more Debbie commentary on B5! *pouts*
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