BABYLON 5 #2: Midnight On The Firing Line(1)/Soul Hunter(2):
| B012 |
7.0 |
1.33 |
DPL |
LDCA |
Category: Science Fiction / Fantasy / TV
A much anticipated disc release. Where is it and when is it going to be announced? On a good satellite feed, the image is better than Laserdisc. Hopefully, the recent change to a 25 degree LNB will significantly improve reception quality of this program. On a good day in the winter, the image has a small level of snow in the background. Perhaps the snow will now be removed. Good news is that the LNB really makes quite the difference in image quality and removing sparklies, but it doesn’t get rid of every spec of snow. The characters of Ivanova and Talia Winters are examined in this first episode. The storyline concerns the Narn invasion of the Centauri agricultural colony on Ragesh 3. A couple of plot points to note are the foreshadowing of both Londo and G’Kar’s deaths at each others hands. As revealed in the third season, this event does take place some 20 years from this episode except that the reasons for it are very different than one would suspect at this early juncture. It turns out that Londo has asked his old friend to do this to him to free him from a dark influence before it awakens within. The second episode revolves around Delenn with the foreshadow plot points of the Soul Hunter telling Sinclair that the Minbari were using him. “They’re using you!” And Delenn’s dialog to Sinclair as she drifts off into unconsciousness. Soul Hunters return in the 4th season episode Atonement. It has finally been announced, but it will be anyone’s guess if the product is present in 16:9. I somehow doubt that it will happen. For your inspection, the two images above were taken from the first episode. The scene from the opening credits is rendered in an aspect ratio close to 1.85:1 and the cropping of the TV version is clear for all to see.
BABYLON 5 #3: Born To The Purple(3)/Infection(4): Warner
| B014 |
7.0 |
1.33 |
DPL |
LDCA |
Category: Science Fiction / Fantasy / TV
Londo meets and beds a slave girl in the first episode. There is actually a tie in with this episode during the third season episode “Interludes and Examinations” as Adira returns to Londo, but in a body bag courtesy of Mr. Morden and his associates. An ancient organic weapon is brought on board and runs amuck killing people on the station who are not pure. A cheap episode given that David McCallum guess stars, but has very little to do, but stand around. He doesn’t even make for a convincing villain. The episode does get the plot point across regarding Earth Force and its desire to develop as much alien technology as possible. Garibaldi also mentions for the first time about how he met Sinclair and the incident in the Martian Desert. Garibaldi also confronts Sinclair about his deathwish and tells Sinclair to find something worth living for versus something worth dying for. This is exactly the same thing that Lorien says to Sheridan on Z’Ha’Dum. Hiding in plain site. Most interesting to view G’Kar as the villain in these early episodes. Kodath in this episode is clearly not wearing any contact lenses. Her eyes are brown, but this is because the actress was allergic to the contacts. She had to bow out of the series rather quickly. Finally on Laserdisc after so many false starts.
BABYLON 5 #4: The Parliament Of Dreams(5)/Mind Wars(6): Warner
| B016 |
7.0 |
1.33 |
DPL |
Mitsubishi Jpn |
Category: Science Fiction / Fantasy / TV
Episode 5 talks about religious ceremonies held on the station by the various alien races. It is somehow hinted that Sinclair and Delenn share a similar destiny. (Which ultimately turns out to be the case what with Sinclair being Valen and all and Delenn being a child of Valen. But this is another example of the wonderful symmetry that the series offers its viewers and it is even more satisfying the second time around.) An assassin arrives to kill G’Kar for some of his past deeds. The pain collar is introduced and it would later be used again in the fourth season episode Intersections In Real Time. Episode 6 introduces us to a region of space where “Giants” walk. This is a teaser (hopefully) of things to come and it also gives us our first glimpse into the true nature of G’Kar. As later revealed in the third season, the giants turn out to be one of the “First Ones” involved with the Shadow Wars over 1,000 years ago and even further back. What has become of the events in this one regarding Jason Ironheart and the telekinetic gift that he bestows on Talia? Never fear though, Lyta Alexander takes over the role. Little did we know that Alfred Bester would return again and again to the series and yet retain his evil persona. The Laserdisc arrived from Video Library in Vancouver as a pack of six discs. Three from each of the first and fifth seasons. The image quality is exceptional and B5 has never looked better.
BABYLON 5 #5: The War Prayer(7)/And The Sky Full Of Stars(8): Warner
| B018 |
7.0 |
1.33 |
DPL |
Mitsubishi Jpn |
Category: Science Fiction / Fantasy / TV
Number 7 focuses on the Home Guard and their efforts to rid the station of all non humans. Number 8 is another of the so called Wham! episodes that help to push the main plotline forward by a larger step. The episode also succeeds at generating more questions than answers. The “Battle Of The Line” is finally presented in greater detail than ever before. “Mitchell, what about Mitchell?” His mind was fried and we never really learn what area of the Earth Government sent him to interrogate Sinclair. We do learn about what happens to a body once it has been thrown out an airlock. More flashbacks of the “Battle Of The Line” are used in the third season episode “A Late Delivery From Avalon” as another survivor of this battle arrives on the station. These sequences are shown in black and white as has been the tradition of the series. The true reason behind why the Minbari surrendered is finally revealed in the third season two part episode “War Without End” and it really had less to do with humans having Minbari souls and more to do with the realization that Sinclair was Valen, one of the Minbari’s most revered religious figures. The Sinclair connection is expanded upon even further in the 4th season episode “Atonement.” Note the triluminary’s reaction to Sinclair as he is being interrogated. The item glows brighter than for any other person. The Battle Of The Line will be hilighted even further in the upcoming telefilm in 1998. There will also be an explanation as to why the term is used and it is supposed to be far from what we might think. And now we finally know what the Battle of the Line refers to. The line is that drawn against the night. The twilight of the human civilization before the fall of night. Wow … more symmetry in the Babylon 5 universe. The audio from the battle of the line is inserted into the background as Sinclair talks about the medal he received in the special edition of the pilot film. Interesting that each Laserdisc comes with a painted cover. The back side does not have information about initial airing times.
BABYLON 5 #6: Deathwalker(9)/Believers(10): Warner
| B020 |
7.0 |
1.33 |
DPL |
Mitsubishi Jpn |
Category: Science Fiction / Fantasy / TV
Deathwalker wears the uniform of the Star Riders of the Minbari Warrior Caste well before we even get to see the Minbari’s wear it. The image doesn’t click until later on in the series. This episode also includes the mysterious conversation between Kosh and Mr. Abutt. In light of the events in the “Divided Loyalties” episode near the end of season two, there is new meaning to the conversation. Quite possibly, everything they talk about refers to Talia Winters in some way. She would not understand and neither would the viewer until near the end of the second season. It is time to review this conversation. Flashbacks in the series are presented in black and white as if to infer that our memory images things only in black and white. This is not true of course. The data crystal that Kosh receives at the end of the show is apparently in the possession of Mr. Garibaldi and may surface again in the final season. Doubtful.
