I watched Season 5 After All - SPOILERS

[Winterbottom]

Some time ago, I posted a question

Watch Sleeping in Light Before or after Season 5?

The general concensus was that Season 5 should not necessarily be considered as a bonus season, even though Season 4 was written such that it could be the last one. On top of that, there is a general feeling that Season 5 is slooww plodding and of ourse BYRON.

Well I am soooo glad that I watched the season. Sure, there were some slower parts, but they had to be there in building up some new stories. I think that JMS was right with regards to Lyta and Byron. At the end of Season 4, when she did the whole "I'll sue" shebang, it just didn't work, both as an actress, but also as a character. She was not malevolent enough. But by the end of Season 5, man she was one scary Bee-ach.

Then of course, there was the absolutely brilliant conclusion to Londo's story which took up quite a chunk of the season and was as hardcore as B5 ever was.

And possibly one of the biggest shocks was the way in which Lennier DID betray the rangers, as prophesised by Morden in "Day of the Dead". This was amazing because of the fact that Lenniers character did change, and did become dark, sombre and depressed. And there I was 3 episodes before that occurred, thinking that Although B5 is all about changing characters,, that Lennier was the only one who started out as a gentle reliable puppy, was going to finish off as a gentle reliable puppy. After he tried to inadvertently kill Sheridan It suddenly dawned on me that he HAS changed ORGANICALLY, and his action did seem appropriate.

And of course, objects at Rest.....Tears came streaming
* When Sheridan took his last look at B5
* When Sheridan said his goodbyes to Michael Garibaldi
* When Gkar said his goodbyes to Sheridan

And the big one!! (I forget the episode) when Gkar tells Londo that despite the Narns not being able to forgive the Centauri, He forgives him. I'm getting hairs standing all over by beck and a big lump in my throat, just thinking about it all.

And then it all leads perfectly into sleeping in Light (except the Garibaldi bit)

After watching Sleeping in Light, despite feeling a great loss, I DID feel, and now what, and I didn’t feel sad, but I did feel hope.

And now this all brings me into perfect timing, back to where it started, in the pilot, and season 1, (Of course on DVD)

Cool /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Galahad]

The bits in SiL that made my hair on my spine stand on end and choked me up were:

Sheridan saying farewell to Delenn

The bit where Sheridan is looking at the wall hearing the voices of the League spokesmen in "The Summoning", and then it all disappears.

Sheridan being taken.

The station going up. (The obs dome extra boom is the hardest part for me for some reason, and it always makes me think of Ivanova saying no boom today boom tomorrow, theres always a boom tomorrow)

The end credits

 

[hypatia]

And possibly one of the biggest shocks was the way in which Lennier DID betray the rangers, as prophesised by Morden in "Day of the Dead".

I agree. I think this was a fine touch JMS put into B5. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Lennier was just a bit too perfect.

In fact, I'm amazed JMS didn't do something horrible to Delenn.

But I think it's a very, very interesting touch to B5.

 

[MOmega]

Dellen has problematic past, so I think it's not so important to do her something ugly /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[KoshFan]

Besides, she's suffering enough because of Sheridan's premature death and departure. Imagine eighty years or more without the love of your life. Vicious.

 

[hypatia]

Yes, they had each other for a relatively short time. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Ranger Shoshanah]

"There's always a boom tomorrow." Not for nothing did JMS write that line, in my opinion. He knew from the beginning that he'd blow up the station in the end. There's also the interresting line in, I think "Babylon Squared," in which Ivanova says that, next time Babylon 4 reappears, she wants to be the one to go there and leave Garibaldi home minding the store. Again, not for nothing--two seasons later, when the team goes out to keep B4 from being blown up and to rescue the inhabitants of B4 so that Sinclair/Valen can take B4 back through time 1,000 years , that's exactly what happens. Then there's Walker Smith warning Garibaldi to watch his back...several episodes before Garibaldi gets stabbed therein. It's hints like these that make watching B5 more than once through interesting--you never know when a joke, statement, or warning will turn out to have been a foreshadowing of things to come.

 

[Galahad]

Garibaldi is told several times to watch his back in season 1 I think, or at the very least there are references to him being a complete plod when it comes to watching his back, but I may be wrong. They are all comments made in passing, but it is so much like the universe is trying to tell him something.