My favourite moment of this episode: Sheridan: 'Delenn, We need you' Delenn: 'We are there' And what began with the battle of the line, ends with Earth Alliance and Mimbari Vessels flying side by side to save the earth. Gives me chills every time.
I agree. Two other vignettes that are memorable for me are her "You are in front of me. He is behind me." which showed the steel in her spine and her reaction to the deaths of the Marcab which showed the intensity of her empathy for all living things. JMS wrote well balanced, strong female characters and found actors with the ability to pull it off. Mira Furlan was an excellent choice and breathed real life into Delenn that made for a believable character.
Agree about JMS and strong, yet feminine woman characters. Another aspect sometimes overlooked is while being a card-carrying atheist, JMS was able on so many occasions to do stories sympathetic to issues of Faith.
I don't know what you're talking about. (What? I'm not getting teary eyed. NO! I'M NOT!! YOU SHUT UP!!! Jeez, some people trying to defame me like that. 🙄) 😆
The first 20 times we flet for Marcus, this time we feel for Medusa. She's the only reactions channel I watch, others I feel are too performed. Her funny comments are pretty classy too, in the middle of a gunfight on B5 'Why's Delenn here!' It's the raw emotions and their sheer intensity that are gripping.
And there we go. The most amazing, heroic, and gut wrenching episode of one of the greatest seasons of television ever produced. I don't think I've ever seen a group of characters fly so high and be brought down so low at the same time. JMS really is an absolute genius.
The battle Ivanova is in, might be the best battle in the whole show. The whole episode is a roller coaster and as you say every character experiences grief and elation in the same episode, true writing genius
I've always loved that Rick was only on screen for a couple of minutes but our thoughts immediately go to him when ISN comes back online. We've seen through Sheridan what happened to dissidents under the Clark regime (Intersections in Real Time) but that Rick's "confession" was apparently never paraded on ISN would suggest that he either died whilst being tortured or that he was killed when ISN was stormed.
An amazing episode indeed. A wonderful performance by the ISN anchor woman. You can really feel the emotion of the character to be back after everything that happened. As for Marcus, yes, the alien device was a plot element that had been dealt with and set aside so far back in the series that we would have forgotten about it, but to bring it back in such a powerful and emotional way really shows what a masterful storyteller JMS is.
Tragedy and victory. A breathtaking episode and I'm so glad we've been with you on this journey. It always makes me emotional when the ISN reporter comes back, it was such a personal touch in this grand scheme (and something B5 excels at). Then, the end. No words.
A special episode for me, I spent the day at the studio. All the sets for the following episode were ready as well. Saw all the standing sets plus sets for the next episode. The prop store had everything specially made for the show on the shelf. I got to sit in a starfury cockpit. I find it odd watching knowing I was stood just out of shot.
Yes, another great episode, so much going on. ISN: I was at a convention where Maggie Egan (ISN news anchor) was on the programme. She told us that when the attack on ISN was on, she thought that would be the end of her acting in B5. Then comes this episode, and she was there again. The emotional outpour is part acting, and part the joy of being back with B5. And then there is Marcus and Ivanova. Lots of dust in the room. Great reaction.
Someone said that there was a convention where Maggie was deeply touched when she found out the fans clearly remembered her and the name of her character. She may be one of my favourite bits of background continuity in B5 as she has been appearing as the anchor since season 1. It added power when she wasn't on screen when Clark ran ISN and the way she obliquely refered to missing colleagues was heartbreaking. It was a very minor role, but so well executed by Maggie and the writing
@@neilbiggs1353 From what I heard, she didn't even think her character had a name (or had forgotten it) - until some fans at a convention told her the name :)
This episode delivered so many big moments, but it's the smaller emotional ones which hit the hardest. It's only natural that Marcus would potentially sacrifice his own life for Ivanova's - he loves her, and his whole life has been a series of self-sacrifices for those he loved. His parents, his brother - and now Susan. The tragic irony was his insistence in Ceremonies of Light and Dark that he was avoiding the Rebirth ceremony because after all he'd been through, he had very little left to give.
Yeah, bringing back the original ISN reporter is a move of genius. I never saw it coming and it just. lands. so. well. And 10:40 watching the recap of the alien healing machine. That is a face of supreme not having any of it.
JMS has spoken about the ISN reporter before. That it comes from the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. When the Soviet Union fell, and the prison doors were thrown open, a number of reporters who had fallen out of favour with the Party and were sitting in cells walked out, went across the street, and went on the air within a matter of hours.
I didn't know that, thank you! I know that earlier this year some people compared the shutdown and walk-off of TV Rain to ISN being taken over... all of it has happened before, and all of it will happen again.
The irony is that the Clark block technically had all the information to see the sneak attack with the shadow-modified telepath coming, but still kept it secret from their field commanders and thus they got caught off guard. I mean ISN even aired pictures of the very same sleeper-tubes they sent to the Shadows on public TV. Someone must have put two and two together.
I hadn't thought of that before but, yeah, and Clark's paranoia (insisting on the various departments not communicating with one another in Epiphanies) that probably contributed to the information not getting to the field commanders.
Interesting take, but there are several presumptions involved that I wouldn’t consider trivial. That the Clark regime knew in detail what a Shadow-tech altered human CPU-in-waiting could do is not clear. When/where were these alterations done? My assumption is that the blips were given to the Shadow servants in hyperspace while in cryo, then altered and refrozen aboard ship. It might be possible when Caroline was disrupting B5 systems that a Clark agent might have gotten some intel, but it wouldn’t seem to have served Bester to say anything about it. No reason to think Shadows were very open with details of their tech. While Justin’s group may have been allowed to study some things, communicating what they knew back to Earth could have been forbidden until after the war if ever. Somehow I don’t think the Shadows would’ve given Clark the heads-up when they lost the blips. The Ganymede project seems to indicate that the Shadow tech later utilized in EA advanced destroyers was purely an Earth military special project and not done with the Shadows’ assistance or blessing.
Clark may not even have known that there were captured Shadow-modified telepaths on B5. Bester knew obviously, but that just means the Psi Corps had that info - why would they tell Clark? Hell, he might not even have known that there were Shadow-modified telepaths to begin with. Maybe the Shadows and their agents simply dealt with Psi Corps directly - and again, why would either of them tell Clark about that "little detail"? Remember that the Shadows hadn't even told Bester/Psi Corps what they were doing to the rogue telepaths they were given, let alone what they were intended for.
I like the Lyta sub plot. From S4S16 with Franklin's I got a job for you, to her taking out the majority of a battle fleet. Yes, everybody helped, but she was the key.
It's also interesting that we see the delusional scribblings on Clark's notepad. He's circled every instance of the letters P, O and E. It's a nice little reference to the mad General Ripper in Dr. Strangelove, whose secret code to recall the nuclear bombers is POE (for Peace On Earth).
Jane the anchor returning is one of a handful of moments in fiction that always makes me tear up just thinking about it. You'll notice the original ISN intro also returned, as opposed to more Earth-centric one used during Clark's regime.
It has been a lot of years but if I am remembering correctly, I heard J.M.S. say that he wanted Clark's note to be a homage to the note/scriblings of General Ripper in _'Dr. Strangelove: or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Bomb.'_
Watching your videos, it's all about your reactions - and seeing the tear falling down your cheek when you realized what Marcus had done, is absolutely why I'm here. I love B5 so much and I love seeing new fans like you discover it. And just so you know - I've watched this episode about 8 times now, and I still can't watch it without shedding tears. As to the Alien Healing Device..... that's a PERFECT example of the brilliance of JMS's writing. He laid down that plot device in season 1, KNOWING that it would become a key detail three seasons later. This wasn't an accident - it was planned from day one.
Yeah, I definitely saw that reaction coming. I know what's going to happen, and some things still get me. This is one of my favorite episodes because it's so great on so many levels. And it hits you like a ton of bricks. I can't wait to see your reaction to the next episode!
Another great example of JMS' great attention to detail in crafting the B5 plot: the return of the alien healing device. In the B5-verse, new tech doesn't get forgotten by the next episode, never to be used again. When "The Quality of Mercy" aired in S1, it was seemingly a filler episode at the time, but the device from it has now twice had a major impact on the story. JMS also avoided the problem that other shows have had with new tech where it has to be forgotten for no reason other than it would ruin the plots of future episodes by being the solution to resolving problems too easily (think how it could have ruined "Confessions and Lamentations" if it could be used safely to cure the Markab plague, for instance). Instead it was made clear from the beginning that the cost of using the device was too high, so it wouldn't become a magic bullet if it was used constantly or plot hole if it wasn't.
This episode is the one I think that hits me the hardest especially that scene with Marcus :( a perfect example of unrequited love. He loved her knowing that she did not love him but that did not stop him loving her he was even saving himself for her just incase but he would never force himself on her just be there for when she needed him.
I think its not even Unrequited, I think Ivanova does love him but she has been messed about in the past and has her walls up really high. She just does not let him in.
I love the Babylon series, So many episodes were done so well and you get so attached to so many of the characters, I have to say Marcus is one of my favorite's
One of the best episodes of sci-fi TV. John's speech. The look on his face when he realizes what Marcus is planning to do and that he can't stop Marcus. And the tired, exhausted, but resolute look he has when orders ramming speed.
Even though this is a video and it was probably recorded two weeks ago, I still want to warn you about what's coming in this episode. Thank you so much for making B5 new for me again.
A great victory, and a terrible tragedy all within 5 minutes. This show is such a wild ride. JMS at his best. Your reactions always remind me of how I felt the first time I watched B5.
One scene that wasn't in the cut. Franklin declaring Time of Death of a person. That person was Caitlyn James, from 3x18 Walkabout. The singer Steven befriended. Oh the details...
I've been doing a rewatch of B5 and recently watched this episode. This show still hits all the emotional beats and destroys me every rewatch. Such a good show.
there is a canon story written by JMS that adds to this, or more accurately the part about Susan, Marcus, & the device Space, Time, and the Incurable Romantic
2 more episodes to go... and both are gonna be like the line on a seismograph in terms of ups and downs... but the season finale is probably one of the best episodes. Must admit, im not a crier (I do my best to hide it), but back on watching this at broadcast as a late teen the ending with Marcus definitely gave me the watery eyes and even though it was literally a couple of years ago for me at the time at that, that the machine was talked about... immediately remembered what they where talking about and knew what was gonna happen. Thats the thing about B5... you can have small things or throw away things other shows wouldn't ever bring back, years latter pop up and become an important vital thing again.
I would speculate that if they get to Marcus in time, then they could do like they did with Garibaldi. That is someone else could give some life for awhile. Then someone else could jump in. That way she still gets enough life energy to heal from her wounds and no one dies. As always, thanks for the wonderful reactions to this series.
We've all been waiting for you to get here! The episode doesn't "work" without the entirety of the series but, in the entirety of the series, this episode is on the top shelf.
I always thought that another small, but very sad moment referenced was when Marcus goes through Stephans recording and there is details of the autopsy of the singer he had that brief relationship with in there.
9:02 - imagine the reaction among the Destroyers at Mars when they heard that announcement. Figure up until then they were wanting to take part, but unable to. They hear that the defense grid is holding Sheridan back, and smile. Then they heard that Clarke has ordered the Defense Grid to fire on Earth. Figure a lot of 'WTF!' reactions among the crews of those warships.
This one had to be hell to edit to get posted. Great job getting it through! You hit all the right notes - as many times as I've seen this episode it still gets the emotions stirring.
This season delivered so many gut punches, so many big moments. They packed so much into this season because they didn't think that they'd get a fifth.
This episode is just so much happening all at once that I don't know what to comment on. It remind me of that quote that is roughly "there are months when nothing happens, and days when months happen", which I'm pretty sure is from some politician in the 80s, but I forgot who it was. This show is just too excellent.
I honestly thought your eyes were going to end up bigger than your head at one point! I was just thinking, she's going to get it any... minute... now! I'm really pleased you've managed to get to this one without being spoiled for it because it's such a terrific episode on so many levels. Well done to your moderators for keeping you "pure" and enjoy what remains... It's also a real inversion of the Battle of the Line, this time the Minbari are fighting alongside Star Furies to save Earth...
Brilliant episode. Brilliant cast and acting. Loved your reaction and thoughts all during this series, Medusa. Thank you for all of the work you have put in to bring these videos for us to view.
The back third of season 4 of Babylon 5 is the best of serialized storytelling with great emotional payoffs with excruciating heaven. This battle is some of the best of science fiction battle I have seen in a science fiction storytelling.
Once again, fantastic reaction! Almost exactly what I expected, including the waterworks when Marcus offers his life to save Susan. I had wished to see your reaction to the "We have come home!" speech. And though the Earth civil war arc may be ending, and yes season 5 may not be as exciting as the Earth and Shadow conflicts, there are still stories and character arcs well worth watching for! As always, thank you for the heart and soul you pour into these videos! It truly does add to the experience.😊
If you watch the fan made HD shots of the attacks on Mars and Earth, in a nice bit of continuity you can see several 'fury pilots wearing flight suits with the EAS _Churchill_ unit crest - the same one that was lost in the first major act of the civil war.
Once you've finished watching the TV show, seek out the canon short story "BABYLON 5 - SPACE, TIME & THE INCURABLE ROMANTIC" which gives more info about the Marcus/Susan relationship. I think you will like it.
JMS made such a point to show that there's always a price to things, that life isn't perfect and predictable, and that things can change in a blink. Sure, there are the big moments, but it's all the little ones, "between the moments" as Lorien might say, that are often the most defining and emotional. This is one of the most emotional episodes of the series, along with both episodes on either side of it. And don't worry, just because things change doesn't mean the story is over.
Fun fact in Babylon 5 beta Cannon when the Earth Alliance rebuilt the orbital defense grid for Earth they put in safeguards to the grids programming preventing them from accepting orders to Target Earth itself
If someone had told me before this episode, that the emotional high point of the final battle for Earth is the return of an ISN reporter, I would never have believed IT. But it was.
Amazing call-backs in this episode, really tying together some old story-lines. Season 4 feels rushed, as often discussed in these comments, because JMS had to squeeze in the most important parts of his story if there was no season 5. Still, the climax as shown here really does pay off all the investment in the prior 4 seasons of episodes.
I think season 3 was best of B5. Season 4 had some great moments, but like you said it was rushed and i really didnt like the ending of shadow war. We had 3 seasons of build up and then it just ends in few episodes. When i first saw this and all the old races just left i was like wtf just happend. After that season 4 gets better. Also season 5 isnt that bad as some people say. Just the start is boring.
It isn't particularly rushed though, especially when compared to modern 8 or 10-part seasons. Consider how episodes 7 to 17 still have plenty of time to breathe and tell individual stories. The only step that, to me, seemed a little too pat, were the rehabilitation of Garibaldi and the rescue of Sheridan in the prior episode which felt like they needed a whole episode (at least) to follow a satisfying narrative arc.
jms comments about this episode from The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5. "'The episode seemed rushed.' Okay, one general response here...people are seeing rush where in many cases there is NOT a rush. Look, pay attention here: WE'RE IN THE FOURTH ACT OF THE EARTH CYCLE. Like the fourth act of an episode, you have to really start cranking. You want it to be at white-heat once you hit the ground. What's in Endgame, and most of Between... was always going to be there, with or without a 5th season. I made my trims in the period PRIOR TO these episodes, for the most part. This is the culmination of something we've been building now for three years, and I'm going to make it as damned fast-paced as I can. So don't go into this assuming it was rushed...it's *fast*, and that's the difference here. People complain when we do character stories that the arc isn't moving fast enough...people complain that it's moving too fast when the arc is in full gear...sombody get a concensus going here, okay?"
Powerful episode... Glad to see you enjoyed it despite it being such an emotional roller coaster. Can't wait to see JMS's new reboot of the series! Stay tuned and keep watching, Medusa! 😉
The first time I watched the end of this episode I was thinking, "It can't end like this. Maybe the Vorlons and Shadows will come back and save them in a joint act of reparations."
I always thought that story should have been written that the Mimbari ships put themselves between the orbital platforms and Earth, sacrificing themselves in an act of atonement for the people killed in the Earth Minbari war.
This episode and the next are great episodes for emotional content. I've said this before but the Marcus / Ivanova relationship is one of my favourites in sci fi. Marcus could have been (not intentionally) annoying, but he was so endearing from day 1, the best of what it is to be Human. I wasn't expecting such a strong reaction to the ISN reporter, a very empathetic moment, but still... a much stronger reaction than I had.
What about Babylon 5 in general gets me again and again is how much happens in a basic episode, much less one of the turning points is that these days they have trouble to keep shorter episodes of a show interesting. Sometimes they can't even keep a season with the quarter of the episodes than Babylon 5 interesting despite focusing on a single story.
"Dark" on Netflix is the only other show besides Babylon 5 where I get that same feeling of "oh my god so much just happened" after an episode. Game of Thrones got close with the twists but it was usually one big event, not like 6 in 45 minutes
at 4:42, why did that officer that was giving his report to the enemy commander look so familiar? I feel like i've seen that actor somewhere else, but I can't place him. Anyone know?
The guy’s name is Julian Stone. He was on General Hospital around the same time, 1998-1999. Tristan Rogers, a very notable GH veteran, appeared on B5 back in Season 2.
It was SO important that they have the same actor for the ISN Anchor. A small role but a huge impact.
And what a great performance from her too!
Your realisation of what Marcus was about to go and do, followed up at the end of the episode, absolutely broke my heart.
My favourite moment of this episode:
Sheridan: 'Delenn, We need you'
Delenn: 'We are there'
And what began with the battle of the line, ends with Earth Alliance and Mimbari Vessels flying side by side to save the earth. Gives me chills every time.
I agree. Two other vignettes that are memorable for me are her "You are in front of me. He is behind me." which showed the steel in her spine and her reaction to the deaths of the Marcab which showed the intensity of her empathy for all living things.
JMS wrote well balanced, strong female characters and found actors with the ability to pull it off. Mira Furlan was an excellent choice and breathed real life into Delenn that made for a believable character.
Yeah, that just have been wild for all the EarthForce there.
I don’t know. I feel like you can’t say “We are there” without saying “dude.”
Agree about JMS and strong, yet feminine woman characters.
Another aspect sometimes overlooked is while being a card-carrying atheist, JMS was able on so many occasions to do stories sympathetic to issues of Faith.
Seeing the old ISN newsreader back got me too
Why are my eyes watering I've seen this episode at least 20 times before?
I don't know what you're talking about. (What? I'm not getting teary eyed. NO! I'M NOT!! YOU SHUT UP!!! Jeez, some people trying to defame me like that. 🙄)
😆
@@erikrupp692 I usually blame antihistamine not working or ninja onion peelers!
The first 20 times we flet for Marcus, this time we feel for Medusa. She's the only reactions channel I watch, others I feel are too performed. Her funny comments are pretty classy too, in the middle of a gunfight on B5 'Why's Delenn here!' It's the raw emotions and their sheer intensity that are gripping.
And there we go. The most amazing, heroic, and gut wrenching episode of one of the greatest seasons of television ever produced. I don't think I've ever seen a group of characters fly so high and be brought down so low at the same time.
JMS really is an absolute genius.
The battle Ivanova is in, might be the best battle in the whole show.
The whole episode is a roller coaster and as you say every character experiences grief and elation in the same episode, true writing genius
Sheridan's speech before the battle, "...we have come home". One of the best - genre wide.
John can muster up a speech when he needs to
I've always loved that Rick was only on screen for a couple of minutes but our thoughts immediately go to him when ISN comes back online.
We've seen through Sheridan what happened to dissidents under the Clark regime (Intersections in Real Time) but that Rick's "confession" was apparently never paraded on ISN would suggest that he either died whilst being tortured or that he was killed when ISN was stormed.
An amazing episode indeed. A wonderful performance by the ISN anchor woman. You can really feel the emotion of the character to be back after everything that happened. As for Marcus, yes, the alien device was a plot element that had been dealt with and set aside so far back in the series that we would have forgotten about it, but to bring it back in such a powerful and emotional way really shows what a masterful storyteller JMS is.
I totally forgot about that device. Not until shortly before I realized what was happening. Wonderful continuity
Tragedy and victory. A breathtaking episode and I'm so glad we've been with you on this journey. It always makes me emotional when the ISN reporter comes back, it was such a personal touch in this grand scheme (and something B5 excels at). Then, the end. No words.
A special episode for me, I spent the day at the studio. All the sets for the following episode were ready as well. Saw all the standing sets plus sets for the next episode. The prop store had everything specially made for the show on the shelf. I got to sit in a starfury cockpit. I find it odd watching knowing I was stood just out of shot.
SIT in a Starfury cockpit?
Wow, that's quite an experience!
Yes, another great episode, so much going on.
ISN: I was at a convention where Maggie Egan (ISN news anchor) was on the programme. She told us that when the attack on ISN was on, she thought that would be the end of her acting in B5. Then comes this episode, and she was there again. The emotional outpour is part acting, and part the joy of being back with B5.
And then there is Marcus and Ivanova. Lots of dust in the room.
Great reaction.
Someone said that there was a convention where Maggie was deeply touched when she found out the fans clearly remembered her and the name of her character. She may be one of my favourite bits of background continuity in B5 as she has been appearing as the anchor since season 1. It added power when she wasn't on screen when Clark ran ISN and the way she obliquely refered to missing colleagues was heartbreaking. It was a very minor role, but so well executed by Maggie and the writing
@@neilbiggs1353 Yep. It's the small details that make this show so great.
@@neilbiggs1353 From what I heard, she didn't even think her character had a name (or had forgotten it) - until some fans at a convention told her the name :)
This episode delivered so many big moments, but it's the smaller emotional ones which hit the hardest. It's only natural that Marcus would potentially sacrifice his own life for Ivanova's - he loves her, and his whole life has been a series of self-sacrifices for those he loved. His parents, his brother - and now Susan. The tragic irony was his insistence in Ceremonies of Light and Dark that he was avoiding the Rebirth ceremony because after all he'd been through, he had very little left to give.
Yeah, bringing back the original ISN reporter is a move of genius. I never saw it coming and it just. lands. so. well.
And 10:40 watching the recap of the alien healing machine. That is a face of supreme not having any of it.
This is the kind of writing that makes your heart break even for the minor actors like the ISN news lady
The ISN Special Report makes me cry, as well.
JMS has spoken about the ISN reporter before. That it comes from the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
When the Soviet Union fell, and the prison doors were thrown open, a number of reporters who had fallen out of favour with the Party and were sitting in cells walked out, went across the street, and went on the air within a matter of hours.
I didn't know that, thank you! I know that earlier this year some people compared the shutdown and walk-off of TV Rain to ISN being taken over... all of it has happened before, and all of it will happen again.
The irony is that the Clark block technically had all the information to see the sneak attack with the shadow-modified telepath coming, but still kept it secret from their field commanders and thus they got caught off guard.
I mean ISN even aired pictures of the very same sleeper-tubes they sent to the Shadows on public TV. Someone must have put two and two together.
I hadn't thought of that before but, yeah, and Clark's paranoia (insisting on the various departments not communicating with one another in Epiphanies) that probably contributed to the information not getting to the field commanders.
Interesting take, but there are several presumptions involved that I wouldn’t consider trivial. That the Clark regime knew in detail what a Shadow-tech altered human CPU-in-waiting could do is not clear. When/where were these alterations done? My assumption is that the blips were given to the Shadow servants in hyperspace while in cryo, then altered and refrozen aboard ship. It might be possible when Caroline was disrupting B5 systems that a Clark agent might have gotten some intel, but it wouldn’t seem to have served Bester to say anything about it. No reason to think Shadows were very open with details of their tech. While Justin’s group may have been allowed to study some things, communicating what they knew back to Earth could have been forbidden until after the war if ever. Somehow I don’t think the Shadows would’ve given Clark the heads-up when they lost the blips. The Ganymede project seems to indicate that the Shadow tech later utilized in EA advanced destroyers was purely an Earth military special project and not done with the Shadows’ assistance or blessing.
Clark may not even have known that there were captured Shadow-modified telepaths on B5. Bester knew obviously, but that just means the Psi Corps had that info - why would they tell Clark?
Hell, he might not even have known that there were Shadow-modified telepaths to begin with. Maybe the Shadows and their agents simply dealt with Psi Corps directly - and again, why would either of them tell Clark about that "little detail"? Remember that the Shadows hadn't even told Bester/Psi Corps what they were doing to the rogue telepaths they were given, let alone what they were intended for.
I like the Lyta sub plot. From S4S16 with Franklin's I got a job for you, to her taking out the majority of a battle fleet. Yes, everybody helped, but she was the key.
It's also interesting that we see the delusional scribblings on Clark's notepad. He's circled every instance of the letters P, O and E.
It's a nice little reference to the mad General Ripper in Dr. Strangelove, whose secret code to recall the nuclear bombers is POE (for Peace On Earth).
And also, Purity of Essence. ;-)
He didn't circle the P,O,and E. from the phrase he had written the ascension of the ordinary man he circled out the letters s,c,o,r,c,h,e,d e,a,r,t,h.
Still tearing up when ISN comes back on the air. All the feels, as the kids say.
And Marcus. Oh Marcus...
Jane the anchor returning is one of a handful of moments in fiction that always makes me tear up just thinking about it.
You'll notice the original ISN intro also returned, as opposed to more Earth-centric one used during Clark's regime.
Knew that one was going to hit you in the feels!
One of the finest B5 episodes - second only to Severed Dreams.
It has been a lot of years but if I am remembering correctly, I heard J.M.S. say that he wanted Clark's note to be a homage to the note/scriblings of General Ripper in _'Dr. Strangelove: or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Bomb.'_
Watching your videos, it's all about your reactions - and seeing the tear falling down your cheek when you realized what Marcus had done, is absolutely why I'm here. I love B5 so much and I love seeing new fans like you discover it. And just so you know - I've watched this episode about 8 times now, and I still can't watch it without shedding tears.
As to the Alien Healing Device..... that's a PERFECT example of the brilliance of JMS's writing. He laid down that plot device in season 1, KNOWING that it would become a key detail three seasons later. This wasn't an accident - it was planned from day one.
Yeah, I definitely saw that reaction coming. I know what's going to happen, and some things still get me. This is one of my favorite episodes because it's so great on so many levels. And it hits you like a ton of bricks. I can't wait to see your reaction to the next episode!
When she reacts to these videos it's like I'm watching it again for the first time. I cried right along with her.
Another great example of JMS' great attention to detail in crafting the B5 plot: the return of the alien healing device. In the B5-verse, new tech doesn't get forgotten by the next episode, never to be used again. When "The Quality of Mercy" aired in S1, it was seemingly a filler episode at the time, but the device from it has now twice had a major impact on the story. JMS also avoided the problem that other shows have had with new tech where it has to be forgotten for no reason other than it would ruin the plots of future episodes by being the solution to resolving problems too easily (think how it could have ruined "Confessions and Lamentations" if it could be used safely to cure the Markab plague, for instance). Instead it was made clear from the beginning that the cost of using the device was too high, so it wouldn't become a magic bullet if it was used constantly or plot hole if it wasn't.
Clark going out like that always gave me Dr. Strangelove vibes.
Don't know what I'm going to do when you're done watching this.
This episode is the one I think that hits me the hardest especially that scene with Marcus :( a perfect example of unrequited love. He loved her knowing that she did not love him but that did not stop him loving her he was even saving himself for her just incase but he would never force himself on her just be there for when she needed him.
I think its not even Unrequited, I think Ivanova does love him but she has been messed about in the past and has her walls up really high. She just does not let him in.
I love the Babylon series, So many episodes were done so well and you get so attached to so many of the characters, I have to say Marcus is one of my favorite's
One of the best episodes of sci-fi TV. John's speech. The look on his face when he realizes what Marcus is planning to do and that he can't stop Marcus. And the tired, exhausted, but resolute look he has when orders ramming speed.
The papers in the president's office are a reference to "Dr. Straneglove", not the shining.
Coincidentally both are by Stanley Kubrick.
I think she meant the doors bursting open were Shining esque?
Many episodes of B5: "gut punch to the viewer"
This episode: "viewer is turned into human pinata"
Even though this is a video and it was probably recorded two weeks ago, I still want to warn you about what's coming in this episode.
Thank you so much for making B5 new for me again.
Damn, I still get choked up when the ISN logo appears.
One of the many virtues of B5 is its highly likable characters and the emotional impact of their ups and downs.
A great victory, and a terrible tragedy all within 5 minutes. This show is such a wild ride. JMS at his best. Your reactions always remind me of how I felt the first time I watched B5.
Love the farscape t shirt
One scene that wasn't in the cut. Franklin declaring Time of Death of a person. That person was Caitlyn James, from 3x18 Walkabout. The singer Steven befriended. Oh the details...
JMS using the whole of the animal. Nothing goes to waste.
I've been doing a rewatch of B5 and recently watched this episode. This show still hits all the emotional beats and destroys me every rewatch. Such a good show.
I love the fact that you are on a first name basis with the ISN reporters.... your love of this show is infectious.
This ep sets the heart and mind buzzing and buzzing. When I watched this back then, I couldn't sleep for quite a long time that night.
there is a canon story written by JMS that adds to this, or more accurately the part about Susan, Marcus, & the device
Space, Time, and the Incurable Romantic
2 more episodes to go... and both are gonna be like the line on a seismograph in terms of ups and downs... but the season finale is probably one of the best episodes. Must admit, im not a crier (I do my best to hide it), but back on watching this at broadcast as a late teen the ending with Marcus definitely gave me the watery eyes and even though it was literally a couple of years ago for me at the time at that, that the machine was talked about... immediately remembered what they where talking about and knew what was gonna happen.
Thats the thing about B5... you can have small things or throw away things other shows wouldn't ever bring back, years latter pop up and become an important vital thing again.
I would speculate that if they get to Marcus in time, then they could do like they did with Garibaldi. That is someone else could give some life for awhile. Then someone else could jump in. That way she still gets enough life energy to heal from her wounds and no one dies.
As always, thanks for the wonderful reactions to this series.
I tear up everytime the ISN anchor comes back on.
Your reaction is almost exactly like mine when I first watched this all those years ago! Enjoy the rest of the show!
We've all been waiting for you to get here! The episode doesn't "work" without the entirety of the series but, in the entirety of the series, this episode is on the top shelf.
I always thought that another small, but very sad moment referenced was when Marcus goes through Stephans recording and there is details of the autopsy of the singer he had that brief relationship with in there.
9:02 - imagine the reaction among the Destroyers at Mars when they heard that announcement. Figure up until then they were wanting to take part, but unable to. They hear that the defense grid is holding Sheridan back, and smile. Then they heard that Clarke has ordered the Defense Grid to fire on Earth. Figure a lot of 'WTF!' reactions among the crews of those warships.
This episode hits hard. No matter how many times I see it.
Hugs from all the fans.
you and a new vid makes this a goood thursday for me thank you
One of my favorite episodes. So many strong moments. And the music is amazing as always.
This one had to be hell to edit to get posted. Great job getting it through! You hit all the right notes - as many times as I've seen this episode it still gets the emotions stirring.
Imagine loving someone so much you would be willing to give your life away to save them. Truly both tragic and heroic.
Sebastian had something to say about that, didn't he?
This season delivered so many gut punches, so many big moments. They packed so much into this season because they didn't think that they'd get a fifth.
This episode is just so much happening all at once that I don't know what to comment on. It remind me of that quote that is roughly "there are months when nothing happens, and days when months happen", which I'm pretty sure is from some politician in the 80s, but I forgot who it was.
This show is just too excellent.
Emotional. So enjoyable reliving this amazing series with you, and seeing it being appreciated the way I have always thought it deserved. Ta.
I honestly thought your eyes were going to end up bigger than your head at one point! I was just thinking, she's going to get it any... minute... now! I'm really pleased you've managed to get to this one without being spoiled for it because it's such a terrific episode on so many levels. Well done to your moderators for keeping you "pure" and enjoy what remains... It's also a real inversion of the Battle of the Line, this time the Minbari are fighting alongside Star Furies to save Earth...
Another amazing reaction video Medusa Cascade. This episode in particular is some of the finest television ever made.
Clark writing on the paper and then killing himself was like General Ripper in Dr Strangelove.
Brilliant episode. Brilliant cast and acting. Loved your reaction and thoughts all during this series, Medusa. Thank you for all of the work you have put in to bring these videos for us to view.
I'm glad you made it this far! I really think you could make these episodes longer, we all would watch longer videos!
The back third of season 4 of Babylon 5 is the best of serialized storytelling with great emotional payoffs with excruciating heaven. This battle is some of the best of science fiction battle I have seen in a science fiction storytelling.
Remember how you feel about all the moments of this show now. Watch it again, over and over, for years on end, and it never loses its punch.
JMS is a Grand Master. The smallest element in a story may become vitally important years later. He plays 26 moves ahead.
Once again, fantastic reaction! Almost exactly what I expected, including the waterworks when Marcus offers his life to save Susan. I had wished to see your reaction to the "We have come home!" speech.
And though the Earth civil war arc may be ending, and yes season 5 may not be as exciting as the Earth and Shadow conflicts, there are still stories and character arcs well worth watching for!
As always, thank you for the heart and soul you pour into these videos! It truly does add to the experience.😊
Brilliant episode , just one long emotional roller-coaster ride.
If you watch the fan made HD shots of the attacks on Mars and Earth, in a nice bit of continuity you can see several 'fury pilots wearing flight suits with the EAS _Churchill_ unit crest - the same one that was lost in the first major act of the civil war.
This is the one episode I though you would find most heart braking.
Just watched the episode myself and crying now 😭 preparing for all the sad...
Once you've finished watching the TV show, seek out the canon short story "BABYLON 5 - SPACE, TIME & THE INCURABLE ROMANTIC" which gives more info about the Marcus/Susan relationship. I think you will like it.
Quite the controversial story, that one.
I've been waiting for you to get to this ep. And yeah, it's a gut-punch of an episode for sure.
It's ok, I cried too x
This was such a good and sad episode. That reporter definitely earned her acting paycheck...
JMS made such a point to show that there's always a price to things, that life isn't perfect and predictable, and that things can change in a blink. Sure, there are the big moments, but it's all the little ones, "between the moments" as Lorien might say, that are often the most defining and emotional. This is one of the most emotional episodes of the series, along with both episodes on either side of it. And don't worry, just because things change doesn't mean the story is over.
Fab episode and lovely review. So sad seeing the victory but losing Susan. Looking forward to finding out what happens next.
Fun fact in Babylon 5 beta Cannon when the Earth Alliance rebuilt the orbital defense grid for Earth they put in safeguards to the grids programming preventing them from accepting orders to Target Earth itself
It's been so hard knowing this episode is coming for so long 🥺
If someone had told me before this episode, that the emotional high point of the final battle for Earth is the return of an ISN reporter, I would never have believed IT. But it was.
Clark's suicide echos Hitler killing himself in his bunker.
Exactly. To leave the surrendering part someone else's problem.
Amazing call-backs in this episode, really tying together some old story-lines. Season 4 feels rushed, as often discussed in these comments, because JMS had to squeeze in the most important parts of his story if there was no season 5. Still, the climax as shown here really does pay off all the investment in the prior 4 seasons of episodes.
I think season 3 was best of B5. Season 4 had some great moments, but like you said it was rushed and i really didnt like the ending of shadow war. We had 3 seasons of build up and then it just ends in few episodes. When i first saw this and all the old races just left i was like wtf just happend. After that season 4 gets better. Also season 5 isnt that bad as some people say. Just the start is boring.
It isn't particularly rushed though, especially when compared to modern 8 or 10-part seasons. Consider how episodes 7 to 17 still have plenty of time to breathe and tell individual stories. The only step that, to me, seemed a little too pat, were the rehabilitation of Garibaldi and the rescue of Sheridan in the prior episode which felt like they needed a whole episode (at least) to follow a satisfying narrative arc.
jms comments about this episode from The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5.
"'The episode seemed rushed.'
Okay, one general response here...people are seeing rush where in many cases there is NOT a rush. Look, pay attention here: WE'RE IN THE FOURTH ACT OF THE EARTH CYCLE. Like the fourth act of an episode, you have to really start cranking. You want it to be at white-heat once you hit the ground.
What's in Endgame, and most of Between... was always going to be there, with or without a 5th season. I made my trims in the period PRIOR TO these episodes, for the most part.
This is the culmination of something we've been building now for three years, and I'm going to make it as damned fast-paced as I can.
So don't go into this assuming it was rushed...it's *fast*, and that's the difference here.
People complain when we do character stories that the arc isn't moving fast enough...people complain that it's moving too fast when the arc is in full gear...sombody get a concensus going here, okay?"
Powerful episode... Glad to see you enjoyed it despite it being such an emotional roller coaster. Can't wait to see JMS's new reboot of the series! Stay tuned and keep watching, Medusa! 😉
The first time I watched the end of this episode I was thinking, "It can't end like this. Maybe the Vorlons and Shadows will come back and save them in a joint act of reparations."
Like you, I was Bawling my eyes out at this episode.
I always thought that story should have been written that the Mimbari ships put themselves between the orbital platforms and Earth, sacrificing themselves in an act of atonement for the people killed in the Earth Minbari war.
That could have worked too, but the whole “give me ramming speed” from Sheridan gets you in the feels.
i suppose the main guns are designed to simply punch through minbari ships. They were designed after earth-minbari war after all.
Marcus is on my top 5 characters of Babylon 5.
What's wrong at Team Bravo?"
"Same thing that's wrong here."
Not the answer you want to hear.
I will always believe that Lennier said what he said to Marcus to give Marcus the choice to save Susan.
This episode and the next are great episodes for emotional content. I've said this before but the Marcus / Ivanova relationship is one of my favourites in sci fi. Marcus could have been (not intentionally) annoying, but he was so endearing from day 1, the best of what it is to be Human. I wasn't expecting such a strong reaction to the ISN reporter, a very empathetic moment, but still... a much stronger reaction than I had.
Scouring of the Shire.
What about Babylon 5 in general gets me again and again is how much happens in a basic episode, much less one of the turning points is that these days they have trouble to keep shorter episodes of a show interesting. Sometimes they can't even keep a season with the quarter of the episodes than Babylon 5 interesting despite focusing on a single story.
"Dark" on Netflix is the only other show besides Babylon 5 where I get that same feeling of "oh my god so much just happened" after an episode. Game of Thrones got close with the twists but it was usually one big event, not like 6 in 45 minutes
at 4:42, why did that officer that was giving his report to the enemy commander look so familiar? I feel like i've seen that actor somewhere else, but I can't place him. Anyone know?
The guy’s name is Julian Stone. He was on General Hospital around the same time, 1998-1999. Tristan Rogers, a very notable GH veteran, appeared on B5 back in Season 2.
It was a nice touch to bring back the ISN reporter for this episode rather than just getting a new actor for the role.
I told you to have your hankies ready for this one
I didn't well up the first time I saw this so why did I while watching you watch it... bizzare 🙂
We must consider that when this was shot, the show was threatened to be cancelled after Season 4. So, JMS had to wrap up things early.
7:35 Obviously they were not able to deploy all 30.
Not necessarily- but possible
Gut punch episode.
Payoff episode.
Emotionally draining episode.
Truth: in war, you lose friends.
JMS at his storytelling best.