My second trip to London of the year, a visit to the Midlands and wanting to maintain some form of chronicle of activities have all affected my viewing and writing of Babylon as the penultimate season ended and the series struggled to justify the decision to continue for another season.
I like the idea of the Shadows and the Vorlons representing the Americans and Russians nearly bringing earth planet to the verge of total destruction as well as the known universe, and with factions from earth having links with both sides, and only a combination of, shapers creatives, individualists, mavericks, oddballs pacifists, spirituals and ordinary folk managing to outwit, hold off and ultimately have God on their side.
At first sight this should have been sufficient of a near general Armageddon and individual death experience to have made everyone sit up and determine to never allow petty quarrels, differences, imbalances between individuals and peoples to escalate into increasing violence and destruction, involving everyone one anyone whether they are directly concerned or not. However I had my experience of a week long role play involving of a fair cross section of local authority chief officers in a post Armageddon situation in which it quickly became evident that although the majority rose to the occasion and worked tirelessly to achieve the best result for everyone, the chief executives and others appointed to plan the reconstruction quickly reverted to type, behaviours and attitudes when the crisis was over carrying on in the same way which had led to the destruction of the city and a high percentage of immediate and subsequent deaths.
This was to be the situation portrayed in Babylon 5. First there was the little problem of the Earth alliance having been taken over by a Stalinist Dictator having assassinated his predecessor aided by the self determined super race of human telepaths, the Psi Corps, who had developed in contrast to the Minbar who use their powers creatively and spiritually, thus confirmed the basic and inherent flaw in humanity, and it is no good saying that is how we have been created, or have developed.
The final part of the fourth season commences with former security Chief Garibaldi insisting on meeting his employer William Bill Edgars on Mars. Edgars is married to the love of Garibaldi’s life and has understandable misgivings about the role which is Garibaldi has been playing and which I have suggested could be part of a deep undercover plot acting on head of station Sheridan’s behalf. I was wrong in this as the script writers had determined a different explanation to fit in with their ideas for another season, the possibility of which only emerged as what was to have been the final season drew to its planned closure.
The exercise of Vital Powers 416 reveals that contrary to appearances Edgars is also opposed to the paranoid Earth Alliance President Clark and is working for his removal with the leaders of the other big corporations. This also confirmed my experience on the Internal Management Course in the mid 1980’s when the concept of alliances, mergers and take overs between companies cutting across national boundaries was being fostered, together with planning to move production units to the most stable and business sympathetic of countries in terms of tight controls over labour and trade unions, low taxes and official controls and restrictions and the ability to accumulate shareholder profits to the maximum. A feature of subsequent episodes has been the concept that sustainable size and sustainable value and benefits, something which was featured on Newsnight recently with a group of companies working together in Wales to limit any adverse impact on the environment, creating stable and content working relationships, and making enough money to enjoy in a realistic and constructive way the profits rather than concentrating on growth and profit maximization. In the past we have been faced with the extremes of capitalism and communism without choice.
In Babylon 5 episode 416 Vital Powers, the Mars based Edgar international business consortium had more in Common with Sheridan than difference, with the main difference being the issue of timing. They both realised that the longer term risk to the majority of humanity was the assumption of the human telepaths that their special powers gave them superiority over everyone else, described as normals. However this also lends itself to the dangerous fear of the normals that any one different is a threat which has to be eliminated by whatever means available.
Interestingly this was a major issue in the 4400 and also in the film series the X Men, based on the Marvel Comic stories in which Mutants with special powers are trained to use their abilities in the service of humanity. They have to contend with the normal who are fearful and want to control and eliminate the Mutant abilities and those Mutants who see a fight to death between themselves and normals as inevitable.
In the episode Edgars also reveal that his corporation has been working on a way to neutralise the powers of the telepaths. It emerges that far from been a deep uncover agent for Sheridan, Garibaldi was in fact taken prisoner and mentally altered by Bester and the Psi Corps, in Manchurian Candidate style, and in other series such as Callan, reminding also that the CIA also funded secret experiments in mind bending and control to counter the work under by the Russians in the Cold war and no doubt by the Chinese. It will be remembered from an earlier episode that earth had developed a machine to mind wash and personality bend convicted murderers so they have no memory of their past and concentrate on making peaceful contributions to humanity over the rest of their lives.
Edgars also demands that Garibaldi undertakes a loyalty test. He responds by offering to find Sheridan’s father and use the man as a hostage as bait to capture his son. Edgar also become aware that Garibaldi is still in love with his wife and that she has good feelings towards her former lover.
Back on Babylon 5 Dr Franklin is trying to find a way to neutralise the negative reactions of the frozen Telepaths who have been prepared by the Shadows to integrate with their fighting spaceships. Lyta who visits Franklin to see what he is up to manages to resurrect a telepath from his state in such a way that Fr Franklin believes he can develop to provide their use in as yet an unstated way by Sheridan in the forthcoming battle to free Earth from the tyranny of its President.
The truth about Edgars, Bester and Garibaldi emerges during The Face of the Enemy 417. Bester implanted a communications control device Garibaldi. Lyta, Marcus and Franklin have also gone to Mars with some of the frozen telepaths to use under the Sheridan plan although how is not immediate stated
Meanwhile Sheridan has successfully prevented major bloodshed on his way to removing Prsident Clark and his leadership from Earth by persuading battleships to surrender or join forces with him. Some are reluctant to do this under the impression that Sheridan is not taking prisoners. The commander of his former cruiser comes to join him and convinces others that Sheridan “has God on his side.”
Just when it looks that all is going so well, Sheridan learns of the capture of his father and that he is being held on Mars and agrees to meet Garibaldi on his own. He is captured. Earth News gives the impression that Sheridan has recanted and apologises for his errors, and that he is being well cared as a consequence. Garibaldi is the hero of the hour on Earth.
Garibaldi then demands to be told the truth of what is going on and Edgars reveals the virus his company has developed only kills telepaths unless they are given the antidote periodically, and that this is the means to create a slave labour force of telepaths for the International corporations. Bester also visits Mars to find out what Garibaldi has found out and then kills Edgars taking away the information about the virus and existing supplies. Edgars has brought about his own downfall by insisting that Garibaldi fire Lyta who had agreed to work for him as part of his ongoing detective business. Bester then decides to free Garibaldi from his control knowing that the man will not be able to return to Babylon 5. Ivanova who has taken control of the assault on earth fleet orders that Garibaldi by killed on sight. Delenn is left in charge of Babylon 5.
I missed Intersections in real time 418 and rely on The Lurkers guide for information. The episodes concerns he attempt to mind control Sheridan using physical force, psychological insights and technology. There are links with early series the Prisoner and to the book and film of 1984. It can be argued that the decision to try and break Sheridan rather than concentrating on learning the battle plan against Earth was the major mistake made by President Clark.
In Between Darkness and Light 419 Sheridan believes he is back on Babylon 5 having a meal with Dr Franklin but Sheridan works out this is the effect of drugs and that his captors are trying to seek information about what the resistance is planning to do. Garibaldi is captured by the Mars Resistance movement and want to kill him for dooming their cause with the capture of Sheridan. Garibaldi pleads to Dr Franklin to let him explain what happened to him and Lyta successfully reads his mind, despite blocks placed there by Bester and is able to convince that he was not in control of his actions.
Ivanova has been successfully leading the resistance against the remaining forces of President Clark with a stead stream of defectors to the cause despite the capture and imprisonment of Sheridan. She learns of a last stand plot to ambush the fleet and take control of White Star warships top deal with the threat. The plan works but she is critically injured. Her condition looks beyond saving even with the help of the medicines and powers of other races. Delenn had heard from her aide Lennier that Ambassador Molari had convened a meeting of all the members of the Council without her. She learns from G’Kar and Vir that the purpose was to throw the weight of the Council behind Sheridan. She ahd not been invited to ensure the support would be translated into action rather than a symbolic form of support to her for Sheridan and his objectives. The Narns and Centauri would be fighting alongside each other for the first time in their long history of conflict.
Garibaldi, Dr Franklin and Lyta free Sheridan from captivity and he takes control of his former battle ship the Agamemnon and command of the battle fleet before she appears to be fatally injured.
Episode 20 Endgame Sheridan sets off for the deciding confrontation with the Earth Fleet. He has become aware that the fleet has developed Shadow technology to operate their craft and this is where the work of Dr Franklin and Lyta to revive the Shadow altered telepaths comes to good effect. Thirty individuals without family responsibilities or close ties have been placed on board the earth fleet orbiting Mars. The telepaths were then woken by Lyta remotely they effectively immobilise the ships on which they have been placed enabling th Sheridan attack to succeed. Sheridan looking at the long term has insisted that the large force of craft from others worlds is used only as a back up and that in the battle with forces under the control of President Clark only earth humans are involved. Throughout he continues to work to minimise the deaths of human by humans.
Sheridan is able to broadcast to the people of Earth calling on them to rise up against the Clark Dictatorship, to disband the Nightwatch organisation and restore democracy. They respond and then disaster looms when before committing suicide, in an act reminiscent of Hitler, Clark sets in motion the major destruction of the Earth planet by turning the defence mechanism so that it attacks earth. This is where the rest of the inter galactic fleet play their part, destroying the outer space defence platforms but sustaining serious casualties. Sheridan’s ship is also damaged and the only way he can save the eastern seaboard of the USA from annihilation is to ram his ship into the platform. This he achieves and survivors. He returns to earth and is greeted by the new regime as its saviour but also with a case to answer for his rebellion and subsequent actions.
Meanwhile Marcus has left his post and returned to Babylon 5 where he has learnt there is a machine which might be able to save Ivanova. He realises that the reason why the machine has not to been used because it would mean one life for the saving of another, his own. He gives up his own life to save the one love of his life in Rising Star, episode 21 of the fourth season. Ivanova is heartbroken when she realises what has happened as it means she has missed out on one chance of a relationship happiness and that she never had the opportunity to tell Marcus how much she cared about him. Sheridan is able to negotiate amnesty for himself and all those from earth and the other human earth worlds who supported him. He must leave his position with the military forces and therefore his command of Babylon 5. However he has a major trick up his sleeve in that he was aware that rest of the Babylon Council of states had decided to form a new alliance with Sheridan as its first President and invite earth to participate. The new alliance is to offer military protection as well as trading relationships. Sheridan learns that his father is free and that the rest of his family was safe.
Londo Mollari learns that the Regent is dying and that when this happens he has been chosen as the next Emperor on his death. Meanwhile he remains as Ambassador to Babylon 5 but his position and influence has been enhanced greatly.
It is quickly evident that the death of Marcus was a device to cover for his obtaining alternative work, or not wanting to continue with the series into another and its final season. However far from Ivanova now becoming the head of Babylon 5 she appears to have decided to leave or her departure was devised to bring in a new and potential problematic Babylon 5 commander. Ivanova is placed in charge new form of battle ship fleet commander. In fairness she has always expressed reservations about her management Babylon based world, with a hankering to be out there in thick of any action. Earth agrees to join the new alliance under Sheridan on the basis of being given further access to Vorlon and Minbar technology in its possession.
Garibaldi goes in search of his former love and now widow of Edgars, Lise, who he finds and that she has inherited most, if not all, her former husband’s wealth.
Garibaldi has been freed from the control of Bester and Bester in turn challenges Sheridan because of concern that the love of his life was used to inhibit the earth fighters and therefore died in the battle when the role was discovered. Sheridan explains the basis that the telepaths were selected and that Carolyn is still in her frozen but altered state.
Delenn and Sheridan marry in the episode and Delenn is able to forecast that there will be problems ahead involving the Drakhs and other alliance members and that conflicts will develop into war involving the telepaths over the next 20 years, in the predicted lifespan Lennier chooses to leave the service of Delenn, having sworn to be at her side and given her his support and protection. However he cannot cope with her marriage to Sheridan and my interpretation of her response is that the Minbar part of her has loved him in return but feelings and passion for Sheridan is part of her human development although a human sexual based relationship between Sheridan and Delenn has never appeared convincing, nor indeed have sexual relationships in general other than the smouldering relationships between Marcus and Ivanova or that of Molari and his mistress. I felt that Sheridan and Delenn were more like brother and sister or a work partnership borne out of shared involvement in work or some campaign and with similar backgrounds in terms of their beliefs and actions. This brings to an end season 4 and which much resolved, or so it appears, and with a few twists the series could have been brought to a successful and satisfying end. So what is lefty to a whole new and final season?
I like the idea of the Shadows and the Vorlons representing the Americans and Russians nearly bringing earth planet to the verge of total destruction as well as the known universe, and with factions from earth having links with both sides, and only a combination of, shapers creatives, individualists, mavericks, oddballs pacifists, spirituals and ordinary folk managing to outwit, hold off and ultimately have God on their side.
At first sight this should have been sufficient of a near general Armageddon and individual death experience to have made everyone sit up and determine to never allow petty quarrels, differences, imbalances between individuals and peoples to escalate into increasing violence and destruction, involving everyone one anyone whether they are directly concerned or not. However I had my experience of a week long role play involving of a fair cross section of local authority chief officers in a post Armageddon situation in which it quickly became evident that although the majority rose to the occasion and worked tirelessly to achieve the best result for everyone, the chief executives and others appointed to plan the reconstruction quickly reverted to type, behaviours and attitudes when the crisis was over carrying on in the same way which had led to the destruction of the city and a high percentage of immediate and subsequent deaths.
This was to be the situation portrayed in Babylon 5. First there was the little problem of the Earth alliance having been taken over by a Stalinist Dictator having assassinated his predecessor aided by the self determined super race of human telepaths, the Psi Corps, who had developed in contrast to the Minbar who use their powers creatively and spiritually, thus confirmed the basic and inherent flaw in humanity, and it is no good saying that is how we have been created, or have developed.
The final part of the fourth season commences with former security Chief Garibaldi insisting on meeting his employer William Bill Edgars on Mars. Edgars is married to the love of Garibaldi’s life and has understandable misgivings about the role which is Garibaldi has been playing and which I have suggested could be part of a deep undercover plot acting on head of station Sheridan’s behalf. I was wrong in this as the script writers had determined a different explanation to fit in with their ideas for another season, the possibility of which only emerged as what was to have been the final season drew to its planned closure.
The exercise of Vital Powers 416 reveals that contrary to appearances Edgars is also opposed to the paranoid Earth Alliance President Clark and is working for his removal with the leaders of the other big corporations. This also confirmed my experience on the Internal Management Course in the mid 1980’s when the concept of alliances, mergers and take overs between companies cutting across national boundaries was being fostered, together with planning to move production units to the most stable and business sympathetic of countries in terms of tight controls over labour and trade unions, low taxes and official controls and restrictions and the ability to accumulate shareholder profits to the maximum. A feature of subsequent episodes has been the concept that sustainable size and sustainable value and benefits, something which was featured on Newsnight recently with a group of companies working together in Wales to limit any adverse impact on the environment, creating stable and content working relationships, and making enough money to enjoy in a realistic and constructive way the profits rather than concentrating on growth and profit maximization. In the past we have been faced with the extremes of capitalism and communism without choice.
In Babylon 5 episode 416 Vital Powers, the Mars based Edgar international business consortium had more in Common with Sheridan than difference, with the main difference being the issue of timing. They both realised that the longer term risk to the majority of humanity was the assumption of the human telepaths that their special powers gave them superiority over everyone else, described as normals. However this also lends itself to the dangerous fear of the normals that any one different is a threat which has to be eliminated by whatever means available.
Interestingly this was a major issue in the 4400 and also in the film series the X Men, based on the Marvel Comic stories in which Mutants with special powers are trained to use their abilities in the service of humanity. They have to contend with the normal who are fearful and want to control and eliminate the Mutant abilities and those Mutants who see a fight to death between themselves and normals as inevitable.
In the episode Edgars also reveal that his corporation has been working on a way to neutralise the powers of the telepaths. It emerges that far from been a deep uncover agent for Sheridan, Garibaldi was in fact taken prisoner and mentally altered by Bester and the Psi Corps, in Manchurian Candidate style, and in other series such as Callan, reminding also that the CIA also funded secret experiments in mind bending and control to counter the work under by the Russians in the Cold war and no doubt by the Chinese. It will be remembered from an earlier episode that earth had developed a machine to mind wash and personality bend convicted murderers so they have no memory of their past and concentrate on making peaceful contributions to humanity over the rest of their lives.
Edgars also demands that Garibaldi undertakes a loyalty test. He responds by offering to find Sheridan’s father and use the man as a hostage as bait to capture his son. Edgar also become aware that Garibaldi is still in love with his wife and that she has good feelings towards her former lover.
Back on Babylon 5 Dr Franklin is trying to find a way to neutralise the negative reactions of the frozen Telepaths who have been prepared by the Shadows to integrate with their fighting spaceships. Lyta who visits Franklin to see what he is up to manages to resurrect a telepath from his state in such a way that Fr Franklin believes he can develop to provide their use in as yet an unstated way by Sheridan in the forthcoming battle to free Earth from the tyranny of its President.
The truth about Edgars, Bester and Garibaldi emerges during The Face of the Enemy 417. Bester implanted a communications control device Garibaldi. Lyta, Marcus and Franklin have also gone to Mars with some of the frozen telepaths to use under the Sheridan plan although how is not immediate stated
Meanwhile Sheridan has successfully prevented major bloodshed on his way to removing Prsident Clark and his leadership from Earth by persuading battleships to surrender or join forces with him. Some are reluctant to do this under the impression that Sheridan is not taking prisoners. The commander of his former cruiser comes to join him and convinces others that Sheridan “has God on his side.”
Just when it looks that all is going so well, Sheridan learns of the capture of his father and that he is being held on Mars and agrees to meet Garibaldi on his own. He is captured. Earth News gives the impression that Sheridan has recanted and apologises for his errors, and that he is being well cared as a consequence. Garibaldi is the hero of the hour on Earth.
Garibaldi then demands to be told the truth of what is going on and Edgars reveals the virus his company has developed only kills telepaths unless they are given the antidote periodically, and that this is the means to create a slave labour force of telepaths for the International corporations. Bester also visits Mars to find out what Garibaldi has found out and then kills Edgars taking away the information about the virus and existing supplies. Edgars has brought about his own downfall by insisting that Garibaldi fire Lyta who had agreed to work for him as part of his ongoing detective business. Bester then decides to free Garibaldi from his control knowing that the man will not be able to return to Babylon 5. Ivanova who has taken control of the assault on earth fleet orders that Garibaldi by killed on sight. Delenn is left in charge of Babylon 5.
I missed Intersections in real time 418 and rely on The Lurkers guide for information. The episodes concerns he attempt to mind control Sheridan using physical force, psychological insights and technology. There are links with early series the Prisoner and to the book and film of 1984. It can be argued that the decision to try and break Sheridan rather than concentrating on learning the battle plan against Earth was the major mistake made by President Clark.
In Between Darkness and Light 419 Sheridan believes he is back on Babylon 5 having a meal with Dr Franklin but Sheridan works out this is the effect of drugs and that his captors are trying to seek information about what the resistance is planning to do. Garibaldi is captured by the Mars Resistance movement and want to kill him for dooming their cause with the capture of Sheridan. Garibaldi pleads to Dr Franklin to let him explain what happened to him and Lyta successfully reads his mind, despite blocks placed there by Bester and is able to convince that he was not in control of his actions.
Ivanova has been successfully leading the resistance against the remaining forces of President Clark with a stead stream of defectors to the cause despite the capture and imprisonment of Sheridan. She learns of a last stand plot to ambush the fleet and take control of White Star warships top deal with the threat. The plan works but she is critically injured. Her condition looks beyond saving even with the help of the medicines and powers of other races. Delenn had heard from her aide Lennier that Ambassador Molari had convened a meeting of all the members of the Council without her. She learns from G’Kar and Vir that the purpose was to throw the weight of the Council behind Sheridan. She ahd not been invited to ensure the support would be translated into action rather than a symbolic form of support to her for Sheridan and his objectives. The Narns and Centauri would be fighting alongside each other for the first time in their long history of conflict.
Garibaldi, Dr Franklin and Lyta free Sheridan from captivity and he takes control of his former battle ship the Agamemnon and command of the battle fleet before she appears to be fatally injured.
Episode 20 Endgame Sheridan sets off for the deciding confrontation with the Earth Fleet. He has become aware that the fleet has developed Shadow technology to operate their craft and this is where the work of Dr Franklin and Lyta to revive the Shadow altered telepaths comes to good effect. Thirty individuals without family responsibilities or close ties have been placed on board the earth fleet orbiting Mars. The telepaths were then woken by Lyta remotely they effectively immobilise the ships on which they have been placed enabling th Sheridan attack to succeed. Sheridan looking at the long term has insisted that the large force of craft from others worlds is used only as a back up and that in the battle with forces under the control of President Clark only earth humans are involved. Throughout he continues to work to minimise the deaths of human by humans.
Sheridan is able to broadcast to the people of Earth calling on them to rise up against the Clark Dictatorship, to disband the Nightwatch organisation and restore democracy. They respond and then disaster looms when before committing suicide, in an act reminiscent of Hitler, Clark sets in motion the major destruction of the Earth planet by turning the defence mechanism so that it attacks earth. This is where the rest of the inter galactic fleet play their part, destroying the outer space defence platforms but sustaining serious casualties. Sheridan’s ship is also damaged and the only way he can save the eastern seaboard of the USA from annihilation is to ram his ship into the platform. This he achieves and survivors. He returns to earth and is greeted by the new regime as its saviour but also with a case to answer for his rebellion and subsequent actions.
Meanwhile Marcus has left his post and returned to Babylon 5 where he has learnt there is a machine which might be able to save Ivanova. He realises that the reason why the machine has not to been used because it would mean one life for the saving of another, his own. He gives up his own life to save the one love of his life in Rising Star, episode 21 of the fourth season. Ivanova is heartbroken when she realises what has happened as it means she has missed out on one chance of a relationship happiness and that she never had the opportunity to tell Marcus how much she cared about him. Sheridan is able to negotiate amnesty for himself and all those from earth and the other human earth worlds who supported him. He must leave his position with the military forces and therefore his command of Babylon 5. However he has a major trick up his sleeve in that he was aware that rest of the Babylon Council of states had decided to form a new alliance with Sheridan as its first President and invite earth to participate. The new alliance is to offer military protection as well as trading relationships. Sheridan learns that his father is free and that the rest of his family was safe.
Londo Mollari learns that the Regent is dying and that when this happens he has been chosen as the next Emperor on his death. Meanwhile he remains as Ambassador to Babylon 5 but his position and influence has been enhanced greatly.
It is quickly evident that the death of Marcus was a device to cover for his obtaining alternative work, or not wanting to continue with the series into another and its final season. However far from Ivanova now becoming the head of Babylon 5 she appears to have decided to leave or her departure was devised to bring in a new and potential problematic Babylon 5 commander. Ivanova is placed in charge new form of battle ship fleet commander. In fairness she has always expressed reservations about her management Babylon based world, with a hankering to be out there in thick of any action. Earth agrees to join the new alliance under Sheridan on the basis of being given further access to Vorlon and Minbar technology in its possession.
Garibaldi goes in search of his former love and now widow of Edgars, Lise, who he finds and that she has inherited most, if not all, her former husband’s wealth.
Garibaldi has been freed from the control of Bester and Bester in turn challenges Sheridan because of concern that the love of his life was used to inhibit the earth fighters and therefore died in the battle when the role was discovered. Sheridan explains the basis that the telepaths were selected and that Carolyn is still in her frozen but altered state.
Delenn and Sheridan marry in the episode and Delenn is able to forecast that there will be problems ahead involving the Drakhs and other alliance members and that conflicts will develop into war involving the telepaths over the next 20 years, in the predicted lifespan Lennier chooses to leave the service of Delenn, having sworn to be at her side and given her his support and protection. However he cannot cope with her marriage to Sheridan and my interpretation of her response is that the Minbar part of her has loved him in return but feelings and passion for Sheridan is part of her human development although a human sexual based relationship between Sheridan and Delenn has never appeared convincing, nor indeed have sexual relationships in general other than the smouldering relationships between Marcus and Ivanova or that of Molari and his mistress. I felt that Sheridan and Delenn were more like brother and sister or a work partnership borne out of shared involvement in work or some campaign and with similar backgrounds in terms of their beliefs and actions. This brings to an end season 4 and which much resolved, or so it appears, and with a few twists the series could have been brought to a successful and satisfying end. So what is lefty to a whole new and final season?
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