"Babylon 5" Messages from Earth (1996)

User Rating:

9.2/10   

Director:

Michael Vejar

Writers:

J. Michael Straczynski (creator) and
J. Michael Straczynski (writer)

TV Series:

"Babylon 5" (1994)

Original Air Date:

19 February 1996 (Season 3, Episode 8)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Space | Space Station | Saga | Cult Favorite | Futuristic

Cast

Bruce Boxleitner	...	Capt. John Sheridan
Claudia Christian	...	Cmdr. Susan Ivanova
Jerry Doyle	...	Michael Garibaldi
Mira Furlan	...	Delenn
Richard Biggs	...	Dr. Stephen Franklin
Bill Mumy	...	Lennier
Jason Carter	...	Marcus Cole
Stephen Furst	...	Vir Cotto (credit only)
Jeff Conaway	...	Zack Allan
Peter Jurasik	...	Londo Mollari (credit only)
Andreas Katsulas	...	G'Kar
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Veme Anya	...	ISN Anchor (as Vimi Mani)
Vaughn Armstrong	...	Security Guard #1
Merrin Dungey	...	Security Guard #2
Loraine Shields	...	Cook
Nancy Stafford	...	Dr. Mary Kirkish

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Goofs:

Continuity: In all the medium and long shots in his cell, G'Kar is writing right-handed. In the close-up after Garibaldi leaves the cell he is writing left-handed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Michael Garibaldi: You know, I've been stuck in this tin can for three years. I haven't taken a vacation. Okay, okay, it's my fault, I had the leave coming, I just didn't take it. And the pay sucks, I knew that when I signed on! And nobody said I'd survive the job! Now, I give you all that. But where in my contract does it say I have to eat the same food... every day... for three years.
Capt. John Sheridan: Paragraph 47, subsection 19, clause 9A. You can find it in the index under S.U.A.E.I.
Michael Garibaldi: S.U.A.E.I.?
Capt. John Sheridan, Cmdr. Susan Ivanova: Shut Up And Eat It.

Sheridan finally crosses the line,...

Up until this episode, Sheridan has been moving towards treason, as he has recently formed a secret group of command staff who are have begun to see Earth Gov as a potential enemy! This is because over time, it's become obvious that the Earth is increasingly repressive and amoral and the President gained this position through murder and the assistance of the Shadows! But, given that they are biding their time, it is not obvious to those outside this small group that anything is amiss on B-5. However, over time, it's been increasingly difficult to do stand by while evil is being perpetrated by Earth Gov--such as their signing a non-aggression pact with the Nazi-like Centauri and outlawing free speech.

This episode shows the first overt action against Earth Gov, as the captain takes the White Star on a mission to attack an installation on one of the moons of Jupiter! That's because the Earth is secretly working on activating a Shadow ship and they feel they MUST attack before it is fully operational.

The show is pretty exciting and I felt a great sense of relief that the B-5 staff were finally doing something! Until then, you kept hearing the familiar refrain to "wait" but now the waiting, thankfully, is over and the show is beginning to accelerate into high gear!