Babylon 5 Episode 10 Season 3
Severed Dreams is the best episode I’ve seen of Babylon 5, I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the best episodes I’ve seen of any SF show I’ve watched. It’s no surprise that it took out the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation in 1997. If they gave out Emmy’s for SF shows it probably would have picked up one of them, too. Severed Dreams has it all: drama, action, great acting, excellent effects, strong scripting. It’s like a full length space opera crammed into 40 odd minutes of TV. The only thing that it doesn’t have is Marcus, he must still be off space rangering somewhere, which is a pity, because what happens in Severed Dreams would have suited him.
General Hague is still fighting the good fight in his ship Alexander, when it’s forced to retreat and seek sanctuary at Babylon 5. The ship is being commanded by Hague’s 2IC: Major Ryan (Ryan was played by character actor Bruce McGill. I couldn’t tell you what I’ve seen McGill in, he’s been in lots, he usually sports a moustache, but he was clean shaven in this. In one of those trippy coincidences I watched an S3 episode of Psych after Babylon 5 and McGill was in that, too! He had the moustache this time and he played a slightly dodgy fire chief. It was truly odd to compare the two performances seeing them so close to each other). When the Alexander does arrive at Babylon 5, Ryan has to tell Sheridan that Hague was killed in a recent attack. That was pretty sad really. I only saw Hague a couple of times in the show, but I still mourned his loss. Ryan brings the reality of this struggle home to everyone early on when they kill one of their attackers and he reveals that he knew the man, he knew his family, he was friends with them, and that’s one of the great tragedies of this fight, it’s pitting friend against friend. Unlike many shows and movies there’s no clear cut good guys and bad guys in this. Something that I think makes the episode, actually the season stronger.
Londo manages to provide one of the episode’s lighter moments when he attempts to reenter the station and the Narn working that security detail makes the experience as long and unpleasant as he possibly can, as a small measure of revenge for what the Centauris are doing to the Narns.
Sheridan knows that by offering the Alexander a haven he’s going to bring the fury of Clark’s government and army down on Babylon 5. He first asks his inner circle what they want to do: fight or surrender. To a man and woman they answer fight. I knew what Ivanova and Garibaldi would say before they answered, but Franklin’s response was a surprise. When a confirmed pacifist like Steven Franklin says let’s fight, you know that your cause is the right one. Sheridan gives his crew the option of staying or going, depending on their own personal philosophy. If they’re beaten and survive then they’ll be court martialled and probably executed for treason, if they win they’ll still be executed once they are defeated and Babylon 5 can’t stand on it’s own forever. I was pleased to see Corwin made the decision to stay and go down with his friends and colleague, possibly the fact that Ivanova would have ripped his ears off if he’d opted out may have influenced the decision, but I think it was mostly a sense of loyalty and camaraderie.
Delenn makes the decision to confront the council, she doesn’t care that they may not listen to her, she has to try.
Sheridan uses Draal’s holographic system to alert everyone to the imminent attack and give them the chance to get to safety, many I think decide that if it comes to a fight they will fight. Babylon 5 isn’t alone in it’s action of breaking away from Earth. The Mars colonies have done the same and are in a vicious fight for survival, and other off planet colonies also rebel against what is happening on Earth.
The government took over ISN, because it wouldn’t broadcast sponsored propaganda, and you can sense that on Earth it’s all unravelling very quickly and how long can Clark, who is probably a puppet of Psi-Corps and the Shadows keep this up?
I found it of interest that Sheridan’s father was played by veteran actor Rance Howard (father of Ron), I couldn’t see him as Bruce Boxleitner’s father. He’s certainly Ron Howard’s father, the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree there. It made me wonder when Sheridan spoke to him about the families of the other major parties. We know Ivanova’s parents are dead and so is Garibaldi’s father, but he doesn’t mention his mother much or any siblings. Franklin’s Dad is a general and possibly could be fighting against his son in this one, but he never got the chance to contact his mother or siblings, so if this goes pear shaped he could die without them ever really knowing what happened or getting the chance to say goodbye. That’s another sad moment for me.
Babylon 5 isn’t alone when the Earth ships come. They’ve got the Alexander and the Churchill (another rebel ship) has come to join the party. Even with that and the station’s own defences and fighters the station is under the pump and probably can’t win this fight. Ivanova’s with the fighters in the air and Garibaldi is leading a combined force of his loyal human security guards including Zack (yay!) and G’Kar’s Narns. When it comes to a close quarters fight with some marines I backed the Narns. They don’t have the soldier’s discipline, but they’re big and strong and born fighters.
While Babylon 5 is fighting for it’s survival Delenn is addressing the Grey Council. The moment when she tells a council member to get out of her way or suffer the consequences of her rage is a real hairs on the back on the neck standing up one. She doesn’t get the full support of the Council, but a good two thirds of them do back her.
The commander of the Churchill; Hiroshi, rams the Earth cruiser the Roanoke, when her own fighter is crippled and the action destroys both craft. It still looks doomed, when Delenn and the Minbari arrive. I nearly stood up cheered when Delenn told the Earth forces that they could fight if they wished, but only one Earth battleship commander had ever come out of a fight with the Minbari on top and he was captaining Babylon 5. The Earth forces withdrew.
It’s a sad ending though, the casualties were heavy. Ivanova was missing briefly after ejecting during the battle, but she turned up again, Garibaldi was injured and walking with the assistance of a stick. Babylon 5’s fighting stocks were damaged, but were also replenished by the remaining members of the Churchill who didn’t have a home and Ryan couldn’t fit them on the Alexander.
One hell of an episode! They really don’t come much better than that. The Civil War is now in full swing and I have the feeling it’s going to get worse before it gets better.