Steven Schapansky rejoins us because (1) Mike Vejar and (2) Michael Garibaldi–as we find out just exactly WHAT has been going on underneath Steven’s favorite character’s shaved pate. That sadistic so-and-so Bester is back, and your intrepid podcasters question whether we should have sympathized with him or William Edgars before…well, you know…
Two out of three podcasters surveyed loved “(The) Exercise of Vital Powers.” Worldbuilding! One out of three didn’t. Lots of talking! Find out who’s on which side, and where we all stand on the issue of Sudden Telepathy as a Plotline Resurgence.
Well, Sheridan promised us last episode that things would get super serious. JMS wastes no time; there’s a reason all of Season 4 shares a title with this episode. Too much, too quickly, too soon? And how did you feel when G’Kar refused Londo’s drink?
Stuffed to the gills with plot, “Moments of Transition” puts a pin in the Minbari Civil War, puts the screws to Lyta Alexander’s career, puts Michael Garibaldi at odds with both his new employer and his (former?) friends, and puts one Alfred Bester in the catbird seat. Speaking of Bester, that character’s appearance brings independent … Continue reading Episode 79: “Moments of Transition” →
John “Machiavelli” Sheridan manipulates the alien governments into a fiendish conspiracy against Earth! (Or that’s how ISN might broadcast it these days.) Meanwhile, the Religious Caste is not too thrilled with Delenn making overtures toward Neroon, and bless poor Londo’s heart but now he has to lie about what a good Centauri he’s trying to … Continue reading Episode 78: “Rumors, Bargains and Lies” →
On this episode of Garibaldi, P.I., Michael does NOT don a Hawaiian shirt nor acquire a Ferrari. Instead he picks up a new job opportunity that takes him up against his former security forces. Meanwhile, Ivanova’s new job duties lead to comic relief, or is that “comic” relief, with the character sensation of the 1990s. … Continue reading Episode 77: “Conflicts of Interest” →
We are sorry to report that our Control Group, one Steven Schapansky (not appearing in this episode) had a conniption fit over the lack of descriptiveness in this episode’s title. Wait until he gets a load of next week’s. Meanwhile, meet the Drakh! Watch Delenn take charge! See Susan roll her eyes at her next … Continue reading Episode 76: “Lines of Communication” →
Somehow we made it through the whole episode without a John Barrowman reference. Chip considers this a personal failing. But, hey, let’s advance the Earth plot line a bit, spend significant time on another planet, and continue the buddy-movie adventures of Marcus and Steven. Plus, the Sheribaldi shippers take another gut punch… (Is “Sheribaldi” a … Continue reading Episode 75: “Racing Mars” →
OK, did this episode have the best guest casting find ever in B5 history, with Reiner Schone, or did it have the best guest casting find ever? Yeah, the three of us are big fans of Dukhat. Plus, this episode was directed by Wally Cleaver! And Lennier was such a nice guy in this one! … Continue reading Episode 74: “Atonement” →
It’s the B5 directorial debut of one Vir Cotto (not appearing on your screen this time) and the flip side to Season 2’s “And Now for a Word.” Call them Alternative Facts, call it Fake News, call it what you like: Sheridan and Delenn discover the limits of truth-telling before Interstellar Network News in a 1997 … Continue reading Episode 73: “The Illusion of Truth” →
It feels like the first time, only different! Londo’s happily haggling on the Zocalo. Sheridan’s matching wits with Bester. But Garibaldi’s quit his job, and the certainty of the Shadow War’s endgame has vanished. Welcome to Babylon 5 as it was earlier in the series: unpredictable.
There’s a really obvious Hamilton reference that Chip could drop into this podcast, particularly the last half of a certain King George song, but Erika would kill him. Besides, this podcast is chock full of content, so there’s no time for song inserts that would antagonize a co-host. Did we mention that the Shadow War is … Continue reading Episode 71: “Into the Fire” →
It’s special guest star Bryan Cranston! OH EM GEE! But maybe in the ’90s that wouldn’t be what held your attention. Maybe it was the sight of a very determined Narn breaking his unweakened chains, or a formerly cherubic second banana diplomat killing his emperor. Is that breaking bad or what? Stuff happens. We talk … Continue reading Episode 70: “The Long Night” →
How different is Season Four, and how different is John Sheridan now? He sits at the war room table and puts a hit out on a Vorlon. Yeah, things are getting serious in Grid Epsilon. Pull up a chair and listen as we go through all the plots.
Sheridan summons, Garibaldi shrink-wraps, Marcus confesses, Ivanova discovers, Delenn reunites, G’Kar screams, Vir threatens, Cartagia washes, Zack retrieves, Lyta confronts, Kosh abuses, Londo waits. Bit of a day.
OK, so a lot of stuff happens in this not-very-eponymous episode! We find out a bit more about whatever happened to Sheridan, Delenn prepares to go to war, G’Kar trips up, Londo offers a deal, and we learn very little about whatever happened to Mr. Garibaldi. We delve into why Season 4 feels different this time and … Continue reading Episode 67: “Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?” →
You only just missed a song parody from Chip on this one, but hey, time was short and the songs from Rio aren’t exactly Creative Commons. You will, however, get some excitement over the new titles, a rescue attempt from our Big Damn (Lady) Heroes, a madman on the throne with really small ha– hair, and, of … Continue reading Episode 66: “The Hour of the Wolf” →
Season three ends. John Sheridan ends. Anna Sheridan ends…again. The Shadow War…pauses. Michael Garibaldi…vanishes. And Delenn despairs. Welcome to one of the most devastating episodes of Babylon 5, to yet another turning point, and to our Control Group–with us once again–one Steven Schapansky!
We present a podcast within a podcast, a new addition to The Incomparable Network: Steven Schapansky’s “Vejar or Not”. (The preceding sentence is a complete lie.) We celebrate the outstanding work of Foundation Imaging in the mother of all space battles, of Richard Biggs in the mother of all split-screen performances, and of Laura Ingalls … Continue reading Episode 64: “Shadow Dancing” →
In this episode: we talk about one of the most delicious/creepy comeuppances in science fiction television history, Erika makes a hip-hop reference that is one letter away from being brilliant, and pause to remember all the poor crew on the White Star shifting uncomfortably just off-screen.
One or more of your co-hosts buck the Received Fan Wisdom about Grey 17, the Zarg, and Freddy Kreuger. One or more of your co-hosts vow to do a Phantom Edit of the episode. Find out who! (There is also an unsurprising amount of Neroon admiration within this podcast.)
Epic. Convoluted. “War Without End” answers questions from the dawn of the Third A…er, from the pilot movie and first episode, and sets up new questions for The One Who Will Be. We reach back into time and space, and pluck Liz Myles out of our “Babylon Squared” episode to help us delve into the … Continue reading Episode 61: “War Without End” →
Shannon, Chip and Hugo Award winner Erika take a leisurely saunter with Stephen Franklin down the dark alleys of Downbelow as he goes on “Walkabout” to find himself. Along the way they explore just why the heck they couldn’t remember that this episode also has a kick-butt Shadow War subplot, discuss whether Stephen’s walkabout is … Continue reading Episode 60: “Walkabout” →
Chaos! Loss! Destruction! So much awfulness happens to our poor characters in this episode, so of course Jason “Schadenfreude” Snell is back with us! (Also, he’s sitting in for Shannon, who was out sick for this one.) It’s the full meal deal: meat (Kosh and the Vorlons), potatoes (Stephen and the stims), and undefined vegetables that … Continue reading Episode 59: “Interludes and Examinations” →
Since the station’s secession from the Earth Alliance, it was inevitable that Our Intrepid Heroes’ relationship with perennial antagonist Bester would change. Did you see this coming, however? More to the point, did you expect that in the closing seconds of the episode, “This cold war just got hot”? (We’ll give you bonus points worth … Continue reading Episode 58: “Ship of Tears” →
It’s that lovable scamp Vir’s turn for a love story, and it’s also time for an exploration of the banality of evil and the horrors of genocide. Plus Ivanova gives sex advice and Delenn seasons flarn! You might think that “Sic Transit Vir” has the makings of an uneven episode. Several of your co-hosts might … Continue reading Episode 57: “Sic Transit Vir” →
We all find different ways to cope with hardship. David Macintyre grabs some chainmail and a prop sword and becomes King Arthur. Cheesy? A weird departure from the story arc? Thematically relevant and touching? What can you say about an episode where the biggest villain is the post office? Oh, and because B5’s gone Arthurian … Continue reading Episode 56: “A Late Delivery from Avalon” →
After hype, hype and hype again about the Holy Trilogy and especially “Severed Dreams,” is it time for a sudden crash to earth? Or, in the midst of rapidly devolving Nightwatch members and the most insufferable spoken-word computer interface since Siri, do we still find lovely things to chew on? Alert your tailor: it’s time … Continue reading Episode 55: “Ceremonies of Light and Dark” →
“Why not? Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else.” Here to celebrate the greatest line in Babylon 5 so far is our returning Control Group, Steven Schapansky!
Poor Zack Allan. He just doesn’t know where to turn. Loyalty drives him to stick with Nightwatch, but he sure doesn’t know where to turn. Poor President Clark. A big scary alien ship destroyed his big scary alien ship, and now he just doesn’t have any other choice but to implement his martial law, dissolve … Continue reading Episode 53: “Point of No Return” →
