We Survived The Everglades!

Everglades catfish. They were big, but not as big as the Alligators that came up to eat them.

Well, I'm back friends and thought I'd share a bit of the Florida experience with you. Funny, I picked up Time Magazine on my return and Page 9 even has a shot of the Everglades and a story on how the state of Florida has done its damnedest to preserve what is left. I'm here to tell you, it deserves saving. It is a treasure indeed. You won't find Mickey Mouse or Pluto, but you'll find the beauty of nature like you ain't never seen it before.

After arriving in Bradenton on the West Coast we were fortunate enough to have a wonderful Aunt and Uncle who invited us to stay with them for a few days. We were greeted by their own personal greeters: Coco and Pepe. I'll let you figure out which one's which. Every time we got out of the pool Pepe would bite Coco's ear, hang on him, nip at his body and then hump his leg. Good Lord. Poor baby. We had some terrific barbecue and some great laughs. We had a plan to make it happen and we did. I'm thankful for them. Oh and we had the good fortune to see my other Aunt who was visiting as well as my cousins. I'm grateful for all of them. I happened to catch a little Arrested Development in my down time and man that show is whacked but funny.

The Dizzy Peacock Deli, Bradenton, Florida.

My uncle and cousin are roofers in town there and often stop by this local sandwich shop for a little yum yum. I just love the name of this little gas and sip. It kills me!

This is the menu from the Beach House Restaurant at Bradenton Beach. Absolutely delicious fish. We tried a little flounder and some super grouper.

Bradenton Beach, Bradenton, Florida.







A storm came sweeping in while we relaxed outside. This is the calm before the storm and the skies begin to darken here. Lightning bolts follow. People were still swimming right up until the winds arrived.

They say the car is the safest place to be in a during lightning. It was really coming down and the wind was whipping. This was the biggest one we saw on the East Coast. Though, Naples had a mighty big one too, but we hit the hotel and laid low through that one. I tried to reach out and get my Aunt a Jelly donut but I was afraid for my life. In the end I get really wet and they were all out of jelly donuts. We love our Aunts.







Michelbob's Ribs. Naples, Florida.

This is hands down the best rib joint on the planet. They are the tastiest things ya ever had and they've won all kinds of recognition in Florida for having the best ribs and sauce. Outstanding. Looks like they also serve those catfish you saw from the Everglades. I wish I had a chance to try it.

Everglades City City Hall, Everglades City, Everglades, Florida.

Ummm, note the traffic. Yeah, there isn't any. This is about as close to a ghost town as cities get. Terrific looking City Hall though. In fact for such a small population it's one of the nicest I've ever seen. The One To Be Pitied begged me not to turn this into a road trip. At this point, I turned and said, "feelin' like a road trip! Yee Haw!"

The dizzy pelican [that would be a good name too]. These pelicans loved to travel on the swamp rats. We actually saw quite a few of them when we went out on the Naples Pier in Naples. They are just one of God's many beautiful creatures. Unfortunately I never did get a shot of that pier, but it's really cool and at sunset you can see the dolphins swimming.

This is a great shot of one of the waterways completely surrounded by Mangroves. We shot down inside of it and it felt like we were going 50 mph through the root system. If you look carefully you can see one of the swamp rats way in the distance.

These are gorgeous Mangroves. You could see their seed pods float all around the glades. They eventually anchor and take root. This plant life is essential to preserving Florida and protects it during hurricanes like Wilma.

More mangroves. I like mangroves. I like saying mangroves. It's cool.

This is one of the many alligators that pulled up out of the murky depths right next to the boat. You could touch them. We opted not to do so. The One To Be Pitied really didn't want to go on this journey and she was fairly terrified. The One To Be Pitied Jr. was in tears. At the end of it all, they actually loved it. You see there really is more to life in Florida than Disney World. They gave the whole adventure an A+ [well a B- from The One To Be Pitied only because she was frightened a little].

This is one of the local fisherman traps out in the Everglades set to catch those tasty Blue Crabs. The Captain swore by garlic butter and beer with them.

This is a closeup of the Blue Crabs and the big difference between them is the female claws have a reddish/orangish color while the males have blue. Close to where we picked these traps up we spotted remnants of an old railroad that once began development in the Everglades believe it or not.

We didn't actually see any Manatees, a.k.a. the Sea Cow. The population is thin. They have no natural enemies except for man. Sharks and Alligators don't bother them. Too big, but the blades from motorboats really do a number on these sweet creatures of the deep.

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Scary Yellow Spider eating something, West Palm Beach, Florida.

You gotta love Florida wildlife. It can be big and it can be scary. This was outside the house and it was also interesting to note that the geckos seemed bigger than those found on the West Coast. There was an iguana on the sidewalk to boot.

This isn't my house. I wish it was, but it sure was nice to hang here for a few days. My apologies for not being completely steady with the camera. If you aren't already aware, Florida is the lightning capitol of the world. No joke. Lightning hit Florida wherever we were every single day. It is really a site to see and this was the water/wind storm that quickly ensued those mighty, dark clouds each afternoon. I loved it.

We had a great visit with my mom. She's the best and was super kind and generous as she always is. We love her.

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All in all it was a great journey and to quote Spock, at times, "fascinating." The Everglades is one of those last bastions of untapped hope in maintaining mother nature's beauty. Remember, you can always click on the photos to really get up close on the details for each photo.

Okay folks, back to the science fiction...

Destination: Everglades City

"Vacation all I ever wanted/ Vacation had to get away" -The Go-Gos

That's it folks. I need a break from it all. So I've decided to head to the Everglades. I thought the kids would get a kick out of the gators. Actually, I think I'm looking forward to them more than they are. Pelicans, snakes, racoons, maybe even a rare Ghost Orchid. Should be cool. Well, HOT as HELL, but cool. The One To Be Pitied is dreading the whole thing. Look, I'm tired of fake plastic Disney.

Anyway, it's probably a good moment to take a break. I'm at the half-way point of the Babylon 5 series and it's been a helluva viewing experience. So I will return in about a week to resume with Babylon 5, Season 3, Episode 11. From what I've been told the last three entries work in collaboration as a kind of 3 parter so it's a good point to break. I may try and post something remotely but in the event I can't get to it because I fell off a swamp rat [air boat] in the middle of the Everglades and I'm swimming for my life I just wanted to give my fellow sci-fi fanatics a head's up.
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I totally geeked out in preparation for my trip and designed my own T-shirt with my blogspot address on the back of it; a little shameless self-promotion. So keep an eye out for me if you happen to be in the sunshine state.

This T-Shirt business was a total experiment just for fun. I'm making some for my kids. Anyway, funny thing is I actually made a mistake when I ironed on my advertisement upside down. You should have seen me with an iron in hand. I was like "Oh no. I just spent 6 dollars on a T-Shirt and I've ruined it." So I had to reprint it and try to make it work otherwise my shirt was a complete waste. So now it's like Mirror Universe Spock. I know. I'm dorkin' it. It was a good effort. Hey, I betchya never thought you'd see me in a Babylon 5 shirt based upon my initial skepticism for the show way back in Season One. I sure was kidding myself.

Have a great week guys!

T-Shirt Design: B

T-Shirt Execution: C-

B5 S3 Ep10: Severed Dreams

X-Wing Fighters Attack! I mean Starfury Attack!

I am currently singing Severed Dreams in my head to the tune of Johnny Hates Jazz' Shattered Dreams. That one hit wonder was a terrible thing, but it works to the title of this episode just fine.

Babylon 5, Season Three, Episode 10, Severed Dreams [or Dad, Everything Is Going To Hell], by all accounts is considered one of the most popular episodes from Season Three. I have to admit, having seen some of the high marks on this one out on the web perhaps my hopes were set a bit high. It was indubitably a rock solid entry but it didn’t rank as one of my favorites. Might I be suffering from a touch of Babylon 5 fatigue if that's possible? Rather I think that’s the great thing about our favorite series. The things that make us who we are allow for a subjective reaction to the drama and the action. What one person hates another might love and so the reverse is true. Nevertheless I do like the raised stakes and the decisions being made by our heroes and heroines are indeed courageous and exciting.

The Narn are in a full security posture on Babylon 5.

The Alexander [a great Greek military commander] is under siege by Earth Force cruisers and will be destroyed unless they open fire with their aft batteries pretty quick. Wisely, they open fire with their aft batteries and unleash a world of hurt on the Clarkstown. So long sucker! Major Ed Ryan [played by familiar character actor Bruce McGill] brings the epic drama down to a personal level by speaking with a crewman about the people that are dying by their very hands. These are men with families like us. The damaged Alexander jumps to Babylon 5 for necessary repairs. Sheridan learns it is coming and tasks Garibaldi with severing communications channels, except for one private line and an ISN band.

Hell moment:
Sheridan: “Hague is arriving here in a few hours and Hell is riding in with it!"

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Hey! There goes the White Star!
Elsewhere on the station, a Minbari has arrived with information, but is wounded and must be protected. We all know of Super G’Kar’s strength [after he lifted Vir in Dust To Dust] and he single-handedly carries the wounded to medlab. It’s interesting as trust begins to develop and unfold between the races. The injured Minbari confirms to Delenn and Lennier that “the Shadows are moving.” Alliances have been made among the non-aligned worlds with the shadowy forces of evil. This causation has created war between the worlds battling under the allusion they are protected by the very Shadows entity that is actually compelling these events to unfold. War is indeed growing.

The Alexander arrives and Sheridan orders all crewmen to assist despite standing Earth orders to the contrary. Cub scout Corwin is definitely looking a bit perplexed and we are uncertain within which camp he will fall as he struggles with each new crisis. Sheridan assures the crew the Alexander is NOT the enemy and deserves their humanitarian assistance. Sheridan makes an emotional plea to the crew about “our humanity.” He is an unorthodox Captain balancing emotion and instinct with judgment, decisiveness, courage, justice and the side of the man that is unmistakably Starkiller.

Major Ryan informs Sheridan of the shocking news that General Hague is dead. Hague has been killed in the fighting. Martial law has been implemented in full force with the exception of the Mars colony. Earth Force command has ordered the indiscriminate bombing of Mars to make a point. I really liked the Hague character and was hopeful he would return but clearly that t'was not to be.

Deeply concerned by current events Delenn embarks to Minbar to shake up the stodgy, old Grey Council. We are Grey. We are perfect. We are unmolested. We are above it all. We are boneheads. We are about to get our head and hands served to us by Delenn. Lennier does warn her that she may not be received well. Delenn could care less and plays a little Whack-A-Minbari. She has also discovered G’Kar, judged by his actions, has grown and through his own personal journey is changing.
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The station surrounded by Minbari Cruisers looks like a whale in a fish-filled ocean.
A jumppoint opens and Earth Destroyer Churchill has arrived in Babylon 5 airspace. On Earth, ISN is being invaded by Earth Force troops and disrupts ISN's broadcast just seconds before it was deliver information of an ongoing Earth project they had been forced to suppress for some time. Earth colonies are breaking away in protest. Captain Hiroshi is in charge of the Churchill [do you love these World War II connections? Hiroshi-ma? Churchill?] and has arrived to inform Sheridan that Clark is moving elite forces upon any colony moving against him. Hiroshi warns that reinforcements are en route to Babylon 5 to seize control and command of the station. The captain and crew will be arrested and Babylon 5 will fall directly under Clark’s control via Nightwatch. Sheridan has roughly six hours before they arrive and all HELL breaks loose. Boy that felt good.
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So, there are two options: 1. Fight [= die] or 2. Surrender [= court-martial]. Wow, that's great sign us up!

When Sheridan laid the options on the table in front of his crew, they clearly choose to fight. What I loved about this moment was how much I love the character of these characters. Loyalty. Justice. Determination. Integrity. This is why we love these guys. They believe in each other and they believe in Babylon 5 and what it represents. The fight in these characters never wanes. These aren't pacifists, appeasers, but true fighters. Sheridan has surrounded himself with people of genuine conviction. Ivanova, Garibaldi and Franklin desire peace but they are willing to fight, even die for it along with their captain. These are fiery individuals with a passion for justice. Love ‘em!

Starfuries are prepping for battle in the bays of Babylon 5.

Delenn, another fired-up individual, has a clear bone to pick with the Grey Council, a smaller head bone, but a bonehead nevertheless. She wills her way into the council chambers. Delenn scolds their pacifism. She scolds them for rejecting the prophecy that is upon them. The Shadows are real and she propels and wills them to listen. And the Grey have been warned.

“We stand between the candle and the star, the darkness and the light. You say the words, but your hearts are empty. Your ears close to the truth. You stand for nothing but your own petty interests. The problems of others are not our concern.” Breaking a council staff she symbolizes her break from the council and the prophecy of the council’s dissolution. She will fight. Some take her side, while others do not. The time for isolation is over.

Sheridan worries for his family back home amidst Earth's chaotic shake-up and whether or not he will even survive the coming battle and see them again. He calls his father in one of the more intimate moments in this epic entry.

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Here is the former father of Sheridan in Knives. He certainly looks kind enough AND he has hair.
I love how Sheridan is humbled with pride for his father. “Never start a fight, but always finish it.” [Words to live by]. By the way that is definitely not the same father I remember seeing from Knives in his vision while the alien force was inside his body. I thought this new fellow was a good choice. He delivers a believable component to the story. We'll never know how the other actor would have conveyed the role of dear old Dad since he never spoke a word and only reached out his loving arms, but this was a good choice for the father of Captain John Sheridan.

The Starfuries launch. Sheridan utilizes Draal’s holographic projection utility to deliver a kind of State of the Station address across Babylon 5. He informs the people aboard that the station has seceded from the Earth Alliance and will act as an independent state until Clark is removed from office. I immediately considered how that might affect the safety and function of the station. Without funding or support via Earth from that point forward repairs and supplies might get scarce and hard to come by. I was also wondering about Epsilon 3 as a defense to Babylon 5, but Ivanova asked that very question. Sheridan sees Epsilon 3 as a last resort, their ace in the hole. For now he calls it Babylon 5’s fight, if they don't get blown out of the sky. His crew is given the chance to leave and Corwin stands ground with them. The allies continue to mount.
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I love team shots like this one!
Ivanova is a full-bodied woman of the people and heads out in a Starfury to assist the men and women by backing them in person. She wants the troops to know what’s at stake and that they have her support as Lt. Commander. Sheridan relents to her decision. The Churchill and Alexander join forces with Babylon 5.

Sheridan attempts contact with the arriving Earth fleet and insists they stand down from their Earth orders to take control of Babylon 5. They are unconstitutional. The Agrippa [named after a Roman general and statesman] and the Roanoake sever communications with Babylon 5. Not good.

The sky is alight and crawling with spaceships. A Breaching Pod [very cool infiltrator] lands on the hull of Babylon 5 at the junction of Brown 95. Garibaldi and troops assemble and head to the insertion point. Earth forces breach the hull and the casualties begin. There is some cool slow-mo intensifying the sequence and sadly the Narn continue to be slaughtered.

In space, a damaged Starfury crashes into Control and Command and the explosion and damage is minimal thanks to closed blast doors. The Churchill is hammered and in flames and is going down hard but not before crashing headlong into the Roanoake. Ivanova is clipped while piloting her ship by another Starfury, but jettisons to safety [floating in space?] after losing control just seconds before the Starfury explodes into the Agrippa. The Alexander follows suit by absolutely annihilating the Agrippa with its own arsenal of awesome firepower.

This is a striking looking shot by the effects team with Babylon 5 in the foreground as an array of jumppoints open as points of light and surround the station.
The consequences of the battle while severe give hope to Babylon 5 the storm has ended until more Earth Force ships arrive. The new arrivals couldn't come at a worse time as Babylon 5 assesses its poor hull integrity. Things look dire, and as the shit continues to hit the proverbial fan things go from bad to worse as four jumppoints open around Babylon 5. Is it curtains or cavalry for Sheridan? Yes, the cavalry has arrived in the form of Commander Delenn and the Minbari to the rescue!

Man she kicks ass! She delivers a forceful ultimatum. It's one of her best 'stand by your man' moments to date. Thinking back, those effects have come along way indeed.

Garibaldi is injured in the fight, but not critical. Sheridan is handed over the remaining Starfury fleet following the destruction of the Churchill. This addition replenishes and reinforces Babylon 5's own weakened fighter contingent to full strength.

The Alexander heads off to find other Earth defectors.



Babylon 5’s diverse alien population and their rousing ovation greet Sheridan as hero.

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Severed Dreams: B+

B5 S3 Ep9: Point Of No Return

Yup! It's official. FASTEN-ZIP!

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If you’re like me, sometimes you watch an episode of one of your favorite shows and it may not resonate with you initially right away. Let the dust settle, so to speak, allow for things to sink in and appreciation for it begins to permeate your mind that may not have moments after initially watching it.

So let’s get to the point in the form of Point Of No Return, Babylon 5, Season Three, Episode 9. I’ve been a little less blown away of late, not that the entries haven't been consistently solid on the whole. Some of the WOW factor that I cherished in Season Two hasn’t quite been there for me, but that’s not to say the quality of these productions isn’t excellent. Point Of No Return is an exceptionally solid entry on the whole. Perhaps I spend so much time looking at the details for writing purposes I forget to just sit back, watch and enjoy. Here we go.

Londo makes every attempt to influence Vir’s reporting of life and culture on Minbar by placing a negative spin on its contents at every turn. Londo's perpetual couching of Vir’s material is the ultimate in Centauri propaganda. It’s disgusting and Vir knows it by letting Londo have it with both barrels in anger.

The costume design is always top shelf on Babylon 5.
Londo receives a call from Centauri Prime notifying him that Lady Morella [gracefully portrayed by Star Trek’s own aging but lovely Majel Barrett] will be making a visit to Babylon 5. She is the third wife of the late Centauri emperor. She is a prophetess, a seer and Londo has pulled many a string to bring her aboard Babylon 5 for one purpose and one purpose alone- confirm his fate.

Back on Earth martial law is in full effect thanks to the orders of dictator, I mean, President Clark. There is a nine system alert seeking the apprehension of Sheridan associate General Hague. We were first introduced to him in Season 2, Episode 11, All Alone In The Night. By the way whatever happened to Bureau 13 referenced in Spider In The Web, Season 2, Episode 6? Man, a guy's head could spin.

Fine turns continue from Marshal Teague as Ta’Lon and Vaughn Armstrong as the Security Guard. Zack is informed that Nightwatch must be fully armed in preparation for violence. G’Kar is released unconditionally three weeks early from the brig by Garibaldi. His security officers are needed elsewhere as unrest grows. Garibaldi gets in on the action and tosses one of his own ‘Hell’ bombs. “Everything else has gone to Hell!” Alright Garibaldi! Welcome to the party pal!

Later, Sheridan reports into Earth with Garibaldi at his side and is reamed a new asshole as it were or is he? He is informed to follow “chain-of-command” and keep his opinions to himself, because everyone knows what opinions are like, they're like, well, you know and everyone’s got one [including me right?]. Their marching orders continue with the revelation that Nightwatch has been newly charged with the task of off-world security. “WHAT?” declares Sheridan. More like, “What the Hell!” The Nightwatch reminds us of a gang of bullies with badges and PPGs. Garibaldi knows things are unravelling, which is why he is willing to go to the wall and bust some heads.

Lady Morella asks Londo, “why have you brought us here?” She looks to Babylon 5 as a kind of memorial to her late husband’s unfinished business. She plays a heavy heart and pervading sadness with much dignity. Londo eagerly informs her of his Centauri status. He tell her he is “touched” and that he is meant for something “greater.” “A Greater darkness or a greater good I can no longer say. All I have ever wanted is to serve our people. I need to see see what is before me- if I should escape it or embrace it?- if there is any longer a choice.” Lady Morella believes there is always a choice, a hope. “We say there is no choice only to comfort ourselves when the decision we have already made.” BINGO! She speaks directly to the heart of Londo’s problem. He makes bad decision after bad decision and makes excuses for them, because he voluntarily looks at his rise to power as something designed by fate. She agrees to provide Londo with a reading before her departure.

Elsewhere, Nightwatch is organizing, consolidating their resolve complete with logo armbands. Some show character and turn in their security gear refusing to join on principle. As a result of the Nightwatch tide, we get a little red hot Garibaldi. Man, I love red hot Garibaldi [definitely a hint of Jesus and the money changers from Straczynski the self-professed atheist].



WOW! What a fight for the hearts and minds of these men and women from Babylon 5's hot-headed finest.

G’Kar meets with Ta’Lon and expresses to Ta’Lon his newfound spirituality. His life is now guided by a mission to reach out beyond the Narn to benefit all who struggle.

Sheridan receives the Issuance of Executive Order: Declaration Of Martial Law on Babylon 5. There is still no word on his confidant General Hague. The concern outstanding is that Sheridan and company might be connected to the insurrection should Hague be arrested. At the moment Hague is commanding the Alexander and is under attack by Earth Force cruisers. Hague escapes and civilians aboard Babylon 5 cheer aloud. Without knowing all the facts, everyone certainly loves a good underdog fight and apparently Hague is their man. Nightwatch arrives and breaks up the congregation of races. A melee breaks out between the Babylon 5 population and Nightwatch. Vir takes one for the team as a glass bottle breaks against his neck and misses Lady Morella by inches. Over the vidcom system, Sheridan announces martial law has been instituted on Babylon 5 as the battle rages. If you don’t mind me saying, everything is clearly going STRIAGHT TO HELL! That felt good.

Sheridan reanalyzes the message from General Smits and determines there was indeed a subtle directive within the non-encrypted message. Sheridan reads between the lines concerning “chain-of-command” giving him the subtle backing he needed to restore order on the station.

G’Kar heads to the bridge and informs Ivanova he is interested in “saving all of us.” G’Kar has found religion and he does come across a little different as a result. He’s not nearly as fired up.
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These guys are just plain bad ass and have justice in their hearts and minds.
Later, Zack returns to his quarters after what could certainly be deemed a tough day. Sheridan, Garibaldi, Ivanova and G’Kar are awaiting his arrival. Admittedly, it’s nice to have the authority and luxury of breaking into one another’s quarters when needed isn't it? Sheridan's plan is in effect.

Lady Morella is nursing Vir’s neck. Londo retrieves a cloth and during the exchange from his hand to Morella’s she see Londo’s future unexpectedly when their hands touch. That was a nice way of bringing the “reading” into play when we least expected it.

Zack sets up Security Guard Vaughn [and Nightwatch] with a plan of attack designed by Sheridan and company. I absolutely love the shot of Sheridan in thought, in the dark and the slow motion shots from Director Jim Johnston of our heroes executing the plan.

The slo-mo really heightens the growing conflict and the move to act. In the end, Zack doesn’t let me down. He makes the right decision and backs Sheridan and Garibaldi. He rips the armband off in protest. It is a symbolic moment to see Sheridan and the core four gain another ally with everything going to HELL and all. I mean, with all of the people surrounding Babylon 5 often making the wrong choices [especially Londo] it was actually refreshing to see the conflicted conscience of Zack come around and make the right play. Nightwatch is now trapped in Bay 9. You can give ‘em a PPG, but you can’t give ‘em brains. Check out the young whippersnappers in Nightwatch with Vaughn. They’re like babies for cryin’ out loud.
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It's going to take more than these two chuckle-headed punks behind Vaughn's shoulder fresh out of Earth Force Elementary School to stop Garibaldi!
Sheridan reads Nightwatch the riot act. The rogue unit is officially de-teethed and placed under arrest for the time being for mutiny and failure to obey the chain-of-command. Zack is clearly joining the inner circle. G’Kar has enlisted the Narn to aid in the security detail of Babylon 5 now that many of the security forces have been rounded up as part of the Nightwatch brigade. These Narn are loyal to G’Kar. Might that be a conflict? Perhaps, but the noble G’Kar seemingly has Babylon 5’s best interests at heart and it’s not like there are a lot of alternatives. It was the first time watching Babylon 5 I felt as though an alien race was acting outside of its own self-interests. Let’s face it, there are a lot of self-serving interests competing for priority on the station and for a change it felt like there was an attempt to work together as opposed to the usual alien lobbying.

I snapped this image at just the right moment completely by chance, but I thought it really captured the spirit of this thread as Morella finally sees the fate of Londo, also by accident.
Morella advises Londo, “you still have three opportunities to avoid the fire that waits for you at the end of your journey. You’ve already wasted two others.” 3+2=5 if I do the math correctly, 5 chances, man I'm good. Hmm…let’s think about this, where along the way did Londo make those mistakes? Anyone? Bueller? I'm thinking perhaps during the Knives confrontation [Season 2, Episode 17] or his willingness to demoralize G'Kar before the council in The Long, Twilight Struggle [Season 2, Episode 20] along with accepting his role in the Narn assault as two distinct possibilities. If it's better I learn on my own, don't mention it.

Those three opportunities:
1. “You must save the eye that does not see.” [?]
2. “You must not kill the one who is already dead.” [G’Kar?]
3. “You must surrender yourself to your greatest fear- knowing that it will destroy you.” [Vir? or relinquishing power?]

“I don’t understand,” worries Londo. One thing is certain offers the lady, Londo will be emperor, and much to Vir’s astonishment, and ours, so will Vir. Huh?! What? Cool! It's funny, Vir is like the antithesis to Londo.

“One of you will become emperor after the other’s dead.” This could present a bit of a trust issue for Londo. Ya think. Check the discomfort. Vir's motives are pure and he is far more secure with his moral compass than Londo.

I’m always sucked into scenes featuring G’Kar [he's definitely been a favorite for a long time]. I love how he is now very much an outsider with no official capacity really. He's now beginning to think differently and for that reason he is far more likely to gain eventual admittance into the inner circle of trust, the War Council. We shall see. I also love the initial juxtaposition of Lady Morella with Ta'Lon [Narn Security] as seen here. It is ironic to see the Narn protecting those that would have them destroyed. Such a clever series with so many agendas and rich undercurrents at play.



General Hague is close to capture.

Sheridan: “They’ll be coming for us next you know."

Ivanova: “I know. Never thought it would end like this."

Sheridan: “Me either.”

Those downbeat endings continue. Is there any other kind on Babylon 5?

Point Of No Return: B+

Voices Of Babylon

Back in the day a little group came along called The Outfield. They weren't anything extraordinary, but my younger brother and I would run around singing "Josie's on a vacation far away" with our handy air guitars. That was a line from their big hit Your Love. Anyway, the act sounded more American-oriented rock than they did English for a band hailing out of London. Needless to say they tempted credibility on their third album, Voice Of Babylon. They may not have succeeded but they have a load of great car songs and I've always had a nostalgic soft spot for their stuff including this title track from the aforementioned recording which fit perfectly for the Babylon 5, Season 3 episode, Messages From Earth, and the opening line, "Hit the message I can hear you calling."