The Babylon Project
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The command crew take a chance when an ISN reporter arrives on the station, claiming that he wants to do a fair and truthful story on Babylon 5.


Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Featuring[]

Cast Notes[]

Summary[]

Introduction[]

Susan Ivanova meets John Sheridan pondering in the now-empty War Room. Sheridan notes on the last time he heard from his dad, he learned some people were in town asking around about him. He wanted his dad to get out, but now has no information regarding him. Ivanova notes he can take care of himself, and Sheridan moves on.

In the customs area, security has stopped a group to inspect their luggage, but their refusal to go along with it rouses suspicion. Zack Allan bursts suddenly intervenes, and after a heated argument with the man, who doesn't explain himself, Allan decides to shoot the case open. To his surprise, cameras emerge from the case – prompting the group to revea themselves as ISN reporters.

Act I[]

Stephen Franklin runs into Sheridan and informs him of some logistics in Medlab. The telepaths that the Shadows surgically altered need to be shuffled around due to mechanical problems with the cryogenic tubes (and due to the threat the pose if left unattended). Sheridan agrees his proposal and leaves to visit the ISN reporter, being held in detention. There, Dan Randall introduces himself and is frustrated with how he's been treated, and goes on telling they withheld their identities at first, since they probably wouldn't have been let on the station. Sheridan disagrees this presumption, saying they have an open-door policy, but the equipment is a different matter. He notes that ISN is a propaganda machine, and, though Randall disagrees with the idea of objectivity, he still wanted to do a story, revealing at least some of the truth, claiming it's better than none. He asks for their co-operation in this matter.

Michael Garibaldi is going with his business of helping people locate their lost ones and posessions during the Shadow War. The current client is describing a statue of sentimental value he lost, backing it up with a story about how he lost it. Garibaldi doesn't believe him, and call his bluff using his knowledge of Centauri and Drazi religions to poke holes in the story. The man is increasingly frustrated as Garibaldi goes on threatening to tip of tthe Drazi about his illegal conducts forcing the client to raise his fee for finding the statue.

As the man leaves, Lennier, being nearby, turns around, having listened to the conversation. Garibaldi invites Lennier to sit with him and Lennier asks why Garibaldi left. Garibaldi initially responds rather friendly, but hints a bit of frustration with everyone else asking him if he's all right. Lennier also gives Delenn's regards, but Garibaldi cuts him off, asking if Londo Mollari is back. By then, Garibaldi sees Sheridan arriving with Randall. Sheridan greets Garibaldi and asks Lennier to show Randall around, as he would be assured to have an honest tour of the station. Lennier agrees and leave with Randall. Sheridan turns to Garibaldi, but leaves without saying a word. Garibaldi suddenly has a flashback of his abduction ordeal.

Act II[]

Randall and Lennier converse in a lift. As the cameras occasionally bump into Lennier's head, making him uncomfortable, Randall asks about the damaged ships and who pays for the repairs. They arrive at Downbelow prrompting Lennier to explain the situation there. They briefly encpunyter Franklin go by helping a patient and Randall asks to interview him later. Franklin gets a call about the cryogenic chambers, and the brief exchange is captured on camera.

Mollari follows Sheridan into the Zócalo to complain about a temperature problem in his quarters. As they talk, a picture of Mollari pointing his finger at Sheridan is captured by an ISN camera.

Delenn and Sheridan sit down with Randall. He starts with B5's declaration of independence, and the two explain that they were forced to do so and would be happy to re-join once martial law is lifted and President Clark resigns. Randall also asks about their accusation that Clark is behind Luis Santiago's death, and Sheridan explains their actions due to it as well. Randall also inquiry about their close relationship, and that there must be a lot of misgivings to that. The two explain that they do expect resistance, but that no one willl be able to stop what they begun. The camera takes a picture.

Randall then finds Garibaldi, this time without his entourage. Garibaldi doesn't respond well initially to his approach, but Randall persists in to getting him to open up just a bit, and he re-considers, by ousting his misgivings on Sheridan's behaviour and actions after returning from the rim of space to his suspicions of how he would react to the interview, finishing the scene by saying that "someone has to say something".

Ivanova sits for dinner in Sheridan's office to watch the ISN broadcast, together with Sheridan. Delenn arrives just as Sheridan turns on the broadcast.

Act III[]

The ISN broadcast starts, hosted by Alison Higgins. The dictatorship's propaganda broadcast resumes; with the Clark adminstration announcing that 75% of Mars has been taken back and of the Senate holding hearings on anti-Earth activities. The broadcast includes a damning confession from a writer, Lee Parks, who has clearly been subjected to psychological torture prompting him to name his alleged co-conspirators, reciting a forced statement, that undoubtedly was put in front of him. The introduction ends with a mention of "this day in history.", briefly recapping historical events.

Dan Randall resumes with the next segment on the B5 story. The video is played with completely intentially misrepresented dialog on top. He turns to the question of why a "renegade" like Sheridan would do what he did. He turns to a live conversation with psychologist, William Indiri, who notes a probable cause, as an inferiority complex suffered by veterans of the Battle of the Line. Randall then implies this to a large conspiracy, cutting to when Franklin got called on the cryogenic chambers.

Act IV[]

Randall resumes, showing the Minbari cruiser outside the station being repaired. A heavily re-edited interview with Sheridan and Delenn interpreting the dialogue as if they are putting Human-Minbari relationships above the interests of Earth and those standing in their way. Then he cuts off, showing his interview with Garibaldi, when he admits that he believes Sheridan has been acting differently, hinting on a god complex. Next, he shows that they went to Medlab to take a look at the cryogenic chambers, noting that the names don't match those on of transport manifests. He claims that people are being subjected to Sheridan's will, and, if resisting, put into cryogenic stasis. He suggests that, with a military force like they possess, have the means of enforcing their goals.

Act V[]

Randall resumes his interview with Franklin, who explains the difficulties they face. Randall asks him about the cryogenic chambers and Franklin denies that they are being utilised, beyond a few extreme cases. Randall returns to Indiri, who says he's worried, because he percieves a self-loathing of one's own kind and an empathy for of aliens. He also hesitantly suggests that Sheridan is mentally ill and would refrain from diagnozing at a glance, but hints on Sheridan suffering from some form of MWS, based on the interviews and otherwise segments.

Randall also suggests that Delenn's transformation is the result of surgerical alteration performed by the B5 on Sheridan's order to put his perceptions of himself to others into action - making himself and those around him look more alien. He laments that they should have seen foreseen Sheridan's condition, and plays the empathetic observer. He also reveals that his family's farm was burned to the ground and his father is missing, further putting pressure on Sheridan psyche.

Randall ends the program by signing himself off. Ivanova promptly storms out, Delenn puts her hand on Sheridan (to console him), then leaves, leaving Sheridan to angrily shut off the transmission, thus ending the episode.

Memorable quotes[]

Continuity[]

While the special presentation on Babylon 5 was ultimately propaganda, attentive viewers will notice that Dan Randall may have kept his promise to Sheridan. This moment of truth can be seen when Randall mentions that Sheridan's father, David has gone missing and the family farm has been destroyed, though these these are more mentioned to slander Sheridan as unstable.

Notes[]

The ISN broadcast contained a goof. ISN displayed a graphic: "THIS YEAR IN HISTORY" with voice over: "This year in history." And then proceeded to list items about this day in history, items introduced by phrases like:

  • "Three hundred years ago today, in 1961...", "And 100 years ago today...". And also described Bill Clinton as the "North American President".
  • Yuri Gagarin's name is misspelled "Gargarin".

Trivia[]

DVD release[]

This episode, along with the other episodes from season four, has been released on DVD with extensive special features.

External Links[]

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