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30 Days of TV - Day 09
You know, doing this meme is really making me realise how many of my favourite shows are missing from my icon collection. I really must fix that. But, on with today's entry...
( The Days )
Day 09 - Best scene ever
This was an easy one. Although I'm not sure the sheer power of it will come across viewing the scene out of context, the absolute best scene in all of television (that I'm aware of) is the climactic scene of Babylon 5's mid-point episode, Severed Dreams. Even typing this now, I get a shiver just remembering it. Watching the scene never fails to make my breath catch. The thing is, so much builds into this moment, the context is everything. It's both a coming together of plot threads that had been building for more than 50 episodes, and a massive turning point for both the overall plot arc and many of the characters.
On Earth, a facist government is consolidating its hold on power (in this post-9/11 world, re-watching the Earth-focussed parts of Babylon 5 is really quite chillingly familiar). The former President has been assassinated and anti-alien propoganda is everywhere. Martial law has been declared on Earth. Factions within the military have formed, some for and some against the new regime. Captain Sheridan, along with his trusted officers on Babylon 5, has been gathering evidence that President Clarke was behind the assassination of his predecessor, but at the same time Clarke's forces are moving against his enemies.
Elsewhere, the mysterious and powerful Shadows are preparing for what is expected to be an apocalyptic war. Under their influence, the Centauri and Narns went to war and the Narn home planet was all but obliterated. The Minbari, a powerful race who once fought the humans almost to destruction, are leading (through Ambassador Delenn) preparations to fight the Shadows. She has enlisted Sheridan's aid in her mission.
Which brings us to this episode. In Severed Dreams, the arrival of the badly damaged Alexander, one of the rebel Earth Force ships, forces Sheridan to openly declare his alleigance in order to offer them much-needed aid and repairs. At the same time, news arrives of the Shadows consolidating their forces, and Delenn, the Minbari ambassador on Babylon 5, learns that her own government is now unwilling to join the battle to come. She leaves Babylon 5, setting a chain of event in motion when she breaks the Grey Council, fulfilling an ancient prophecy.
Back on Babylon 5, the bad news keeps coming. Some Earth colonies attempted to break away from Earth rule in response to Clarke's attempt to declare martial law; in retaliation President Clarke ordered military strikes against the civilians of those colonies. The only independent news agency left, ISN, is taken offline, Clarke's troops storming their building while the are still on the air. With no options left, Captain Sheridan acts openly against Clarke for the first time: he declares Babylon 5 independent of Earth rule until such time as Clarke is impeached, knowing that by doing so, he's inviting massive retaliation.
And that retaliation comes quickly. In a spectacular battle, Earth forces under Clarke's orders move against Babylon 5. It's a battle no one truly wants: Earth Force against Earth Force. Clarke-loyalists already in place aboard the station join the battle against Babylon 5's own security force. The station's hull is breached, allowing the enemy Earth forces to board.
Just when everything seems lost...
Sheridan's forces have destroyed the two ships sent against them. It's no victory to Sheridan: those are former friends he's killed. Still reeling from that, you can see how close he is to giving up when more Earth Force ships arrive, demanding his surrender. Then four more ships appear. At first, it seems they must be more enemies, which would mean Babylon 5 is lost for sure. Then Delenn's voice fills the comm. channel.
DELENN: This is ambassador Delenn of the Minbari. Babylon 5 is under our protection. Withdraw or be destroyed.
ENEMY CAPTAIN: Negative. We have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ship.
DELENN: 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.
...her reminder of the devestating battles of the Earth-Minbari war is enough. The enemy ships flee; she doesn't even have to fire a shot. The battle is over. The war has just begun.
Babylon 5 had its faults as a TV show, not least some seriously awful dialogue. But on one thing I can't fault it: this show always, always delivered on it's climactic moments. So many shows go for the big build-up and when the moment finally arrives, it is ultimately unsatisfying. Babylon 5 always delivered in spades. From this scene the stakes got higher, the shocks deeper, the climactic scenes bigger. But this is the one that I find most memorable. Nothing else, in any other series I've seen, comes close to the power of those two minutes of TV.
( The Days )
Day 09 - Best scene ever
This was an easy one. Although I'm not sure the sheer power of it will come across viewing the scene out of context, the absolute best scene in all of television (that I'm aware of) is the climactic scene of Babylon 5's mid-point episode, Severed Dreams. Even typing this now, I get a shiver just remembering it. Watching the scene never fails to make my breath catch. The thing is, so much builds into this moment, the context is everything. It's both a coming together of plot threads that had been building for more than 50 episodes, and a massive turning point for both the overall plot arc and many of the characters.
On Earth, a facist government is consolidating its hold on power (in this post-9/11 world, re-watching the Earth-focussed parts of Babylon 5 is really quite chillingly familiar). The former President has been assassinated and anti-alien propoganda is everywhere. Martial law has been declared on Earth. Factions within the military have formed, some for and some against the new regime. Captain Sheridan, along with his trusted officers on Babylon 5, has been gathering evidence that President Clarke was behind the assassination of his predecessor, but at the same time Clarke's forces are moving against his enemies.
Elsewhere, the mysterious and powerful Shadows are preparing for what is expected to be an apocalyptic war. Under their influence, the Centauri and Narns went to war and the Narn home planet was all but obliterated. The Minbari, a powerful race who once fought the humans almost to destruction, are leading (through Ambassador Delenn) preparations to fight the Shadows. She has enlisted Sheridan's aid in her mission.
Which brings us to this episode. In Severed Dreams, the arrival of the badly damaged Alexander, one of the rebel Earth Force ships, forces Sheridan to openly declare his alleigance in order to offer them much-needed aid and repairs. At the same time, news arrives of the Shadows consolidating their forces, and Delenn, the Minbari ambassador on Babylon 5, learns that her own government is now unwilling to join the battle to come. She leaves Babylon 5, setting a chain of event in motion when she breaks the Grey Council, fulfilling an ancient prophecy.
Back on Babylon 5, the bad news keeps coming. Some Earth colonies attempted to break away from Earth rule in response to Clarke's attempt to declare martial law; in retaliation President Clarke ordered military strikes against the civilians of those colonies. The only independent news agency left, ISN, is taken offline, Clarke's troops storming their building while the are still on the air. With no options left, Captain Sheridan acts openly against Clarke for the first time: he declares Babylon 5 independent of Earth rule until such time as Clarke is impeached, knowing that by doing so, he's inviting massive retaliation.
And that retaliation comes quickly. In a spectacular battle, Earth forces under Clarke's orders move against Babylon 5. It's a battle no one truly wants: Earth Force against Earth Force. Clarke-loyalists already in place aboard the station join the battle against Babylon 5's own security force. The station's hull is breached, allowing the enemy Earth forces to board.
Just when everything seems lost...
Sheridan's forces have destroyed the two ships sent against them. It's no victory to Sheridan: those are former friends he's killed. Still reeling from that, you can see how close he is to giving up when more Earth Force ships arrive, demanding his surrender. Then four more ships appear. At first, it seems they must be more enemies, which would mean Babylon 5 is lost for sure. Then Delenn's voice fills the comm. channel.
DELENN: This is ambassador Delenn of the Minbari. Babylon 5 is under our protection. Withdraw or be destroyed.
ENEMY CAPTAIN: Negative. We have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ship.
DELENN: 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.
...her reminder of the devestating battles of the Earth-Minbari war is enough. The enemy ships flee; she doesn't even have to fire a shot. The battle is over. The war has just begun.
Babylon 5 had its faults as a TV show, not least some seriously awful dialogue. But on one thing I can't fault it: this show always, always delivered on it's climactic moments. So many shows go for the big build-up and when the moment finally arrives, it is ultimately unsatisfying. Babylon 5 always delivered in spades. From this scene the stakes got higher, the shocks deeper, the climactic scenes bigger. But this is the one that I find most memorable. Nothing else, in any other series I've seen, comes close to the power of those two minutes of TV.