Babilonas 5 Phoenix Rising (1994–1998) Online

While there is a lot to like about this episode (particularly the scene where Garibaldi has his final showdown with Bester), in the end this episode really stinks. Most of it is because while in seasons one through four the writing was top-notch, here it was sadly clichéd and stupid--so much so that I have a hard time believing the great J. Michael Straczynski could have written them.

Once again, the king of angst (Byron) is back but this time he's so over the top and silly that my wife and I started laughing at him and this whole awful plot line. At the very end, it got even worse, as the show featured perhaps the worst showdown in sci-fi history. As Bester, psi cops and crew members looked on (and did absolutely nothing even though Byron was very distracted and blathered on and on), Byron and some of his rogue-est telepaths sang a supposedly touching song (sort of like the 23rd century's answer to "We Are the World") and whined about the meaningless of it all. Frankly, it seemed like a parody of Anne Rice's characters, Lestat and Louis de Pointe du Lac (Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt). In a vampire film, it works--here it just seems silly and out of place. And the whole time I kept praying SOMEONE would just shoot Byron and shut him up once and for all! Fortunately, he does not return after this episode and the season limps to a close.

This episode and the two before it lay out a pretty nice story. The Shadows and Vorlons are gone, and Earth has been reclaimed. So the series needed a new story to tell and this arc delivers a decent one.

Byron makes for a heroically tragic character. Lyta, his star-crossed lover, also delivers an almost Shakespearean portrayal of a woman caught in circumstances she can't control but wants to avoid.

Add Walter Koenig's stellar portrayal of the slimy, sneaky Bester and you have three-hour long entertainment.

This arc gets a 7 only because the plot line is quite predictable. You kind of know what's coming before it comes. Also, the special effects-- while good--are not up to par with previous episodes in this season.

This episode arc is good and worth watching, but don't feel like it's must-see. You can always come back to it.