Point of No Return (Babylon 5)

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"Point of No Return"
Babylon 5 episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 9
Directed by Jim Johnston
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Production code309
Original air dateFebruary 26, 1996
Guest appearance(s)

Majel Barrett (Lady Morella)
Marshall Teague (Ta'Lon)
Vaughn Armstrong (Security Guard #1)
Lewis Arquette (General Smits)
Ed Trotta (Lt. General O'Reilly)
Joshua Cox (Lt. David Corwin)

Contents

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"Severed Dreams"
List of Babylon 5 episodes

Point of No Return is the ninth episode from the third season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5 .

<i>Babylon 5</i> American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski

Babylon 5 is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Television. After the successful airing of a test pilot movie on February 22, 1993, Babylon 5: The Gathering, in May 1993 Warner Bros. commissioned the series for production as part of its Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN). The first season premiered in the US on January 26, 1994, and the series ultimately ran for the intended five seasons, costing an estimated $90 million for 110 episodes.

Lady Morella is played by Majel Barrett, widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and known for playing Nurse Chapel, Lwaxana Troi and Federation computer voices in Star Trek. Her appearance was intended as a gesture of goodwill intended to dispel the perceived rivalry between the two franchises. [1]

Majel Barrett American actress and producer

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was an American actress and producer. She was best known for her roles as Nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek series and Lwaxana Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as for being the voice of most onboard computer interfaces throughout the series. She became the second wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

Star Trek is an American media franchise based on the science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. The first television series, simply called Star Trek and now referred to as "The Original Series", debuted in 1966 and aired for three seasons on NBC. It followed the interstellar adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew aboard the starship USS Enterprise, a space exploration vessel built by the United Federation of Planets in the 23rd century. The Star Trek canon includes The Original Series, an animated series, five spin-off television series, the film franchise, and further adaptations in several media.

Gene Roddenberry American television screenwriter and producer

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and creator of the original Star Trek television series, and its first spin-off The Next Generation. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a police officer. Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions in the Army Air Forces during World War II, and worked as a commercial pilot after the war. Later, he followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Los Angeles Police Department, where he also began to write scripts for television.

Synopsis

President Clark has dissolved the Earth Alliance Senate and announced martial law throughout all of Earth's colonies. Sheridan attempts to make contact with his ally, General Hague, but learns Hague has been leading a coup with a few other Earth Alliance ships, and currently on the run, leaving Babylon 5 on its own. While no direct order has come through to Babylon 5 on the situation nor carried over the public news stations, Sheridan prepares the security staff to take action. Garibaldi releases G'Kar from containment after his attack on Mollari since they need the security staff for other duties. However, the Night Watch aboard the station receive orders from the political office on Earth to take over the station security, displacing any non-Nightwatch members with their own. Zack is dubious of this, and when Garibaldi learns of this, he tries to convince his staff to disobey the order, but instead he himself is forced to relinquish his position as chief of security.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Mollari receives Lady Morella, the wife of the late Emperor Turhan, at the station, ostensibly to give her a tour of the station but really to have her look into his future and determine if the visions he had can be avoided. Soon the news station reports on the martial law situation as well as the renegade status of Hague's forces. The Night Watch, in trying to disperse crowds, incite a riot that wounds Vir as he and Mollari are accompanying Morella on her tour. The Centauri retreat to Mollari's quarters to take care of Vir's wound, during which Morella briefly touches both Mollari and Vir.

Sheridan is concerned that the Night Watch will attempt to seize control of the station and makes contact with an allied general in EarthForce, General Smits on Earth that managed to go into hiding. General Smits tells him that there is nothing he can do to help and Sheridan should only follow the chain of command. Sheridan is originally dismayed by this news, but upon reviewing the message, discovers that the general was trying to help. Further, G'Kar approaches Sheridan offering the help of the Narn on the station. Sheridan comes up with a plan to use Zack to mislead the Night Watch into preparing for the arrival of Narn refugees, effectively locking them all into a single airlock. Sheridan tells the Night Watch that the only orders that can affect the station must come through the military branch of EarthGov, so their attempt to take over Babylon 5 is an illegal action. With the help of the Narn, they disarm the Night Watch and secure them into quarters. Sheridan knows this is only a temporary measure but long enough to help them prepare. Later, G'Kar begs Sheridan to let him on their war council in exchange for organizing the Narn's help.

Morella agrees to give Mollari her vision of his future, affirming he will become Emperor one day, as well as three cryptic signs he should watch for to try to prevent the future he saw from coming. She also tells Vir that he, too, will become Emperor and informs both that one of them will become Emperor after the other one dies.

Arc significance

In the Babylon 5 science fiction universe, Nightwatch is an Earth Alliance paramilitary organization set up during the Presidency of Morgan Clark. Like the Gestapo of Nazi Germany, Nightwatch became the secret police organization of Clark's New Order.

Londo Mollari character in Babylon 5

Londo Mollari is a fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Peter Jurasik.

Vir Cotto fictional character from the television series Babylon 5

Vir Cotto is a character from the fictional Babylon 5 universe, played on screen by Stephen Furst. He is a Centauri male who was from a family of minor nobility, who would eventually become the Centauri Ambassador to Babylon 5, and then became the Emperor of the Centauri Republic in 2278.

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Emperor Cartagia fictional character from Babylon 5

Emperor Cartagia is a fictional character from the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Wortham Krimmer. He is mentioned by name early in the series, but his first on-screen appearance is in the fourth season episode The Hour of the Wolf.

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References

  1. ↑ Grimm, Steven (February 26, 1996). "The First Lady of Star Trek Makes A Royal Visit to "BABYLON 5". The Lurker's Guide to Babylon Five.
<i>The Lurkers Guide to Babylon 5</i>

The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 is a fan-run website that includes detailed episode guides and analyses, production history notes, background materials, references and other information related to the science fiction epic, Babylon 5. The name is derived from the term lurker, which creator J. Michael Straczynski adopted to refer to the underclass residents on the Babylon 5 station.

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