Mira Furlan

Serbian director Goran Markovic's über-black comedy Turneja (The Tour), marks an anomaly: a war film that deliberately thrives on its audience's poor recognition of the nuances belying its central conflict; a tragicomedy at heart, it uses its lack of onscreen sociopolitical and historical exposition as an advantage that enables it to meditate on the pointlessness and anarchy of war per se. The year is 1993, the theater some of the dingiest and most poverty-stricken corners of the Bosnian War. At the heart of it all is a Belgrade-based theatrical troupe embarking on a risky stop-by-stop tour of Bosnia, trekking from city to city to city. Listless and bored, they spend the majority of their offstage lives frittering away every second by arguing and playing cards, save those rare occasions when the members march onto the stage to perform a production of Jacques Feydeau's play A Flea in Her Ear. Of the members: ex-husband-and-wife Zaki (Josif Tatic) and Sonja acrimoniously squabble with one another, much to the dismay of Misko (Dragan Nikolic), while skirt-chaser Lale (Gordan Kicic) nurses an unrequited love for neophyte actress Jadranka (Jelena Dokic). Meanwhile, tour manager Stanislav (Tihomir Stanic) drums up the idea of a "hard-currency payday" to keep the locals entertained - not simply non-military personnel, but worn-out, run down troops in the region of Krajina not far from Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Circumstances take a significantly negative turn, however, when an officer with less-than-pure motives suggests (beneath a guise of deceptive innocence) that they give their earned monies to charity and that they politicize and propagandize their dramatic material to increase the morale of men at the front lines. Before long, the soldiers find themselves trekking through the sub-zero Eastern European wilderness, marching from camp to camp to camp and witnessing barbarous acts of inhumanity unmatched by anything in their prior experience. The inability of the men to tell one side from the other, throughout the film, underscores the chaotic mess and ludicrousness of the war per se. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Now that Hurley's (Jorge Garcia) CD player has finally "died," neither the survivors nor the viewers will be treated to those pop music snatches that have capped the previous episodes of Lost. This does not mean, however, that Hurley's importance to the series has diminished: in fact, this episode is all about him -- or rather, his fascination with the Frenchwoman who has been transmitting radio messages from the jungle interior of the island. Also, an extended flashback finally explains why Hurley had popped up on Korean TV in a prior episode's flashback. A boon of good luck had recently drastically changed Hurley's life; however, things were not as fortunate as they at first seemed, and Hurley had set off on a quest to determine the meaning of it all. And in another development, Locke (Terry O'Quinn) commits another act of largesse, with Claire (Emilie de Raven) and her baby as the recipients. ~ All Movie Guide

Lennier uncovers irrefutable evidence of a Centauri connection with the mysterious attacks on the Alliance cargo ships. A boycott is levied against the Centauri, resulting in a disastrous reprisal. Originally telecast on June 10, 1998. "And All My Dreams Torn Asunder" was written by series producer J. Michael Straczynski, who regarded it as one of the best Babylon 5 episodes of all. By any standards, it is certainly among the most portentious of the series' fifth-season installments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As the hostilities between Centauri and the Alliance intensifies, President Sheridan authorizes the deployment of the White Star Fleet. At request of Vir, Lyta and Franklin go on an errand of mercy to Drazi homeworld. And Delenn returns to Minbar to launch a vital Minbari-Earth construction project. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Movements of Fire and Shadow" first aired on June 17, 1998; the episode's cliffhanger ending would not be resolved until "The Fall of Centauri Prime" was telecast on October 28 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Garibaldi is dispatched to the Drazi homeworld in hopes of solving the mystery behind the violent attacks on the Alliance cargo ships. Alas, Garibaldi nearly scuttles the mission when he "falls off the wagon" once again. And a confused G'Kar finds himself the object of unsolicited scrutiny by a religious sect. A mixture of the heavy and humorous, "The Ragged Edge" was written by J. Michael Straczynski; the episode made its first American TV appearance on April 8, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

On January 21, 1998, Babylon 5 joined the weekly lineup of the TNT cable network. Subtitled "Wheel of Fire," the series' fifth season got under way with the episode titled "No Compromises." While preparing for the inauguration of the former skipper Sheridan as first president of the New Interstellar Alliance, the crew of Babylon 5 welcomes their new commanding officer, Captain Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins). Amidst all the hustle and bustle, a group of Telepaths, headed by Byron (Robin Atkin Downes), arrives at the station seeking sanctuary. And unbeknownst to all but one person on board B5, there's a plan afoot to murder Sheridan before he can take the oath of office. "No Compromises" was written by series producer J. Michael Straczynski). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Summoned by Captain Lochley, Psi Cop Bester (Walter Koenig) attempts to bring the telepath crisis under control. Garibaldi's unexpected response to Bester's presence becomes a moot issue when he and Franklin are trapped by Byron's more violent disciples. This is one of those Babylon 5 episodes which asks far more questions than it answers. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Phoenix Rising" was originally telecast on April 1, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Perhaps as a byproduct of all his scheming and conniving on earlier episodes, Londo Mollari collapses from a heart attack. As he lies unconscious, his guilt feelings run amok in a surrealistic dream world. Meanwhile, Lennier begins his training as a Ranger, partly out of a sense of obligation, and partly to assuage his dismay over the marriage of Delenn and President Sheridan. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari" first aired on January 28, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In a followup to the November 4, 1998 episode "The Wheel of Fire", several residents of Babylon 5, including G'Kar, prepare to bid their final farewells to the space station. But crew members Lise and Michael have neither the time nor the inclination for goodbyes: They have just been informed of a plot to assassinate them both. Marjorie Monaghan appears as Number One, aka Tessa Holloron, Garibaldi's successor as head of security for the Alliance. Scripted by J. Michael Straczynski from a story by Straczynski and Harlan Ellison, "Objects in Motion" first aired on November 11, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sheridan finds himself at odds with the League ambassadors over G'Kan's proposed Interstellar Alliance Declaration of Principles. A small planet solicits the help of the Alliance in fending off raiders. And Garibaldi tries to align with refugee Telepaths by forming a new intelligence unit. The title of this episode is lifted from the "What a piece of work is a man" speech from Shakespeare's amlet. First telecast on February 4, 1998, "The Paragon of Animals" was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This feature-length sci-fi adventure is based on the television series Babylon 5. This time, the crew members stumble across an ancient device that can control their minds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide