Richard Biggs

Musical legend Luther Vandross guest stars as Reggie Hunter, a downtrodden janitor who'd been forced twenty years earlier to give up his dreams of becoming a singer. Only recently has Reggie discovered that he could have had a life-altering audition with Motown records, but that the audition was blocked for selfish reasons by his "respectable" brother Martin (Joe Morton). Now Martin is in big trouble, and Reggie is the only one who can help him out. Will Monica (Roma Downey) and the angels be able to persuade the embittered Reggie to forgive and forget...or at least forget? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bester (Walter Koenig) doggedly pursues a murderous telepath who killed a friend of his. He takes this opportunity to provide valuable on-the-job training to a pair of rookie Psi Cops. Since the focus is on Bester, virtually none of the Babylon 5 regulars appear, with the exceptions of Jeff Conaway (Zack) and Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklyn). Best moment: the Psi Corps training film, a marvelous piece of ersatz propaganda. First broadcast on April 15, 1998, "The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father. . ." was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unbeknownst to President Sheridan, Delenn sends Lennier on mission to the Centauri border. The purpose: to determine where the cargo-vessel attacks are coming from. And Vir reacts strangely upon receiving a political promotion. Keep an eye out for a brief spoof of the McDonald's restaurant chain (Hint: look for the Golden Headbones). Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Meditations on the Abyss" first aired on May 27, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this TV movie "suggested by" a real-life incident, wife and mother Lizzie Brooks (Reba McEntire) is comatose in a hospital as McEntire's tune Forever Love provides an accompaniment to the flashback: After Lizzie meets Alex (Tim Matheson), a romance develops. They marry, have a daughter (Heather Stephens), and become close friends with Gail (Bess Armstrong) and Jerry (Andy Buckley). After a stroke puts Lizzie into a coma, Alex takes her home, providing love, care, and devotion through the years. Two decades pass, and one day Lizzie emerges from the coma and attempts to rebuild her life. Filmed in L.A., this TV movie aired September 27, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, 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

When it seemed certain that Babylon 5 would be cancelled at the end of the fourth season, a "finale" was filmed in May 1997. That episode, "Sleeping in Light" (aka "Farewell"), was withdrawn from the series' manifest when Babylon 5 was picked up for a fifth season by TNT. As it turned out, "Sleeping in Light" would not air until November 25, 1998, when the series finally ended its five-year run. Written by producer J. Michael Straczynski), this valedictory episode was set in 2281 AD, 20 years after the series' time-frame. As he prepares to shuffle off his mortal coil, John J. Sheridan, the former commander of Babylon 5, is visited by his old friends and colleagues. Among those gathering around Sheridan's bedside are his son David, his former fellow officer Susan Ivanova (now a General), ex-security chief Garibaldi, the recently retired Zack, and newly-installed Centauri emperor Vir. Several past Babylon 5 regulars make cameo appearances, as do series producers John Copeland and George Johnsen. "Sleeeping in Light" earned a 1999 Hugo Award nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation. ~ 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

As the year 2262 draws to a close, so does the saga of Babylon 5. The Alliance relocates to Minbar, requiring Sheridan and Delenn to go along for the ride. G'Kar and Garibaldi have already said their farewells to their fellow crew members and gone their separate ways. And Dr. Franklyn launches a second career on Earth. So does everyone live happily ever after? Not so far as Lennier is concerned; a past mistake will cost him dearly before episode's end. Written by J. Michael Straczynski and first telecast November 18, 1998, "Objects at Rest" was, technically, the last episode of Babylon 5, though the series' "official" finale, "Sleeping in Light" (actually filmed in 1997) would not air until the following week. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The long-awaited "backstory" for the popular syndicated science-fiction saga Babylon 5 was provided some five years after the series premiered, courtesy of the two-hour movie special Babylon Five: In the Beginning. Set in the year 2278, the film takes a backward glance at the Earth-Minbari war, as seen through the eyes of Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik), now the emperor of Centauri. Detailed for the first time are the tragic beginnings of the war, the involvement of the Minbari Delenn (Mira Furlan), and the death of Dukaht (Raynor Scheine). In addition to featuring most of the series' current regulars, the film also brings back such early defectors as Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) and Ambassador Kosh (Ardwright Chamberlain). As a bonus, Claudia Christian appears unbilled in her familiar role of Lt. Cmdr. Susan Ivanova, here depicted as an 18-year-old civilian. The film was written by series producer J. Michael Straczynski, and later novelized by Peter David. First telecast on January 4, 1978, Babylon 5: In the Beginning launched the two-year association between Babylon 5 and the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide