DannanTavona. Absolutely correct. This is the moment stating 'mission accomplished'. This TV series had so many challenges, it's amazing they got it finished on time. The music as Babylon 5 breaks up gets me every time. So many great actors and arc story lines. No series has got close to it since.
Almost looked teary-eyed saddened there. I also found it strange, though, that you could switch the whole station off by just flipping one switch behind a wall. Must have been specifically rigged for the occasion.
Seeing Delenn keep vigil at every dawn after her husband's death reminds me of the connection I feel with my late husband Tim. He has been gone nearly 27 years now, but I love him as dearly now as he did when he passed, if not more as I have come to terms with why and how he died. The level of pain goes up and down, but the gratitude I have for having him in my life, however brief, only increases as does the joy at the thought of seeing him, "where no shadows fall." ☺️
Garibaldi picking up the shot glass is a strong moment. He always thought he'd never make it out of B5 - that he'd be killed or drink himself to death. By this scene, he's moved past those fears, and takes the shot glass to remind himself of how far he's come.
you make an exceptional point. always remember that there are "things" that people have that remind them of "someone, some place or some event" always do your utmost to respect an others property or space. because you never know its history.
My favourite part of the series (among many) was when the electronically recreated Garibaldi hacks his way out of the sandbox they were using to simulate the original B5 crew and arranged the destruction of those responsible to preserve the memories of his friends. A cunning, devoted friend who followed his gut.
@@ghandimauler "Rest easy, friends." Yes. Delenn gave him the clue, I think, when she observed that they were still themselves. The guy who programmed them did his job too well.
Its wild... these actors are playing characters at an age that many wouldn't live to reach in real life. Zack, Garibaldi, Franklin, Delenn... all gone.
Straczynski himself shutting off the lights prior to the station's destruction was so poignant and fitting. Tears me up every time I watch it. Chris Franke's music just rips your heart out like nothing else I can compare.
@@Melayahm01 indeed indeed... the entire episode has such a meta layer to it now. "To absent friends, in memory still bright." Don't think that was intended to become the one phrase B5 fans repeat over and over.
_I believe when we leave a place, a part of us goes with us and a part of us remains._ _Go anywhere in the station when it is quiet, and just listen._ _After a while, you will hear the echoes of all our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged._ - G'Kar
I cry EVERY time seeing this, especially since so many of the cast have now passed beyond the rim 😢😭 Out of everyone who was in the elevator, only Ivanova (Claudia Christian) is still alive now. So sad. Rest In peace friends. Thank you for everything. ❤
@@tservo3k The destruction of B5 seems pointless, a relatively small structure orbiting a dead planet relatively out of the way - & it's a navigational hazard ? PLEASE. They could at least keep some of the important areas somehow intact & move them. This makes as much sense as BSG's finale, sending the Galactica & other Colonial ships into the Sun.
@@DanielAppleton-lr9eq A small station with a huge fusion reactor, that most likely disturbs the hyperspace around it for light years, hence why they need a jump gate there. And only the Minbari, Shadows and Vorlons are brave enough to jump out of hyperspace not thru the gate, although the Omega Class, Narn Destroyers and Centauri are capable of it too, they all always come out of hyper space via the Gate. Most likely the disturbance in the hyperspace is so big, that they need the beacon of the jump gate to find safely to the space station. And why they destroyed it? Well, Epsilon 3 is mostly uninhabitated. Only an old Minbari and some Zahtras live there! This planet was just a navigation point before they build the first Babylon station, it was in fact build there, because it was in the intersection between the Minbari, the Earth and also the Narn and Centauri Empire. But since they don't need it anymore. Don't forget, the major reason for Babylon 5 to exist was never to make peace between the empires, that was only the smoke screen, it was always meant as the major base against the shadows, the Minbari grey council, most likely President Santiago and the Vorlons knew that. So after the Shadow threat, and there not only the threat of the Shadows themselves, but also their associates was solved (the episode is placed after the Excalibur found the cure to rescue Earth, although that episode was never produced, but only novelized), the base is not longer needed.
A dying emperor asked a Vorlon, "How will this end?" The Vorlon's response? "In fire." The station was always going to go out in fire. Whether it was in the fires of war and defeat, or the fires of an honorable pyre and the knowledge that it had succeeded in its mission. I loved this show as a kid, and I still remember watching this particular episode for the first time. I spent the entire hour bawling my eyes out, and even now, as a grown woman in my mid-thirties, I still sob. The quality of the music, of the storytelling - wow. Babylon 5 laid the foundations for so many shows, setting trends that have become second nature to viewers nowadays.
Hell, I'm 68 and it still grabs me. The scene where the EA attempts to board B5 and the Narns go charging in? Even today, it still grabs me. Same with the ending.
I remember watching a video of a convention where Jerry Doyle told Mira that he would get up every morning and watch the sun come up like her character did. She was so moved by it.
I always find the scene in the elevator sad. Such an amazing group of talented people. Only one actor still alive these days. Claudia Christian. Gets me every time....
I was about to correct you and mention Bruce is still alive then I watched the scene again, he isn't in the elevator with the rest. Yes, very sad and heartbreaking.
arrrggggh why why why, , I'm in floods of tears now, thank you, the ONLY TV series to ever get me so emotional in my 55 years on this planet, does it to me EVERY time.........
Don't fight me, but... For a looong time, I never bothered watching Babylon 5, even after seeing people comment on how it was one of the best SF series ever made. I only ever saw glimpses of it on TV many years ago and I think the (now very dated) CGI cutscenes and clunky-looking aliens (in retrospect I'm fairly sure I tuned in to the TV channel at a time when Kosh was onscreen) were what put me off and so it always remained on my backburner, a curiosity for a later time. The fact I only saw B5 on a satellite TV channel with German overdubs certainly didn't help. With the recent passing of my compatriot, Mira, I figured I just had to give the show a second chance and see what I was missing. Oh boy. The coherent storyline, the character arcs, the emotional investment you got with all the characters in the end... I *just* finished watching the series finale and I think this might have been the best series finale I've seen. I know this episode was actually supposed to have been the ending for season 4 if B5 were to be canceled for season 5, but it still works wonderfully. I've grown up on Star Trek and the series-ending ceiling for me was the TNG "All Good Things" finale, a perfect blend of fan service, nostalgia, but without much pathos. In comparison, the DS9 finale felt just too rushed, too tidy and happy-endy and more of a nostalgia trip with flashbacks. On the other hand, the lead-up to the finale of B5 never felt rushed to me and it felt natural, which makes sense given that J. Michael Straczynski laid out the storyline for the entire 5 seasons. And, there can only be said so much about the performances of Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik in the series. The high points of the cast, IMHO.
I can't count how many times i have watched this episode over the years. I watch it every time another one goes beyond the rim. But it still gets me every single time. For me i resisted watching it for a long time. I'd grown up on Star Wars & Star Trek & didn't need another show. My first exposure to the show was the episode where Sheridan has been captured & is being interrogated for the entire episode. Not a great place to start with when you don't know the context so i never bothered. Then one day i turned the tv on in the middle of an episode where the shadow ships are just destroying everything around them & i watched the rest of the episode, don't remember which one now but somewhere in season 3. It was a double showing so i watched the next episode & i was hooked. A friend had the entire series on video so i borrowed them & being out of work at the time i sat & watched them all over the course of a week stopping only to sleep, eat & do bathroom things. Still the benchmark for good tv let alone good sci-fi for me even now almost 30 years after it aired.
I don't get why the blew up the station though. I get the dramatic effect for the show, but it's not very realistic. Seems like it would make more sense to dismantle it for parts / raw materials if they were going to decommission it and didn't want to keep it around for other purposes.
As a rationalization, you could say that they had already stripped the station of everything valuable, and the rest was just obsolete tech not worth the time and effort to salvage. Or, that blowing it up was actually the most efficient way to turn it into scrap. Ultimately, though, it was the image that was dramatically important.
Delenn met John Sheridan in 2259 Married him in 2261 He passed beyond the rim in 2281 She lived until at least 2362 Delenn got up before dawn to watch the sun rise for 81 years until she died aged 161 ...
Just recently found this clip, brought out emotions I had not felt in some time. The wonderful woman who would come to be my wife of over 20 years and I bonded over watching this show before we even started dating. We were both fans of Star Trek and Star Wars and other Sci Fi shows and movies, but this show was the best of them all. I will still pull out the dvds on occasion and watch the entire series over a couple of weeks savoring the story and character interactions even though I have seen each scene so many times. This show definitely belongs in the pantheon of the best television shows of all time, not just sci fi shows. The 80s and 90s and early 00s were truly the golden age of science fiction television and movies. I do not think we will see shows like this and its ilk again in our lifetimes.
I remember first discovering Babylon 5 years and years ago and just being blown away. It was the finest example of what Sci-fi could be when done correctly and it still holds up to this very day. Not until the reboot of Battlestar Galatica did another Sci-fi show come along that could even begin to touch the depths that Babylon 5 delved.
The problem with BSG's reboot was that it managed the tension and the emotional pulls and pushes, but the story writers wrote themselves into corners they couldn't ever explain sufficiently for anyone who watched all of the series. '33' was the best episode in my books. The whole 'not explained' Starbuck aspect was a cop out but they had little choice given the collection of convoluted storylines... loved the show, but less as it went on and the final ending was... underwhelming.
B5 was carried by the writing department. Contrast it with Foundation, which is carried by every department *other* than the writing team. Makes you wonder what's possible if you could put the very best of both worlds, together.
@@ghandimauler One thing that made Babylon 5 so remarkable was that the plot for the entire series was set from the very beginning, before the producers had any idea it would make it beyond the first season. Now that's faith. It was a risky move, but because of that there's a cohesion between all of the different seasons that most shows don't have. Kudos to them!
I really admire JMS for his integrity of justing ending the show when the story was done, even though he was tempted to prolong it. It was a perfect conclusion to this story.
@@gajustempus Yes absolutely. I'm currently reading his autobiography and am truly horrified at the sad excuse of a bunch of human beings who raised him.
@@anarchistica When there is a 19 year time jump between the final two episodes of Babylon 5 there was still plenty of stories to tell in that universe.
@@Mahendra-bj6vy Allies of the Shadows still remained behind, and held a major Grudge, and used the last Shadow planet killer to Devastate Centaur, and Earth, and a Spinoff was created to help find a cure
Haven't seen this in years. Had a sad moment when I realized that all of those people except Claudia Christian are gone. What a great cast. Rest in peace guys. We miss you.
30 seconds in entering the elevator: you have Zack Allen,Delenn, Susan Ivanova, Vir, Doctor Franklin, and Garibaldi... The only person alive now in that elevator is Claudia Christian
Babylon 5 is one of my all time favorite TV shows. I have seen every episode numerous times. But each time I rewatch the series, it's like viewing it for the very first time. The sense of wonder and awe never lessens with the passage of time. This show was years ahead of its time. It's scope, vision, epic scale, message, and everything in between is simply amazing, and unparalleled. A tapestry of sheer brilliance. There will never be another show like Babylon 5 ever. Never. And what made it especially difficult for me to watch this video is the fact that most of the cast are gone. Most recently, Mira Furlan (Delenn). I know for a fact that when I view the entire saga yet again, I will enjoy it, but I will be even more saddened knowing that these brilliant actors whose iconic characters they portray are no longer with us anymore. Babylon 5 forever!
A very touching scene, I don't think any series had such an ending that touched me so deeply. Thank you for downloading this scene. You have a new subscriber. Take care and stay well.
Of all the truly great scifi series I have watched - Stargate SG1 and it's spin offs, Star Trek, TNG and Enterprise, Farscape and Battlestar Galactica; Babylon 5 was my favourite. Brilliantly written characters who evloved, fabulously written scripts and storylines, all acted out by marvellous actors.
Now I understand why this scene felt so heartbreaking. It's a Viking Funeral to an old Bastion against the onslaught of the dark, which many heroic kings, queens, warriors, scholars, philosophers, artists and prophets called home. It had and served its purpose in time of strife, but not in time of peace. After its 'funeral', even if they build another station it won't be another B5. It's like putting and old warhorse/warhound to sleep in their twilight years in a time of peace.
Yup. All these years later and I still can't hold back my tears. I loved this series. The actors. Everything. More then any other piece of cinema or television history. Thank you. From the depths of my soul, thank you all.
Wonderful actors and Christopher Franke's soundtrack made this one of the most beautiful episodes in the B5 series. Having followed the series for the 5 seasons when it first aired, it really felt like losing a friend, someone you loved.
There are the critics of this series, some of them quite outspoken. One reason I have always liked it was that it had a beginning, a middle, and an end. It was a satisfying story.
ya most series nowadays get canceled before they reach their conclusion. babalon 5 was a great show one of the best. i hope they do a reboot of the series or mabe a what happened afterwards to sharadian were he went were the first ones went.
It is perhaps the only series that was planned out as an extended story arc. If I remember correctly from the beginning and through to year 4 was to be a single story arc. Year five was a blessing and so they painted a more detailed ending to the series having been given that extra year. No other show except maybe the reboot Battlestar Galactica ever weaved all of its years of broadcasting into a singular story plot. It also helps greatly that nearly every actor who was part of the show gave such stellar peformances. They brought their characters to life and breathed depth into them.
(Second comment by me)- Although there is no way that Alfred Bester would be invited to this final scene (unless left on board the station, because we all hate him- Boo, Hiss), I would commend JMS for casting Walter Koenig to that role. It gave him a chance to show what a good actor he was, not being treated as a joke Russian on Star Trek.
I don't think he really would fit into this scene. Yes, he was an important side plot character, though. But there was a spin-off (Crusade) which was supposed to explain the Telepath engagement into the whole thing, I hoped this would continue on the mess left from B5 S5. Didn't finish well because the show was canceled. If you want to explore the future of Alfred Bester, read some novels where it's actually well described.
Bester (to me) was the first villain since Darth Vader that I rooted for because I LOVED seeing them on screen. Whatever scene Koenig was in, he owned it. Checkov was a 2 dimensional character; Bester was infinite. Showed what a capable actor Walter is.
In the timeline it would be after the telepath war. Bester could very well be dead. With Garibaldi and Leta Alexander wanting his head on a platter, not much of a chance he is alive.
Not many shows now that make you feel so much for characters that is what is special about this series every single time I watch this its make me laugh and cry. Bless those who made this and rest assured you will always be remembered.
I can't count how many times i have watched this episode over the years. I watch it every time another one goes beyond the rim. But it still gets me every single time. Of the characters at he final meal scene only Sheridan & Ivanova remain, ironic as Sheridan is the only death in the episode not counting the Station itself & the only ones left from the Station are Ivanova & JMS himself. Fitting that it's Claudia that narrates the final montage. For me i resisted watching it for a long time. I'd grown up on Star Wars & Star Trek & didn't need another show. My first exposure to the show was the episode where Sheridan has been captured & is being interrogated for the entire episode. Not a great place to start with when you don't know the context so i never bothered. Then one day i turned the tv on in the middle of an episode where the shadow ships are just destroying everything around them & i watched the rest of the episode, don't remember which one now but somewhere in season 3. It was a double showing so i watched the next episode & i was hooked. A friend had the entire series on video so i borrowed them & being out of work at the time i sat & watched them all over the course of a week stopping only to sleep, eat & do bathroom things. Still the benchmark for good tv let alone good sci-fi for me even now almost 30 years after it aired.
I enjoyed the show so much that I bought the complete serries on DVD and watch it every 3 or 4 years. It gives my mind time to forget things in the show.
The sad thing for me is that I never saw a single show while it was aired. I was always too busy raising my kids, spending time with them and my wife. I will now make the time to watch every single episode, as I'm by myself now.
3:23 - that’s when you wanna put it on 0.25 speed folks. I remember when this aired and I had no way to do that. Thank you for letting me use RU-vid to do that now 😊
Every time I watch this, someone is cutting onions, but I love the acknowledgement that most of the people were utterly imperfect and were just there at the time. Many were not the best people to be there but it gives hope to the rest of us, that there is a chance "even for people like us"
Oh my goodness, is this the remastered version that just came out? The quality looks amazing! And the music just digs deeper into your soul somehow. Also, Zack escorting Delenn into the elevator is even more poignant with Mira’s recent passing. Rest in peace, Mira Furlan!
I got it on iTunes and it is amazing. The non-cg elements look amazing and even the cgi-shots, which had to be upscaled, look a LOT better than on the DVDs, although they're no comparable to Star Trek remasters. I can recommend it. If you've got an itch to rewatch the show, now's the time.... or maybe wait some more months for the blu-ray release that is rumored for March (although other sources say, that is unlikely to happen in the near future).
It tears at my soul that everyone in the elevator (31sec mark), except for Claudia (Ivanovo) have all passed away. This show is now almost 30 years old. I miss this kind of thoughtful and deep sci-fi.
I remember watching this episode it broke my heart and when the station exploded it really upset me,crazy really but I had seen every single episode since the beginning,watching that now still moves me :(
In my top 3 science fiction shows all time. So many of these wonderful actors are no longer with us. That shot with Delenn and Sheridan gets me every time like in Lost when Vincent lays down next to Jack.
To everyone involved with the production of this show ..... THANK YOU , you showed people as people are , not perfect but with hope in their hearts ......
It was the personalities, the relationships and the writing that made this series work. Sometimes people make huge blockbuster action films or even TV series that lack good writing and great characters. Inevitably, they may be enjoyable to watch once, but they have no lasting impact on the viewer. Have good writing, characters you can see as human (or alien) and flawed, but that just makes their conflicts and struggles memorable. JMS knew that.
In C.J. Cherryh's "Chanur" series of books, there are the oxygen breathing sentients, and the methane breathing sentients. The oxygen breathers at least somewhat understand each other, but they have a difficult time understanding the methane breathers, and vice versa. But even so, they do manage to trade and co-exist.
Wow !!! Mar twenty three and after all this time I cannot help but shead a tear watching the end of an era for babylon 5. It seems like a lifetime ago, a haunting and poignant end to a great series. 🙏❤️🇬🇧❤️🙏
I waited 18 years to watch this episode. Occasionally I considered looking early, but I didn't. This was the best conclusion to a series like this to that date. Star Trek Continues last episode with Kirk on the wrecked bridge of the Enterprise in Earth dock while the telemetry sound effects played was the next time I saw something wrapped this well.
Hello; I was actually a college friend of Denise Gentile who played Garibaldi's wife. I managed to follow most Denise's acting career until I finally lost track of her. A beautiful lady and human being. I was actually Denise's junior college best friend's boyfriend at the time.
The last monologue delivered by Ivonova held so much meaning.after all the lines of strength, frustrations anger and more. It was one of realized peace for a character who deserved it so much.
It was? The last episode of season 4 was such an excellent series finale I never questioned that it was intended form the start to be just that. Weird that they had *ANOTHER* series finale in the wings.
@@richardkenan2891 They were told season 4 would be their last, and they were almost to then end of filming season 4 and were told they're getting a 5th season. babylon5.fandom.com/wiki/Sleeping_in_Light#Behind_the_Scenes
@@richardkenan2891 They weren't sure if they were going to get a season 5, so this was made with the possibility of season 4 being the last. Once it got another season it still worked just as well.
@@richardkenan2891 Yes. In fact, they had to produce a replacement version for the season 4 finale when they learned that it won't be canceled yet. So this "In 100years, in 1000 years" episode was created. They even had to remove Claudia completely from that episode because all payment was already negotiated and she was leaving the show, so that Sleeping in Light could be moved easily to the next season.
It's sad that Ivonava standing in the middle of the elevator @ 0:30 is the only cast member in this shot that is still alive today, and that everyone around her has passed away. Richard Biggs passed in 2004, Jeff Conaway in 2011, Jeffery Doyle in 2016, Stephen Furst in 2017 and Mira Furlan in 2021. Rest in peace to the departed.
When this was broadcast in my country I had tears in my eyes at the ending. The extra who flipped the switch I am betting did not realise how iconic this scene would become.
@@MervynPartin Thanks for the name as back then we didn't have the net so didn't realise that one. However I wonder if he realised just how epic and icoic that scene would be. It still brings tears to my eyes and that is not easy to do.😗
