Usuário:Jbribeiro1/Teste1

Sumário do enredo

Ver também: Anexo:Lista de Episódios de Babylon 5

Cada uma das cinco temporadas da série corresponde a um ano fictício dentro de um período entre 2258 e 2262 e divide seu nome com um episódio que é central para a trama daquela temporada. No início da série, a estação Babylon 5 está recepcionando embaixadores das diversas raças da galáxia. A Terra tinha sobrevivido por pouco de uma guerra acidental contra os poderosos minbari que, a despeito de toda a sua superioridade tecnológica, misteriosamente se renderam quando estavam à beira da vitória e da completa destruição da raça humana (a Batalha da Linha).

Primeira temporada – ano de 2258

Ver artigo principal: Anexo:Lista dos episódios de Babylon 5#Segunda temporada: Sinais e Presságios

Durante o ano de 2258, o comandante Jeffrey Sinclair está encarregado da estação. Muito da história revolve em torno de sua gradual descoberta de que foi a sua captura pelos minbari durante a batalha da linha que encerrou a guerra contra a Terra. Ao capturá-lo, os minbari se convenceram de que Valen, um grande líder e herói da última guerra entre os minbari e as sombras, tinha reencarnado no comandante. Concluindo que outros de sua espécie também estariam renascendo como humanos e obedecendo um édito minbari proibindo o assassinato de outros minbaris (para não prejudicarem suas almas eternas), eles encerraram a guerra no momento em que as defesas da Terra estavam à beira do colpso.

Gradualmente também foi se revelando que a embaixadora Delenn é membro de conselho tão poderoso quanto misterioso, o Conselho Cinza, o corpo governante dos minbari. Mais para o fim do ano de 2258. ela começa uma transformação que a deixará como um híbrido humano-minbari, supostamente para construir uma ponte entre as duas espécies. O ano termina com o assassinato do presidente da Aliança Terrestre, presidente Luís Santiago, e com as tensões escalando entre os narns e os centauri, seguindo-se à destruição de um posto avançado narn por uma terceira raça completamente desconhecida.

Segunda temporada – ano 2259

Ver artigo principal: Anexo:Lista dos episódios de Babylon 5#Segunda temporada: A vinda das sombras

No início de 2259, o capitão John Sheridan substitui Sinclair como o governante militar da estação. Ele e o corpo de comando descobrem que a morte do presidente Santiago foi na realidade um assassinato planejado pelo vice-presidente Clark (que assumiu a presidência no lugar de Santiag). Um conflito nasce entre o grupo de comando e os Psi Corps, uma organização cada vez mais autocrática que controla e governa a vida dos telepatas humanos. A comandante Ivanova, a segunda-em-comando da estação, é secretamente uma telepata latente que ilícitamente evitou se registrar junto aos Psi Corps.

As Sombras, uma raça antiga e extremamente poderosa, que recentemente acordou de uma longa hibernação, se revela ser a causa de uma variedade de eventos misteriosos e perturbadores, incluindo o ataque ao posto avançado Narn no final de 2258. O embaixador centauri, Londo Mollari, alista a ajuda delas sem saber através de sua associação com o misterioso Sr. Morden durante o conflito em andamento contra os Narn. O já idoso e doente imperador centauri, de longa data um defensor da reconciliação com o inimigo, morre de repente durante uma visita à Babylon 5. Um grupo de conspiradores, incluindo Londo e Refa, tomam controle do governo assassinando seus oponentes e colocando o instável sobrinho do antigo imperador no trono. Seu primeiro ato é reiniciar a agressão contra Narn. Depois de uma guerra total ter se estabelecido, os centauri eventualmente conquistam Narn por meio de um brutal ataque que envolveu o uso de aceleradores de massa, armas de destruição em massa banidas em toda a galáxia. No final do ano, a administração Clark começa a mostrar características totalitárias, perseguindo dissidentes e restringindo a liberdade de expressão. Também é revelado que os vorlons estão na base das lendas sobre anjos em diversos mundos, inclusive a Terra, e que eles são os antigos inimigos das sombras. Eles alistam a ajuda de Sheridan e do time de comando de Babylon 5 na luta contra elas.

Terceira temporada – ano de 2260

Ver artigo principal: Anexo:Lista dos episódios de Babylon 5#Terceira temporada: Ponto sem retorno

A Psi Corps e o presidente Clark, cujo governo descobriu uma nave das sombras enterrada no sistema solar da Terra, começa a se utilizar da tecnologia avançada aprendida. A administração Clark se torna ainda mais xenofóbica e totalitária, e se utiliza de um incidente militar como uma desculpa para declarar lei marcial. O evento provoca uma guerra por independência em Marte, que há muito já tinha uma relação complicada co a Terra. Babulon 5 também declara independência da Terra juntamente com diversas outras colônias avançadas da Aliança Terrestre. Em resposta, a Aliança tenta retomar a estação à força, mas é impedida pelos minbari, que se aliaram à Sheridan para conter o avanço das sombras.

Preocupado com o avanço da influência das sombras entre seu próprio povo, o embaixador centauri, Londo Mollari, tenta cortar relações com elas. O sr. Morden, o representante humano das sombras, engana Londo e faz com que ele renove a aliança através do assassinato da amante do embaixador. Uma guerra aberta explode entre as sombras e a aliança liderada por Babylon 5 e Minbari. Também descobre-se que uma manipulação genética feita pelos vorlons foi responsável pelo surgimento da telepatia entre os humanos, uma arma efetiva contra as sombras, como se revela depois. Descontente com a falta de ação direta dos vorlons contra as sombras, o capitão John Sheridan confronta o embaixador vorlon Kosh Naranek e o convence a lançar um ataque contra o inimigo comum de ambos. Os atos de Kosh levam ao seu subsquente assassinato pelas mãos das sombras.

Ao retornar para a estação, o antigo comandante Jeffrey Sinclair consegue o apoio do capitão Sheridan, de Delenn, Ivanova e Marcus, convencendo-os a embarcarem numa viagem temporal para roubar a desaparecida estação espacial Babylon 4 com o objetivo de enviá-la mil anos de volta no tempo para que sirva de base de operações contra as sombras na primeira guerra Sombra-Minbari. Passando pela mesma transformação que Delenn no final da primeira temporada, Sinclair se transforma num minbari e descobrimos que Valen é de fato Sinclair e não uma reencarnação posterior dele. Provocado pela reaparição de sua há muito falecida esposa (que agora é uma agente das sombras), Sheridan viaja até Z'ha'dum, o mundo natal das sombras, numa tentativa das sombras de recrutá-lo. Porém, ao invés disso ele destrói a principal cidade inimiga num ataque nuclear kamikaze, atirando sua nave contra a capital. Ele é visto saltando para a morte no final da temporada, num buraco com quilômetros de profundidade, numa tentativa desesperada de escapar da explosão. Enquanto isso, num confronto com naves sombra, o chefe Garibaldi também desaparece.

Quarta temporada – ano 2261

Ver artigo principal: Anexo:Lista dos episódios de Babylon 5#Quarta temporada: Render-se nunca, retroceder jamais

Em 2261, os vorlons entram de vez na Guerra das Sombras, mas as suas táticas se tornam outra fonte de preocupação para a aliança quando os vorlons passam a destruir planetas inteiros que eles acreditam estar "influenciados" pelas sombras. Perturbados por este inesperado resultado, o time de Babylon 5 corre para recrutar diversas outras raças antigas e poderosas (os Primeiros para uma nova causa, contra tanto as sombras quanto os vorlons. O capitação Sheridan retorna para a estação após escapar da destruição em Z'ha'dum, mas tem um preço a pagar: com exceção de doenças ou ferimentos, ele tem apenas mais vinte anos de vida, dados a ele por um misterioso alienígena chamado Lorien, que alega ser o mais antigo ser vivo da galáxia.

Horas antes da volta de Sheridan, Garibaldi também é resgatado, mas em circunstâncias mais obscuras. Ele está visivelmente mais paranóico e desconfiado de outras raças alienígenas e de Sheridan do que antes.

O imperador centauri Cartagia forja uma aliança com as sombras, obrigando Londo a arquitetar o assassinato dele e repudiar o acordo. O embaixador então assassina o sr. Morden e destrói todos as naves sombra baseadas em Centauri Prime, numa tentativa de libertar seu planeta da influência das sombras e da atenção dos vorlons. Ajudado pelos Primeiros e por outras raças mais jovens, Sheridan atrai tanto os vorlons quanto as sombras para uma imensa batalha, durante a qual ambas revelam que foram deixadas como guardiãs das raças mais jovens, mas por conta de diferenças filosóficas terminaram utilizando-as como peões em sua interminável guerra através das eras. As raças mais jovens recusam então a sua interferências e elas, juntamente com os Primeiros, concordam em partir desta galáxia para sempre.

Após as sombras terem sido derrotadas, Garibaldi deixa seu posto como chefe de segurança e passa a trabalhar por conta própria como "provedor de informações". Na realidade, ele tinha sido capturado pela Psi Corps no final da terceira temporada e foi reprogramado por Bester para prover informações para ele no momento certo.

Minbar agora é tomado por uma curta guerra civil entre as castas guerreira e religiosa. Delenn, que é da casta religiosa, se encontra em segrego com Neroon, dos guerreiros, e o convence de que nenhum dos lados pode vencer. Ela conta pra ele que irá se submeter a um ritual e que irá se sacrificar nele, com a promessa de encerrá-lo antes de sua morte. Quando Neroon percebe que ela irá de fato realizar o ritual até a morte, ele a resgata e se sacrifica em seu lugar, declarando que, embora ele tenha nascido um guerreiro, seu coração sempre foi religioso. Como resultado, as castas se reúnem e decidem que o mais sábio é que a maioria no Conselho Cinza seja dada à casta trabalhadora, mantendo tanto os religiosos quanto os guerreiros empatados com a minoria dos membros.

Como parte do conflito ainda em andamento entre a Terra e Babylon 5, Garibaldi trai Sheridan e trama a sua captura. Ele depois revela a Bester sobre um vírus que ataca apenas telepatas, que a Psi Corps planeja então destruir. Bester então liberta Garibaldi de sua programação e permite que ele se lembre de tudo o que fez desde que fora sequestrado. O ex-chefe ajuda a libertar Sheridan e o devolve à campanha para libertar a Terra. Uma aliança liderada por Babylon 5 liberta a Terra do jugo totalitário do presidente Clark após uma curta, mas sangrenta, guerra, que culmina com o suicídio de Clar e a restauração do governo diplomático. Marte conquista sua independência e Sheridan concorda em abandonar o comando da estação. A Liga dos Mundos Não-Alinhados é dissolvida e reformada numa nova Aliança Interestelar, com Sheridan sendo eleito como seu primeiro presidente, ao mesmo tempo que mantém o comando dos Anla'shok, que passarão a agir como se fossem um equivalente galático das forças de paz das Nações Unidas.

No episódio final da temporada, os eventos de 100, 500, 1000 e um milhão de anos no futuro são mostrados, mostrando a influência duradoura de Babylon 5 através da história. Entre os eventos mostrados está o cenário político no final da guerra civil de 2261, um ataque nuclear à Terra envolvendo um novo governo totalitário em 2762, o resultado da queda da Terra numa sociedade pré-industrial, a perda e a recuperação do conhecimento sobre viagens espaciais e a evolução final da humanidade em seres energéticos similares aos vorlons, após o Sol se transformar numa nova.

Season 5 – year 2262

Ver artigo principal: Anexo:Lista dos episódios de Babylon 5#Quinta temporada: Círculo de fogo

Em 2262, a capitã da Força Terrestre Elizabeth Lochley assume o comando de Babylon 5. O papel da estação como um santuário para telepatas fugitivos da Psi Corps cresce, resultando num violento conflito. G'Kar, o antigo embaixador narn em Babylon 5, se torna um líder espiritual após um livro que ele escreveu enquanto estava preso durante a Guerra Narn-Centari foi publicado. Os drakh, antigos aliados das sombras que ficaram para trás quando elas deixaram a galáxia, tomaram o controle do regente Virini em Centauri Prime por meio de uma criatura parasítica telepática chamada "Guardião". Através dele, os drakhs obrigam o regente a provocar uma guerra contra a Aliança Interestelar, isolando ainda mais os centari e deixando o terreno aberto para que eles tomem o planeta como seu novo mundo natal.

Centauri Prime é então dizimado por vasos de guerra narns e drazis, e Londo Mollari se torna o imperador, aceitando um "Guardião" sob ameaça de uma completa destruição nuclear do planeta. Porções do final de seu reinado são mostradas através de visões prescientes durante a temporada. Numa delas, Mollari e seu nêmesis (e depois amigo) G'Kar aparecem se estrangulando mutuamente, num ato final de suicídio mútuo. Vir Cotto, o fiel ajudante de Mollari (ainda que moralmente diferente), sucede-o como imperador e liberta o planeta da influência dos drakhs. Sheridan e Delenn finalmnete se casam e se mudam para Minbar, levando com eles o quartel-general da Aliança Interestelar.

Vinte anos depois, à beira da morte, Sheridan faz uma última viagem até a agora obsoleta estação Babylon 5 antes de sua decomissão. Ele aparentemente morre, mas é chamado pelos Primeiros, que o convidam a se juntar a eles numa viagem além das fronteiras da galáxia. A estação é então completamente destruída numa demolição controlada logo após a partida de Sheridan, sua existência não sendo mais necessária uma vez que a Aliança assumiu o seu papel diplomático.

O episódio final tem um cameo especial de Straczynski, que faz o papel do técnico que apaga as luzes da estação Babylon 5 antes de sua evacuação final e posterior explosão.

Themes

Throughout its run, Babylon 5 found ways to portray themes relevant to modern and historical social issues. It marked several firsts in television science fiction, such as the exploration of the political and social landscapes of the first human colonies, their interactions with Earth, and the underlying tensions. Babylon 5 was also one of the first television science fiction shows to denotatively refer to a same-sex relationship. In the show, sexual orientation is as much of an issue as "being left-handed or right-handed". Unrequited love is explored as a source of pain for the characters, though not all the relationships end unhappily.

Order vs. chaos; authoritarianism vs. free will

Neither the Vorlons nor the Shadows saw themselves as conquerors or adversaries. Both believed they were doing what was right for us. And like any possessive parent, they'll keep on believing that until the kid is strong enough to stand up and say, 'No, this is what I want.'

—J. Michael Straczynski, 1997

The clash between order and chaos, and the people caught in between, plays an important role in Babylon 5. The conflict between two unimaginably powerful older races, the Vorlons and the Shadows, is represented as a battle between two competing ideologies, each seeking to turn the humans and the other younger races to their beliefs. The Vorlons represent an authoritarian philosophy: you will do what we tell you to, because we tell you to do it. The Vorlon question, "Who are you?" focuses on identity as a catalyst for shaping personal goals; the intention is not to solicit a "correct" answer, but to "tear down the artifices we construct around ourselves until we're left facing ourselves, not our roles." The Shadows represent a philosophy of evolution through fire, of sowing the seeds of conflict in order to engender progress. The question the Shadows ask is "What do you want?" In contrast to the Vorlons, they place personal desire and ambition first, using it to shape identity, encouraging conflict between groups who choose to serve their own glory or profit. The representation of order and chaos was informed by the Babylonian myth that the universe was born in the conflict between both. The climax of this conflict comes with the younger races' exposing of the Vorlons' and the Shadows' "true faces" and the rejection of both philosophies, heralding the dawn of a new age without their interference.

The notion that the war was about "killing your parents" is echoed in the portrayal of the civil war between the human colonies and Earth. Deliberately dealing in historical and political metaphor, with particular emphasis upon McCarthyism and HUAC, the Earth Alliance becomes increasingly-authoritarian, eventually sliding into a dictatorship. The show examines the impositions on civil liberties which aid its rise, and the self-delusion of a populace which believes its moral superiority will never allow a dictatorship to come to power, until it is too late. The successful rebellion led by the Babylon 5 station results in the restoration of a democratic government, and true autonomy for Mars and the colonies.

War and peace

What interests me, what I wanted to do with making this show, was in large measure to examine the issues and emotions and events that precede a war, precipitate a war, the effects of the war itself, the end of the war and the aftermath of the war. The war is hardware; the people are at the center of the story.

—J. Michael Straczynski, 1997

The Babylon 5 universe deals with numerous armed conflicts which range on an interstellar scale. The story begins in the aftermath of a war which brought the human race to the brink of extinction, caused by a misunderstanding during a first contact situation. The Babylon 5 station is subsequently built in order to foster peace through diplomacy, described as the "last, best hope for peace" in the opening credits monologue during its first three seasons. Wars between separate alien civilizations are featured. The conflict between the Narn and the Centauri is followed from its beginnings as a minor territorial dispute amplified by historical animosity, through to its end, in which weapons of mass destruction are employed to subjugate and enslave an entire planet. The war is an attempt to portray a more sobering kind of conflict than usually seen on science fiction television. Informed by the events of the first Gulf War, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Soviet invasion of Prague, the intent was to recreate these moments when "the world held its breath" and the emotional core of the conflict was the disbelief that the situation could have occurred at all, and the desperation to find a way to bring it to an end. By the start of the third season, the opening monologue had changed to say that the Babylon 5 station is the "last, best hope for victory," indicating that while peace is a laudable accomplishment, it can also mean a capitulation to an enemy intent on committing horrendous acts, and that "peace is a byproduct of victory against those who do not want peace."

The Shadow War also features prominently in the show, during which an advanced alien species attempts to sow the seeds of conflict in order to promote technological and cultural advancement. The gradual discovery of the scheme and the rebellion against it, serve as the backdrop to the first three seasons, but also as a metaphor for the war within ourselves. The concurrent limiting of civil liberties and Earth's descent into a dictatorship are "shadow wars" of their own. In ending the Shadow War before the conclusion of the series, the show was able to more fully explore its aftermath, and it is this "war at home" which forms the bulk of the remaining two seasons. The struggle for independence between Mars and Earth culminates with a civil war between the human colonies (led by the Babylon 5 station) and the home planet. Choosing Mars as both the spark for the civil war, and the staging ground for its dramatic conclusion, enabled the viewer to understand the conflict more fully than had it involved an anonymous colony orbiting a distant star. The conflict, and the reasons behind it, were informed by Nazism, McCarthyism and the breakup of Yugoslavia, and the unraveling of the former Balkan country also served as partial inspiration for another civil war, which involved the alien Minbari.

One of the things about the way events come to a head and finish… is that it's very unnerving...okay, now what? The ongoing conflict has become something you could count on, you knew the rough shape of what might be coming along. Now all that's kicked over, and you have to get on with the next aspect: making a new life.

—J. Michael Straczynski, 1997

The post-war landscape has its roots in the Reconstruction. The attempt to resolve the issues of the American Civil War after the conflict had ended, and this struggle for survival in a changed world was also informed by works such as Alas, Babylon, a novel dealing with the after-effects of a nuclear war on a small American town. The show expresses that the end of these wars is not an end to war itself. Events shown hundreds of years into the show's future tell of wars which will once again bring the human race to the edge of annihilation, demonstrating that mankind will not change, and the best that can be hoped for after it falls is that it climbs a little higher each time, until it can one day "take [its] place among the stars, teaching those who follow."

Religion

If you look at the long history of human society, religion — whether you describe that as organized, disorganized, or the various degrees of accepted superstition — has always been present. And it will be present 200 years from now… To totally ignore that part of the human equation would be as false and wrong-headed as ignoring the fact that people get mad, or passionate, or strive for better lives.

—J. Michael Straczynski, 1993

Acknowledging the continued existence of faith, even in a science fiction setting, many of Babylon 5's characters have profound spiritual or religious beliefs, reflecting that throughout history, religion has been present in one form or another and will remain so even in a far-future rich with technological advancement. Many of Earth's contemporary religions are shown to still be in existence, and the main human characters often have religious convictions, including Roman Catholicism, Jesuit beliefs, Judaism and the fictional Foundationism, which was created specifically for the show. Earth's religions have also had to deal with the existence of extraterrestrial belief systems, resulting in a cross-pollination of ideas, and the factionization or destruction of some, while in the show's third season, a community of monks takes up residence on the Babylon 5 station, in order to learn what the other races throughout the universe call God, and to come to a better understanding of the different religions through study at close quarters. Alien beliefs in the show range from the Centauri's Bacchanalian-influenced religions, of which there are up to seventy different denominations, to the more pantheistic, as with the Narn and Minbari religions.

Depictions of religion on the show, human and alien, sometimes come subtly, or are the main theme of an episode; the first season episode "The Parliament of Dreams" is a conventional "showcase" for religion, in which each species on the Babylon 5 station has an opportunity to demonstrate its beliefs, and "Passing Through Gethsemane" focuses on a specific position of Roman Catholic dogma, as well as concepts of justice, vengeance and biblical forgiveness. Other treatments have been more contentious, such as the David Gerrold-scripted "Believers", in which alien parents would rather see their son die than undergo a life-saving operation because their religious beliefs forbid it. By presenting the viewer with characters' spiritual beliefs, motivations are supplied for what might otherwise be construed as arbitrary behavior; these motivations are not necessarily based on truth, leading to misconceptions which in due course become important plot points. A typical question for Babylon 5 to present is a series of events which can initially be interpreted as having either a scientific or a spiritual explanation; while ultimately suggesting the former in most cases, occasionally the issue is left open. In others, where religious belief is an integral part of the storyline, the show attempts to balance all sides of the argument, as in "Soul Hunter", where the spiritual concept explored is that of the immortal soul, and whether after death it is destroyed, reincarnated or simply does not exist. The character arguing the latter, Doctor Stephen Franklin, is often put into the more spiritual storylines, as his scientific rationality presents a contrast with the unexplainable which creates dramatic conflict, and while the show's creator and main writer identifies as an atheist, undercurrents of religions as diverse as Buddhism have been noted as running through many of the characters' words. Passages, often the same ones, take on distinct meanings to viewers of differing faiths; the show ultimately expresses ideas which cross religious boundaries.

Sacrifice

A major theme in Babylon 5 is the concept of sacrifice for a greater cause. Kosh sacrifices his life for a first victory against the Shadows. John Sheridan is ready to die at Z'ha'dum. Delenn is ready to die in the starfire wheel to restore Minbari society. Marcus Cole gives his life to save Susan Ivanova. Londo Mollari willingly accepts complete enslavement by a Drakh keeper to save the Centauri from annihilation. Many minor characters also willingly give their lives such as the crew of Drazi or Minbari ships in the final confrontation with the Shadows to save the Army of Light's leaders, some Centauri staying back at the island of Selini to allow the destruction of the Shadow warships, and so on. "Some of us must be sacrificed if all are to be saved." is the spiritual epiphany experienced by G'Kar. This reflects the Vorlon philosophy in contrast to the self-interest philosophy of the Shadows. But it also reflects the fact that Babylon 5 is a big epic where believable "greater causes" can be established throughout the different storylines that also contain complex character development.

Dreams and visions

The subliminal and subconscious play a very significant role in the Babylon 5 universe. Every single major character experiences, on at least one occasion, some altered state of consciousness in which he or she receives some sort of important mental message. This could either be one that further fleshes out the character for the benefit of the viewer, or one of transcendental and transpersonal nature that anticipates important further developments in the storyline. Some of these signs and portents resemble lucid dreams, but many are quite bizarre and "dreamlike," frequently in a spiritual context.

Addiction

Substance abuse and its impact on human personalities also plays a significant role in the Babylon 5 storyline. The station's security chief, Michael Garibaldi, is a textbook relapsing-remitting alcoholic of the binge drinking type; he practices complete abstinence from alcohol throughout most of the series (with one notable exception) until the middle of season five. He only recovers physically and socially and breaks the cycle at the end of the season. Dr. Stephen Franklin develops an (initially unrecognized) addiction to injectable stimulant drugs while trying to cope with the chronic stress and work overload in Medlab (stemming from the Markab extinction), and wanders off to the homeless and deprived in Brown Sector, where he suffers through a severe withdrawal syndrome. Executive Officer Susan Ivanova mentions that her father became an alcoholic after her mother had committed suicide after having been drugged by the authorities over a number of years. Captain Elizabeth Lochley tells Garibaldi that her father was an alcoholic and that she is a recovering alcoholic herself. Among the aliens, Londo Mollari is at least a heavy abuser of alcohol, mostly in the form of the Centauri national drink, Brivari (though in Centauri culture, sobriety, as opposed to drunkenness, is considered a vice).

Numerous other references to substance abuse and drug dealing are scattered throughout the storyline, including Dust, a white powder with a black-market presence comparable to cocaine. "Dust" turns out to be a "designer drug" developed by Psi Corps and placed into the black market as an experiment to see if psychic abilities could be brought out in "mundanes" (non-telepaths).

Television movies

During and after production of Babylon 5, six television movies, set in the Babylon 5 universe, have been produced.

• The Gathering—(February 22, 1993)
• In the Beginning—(January 4, 1998)
• Thirdspace—(July 19, 1998)
• The River of Souls—(November 8, 1998)
• A Call to Arms—(January 3, 1999)
• The Legend of the Rangers (To Live and Die in Starlight)—(January 19, 2002)

The Gathering is the pilot, depicting the arrival of the major characters to the Babylon 5 station in 2257. In the Beginning depicts the events of the Earth-Minbari War, as revealed in the first few seasons, in chronological order and in greater detail than the main series. Thirdspace and The River of Souls are largely stand-alone episodes.

A Call to Arms sets up the initial premise of the Crusade series, depicting the alien Drakh species releasing a nanovirus plague on Earth, which will destroy all life on the planet within five years if it is not stopped. To that end, the destroyer Excalibur is sent to look for a cure beyond Earth. To Live and Die in Starlight, also known as Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers, was intended as the pilot for the series of the same (Legend of the Rangers) name, but since the show was never picked up, it is now considered to be the sixth and last Babylon 5 telefilm.

Spin-offs

Crusade

Ver artigo principal: Crusade (TV series)

The spin-off series Crusade ran on TNT for thirteen episodes, having been set up by the TV film A Call to Arms. The production team received help from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to make sure that the series depicted science and technology accurately. However, creative differences between Straczynski and TNT caused problems; the network wanted more sex and violence, and forced Straczynski to begin the first episode with a fistfight. The sex-and-violence request was later withdrawn, and TNT allocated more money to Crusade, giving the actors better uniforms and new sets mid-season. However, due to the creative differences, TNT eventually decided to cancel the series after thirteen episodes had been produced, but before any of them were aired. At the time of the cancellation, only hints of major story arcs had yet come into play, though unproduced scripts published online by Straczynski—in addition to comments made by him online, at conventions, and on the Crusade DVD commentaries—reveal that they would have become prominent features of the series, had it continued.{{carece de fontes}}

Legend of the Rangers

Ver artigo principal: Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers

A television film titled To Live and Die in Starlight was produced by the Sci Fi Channel. It was the proposed pilot episode of a new series titled Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers. Rescheduled after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the film aired on January 19, 2002. However, it was scheduled against an NFL AFC Divisional Championship playoff game. The pilot's poor ratings contributed to the lessening of the network's interest in a series pick-up, as did the poor reception it received from fans and critics alike, particularly for its depiction of a virtual-reality weapon, but the final nail in its coffin was the dispute between Warner Bros. and Vivendi Universal (owners of the Sci Fi Channel) over revenue-sharing for the potential weekly series.

The Lost Tales

Ver artigo principal: Babylon 5: The Lost Tales

A new project set in Babylon 5 universe was announced by Straczynski at San Diego Comic Con 2006. Babylon 5: The Lost Tales is a set of mini-stories featuring established characters from the series, released direct-to-DVD. Production of the first anthology of two stories, named collectively Voices in the Dark, commenced in November 2006 with Straczynski writing, producing, and directing. It was released July 31, 2007. In a Usenet post on September 5, 2007, Straczynski stated that Warner Bros. "are most pleased as sales have been several orders of magnitude beyond what they anticipated."

On July 13, 2008, Straczynski revealed that he had no plans to continue The Lost Tales. He said that although the studio was interested in another disc, they wanted to budget the next installment similarly to the first. Citing his disappointment with the first release due to the low budget, Straczynski said he did not want to dilute Babylon 5's legacy with further sub-par stories. He stated that he would only return to the Babylon 5 universe if Warner Bros. wanted to do a large-budgeted cinema release.

The Memory of Shadows (unproduced)

Ver artigo principal: The Memory of Shadows

In 2004 and early 2005, rumors widely circulated about a planned Babylon 5 film for theatrical release. However, on February 25, 2005, a post from Straczynski announced that the project had fallen through, and was for all practical purposes dead. The proposed film, titled The Memory of Shadows (TMoS), was written by Straczynski. Filming was to have begun in April 2005 in the UK, with Steven Beck as the director.

During the "Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski" panel at the 2010 New York Comic Con, Straczynski revealed “I said to Warner Bros. a while back, 'When you’re ready to do something real with 'Babylon 5,' either a big-budget film or a TV show, if you want to do one of those two things, call me, otherwise don’t bother me.' About a month ago the phone rang. I don’t know where this is gonna go yet, but when they call you, there’s something going on. I can’t tell you what it is yet and it may not go anywhere, but there is movement in the tall grass.”

Novels, short stories and comic books

Ver artigo principal: Babylon 5 novels, short stories and comic books

Unique to the Babylon 5 universe among virtually all other shared media universes is the sanctioned canonicity of many of its offshoot novels and comic book stories; nearly all of the Babylon 5 novels and novelizations to date having been based on outlines written directly by J. Michael Straczynski. The later Del Rey books are considered to be more canonical than some of the earlier Del ones, and at least two major plotline revelations were made in the DC Comics series that were directly referenced in the TV series. In all, per Straczynski's own remarks, canonical elements exist in every single book or comic published to date, and his deeper involvement in the novel-publishing program from 1996 onward has ensured a greater level of canonicity within such works.

Additionally, Straczynski himself penned a number of short stories, published in Amazing Stories magazine, expanding on several key story-points from the television series, along with a number of other established authors, with all such tales considered as "real" as the TV show itself.

As of 2007, Straczynski was still writing the manuscript for a Babylon 5 graphic novel, which was to be published by Wildstorm Productions. The premise, characters, and plot have not been officially confirmed, but it has been reported that Straczynski originally planned to write a story that takes place before the season three two-parter "War Without End", featuring Sinclair and Sheridan, and involving Mars, Minbar, Babylon 5, and a conspiracy. It has also been reported that he subsequently decided to tie in elements from the spin-offs Crusade and Legend of the Rangers into the book. The graphic novel was to be 100 pages long.

When asked by a fan during the "Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski" panel at the 2010 New York Comic Con, Straczynski said no new Babylon 5 comics were in the works.

DVD releases

Season releases

Ficheiro:Babylon 5 Season 1.jpg

The first season DVD set

All five seasons have been released individually as a set of six DVDs in the US and the UK. A complete five season set of 30 DVDs is also available in each of the two DVD regions, titled Babylon 5: The Complete Television Series for the US and Canada, and Babylon 5: The Complete Universe for the UK. The UK version also includes all the films and the short-lived spin-off Crusade. As of 2007, all 5 television seasons and their individual episodes are also for sale at the iTunes Store. The first five seasons have been recently re-released on DVD with publishing dates of June 2009.

According to producer J. Michael Straczynski as of mid-2006, "The DVD sales have raised over 500 million in revenue." The financial success of the DVD box sets has led to a renewed interest in further Babylon 5 work.

DVD Name	Region 1	Region 2
Babylon 5: The Complete First Season	November 5, 2002	October 28, 2002
Babylon 5: The Complete Second Season	April 29, 2003	May 26, 2003
Babylon 5: The Complete Third Season	August 12, 2003	November 10, 2003
Babylon 5: The Complete Fourth Season	January 6, 2004	April 19, 2004
Babylon 5: The Complete Fifth Season	April 13, 2004	January 17, 2005
Babylon 5: The Complete Television Series	August 17, 2004	N/A
Babylon 5: The Complete Universe	N/A	October 24, 2005
Babylon 5: The Complete Collection (Amazon.co.uk Exclusive)	N/A	November 5, 2007

Babylon 5 TV film releases

Ficheiro:Babylon 5 The Movie Box Set.jpg

The Movie Collection DVD set

The Babylon 5 TV films were distributed differently in the US and UK. Initially a DVD containing the two films The Gathering and In the Beginning were released on both region 1 (North America) and region 2 (UK) DVD. Then, in the US, the first five films, which aired while Babylon 5 was still on the air, were released in one boxset, with the TV film Legend of the Rangers getting its own separate release on both region 1 and region 2 DVD. In the UK, a film boxset was released, but instead of containing the five films like the US version, it contained only the three films which had not been released in the UK yet (Thirdspace, River of Souls, and A Call to Arms). The Gathering was released as a low-priced promotional R1 DVD in 2004, intended as a trial of the series proper; Warner Bros. issued several such DVDs but discontinued the line shortly thereafter due to lack of interest.

DVD name	Region 1	Region 2
Babylon 5: The Gathering/In the Beginning	December 4, 2001	N/A
Babylon 5: The Gathering	N/A	April 8, 2002
Babylon 5: In the Beginning	N/A	April 8, 2002
Babylon 5: The Movie Collection	August 17, 2004	N/A
Babylon 5: Movie Box Set	N/A	February 21, 2005
Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers	March 14, 2006	October 24, 2005
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales	July 31, 2007	September 3, 2007

Mastering problems

The transfer of Babylon 5 from fullscreen to widescreen (originally for the Sci Fi Channel; later released on DVD) created significant problems with regard to special-effects/CGI footage. Several factors complicated the process.

• Although originally broadcast in the standard television aspect ratio of 4:3, all live-action footage was filmed on Super 35 mm film (with a ratio of 1.65:1). The idea was that, once widescreen televisions (with an aspect ratio of 16:9 or 1.78:1) became more popular, the episodes could be easily converted into a widescreen format.
• CGI shots were rendered in the 4:3 ratio, but designed so that the top and bottom of each shot could be removed to create a widescreen image without ruining the image composition. For the widescreen DVD releases technical problems occurred during the progressive scan transfer and re-formatting, introducing artifacts that resulted in a picture quality of the CGI shots now inferior to the few laserdisc and other 4:3 home video releases.
• While the camera negatives of the original live-action shots held the potential for high-definition digital images, the CGI shots and shots combining live-action with CGI, were stored in the much lower-definition NTSC digital format. (Again, the expectation was that it would be relatively cheap in the future to recreate the CGI in widescreen.)
• Over the years, the original computer-generated models, etc., have been lost, making it necessary to use the old 4:3 CGI shots. Both Foundation Imaging and its successor, Netter Digital, have gone out of business.

This has resulted in several consistent flaws throughout the Babylon 5 widescreen release. In particular, quality drops significantly whenever a scene cuts from purely live-action to a shot combining live-action and CGI. This is particularly noticeable on the PAL DVDs, since CGI shots had to be converted from NTSC, as well as being blown up to fit a widescreen television. In addition, while the live-action film was originally widescreen, shots were composed for 4:3, resulting in a conspicuous tendency for actors to clump up in the middle of the screen.

For these reasons, Warner Home Video is unlikely to release the series on Blu-Ray. Additionally, a Blu-Ray version of the first Lost Tales installment, Voices in the Dark, was cancelled due to poor sales.

Soundtrack releases

A total of 30 soundtrack albums have been released for Babylon 5. They are all composed by the series composer Christopher Franke and released under his own record label Sonic Images. These albums include 24 episode soundtracks, three film soundtracks, and three compilation albums: Babylon 5: Vol 1, Babylon 5: Vol 2, and Best of Babylon 5.

Compilation soundtracks

These include music that appeared throughout the series, but have been extensively reorchestrated, rewritten, and remixed by Franke into lengthy movements. The second full-length CD also features the main titles from seasons 1 to 4 (the main title for season 5 can be heard on the CD Best of Babylon 5, released in 2001).

Episodic and feature film soundtracks

The 27 episodic and feature film soundtracks include the exact unedited music from each corresponding episode or feature film, with no alterations, omissions, or additions.

Other releases

Seasons 1–2 and parts of season 3 of Babylon 5 have been released as advertisement-supported downloads through the In2TV and Hulu download services. Additionally, every episode from seasons 1 to 5, as well as the pilot film Babylon 5: The Gathering, are available for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace in the United States. All 5 seasons, and 5 movies (In The Beginning,Thirdspace, River of Souls, A Call To Arms, Legend of the Rangers) are available through iTunes. All 92 television episode scripts (plus two TV film scripts) written by J. Michael Straczynski for the series are being published as a series of 15 volumes. Contrary to original predictions the laserdisc home video releases had the 4:3 format, and only season 1 and 5 became completely available with seasons 2 and 4 only being released fragmentary.

Games

In November 1997, Chameleon Eclectic Entertainment published the original The Babylon Project: The Roleplaying Game Based on Babylon 5. In 2003, Mongoose Publishing printed the Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game & Factbook.

The Babylon 5 Component Game system was also released in 1997 by 'Component Game Systems'. It was a complex political and military based game, using a number of individually purchased expansions or components, which could take up to 5 hours to play. Component Game Systems came out with a number of component game systems that used the same semi-collectible approach, and was derived from the unpublished Galactic Empires board game, based on the CCG of the same name—Companion Games (Galactic Empires' publisher) became Component Game Systems in the process. The basic idea is that each player need only buy his part of the game, representing in this case a specific political entity from the Babylon 5 universe. Players sit down at the same table and combine their components to have a game. 'Component Game Systems' folded in 1999 after having released only the first two 'years' (2258 and 2259) worth of Babylon related components for the game, and even their domain name (www.c-g-s.com) has been recycled by some unrelated group.

The Babylon 5 Wars wargame was first published by Agents of Gaming in 1998. The game was developed in close contact with the creators of the show, and most of the published material is considered canon. Agents of Gaming later published Babylon 5 Fleet Action, which focused on battles of a larger scale. In 2004, Babylon 5: A Call to Arms was released by Mongoose Publishing. The game is similar in many ways to Babylon 5 Wars but has a more streamlined rules set and games take a lot less time to complete.

Precedence Entertainment produced the Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game between 1997 and 2000. In its original form, the game allowed for 2-4 players with each one playing one of the ambassadors to the B5 council: Sinclair, Delenn, G'Kar or Londo. Later expansions increased the maximum number of players that could play at once and expanded the players' options. Players could represent the League of Non-Aligned Worlds or could play alternative ambassadors such as Bester for the Psi Corps or Lord Refa for the Centauri. The game was discontinued after Precedence lost the license from Warner Brothers in 2000.

There are no officially licensed Babylon 5 video games on the market, though in 1998 a video game based on Babylon 5, named Into the Fire, was being developed by Yosemite Entertainment, an internal division of Sierra Entertainment. Work on this game ended on September 21, 1999, when, as part of a corporate reorganization, Sierra cancelled it and laid off its development staff when the game was only a few months away from release. This game was to have cast the player as the pilot of a Starfury fighter craft, giving the player an opportunity to "move up through the ranks," and eventually take command of capital ships and even fleets. Christopher Franke composed and recorded new music for the game, and live action footage was filmed with the primary actors from the series.

A number of unauthorized Babylon 5 modifications have been created for other computer games such as Homeworld and Homeworld 2, as well as at least one (unlicensed) independent project to develop a standalone game. The only finished work as yet though is the free and standalone game "The Babylon Project" based on the FreeSpace 2 Source Code Project.