Sleeping in Light
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Babylon 5 episode | |
| "Sleeping in Light" | |
 |
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| Season | 5 |
|---|---|
| Episode no. | 22 |
| Prod. code | 523 |
| Airdate | 25 November 1998 |
| Writer(s) | J. Michael Straczynski |
| Director | J. Michael Straczynski |
| Guest star(s) | Wayne Alexander (Lorien) Romy Rosemont (Publicist) David Wells (Commander Nils) |
| Year | 2281 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous episode | Objects at Rest |
| Next episode | series finale |
"Sleeping in Light" is the final episode of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. The episode was nominated for the 1999 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
Twenty years after the end of the Shadow War, the Babylon 5 crew gather one last time before Sheridan's death. Sheridan can feel that the 20 years of life that Lorien gave him (after Sheridan's death at Z'ha'dum) are nearly over. Upon the realization that in all his time on Minbar he has never seen a Minbari sunrise, Sheridan goes outside and watches it for the first time.
Hoping to enjoy the company of his old friends one last time, Sheriden dispatches Rangers with messages. As each Ranger arrives with his message, we get a glimpse into the lives these people have led since they left B5. Michael Garibaldi is still the head of the Edgars-Garibaldi company. Dr. Stephen Franklin is still the head of Xeno-biological research on Earth, Ivanova is now a General, and Vir Cotto is Emperor of the Centauri. Garibaldi is shown sitting at his home on Mars chatting with Dr. Franklin, who is on vacation from his job. Ivanova is unhappy in her job - feeling that she is little more than a tired warhorse brought out so kids can point at it. Vir is in the royal palace on Centauri Prime, enjoying the company of a couple of Centauri females. As each receives his or her invitation to dinner, none needs to ask why. They all knew this day would come.
The group arrives on Minbar, and they have one last meal together. Sheridan gives a toast to all those who had died: "To absent friends—in memory still bright." Garibaldi remembers G'Kar, Vir remembers Londo, Delenn remembers Lennier, and Ivanova remembers Marcus. They later spend the evening together in the garden. Ivanova finds she is unable to stay, and goes to bed by herself. Delenn follows her, and says that since she became President of the Alliance two years ago, Sheridan took over leadership of the Rangers. Delenn wants Ivanova to take over that role when Sheridan leaves, knowing that she is no longer happy in Earth Force.
Sheridan and Delenn spend one final night together. Sheridan decides to leave Minbar, and go for "a Sunday drive" in space. He doesn't want to die on Minbar, but wants to die in space. Sheridan feels that doing that would mean that he would be remembered longer, and that it would be an important symbol to the Alliance. The next morning, the couple say their goodbyes to each other, and Sheridan departs Minbar for the last time.
Sheridan first goes to Babylon 5. There he learns from Zack Allen that the Earth Alliance is preparing to shut down and scuttle (demolish) B5 since the avenues of trade and diplomacy have largely bypassed the aging, off-the-beaten-path station. Zack returned to Babylon 5 for the shut-down, and missed his invitation to the dinner party on Minbar. Almost as if he were physically connected to B5, Sheridan begins to feel his body shutting down, and he decides to leave the station. When the ship's computer asks him what course to set, he recalls a message relayed to him twenty years before from Vorlon Ambassador Kosh: "When the long night comes, return to the end of the beginning." He realizes now that this must mean the Coriana system - the site of the final battle of the Shadow War, where all the remaining First Ones left the galaxy.
When Sheridan arrives at the Coriana system, he is very tired, and he knows the end is near. The computer warns him that his life signs are fading away, and Sheridan tells the computer to shut down all the systems. As the ship shuts down, Lorien appears to him. Lorien tells him that his old life was over, and that it was time for him to go beyond the rim with him. Lorien then takes Sheridan from his ship and departs the galaxy for the final time.
Sheridan's ship is found a few days later, but the airlocks are sealed and there is no trace of Sheridan. Sheridan's friends go to Babylon 5 for the decommissioning ceremony, and the station is destroyed. His friends return to their lives, Ivanova becomes head of the Rangers, and Zack Allen becomes the assistant of Vir on Centauri Prime. Every morning for the remainder of her life, Delenn watches the sunrise in her late husband's place.
[edit] Arc significance
This episode takes place 19 years after the events depicted in the fifth season of the series. At the beginning of the fourth season, Sheridan was saved by Lorien when he went to Z'ha'dum. But as a consequence, Sheridan would only have an additional twenty years left to live. The Babylon 5 station ends "in fire" as has been predicted by visions several times in the series: decommissioned and destroyed by Earth Force as a hazard to navigation.
[edit] Production details
The show was actually filmed at the end of the fourth season. Because of uncertainty at the time of whether or not there would be a fifth season, it was intended originally to show this as the final show of the fourth season and series finale. When it was confirmed that TNT had picked up the show, and there would be a fifth season, it was decided to push the show back to the end of the fifth season. The Deconstruction of Falling Stars was filmed and it replaced Sleeping in Light as the fourth season finale.
[edit] Trivia
Series creator J. Michael Straczynski made a cameo appearance in this episode when he appeared as the crew member who shut down all the lights on the station.
