Endgame (Babylon 5)
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| “Endgame” | |
|---|---|
| Babylon 5 episode | |
 |
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| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 20 |
| Guest stars | Ungela Brockman (Earthforce NCO) J. Patrick McCormack (General Lefcourt) Marjorie Monaghan (Number One) David Purdham (Captain James) Carolyn Seymour (Senator Crosby) Julian Stone (Captain Mitchell) |
| Written by | J. Michael Straczynski |
| Directed by | John Copeland |
| Production no. | 420 |
| Original airdate | 12 October 1997 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Between the Darkness and the Light" | "Rising Star" |
| List of Babylon 5 episodes | |
"Endgame" is an episode from the fourth season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
John Sheridan launches a final battle to liberate Earth.
After Sheridan was freed during the course of the episode Between the Darkness and the Light, he returned to the fleet he had assembled. Commander Susan Ivanova managed to clear a path to Mars by taking out the advanced destroyers Clark sent to trap the fleet, but she was critically injured in the process. She asked Sheridan to take command of the EAS Agamemnon for the final battle. Captain James of the Agamemnon agreed with this request, so Sheridan took command and ordered the fleet to set course for Mars.
Sheridan's fleet had two main targets. They had the 35 ships President Morgan Clark assembled at Mars, and the automated defense platforms in orbit around Earth. Sheridan knew he had to deal with the ships at Mars first, otherwise his fleet would probably be trapped between the loyalist ships and the defense platforms. So he decided to use 30 telepaths modified by the Shadows that Sheridan discovered in the episode Ship of Tears. He knew that the telepaths would merge with the computers of these ships, and would disable the ships in the process. These telepaths were smuggled onboard Clark's ships by the Mars resistance. General Robert Lefcourt was designated the mission commander, and he took command of the EAS Apollo. Lefcourt was there to fight on the principle of the matter, rather than any personal loyalty to Clark. Lefcourt believed that soldiers were not to take arms against their own government, and that Sheridan's forces had to be stopped because of this. Despite his devotion to his duty, he said he wished he hadn't lived long enough to see the day when he would have to fire on his fellow soldiers.
The attack at Mars began when Michael Garibaldi provided exact jump coordinates to a White Star commanded by Marcus Cole. The ship jumped into the atmosphere, and began attacking ground based targets. When some of the loyalist ships began turning around to respond, Lefcourt ordered them to maintain position. He knew the ground attack was a diversion, and that Sheridan would want his forces backed up against the planet. Sheridan's fleet jumped into the space above Mars, just as Lefcourt had predicted. Lefcourt was about to order his ships to attack when the Apollo and most of the other loyalist ships were disabled. The telepaths had managed to merge with the computer systems of these ships and disabled them in the process. The remaining ships were quickly disabled by Sheridan's fleet. Having disabled the Mars fleet, Sheridan directed some ships to remain behind and keep an eye on the destroyers. The remaining vessels left for Earth.
On the Apollo the crew soon found and killed the telepath who had merged with the computer. However it took some time to get the ship up and running again, despite Lefcourt's threat to go down to engineering and "skin the hides" of the entire engineering crew. Finally the crew regained control of their ship, and departed for Earth. Lefcourt soon learned that Clark had committed suicide before he could be arrested, and that Clark had turned the defense platforms towards Earth - which would have destroyed 40% of the planet's surface. The Apollo arrived at Earth to find the one remaining platform preparing to fire on Earth, and the damaged Agamemnon set to ram the platform. Lefcourt had the Apollo fire upon and destroy the last platform. With the danger over he welcomed Sheridan home.
[edit] Arc significance
- Sheridan's forces attack Mars and Earth, disabling the fleet and preventing Clark from destroying Earth.
- Clark kills himself before he can be arrested.
- Marcus has returned to Babylon 5 after learning of the Alien Healing Device.
[edit] Production details
[edit] Trivia
- The manner of Clark's suicide, along with insane "suicide note" filled with non-sensical ramblings, is an homage to Dr. Strangelove.
