A Great Guide to a Great Series, 7 May 2004

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This book is the fifth in a series of five episode guides to the series. Covering the fifth season, it has a separate chapter for each of the twenty-two episodes. Each starts with a plot summary, but then goes into behind the scenes stories and commentaries. Through interviews with cast, crew, and creator J. Michael Straczynski, author Jane Killick is able to give a full picture of what went into each episode. Some of my favorite parts are the stories of bloopers or jokes the cast played on each other. I also find the summaries useful if I'm looking for a particular episode to rewatch. Since the fourth season finale was actually the first episode of the fifth season production schedule, it's actually the first episode discussed here, creating a bonus, twenty-third chapter.

Starting out the book are two essays. The first is a summary of just what the show accomplished over its five year run. While fans and those reading these books will find little new, it's nice to have it all summarized in one place. I especially like the page of quotes from cast members about what the show meant to them. The second in an introduction to the fifth season, painting broad strokes of the story arcs introduced and developed over the course of the season.

Any fan will love to have this well researched book for a behind the scenes look at a wonderful piece of science fiction television history.

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