Babylon 5: Season 3 [DVD]

Babylon 5 definitely hit its stride with the third season. Series Creator J. Michael Straczynski wrote the entire season, helping it hang together and tell the story. Bester begins to play more of a role and is fleshed out a little more as a character, and this season also introduces Marcus Cole, the Ranger. While many of the episodes contribute directly to the over all story line, there are still several stand alones, including a personal favorite, “Passing Through Gethsemane” and one I really dislike, “Grey 17 is Missing.” The arc episodes are all top notch. Highlights here include “Point of No Return,” Hugo winning “Severed Dreams,” “Interludes and Examinations,” both parts of “War Without End,” “And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place,” and the best season ending cliffhanger of the series, “Z’ha’dum.”

If you’ve been buying these sets, you know what to expect here. There’s the season intro, two audio commentaries by JMS and one by cast members Bruce Boxleitner, Jerry Doyle, Richard Biggs, and Ed Wasser. While JMS’s are good as always, the cast commentary is better this time around, with Jerry not sidetracking them as often. Either way, it’s a great listen. Disc six continues with more data and personnel files as well as documentaries on designing the world and aliens of the series. There’s a separate feature showing the make up process for getting a Narn ready for filming. The audio continues to sound great, and the video seems to be improving, although I do still notice the occasional flaw. Certainly not enough to really interfere with enjoying the show, however.

With the story kicking into high gear, the show just keeps getting better and better. I’m thrilled the series is being preserved on DVD since I watch it every couple of years.

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The rest are an exciting romp. Many shows raise questions about various mysteries in the show, but few actually answer them in a concise and meaningful manner. The X-Files comes to mind as a series which failed to do this, but here Babylon 5 proved once again that it was going to do it. Not one but two arcs culminate (the situation back on Earth and the growing threat of the Shadows) - the first in an outstanding sequence of episodes with breathtaking special effects in "Shattered Dreams". The second builds to the season finale, which isn't the strongest episode of the season, but you simply can't deny the storytelling quality there. The "War Without End" two-parter acts as a satisfying conclusion to one the most ambitious things attempted in sci-fi programming.

Add to that the continued character development of the characters - Londo slips further into darkness, G'Kar pretty much does a 180, and Sheridan builds in his role as leader. The actors are all pretty comfortable in their roles now, and the show has a bigger budget to cope with its ambition. This season is what Babylon 5 is all about, and it's the true highlight. I'd deem it as the best season of sci-fi programming ever.

The DVD set does disappoint, however. The picture quality still isn't what it should be, and while the extras are entertaining, they aren't what they should be. The commentaries are also a bit of a let down, the cast one not being as entertaining as the second season one and the JMS ones not being quite as informative. Still, it's a must-buy.

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