Babylon 5 is a five-mile long space station located in neutral space. Built by the Earth Alliance in the 2250s, its goal is to maintain peace among the various alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors. A council made up of representatives from the five major space-faring civilizations - the Earth Alliance, Minbari Federation, Centauri Republic, Narn Regime, and Vorlon Empire - work with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to keep interstellar relations under control. Aside from its diplomatic function, Babylon 5 also serves as a military post for Earth and a port of call for travelers, traders, businessmen, criminals, and Rangers.
The peaks and the valleys. Find the essential episodes — and the ones to skip.
The renegade destroyer "Alexander" arrives at Babylon 5 and Sheridan is forced to announce the station's secession from the Earth Alliance, and prepare for an attack by Clark's forces. Meanwhile, Delenn is forced to go to Minbar when the Grey Council refuses to act upon increased Shadow activity.
While Sheridan is unstuck in time, seeing a glimpse of a future Centauri Prime in ruins, the others continue with their plan to take Babylon 4 back in time.
After he has recovered from the shock of seeing her, Anna gives Sheridan an ultimatum - come to Z'ha'dum with her, or never know what happened to her there.
Garibaldi is surprised when an old friend comes to Babylon 5 to fight in the "Mutai" - a savage alien fighting arena. Meanwhile, Ivanova has trouble dealing with her father's death.
Each point is an episode, plotted in order. Colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for the rise, the plateau, or the decline.
High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.
One point per season. Smooths out the episode-to-episode noise to reveal the bigger arc.
Did each season build or fizzle? Green means the finale outscored the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows, bigger swings.
How steady is each season? Tightly clustered dots mean reliable quality. Scattered dots mean a wild ride.
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