Sleeping in Light
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| "Sleeping in Light" (Babylon 5) | |
| Season 5, Episode 22 | |
| Air Date (US): | 25 November 1998 |
| Production No.: | 523 |
| Written by: | J. Michael Straczynski |
| Directed by: | J. Michael Straczynski |
| Guest Stars: | Wayne Alexander (Lorien) Romy Rosemont (Publicist) David Wells (Commander Nils) |
| Prev: "Objects at Rest" | series finale |
Sleeping in Light is the final episode of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5.
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Plot synopsis
Twenty years after the end of the Shadow War, the Babylon 5 crew gather one last time before Sheridan's death. Sheridan realizes that he has very little time left. After finding that in all his time on Minbar he never watched the sun rise, Sheridan goes outside and sees the sun rise for the first time.
This episode starts off showing what the main characters were doing nineteen years after the events in the series. Garibaldi is still the head of the Edgars-Garibaldi company. Dr. 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 Centauri females. All of them receive invitations to come to Minbar, Sheridan is dying and he wants one last meal with them.
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 be 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 says their goodbyes to each other, and Sheridan departs Minbar for the last time.
Sheridan first goes to Babylon 5. He learns that the Earth Alliance is shutting down the station since no one went there anymore, and were going to destroy it once the shutdown was complete. Sheridan meets Zack Allen at the station, who had come back from Earth to help with the shutdown. Sheridan begins to feel his body shutting down, and decides to leave the station. When the ship's computer asks him what course to set, he says to go to the Corianna system - the site of the final battle of the Shadow War.
When Sheridan arrives at the Corianna system, he is very tired, and he knows the end is near. The computer warns him that his life signs are fading away, 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 were sealed and there was no trace of Sheridan. Sheridan's friends go to Babylon 5 for the decommisioning ceremony, and the station is destroyed. His friends return to their lives, and Zack Allen becomes the assistant of Vir on Centauri Prime.
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. This episode depicts the final days of Sheridan's life, and of the Babylon 5 station.
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. 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 ender.
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.
External link
- Lurker's Guide Episode Page (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/110.html)