Rating: 
Summary: Best season of Science Fiction ever televised - buy it now!
Review: Many people will recall the hoary question - "If there were one thing you could bring to a desert island, what would it be?". The answer is right here - the Babylon 5 Season 3 DVD Boxset. The third and fourth seasons of this TV series contain the most
powerful moments of television that I have ever seen. Before this, I'd always been rather fond of Babylon 5 - the first
season contained one or two memorable episodes. The second season contained some exciting hints to what was to come - the
Shadows, the references to a Great War. In the third season of Babylon 5, as JMS had promised, ALL the triggers he's setup
are pulled. The result was a massive surprise to just about everyone - including me.It's very obvious throughout the course of the series, that JMS has read Lord of the Rings. The literary allegories between
the events in that fantasy trilogy, and the events in Babylon 5, are just about everywhere if you know where to find them. If
Season 2 was the televisual equivalent of "The Fellowship of the Ring", where the events are setup. Then Season 3 is
undoubtedly similar to "The Two Towers", where our heroes finally fight back and make a stand against the oncoming darkness. Babylon 5 was filmed long before LOTR was even a glimmer in Peter Jackson's eye. It is very appropriate to draw some similarities here. Season 3 starts off quietly enough - in "Matters of Honor", we are introduced to a new character - the Ranger, Marcus Cole,
who will be the representative of the Minbari/Human Rangers on Babylon 5. He's a very amusing as well as being an heroic
character, and he gets some great dialogue throughout this season. We're also introduced to the White Star, which is a
beautifully designed spaceship of advanced Vorlon/Minbari technology. In "Messages from Earth", We also have our heroes first encounter with a Shadow ship. The dogfight between the Shadow ship and the White Star is remarkably realistic and tense. A third of the way through the season, we have the episode that got everyone talking - "Severed Dreams". The events in this
episode are very similar to the Battle of Helms Deep from "The Two Towers". You get the sense that this is how a realistic
space battle would be conducted, and it doesn't pull any punches. In the aftermath of a bloody ground battle, we see a
wounded marine lying on the ground, trying to remove their flak jacket. The camera lingers on them long enough for us to
realise that the marine is a woman, and that she's either greviously wounded or dying. This scene brings the point home, that if we are involved in war, we should be aware of the consequences, and the high price that will be paid. "Severed Dreams" is undoubtedly the highlight of Season 3, but there are other episodes that standout. In "Ceremonies of
Light and Dark", we are introduced to the new uniforms, designed by the Minbari for the Babylon 5 station personnel. In
"Interlude and Examinations", we see Londo finally making a personal stand against the oncoming darkness - even if he picks
the wrong target for his vengeance. We also see the first (and only) direct military confrontation between the Vorlons and the
Shadows. It's a pretty impressive battle sequence, and shows just how awesomely powerful these two races really are. But my personal favourite of the entire season is "War Without End" (Parts One and Two). This two-parter re-introduces
Michael O'Hare's character of Jeffrey Sinclair. We last saw him in Season One, and he makes a very welcome return here. I
consider this to be a "crossover-story" of sorts, as it features both commanders of Babylon 5 - Sinclair and Sheridan. It's interesting to see just how much Sinclair has changed since we last saw him. He's a much more mysterious, dark and brooding character than in Season One. It's not until the stunning denouement of "War Without End" that we understand why. There's a terrific line that sums it up - "Like an arrow from the bow. No doubts, no hesitations". The finale to Season 3 is a real whopper, and here the most obvious parallel can be drawn between LOTR. Sheridan's leap into the chasm of Khazadum is almost exactly the same as Gandalf's plunge off the Bridge of Kh'zad'dum. And both JMS and Peter Jackson do an absolutely fantastic job with their respective action sequences. And the conclusions to their characters respective plights are equally as satisfying. In conclusion, Season 3 ranks right up there with the 3rd Season of Buffy, or the 3rd and 4th seasons of ST:TNG as one of the most memorable seasons of television ever. However, what makes Babylon 5 so special, is that it never meanders plotwise, or loses focus thematically. JMS knew exactly where he wanted this series to go, and it shows in every single frame of film. If you consider yourself to be a true fan of Science Fiction in any format, whether it be television or books, then buy this boxset. You will most definitely not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Season 3: The Point of No Return
Review: Season 3 of Babylon 5 is the year where all of the story arc threads come together. For those of you not familiar with the show, Babylon 5 is a space station created by Earth Alliance as a meting place for humans and alien species, sort of like a United Nations in space. By the start of the third year, Babylon 5's mission of keeping peace has failed, and war has broken out between to of the major alien races. At the same, an even greater threat to all species is slowing moving, and gathering its forces, for an conflict of epic proportions. Highlights of this season include the 3 episode arc "Messages from Earth", "Point of No Return", and "Severed Dreams" and the last 2 episodes of the season, "Shadow Dancing" and "Z'ha'dum". This year, Jason Carter joins the cast as Marcus Cole, a ranger assigned to feed information to the Babylon 5 staff. Year 3, 2260, is widely regarded as the best year of the show, and is a must for any Sci-Fi fan.
Rating:
Summary: BEST SHOW EVER. Great third season: "Point of No Return"
Review: "The year of the Shadow War... Our last, best hope... for victory!"
Yes, Babylon 5 is the best sci-fi show ever produced, and season 3 and 4 are the best of the best. After a rather boring first season, J.Michael Straczynski (series creator) took the reins and wrote 100% of season 3. AND IT SHOWS. The opening title tells it all: "Babylon 5 was created to preserve the peace. It Failed." The galaxy is descending into chaos with Centauri, Narn, and Earth all warring with one another, and underneath all the action is a secretive race called "The Shadows" who are busy pulling the strings. From start-to-finish, season 3 shines with brilliance: Fantastic story, heavy drama, and great characters! (NOTE: IF YOU'RE NEW TO BABYLON 5 I recommend you start with season 2... which is where the show truly starts to shine.)
Rating:
Summary: Babylon 5's Grand Epics of Shadows and Humanity Unfold
Review: The third season of "Babylon 5", along with its fourth, are regarded by many as the show's finest seasons, emphasizing the conflict with the Shadows and the struggle to free the Earth Alliance from President Clark's Psi Corps-dominated, dictatorial regime. Most of my favorite episodes are from this season, with three compelling story arcs chronicling first the struggle against Clark's government led by Captain Sheridan ("Messages From Earth", "Point Of No Return" and "Severed Dreams") and then, the war against the Shadows ("War Without End Part I", "War Without End Part II", "Shadow Dancing", "Z'Ha'Dum"). Many of the story threads and arcs found in the previous two seasons are neatly resolved in this season, but there are equally tantalizing glimpses of what is in store for the series' final two seasons. We will witness the death of one major Babylon 5 character ("Interludes and Examinations") and the downfall and redemption of yet another ("And The Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place"). In the first of these compelling story arcs, Sheridan learns of Psi Corps' role in acquiring Shadow technology and assisting in President Clark's assassination of his predecssor Santiago ("Messages from Earth"). Soon Clark dissolves the Earth Alliance Senate, declares martial law, and attacks a rebellious Mars colony unwilling to follow his martial law decree. Finally in "Severed Dreams" (which won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation the year after "The Coming of Shadows" received its Hugo), Clark sends an EarthForce fleet to seize control of Babylon 5, but fails after Delenn leads a Minbari fleet to secure Babylon 5's independence from Earth. In "War Without End" Ambassador Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) arrives to pull Babylon 4 through time, setting in motion a chain of events lasting one thousand years. Once more we meet the enigmatic alien Zathras (Tim Choate), and Major Krantz (Kent Broadhurst), the EarthForce officer supervising the station's construction (Famous rock and roll radio disk jockey Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow makes a notable appearance as Krantz's second-in-command.). Last, but not least, we will learn who - or what - the Shadows really are in the compelling season-ending episodes "Shadow Dancing" and "Z'Ha'Dum". Sheridan will be forced to make one last, desparate decision as momentuous as the wizard Gandalf's at the bridge of Khazad'dum in "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. Indeed, one will see many resonant echoes of Tolkien's epic throughout this entire season, starting with the introduction of the ranger Marcus Cole in "Matters of Honor", the first episode of this season. The image quality is better than those for Seasons One and Two. And once more there are several compelling voiceovers by J. Michael Straczynski as he analyzes several key episodes of this season, especially "Z'Ha'Dum" (There's also another with members of the cast too, both series regulars and recurring guest stars.). Fans of Babylon 5 and those unfamiliar with this splendid television series will enjoy this great CD collection. I just can't wait for Season Four!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Storytelling!
Review: I have just finished watching the last episode of season three for the fourth time since buying it on August 12th, the day it came out. What an amazing way to finish off the season! The episode "Z'Ha'Dum" wraps up several storylines from previous episodes and gives the audience plenty to look forward to in Season Four. I had never seen Babylon 5 when it first came out on TV. At the time I was an avid Trekkie and thought B5 was just a blatant attempt at copying. How wrong I was. This show presents some very creative ideas concerning the universe and possible alien worlds. More importantly, the show contains great morals about ourselves and our identity. This is truly a wonder and a treat, and we have been blessed to have been given such a well crafted show. Season Three ups the ante on the previous two seasons, especially with "Severed Dreams," "War Without End" and "Z'Ha'Dum." In "Severed Dreams" Earth has declared martial law and Sheridan must make one of the toughest decisions of his life, stick with Earth or declare independence. In "War Without End" we see the other side of the story from Season One, "Babylon Squared." In that episode, Bablyon 4 appeared out of nowhere. Now we get to understand what exactly happened. It all culminates in "Z'Ha'Dum" where Sheridan meets the one person he never thought he would meet again. Wow! I can't wait until Season 4 arrives.
Rating:
Summary: The best season of the greatest TV show ever.
Review: In season 3, Babylon 5 exceeded the limits of SF, to become one of the greatest and more relevant works of fiction ever shown on TV. The most important issue, and both critics and fans seem to miss it, is not the Vorlon/Shadow conflict, but the takeover of EarthGov by the forces of evil. This takeover forces the main characters to reexamine their loyalties. And to make wrenching decisions about what loyalty to Earth (and humanity) means. The central episodes describe the fall of Earth into darkness and the need for the Babylon 5 officers to oppose it. This sequence culminates in "Severed Dreams". The most important scene of the episode (and possibly of the entire series) is the battle that starts when a breaching pod attaches itself to the station. Earth Marines charge in, guns blazing. Then the Narns counterattack. One Narn after another is hit and falls, in slow motion. You feel sorry for everyone, both the Narns and the Marines, sent into battle by an illegitimate government. But it is extraordinary to be actually rooting for the "lizards", rather than for the wholesome-looking Earth soldiers. And toward the end of the episode, after the crisis has been solved, the camera returns to the battle scene to show the wounded, the dead and the dying. No easy victory: to price of freedom is pain and death. Many of the episodes have a 1984-like feel. Differently from Orwell's great novel, Babylon 5 implies that there is hope. If good people (from all planets) fight against it, evil will not prevail. But the cost will be immense. The entire season is about the good "people" paying tremendous prices. Sinclair has to renounce all he has and is, even his humanity. Kosh has to get involved even if this means a death that is unthinkable for an almost immortal being. Sheridan has to renounce his beliefs, loyalties and, in the end, life itself. As great as the price of fighting darkness is, the price of being its ally is much greater. We see this in the glimpse of Londo Mollari in the future, in "War without End". Mollari is the show most tragic figure, because he is, at heart, a good person. He has modest and not unreasonable objectives for his own people. But he ends up causing the deaths of billions. In the end, his life is worse than death; the only question is whether, and how, he will save his own immortal soul. Despite its dark tone, however, Babylon 5 is still too optimistic. The solutions to the problems are too simple, a failing that will emerge in full view in season 4, but is visible even in the earlier seasons. Basically, Sheridan's victories are too easy, including his first encounter with the shadows in "Matters of Honor". Sheridan's luck would make dramatic sense if it really were to run out at the end. I hoped and wished that his "death" at Z'Ha'dum would be final. Unfortunately, this was not to be, hence the show's downfall in the final seasons. I want to conclude this review by noting that my criticism of Babylon 5 last seasons only implies that the show was not as good as it possibly could have been: Babylon 5 is not perfect, but it still is the BEST.
Rating:
Summary: The best season of Babylon 5
Review: While Seasons 2 and 4 of Babylon 5 were also very good, none of those achieved the consistent excellency and drama of Season 3. First, a 3-part arc concerning the Earth war happens in the first third of the season, and those 3 episodes are some of the best of the series. "Messages From Earth" has great music and suspense, while "Point of No Return" ups the ante and intensity, and "Severed Dreams" shows the situation escalate in to one of the best and most amazing space battles of the series. After that, the rest of the season is basically a big build-up to the shadow war. "Interludes and Examinations" shows the long-awaited confrontation between the Vorlons and Shadows, while "War Without End" brings back Sinclair in a joint adventure through time against the shadows with Sheridan. The last 3 episodes of the season are great: "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place" shows both the Narn Homeworld and the death of Lord Refa (which is filmed extremely well). "Shadow Dancing" shows the first large-scale battle against the Shadows (with the second one being "Into the Fire" in Season 4), and "Z'Ha'Dum has probably the best cliffhanger of the entire series with both Garribaldi and Sheridan persumed dead/missing. All in all, the best season of the series. In the overall view of the series, Season 4 would be the only season to ever come close to the greatness of this one. Season 3 is the apex of the series, and it all goes downhill from here (referring mostly to Season 5). 968 minutes; Equivalent of PG to PG-13; Contains violence, some profane language, and brief sexual content.
Rating:
Summary: Audio and video problems
Review: After reading reviews of all the box sets and some of the problems some people have had,I just wanted to add my experiences.
I too had a few occasions where the picture would break up and even freeze as someone else has mentioned.
I removed the dvd from the player and cleaned it useing a cd/dvd spray cleaner.When I reinserted the dvd and played it again I had no further problems.
I have encountered this on one or two other brand new dvds of other shows and in each instance a good cleaning solved the problem.
The discs never look dirty or scratched and are always played fresh out of the case which leads me to believe it may be a coating of something that cant be seen by the naked eye but is detectable by the players laser.
It may not solve everyones problem but its worth trying before returning the discs for an exchange and then encountering the same problem.
I hope this helps as the series itself is great and nothing is more frustrating then having a problem in the middle of watching it.
Rating:
Summary: Best season of Science Fiction ever televised - buy it now!
Review: Many people will recall the hoary question - "If there were one thing you could bring to a desert island, what would it be?". The answer is right here - the Babylon 5 Season 3 DVD Boxset. The third and fourth seasons of this TV series contain the most
powerful moments of television that I have ever seen. Before this, I'd always been rather fond of Babylon 5 - the first
season contained one or two memorable episodes. The second season contained some exciting hints to what was to come - the
Shadows, the references to a Great War. In the third season of Babylon 5, as JMS had promised, ALL the triggers he's setup
are pulled. The result was a massive surprise to just about everyone - including me. It's very obvious throughout the course of the series, that JMS has read Lord of the Rings. The literary allegories between
the events in that fantasy trilogy, and the events in Babylon 5, are just about everywhere if you know where to find them. If
Season 2 was the televisual equivalent of "The Fellowship of the Ring", where the events are setup. Then Season 3 is
undoubtedly similar to "The Two Towers", where our heroes finally fight back and make a stand against the oncoming darkness. Babylon 5 was filmed long before LOTR was even a glimmer in Peter Jackson's eye. It is very appropriate to draw some similarities here. Season 3 starts off quietly enough - in "Matters of Honor", we are introduced to a new character - the Ranger, Marcus Cole,
who will be the representative of the Minbari/Human Rangers on Babylon 5. He's a very amusing as well as being an heroic
character, and he gets some great dialogue throughout this season. We're also introduced to the White Star, which is a
beautifully designed spaceship of advanced Vorlon/Minbari technology. In "Messages from Earth", We also have our heroes first encounter with a Shadow ship. The dogfight between the Shadow ship and the White Star is remarkably realistic and tense. A third of the way through the season, we have the episode that got everyone talking - "Severed Dreams". The events in this
episode are very similar to the Battle of Helms Deep from "The Two Towers". You get the sense that this is how a realistic
space battle would be conducted, and it doesn't pull any punches. In the aftermath of a bloody ground battle, we see a
wounded marine lying on the ground, trying to remove their flak jacket. The camera lingers on them long enough for us to
realise that the marine is a woman, and that she's either greviously wounded or dying. This scene brings the point home, that if we are involved in war, we should be aware of the consequences, and the high price that will be paid. "Severed Dreams" is undoubtedly the highlight of Season 3, but there are other episodes that standout. In "Ceremonies of
Light and Dark", we are introduced to the new uniforms, designed by the Minbari for the Babylon 5 station personnel. In
"Interlude and Examinations", we see Londo finally making a personal stand against the oncoming darkness - even if he picks
the wrong target for his vengeance. We also see the first (and only) direct military confrontation between the Vorlons and the
Shadows. It's a pretty impressive battle sequence, and shows just how awesomely powerful these two races really are. But my personal favourite of the entire season is "War Without End" (Parts One and Two). This two-parter re-introduces
Michael O'Hare's character of Jeffrey Sinclair. We last saw him in Season One, and he makes a very welcome return here. I
consider this to be a "crossover-story" of sorts, as it features both commanders of Babylon 5 - Sinclair and Sheridan. It's interesting to see just how much Sinclair has changed since we last saw him. He's a much more mysterious, dark and brooding character than in Season One. It's not until the stunning denouement of "War Without End" that we understand why. There's a terrific line that sums it up - "Like an arrow from the bow. No doubts, no hesitations". The finale to Season 3 is a real whopper, and here the most obvious parallel can be drawn between LOTR. Sheridan's leap into the chasm of Khazadum is almost exactly the same as Gandalf's plunge off the Bridge of Kh'zad'dum. And both JMS and Peter Jackson do an absolutely fantastic job with their respective action sequences. And the conclusions to their characters respective plights are equally as satisfying. In conclusion, Season 3 ranks right up there with the 3rd Season of Buffy, or the 3rd and 4th seasons of ST:TNG as one of the most memorable seasons of television ever. However, what makes Babylon 5 so special, is that it never meanders plotwise, or loses focus thematically. JMS knew exactly where he wanted this series to go, and it shows in every single frame of film. If you consider yourself to be a true fan of Science Fiction in any format, whether it be television or books, then buy this boxset. You will most definitely not regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: ... where the Shadow War affects the whole Galaxy...
Review: The 3rd season by far is the best season ever to achieve an epic sci-fi television series that brings a whole new perspective of what it means to create a good science fiction epic tale that doesn't require special effects, only the script and characters that will bring viewers to the screen. A war exploded right to the face of the galaxy and its up to Sheridan and Delenn to stop this war with the help of others, G'Kar's downfall happens here with the uprising of Landou. Out of 5 seasons, this is the best of the best and enjoyable in its own way. It will leave you with a cliffhangar that you can't refuse to go for Season 4... An achievement in television series like no other...
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