Rating: 
Summary: Excellent end to the series...
Review: I'm not sure where Aborted 5th Season got their info but there never was a 6th or subsequent season(s) planed for this story. JMS had always said it was a 5 year story and 5 years we did finnaly get thanks to TNT. Yes they(TNT) blew it with the next series Crusade but season 5 was ALWAYS the final season of this story arch.
And an excellent finale it was Londo/Peter Jurasik shines in this season as does G'Kar/Andreas Katsulas. Yes Claudia was gone, but it was her choice so there's not much that could be done and Traci Scoggins does an interesting turn as the new Captain. I was never a fan of her before this but in one brief season she managed to give some of her best work IMHO.
I really enjoyed this season and was sad to see such an amazing show end but better to go out when it was still fresh and fabulous than to drag on into stale plots and unoriginality.
Babylon 5 was, and still is, the very best Sci-fi ever written for TV.
Rating: 
Summary: A note on the Asian editions
Review: If you're like me, you were disappointed by the fifth season. You don't think it's bad, you just don't think it was as good as the first four. So maybe you're leaning toward that "New and Used From..." button at the top of the page.
I'm not telling you not to do it. I don't regret doing it myself, 'cause I got a pretty good deal, on a per-episode basis. However, there's not much information to be had on these Asian editions here on Amazon. So, as a public service, I offer the following information on the Asian editions that Amazon partners/retailers/whatever are peddling.
It's an 8-disc set, and the packaging is horrible. The transfer looks good (as good as the US editions of the first four seasons I have), and the special features are present. I'm reasonably sure they're the same features found on the US releases, too. Subtitles, are available in 5 languages. Near as I can tell, other than the packaging and the number of discs, it's exactly the same as the US edition. I had been afraid that these wouldn't be more than MPEGs burned onto DVDs, but the content is quite solid. Good deal. My only gripe about the content is the fact that the last few episodes are missing their opening and ending credits. Normally, not a big deal, but... they cut off the ending credits of "Sleeping in Light!" Whose idea was that? Bummer. But maybe I got a defective disc.
I cannot say enough bad things about the way it's packaged. It's basically a candy box with 8 cellophane sleeves floating loose inside it. The cover has the right information, with a fair amount of english text, but the print quality is mediocre. Looks pretty lame on my shelf sandwiched between the US sets of the first four seasons and the movie collection. The discs themselves look to be actually decently-manufactured; they're not DVD-Rs with stick-on labels. If you keep them in something more substantial than cellophane, they should be fine for a long time. Me, I cut up a CaseLogic page and it works perfectly, and I feel a lot better about my minimal investment.
The episodes themselves... well, I don't know that I have much to add to the body of reviews already present. They haven't really declined in quality at all; just a little different feel. Adding Tracy Scoggins to the cast was pretty bad. The pacing is funky, due to the almost-cancellation in the fourth season. Sadly, making excuses (even if it's a very good excuse) doesn't improve the pacing. Oh, well. Still worth watching, and I (obviously) think it's worth owning.
Rating: 
Summary: First half is not worth the time, second half is pretty good
Review: J. Michael Straczynski had to try to squeeze the important bits of seasons 4 and 5 into season 4, as it was unknown whether Babylon 5 would have its fifth and final season. This is probably one reason for the extremely fast-paced season 4, and for the rather slow-paced first half of season 5.(...) In any case, season 5 of Babylon 5 can best be described as "fairly good sci-fi", but it does not approach the epic and powerful seasons 3 and 4. I would say that the purchase of season 5 is worth it, as season 4 did not offer the closure that many plot threads needed (for example, what happened to Centauri Prime that led to the condition it was in when Sheridan spoke with Molari in "War Without End"), but if you purchase this set expecting something as amazing as the previous two seasons, you may be disappointed. Fortunately, JMS was able to mostly redeem season five in the second half, though not due to the performance of the new characters. It should be noted that Lochley (the new commander of Babylon 5) and Byron (a telepath) are widely thought of as poorly casted (especially Byron), and are not highly regarded compared to the brilliant roles played by Andreas Katsulas, Peter Jurasik, and others. In conclusion, season 5 has some significant quirks, and the entire first half of the season is rather poor, but it offers the closure that season four could not offer*, and has enough good episodes to be worth a slot in your DVD collection. *If you value closure, I recommend that you not view "Babylon 5: A Call to Arms", which sets up the stage for the Crusade series, which had been officially cancelled before the first episode aired (fortunately--I thought it was a terrible series, though the cancellation did not have to due with its projected popularity).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but not the best B5: "The Wheel of Fire"
Review: J. Michael Straczynski's apt title for the fifth and final season of "Babylon 5", "The Wheel of Fire" is a suitable summary of what transpires. In the aftermath of the Shadow War and the successful rebellion against EarthGov's President Clark, John Sheridan is elected President of the Interstellar Alliance. However, all is not peace and tranquility, as he must soon contend with a telepath crisis on Babylon 5 involving the followers of ex-Psi Cop Byron (Robin Atkin Downes), and tensions between the Alliance and the Centauri Republic.
Here's a list of the episodes:
1. No Compromises (Captain Elizabeth Lochley arrives as B5's new commander and Sheridan is approached by Byron to create a telepath colony on the station.)
2. The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari (Londo comes to terms with his mortality after suffering a nearly fatal heart attack. Lennier arrives at a momentuous decision which will have tragic consequences towards the end of the season.)
3. The Paragon of Animals (Garibaldi seeks Byron's assistance in creating an Interstellar Alliance intelligence unit comprised of telepaths.)
4. A View from the Gallery (Maintenance workers offer a unique perspective on living and working aboard B5 as the station is attacked by mysterious aliens.)
5. Learning Curve (Delenn is reunited with an old friend, a Minbari ranger, while his students stop a racketeer's attempt to seize control of Downbelow's Brown Sector.)
6. Strange Relations (Londo avoids an assassination attempt, and G'Kar becomes his bodyguard.)
7. Secrets of the Soul (Franklin discovers a deadly secret about an Interstellar Alliance race, while Downbelow objects to the presence of Byron's telepath colony.)
8. Day of the Dead (Neil Gaiman penned this script about a Brakiri religious festival, in which Lennier, Garibaldi and Lochley must come to grips with their worst fears. Comedic duo Penn and Teller portray the interstellar comedic sensation Rebo and Zooty.)
9. In the Kingdom of the Blind (Byron tries to blackmail the Interstellar Alliance into giving his telepath colony a world of its own.)
10. A Tragedy of Telepaths (Lochley finally seeks Sheridan's permission to have Bester and his Psi Cops remove Byron's colony.)
11. Phoenix Rising (The telepath crisis is finally resolved, but not until after several deaths, and a final decision made by Byron.)
12. The Ragged Edge (G'Kar returns to Babylon 5, and to his dismay, discovers that his book was published, transforming him into a prophet hailed by countless fellow Narn. Garibaldi seeks out a possible human witness of a Raider attack, and stumbles accidentally on evidence implicating the Centauri Republic in thses attacks.)
13. The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father (Bester's "humanity" is revealed as he trains two young Psi Cop apprentices in apprehending a dangerous rogue telepath who has fled to Bester's "favorite" place, Babylon 5.)
14. Meditations on the Abyss (With Delenn's blessing, Lennier joins a White Star to uncover evidence pointing to Centauri involvement in the Raider attacks against Alliance shipping. Meanwhile Londo is officially appointed Prime Minister of the Centauri Republic, and he appoints Vir as his successor as ambassador to Babylon 5.)
15. Darkness Ascending (Lennier risks losing his life in uncovering key evidence proving Centauri involvement in the Raider attacks against shipping. Lyta seeks a homeworld for the telepaths, offering a Faustian bargain with G'Kar.)
16. And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder (The Interstellar Alliance receives proof of Centauri involvement in the attacks against Alliance shipping, and authorizes a blockade of Centauri space.)
17. Movements of Fire and Shadow (Sheridan orders the White Star fleet to intervene in an unauthorized attack on Centauri Prime by some Alliance (Drazi and Narn) warships.)
18. The Fall of Centauri Prime (Sheridan arrives too late to stop the attack. Meanwhile the Drakh reveal themselves to Londo and obtain his obediance by threatening the Centauri homeworld with total annihilation. He is crowned Emperor soon after the Regent's death.)
19. The Wheel of Fire (EarthGov issues a warrant for Lyta's arrest. She is seized and held in B5's brig. Meanwhile G'Kar must contend with his religious followers.)
20. Objects in Motion (Garibaldi is warned that an assassin has arrived on Babylon 5, intending to kill him and his fiance, Lise Edgars. G'Kar joins in the plot organized by Sheridan to foil the assassination attempt.)
21. Objects at Rest (Sheridan and Delenn bid farewell to Babylon 5, bound for the new Alliance capitol, the city of Tuzenor on Minbar. En route Lennier makes a terrible, almost tragic, mistake. Dr. Franklin departs Babylon 5 for his new duties as head of EarthForce's medical department back at EarthDome, Geneva, Switzerland.)
22. Sleeping in Light (Written and filmed at the end of Season Four, when there was a strong possibility that Babylon 5 would not be renewed for a fifth season, this episode is a fitting conclusion to the series. It is set twenty years after the events chronicled in Season Four, when Sheridan asks his friends to visit him for the last time in his home on Minbar, knowing that his time - extended by Lorien on Z'Ha'Dum - is almost up. Series creator J. Michael Straczynski plays a B5 technician towards the end of the episode.)
Warner Brothers has done a fine job in digital remastering of these episodes. As before, it is replete with interviews with cast members and J. Michael Straczynski's comments of several key episodes.
Rating:
Summary: A correction, and an opinion...
Review: Kevin is mistaken, Babylon 5 was only ever intended to run 5 seasons, start to finish. It was all plotted out in advance and there was never any intention of having a sixth season. However, during the fourth season there was doubt as to whether the show would get picked up for the fifth, which required Straczynski to wrap up all the major storylines at the end of season 4 while still leaving room for another season if they got it. In the majority of television series, that wouldn't be a huge concern, as very little tends to change from one season to the next, let alone from episode to episode. The novel-like structure of Babylon 5 made this more challenging -- and yet, it also made it easier. Since he knew all along what the five-year story would be, Stracynski was able to shoot the series finale in such a way that it could be played at the end of either season four or five, depending on how things worked out. A somewhat differently-styled episode was shot which would be able to fill the slot at the end of season four if they did get picked up for the last season -- which is of course what happened. Unfortunately, the sudden compression of storylines in the previous seasons did break the momentum that had been steadily building, and season 5 stumbles a little because of it. It may be just my personal preference, but the Byron/telepath arc didn't interest me the way the previous storylines had. Also Captain Lockely was not (in my opinion) nearly as interesting a character as Ivanova had been, nor did I find Tracy Scoggins to be as capable an actress. Despite all that, as has been said before, the worst episode of Babylon 5 is still better than most of everything else you'll find on television, and that still holds true. In summary, a noticeably weaker season than the ones that came before (perhaps on par with season one), but still worth watching. It would be a shame to come this far and not see stay to see how it all ends.
Rating:
Summary: "Wheel of Fire" Final Season
Review: Like the other four seasons, "Season Five" will be in widescreen anamorphic format and Dolby Digital 5.1. It includes all 22 episodes and runs for 968 minutes. For the final season, fans are expecting some special extras. Here is a list of the scheduled extras: =>Introduction to Wheel of Fire (Season 5 of Babylon 5) by series creator, J. Michael Straczynski
=>Two audio commentaries by J. Michael Straczynski
=>Movements of Fire and Shadow commentary by cast members Bruce Boxleitner, Peter Jurasik, Patricia Tallman and Tracy Scoggins
=>Digital Tomorrow - a featurette about making the special effects for the series
=>Beyond Babylon 5 - a featurette focusing on the fans, their reactions to the show and available Babylon 5 merchandise
=>The Universe of Babylon 5
=>Personnel Files; Data Files; Gag Reel; Episode previews
=>Easter Egg: Marcus Cole: Dead or Frozen
=>Additional and Extended Scenes Unfinished from prior seasons, the telepath situation is still at issue. The post-war era still has many other problems to be resolved. Episode Guide:
1. No Compromises (Babylon 5 has a new commander. The telepaths ask to form a colony on Babylon 5.)
2. The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari (Londo has a heart attack. Lennier decides to become a ranger.)
3. The Paragon of Animals (Garibaldi wants to form an intelligence unit consisting of telepaths.)
4. A View from the Gallery (cowritten by Harlan Ellison. Savage aliens attack the station shown from the viewpoint of two crew members.)
5. Learning Curve (A racketeer tries to take over Downbelow.)
6. Strange Relations (Londo evades an assassination attempt.)
7. Secrets of the Soul (The Downbelow citizens don't like the increasing number of telepaths. Franklin discovers an old secret.)
8. Day of the Dead (The Brakiri conduct a religious ceremony where the dead supposedly return. Zooty's voice is done by Harlan Ellison.)
9. In the Kingdom of the Blind (Byron uses blackmail to try to get a homeworld of their own for the telepaths.)
10. A Tragedy of Telepaths (Lochley asks that the telepaths be removed, due to rising tensions and violence.)
11. Phoenix Rising (The situation with the telepaths worsens, resulting in several deaths.)
12. The Ragged Edge (G'Kar becames a religious figure after his book is published. There may be a witness to an attack on an Alliance ship.)
13. The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father (Bester shows two PSI Cop interns how he works when he tries to capture a rogue telepath.)
14. Meditations on the Abyss (Lennier investigates the possible Centauri involvement in the shipping line attacks. Vir becomes the Centauri ambassador to Babylon 5.)
15. Darkness Ascending (Lennier continues to investigate the Centauri. Lyta tries to find a homeworld for the telepaths.)
16. And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder (Evidence against the Centauri is presented to the Alliance.)
17. Movements of Fire and Shadow (The White Star fleet is authorized to participate in the war. Tensions with the Centauri worsen.)
18. The Fall of Centauri Prime (The Drakh force Londo to help them. Londo is crowned emperor of the Centauri Republic.)
19. The Wheel of Fire (Earthforce orders Lyta's arrest. G'Kar worshippers cause problems.)
20. Objects in Motion (cowritten by Harlan Ellison. Michael and Lise are warned that an assassin has been hired to kill them.)
21. Objects at Rest (Many are leaving Babylon 5. Alliance headquarters move to Minbar.)
22. Sleeping in Light (Sheridan invites old friends for a final gathering. Takes place 20 years later. In this final episode, J. Michael Stracynski writes, directs, and makes a cameo appearance as the crew member shutting down the station.) Although this is the final season, it is not the final DVD set. A collection of the television movies is planned for release in Spring or Summer of 2004. (jmsnews.com has a small amount of information about two DVD sets following the release of B5 Season 5.)
Rating:
Summary: Ivanova, we sure missed ya
Review: No. Season 5 of Babylon 5 is not up to the brilliance of Seasons 2, 3, or 4. We'll get that right out of the way. But it's a lot more watchable than Season 1, and despite an ugly and sluggish plot line involving the telepaths, the show eventually builds itself back up to its glory, concluding with the same kind of tense drama and touching character interaction that made the show great to begin with. There are some dramatic, and often surprising, bits of character development over the course of the season. We know that Londo Mollari is ultimately damned, but watching him hand over his soul is wrenching anyway. Lita Alexander -- watch out for her special Vorlon touch. And when ever-faithful Lennier allows his jealous side out to play, it's worth a gasp. And try -- just try -- not to shed a tear when Sheridan has his final moment with Delenn, the "brightest star in [his] sky," during the series finale. What a shame -- what a terrible, horrible shame -- that Claudia Christian didn't return to play hotheaded Susan Ivanova. Tracy Scoggins, as Captain Lochley, does whatever she can to fill that void, but it makes the absence of Ivanova even more glaring. The good episodes in here make the Season 5 set worthwhile; buy it, but prepare yourself for a share of clunkers along the way.
Rating:
Summary: A solid endcap to B5
Review: Not at all a disappointment. Better than most television, and infinitely better than most science fiction series. The pacing is a little different because the series creator was prepared to end the series at the conclusion of the fourth season. However, Babylon 5 got renewed for a fifth season, allowing the series to take off in a different, unexpected direction. The season starts off incredibly strong with "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars", an episode shot with Season 5 but broadcast during season 4. This unusual effort looks back on the B5 story 1 year, 100 years, 500 years, 1000 years, and 1,000,000 years in the future. We find that even the victors in war pay a price. The cast isn't as engaged in fighting their fictional war, but what they do this season is take off in different directions. Londo and G'Kar find peace, Lennier finds a purpose, and Garibaldi is revealed as the truly tragic character of the series. Claudia Christian is missed, but Tracy Scoggins does a fine job as Commander Lochley. Later we are given some arc- and non-arc treats. I'm partial to "Day of the Dead", an episode which revisits dead characters as part of an alien ceremony. Other strong episodes are "Objects in Motion, Objects at Rest, and The Long Night of Londo Mollari. Are all of the questions answered in the end? No, but somehow it wouldn't work if suddenly every nagging question was answered to the nth degree. It's fitting that some of the outcome will have to reside in the imagination of the viewer. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Uneven, But A Strong Finish
Review: Okay, let's be honest. This fifth year of Babylon 5 suffers in comparison to the previous year, but only in the way that near perfection misses complete perfection. If the writing was uneven, it was only because J. Michael Straczynski let go of the stranglehold on writing he held during Season 4. Other voices may not speak with the clarity of vision of the Great Maker (sorry, inside joke). The Drakh were a bit silly, and the telepaths kept interrupting the real story, but at the end, all the pieces fall in place. We see where the past five years have led our characters, their growth and evolution, and eventually, the fate of our beloved station. But you must buy this package, if only to complete the set. How good is it? Every time I see "Sleeping In Light," I weep openly. It's really that good. You owe it to yourself to own what may be the best thing ever put on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANT!!!!!! So sad to see it end!!!
Review: People claim that Season 5 was a weak season - no way!! I must be honest, when i started watching the first season i did not like the series but it began to grow on me and i must say that Season 5 brings the whole story to a fitting end. The way that all the characters move on with their life is just something that mimics real life like no other sci fi series has captured. The fact that we as humans move on with our lives, leave jobs and friends behind - get married, accept promotions makes us able to grow with the characters and make them real people.
That is the beauty of this series, people must face changes in their lives and even made me realise that decisions i may have made were necessary, even if they did not seem right at the time.
This is a GREAT last series; it would have been a brilliant idea to have made a spin off series with some of the characters but Babylon 5 struggled throughout its existence and i am glad that i gave it the opportunity to grow on me as it was a great investment of my time.
If you have not done so already; you must see this last season, Babylon 5 would be incomplete without it.
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