Babylon 5 Rewatch: third season overview

A look back at a most powerful third season of Babylon 5, one which advances the story, occasionally sets the status quo on fire, and features some superlative acting from both the leads and the guests. There are exceptions to the latter, of course, and not every plot point hits the mark, but overall, this is some great stuff.

An excerpt:

So many well-done storylines here. The NightWatch and Clark Administration plotlines that dominated the early half of the season are particularly striking to watch in 2025, and in general, writer/executive producer J. Michael Straczynski expertly shows the creeping fascism, from Kitty Swink’s senator in “Matters of Honor” to Vaughn Armstrong’s NightWatch toady in “Messages from Earth” and “Point of No Return” to Diana Morgan’s propaganda-spewing ISN anchor in “Ship of Tears.” Indeed, the NightWatch plot’s only misstep is the kidnapping of Delenn in “Ceremonies of Light and Dark.” Of particular note is Jeff Conaway’s Zack Allan, newly promoted to the opening credits this season, who is caught betwixt and between, not important enough to be read in on the Army of Light’s secret missions but also of sufficient unimportance to be used as a tool by EarthGov and NightWatch.