4.0 out of 5 stars
1.17 "Legacies" & 1.18 "A Voice in the Wilderness, Part 1", April 24, 2004
This review is from: Babylon 5: Legacies/A Voice in the Wilderness Part 1 [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Be forewarned that you only get "A Voice in the Wilderness Part 1" in this pair of episodes from the first season of "Babylon 5" and you can make up your own mind as to whether this bothers you or if you prefer the "Farscape" approach which puts episodes out of order so that you do not have to make two purchases to get both parts of a story.
Episode 17, "Legacies" (Written by D. C. Fontana, Aired July 20, 1994) begins with the station awaiting the arrival of a ship bearing the body of Branmer the Minbari general who led the attack in the Battle of the Line. The Minbari cruiser is bringing Branmer's body back home and making stops so that people can pay their last respects. The only problem is that when they open the casket for the viewing, Branmer's body is not there. Meanwhile, Alisa Beldon (Grace Una), a young girl entering puberty, exhibits telepathic abilities, which means she either joins the Psi Corps or gets to be heavily drugged for the rest of her life.
The plotline about the missing Mindari body is the most important, because apparently Delenn (Mira Furlan) has something to do with what is going on (and the word "chrysalis" matters big time). Commander Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) also has to deal with trash talk from the commander of the Mindari cruiser (John Vickery) in a sub-plot that has a nice resolution. Of course while Talia Winters (Andrea Thompson) talks up the Psi Corps to young Alisa, Ivanova (Claudia Christian) is telling horror stories about what happened to her mother. But when tests indicate that Alisa is at least a P10, she starts getting offers from the alien ambassadors. The fighting over Alisa's future is an odd pairing to put with the other plot line, but the part of this episode that has me shaking my head is that the humans still do not know what it means when a Minbari vessel has its gun ports open.
Episode 18, "A Voice in the Wilderness Part 1" (Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Aired July 27, 1944) deals with upheavals. While seismic activity on a planet near Babylon 5 reveals signs of an extinct alien civilization there is unrest on the Mars Colony that turns violent. Meanwhile, Ambassador Delenn enjoys a visit from her old mentor, Draal (Louis Turenne), who bemoans how the Minbari people have lost their sense of purpose, and Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle) is getting frantic about making contact with his ex-girlfriend on Mars.
The Mars subplot has some importance, not because of Garibaldi's love life but because Earth is treating that colony with the same sort of disdain it shows Babylon 5. But the main attraction here is the flickering image appears of an alien man pleading for help who appears to first Sinclair and then Londo (Peter Jurasik). When Sinclair and Ivanova investigate the planet what they find raises even more questions (such as why the top two command officers of B5 are both out investigating a planet together). Can another diplomatic crisis be far behind?
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Important Clues To What Unfolds Later On Babylon 5, May 18, 2001
This review is from: Babylon 5: Legacies/A Voice in the Wilderness Part 1 [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Admittedly, this video is a mixed bag with regards to quality, yet those who are interested in "Babylon 5" will consider it essential viewing. The first episode "Legacies" gives an important look into the complexities of Minbari society. It's followed by "A Voice in the Wilderness, Part I", which should have been offered together with its sequel. In "A Voice..." Commander Sinclair makes an important discovery regarding what lurks beneath the surface of Epsilon 3, and how it may affect space station Babylon 5's future. Sinclair's discovery will have important implications for the Shadow War destined to follow.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best, but still fun to watch., February 25, 2001
This review is from: Babylon 5: Legacies/A Voice in the Wilderness Part 1 [VHS] (VHS Tape)
In "Legacies", the body of a deceased Minbari Leader who is going through B5 is stolen. The interesting part of this episode is the cultural differences of the various Minbari casts.
The other episode introduces us with the planet below B5 and the secrets it holds. This is a vital episode for the series and you need to see it to understand what goes on in the Shadow War.
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