Customer Reviews

Babylon 5 - The Parliament of Dreams / Mind War [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the first episode we have the chance to watch the cultural and religious differences of the various races that live aboard the station. This may sound boring, but it sets the basis for viewers to understand the hidden plot as it unfolds through each episode. Meanwhile, for those who love action, G'Car faces an assassin.

The next one, 'Mind War', introduces us with the Psy Corps, and a notorious Psy Cop, played beautifully by Walter Koenig (Star Trek TOS Checov).

If you want to have a better understanding of the episodes to follow, don't miss these two.

Parliment of Dreams is my personal favorite from the first season, along with "Signs and Portents". Mind War is also very good. Season 1 featured a different main character from the later 4 years (Jeff Sinclair). His character was more serious and less "fun" but I liked him a lot. -- Colin Glassey

"The Parliament of Dreams" is a wonderful introduction to the religious beliefs of the major alien powers. Ambassador Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik) is hilarious during a Centauri religious banquet. Lennier (Bill Mumy) arrives at Babylon 5, joining Ambassador Delenn (Mira Furlan) as her new aide. Much to his dismay, Ambassador G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) learns that one of the pilgrims arriving at Babylon 5's religious festival is an assassin from the Narn homeworld. In "Mind War" Talia Winters (Andrea Thompson) is reunited with her Psi Corps instructor and lover Jason Ironheart, the ill-fated subject of an EarthForce experiment designed to increase telepathic powers in Psi Corps telepaths. In pursuit of Ironheart is Psi Cop Alfred Bester (Walter Koenig) who willing bends rules and regulations trying to capture Ironheart. Without question, both were among the finest episodes of Babylon 5's first season.

The Parliament of Dreams is forty-three minutes and thirty seconds long and originally aired on February 23, 1994. There is one main story and two sub stories. The main story revolves around Ambassador G'Kar getting amessage from an old Narn rival whom he embarresed years ago. When G'Kar receives a message from carrier Tu'Pari, the message states that he would die forty-eight hours after getting the message and that it would be somebody close that would kill him Little did he know that it was carrier Tu'Pari from the Assin Guild. At this time we are introduced to Ambassador G'Kar new assistant Na'Toth. At first G'Kar suspect Na'Toth but, quickly decides she is not the murderer. G'Kar hires a bodyguard but, the bodyguard gets killed. Finally Na'Toth brings carrier Tu'Pari to G'Kar to confront him. Tu'Pari tricks G'Kar into beleiving that Na'Toth is the hire killer. While contacting the Narn home world Tu'Pari shoots G'Kar and kidnaps him. Tu'Pari uses pain killers to hurt and then eventually kill G'Kar however, Na'Toth arrives and tricks Tu'Pari that she is his back up incase he does not finish the job. When Tu'Pari questions Na'Toth on her method of torture she starts to kick G'Kar where the pain killers are located so that the pain killers become disable. G'Kar frees himself and knocks Tu'Pari out. When Tu'Pari wakes up, G'Kar tells him it is 72 hours later and the time for him to be kill has past and G'Kar tells Tu'Pari that he has transferred a certain amount of money into his account. This would lead to believe that Tu'Pari have sold out to the Assin Guild. Tu'Pari leaves with the next shuttle heading off Babylon 5. The sub stories are a week long event of religious and cultural exchange and Commander Jeffrey Sinclair hooking up with an old love interest Catherine Sakai. Finally we are introduce the last cast member of the series- Lennier portrayed by Bill Mumy. Overall I am giving The Parliament of Dreams an A-.

Mind War is forty-three minutes and thirty seconds long and originally aired on March 2, 1994. The main story deals with an escape telepath named Jason Ironheart. Jason is arrives at Babylon 5 to meet up with his old love Talia Winters to say good-bye. Jason tells Talia that he was part of a Psi Corps experiment to try to turn a P5 to a P10 and a P10 into who knows. Also Jason finds out during the corse of the experiments that the real truth was the Psi Coprs want a stable telekinesis telepath for murder jobs. In this episode we are introduced to Psi Cops and the infamous Alfred Bester. The Psi Cops want t inplant a fail safe message into his head telapathicly so the can bring Jason Ironheart back to Earth for futher studies. With help from Talia and Commander Sinclair help Jason get back to his ship and become energy. In a sub story Catherine Sakai needs Ambassador G'Kar approval to go to Sigma-957 and when she arrives there one of the First Ones attacks her ship. Catherine is rescued by two heavy Narn Cruisers and is escorted back to Babylon 5. The Mind War has an excellent story and the special effects are not bad. Mind War gets an AAA+++.

The quality of the tape and of the recording is really great, and there are no commercials before or after the episodes, which is fine. The first episode could have been better since it was the beginning of the series and the exposition and dialogues were often badly handled. "Mind War" is much better, and I highly recommend it.