Captain Lochley

Story: No Compromises

Written By: J. Michael Straczynski

Season: 5

So the final season of Babylon 5 begins, and it is a decent but not too thrilling affair.  It’s time for the presidential inauguration ceremony for Sheridan, and the gang of B5 have to deal with a new Captain (taking the place Ivanova rejected), an assassination plan, and some rogue telepaths who avoided joining the PsiCorps who wish to make a new home on the station.  It is a decent start for this final year of the show, but it doesn’t feel as tense as an assassination plot story should feel.  

The new character, Captain Lochley is okay...she is taking the place of Ivanova, which is a shame..I’d have quite liked to have seen her make it to the show’s end, but here we are.  Lochley is a different character, more reserved, but in some ways it feels very much like a replacement character.  

The main plot is that a guy who was in EarthForce and worked for President Clark’s side wants to kill Sheridan, since he was a guy who did dirty work in enforcing Clark’s policies and is now wanted...his life is now ruined, and he blames Sheridan.  So he wants to take him out.  He makes one attempt, but one of the new telepaths on board manage to warn on time. His second attempt to kill comes when he tries to shoot a Starfury onto the station right where Sheridan and co. are, and he is once again trying to get sworn in. Garibaldi stops him this time and the dude gets killed.  Then the best moment of the episode occurs, in which G’Kar (whom Sheridan has asked to create some kind of Oath of Office), just plainly asks “you wanna be president? say I do”, Sheridan obliges..and he is now President.  I just like how after being interrupted by attempted death twice, he just gets on with it.  

Decent start to the season, slow, but a nice beginning.  Here’s hoping things keep strong enough through the final season. 

NEXT TIME: Lennier Leaves