Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7325 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-05-26
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Dutch, Arabic, French
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 924 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Captain John Sheridan (Bruce Boxlietner) arrives on Babylon 5 in the first episode of the second series, "Points of Departure", which marks the handing over of command of B5 to Sheridan from Commander Jeffery Sinclair (actor Michael O'Hare had become a victim of studio politicians who wanted a bigger star in the leading role). This excellent instalment also reveals more about why the Minbari surrendered to Earth at the Battle of the Line when they were on the verge of victory. "Revelations" explains that Sheridan's wife, Anna, died during an archaeological survey of the world Z'ha'dum, the name being just one of many oblique references to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. "The Geometry of Shadows" introduces the Technomages, characters who featured more significantly in the ill-fated spin-off series Crusade (1999), while "The Coming of Shadows" proved to be Babylon 5's finest hour. The story of political intrigue foreshadowing the fate of two of the major characters won the Hugo award for the Best Dramatic Presentation at the 1996 World Science Fiction Convention and proved so powerful that J Michael Straczynski included it in his Complete Book of Scriptwriting.

"And Now for a Word" takes the unusual step of presenting a day-in-the-life of B5 seen through the eyes of a TV news crew, just as the Narn declare war on the Centauri. The inclusion of a PSI-Corps commercial paid homage to Paul Verhoeven's satirical ads in Robocop (1987). In "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum", Sheridan learns that Morden was on the ship on which Anna died, this episode seeing the Captain pushed to his limits by grief and determination to discover why Morden survived. Three exceptional shows conclude the year. The Narn-Centauri war escalates in "The Long, Twilight Struggle", Sheridan faces a most unusual ordeal in "Comes the Inquisitor", while in "The Fall of Night" all hope of peace is shattered as a nerve-wracking assassination attempt reveals a startling secret about Ambassador Kosh.

On the DVD: Babylon 5--Series 2 presents all 22 episodes anamorphically enhanced at 16:9, with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Originally shot with eventual widescreen presentation in mind, the programmes looks far better than they did when broadcast. The effects shots, reformatted from full-screen CGI, show occasional pixilation, but the new compositions are more dynamic than the old 4:3. Always a show with powerful audio, the remixed soundtrack is rich and involving, if lacking in the bass punch and complex layering of much more expensive cinema productions. Extras are an introduction to Series 2 (eight mins) and Building Babylon: Blueprint of an Episode (13 mins), is a perfunctory promotional piece. More interesting is Shadows and Dreams, an eight-minute feature on B5's two Hugo Awards. Three episodes have commentaries, with J Michael Straczynski examining the politics, mythology and production of In the Shadow of Z'Ha'Dum and The Fall of Night, and stars Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian and Jerry Doyle have a decidedly low-brow laugh-fest through The Geometry of Shadows. There is an alternative French soundtrack and subtitles for the hard-of-hearing. --Gary S Dalkin

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
A deluxe, six-DVD boxed set collection, comprising the entire second season (22 episodes) of the enormously popular sci-fi television series, BABYLON 5. Action-packed, loaded with visual effects, and brimming with adventure, this collection will surely delight enthusiasts of the show and newcomers alike. Episodes include: "Points of Departure," "Revelations," "The Geometry of Shadows," "A Distant Star," "The Long Dark," "Spider In The Web," "A Race Through Dark Places," "Soul Dates," "The Coming Of Shadows," "GROPOS," "All Alone In The Night," "Acts Of Sacrifice," "Hunter, Prey," "There All The Honour Lies," "And Now For A Word," "Knives," "In The Shadow Of Z'Ha'Dum," "Confessions And Lamentations," "Divided Loyalties," "The Long, Twilight Struggle," "Comes The Inquisitor," and "The Fall Of Night."

Customer Reviews

This is how it should be done.
This is where, as they say, the plot thickens. With the advent of season 2, which begins with a significant cast-member change, stories which were hinted at in season 1 start to bear some fruit. For instance, right at the start of the season in "Points of Departure" and "Revelations", we finally find out what happened to Sinclair at the epic Battle of the Line, why the Minbari surrendered, but in true Babylon-5 tradition, the ramifications of this are left neccessarily vague until much later.

The season title is 'The Coming of Shadows'. We see Londo's agonising descent into darkness as his ambition, with the aid of the mysterious Shadows, starts to become terrifying reality. Earth is in turmoil due to events at the end of the last season, and some very sinister things start to happen there. We learn what a Vorlon looks like under his encounter suit. In short, the arc moves up a couple of gears, until by the end of the season you're left gasping, desperate to see the continuation.

There are some truly magnificent (never bettered) episodes in this season. The Hugo award winning "The Coming of Shadows" episode is the obvious first WHAM! episode, and stands out. With audio commentary by series creator J. Michael Straczynski this will be interesting even if you've seen it dozens of times. Other highlights include: "The Long Twilight Struggle" (with cast commentary), "The Fall of Night" (with JMS commentary), "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum", "And Now For A Word", "Comes The Inquisitor", "Acts of Sacrifice" and many more. Basically, the quality just jumps up a few notches with this season, and if you've only ever experienced Star Trek before, this season will show you just what TV SF can be and should be.

Enjoy!

Excellent show but there are quality issues.
Season 2 is when Babylon 5 kicked up a gear. The replacement of Commander Sinclair by Captain Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) was greeted with guarded reactions by the fans but introduced a more dynamic element to the series that would ultimately prove a success. This season saw the show slowly moving away from the episodic nature of the first season as it became clear that the show was following an ongoing storyline.

Other have spoken at length about the season's storylines so I will concentrate on the technical aspects of the DVDs themselves. The picture quality in this season is a marked improvement over the first season DVDs but is still very variable. Certain shots are nice and crisp while others are distinctly fuzzy. The special effects shots however are much better this season. Unlike the first season, they were done on PC rather than an Amiga and were created in 16:9 format meaning they transfer to DVD without additional cropping and zooming which resulted in very pixelated effects in the first season DVDs. Like the first season, there is a decent range of extras including commentaries on certain episodes.

One thing that has not been improved sadly is the packaging. The DVDs come in a plastic case that is surrounded by a very thin cardboard sleave. The manufacturers really need to look at how Buffy/Angel package their season DVD sets and come up with something more robust. Overall I give this release 4 stars. It is an excellent show only let down by the patchy picture quality and poor packaging.

Things Really Heat Up This Year
Following the assassination of President Santiago, Commander Sinclair is recalled to earth and given a new assignment as ambassador to Minbar. To take his place, Earthforce assigns Captain John Sheridan, an unpopular choice with the Minbari because of his actions during the Earth-Minbari war. But getting along with the Minbari is only the start. Ambassador Delenn emerges from her cocoon and rumors of an ancient race begin to gain momentum. Not to mention the rumors about things back on earth. Meanwhile, Londo starts a war to reclaim the Centauri place in the galaxy, and the first target is the Narn.

Season 2 finally picks up the pace and begins to show the promise of what this series could do. While many of the stories are still stand alones, things begin to heat up and the arc gets moving. While some of the mysteries of season one are finally revealed, they only leave more questions. And the power of the writing and performances steps up a notch. In fact, it was the first time I watched the season’s title episode, “The Coming of Shadows,” that I knew I would be a fan for a long time to come. Yet there are still some very fun character stories and moments, like “Soul Mates” and Ivanova’s storyline in “Acts of Sacrifice.”

Once again, this set has all 22 episodes from the season on 6 discs. Picture quality could still use a little improvement, but it’s a minor complaint and the programs sound fine. The data files are helpful to newbies, but I found them a little redundant. What I did find interesting was the timeline. Covering events through the end of this season (2259), it helped me place in “history” various events only talked about during the show.

The other features are intended for the fans because they spoil much of this season and some of the rest of the show. The feature on the making of an episode was interesting to this entertainment junkie. But the best part was the commentaries. Jerry Doyle, Bruce Boxleitner, and Claudia Christian provide a hilarious if not very informative commentary on one episode. For those wanting a bit more behind the scenes information, J. Michael Straczynski provides plenty of it on his commentary on two episodes.

This is the year that things start to get good. With the background of season 1, this set will be enjoyed for years to come.