The SF Site: Babylon 5.1 by Rick Norwood

Babylon 5.1
by Rick Norwood

It has been a long time since I've seen a really good television program. Remember when TV was really good? There were fewer commercials then, but more important, the writers were willing to take some chances. For Star Trek, the last sure-fire four-star experience was the conclusion of Deep Space Nine. Remember? For The X-Files it was "Two Fathers/One Sons." Both were more than two years ago. Now The X-Files has ended. But the cliff-hanger for Enterprise was pretty good. Maybe there is hope. (Where did I hear those words?) Meanwhile, you can still watch great television on DVD. The fifth season of X-Files, the second season of Next Generation, the first season of Sherlock Holmes, and now Dark Shadows is on DVD -- well, to enjoy Dark Shadows, you had to have been there. Unless you're a Dark Shadows fan already, you probably never will be.

What to watch this Summer? Set the video recorder to record Jeremiah (Showtime Fridays at 10:45), grab a good book (I recommend Tamsin by Peter Beagle), and head for the beach.

Here are episode guides to the last season of The X-Files and the first season of Enterprise.

Episode Guides
| The X-Files, Season Nine | Star Trek: Enterprise |

The X-Files, Season Nine -- Episode Guide

Websites
Other Babylon 5.1 Columns
For more information, you can try the following sites:
Rick Norwood's Website
Worldwide TV Schedule
The Official Babylon 5 Website
The X-Files
Pocket Books: Star Trek
Paramount Star Trek

Ratings
Ratings are based on a four star system.
One star means that the commercials are more entertaining than the program.
Two stars watch if you have nothing better to do.
Three stars is good solid entertainment.
Four stars means you never dreamed television could be this good.

X-Files

Nothing Important Happened Today (I) (***) by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
Something strange is going on aboard a ship in the harbor.

Nothing Important Happened Today (I) (***) by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
Supersoldiers attack!

Daemonicus, (**) by Frank Spotnitz
Satanic ritual murders. The main thing to remember about Statanic ritual murders is that there are no Satanic ritual murders.

4-D (***) by Steven Maeda
Mirror, Mirror.

Lord of the Flies (**) by Thomas Schnaus
Teenagers perform dangerous stunts to get on television.

Trust No 1 (***) by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
Mulder (off stage) discovers that Supersoldiers are vulnerable to kryptonite.

John Doe (**) by Vince Gulligan
Doggett visits Mexico.

Hellbound (**) by David Amann
Skinned alive.

Provenance (**) by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
Alien etchings are daringly smuggled across the border between Canada and the US.

Providence (**) by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
William is kidnapped and Scully is ordered to bring the kidnappers the head of Fox Mulder. Really!

Audrey Pauley (**) by Steven Maeda
Rayes finds herself in a strange hospital in the Twilight Zone.

Underneath (**) by John Shiban
Doggett investigates a case from his past.

Improbable (*) by Chris Carter
Burt Reynolds is God.

Scary Monsters (**) by Thomas Schnauz
A small boy says that monsters killed his mother.

Jump the Shark (***) by Vince Gilligan, Frank Spotnitz, and John Shiban
The Lone Gunmen are given a reasonably respectful sendoff.

William (***) by Chris Carter, story by David Duchovny, Frank Spotnitz, and Chris Carter
Scully must give her son up for adoption to protect him.

Release (***) by David Amann
A young FBI agent has profiling skills that are unbelievable.

Sunshine Days (***) by Vince Gilligan
The Brady Bunch crossover.

The Truth I (***) by Chris Carter
Mulder on trial. The answers are less interesting than the questions.

The Truth II (***) by Chris Carter
And old friend reveals the big secret.

Next: The X-Files II, the Movie.

Episode Guides
| The X-Files, Season Nine | Star Trek: Enterprise |

Rick Norwood is a mathematician and writer whose small press publishing house, Manuscript Press, has published books by Hal Clement, R.A. Lafferty, and Hal Foster. He is also the editor of Comics Revue Monthly, which publishes such classic comic strips as Flash Gordon, Sky Masters, Modesty Blaise, Tarzan, Odd Bodkins, Casey Ruggles, The Phantom, Gasoline Alley, Krazy Kat, Alley Oop, Little Orphan Annie, Barnaby, Buz Sawyer, and Steve Canyon.