BABYLON 5: IN THE BEGINNING (1998)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *drama*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *cosmological, metaphysical, sociological*

"A slave is immune to the fear of dying, because to die is merely to end the cycle of pain."

This quasi-Hegelian comment on the relationship of slaves to their masters' tyrannies is spoken by the Narn diplomat G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas). Profound though it is, this theme has very little to do with the main story of BEGINNING, though some of the action that transpires in the main plot comes about because of the actions of the Centauri ruler Londo (Peter Jurasik), G'Kar's persistent rival, whose people enslaved the Narn.

Londo provides the telefilm's frame story. BEGINNING was broadcast prior to the serial's fifth and last season, so a great deal of continuity had been established during the previous four seasons. But the viewer of BEGINNING does not necessarily need to know a lot of backstory, for the frame story takes place far down the timeline, when Londo is an aged ruler, telling his story to a pair of fascinated children. What he relates is writer-director J. Michael Straczinski's history of the great Human-Minbari War, a tragic conflict that precedes the construction of the Babylon 5 stations. 

The people of Earth provoke the war to some extent, making an uninvited incursion upon Minbari space, albeit against the advice of a younger Ambassador Londo. However, on balance the battle stems largely from cultural misunderstandings. Londo's later actions aggravate the war, for which his older self is duly regretful. G'Kar has a small role selling Centauri weapons to Earth in the hope of framing Centaurians as collaborators, while Delenn (Mira Furlann) is in the position of launching the war on her side-- an action that proves ironic later, when she ends the conflict due to a perceived metaphysical connection with the human race. There are also some linkages to the Vorlons and a "war against the shadows" conflict that played out in the series proper.

Though this is a more mature take on armed conflict than most space-war movies, the script is never more than adequate in expounding its theme, aside from that one line from G'Kar. The character-arc of the Jeff Sinclair character from Season 1 is referenced via the use of archive-footage, and the character of Ivanovna, who became first officer in Season 2, also makes an appearance during the tale-telling. The film concludes in "real" future-time with a teaser involving Old Londo, Delenn, and John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner), the character who took Sinclair's place in Seasons 2-5. I assume the teaser had some payoff in Season 5 but am not motivated to research the matter.