This is the kind of information that the readers wanted when the script books were originally announced. After all the speculation and the endless conspiratorial theories, JMS sets the record straight on what happened in the last days of the fourth season when the series’ final year was commissioned long past the 11th hour.
The story takes a lot of time, and quite clearly, JMS still harbors confusion and bitterness over some of the developments. As he says, it should have been a moment of pure joy and satisfaction. Instead, it was a complete nightmare. It’s shocking that he didn’t drop dead from the stress.
Remarkably, for those of us who were there during the long, twilight struggle, the story as told in 2007 is almost identical to the story as revealed, as possible, in 1997. The difference is one of detail and scale; JMS reveals the whys and wherefores of the extended option deals and the enormous hit that the fifth and final season took as a result of that fateful weekend at Blackpool.
JMS also reveals, in very general terms, what the beginning of the fifth season was supposed to be, and how all of that had to change under extremely short notice. The effect is right there on the screen: what should have been a short telepath arc with Byron had to be extended to allow for time to introduce Captain Lochley. JMS openly admits that his attempt to keep most of the pieces in their intended place in the story was part of the fifth season’s problem. More than that, he admits that certain ideas about the Sheridan/Lochley relationship were spur of the moment and ill-considered.
It’s also interesting to note how the possibility of future spin-offs and films through a wrench in the plans for the final season. While the major events were all outlined in the original arc structure, JMS was constantly trying to mold the final season to lead into projects that never developed. Originally the final season would have focused more on the Rangers, and there are still hints of that throughout the scripts. In other places, the setup for a potential Telepath War film is plain as day (which, in turn, matches the documented online rumors from the time the episodes were originally written and filmed).
The bottom line is that this volume is a candid look at how the renewal process and all the issues surrounding it undermined the fifth season from the very beginning. I’m one of the seemingly few fans of the show to defend elements of the fifth season for their value to the series as a whole, so I tend to be forgiving. Even so, the circumstances also serve as a reminder that JMS’ method (planning an entire series in massive detail) can be both a blessing and a curse.
Rating: 10/10
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