Babylon 5 was a groundbreaking TV series, and one that in its own way has helped reshape the face of SF TV

Lost plots

Well as mentioned before Babylon 5 had a few problems, saw a few cast changes and plot modifications. I have mentioned a few possibilities for Crusade, but what would the original arc have been for Babylon 5?

Well the only person who would know for sure is JMS but here is what this Fool thinks might have happened if everything had been as originally planned…….

The Gathering would have been as shown and the cast/characters carried over to the series proper. In the first season there would have been little change other than:

Lyta would have still been on the station and there would have been no Talia Winters. Lyta would have therefore followed Talia’s arc, developed minor TK powers and have had her personality recorded by Kosh. Garibaldi’s fascination with Talia would probably have been transferred to Lyta; perhaps we see an echo of this with Zack later in the series?

Dr Kyle would have remained and Dr Franklin would not have existed.

Catherine Sakai would not have existed, instead the character of Carolyn Sykes would have continued (just how many planetary surveyors could Sinclair have had a relationship with, and with such a similar name too). At the end of the first season Sinclair would have therefore proposed to Carolyn.

Delenn would have been most likely re-imagined into the new make up as the old one didn’t really work; she was more masculine than male actors playing minbari. She would have followed the prophecy and tried to get close to Sinclair (as she did in the screened version) but would have had little success until she became half-human. She would have entered into chrysalis as shown.

Laural Takashima would have been retained as head of C&C. She was an agent for Clark/Psi-Corp and involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Santiago though she is under control of a hidden implanted personality (this story was transferred to Talia Winters in the series as shown)

Ivanova would have been a leader of one of the starfury squadrons. There is no real evidence to support this other than a strong hunch on my part. In fact JMS has said that Ivanova would have been there in the background and come forward to replace Takashima; she was her second in command. In the series as shown this story went to Lt Corwin, but he never actually replaced Ivanova, instead Lochley was assigned and that makes me wonder. In the first series Ivanova (and Sinclair) are often seen leading the starfuries on missions, while I can understand Sinclair wanting to be a part of the action (although I would think it an unusual policy for the station commander) I can not see the head of C&C including this as part of the job description. In addition for the second season we had Keffer appear, the only time a starfury pilot had any importance to the plot, but understandable if he had replaced Ivanova.

Everything else would have been as plotted.

Second season: Sinclair would still be on station (Michael O’Hare was apparently not dynamic enough for the lead – I will agree that Bruce Boxleitner was a better choice for the character of Sheridan, but O’Hare was perfect as Sinclair. Anyhow Jeff Sinclair=John Sheridan I rest my case).

Carolyn would either have married Sinclair, or more likely they would have set a date due to the chaos caused by the assignation and Garibaldi’s shooting. Either way, Carolyn would have gone off on one last contract. Later in the series she would be reported as missing and Delenn and Kosh would have told Sinclair that the Shadows had killed her.

Delenn coming out of the chrysalis would have been somewhat vexed and confused to find that Sinclair had either married Carolyn or at least become engaged. She would have found herself at a loose end as the prophecy would seem to be failing. In the series as shown she went through a similar glitch when she found Sheridan had replaced Sinclair, but probably worked out that Sheridan was the one as the prophecy just said the commander of B5 without giving a name (either that or she was more sexed up than Freya on fertility pills). When she learns that Carolyn has run into the Shadows, it clears things up and she makes a play for Sheridan. It is likely that the Rangers either report only to Delenn at this point or Sinclair and therefore Garibaldi know about them too. Back on Minbar Lennon is Ranger 1, Ulkesh, probably reluctantly, advising him to train humans as Rangers.

Garibaldi would be cured as shown, and when he finds out who shot him it eventually leads to uncovering Takashima’s part in the plot.

Ivanova would have been promoted from pilot to chief of C&C replacing Takashimi. It is through Ivanova’s previous position as a pilot that we would meet Keffer-perhaps he even replaced her when she was promoted; they did both receive promotions in this season. Keffer would still be killed videoing the Shadow ship, and once the third season started the emphasis moved from starfuries to White Star(s).

Lyta she would be making a relationship with someone – but maybe this would be Garibaldi instead of Ivanova. When a rogue telepath comes from Mars with details of a traitor, we go through the same routine as we did as screened. Ivanova is revealed to be a nascent telepath and Lyta revealed to be the traitor. Maybe the telepath that uncovers her is Talia Winters (assuming that JMS had the name in mind for a teep.) Once Dark Lyta overwrites good Lyta’s personality, rather than give her back to Psi Corps as in the series, Kosh would take her away. It has already been established twice in the series that it is possible to erase someone’s personality and replace it with a new one (death of personality replacing death of person as a means of punishment). It could even be done by Dr Kyle with Kosh supplying the recording of good Lyta’s personality. Anyhow it is likely Lyta goes off to the Vorlon homeworld after this.

Season 3: More or less as shown. Lyta comes back as Kosh’s assistant. The White Star is revealed. Marcus Cole arrives. The main difference is that there would be no return of Sinclair (coz he aint gone anywhere) and no time travelling to B4….at least not this season.

At the end of season 3 it is Carolyn that comes back and gets in the way of Delenn and Sinclair’s relationship. Sinclair goes with her to Z’ha’dum and jumps as shown.

Season 4: Same as shown, though of course it is Sinclair that Lorien ‘revives’. As there is no need to compress the arc due to a possible cancellation of season 5, there is a bit more development of the Shadow/Vorlon war. In addition it is likely that the telepath enclave arrives on B5 during this season, telepaths being a valuable commodity in the war against the Shadows. On a similar note the Drakh plans for the Centauri may have been more obvious. Other wise the main arc continues as shown….except that the season ends with Sinclair’s capture after Garibaldi’s betrayal (this from another interview IIRC).

Meanwhile it is Dr Kyle who is now having a problem with stim addiction (more likely than Franklin who I always thought was a little too young to be as experienced as he was-mind you I thought Kyle was too old to so who can tell)

Season 5: The season starts with Sinclair held by Clark’s people. He is rescued and the final strike against Clark takes place in the first half of the season.

Ivanova, shocked by Marcus’s sacrifice remains on B5 (Claudia Christian having not left so no need for Lochley). As the telepath story builds, Ivanova finds herself drawn to Byron (who lets face it did look a little like Marcus) and with that relationship finds her psi powers developing. After Byron’s martyrdom, it is likely that Ivanova’s grudge against the Psi Corps would have made B5 instrumental in the telepath rebellion, though that may not have occurred on screen.

The Drakh - it’s likely that the liberation of Centauri Prime was not part of this season, it may have been something that happened during the course of Crusade’s arc (most likely IMHO)

Garibaldi would still have fallen off the wagon, perhaps as a result of betraying Sinclair, but he would have been helped over it by Dr Kyle who had just gone through his stim problem, and of course Lise.

Lyta would either have gone of with G’Kar as seen or become a leader in the telepath revolt. Either way she may have disappeared from screen (she apparently dies in the revolt…so?)

Sinclair and Delenn would decamp to Minbar and run the Alliance. Twenty or so years later something happens to open the time rift in sector 13. My bet is that Sinclair is running out of time (as advised by Lorien) and receives the letter from himself telling him that he must go back in time and become Valen. The chrysalis process reacting with the traces of Lorien and Kosh that might still be mixed with Sinclair’s life force re-energises him so that Valen has a natural (or even supernatural) life span. It is the moment of indecision – should he or shouldn’t he- that causes the potential alternate history, of the Shadows (or maybe their heirs) destroying B5. The only way to stop this happening and ensuring that the past remains as they remember it is to go back and complete that mission. Of course Marcus can’t go back with them but A.N. Other Ranger could. This would make a neat circle of Sinclair’s life and (IIRC from another interview) the original end point for the series.

Of course I could be way off beam here, though I am willing to bet that at least some points were a possibility. If you want to make any comments or air your own ideas and theories please feel free to post them in the forum.