Babylon 5 - The Long, Twilight Struggle / BLOGS

2026/07/31

I am currently rewatching Babylon 5 (for the 15^th time or so), only one or sometimes two episodes a week, because I want to savior it, taking it in slowly. If there is any episode of Babylon 5, so early in its story, that made my jaw drop, it can only be “The Long, Twilight Struggle”! Most probably the best episode of the second season, although “The Fall Of Night” is a strong contender. While the war was declared during another fantastic episode “The Coming of Shadows”, it was brutally finalized in this episode by the Centauri, by Lord Refa, Londo’s associates and Londo himself.

Meanwhile Captain Sheridan and Delenn get an invitation to the planet below by the Minbari who regulates the planet below Babylon 5.

When the episode starts we see two plans being made, one by the Narn and one by the Centauri. Warleader G’Sten (William Morgan Sheppard), also G’Kar’s uncle, comes to tell G’Kar the war isn’t going well and that the ruling body thinks they might have a way to pause the war perhaps, to make the Centauri reconsider their war efforts, by attacking the Centauri planet Gorash 7, a major supply line for the Centauri. If this would be destroyed, the Centauri would have a major problem regarding continuing the war with the Narn. For this to be a successful attack, most of the Narn ships now guarding home world, are also needed. While G’Kar has major concerns for this plan, leaving the home world almost defenseless, Warleader G’Sten thinks this is the only way to make the Centauri reconsider continuing with the war and he urges G’Kar that the window of home world being vulnerable is very small.

The other plan is being made on Centauri Prime: Londo is being summoned by Lord Refa (William Forward) to come to Centauri Prime. Lord Refa has learned of the plan from the Narn to attack Gorash 7, they have intercepted an encrypted message from the Narn, decrypted it and although it could be a trap, which Londo suggests, it sounds like just enough desperation from the Narn, that Lord Refa thinks this actually is true. When Lord Refa tells his plan to Londo, you see Londo realize what kind of a monster Lord Refa is. But as Refa tells Londo, that he (Londo) is the reason this is all possible, because of his associates. Lord Refa wants Londo’s associates to be at Gorash 7 when the Narn fleet arrives there. And Lord Refa will send a Centauri fleet to the Narn home world and destroy the planet with outlawed mass drivers. It will ruin the planet and kill most of the Narn population. Londo’s is horrified when he hears this from Lord Refa who is actually excited by the prospect. Feeling cornered because he feels he has no other option, Londo agrees with Refa’s request but tells him that this will be the last time he will ask assistance from his associates, because he feels the Centauri should be able the handle this on their own. A more important reason, lately he feels his associates are too powerful, that he has getting himself into a world of trouble with associating himself with them. Here you see Londo’s realization that it is all getting out of hand, that he no longer has control over the situation. As I said, he is not like Lord Refa, and now he feels he can only continue on the path he started. Very powerful scene between these two characters.

Back on Babylon 5, we see Captain Sheridan and Delenn, departure to the planet below where Draal (John Schuck) tells them that he is ready to ally himself with them and that he sees a darkness coming and that the forces of light must stand against this darkness. Meanwhile, Dr. Franklin heard some important information for G'Kar, regarding the Centauri's plan, but is too late for G'Kar to warn the fleet?!

We get back to Gorash 7 where the Narn War cruisers meet with the Shadow vessels and they don’t stand a chance, the Narn ships are easily destroyed, including G’Kar’s uncle, War leader G’Sten’s ship. An excited Lord Refa invites Londo to go to the Narn home world to see what the mass drivers are doing to the Narn home world. Londo is looking horrified at what is happening to the planet below. You can see on Londo’s face he is horrified, appalled and ashamed as he is looking what his people are doing to G’Kar’s people. This is a very powerful scene, if this doesn’t get to you, seeing Londo’s face as the Narn home world is being bombarded back to the stone ages, I don’t know what would! This to me, is THE moment of the episode.

Still it happens, it continues and Londo retakes himself for what comes next! Back on Babylon 5 he requests a council meeting to convene about the unconditional surrender of the Narn. Londo is very confident and very focused when he even shuts down Captain Sheridan as he is trying to respond. Londo tells the council that G’Kar no longer is the ambassador for the Narn on Babylon 5 and that he should return to Narn for being tried on his home world. Before the council meeting however, on insistence of his Government, G’Kar asked Captain Sheridan for sanctuary and Captain Sheridan accepted his request, so Londo has no longer any saying over, now citizen G’Kar. Before G’Kar leaves, he gives a chilling speech about that no matter how long it takes, the Narn will be free again from their oppressors. Londo is looking at him annoyed and angry but I also saw some desperation of what he had done. Londo shutting up Sheridan and G’Kar’s speech are also two very powerful jaw dropping moments.

Later on, Captain Sheridan tells G’Kar that he really appreciates G’Kar and he (Sheridan) will do everything in his power to help free G’Kar’s people, which is really appreciated by G’Kar. A very moving moment. Then Sheridan is introduced to the Rangers by Delenn and Garibaldi, who knew of them already. Sheridan gives a speech and tells them that lately he felt worried about the future, about the coming darkness, but meeting the Rangers, he also feels hope again! So this episode showcases a dark side, a big part of it actually, the war between Centauri and the Narn, but there is also hope! Draal allying himself with Babylon 5 and of course also the Rangers who are fighting against the darkness, commanded by Delenn and from now on also by Captain Sheridan.

Final Word:

This episode is really the best Babylon 5 has to offer! For me it definitely belongs to my favorite Top 10 episodes of the whole series. What, you ask me, not in the Top 5? Well, there are so many more fantastic episodes coming, at this point I say top 10, perhaps it is in my Top 5, but let me just rewatch this fantastic series again, on Blu-ray. Quite possible I will write more blogs about other favorite episodes and perhaps when I am done, I will write up a top 10 or top 25 even of my favorite B5 episodes. Babylon 5 is so precious to me, like Star Trek: DS9, these two shows are lonely at the top of my all-time favorite shows and this will never ever change. This episode shows how fantastic Babylon 5 can be, no not every episode is as good as this one, but as a whole, to me, Babylon 5 is perfection.