Two parters used to be a big part of broadcast television.  Before serialized storytelling caught on as the default in most dramas, a two parter gave extra incentive to come back in a week, to see how a bunch of crazy circumstances could possibly be resolved.  A part of me misses the anxiety that builds when you would watch an hour long show and realize that there was no way they could wrap everything up in the next six minutes.  I even enjoyed the agony of seeing that “… to be continued” pop up.  Though the whole series is basically a 110 parter, A Voice in the Wilderness is the first official two parter for Babylon 5.  When asked about that contradiction, JMS has stated that two parters were easy to market on VHS to foreign markets as basically a movie, and that it was all part of keeping a production in the green.  In any event, we get a fun sci fi story that explores some character background, and advances some of the Earth story lines that have been simmering in the background for a few episodes.

The episode starts us off with an older Minbari, played by Louis Turenne, boarding the station and politely asking to be led to Delenn.  The focus then shifts quickly to C&C where Sinclair and Ivanova are monitoring seismic disturbances on the planet, Epsilon III, that they are orbiting.  They send a shuttle down to the planet to take a closer look.

The science team begins orbiting the planet to start their investigation when they are struck by a bright light that seems to shut down their ship. We got to credits as the shuttle spins towards the surface.

We come back to the shuttle reporting in to Ivanova, and she lets them know that the power surge that knocked them out scrambled Babylon 5’s systems as well.  The ship has managed to achieve orbit, but cant make it back and Ivanova sends out some starfuries to rescue them.  When they make it back, the lead scientist played by Jim Ishida is already making plans to return.  He admits to being scared, but he cant resist the call to expand scientific knowledge, which is charmingly dorky of him. 

Sinclair meanwhile is working on trade negotiations (that old scifi enemy) between Londo and Delenn.  Everything moves along pretty cordially, and Delenn suggests that this might mean that eventually even the Narn and Centauri could negotiate like this.  Londo shoots down that suggestion by saying that hatred is simply a physical law, the Narns hate them, so they hate them back, which makes the Narns hate them more.  It is a very passive view of the situation, but Londo seems to think that it absolves him and his government of any responsibility.  As he leaves, Delenn still holds out hope that eventually the Narn and Centauri can achieve peace.

Ivanova briefs Sinclair on the situation with the planet, and we get our first hint of a B plot, when she mentions that there has been no information in their standard military briefings about Mars.  Shortly after that news breaks of an open revolt on Mars.  Rebels managed to seize weapons from an armory and are attacking Earth military forces across the colony.  Sinclair watches in horror before his broadcast is interrupted by a hologram of an alien begging for his help. 

The mysterious Minbari from the opening turns out to be Draal, Delenn’s old mentor.  They greet each other warmly and spend some time together.  Delenn is happy to see him and then starts questioning why he has come all the way out to Babylon 5.  In a recurring theme for the show, Draal talks about how Minbari culture is changing and possibly not for the better. He at least allows that maybe it was always that way and everyone just refused to see it. Draal brings up that he is “going to the sea”, while Delenn insists that he is too young to do so, and she becomes upset that she will never see him again once he leaves. 

Another plot thread gets going when Garibaldi becomes desperate to reach the Mars colony.  Earthforce cant do anything to help him so he appeals to Talia for assistance. Garibaldi explains that he was involved with a woman on Mars and now he does not know if she is alive or dead. He also reveals that he knows that Psi-Corps has a top secret training facility on Mars, and asks her to see if she can get him a clear channel through that facility.  The Psi-Corps rep is not super jazzed about Garibaldi knowing about them so they deny the request, but agree to search for the name of the woman in the casualty lists. 

The science team goes back to the planet, this time with a fighter escort.  Against Ivanova’s advice they decide to go lower into the atmosphere to collect samples.  The planet takes exception to this and launches a volley of missiles that manage to clip the shuttle.  Ivanova and the fighters manage to save the shuttle, and it heads back.  Ivanova gives them a chewing out and then has the fighters tow them to the station. 

Once everyone is back aboard they figure out that the missiles came from nearly five miles inside the planet, so deep that previous surveys would not have detected anything down there.  Sinclair and Ivanova both seem excited about the prospect of a potential first contact mission right in their own backyard even with the danger.  They launch themselves at the planet with fighter cover, and there is a nice little hard scifi moment, when Sinclair mentions that he hopes the fissure really is five miles deep because at their speed it will take them two miles to slow down. 

Londo is wandering around socializing and stumbles upon Garibaldi looking despondent, nursing a water at the bar.  Londo launches into a story about his first marriage to a stripper in an attempt to get him to cheer up, and it is a nice little character moment between the two of them.  As Londo walks away from his good deed, he sees the same alien hologram that Sinclair did in an empty hallway.  Later he entertains Draal and Delenn in his quarters and goes on an entertaining rant about the hokey pokey. 

Sinclair and Ivanova get to explore the ruins of an ancient civilization, including laser booby traps, and massive skyscraper sized machines, whose purpose is unknown.  Finally they get to the heart of the caves and find the alien that had been appearing in the holographic pleas for help. Not knowing what else to do they take the alien, who appears to be dying, with them.  As they head back up from their adventure Garibaldi and the command staff get surprised by something big coming through the jump gate and we get our to be continued.

The Good

• I like the solid scifi mystery structure of the episode.  Also I am always a sucker for ancient civilizations with incomprehensible technology.
• This one juggles quite a few minor plot lines while also managing to keep them connected in solid ways.
• The guest cast acquit themselves well, I particularly enjoy Louis Turenne as Draal. 
• I feel like this is the first episode where they start doing interesting things with the outer space scenes. 

The Bad

• As usual Jerry Doyle is a weak link when it comes to the overly dramatic aspects of his character.  The episode does its best by having him spend time with stronger actors but it is not quite enough to help him across the finish line. 
• No G’Kar in an episode the features the other ambassadors heavily.  Not a deal breaker or anything but kind of a bummer. 
• Slightly skeevy scene that implies Garibaldi is stalking Talia. Maybe it was a cute idea before Thompson and Doyle’s marriage started falling apart.

Arc Points (Spoilers Ahead)

• The rumblings from earlier episodes about Mars pay off here, and Mars independence will factor into the lore of the show for years. 
• I dont know if it is a retcon exactly, or it is more Londo just not sharing everything, but his story about his stripper wife is way sadder in practice.  He genuinely loved her, but was forced to divorce her by his family, and it broke both their hearts(all four of them).  A character defining moment which destroyed young Londo, and he is using it here to amuse Garibaldi.
• The great machine on Epsilon III will factor into some other bonkers plots in the future.  I respect that the show introduces it fairly early and then lets it sit in the background.