One of the strengths that Babylon 5 has when stacked up against both modern shows and its contemporaries was the combination of 90’s style huge episode orders(22 per season) paired with serialized story telling.  This allows us the excitement of several big set piece battle episodes showing the valiant struggle against fascism triumphing in grand fashion, while also leaving an episode to cover the “Ok now what?”.  “Rising Star” has the task of examining how a nation proceeds after the conclusion of a civil war, and also has the unenviable task of trying to tie up as many loose ends as possible under the impression that the show was canceled.  That it largely pulls it off shows the strengths of the organizing and the plotting of the whole show. 

The episode opens with an ISN report that recaps some information, as well as catching up the audience on how things have gone since the last one.  Sheridan has surrendered but is being kept in a conference room instead of a prison which seems like a good sign.  We also get introduced to interim president Luchenko from Russia.  I like the idea that things are still shaky enough on Earth that no one even wants to hand permanent power over to anyone just yet.  The temp president urges the public not to go out and decorate any lampposts with Clarkists, but asks them to let the courts and the justice system do a more careful job of rooting out people that broke the law.  ISN also does a shout out to Ivanova and we get to see that Marcus was successful in healing her, or at least in killing himself.

Franklin manages to finally make it to the station, to find a dead Marcus and a grieving Ivanova.  Ivanova is angry that Marcus did this, and angry at herself for always keeping him at arms length even though she admits that she also had feelings for him.  Franklin does his best to comfort her but she is clearly devastated by the latest in a long line of tragic relationships.  She leaves Franklin with the tremendously bleak line of “All love is unrequited”.  

Londo and G’Kar meet up in the docking bay planning on heading to Earth together.  They have a brief discussion about premature ejaculation before Vir interrupts to pull Londo aside and let him know that the Regent is ill and they expect Londo to ascend to the throne as emperor within the year. 

On Earth Sheridan receives a visit from Bester. The Psi-Cop is not concerned with the Civil War or its fallout, but instead wants to confirm that his lover was not one of the frozen telepaths onboard the Earth warships.  Sheridan takes the time to ask after Lise and the telepath virus, but Bester feigns ignorance about the virus and dismisses any concern about Lise as not his problem.  He also assures Bester that they did not use his lover, not wishing to do that kind of harm to anyone.  Sheridan then confronts Bester about his plans to take over, even with Clark gone.  Bester laughs him off, and even seems completely unconcerned with Sheridan’s threat that Garibaldi will probably catch up with him.  

Garibaldi is too busy at the moment for Bester, roughing up a mob accountant for information on the criminal group that has kidnapped Lise.  Later he tracks her down, being held captive by the Martian Mafia.  With the help of some of the Rangers they quickly and easily rescue her. 

Delenn is keeping some schemes going herself, arranging a private meeting with G’Kar and Londo.  She has a formal proposal for them audacious enough that Londo immediately starts laughing at its scope. Delenn seems quietly confident in whatever her plan is. 

Sheridan finally gets a meeting with the interim-President and she outlines what the authorities have decided.  I have always been amused by her line about the compromise position being awarding Sheridan the medal of honor and then having him executed.  She then gives the common excuse among the powerful Earth characters that they wanted to move against Clark but the timing was never quite right. Sheridan shoots that down, and we get a sense that Luchenko has some of Clark’s positions when she mentions that they were afraid a civil war would invite invasion by other planets.  She also points out that Babylon 5 was able to better fight anyway as they were outside of the Clark surveillance state.  She outlines her plan, which is for Sheridan to resign from EarthForce in exchange for his pension and amnesty for everyone that followed him.  If he refuses he and all of his officers will be dishonorably discharged and court martialed with guilty verdicts being almost guaranteed.  Sheridan asks merely to have the amnesty put in writing and then agrees.

Lennier and Delenn share a short scene where she confides in him that her plan with the other planets has been accomplished.  Lennier mourns that Marcus is not there with them and they talk about him.  Lennier brings up what Ivanova said about love, and Delenn dismisses it out of hand, though Lennier is clearly rattled by it and his feelings for Delenn. 

Luchenko holds a press conference, lauding Sheridan and setting him up for his resignation.  Sheridan is back in his old uniform and he delivers a heartfelt resignation speech about how much his service had meant to him, and how he has to leave for the good of EarthForce and Earth society.  G’Kar then gets up to address the crowd and he helps spring Delenn’s surprise.  The League of Non-Aligned Worlds is dissolved and the Interstellar Alliance has been created.  Delenn explains that the alliance will promote peace and help less advanced worlds improve their conditions.  She then introduces the Rangers to Earth formally, and explains their role in the alliance.  After she delivers her pitch she publicly invites Earth to join the alliance. 

The president meets with Londo, G’Kar and Delenn.  She references that the military is hesitant about joining the alliance.  Delenn dangles and incentive, artificial gravity, which would allow Earth to cease having to build rotating ships.  Luchenko is intrigued and asks who she would negotiate with, and we get the amusing reveal that Sheridan is now president of the Interstellar Alliance, and that he more or less knew the whole time this was going to happen.  Sheridan then gets a short sweet scene reuniting him with his father.  David Sheridan is confused when people are calling his son Mr.President, but accepts everything pretty well. 

ISN quickly recaps for us that Earth is joining the alliance, and that a condition of joining is to free Mars.  Garibaldi and Lise watch on TV from their bed, where he is planning on sticking around for a while before possibly going back to Babylon 5 to help with the new alliance. 

There is an incredibly brief send off for Ivanova via voice over that was tacked on.  After that Londo and G’Kar hang out on a White Star after Delenn and Sheridan’s wedding.  G’Kar the horny weirdo that he is has also planted his fake eye in Sheridan and Delenn’s honeymoon room to spy on them.  Delenn gives a quiet voice over that outlines future conflicts but is confident that the new alliance will endure and grow. 

WIth that most of the plot points are done, and we are ready for the end.  A series finale was filmed that originally would have followed this episode but Babylon 5 got a last minute stay of execution. “Sleeping in the Light” would get shelved for a year while a hastily created clip show of an episode that only lightly features the cast would be aired.  As part of the deal TNT also commissioned Babylon 5 TV movies to help bridge the gap.  Next week we will delve into the weird segments of “The Deconstruction of Falling Stars”

Where do I know them from?

• Beata Pozniak as President Luchenko, had a career in Poland before heading to America and doing TV and and voice over work.  I dont think I have seen her in anything myself, but she played Marina Oswald in JFK.
• Micahel Potter plays General Foote, he has bounced around TV, showing up as a mediator in The Office episode “The Deposition”. 

The Good

• Some great story beats that show how Earth is going to struggle to move on from the civil war.
• Some fun little bits with Londo and G’Kar including the return of the under the arms gesture for genitals, a personal favorite. 
• Claudia Christian gets a good scene for her last one.

The Bad

• If it is lightly apparent anywhere else in the season this episode is explicit in just trying to tie off character arcs which makes it feel very quick, in a bad way. 

Arc Points (Spoilers Ahead)

• Claudia Christian is dismissed via a quick voice over, something that must have been added to be able to explain her absence in the recently approved Season 5.  
• Garibaldi gets a pleasantly happy ending along with everyone else.
• The final voice over with Delenn promises new conflicts but Season 5 does not really deliver them well.  Some follow up novels expand the Telepath War at least. 
• It is a weird vibe that the president keeps mentioning her “generals” instead of “her cabinet” or her “senate” but that could be due to the chaos back on Earth.
• The Interstellar Alliance probably deserved more build up and deliberation from the races.  Having them all quickly agree, kind of makes early season 5 episodes more silly.