The Gathering (1993)

The opening of a crucial space station is put in jeopardy when the commanding officer is accused of the attempted murder of a diplomat.

Director:

Richard Compton

Writer:

J. Michael Straczynski

Stars:

Michael O'Hare, Tamlyn Tomita, Jerry Doyle

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael O'Hare	...	Cmdr. Jeffrey Sinclair
Tamlyn Tomita	...	Lt. Cmdr. Laurel Takashima
Jerry Doyle	...	Michael Garibaldi
Mira Furlan	...	Delenn
Blaire Baron	...	Carolyn Sykes
John Fleck	...	Del Varner
Paul Hampton	...	The Senator
Peter Jurasik	...	Londo Mollari
Andreas Katsulas	...	G'Kar
Johnny Sekka	...	Dr. Benjamin Kyle
Patricia Tallman	...	Lyta Alexander
Steven R. Barnett	...	Eric Hazeltine
Billy Hayes	...	Traveler (as William Hayes)
Linda Hoffman	...	Dome Tech #2
Robert Jason Jackson	...	Dome Tech #3

Storyline

This TV movie is the pilot for the "Babylon 5" TV series. Set on a space station in the late 23rd Century, Babylon 5 is a centre of diplomacy and trade, in neutral space located between many rival space empires. The project's success, already shaky, is put further in doubt when incoming Commander Jeffrey Sinclair is the key suspect in the attempted assassination of Kosh, a mysterious alien ambassador.

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Plot Keywords:

woman wearing a gas mask | woman in uniform | space station | 23rd century | alien | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

TNT: The Home of Babylon 5

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

B5

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Babylonian Productions, Rattlesnake Productions, Synthetic Worlds

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 94 min (special edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The two business men that Lyta deals with are played by David Sage and F. William Parker. They would later appear as colleagues in the Pilot for "The West Wing."

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Goofs

Carolyn Sykes mentions that she has bed sheets that are said to be frictionless. If that were true, she and Sinclair would be sliding out of bed all night. Furthermore, no one could make the bed with them or even move them.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ambassador Londo Mollari: [voiceover] I was there at the dawn of the third age of mankind. It began in the Earth year 2257, with the last of the Babylon stations located deep in neutral space. It was a port of call for refugees, smugglers, businessmen, diplomats, and travelers from a hundred worlds. It could be a dangerous place, but we accepted the risk because Babylon 5 was our last, best hope for peace. Under the leadership of its final commander, Babylon 5 was a dream given form. A dream of a galaxy ...

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Alternate Versions

The original PTEN airing of the film did not include The Gathering as part of the title; it was simply called Babylon 5. The Gathering was added for future airings (the special edition).

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Connections

Followed by Crusade (1999)

User Reviews

secondary sci-fi

It's the dawn of the third age of mankind. It's 2257 and it's the last of the Babylon stations deep in neutral space. It's a port of call for a variety of alien species. Jeffrey Sinclair is the commander. He's still haunted by the Battle of the Line. The remaining Earth forces were gathered in a final battle against the Minbari. Despite destroying most of the remaining Earth forces, the Minbari surrendered without explanation. Laurel Takashima is the second in command. Lyta Alexander is the newly arrived telepath. Michael Garibaldi is the security chief. Delenn is a Minbari. Humans made first contact with the Centauri. The Narn do not like the Centauri after overthrowing their enslavement. The Vorlons are a mysterious powerful race and their ambassador Kosh Naranek is the last to arrive. Kosh is poisoned and Sinclair is blamed.

I was never a big Babylon 5 fan although I stayed with it for long stretches. It always seemed to me to be a slightly inferior Deep Space Nine. It doesn't help that it came out slightly after DS9. It felt always a step behind. The best idea from the pilot is the Battle of the Line. I found that battle to be mysterious, poetic, and full of possibilities. This pilot movie is a lot of expositions with a functional TV story. It holds the promise of a solid sci-fi TV show although it's not something extraordinary. Second season lead Bruce Boxleitner is superior to Michael O'Hare although I wish they kept Tamlyn Tomita around. I have nothing against Claudia Christian, and I can certainly understand the complexity of contracts and TV casting.