Babylon 5 (TV Series) The Parliament of Dreams (1994) User Reviews

Impressive

[lea-kuP · 8/10 · 16 April 2009]

Even though it does not follow into the main storyline of the series all that well, this is a common known thing about the series in the first season. Still its the proper introduction of Lenier's character, and aside of that a lot of other things. The bar scene at the start has an absolutely brilliant set of quotes in it; 'But in purple, im stunning!!' 'Ah. He has become one with his inner self' 'Hes unconscious' 'Yes, that too'

I wont even try to go into the ending scenes since they're gorgeous and moving, and my descriptions would be a deficit to them. Not a perfect episode but very much worth watching.

Fun, thoughtful, but campy

[glennpettit1 · 8/10 · 5 August 2020]

So we have several stories here: G'Kar is threatened with assassination (10/10), the demonstration of dominant faiths (9/10), and Cdr Sinclair facing off with an old flame (6/10). Catherine Sakai's dialog comes straight out of some campy film noire potboiler. "Don't...touch me unless you mean it." Seriously?!?

But we also get the wonderful Lennier, who gets told to look up because "I cannot have an attaché who is constantly running into things." Once his role is explained to him, he responds, "I do not understand, but understanding is not required, only obedience." That's MUCH better dialog, and it very subtly foreshadows Lennier's actions much later in the series.

Overall, a good mix of stories (albeit very short stories), but questionable screenwriting and direction.

G'Kar fears for his life while Babylon 5 hosts a festival of religion

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 30 May 2018]

As this episode takes place Babylon 5 is hosting a festival so that the various species can showcase their dominant religions. While this is going on two new ambassadorial aides arrive; Lennier and Na'Toth who will work for Delenn and G'Kar respectively. The latter's introduction doesn't go too well as she meets G'kar moments after he receives a message from a dying enemy stating that he will be killed by somebody close to him during the next two days; understandably he is somewhat paranoid. Elsewhere Commander Sinclair is reunited with an old flame; they both know they should probably stay apart but inevitably they don't.

This episode was rather fun; the question of what was going to happen to G'Kar was handled well; there are a couple of twists leading up to a satisfying resolution. While most viewers probably won't expect the assassination to go ahead it was hard to be certain as we are still early enough in the series for an apparently established character to be written out... after all key characters are still being introduced. Sinclair's romance is a pleasant aside; it will be interesting to see how it progresses. The alien religions are what one might expect; the Centauris' is something akin to a drunken Roman orgy while the Minbaris' is rather more solemn. I liked how, during Lennier's introduction we were reminded that Delenn has secrets that she doesn't want others on the station to know about. Overall I'd say that even though this wasn't an action packed episode it was still pretty good.

The Parliament of Dreams

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 2 June 2012]

Various plots for Babylon 5, episode "The Parliament of Dreams": Ambassador G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) is told through an information crystal that he will die within 48 hours by a former rival who has commissioned an assassin. The arrival of a new attaché to replace his former one who died under suspicious circumstances, Na'Toth (Julie Caitlin Brown) causes G'Kar to wonder if she is the assassin hired to kill him. Or could it be the very one who delivered the info crystal, Tu'Pari (Thomas Kopache)? The show gives Commander Sinclair a love interest in Catherine Sakai (Julia Nickson); they went to the academy together, fought in the Earth-Minbari war, and often see each other every 3 years to recollect memories and have passionate encounters before splitting up..the result, normally pining for each other afterwards. This episode opens the possibility of future intimate encounters and a solid potential relationship. Babylon 5 is promoting better relations between the numbers of alien people who frequent the station by offering religious ceremonies that call attention to their histories/legacies. Manbari Delenn (Mira Furlan) receives her aide, Lennier (Lost in Space's own Bill Mumy, becoming a regular on the show), telling him not to mention her role on their planet's high council.

What you realize on Babylon 5 is the role of secrecy as G'Kar has a secret that threatens his position as Ambassador (which comes with extravagances and privileges, plenty of the creature comforts Babylon 5 station provides) in relation to the adversary who wants him dead. Why would Delenn be so adamant that her status on the council remain hidden? Such mysteries are what make the show interesting and forth following over the course of the series. How G'Kar corrects his dilemma is rather amusing, not without suffering electronic bursts by way of neck/wrist shock collars. Peter Jurasik has a funny scene as his Londo Mollari, highly drunk, causes quite a ruckus during his people's religious festival celebrating the extinction of a race they destroyed(!), as Stephen Furst's aide, Vir Cotto fills Sinclair, Ivanova (Claudia Christian) and Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle) in on a bit of their history. Really, the episode is devoted to the love affair that sparks up again between Sinclair and Sakai. Sinclair muses that during the festival of religions the station has been rather peaceful and quiet compared to the norm. A unique close to the episode has Sinclair the Ambassadors (and his main crew members) greeting the various religious peoples (which are many) that live on Earth.

One of television's finest moments

[AlwaysJustWings · 10/10 · 27 December 2007]

During the first half of the first season of B5, the series faced a challenge of introducing viewers to a rather involved and intricate story line which would bridge the entire series, while also needing to create interesting self-contained episodes to attract new viewers. "The Parliament of Dreams" met both challenges head on.

In this story line, B5 is to be the location of a week long festival celebrating and teaching about the dominant religious and spiritual beliefs of all the races attendant on the station. Viewers are introduced to the solemn and ritualistic practices of the Minbari, and the as-expected festivals of excess practiced by the Centauri. Commander Sinclair is faced with the almost impossible task of creating a demonstration of the dominant religious belief of Earth. How to choose? The episode culminates with the key characters awaiting the arrival of Commander Sinclair so he can enlighten them about the dominant belief for humans - they wait somewhat impatiently until he arrives and leads them into a long corridor where it would seem dozens upon dozens of humans stand in a line which extends beyond the camera view. He leads the group of key characters to the first person in line and begins...

"This is Mr. Harris. He's an atheist. Father Frisanti, a Roman Catholic. Mr. Hayakawa, a Zen Buddhist. Mr. Rashid, a Muslim. Mr. Rosenthal, an Orthodox Jew. Running Elk, of the Oglala Sioux faith. Father Papapolous, a Greek Orthodox. Ojijiko, of the Ebo tribe. Ochukiak, a Utic Eskimo. Sawa, of the Jivaro tribe. Ms. N'fuma, a Bantu. Ms. Chang, a Taoist. Mr. Blacksmith, an Aborigine. Ms. Yamamoto, a Shinto. Ms. Nigel, a Maori. Mr. Go, a Hindu..."

If you watch no other episode of Babylon 5, go out of your way to watch this one. If the closing scene does not make you tear up with pride and hope for mankind's future - nothing ever will.

A minor misfire

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 2 January 2007]

For much of the first season of Babylon 5, the series still hadn't established any sort of over-arching plot to connect the episodes like it would have in seasons 2 through 5. In some ways, it was as if the genius behind the series, Michael Staczynski was still trying to feel for a sense of direction. Because of this, so many of the season one episodes are self-contained in that they don't connect well with previous or later episodes. This is pretty much the way of sci-fi shows like Star Trek, but for B-5, this makes these earlier episodes less satisfying.

This episode, while interesting, is also pretty forgettable. It did give the viewers some insight into the customs and beliefs of some of the alien species in the show and this was a nice tough. In addition, the relationship between Commander Sinclair and his girlfriend just didn't seem very convincing or deep. She wouldn't last very long on the show and in retrospect this doesn't seem like a bad thing.

Touched the heart of this Atheist.

[GraXXoR · 9/10 · 11 June 2022]

This, for me is one of the most touching episodes of the whole first series.

As an unapologetic and stout atheist, the idea of a singular god that claims to be responsible for the whole of reality yet strangely seems to be a creature that is fond of the specifically human species and even more specifically in what they get up to.... And that seems even more super interested when it comes to what humans do under the sheets and ultimately the gender of the being with whom they "do it" with,

So it surprised me more than anyone that an episode ostensibly about religion should touch me so.

But it did. The depiction of human "dominant" religion at the end of this episode was incredibly touching.

What a beautiful scene of tolerance and understanding, something that never lived past the current bipartisan, polemic situation in which we live today.

The ending is the best part!

[krisrono · 10/10 · 19 October 2023]

I love the ending the most of almost any episode of this series! (Except the finale, where I cried so, so, so much!!!) It shows the wondrous variety of the human race, not really even by religion but in every way. The fact that so many minority groups are equally represented is absolutely refreshing, especially from a series from the mid-1990s!

I also love N'Toth and I had almost forgotten how much I like her by the end of the series, where they show her again after she just... disappeared.

O, holy cow, another 100+ characters left and I really have no idea what else I could possibly say. Okay, I love Ivonova and G'Kar more than I really should, like an unreasonable amount! Also Delenn and Lennier. Okay, finally out of characters...