The Babylon 5 And Star Trek Crossover That Only Exists To Stop Fan Arguments
To say that Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fans were mad at each other when both shows were airing in the 90s, would be an understatement. Compuserve and America Online chatrooms were flooded with fans, waging digital war for their respective franchise, which is why the two shows made a point to present a show of unity. This was done by having Gene Roddenberry’s widow, Majel Barrett, show up on an episode of Babylon 5, and for the most part, it worked.
Majel Barrett Appeared On Babylon 5
This bit of sci-fi camaraderie came about in Babylon 5 Season 3, Episode 9, “Point of No Return,” where Star Trek’s Barrett played Lady Morella, the widow of the Centauri Emperor and a powerful seer. This could have been a simple throwaway moment for fans, representing a moment to reconcile across franchises, but Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski decided to instead have her impact the story of Londo, the Centauri Ambassador who was selected to be the next Emperor.
Lady Morella used her gift of prophecy to deliver a cryptic message to Londo, telling him that he has only “three opportunities” to avoid the “fire at the end of your journey.” These opportunities were “save the eye that does not see,” “must not kill the one who is already dead,” and “surrender to your greatest fear.” To this day, fans are still speculating as to what each line of the prophecy referred to.
Point of No Return” was specifically set up to be a good starting point for those interested in Babylon 5, specifically any Star Trek fans tuning in because of Barrett’s appearance.
The Deep Space Nine And Babylon 5 Feud
In addition to Majel Barrett showing up on Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski issued a personal message to fans of his show and Star Trek, addressing the growing feud, primarily centered on Deep Space Nine. He said, “Because it isn’t an either/or, sum/zero game…one can watch, and enjoy, Babylon 5 and Star Trek equally, for different reasons, since their approaches are very different.”
And in describing what it was like behind the scenes, and away from the fans, he says, “The ironic thing is that there is no problem between those who make B5, and those who make ST..Jeri Taylor is a friend, Majel supports the show, when ST does an episode with great EFX we call them, when we do a good one they call us…it’s almost entirely a matter of perception.”
Fandom Wars Have Been A Thing For Generations
Keep in mind, this was back in 1995, almost 30 years ago, and the issue of toxic fandoms demanding that their shiny toy is the best was already consuming the internet. That’s why, over dinner, Straczynski and Barrett hatched a plan for her inclusion, resulting in Lady Morella being written specifically for her. The Babylon 5 and Star Trek feud wasn’t the first among sci-fi franchises, and it would not be the last, as 10 years later, the Farscape and Battlestar Galactica fandoms were at war.
Enjoy What You Love
For one wonderful moment, though, two major franchises buried the hatchet and let fans know it’s okay to like everything or just one thing, but don’t tear someone else down to make yourself feel better. Both Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine have gone on to become classics; one isn’t better than the other. Now, if only the Lexx and Andromeda fans would stop fighting.
