Babylon 5: No Surrender, No Retreat

Babylon 5 was unique in television. The main plot for the entire series was mapped out before the show even started. As a result, it developed a loyal fan base that still loves it.This book is the fourth in a series of five episode guides to the series. Covering the fourth season, it has a separate chapter for each of the twenty-two episodes. Each starts with a plot summary, but then goes into behind the scenes stories and commentaries. Through interviews with cast, crew, and creator J. Michael Straczynski, author Jane Killick is able to give a full picture of what went into each episode. Some of my favorite parts are the stories of bloopers or jokes the cast played on each other. I also find the summaries useful if I'm looking for a particular episode to rewatch. Because the season finale was filmed as late (as part of the fifth season production schedule), it only has a summary here. The behind the scenes stuff was included in the book for season 5, however.Starting out the book are two essays. The first provides a detailed account of the making of any episode. Every part is discussed from scriptwriting to pre-production, scheduling, post filming special effects, and the music of the show. The second in an introduction to the fourth season, painting broad strokes of the story arcs introduced and developed over the course of the season.Any fan will love to have this well researched book for a behind the scenes look at a wonderful piece of science fiction television history.

The Babylon 5: Season by Season guidebooks are an essential read for fans of the TV series. Containing photos, interviews, essays, and in-depth rundowns of each episode, each book is indispensable for B5 vets and newbies alike. Strongly recommended.

This is a really good book series for B5 fans. It makes a great companion & fun reading after you have watched each show. But I would recommend it mainly for those that have seen the series & are watching it again. The reason I say that is because it is laced with spoilers all throughout the commentaries. That's fine if you've seen the whole thing already, but it stinks if you are watching it for the first time. If you don't mind that sort of thing...go for it, but this is the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. For a good "non-spoiler" companion guide, I highly recommend The Babylon File: The Definitive Unauthorized Guide to J. Michael Straczynski's TV Series Babylon 5 by Andy Lane (Versions 1 & 2). He shows no mercy sometimes. If he does or doesn't like the show, he let's you know. But it's a blast to read.

All of Jane Killick's season guides are fantastic, and "No Surrender, No Retreat" is no exception. Each guide features complete episode listings; cast, guest stars, writers, directors, in other words the works. The episodes are synopisized (fully, don't read if you don't want to be spoiled) and contain interviews with the cast and crew. Killick's synopses are to the point, and bring out each storyline from the beginning, so even a casual viewer who hasn't seen key episodes can get filled in on who is after whom and which Vorlon is which. My favorite parts are the essay at the beginning of the books explaining specific pieces of the season's storyline and behind-the-scenes fun.This book needs to be read in context with Jane Killick's other 4 episode guides.