LAST BEST HOPE: An Explicitly Political Babylon 5 Podcast

About LAST BEST HOPE: An Explicitly Political Babylon 5 Podcast

Back in the halcyon 1990s, a syndicated sci-fi TV series warned us that it, indeed, *can* happen here. In this podcast we use BABYLON 5 to talk through our current political moment in an attempt to process, understand, and, perhaps, find hope.

Publisher

B90 Productions

Category

fiction · news · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

11 Mar 2025

Latest episode

19 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Aug 2026

   #16 – Folks Have Been Conned (AND THE ROCK CRIED OUT, NO HIDING PLACE)

   lastbesthopeb5@gmail.com <*>

2. 

   25 Jun 2026

   #15 – The Bitch of It Is You Probably Did the Right Thing (ENDGAME, RISING STAR)

   Read transcript (https://pnc.st/s/last-best-hope/bb8e7137/the-bitch-of-it-is-you-probably-did-the-right-thing-endgame-rising-star-/transcript) The Earth Civil War is over, but the harder question is what comes next. Josh and John revisit season 4's "Endgame" and "Rising Star" to talk about how democracies recover from authoritarianism, why good people obey bad leaders, what makes Sheridan such an extraordinary leader, and why Babylon 5's vision of power, media, and moral courage feels uncomfortably relevant. This is a jam-packed episode folks. So put C\&C in standby, head down to Earhart's, and crack open a Zima (https://babylon5.fandom.com/wiki/Zima). \============ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction & revisiting Endgame and Rising Star 01:00 First impressions of the Earth Civil War finale 04:22 Sheridan's strategy for liberating Earth 05:04 Clark, January 6th, and authoritarian collapse 11:12 President Luchenko and the failures of institutional politics 15:10 Sheridan gives people permission to resist 20:34 Obedience, hierarchy & why people follow authoritarian leaders 29:50 Why Sheridan is different 33:20 JMS, Superman, and moral leadership 38:52 Bester, mercy, and Sheridan's philosophy of power 41:31 Lochley, trauma, and loyalty to institutions 44:44 Endgame's emotional climax & Delenn's rescue 46:01 ISN, media capture, and modern journalism 50:32 Algorithms, social media, and today's information ecosystem 58:39 Rising Star, Sheridan's resignation & the Interstellar Alliance 1:03:18 Reconstruction, Lincoln & rebuilding after civil war 1:08:35 Leadership, power & today's political moment 1:12:50 Russia, Babylon 5's future history & the 1990s 1:18:14 Power versus morality in government 1:24:22 Marcus Cole and a different vision of the warrior 1:32:57 The Rangers vs. authoritarian military culture 1:34:23 Why Endgame hits differently than Severed Dreams 1:36:47 The ending Babylon 5 almost had 1:42:34 Why Babylon 5 still endures 1:45:10 Looking ahead to Season Five \============ REFERENCES: The Lurker's Guide Entry for S4E20 "Endgame" (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/086.html) — http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/086.html (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/086.html) __The Lurker's Guide Entry for S4E21 "Rising Star" (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/086.html) — http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/087.html (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/087.html) __ (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/086.html)God Forgives, Brothers Don't by Jasper Craven (https://bookshop.org/p/books/god-forgives-brothers-don-t-the-long-march-of-military-education-and-the-making-of-american-manhood-jasper-craven/ff6d1cf46c2d9b69) — https://bookshop.org/p/books/god-forgives-brothers-don-t-the-long-march-of-military-education-and-the-making-of-american-manhood-jasper-craven/ (https://bookshop.org/p/books/god-forgives-brothers-don-t-the-long-march-of-military-education-and-the-making-of-american-manhood-jasper-craven/) The Know Your Enemy Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/military-education-and-american-manhood-w-jasper-craven/id1462703434?i=1000769628568) — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/military-education-and-american-manhood-w-jasper-craven/id1462703434 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/military-education-and-american-manhood-w-jasper-craven/id1462703434) Reddit discussion: Clark's military takeover of ISN (https://www.reddit.com/r/babylon5/comments/1tkikao/severed_dreams/) — https://www.reddit.com/r/babylon5/comments/1tkikao/severed_dreams/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/babylon5/comments/1tkikao/severed_dreams/) \============ <*> lastbesthopeb5@gmail.com

3. 

   11 May 2026

   #14 – Talking Heads (AND NOW FOR A WORD, THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH)

   Read transcript (https://pnc.st/s/last-best-hope/34d0dd66/talking-heads-and-now-for-a-word-the-illusion-of-truth-/transcript) It's our long-discussed episode on the media in Babylon 5 in which we take on two of the show's most important episodes about journalism, propaganda, and the construction of political reality: “And Now for a Word” and “The Illusion of Truth.” The conversation looks at how deeply news media was baked into JMS’s original conception of Babylon 5, from ISN as a central narrative device to the show’s use of documentary language, commercial breaks, and authoritative TV-news aesthetics. Josh and John discuss why ISN’s existence makes sense in-universe, how media infrastructure naturally concentrates power, and how easily a trusted news source can become an arm of the state. 00:00 — Introduction: the long-awaited “media episodes” discussion 00:22 — Why “And Now for a Word” and “The Illusion of Truth” work as companion episodes 00:45 — JMS’s original notes reveal Babylon 5 was conceived as a historical documentary funded through a future news network 02:28 — Why ISN being a single dominant interstellar news source actually makes sense in-universe 04:10 — Media monopolization, capitalism, and parallels to modern corporate consolidation 05:21 — Why JMS used familiar 20th-century news formats instead of fragmented social-media-style media ecosystems 08:37 — “Objectivity” versus agenda-driven journalism in “The Illusion of Truth” 10:22 — “And Now for a Word” as a fake CNN broadcast — and why the commercial structure feels so unsettling 11:46 — The PsiCorps commercials: normalization through advertising and emotional manipulation 14:12 — Why the PsiCorps propaganda is so effective 14:53 — Economic precarity, capitalism, and authoritarian recruitment tactics 16:02 — Babylon 5’s future remains recognizably capitalist unlike Star Trek’s post-scarcity Federation 18:16 — The politics of “Why are we spending money on aliens?” 19:13 — Why Dr. Franklin’s observation that most humans have never left Earth is significant 20:04 — Fear of “the other” and anti-alien sentiment as political strategy 22:50 — Humanity’s short-term memory and why societies abandon long-term projects 24:12 — Delenn’s interview and the politics of identity, conformity, and “purity” 31:09 — Londo versus G’Kar: how television framing shapes who appears “reasonable” 32:25 — ISN’s supposedly “objective” framing already contains ideological assumptions 34:20 — Dan Randall, “reasonable” fascism, and media manipulation through editing 35:45 — Confession, propaganda, and McCarthy-era parallels in “The Illusion of Truth” 37:49 — The Nuremberg trials, postwar media, and the refusal to believe “it can happen here” 39:19 — Why JMS warned viewers that “The Illusion of Truth” would be difficult to rewatch 41:26 — Silent footage, decontextualized imagery, and modern propaganda techniques 43:15 — How conspiracy theories grow from one small true detail 44:59 — McCarthyism, blacklists, algorithms, and modern forms of information control 47:08 — JMS’s optimism: truth may be incomplete, but people can still learn 50:18 — Why definitive historical truth is often impossible 53:27 — Propaganda succeeds by offering simple, emotionally satisfying conclusions 54:29 — Modern political fractures, war narratives, and media credibility 58:07 — Hypernormalization and knowingly participating in false realities 59:30 — AI, tech billionaires, and hostility toward introspection and nuance 01:00:38 — William Shatner’s Blue Origin reaction versus Jeff Bezos’s indifference 01:03:08 — Why introspection may be incompatible with certain forms of power and “greatness” 01:06:22 — If humanity loses its humanity, what exactly are we trying to build? 01:07:26 — Final thoughts on ISN, journalism, and why these episodes feel more disturbing now than in the 1990s 01:09:32 — Closing remarks and outro <*> lastbesthopeb5@gmail.com

4. 

   1 Apr 2026

   #13 – Some Deep Space Franchise (HOMEFRONT/PARADISE LOST)

   For April Fool's Day, we show you what we'd be like as a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine podcast... lastbesthopeb5@gmail.com Read transcript (https://pnc.st/s/last-best-hope/23264d17/some-deep-space-franchise-homefront-paradise-lost-/transcript)

5. 

   2 Mar 2026

   #12 – The Quiet Turning of Considered Conscience (SEVERED DREAMS)

   What a year it's already been. And we're bringing you our first offering of 2026 with what, according to IMDb, is the highest rated episode of the Babylon 5. That's right folks, we're finally doing it. Of course I'm talking about the Hugo Award-winning, status quo-smashing episode, season 3's "SEVERED DREAMS." In some ways, our entire podcast has been leading up to this. But have we really reached our IRL Severed Dreams moment...? <*> Please write to us! Any and all comments are welcome, but we're particularly interested in how you came across the show and what platform you listen on. You know, for science. lastbesthopeb5@gmail.com www.lastbesthopeb5.com (http://www.lastbesthopeb5.com) Read transcript (https://pnc.st/s/last-best-hope/11d2a72a/the-quiet-turning-of-considered-conscience-severed-dreams-/transcript)

6. 

   29 Dec 2025

   #11 – Good, Kind, and Decent (THE DECONSTRUCTION OF FALLING STARS)

   Hosts Josh and John analyze the Babylon 5 episode "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars," reflecting on its themes as they transition between the years 2025 and 2026.

7. 

   19 Nov 2025

   #10 – Drunk, With the Rest of the Aliens (INFECTION)

   The hosts analyze the Babylon 5 episode "Infection" through a modern lens, exploring its themes and relevance to contemporary issues in this episode.

8. 

   21 Oct 2025

   #9 – Rules of Engagement (NO SURRENDER, NO RETREAT)

   This episode examines political themes in Babylon 5's "Rules of Engagement," focusing on power dynamics and characters' motivations.

9. 

   6 Oct 2025

   #8 – One Battle After Another (BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY)

   The hosts discuss the Babylon 5 season 1 episode "By Any Means Necessary" and explore its themes of peace and surrender, highlighting its continued relevance.

10. 

    17 Jun 2025

    #7 – What Did We Do Wrong? (POINT OF NO RETURN)

    The hosts discuss Babylon 5's "Point of No Return" episode, examining the characters' choices and the episode's overall impact.

11. 

    28 Apr 2025

    #6 – A Stormy Present (MESSAGES FROM EARTH)

    00:27 Messages from Earth: Overview 00:53 Dramatic Arrival and Ominous Message 01:36 Earth Government's Dark Alliance 03:38 Clark's Ambitions and Modern Parallels 14:39 Sheridan's Leadership and Personal Reflections 27:33 JMS's Writing and Personal Influences 37:23 Leadership and Parental Influence 38:23 Conservative Parents and Trump Support 39:00 Generational Trauma and Leadership 41:50 Authoritarianism and Family Dynamics 43:23 Trump's Authoritarian Appeal 53:35 Martial Law and Authoritarian Tactics 56:19 Historical Parallels and Modern Implications 01:00:12 The Role of the Military in Domestic Affairs 01:12:12 Reflection and Self-Understanding 01:14:15 The Illusion of Control 01:15:06 Dictators and Delusions 01:16:12 The Crazy Man Leader Technique 01:17:50 Martial Law and Its Implications 01:27:40 The Power of Familiarity in Storytelling 01:34:05 The Roller Coaster of Season Four 01:35:30 Reflections on Babylon 5's Legacy 01:41:31 The Appeal of Authoritarian Stability 01:42:48 Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts We want your feedback! lastbesthopeb5@gmail.com

12. 

    15 Apr 2025

    #5 – Stupid Enough to Take It (DUST TO DUST, EXOGENESIS)

    Josh and John continue hurtling toward authoritarianism in the first half of BABYLON 5, Season 3...

13. 

    4 Apr 2025

    #4 – Where Everyone Has Gone Before (VOICES OF AUTHORITY)

    John and Josh discuss how sex and humor are both weapons in the fight against authoritarianism in their discussion of Babylon 5 Season 3, Episode 5: Voices of Authority.

14. 

    26 Mar 2025

    #3 – Who Are You? (COMES THE INQUISITOR)

    Josh and John jump back an episode to season 2's penultimate "Comes the Inquisitor," and ask if someone can be a good leader if they do the right thing--for the wrong reasons.

15. 

    19 Mar 2025

    #2 – Another Word for Surrender (THE FALL OF NIGHT)

    John and Josh discuss the parallels between Earth/Centauri/Narn and U.S./Russia/Ukraine. Let us know what you think: lastbesthopeb5@gmail.com

16. 

    11 Mar 2025

    #1 – Nothing's the Same Anymore (CHRYSALIS)

    "And so it begins." Josh and John talk about the season finale of Babylon 5's first season, "Chrysalis."

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 10 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

21

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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