“Points of Departure” is episode one of season two of Babylon 5.
In the previous episode, the season one finale “Chrysalis”, Garibaldi had been shot in the back by one of his own men as he was looking into the death of one of his lurker contacts. The chief had discovered evidence of a plot to kill the president of the Earth Alliance and, despite Commander Sinclair’s efforts, EarthForce One was destroyed and the president killed. In what is being called an accident. Ambassador Delenn had also entered a chrysalis and was changing; into what, Lennier didn’t know. Garibaldi was still in critical condition and the man who attempted to kill him was providing security.
This episode opens on the Earth Alliance Starship Agamemnon on January 8, 2259. Its captain, John Sheridan, finishes talking to someone and gives the order to jump into hyperspace when he is told that there is a coded signal from Earthdome. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Hague (Robert Foxworth, who played Administrator V’Las in Enterprise) tells Sheridan that a Minbari war cruiser has been seen in Earth controlled space two jumps from Babylon 5. The war cruiser may have hostile intent.
Sheridan says that surely the Minbari wouldn’t launch an attack; the general replies that it is a renegade warship and that the Minbari have despatched their own war cruiser to deal with it. Sheridan guesses, rightly, that the ship is the Trigati. Hague wants Sheridan to make personal contact with the Minbari ship; he replies that the last time he did that with a Minbari ship he blew it to hell. Sheridan’s orders are to go to Babylon 5. He assumes that it is to take his ship there and coordinate with the station, but Hague wants something else.
Ivanova is on the station, narrating to her log. It’s been eight days since the death of the president and five since Sinclair was recalled to Earth without explanation. And that the place has gone to hell in the meantime. Ivanova, whose tact and diplomacy skills are not her strong point, forcefully deals with what looks like a number of ambassadors. Garibaldi is still in critical condition.
Ivanova then receives a call from General Hague herself. Commander Sinclair will not be returning; he has been permanently reassigned, to the Minbari homeworld as an ambassador at the Minbari’s request. Ivanova is told that Captain Sheridan is taking over, who she has served with before.
Another member of the Grey Council visits Delenn’s quarters. He doesn’t seem entirely happy with what she has done, even if he cannot directly tell her yet. She was told to wait, and that prophecy would take care of itself. Lennier is told that, if the Trigati is seen, he needs to tell the humans the truth.
Sheridan arrives before he is expected and Ivanova greets him. She offers to give him a tour of the station and he accepts, and asks for updates. Ivanova gives him them briefly; the chief of security is in critical condition in med lab and believes there was a conspiracy to kill the president, Ambassador G’Kar has mysteriously vanished, after two years they still don’t know what Ambassador Kosh looks like inside his encounter suit and Ambassador Delenn is in a cocoon. Sheridan says they have an interesting place.
Ivanova wants to know why Sheridan was assigned command, rather than a bureaucrat, admiral or ambassador. Sheridan says that he was the first choice of the late president to replace Sinclair. Ivanova does not expect this to be popular with the Minbari, who call Sheridan ‘Starkiller.’ Indeed, it’s not popular.
Sheridan gives a good luck speech within 24 hours of taking on a new command. Naturally, this is interrupted; the Grey Council member wants to see him. Kalian is on the station, the former second in command of the Trigati, and it’s believed he’s here to cause trouble.
The truth of why the Minbari surrendered at the Battle of the Line is revealed by Lennier (at least in part), just as they had won, after they spoke to Sinclair. A truth that hasn’t even been revealed to the majority of the Minbari. What isn’t revealed is what’s coming.
Regarding Michael O’Hare‘s (Jeffrey Sinclair) departure from the series. This was not revealed why at the time, only that it was mutually agreed. The truth was not revealed until after O’Hare’s death in 2012, at O’Hare’s own request. According to show creator J. Michael Straczynski, O’Hare had suffered mental health problems during the filming of the first season, and it became difficult for him to continue working. Straczynski had offered to suspend filming so that O’Hare could get professional help, but the latter refused, not wanting to put everyone else’s jobs at risk. O’Hare wanted fans to eventually know why he left.