“Sleeping in Light” is episode twenty-two of season five of Babylon 5 and the season and series finale.
This episode is set in 2281, 19 years after “Objects at Rest”, although it was originally shot at the end of season four as the finale as the series had not been renewed for a fifth season at that point (this does result in a few minor continuity problems; for one thing, Captain Lochley is never mentioned at all). Even though “The River of Souls”, “The Legend of the Rangers”, “A Call to Arms”, the entirety of Babylon 5: Crusade and “The Lost Tales” were all filmed after this, they are set in between this episode and the previous one and are recommended watching as such.
The episode opens with a shot of Minbar with Garibaldi saying that the Interstellar Alliance is based on the homeworld of the Minbari Federation and was founded in the Earth year 2261, shortly after the end of the Shadow War. Those who survived have seen it all and those who understand are dreading this day.
Sheridan is in bed, asleep, dreaming of Lorien, of Lorien telling him that he cannot create life, only breathe on its remaining embers and, in “Falling Towards Apotheosis”, saying that he could extend Sheridan’s life by 20 years, no more. Then, one day, he will simply stop.
Sheridan wakes and tells Delenn to stay in bed as he heads out to a balcony. She follows anyway. Sheridan wanted to sit and watch the sun come up, because he had never done that here. Delenn asks if he had the dream again. Yes, for the third night in a row. Delenn suggests that it may not mean what Sheridan thinks it means. It does. Sheridan is almost out of time; he can feel it. Delenn asks if he wants her to send the messages. He does.
A woman is briefing someone, whose voice identifies her as Ivanova before she is seen, about some appointments. Ivanova is a general and says that no-one gives a damn what she has to say. Including herself. Her assistant is denying this and Ivanova is telling her not to say one more patronising word when a guard is pushed through the doors to the room by a Ranger. He has a message; he thinks she knows what it is. Ivanova isn’t happy that the Ranger had been denied access – or attempted to be – as she had previously ordered the opposite. She will leave on a shuttle in 15 minutes.
A royal guard on Centauri Prime enters a bedchamber, informing the unseen occupant that they have just revived a courier from Minbar. The occupant is the emperor – Vir. With Vir emperor, that will mean Londo and G’Kar are dead, as seen in “War Without End: Part Two”. The message is another Ranger and Vir orders his appointments cancelled. The guard says he hasn’t read the message. Vir doesn’t need to.
On Mars, Garibaldi is reading when Dr Franklin enters with Garibaldi’s daughter, who has just beaten him at tennis. After the daughter leaves, the two are chatting when she returns, saying that there is someone there to see them. A Ranger. Yes, that’s what Franklin thinks it is; Sheridan is dying and wants them to come to Minbar one last time.
On Minbar, Franklin examines Sheridan and, although reluctant to be specific due to a lack of knowledge, says that Sheridan has 4-5 days, perhaps a week. All those invited dine, and toast absent friends; G’Kar, London, Marcus and Lennier. After dinner, Delenn speaks to Ivanova. Ivanova has buried so many friends she is beginning to resent it, and she doesn’t want to. Some days, it seems there is no-one left to play with, no joy anymore. Delenn mentions that two years ago, Sheridan didn’t stand for re-election and chose Delenn to replace him. Although Delenn’s first instinct was to decline, Sheridan thought it was important for her to accept. Sheridan became the head of the Rangers and, when he leaves, they will need someone to take his place. Delenn would prefer a human – Ivanova. Why? Because Ivanova is unhappy back home, and this is something new where she will answer only to Delenn.
Sheridan is planning where he will die, so that it will mean something – a passing that was referred to in “The Deconstruction of Falling Stars”. He heads back into space, arriving at a deserted Babylon 5. Zack is there too; in a few days the station will be shut down and destroyed (as a hazard to navigation; surely blowing it up would create more?), as it has become irrelevant.
With the nature of the episode, as a true goodbye episode, there is no big story, simply things and places saying goodbye. Series creator, J. Michael Straczynski, has a cameo as a maintenance worker turning off the lights on Babylon 5 and, at the very end of the episode, there are single frames of all the crew involved, followed by a group photo.