History Recap / BabylonFiveS03E10SeveredDreams

* WhamEpisode: The station and other colonies break away from earth. Delenn faces down--and breaks--the Grey Council.

'''Hiroshi''': Too late to get out. Our primary systems are hit, we've got fire on all decks. There's nothing we can do now except... ''[comms cut out]''\\

* LeeroyJenkins: The Narns on Garibaldi's defense force rush ahead him and straight into enemy fire, getting a lot of them killed in the process. This did have the (probably unintended) effect of forcing the boarders to engage in a pitched battle pretty much straight out of the breach pod, containing them away from civilian areas and the command deck.

* LeeroyJenkins: The Narns on Garibaldi's defense force rush ahead him and straight into enemy fire, getting a lot of them killed in the process.

* KilledOffScreen: The Agrippa/Roanoke wave of the attack had two Midwinter-class Heavy Cruisers with them, but we never saw them fight. They were apparently destroyed offscreen, possibly by the EAS Churchill. See WhatHappenedToTheMouse below.

* MeaningfulName: The EAS Roanoke is named after an early English colony in North Carolina that was later found to be totally deserted with no sign of the inhabitants (or of a struggle), just the word CROATAN carved into a tree.
** The Agrippa could've been named after the Roman General Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, or, the Biblical (and historical) Herod Agrippa.
** The second wave of Earthforce ships that arrived are the Nimrod & the Olympic.
** The EAS Alexander is named after UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat. The Churchill is, obviously, named after UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill, whom Sheridan had [[{{Recap/BabylonFiveS02E16InTheShadowOfZHaDum}} referenced before]].

** Similarly, two of the four Earthforce ships that arrive with the first wave to attack B5 simply disappear after their first appearance. WordOfGod is that they were destroyed in the fighting; this was filmed, but cut from the final episode for time.

** A single {{Bridge Bunny}} leaves the deck when Sheridan gives permission for anyone to do so before the battle, in a deliberate subversion of the typical scene where everyone shows {{Undying Loyalty}} at such an order. [[WordOfGod JMS later said]] that was a deliberate choice on his part, to show that even on the station not everyone believed in what Sheridan was doing.

* HeadInTheSandManagement: Delenn accuses the Council of this, standing by as the Shadows' influence grew. It's true that Delenn had been doing the same, but she had been quietly making preparations. The Council had outright stated that they were doing nothing, as they believed it wasn't really happening.

* ForgottenSuperweapon: Ivanova and Sheridan debate asking for Draal's help. Sheridan wants to keep Draal a secret and wants the fight to be "clean" - Earthforce vs Earthforce. When the second wave of Earth ships arrives, it seems to be implied that Sheridan would give up. WordOfGod from JMS is that Sheridan didn't want to give Clarke the excuse to try again and de-legitimize B5 in the eyes of the Earthforce rank and file. President Clark has the Shadows as allies and they would ambush the station later in the series.

* HeadInTheSandManagement: Delenn accuses the Council this, standing by as the Shadows' influence grew. It's true that Delenn had been doing the same, but she had been quietly making preparations. The Council had outright stated that they were doing nothing, as they believed it wasn't really happening.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: The second of Delenn's trip of blisteringly awesome speeches this episode, comprehensively dressing down the Gray Council for its indolence.

Afterwards, Ryan and Sheridan are discussing their situation, specifically, their pilots. Many of the ''Churchill's'' fighters are homeless, and Ryan asks Sheridan to take them on. He is going to leave, to split Earthforce's attention, and to look for any other rebel ships. Sheridan goes to meet with Delenn, finding Garibaldi seeing the Nightwatch members off station, the ones they know about, at least. They'll have to be on guard for sabotage for a while.

** A single {{Bridge Bunny}} leaves the deck when Sheridan gives permission for anyone to do so before the battle, in a deliberate subversion of the typical scene where everyone shows {{Undying Loyalty}} at such an order.

* PlayingBothSides: The Minbari that Delenn brings to Medlab confirms that the League worlds are being encouraged by the Shadows to be aggressive towards each other, in addition to using the Centauri.

* PlayingBothSides: The Minbari that Delenn brings to Medlab confirms that the League worlds are being encouraged by the Shadows to also be aggressive, using the Centauri (whom the Shadows also support) as [[EvilerThanThou the enemy]].

* ForgottenSuperweapon: Ivanova and Sheridan debate asking for Draal's help. Sheridan wants to keep Draal a secret and wants the fight to be "clean" - Earthforce vs Earthforce. When the second wave of Earth ships arrives, it seems to be implied that Sheridan would give up.
** WordOfGod from JMS - Sheridan didn't want to give Clarke the excuse to try again and de-legitimize B5 in the eyes of the Earthforce rank and file. President Clark has the Shadows as allies and they would ambush the station later in the series.

* HilariousOuttakes: The gag reel for this episode includes a bit referencing Creator/RobertFoxworth getting double-booked to play Admiral Leyton in the "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost" two-parter on B5's rival show ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. Asked where Hague is, Bruce [=McGill=] (Major Ryan) responds completely deadpan:

** [[DefiedTrope Slightly defied]], as the female ISN anchor is seen in Season Four back at her old job.

Major Ryan meets with Sheridan and gives them a rundown of the situation, and it's not good. General Hague is dead, killed in the fight with the ''Clarkestown'', and public opinion is actually in favor of martial law, since it actually seems to be a benefit, and ISN can't say too much or they'll be shut down. The only hope is Mars' refusal of the order. Sheridan doesn't think Clark will be able to do much about it, but soon after a message comes that Earth Force is bombing Mars.

Afterwards, Ryan and Sheridan are discussing their situation, specifically, their pilots. Many of the ''Churchill's'' fighters are homeless, and Ryan asks Sheridan to take them on. He is going to leave, to split Earth Force's attention, and to look for any other rebel ships. Sheridan goes to meet with Delenn, finding Garibaldi seeing the Nightwatch members off station, the ones they know about, at least. They'll have to be on guard for sabotage for a while.

* ForgottenSuperweapon: Ivanova and Sherridan debate asking for Draal's help. Sherridan wants to keep Draal a secret and wants the fight to be "clean" - Earthforce vs Earthforce. When the second wave of Earth ships arrives, it seems to be implied that Sheridan would give up.
** WordOfGod from JMS - Sherridan didn't want to give Clarke the excuse to try again and de-legitimize B5 in the eyes of the Earth Force rank and file. President Clark has the Shadows as allies and they would ambush the station later in the series.

* TemptingFate: Corwin after the two opposing Earth Force destroyers are destroyed.

''[Cue second wave of Earth Force destroyers.]''
* VertigoEffect: One on Sheridan right after Hiroshi informs him that Earth Force is coming to seize control of the station.

* HonorBeforeReason: [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation The Narns' desire to defend their new home, honor the trust shown in them by B5 Command Staff and repay them for giving them a place to live may be]] [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation the]] '''''primary''''' [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation reason why they charged forward, instead of waiting for the bad guys to come for them.]]

** Rick's fate is never revealed.

* BerserkButton: Both Sheridan's and Delenn's are pressed in this episode.
** Delenn's is hit when she hears that the Grey Council refuses to take a stand, saying "the problems of others are not our concern." Delenn... [[{{Understatement}} takes exception to this]]. It's a good thing Minbari aren't supposed to kill other Minbari, because her facial expression when she's told that this was their response is positively ''murderous''.
** Sheridan's is visibly hit when Clark starts bombing Mars, which has rejected martial law.

** To the Clark-loyalist fleet:
-->"Only one Human captain has survived battle with a Minbari fleet. ''He'' is behind me. ''You'' are in front of me. If you value your lives, '''''be somewhere else.'''''"

* IntrepidReporter: Rick from ISN. Doubles as a RedShirtReporter. [[ItHasBeenAnHonor Knowing that ISN]] is about to be shutdown, he interrupts a live news cast [[IDieFree to expose]] (as much as he can) what Clark's regime has been keeping underwraps for the past year. He is clearly afraid, but pushes through anyway. We never see him again, sadly, suggesting that [[HeroicSacrifice he might not have survived this]].

Fighting is fierce and losses are heavy on both sides. Garibaldi goes to repel a boarding crew, but the Narns [[LeeroyJenkins rush ahead]] of him and get caught in a killing zone. The ''Churchill'' takes catastrophic damage and rams an enemy destroyer, [[RammingAlwaysWorks destroying both ships]]. Ivanova collides with another fighter and is forced to eject, while the boarding action has devolved into a giant brawl in close quarters. Finally the last enemy ship is destroyed, but almost immediately a new wave arrives. Then a set of jump points form right next to the station, but it's three Minbari warcruisers, and the ''White Star''. Delenn declares that Babylon 5 is under her protection, and when the loyalists try to protest, she practically dares them to try something. The attack fleet leaves rather than engage Minbari ships.

** Said second wave gets the hell out of B5 space when they realize the fact the Minbari are protecting the only Earthforce captain who managed to defeat a Minbari warship means they're screwed.