From the stars we came, and to the stars we return, from now until the end of time.

Richard Biggs – 2004

Andreas Katsulas – 2006

Jeff Conaway – 2011

Michael O’Hare – 2012

Jerry Doyle – 2016: Statement from J. Michael Straczynski here

We’ve mentioned here and there in our podcasts about some of the actors on “Babylon 5” who died much too young. Now, for the first time since starting the Audio Guide to Babylon 5, we have to deal with the loss of yet another member of the B5 family.

At the time of posting, actor Jerry Doyle – known best by this little podcast circle as Security Chief Michael Garibaldi – has died. That’s about all that is known at the moment, with no details as to how. After “Babylon 5” wrapped, Doyle moved on to try his hand at politics and then became a popular radio host for conservative views, eventually creating the Epic Times website. Doyle would use this platform to support his former castmates, such as promoting Claudia Christian’s efforts in helping people break alcohol addiction. In the statement linked above, J. Michael Straczynski pointed out how he disagreed with Doyle on almost every issue when it came to politics, but valued him both as a friend and as a consummate professional during his acting career.

RIP, Mr. Doyle. Thank you for sharing your talent with us.

(Moderators have moved comments from “Ship of Tears” threads to here. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts about Doyle’s and other B5 actors’ passing in this thread.)

Episode 58: “Ship of Tears”

Since the station’s secession from the Earth Alliance, it was inevitable that Our Intrepid Heroes’ relationship with perennial antagonist Bester would change. Did you see this coming, however? More to the point, did you expect that in the closing seconds of the episode, “This cold war just got hot”?

(We’ll give you bonus points worth absolutely nothing if you recall the source of that quote.)

“Ship of Tears” always makes one of your cohosts think of the Robert Plant song from _Now and Zen_. Or the line from Wang Chung’s “Everybody Have Fun Tonight.” Fortunately, he does not embarrass himself about this fact on the podcast. And therefore no one will ever know which cohost it was.

Episode 57: “Sic Transit Vir”

It’s that lovable scamp Vir’s turn for a love story, and it’s also time for an exploration of the banality of evil and the horrors of genocide. Plus Ivanova gives sex advice and Delenn seasons flarn! You might think that “Sic Transit Vir” has the makings of an uneven episode. Several of your co-hosts might agree with you.

Episode 56: “A Late Delivery from Avalon”

We all find different ways to cope with hardship. David Macintyre grabs some chainmail and a prop sword and becomes King Arthur. Cheesy? A weird departure from the story arc? Thematically relevant and touching? What can you say about an episode where the biggest villain is the post office?

Oh, and because B5’s gone Arthurian again, it’s time to bring back Sunspot’s fantabulous 2013 song, “Arthuriana”–the whole track this time! Check them out at sunspotmusic.com.