5. Babylon 5 - “Points of Departure”: Commander Sinclair is reassigned
Babylon 5 began as a somewhat uneven foray into the science fiction genre. It was about a diplomatic space station run by Commander Jeffrey Sinclair and administrated by Earth. It acted as an interstellar United Nations, where alien races arbitrated deals and brokered treaties. The writing usually was engaging, though the first season consisted mostly of standalone episodic stories. There were hints at a larger story, but it seemed as if the bigger arc would come to us in bits and portions, while the majority of the series would be about Sinclair and his crew dealing with the day to day running of the station.
Season two began with a shocker, as we learned via voiceover that Sinclair had been reassigned, and a new commander was coming to the station. That commander was Captain John Sheridan, a more brash and charismatic military man who would end up changing the entire course of the series. Sheridan’s introduction to Babylon 5 opened a wealth of new story opportunities and injected new life into the series. Almost immediately after Sheridan’s assignment to the station, the series developed a major plot arc that took the focus away from the running of the station and placed it firmly in the realm of a metaphysical war with higher beings in the universe. Sinclair’s departure established that no one on Babylon 5 was safe, and Sheridan’s introduction affirmed that a new regime was in charge.
6. The X-Files - “Requiem”: Mulder is abducted
For the majority of its run, The X-Files was about the paranormal investigations of FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Mulder was a devout believer in aliens and all things spooky due to the apparent alien abduction of his young sister Samantha when he was a boy. Scully played his foil, always logical and unbelieving of the supernatural explanations he presented.
Season seven ended with Mulder himself being taken away by aliens as doubtful boss Skinner watched in amazement. The eighth season began with Scully assigned to a new partner, John Doggett, as Mulder was still among the missing. Scully found herself in the position of being the believer to Doggett’s skeptic. The dynamic of the whole show shifted with the new duo heading up the X-Files under the leadership of new Deputy Director Kersh.
