Since there’s discussion of this show going on in the Trek thread, I figured there’s enough interest to start up a separate thread so people wanting to talk about it wouldn’t clutter up that thread.
Someone mentioned in that thread the Londo/G’Kar dynamic, and I agree, in a lot of ways, it’s the heart of the show. The way their grudging friendship evolved over time was so well done – you saw how their preconceived notions of each others species wore down as they actually got to know the other person. We saw an oppressor showing remorse and the oppressed showing forgiveness. It’s a real testament to the performances of Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsoulis that these two characters had as much soul as they did.
And Lyta being revealed as the Psi-Corps sleeper? One hell of a “Holy shit!” moment. Her screaming “The Corps is mother! The Corps is father!” still sticks in my head, it was such an intense moment.
I know the show has its detractors, and some of the criticism is deserved – Season 1 stumbles around like a blind man sometimes, and Season 5 really suffered from the half-assed way it came into existence – but those middle three seasons are as fine bit of televised sci-fi as has ever been broadcast.
Originally Posted by Richard DicksonView Post And Lyta being revealed as the Psi-Corps sleeper? One hell of a “Holy shit!” moment. Her screaming “The Corps is mother! The Corps is father!” still sticks in my head, it was such an intense moment.
Talia Winters was the sleeper.
I recently watched the entire series with my wife (I had seen it during its original run a decade ago but wanted her - a Trek gal - to see it), and I was mortified at how bad the first season was. There were a few okay episodes and it was obviously laying the foundation for what was to follow, but I often found myself apologizing for the quality and swearing it would improve.
So, season 1 sucked and season 5 was underwhelming (for good reasons), but seasons 2 through 4 were solid. It never managed to shake off the small-scale medium-budget look, but succeeded in spite of that through good storytelling. Tons of great moments ("I’d like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next 10 generations that some favors come with too high a price. I want to look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this [waves]. Can you and your associates arrange that for me?" Also, the show had the finest space battles on television.
Originally Posted by nekkerbeeView Post Talia Winters was the sleeper.
Ugh, my bad.
Quote:
Also, the show had the finest space battles on television.
Galactica gives them a run for their money though. B5 did do the big epic battles pretty damn well though. And they had fantastic ship designs, especially the space goldfish look of the Mimbari.
The Spider-like design of The Shadow Battlecrabs and the Vorlon ships are some of the finest designs I’ve ever seen.
I am a big reader of the Bablyon 5 novels. Especially the “Rise of the Technomages” Trilogy. Remember Galen from Crusade? The books give detailed explanations of the Technomages powers and their connection to The Shadows.
In short they are Organic Cyborgs. Like Venom from Spiderman.
I’m watching this through (for the third time) with the girlfriend and while I am hip to the flaws of season 1, which we just wrapped up, it’s still an incredibly strong show and if certain episodes don’t string the mythology along, you always get great insight into one of the characters, whether it’s Garibaldi’s wayward history of fucking up or how seriously Dr. Franklin takes his work, there’s always something to learn that has effects or is the pay off of certain things before, like what happened to Sinclair, etc.
I don’t know if its feasible (though the DVDs have made a fuck ton of money), but I’d love to see this show get a facelift on DVD or Blu Ray. The first season especially has a terrible transfer. Do something like Star Trek, because let’s face it, these are 15 year old CG (albeit pioneers of CG on tv). The attack on the station by Earthforce in S3, which is already spectacular, could be legendary with a CGI makeover.
Still, this remains my favorite television show for all of its elements but especially for the way it told its story. There was never a reset button.
The only films I watched were Thirdspace (I’m a sucker for all things remotely Lovecraftian) and In The Beginning. I saw an episode or two of Crusades, and wasn’t impressed. Babylon 5 was such a wonderful thing that it’s a shame to try to stretch it out with sequels and spinoffs, no matter how interesting the universe is. Part of its charm was that it was a distinct story with a beginning and end; I don’t want to see it Trek-ized with endless series and films.
In the Beginning was one of the best things the show produced. Londo’s speech about the Earth-Minbari war is one of the only times a tv show has ever made me cry.
Back again. Just wrapped up all five seasons and three of the movies (Thirspace, River of Martin Sheen’s Souls and In the Beginning) and, for all of the problems of season 5, I forgot that it could still get you. The last three episodes are such a perfect coda to the series, everyone going to their new homes but, as G’Kar said, “a part of them stays”. Sleeping in Light (which I think was actually the original S4 finale) hits all the right notes. I teared up, for it was only the second time I’d actually sat through season 5, my girlfriend noted and I said that’s alright, because I’ll always have these stories to go back to.
The best thing I can say is that, about an hour after the finale, I wanted to start back from the beginning all over again. BSG is great, superior in some ways, but B5 will always be the top for me; I think mostly because even when off-screen shit fucked with it, such as replacing Sinclair or having to get rid of the actress playing Talia, Straczynski had a backdoor escape plan for everyone. Sure, the series loves its monologues and adherence to the script, but what a script, what an undertaking. It feels complete, even season 5 picks up after a rocky start. A fully realized dream.
Originally Posted by Doc HappeninView Post I don’t know if its feasible (though the DVDs have made a fuck ton of money), but I’d love to see this show get a facelift on DVD or Blu Ray. The first season especially has a terrible transfer. Do something like Star Trek, because let’s face it, these are 15 year old CG (albeit pioneers of CG on tv). The attack on the station by Earthforce in S3, which is already spectacular, could be legendary with a CGI makeover. Still, this remains my favorite television show for all of its elements but especially for the way it told its story. There was never a reset button.
YES to a Blue Ray / SFX upgrade! I was a Babylon 5 junkie when it broadcast and watched the DVDs 3-4 times through (except for Season 5). My main problems with the series were the production issues…some of the CGI was crap even back in the day, and the series suffered from some of the worst acting I’ve ever seen. I’ve been burnt out on the series for a few years now.
But I loved the Shadow War story Arc, the worlds JMS created, and the characters of Londo/G’kar, Garibaldi and Sheridan, and “Guest Stars’ Like Michael Ansara, and the overall 'Jaded Optimism” of the story.
BSG is basically Lord of the Rings in Space - and that is not a bad thing. Have just finished watching season 1 and two recently and it has reknewd my love for it.
Yeah but BSG ended earlier this year B5 ended over a decade ago. Come talk to me in 10 years and tell me if you still remember BSG and how great it was…
I just want to say that I think the only reason that the fifth season gets trashed is because of the storyline with the rogue telepaths thaat goes on way too long, but the other than that it wasn’t too bad. The last half of the season dealing with the war with the Centauri made up for it too me.
The whole Sinclair leaving thing still interests me. I wasn’t planned and a lot of what Sheriden did Sinclair was supposed to do. However, whenever his sudden departure is bought up JMS talks about what a great guy he is and how he will never reveal the reason the actor left the series.
I thought they revealed at the time it was because O’hare was a nobody and the people funding it wanted a named actor. Thus (at the time) TV Legend Bruce Boxleitner… after all the show was syndicated.
Also, the show had the finest space battles on television.