I started watching Babylon 5 for the first real time

[Sindatur]

RandyS wrote:

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Really? Were you not living in Sacramento back then? I was (and still do), and remember that ch. 31 had a TV guide listing for the show at something like 3:30am Sunday mornings. I faithfully recorded (on VHS) that hour every week for two years, and it was the same thing every time: the last half hour of a movie, and an infomerical. After that, I gave up. I was convinced that the series was either a hoax, or a lie, because nothing beyond "The Gathering" had ever been aired, and that was shown in prime time here in early 1993.

It wasn't until 1998, when TNT started to air the fifth season, as well as the reruns of the first four, that I discovered this show that I had been hearing good things about, but never actually saw (other than the pilot five years back) actually existed.

Suffice it to say, THAT'S when I became a fan.

I was living in Sunnyvale in the Bay Area at the time, so, I was watching on Ch44, which became UPN (And I guess is now CW).

[Bisz]

Welcome aboard. B5 is one of my favourite shows, stick with it and you'll get a lot out of it.

By the way, I had no idea that Michael O'Hare died.

[bigdaddy]

Bisz wrote:

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By the way, I had no idea that Michael O'Hare died.

Yeah, in September. A heart attack.

[bigdaddy]

I like how we are on page three and I just watched the 7th episode. At this pace there will be 55 pages before the end.

It was the episode in which humans wanted the aliens gone. I can actually see this happening whenever we find intelligent life out there. People never react well to change.

[Tulin]

Looking forward to your thoughts on "Signs and Portents".

Which, btw is also the "season title".

Each B5 season had an overall title. You know you are in for something BIG when you get to the ep of the same name.

[inflatabledalek]

Neroon wrote:

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"The Gathering" didn't strike me as being bad at all - just different from your regular space-based TV show. It did need some technical work - as was plain when it went back into the so for awhile, but the basics had substance.

What kills it for me; other that the badly done exposition; is the murder plot makes no sense...

Who is the assassin actually trying to frame? They keep Londo from going to the meeting (which would at least make sense from the Narn involvement point of view); carries out the first assassination attempt disguised as Sinclair and the second as Lyta (without having bothered to ensure she doesn't have an alibi like he did with Sinclair, meaning he gets found out almost comically instantly). Which one of them was intended to be the fall guy?

Sinclair seems to be the actual main target, but the attempt to implicate him depends on the rules about telepathic scans being broken as they'd have never found out who the assassin looked like otherwise.

What isn't a flaw about the pilot itself but seems odd in the light of later episodes (and I think even gets pointed out in one) is Kosh coming out of his suit to greet what he thinks is Sinclair so the poison tab could actually be put on his hand. In the special edition he even calls him Valen! So was he actually going to reveal himself and explain everything to Sinclair but got put off by the murder attempt? And why doesn't the assassin react to seeing an angel?

Of course, even just taking the pilot into account, how did the assassin intend to apply the contact poison when Vorlon's are famous for not coming out of their suits?

[bigdaddy]

Tulin wrote:

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Looking forward to your thoughts on "Signs and Portents".

Which, btw is also the "season title".

Each B5 season had an overall title. You know you are in for something BIG when you get to the ep of the same name.

I have to make it there. I started watching the 8th episode in which some people are in Sinclair's mind. I was so bored I went to bed.

[Sindatur]

bigdaddy wrote:

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I have to make it there. I started watching the 8th episode in which some people are in Sinclair's mind. I was so bored I went to bed.

And The Sky Full of Stars bored you? That was the first episode that really showed me how deep B5 was going to be in mystery and Mythology and totally had me hooked

[bigdaddy]

I didn't get far into the episode I just went "Oh look, the mind-reading mandate for all sci-fi shows episode" and stopped caring. It just feels so over done by now (even though this was done before it was overdone) that I couldn't watch it last night.

[Jan]

bigdaddy wrote:

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I didn't get far into the episode I just went "Oh look, the mind-reading mandate for all sci-fi shows episode" and stopped caring. It just feels so over done by now (even though this was done before it was overdone) that I couldn't watch it last night.

You might want to give it another try. It's a pretty important episide and changes one relationship considerably.

I had somewhat the same reaction back in the day except for me it was 'oh, look, the main guy gets captured'. But it turns out to be well done.

Jan

[bigdaddy]

I' going to watch it, it's just the first episode I went "Nah, I don't want to watch this right now".

[Tulin]

Slightly off topic but to inverse your sentiments regarding that episode I thought I'd share a funny story.

Back in about '99 I was involved in a social club and had quite a large amount of acquaintances. I slowly started introducing them to the recently concluded B5. I gave them S1 with the caveat that it started very slowly but built as time went on and the usual, "Something that could seem VERY insignificant early on MAY change the universe later in the show, yada yada yada".

With the first couple of people I saw something interesting happen. By the time they got to "Chrysallis"(S1 finale), they were HOOKED and were BEGGING for more. I started an interesting bet with future viewers and myself. I told the next lot of viewers/victims that if they got to the end of the first season and didn't want anymore, I'd give them $100. A few days later, without fail they were on the phone and asking when they could come get the next lot of tapes(this was '99 remember?).

For each new set of people, I upped the amount by $100.00. I eventually ran out of potential viewers when I got to $800, which was probably for the best.

Either way, I look forward to YOUR reaction and thoughts by the time you get to the season 1 cliffhanger! I normally don't participate in the seemingly endless amount of these "I have seen the light and guess what, B5 is actually good!!!1!"(ummmmm, yeah, we know)threads started by every n00b that can scare up a login name and password, but, like me, you have been here for a long time and I can respect your thoughts on the show.

[bigdaddy]

I can see that it's going to be good, I know that. It's just this one episode started and I was like "Ugh... mind reading / controlling episode". I'll get around to watching it, probably tonight, I just don't like mind episodes.

Plus it was reminding me of the TNG episode which Crusher was all alone. That is never a good thing!!!

[Gov Kodos]

Jan wrote:

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You might want to give it another try. It's a pretty important episide and changes one relationship considerably.

I had somewhat the same reaction back in the day except for me it was 'oh, look, the main guy gets captured'. But it turns out to be well done.

Jan

B5's handling of telepaths was enjoyable and the Earth society's response to telepaths was more believable than in Trek for my money.

[JoeD80]

inflatabledalek wrote:

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And why doesn't the assassin react to seeing [Kosh]

The Minbari know who the Vorlons are.

bigdaddy wrote:

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It's just this one episode started and I was like "Ugh... mind reading / controlling episode". I'll get around to watching it, probably tonight, I just don't like mind episodes.

That's not really what "And the Sky Full of Stars" is about; it's about Sinclair's character, and some background information that is revealed. The mind-reading stuff is just a delivery system for the meat of the story.