A Niner Watches Babylon 5 (NO spoilers, please)

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

The first half of S2 is mediocre, no way around it.

Some good things it does though is establish the new 'ambiance' of the show. The sets, lighting, mood, and the music are a lot more reminiscent of the rest of the show rather than S1, which always somehow seemed metallic and gray (I attribute this to Sinclair's wooden performance and the techno-twangs that seem to infest Franke's music in S1).

But really, I almost feel like you can jump straight from Revelations to that hugo-award winning episode halfway through the season that I shall not name. Yeah you'd miss some character threads and such, but its not like they're all that interesting to begin with.

[Hound of UIster]

brian wrote:

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I wish Grease was all I had seen him in recently. Two seasons of Celebrity Rehab has really ruined my view of the guy. He's such a mess, it's a wonder he's still alive.

Didn't scientology "cure" him of all his problems?

[Brian]

Scientology, really? Is that a recent development? As recently as last year he was a drug-addled mess.

I do recall when I last saw him at a convention, something like 8-10 years ago, he was a tad overtly "holy". No sign that it was Scientology, though.

[Jan]

After one of his stints on that obscene 'rehab' show, he did have some meetings with somebody involved with Scientology but he denied having any intention of becoming a Scientologist. Last October he was apparently well enough to attend a convention, albeit using a walker. In January, he sufffered a fall and was hospitalized. I haven't heard anything else since then.

Jan

[Hound of UIster]

Jan wrote:

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After one of his stints on that obscene 'rehab' show, he did have some meetings with somebody involved with Scientology but he denied having any intention of becoming a Scientologist. Last October he was apparently well enough to attend a convention, albeit using a walker. In January, he sufffered a fall and was hospitalized. I haven't heard anything else since then.

Jan

Christ, he looks like a ghoul in that groupshot.

[RoJoHen]

Yeah, he is in rough shape.

[Neroon]

I was utterly shocked when I saw the picture. If you hadn't said it was Jeff, or if Claudia hadn't identified him, I would never have realized who it was. Andrea looks good but very different from the last time I saw her on TV. Actually, everyone looks pretty good, imho.

[Forbin]

Jeff has never again attained the heights of his Taxi years.

[TheGodBen]

Kegg wrote:

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As observed, B5 is IMHO mostly terrible when it comes to standalones, and I think it's been hit why upthread: They frequently feel upstaged by their own foreshadowing. When the background noise is more enticing and is more carefully designed than the main event, well, what's the point?

Sadly, I have to agree. I hate to think that I might be a plot-whore, but I'm just not enjoying most of the standalone episodes of this show. A few of them stand out, but with the rest of them I often don't find myself interested in what is happening. It's a pity, but hopefully the arc related stuff later this season will work better for me.


Soul Mates (**½)

At least now I can see why Centauri males need all those tentacles; one for each of the wives, one for themselves, and two more to make a sandwich for when you're done. That's intelligent design in action.

The Londo plot didn't do much for me, it was everything you'd expect from a comedic three-wives scenario. One was attractive and claimed to love him while trying to kill him, another was prudish and cold but came through for him in the end, and there was a third one that didn't really matter. Nothing unexpected here and nothing too annoying, but my overall feeling was one of "meh". At least it was a Londo episode that didn't hit me over the head with the irritating inflatable hammer of foreshadowing.

The Talia plot was a little better but still didn't engage my interest too much. It was obvious that her ex-husband still had powers because of the scene at the start of the episode, and it was obvious that he was using those powers to control her, so any big character moments for her couldn't be taken at face value. The Galibaldi/Talia romance stuff also feels a little too forced, I don't buy that Garibaldi really loves her. Hopefully any future stuff in this direction will make it seem more natural.

Oh, if the issue of Delenn's new-found cramps becomes a major plot point then I'm stopping. I now have images of the Shadow fleet destroying the last hub of galactic resistance... and then being stopped by this.

Scott Bakula: 24

[stonester1]

Nah, Garibaldi doesn't love her. He likes her, would love to bone her, he might have a crush, but it's not love.

Me, I love most of the standalone eps. With the plot and character easter eggs and just little things they drop that widen the view of the B5 window, I enjoy them.

But then, I really like this universe.

[Reverend]

The Galibaldi/Talia romance stuff also feels a little too forced, I don't buy that Garibaldi really loves her. Hopefully any future stuff in this direction will make it seem more natural.

Well in real life, Jerry Doyle and Andrea Thompson were married around this time, so you'd think the chemistry would be more natural. Mind you as I recall it only lasted a few years so maybe that observation is more apt then you'd think.

As for the episode, it has one of my all time favourite "G'Kar moments". When he's asked if he knows how much of an insult he's making by wearing shoes, I just love the way he imbues the word "indeed!" with such joy and enthusiasm. Cracks me up.

[stonester1]

Reverend wrote:

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As for the episode, it has one of my all time favourite "G'Kar moments". When he's asked if he knows how much of an insult he's making by wearing shoes, I just love the way he imbues the word "indeed!" with such joy and enthusiasm. Cracks me up.

That is a good one.

[Kegg]

I liked "Soul Mates", oddly enough. The cynicism, chiefly; it was probably Babylon 5's best depiciton of marriage in my view (which no doubt says far more about me than Babylon 5).

Pity Timov is neither seen nor mentioned ever again. You'd think becoming Empress would have been a blip on her radar, but I guess not.

TheGodBen wrote:

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I now have images of the Shadow fleet destroying the last hub of galactic resistance... and then being stopped by this.

That'd be pretty awesome, actually, but totally gratuituous use of the Shining would improve any series.

[Vestboy]

stonester1 wrote:

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That is a good one.

That was one thing that made B5 an interesting counterpoint to Trek at the time they were both running: B5 allowed its characters to gleefully hate each other.

[Lindley]

Kegg wrote:

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Pity Timov is neither seen nor mentioned ever again. You'd think becoming Empress would have been a blip on her radar, but I guess not.

She shows up a fair bit in the Centauri trilogy. She and Londo actually develop a fairly affectionate relationship for a while.