Well, I saw there were several threads of this type about Babylon 5 and I thought I should join the fun. 
So, firstly, my favourite TV show ever is Deep Space Nine. I never really cared about the rivalry between the shows. Well, actually, in the end I cared in the sense that hearing how supposedly similar the two were made me want to check B5 out! Now, I'm currently in the middle of season 3 (last ep 'Severed Dreams').
In brief: I found The Gathering to be very good (must be because I've seen the SE, without the gorilla
). Definitely got me interested. Season One was unfortunately not that good (I'd rank it above TNG's first seasons but below DS9's first). But it had it moments - Sinclair demonstrating Earth's dominant beliefs, everything about the Psi Corps, the aliens - and I stuck with it. Season Two was a vast improvement (though I didn't particurarly like the solution to the Minbari surrender mistery; of course, if that was the REAL answer). Season Three has so far continued in the same vein. I still like DS9 better but I'm definitely not sorry I checked B5 out and hope there's even better to come.
Now in more detail. What i liked:
-The main characters/actors. First of all let me say - Sheridan is Da Man
. O'Hare's acting was very iffy but the character grew on me and at first I didn't really like Boxleitner. That changed soon. I really liked watching how he adapted from a through-and-through military ship captain to military governor who has to tackle the fine art of diplomacy (though it's a peculiar type of diplomacy 
I still remember the 'then shut your ears and hum REALLY loudly!' line to G'Kar when he protested the coming of the Centaury emperor. Doubt Sinclair would say something like that). Then Dellen 
. Did I say i really like her? She's so elegant and pretty and exotic and classy and yet not a damsel in distress but a strong lady (i'm sure i don't have to quote the famous line from 'Severed Dreams' - that was great).
G'Kar and Londo obviously, though i like G'Kar better; Londo just seems a bit aimless, contradictory, one episode he's having doubts, the next he is celebrating mass murders of Narns. I also like Franklin (more in the first season actually, now he seems to be a bit in the background). Talia too (she's hot! i guess I agree with Ivanova
) Speaking of Ivanova, her character somehow still seems not to have fully realized it's potential. Morden has the best 'I am eviiiiiiil' smile I have ever seen. In the end, unlike many others, i'm somewhat indifferent about Garibaldi. I find him a bit cliched, predictable.
-The aliens - nicely developed and varied. I especially like their look. Props to the makeup and costume department, especially seeing how the budget was limited. I particularly like Kosh (well, his suit). Now that's ALIEN.
-The general scientific 'realism' of the show - in the sense that there are rarely any weird particles or strange anomalies or stuff like that. The ships manouver realisticaly. The station has to spin for gravity. There's no universal translator.
-The general interconnectedness (is that a word?) of the story, of course.
More to come later.
So, firstly, my favourite TV show ever is Deep Space Nine. I never really cared about the rivalry between the shows. Well, actually, in the end I cared in the sense that hearing how supposedly similar the two were made me want to check B5 out! Now, I'm currently in the middle of season 3 (last ep 'Severed Dreams').
In brief: I found The Gathering to be very good (must be because I've seen the SE, without the gorilla
). Definitely got me interested. Season One was unfortunately not that good (I'd rank it above TNG's first seasons but below DS9's first). But it had it moments - Sinclair demonstrating Earth's dominant beliefs, everything about the Psi Corps, the aliens - and I stuck with it. Season Two was a vast improvement (though I didn't particurarly like the solution to the Minbari surrender mistery; of course, if that was the REAL answer). Season Three has so far continued in the same vein. I still like DS9 better but I'm definitely not sorry I checked B5 out and hope there's even better to come.Now in more detail. What i liked:
-The main characters/actors. First of all let me say - Sheridan is Da Man
. O'Hare's acting was very iffy but the character grew on me and at first I didn't really like Boxleitner. That changed soon. I really liked watching how he adapted from a through-and-through military ship captain to military governor who has to tackle the fine art of diplomacy (though it's a peculiar type of diplomacy I still remember the 'then shut your ears and hum REALLY loudly!' line to G'Kar when he protested the coming of the Centaury emperor. Doubt Sinclair would say something like that). Then Dellen . Did I say i really like her? She's so elegant and pretty and exotic and classy and yet not a damsel in distress but a strong lady (i'm sure i don't have to quote the famous line from 'Severed Dreams' - that was great). G'Kar and Londo obviously, though i like G'Kar better; Londo just seems a bit aimless, contradictory, one episode he's having doubts, the next he is celebrating mass murders of Narns. I also like Franklin (more in the first season actually, now he seems to be a bit in the background). Talia too (she's hot! i guess I agree with Ivanova
) Speaking of Ivanova, her character somehow still seems not to have fully realized it's potential. Morden has the best 'I am eviiiiiiil' smile I have ever seen. In the end, unlike many others, i'm somewhat indifferent about Garibaldi. I find him a bit cliched, predictable.-The aliens - nicely developed and varied. I especially like their look. Props to the makeup and costume department, especially seeing how the budget was limited. I particularly like Kosh (well, his suit). Now that's ALIEN.
-The general scientific 'realism' of the show - in the sense that there are rarely any weird particles or strange anomalies or stuff like that. The ships manouver realisticaly. The station has to spin for gravity. There's no universal translator.
-The general interconnectedness (is that a word?
) of the story, of course.More to come later.
And the breaking of the staff. And the Black-Riderish shriek the Shadow-vessel releases on Mars (described in the very same words and the same images). Heck, it seems Peter Jackson stole the shriek from B5! 
