Babylon 5 - I'm finally going to do it

[tomalak301]

Between the Darkness and the Light

Another good episode, but man what a very sad ending. I did not expect Ivanova to go down like that, but given she isn't coming back in Season 5 (I've seen the theme to that season many times), I wonder if this was the way to write her out. Also still curious about how Garibaldi will interact with the people he was forced to betray. Loved the battle sequence, and the talk with Ivanova and Sheridan at the end was very sad. Did like the fact that Sheridan at the request of her took control of his old ship. Nice symbolism there.

 

[tomalak301]

Endgame

Did B5 really need a Season 5. I ask because there are two episodes left in season four and I got the sense after this episode that the series was coming to a conclusion and the novel was pretty much over. I'll definitely continue watching of course, but twice this season I've felt that I've seen the series finale of this series. What else can be told. I guess there's some unanswered questions left to be answered, such as the parasites (The one on Centauri prime for instance), how the crew is going to react to Garibaldi, and stuff like that. Still, that was a heck of an ending.

Anyway, as for this one, that was great. Everything from using the telepaths to disable the ships, to even bringing back the healing machine. I remember that episode, and saying I didn't really enjoy that episode. I think one of the comments was make sure to watch for the machine again. Well, I wonder if that comment was because of what happened to Garibaldi, or what happened to Ivanova. I nearly choaked up during that final scene. Marcus loved her, to the point of giving up his own life. Man what a way to bring that character full circle. It's a shame Ivanova never really shared that love, but I think she was starting to.

As for the scenes to take back earth, great stuff. Have to give the writers credit for having a limited budget, having a big fleet, but not seemingly using a lot of money with visual effects. The fleet barely fired a shot, and only then it was to take out the earth defenses and the bases on Mars.

With that being said, I'm anxious to see where they go from here. Oh, and I don't have access to "In the Beginning" (yet) so after this season I'm going straight to season 5.

 

[RoJoHen]

The last half of Season 5 is what makes it worth watching. There is definitely story left to be told (much, like you said, having to do with the situation on Centauri Prime).

 

[Lindley]

Unfortunately the first half of season 5 can be a by....trying, at times. There was this whole thing with scrunched/expanded stories, lost notes, and maybe just a bit of burn-out. It recovered well though.

 

[RoJoHen]

Unfortunately the first half of season 5 can be a by....trying, at times. There was this whole thing with scrunched/expanded stories, lost notes, and maybe just a bit of burn-out. It recovered well though.

I suggest blowing through the first half as quickly as possible. It's not terrible on DVD, but I can see how it would have been annoying the first time it aired.

 

[tomalak301]

Rising Star

So that is what felt like the third series finale this season. Man, B5 must of set a record for number of series finales in one year.

Anyway, I'm almost starting to feel a little sad. I started this nearly a month ago and it feels like things are winding down. Yeah there is another season but I can't help but think this is the last one. I'm sure it will hit me when I do start season five (Hell, there's one more episode left in season four for crying out loud) but it's just so sad.

As for this episode, it's what I expected after retaking of earth. I like the idea of an intersteller allience, and the General's reaction when he found out Sheridan was the president was great. Also liked the stuff with Garibaldi getting Lise out, and absolutely laughed when Londo said "...It makes you want to peak in at them." The camera going towards G'Kar's eye was absolutely awesome stuff. The dialoge, the delivery, so funny. Liked Delenn's monologue at the end, talking about B5 enduring and the stuff that happens 20 years down the line. It does make me curious about season 5, though.

 

[RoJoHen]

The ACTUAL Season 4 finale is kinda weird. I thought so the first time I watched it anyway. It's actually really good, but it's not the kind of episode you would expect it to be.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

What really grabs me about 'The Face of the Enemy' is the aggressive editing and music. The director, Mike Vejar, uses still frames in three key sequences (and in three different ways) to mark their importance. And in all three of these sequences, the use of still frames doesn't enter into excess. At the crime scene, they are a pastiche of crime shows, and hammer home the brutality of the violence. In the scene with Garibaldi and Bester, they hammer home the memories that are coming back to Garibaldi in sudden, disorienting fragments. And in the scene where Sheridan is captured (of which I also very much love Franke's use of diagetic music that transforms over the course of the scene, likely a nod to a similar scene in The Terminator) the still frames hammer home the extent of brutal violence needed to take down the lion that is Sheridan.

Ooh, I do love it.

Mike Vejar is da man. He was certainly the best director, imo, on Babylon 5.

 

[Trubinator]

So that is what felt like the third series finale this season. Man, B5 must of set a record for number of series finales in one year.

Season 5 sort of pulls that trick as well, but the true series finale is extremely moving. Trust me, you will cry and weep like a baby when you see it.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Yeah the first half of season 5 is kinda slow and dreary, but it certainly picks back up in the second half. And the finale is simply one of the most beautiful finales I've ever seen on a show. There's still some stuff to like in the first half of course, just don't go in expecting the same quality you've been seeing.

 

[Hyperspace05]

"Endgame", easily one of the best B5 episodes - a clear top 5 episode - IMO. Such an exciting finale to several plot threads. Sheridan's speech when the fleet surrounds Earth gives me goosebumps.

"Rising Star" felt like a logical conclusion. And remember, when it was made, it was assumed to be the last episode before the true series finale. (which forms more of an epilogue) That finale was shot as part of season 4, but delayed a year when Season 5 was picked up.

In its place anther epilogue finale for season 4 was shot, "Deconstruction of Falling Stars". To be truthful, I never cared about it much. It feels very out of place.

---

As for Season 5, stay with it. It will be worth it. The first half of the season is very filler-esque, but the latter part makes up for it. The fallout from the shadow wars are far from over.

 

[Orac Zen]

The first half (or thereabouts) of season 5 "features" (if that's the right word) pretty much the only fictional character whom I utterly despise. However, the second half (or thereabouts) features some episodes that are up there with anything the series ever did, IMO.

And the finale...words continue to fail me. I must watch it (yet) again very soon.

 

[Jan]

Anyway, I'm almost starting to feel a little sad. I started this nearly a month ago and it feels like things are winding down. Yeah there is another season but I can't help but think this is the last one. I'm sure it will hit me when I do start season five (Hell, there's one more episode left in season four for crying out loud) but it's just so sad.

Remember that B5 is structured like a novel: there's the Introduction, the Rising Action, the Complication, the Climax, and the Denouement. Obviously the Climax is going on now but B5 never just goes to black once a battle is won, you always see the aftermath. While JMS didn't mean for season 5 to *just* be the Denouement the way it turned out to be, the story's by no means over after season 4.

You mentioned 'the writers' in another post. JMS has been the *only* writer since the episode "Knives" in season 2. There's only going to be one other episode written by somebody else in the whole series - "Day of the Dead" in season 5.

Jan

 

[Forbin]

The best thing I can say about the first part of season 5 is that it gives Pat Tallman a lot of screen time, which, IMHO, is always a good thing. Unless she's talking about suing someone.

 

[Mr Light]

If the Season Four crunch subtracted 6-8 stand alones from each season, I wonder if that means that "Into the Fire" would have been the 412 midpoint and then "Endgame" would have been the 512 midpoint. That would have been much better. Just think the mid season point would have been Severed Dreams >> Into the Fire >> Endgame. That would have been awesome.

 

[Reverend]

Let's not discuss season 5 too much before he's even finished season 4. We don't want to prejudice his opinions!
For the record though, in regards to the plot thread compressions and expansions - as I recall the original idea would have had "Intersections" as the season cliffhanger, so it's only a small hand full of episodes, not counting "Deconstruction". Suffice to say there's still plenty of story left to tell in season 5.

 

[Mal]

I don't have access to "In the Beginning" (yet) so after this season I'm going straight to season 5.

That's fine. ITB works just as well as a bookend. But it may be hard to watch any B5 for a while after you've been through the series finale

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

The best thing I can say about the first part of season 5 is that it gives Pat Tallman a lot of screen time, which, IMHO, is always a good thing. Unless she's talking about suing someone.

I dunno. Lyta's season 5 arc is when I really started to hate her. She's very easy on the eyes, but I didn't care much for what they did with her character.

 

[Hyperspace05]

How about we hold off discussing the Season 5 arcs until he actually watches, season 5, perhaps???

 

[tomalak301]

Remember that B5 is structured like a novel: there's the Introduction, the Rising Action, the Complication, the Climax, and the Denouement. Obviously the Climax is going on now but B5 never just goes to black once a battle is won, you always see the aftermath. While JMS didn't mean for season 5 to *just* be the Denouement the way it turned out to be, the story's by no means over after season 4.

I know, but you can't argue with a feeling. I think we're getting into the epilouge stage though because we've got a lot of good aftermath with the formation of the intersteller alliance. Of course if you think about it, there really is no such thing as an end to aftermath.

You mentioned 'the writers' in another post. JMS has been the *only* writer since the episode "Knives" in season 2. There's only going to be one other episode written by somebody else in the whole series - "Day of the Dead" in season 5.

Jan

So he didn't have help or input? I guess I'm just used to putting "The writers" in a plural sense, but of course JMS get's most if not all the credit.