Sorry you didn't like it Kirk, but in this case you are wrong about it being "stupid." That's not a subjective opinion statement. Londo sacrificed himself.
Yes, and it's a tragedy, but at this point, I think it's quite clear that
Kirk has no taste for tragedy, and that "stupid" is the word he uses for whatever he doesn't like.
Thats totally unfair. Just because I think Londo's fate of being an alien space bug puppet was stupid doesn't mean I hate tragedy. Sure, I prefer an ending to not be tragic, but it can be done well. I just think londo's wasn't an example of a well done "tragic" ending. Attacking my opinions or making completely wrong statements about what I like or dislike isn't going to change that.
Well, We're own to the last four episodes. This will be a large post, because I watched all of them last night.
The Wheel of Fire - G'Kar's welcoming party on B5 was great. He's so popular its actually causing problems on B5. I knew Garibaldi would get caught drunk eventually, it could have been a lot worse for him. Lochley's conversation with Garibaldi and herself and her Dad was interesting. Lyta is outright insane. Sheridan should have just shot her (it was awesome when he was brought in to counter her as one of the only people she can't mess with). I liked seeing Lochley take her out with a punch. Lyta is insane, she's a terrorist, and she's also doing everything Byron didn't want, and doing it in his name. Honestly, thinking back, Byron was pretty useless. They could have made Lyta lose her marbles in an episode or two, instead of dragging his sub plot for so long. I didn't think it was bad, but it does seem kind of pointless at this point, kind of like padding. G'Kar taking her with him is a good idea, it gets the crazy woman away from the station, and maybe he can make her more stable (not that we ever learn her fate or anything
, but still its a good idea). She was an ass to Garibaldi, and overall she's the poster child for everyone who hates telepaths. she's the worst of the telepaths in one person, with mental instability and unbeliveable power. While it is never shown or explained, I hope Garibaldi screwed her over in the end. Overall, this was a good episode, although I now feel absolutely no sympathy for Lyta, who now almost makes the mad centauri Emperor look like the picture of mental health.
Objects in Motion - G'kar needing security to walk the halls was interesting, he sure has a lot of fans. The guy with the statue's was creepy, I was sure he'd come back and do something, and I was right. Lyta's comment about noone wanting her got a response of "well, duh" from me. She's a crazy telepathic terrorist with too much power and an anger problem. The assassain using a stolen link was weird. you'd think it would be made so that someone couldn't tamper with it. To be fair, its probably very hard and he was probably a professional. The going away party was a good idea for a trap, and Zach did a good job of catching the assassain and saving G'Kar. The narn trying to shoot G'Kar wasn't a big surprise. I did like seeing crazy Lyta scanning the assassain. The exit of G'Kar and Lyta was great. I like how Garibaldi beat the board of directors, it was exactly the kind of thing he'd do, and having an account to hire assassains for revenge if he or his wife die was a great idea. Overall, this was a good episode with some great moments.
Objects at Rest - As the final filmed episode this season, and the final episode set in the present, this was a very good episode. This whole episode had a somber feel, and it was done very well. The music was also very epic and was perfect for the episode. G'Kar's choice of replacement was interesting, and the way they did his message was great. I liked Garibaldi's choice of the new board of directors. Its basically all people like himself, who won't be yes men and will tell him the truth and argue with him. Sheridan and delenn's exit from B5 was excellent, especially the last shot of them looking at B5 and the B5 staff looking at them. I was shocked when Lennier left Sheridan to die. It looked like he was coming back for him, but it was still something I didn't expect. Seeing Londo on Minbar was interesting, although the gift was kind of annoying, especially since we don't find out what happens with it (although I'm going to assume it didn't end up working). Sheridan's ending narration was interesting, and ended the episode really well.
Sleeping in Light - I'm just going to say it right now, this finale was amazing. Its emotional and has many powerful scenes. Sheridan and Delenn give great performances this episode. The gathering of the crew was cool. It was nice to see Ivanova again. Emperor Vir's story about Londo was interesting. I'm guessing by the dialog when they talk about absent friends that Lennier also died in the last 20 years. Delenn and Sheridan's scenes were great, especially their goodbye, which was very powerful. I'm not so sure about B5's fate. Even if the diplomatic stuff wasn't needed their anymore, wasn't it also an important trade hub? Having a space station serve like that seems like it would be something someone would want. Blowing it up seems like a bit of a waste. Still, Sheridan's final walk through was great, and his final scene on the white star was just awesome. The end of the station was a great scene, and the ending with the cast and the comparison shots was cool (although G'Kar's old pic, presumably from the pilot The Gathering, had some pretty freaky makeup). This was an amazing ending to the series. The future stuff worked well for a last episode, and I don 't think they could have ended it better. The series ended with some questions I wish had been answered (like the final fate of Lyta, Lennier, Bester and others, what exactly the telepath war was, etc) but that doesn't make this ending any less effective. I have to say this is probably one of my favorite endings ever. It was done so well, and very well acted.
So, it's over. 110 episodes over 5 seasons. I have to say, I loved Babylon 5. Sure it had a few flaws, but it had a lot of great stories and some of the most memorable characters in Sci Fi. Londo and G'Kar especially are easily in my top 10 sci fi characters list. I'm extremely glad I gave this show a chance. The only regret I have is that I didn't watch it sooner. When it comes to my favorite Sci Fi shows, I'd say its probably #4, after Star Trek, Star wars (which is at #2 mostly for the EU, not the movies) and Firefly. Thats not a knock against B5, its just tough competition. I know there are still some movies I need to see, and a spin off series, and I'll get to them eventually, although probably not for awhile. Overall, Babylon 5 was a great show.
I never thought that a thread I made asking which show I should watch would go on this long, and have me talking about a whole first time viewing of a TV series. I posted my first thoughts on Midnight on the Firing Line on August 4, 2012. Its now April 10, 2013. A bit over seven months to watch a whole series isn't bad, when you consider that there was a long break or two in getting the enxt season, and an aborted watching of a second show for awhile. Its weird to finish B5. I'm not sure what I'll watch next, although there won't be a topic about it. After 110 episodes, I'm running out of ways to talk about things. I'd hate to see how many times I've written "interesting, great, awesome" since I started posting about B5
I'm thinking about going with shows I can see for free, unlike B5 which I bought all the seasons. The public library has all of the newer Battlestar galactica. I watched the first season and a half before (back when they only had Season 1 and 2.0) and I liked it well enough, so I might start it over. I'm not certain, though. It will just depend on my mood.
