Babylon 5 (4th trip)

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

I'm the same way. Franke has some good moments, but on the whole I find his music to be pedestrian, and much prefer Stewart Coppland's score to "The Gathering."

LOL!! I'm not going to touch that one.

Bri

I know. I'm one of the few. It must be the guitar-rip motif Copeland uses.

In fact, I even prefer some of the things done in the original "Gathering" over the remastered version and the series proper. Well, except for the pacing issue of the original edit, which is painfully slow.

However, the atmosphere created by the unique lighting choices and smoke I felt covered a lot of flaws in Iacovelli's set designs. Not only that but the music and the lighting, imo, gave a mood to all the characters that was missing from the series proper. I even like the original EA uniform designs.

I agree that Franke's music could be intrusive in the first season but later on there were points where it was just perfect. Sleeping in light was an example but there were many more, often the quiet moments where the music says what the actors are feeling.

Jan

SiL being one episode, and quite a few moments in Season 3 and 4 as well. "Zha'Ha'dum" being another well-scored episode.

My second favorite track by Franke is "Voices of Authority," a piece of which is used in the opening credits of season 5. My first, of course, being the SiL theme when the station... SPOILER.

Franke always goes with the more obvious and loud operatic music that directs my emotions rather than compliment them. It tells me that I should feel "this" in a scene rather than enhancing the drama as it plays out. As Harvey states, it is intrusive, especially in the first season.

You say that like its a bad thing.

Directing emotions has it's time and place, usually in melodrama, but I much prefer a more subtle way of audience manipulation. I don't like being told how to feel through scoring or dialogue. I'd much rather let the drama between the characters play and let my emotions feel with them not over them.

A perfect example is the farewell scene between Delenn and Sheridan. JMS was right in directing them to hold back the water works because it's much more powerful, and subtle, that way. I feel their anguish because I can it can see it behind their facades. The emotion isn't being overtly displayed by the actors; it's all kept behind the eyes. Moreover, the music does not intrude and crescendos at the perfect moment -- when they embrace. Franke's best work, as I said.

Another example where I feel Franke gets it right is when Londo is watching the Mass Drivers do their worst. Londo lowers his head and the music follows.

Don't get me wrong. I love bold, experimental music. The music of TOS. The music of nuBSG. The music of the LOTR trilogy. Franke's music certainly was refreshing from the blandness of ModTrek, but I felt he often erred on the side of overt opera.

 

[Bri]

Don't get me wrong. I love bold, experimental music. The music of TOS. The music of nuBSG. The music of the LOTR trilogy.

Well, we agree on the rest, as I love all the music you just mentioned. NuBSG had some very cool moments. Voices of Authority is a great track, as well.

Bri

 

[trentman359]

"Born to the Purple"

"Londo's career is in jeopardy when a beautiful slave seduces him and steals a sensitive computer file. Garibaldi investigates an unauthorized use of a restricted communications channel."

A decent episode. At least it has some important character information and Adira is a critical love interest for Londo. Now we are gonna get into a lot of average episodes. I'm not a fan of the first season but it really does lay down a lot of groundwork.
​

 

[Elemental]

"The Gathering"

"The Vorlon ambassador is nearly killed by an assassin shortly after arriving at the station, and Commander Sinclair is the prime suspect."

Well its amazing how much of this pilot episode actually survived to the series. Most of Sinclair's character arc was firmly in place. Of course some of the sets and costumes would go on to change. Delenn's makeup is horrendous. All of the principal actors from the series already seem to have a grasp on their roles. I am glad that they got rid of the doctor and the second in command. Overall a pretty decent start to my favorite science fiction series.

I was hooked after the opening monologue.

 

[Elemental]

A lot of people(predictably)put TG down but I actually really liked the visual style of the pilot. I wished they had kept the sense of scale and busyness we see in the backgrounds. The casino was big and bustling and the Arrivals seemed like a real customes port.

First thing I noticed on watching Midnight on the Firing Line was that sets were not nearly as dark or claustrophobic. I loved that about the atmosphere of The Gathering. It made it very unique from something like Star Trek.

5 gravities!!!!!

Ok, Delenn's rings are just as bad as the makeup.

Are you watching the re-edited "Gathering"? I have both versions here, one on dvd, and the original on vhs. One thing about the re-edited Gathering that I didn't like, Kosh's dubbed over line to "Sinclair". "Entilzah Valen", that kinda ruins the whole reveal in "War Without End"!

As others have said, I can't imagine someone catching this without an early tip off. I caught A LOT of the references in this show (such as later early into season 3 suspecting Sinclair was Valen) but I never noticed this one until after despite many viewings of the movie.

One thing I liked about "The Gathering" was the private conversation shields. We never saw them again either.

Huh? What were these?

Keep this thread going! I'll comment on every ep as time permits, it's far and away my favorite series of all time next to The Wire.

Haha, that's the next show I was considering getting into.

 

[Elemental]

Nice! I don't really watch at a steady pace, so bear with me.

"Soul Hunter"

Delenn is in danger when a soul hunter, an alien who captures the souls of the dying, arrives at the station.

Dr. Franklin arrives. Biggs was a great addition to the cast. He was a better actor than Dr. Kyle. His speech about death and how short life is was very poignant. Its a shame he died so young.

I remember Franklin's very first line bugged me: "Com-ANDER Sin-CLAIR!" Even though it was just Sinclair's name, the way he said it and his way of bouncy-walking towards Sinclair still strikes me as out of character for the often stoic, serious, disciplined doctor he usually was. It feels like he was initially trying to be the stereotypical zany black guy just looking for a good party.

 

[David cgc]

One thing I liked about "The Gathering" was the private conversation shields. We never saw them again either.

Huh? What were these?

In the original edit, when G'Kar offers to buy Lyta's genetic material (ahem), they enable "privacy" in the restaurant booth they're in, putting a sound-blocking force-field around them.

 

[Jan]

I remember Franklin's very first line bugged me: "Com-ANDER Sin-CLAIR!" Even though it was just Sinclair's name, the way he said it and his way of bouncy-walking towards Sinclair still strikes me as out of character for the often stoic, serious, disciplined doctor he usually was. It feels like he was initially trying to be the stereotypical zany black guy just looking for a good party.

I don't think so, at least not about the stereotypical part. Franklin's personality when he wasn't being a capital-D Doctor was shown to be fairly uncomplicated/lightweight. He'd hitch-hiked around to avoid a residency, liked to dance and party, seemed to hop into bed with whatever caught his eye and he definitely traveled light. Recall how he said goodbye in the end, just a quick 'so long' and out the door. I think it was very much in character, we just didn't see a whole lot of that side of him.

Jan

 

[Elemental]

Sure, he lived a pretty liberal sort of life at times. At no other point in the series though do I recall him speaking with that jovial sort of carefreeness.

 

[Reverend]

Maybe he had taken some stims on the transport in.

 

[Trubinator]

I'm mixed on the music. Season one I think actually had some of the best music of the entire series because it was ambient and atmospheric ... very techno-y at times. Later, I enjoyed the episodes like SiL, but disliked the constant operatic shit. But then again, I liked Evan Chen's score for Crusade as well.

 

[Bri]

Season one I think actually had some of the best music of the entire series because it was ambient and atmospheric ...

Oh, Mind War rules, no doubt.


Bri

 

[Trubinator]

I really liked the music they played when Londo was romancing Adira too.

 

[trentman359]

"Infection"

"An archaeologist smuggles ancient artifacts onto the station, unleashing a living weapon."

What a piece of cheese. This is why the first season sucks. Nothing redeeming about this episode.

 

[Jan]

FWIW, "Infection" was written before the new cast had been hired. It was actually the first one written for the series proper.

It does set up a fair number of ongoing B5 themes, such as "When you become obsessed with the enemy, you become the enemy" and the fact that no race is 'pure'. That became especially important in the third and fourth seasons when we learned that the Minbari had human DNA in their ancestry.

But, yeah...it's still a rubber suit monster episode.

Jan

 

[Trubinator]

I thought it was amusingly cheesy. The whole "PROTECT!" thing made me laugh quite a bit.

 

[DWF]

"Infection"

"An archaeologist smuggles ancient artifacts onto the station, unleashing a living weapon."

What a piece of cheese. This is why the first season sucks. Nothing redeeming about this episode.

I thought that final scene more than made up for the ep. and I liked the ep. anyway.

 

[Elemental]

Nice! I don't really watch at a steady pace, so bear with me.

"Soul Hunter"

Delenn is in danger when a soul hunter, an alien who captures the souls of the dying, arrives at the station.

Dr. Franklin arrives. Biggs was a great addition to the cast. He was a better actor than Dr. Kyle. His speech about death and how short life is was very poignant. Its a shame he died so young.

FWIW, "Infection" was written before the new cast had been hired. It was actually the first one written for the series proper.

It does set up a fair number of ongoing B5 themes, such as "When you become obsessed with the enemy, you become the enemy" and the fact that no race is 'pure'. That became especially important in the third and fourth seasons when we learned that the Minbari had human DNA in their ancestry.

But, yeah...it's still a rubber suit monster episode.

Jan

You're telling me that episode was written with Dr. Kyle in mind as the doctor? Now that doesn't make any sense.

 

[Elemental]

"Infection"

"An archaeologist smuggles ancient artifacts onto the station, unleashing a living weapon."

What a piece of cheese. This is why the first season sucks. Nothing redeeming about this episode.

I thought that final scene more than made up for the ep. and I liked the ep. anyway.

Yup, like many B5 episodes, one scene manages to save an otherwise disappointing episode.

 

[Jan]

FWIW, "Infection" was written before the new cast had been hired. It was actually the first one written for the series proper.

It does set up a fair number of ongoing B5 themes, such as "When you become obsessed with the enemy, you become the enemy" and the fact that no race is 'pure'. That became especially important in the third and fourth seasons when we learned that the Minbari had human DNA in their ancestry.

But, yeah...it's still a rubber suit monster episode.

Jan

You're telling me that episode was written with Dr. Kyle in mind as the doctor? Now that doesn't make any sense.

No, sorry, I wasn't clear. They knew that Dr. Kyle and Lt. Commander Takashima wouldn't be returning but they hadn't yet filled the parts of Dr. Franklin and Ivanova although they were in the script.

Jan