Babylon 5

[Kail]

I fell into a show hole and decided to give Babylon 5 a try. I know it was a popular show, but had never had a chance to see it. I bought season 1 and I've watched the pilot and first episode, and I gotta tell you, so far I'm not impressed. It seems kinda cheezy. Is it gonna get better? What season was the best?

 

[Lior .B.]

One of the best sci fi shows. it had begining middle and an end.. unlike other shows

 

[Timby]

I fell into a show hole and decided to give Babylon 5 a try. I know it was a popular show, but had never had a chance to see it. I bought season 1 and I've watched the pilot and first episode, and I gotta tell you, so far I'm not impressed. It seems kinda cheezy. Is it gonna get better? What season was the best?

The overall plot unabashedly lifts from The Lord of the Rings and it has some of the worst acting you'll ever see on television, notably from Bruce Boxleitner and Jerry Doyle. (Jeff Conaway is pretty bad, too.) The sets are hilariously cheap. Some of the writing is way too on-the-nose for its own good.

But the series, as a whole, tells a good story. Enjoy Michael O'Hare.

 

[Kail]

I was hoping the acting would get better. So far Michael O'Hare seems like a stiff. I REALLY want to like this show. I'm hoping it gets better as it goes, and the actors find their characters, much like TNG was NOT great in it's first season, but got better.

 

[Bob Morton]

The first season is pretty important, though. The series really rewards the consistent viewer.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

There are certain B5 episodes that I liked (the B4 trilogy, for example - Babylon Squared, War Without End I and II), but all in all, it just wasn't my thing. It was too political for my liking, and characters tended to break out into long-winded speeches at the slightest provocation.

And without spoilering things too much, let's just say that the episode "Into the Fire" had me laughing hysterically at how it eventually turned out.

 

[Sybok Was Wrong]

Hey friend!

Season 1 is going to discourage you! I know you just spent hard-earned money on it--but put it aside.

Go buy Season 2. It's like a semi-reset. Don't listen to the previous poster who said Bruce Boxlightner overacted: he brings William Shatner-level charisma to Captain Sheridan--the guy is a TV pro; he is a Lead the 1st season sorely missed (no disrespect to Michael O'Hare RIP). He gives exciting and passionate performances! He makes you believe in the material.

Now, from there: If you accept this show ended production a long time ago, the sets and FX were made over 20+ years ago--just accept the visuals as a document of early 90's SF on a budget below it's competition...

you will see a story that will reward your investment of time. It's the little show that could. Yeah, there's dome embarrassing moments--but every SF series has 'em. Think of what was "cool" when B5 was on TV: stuff like "Beverly Hills 90210"....have you seen that lately?? More funny than cool. B5 holds up, all things considered, as the best SF series ever.

Go back to your Season 1 box set on the rewatch. Your focus should be Seasons 2-4. That's what I would recommend. See 1,5 and the Movie Collection if you're a fan after!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I actually thought Boxleitner was one of the best actors in the bunch. Speeches or no, at least he seemed to care about what he was doing.

That said, one of my favorite B5 scenes is in the first part of "Babylon Squared" where Sinclair and Garibaldi conspire to convince Ivanova that she's slept through breakfast.

 

[Kail]

Dated FX don't bother me.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Except for the fact that the datedness of said FX is what's preventing B5 from being aired in HD or released on Blu-Ray.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Someone should pitch in with a list of essential season 1 episodes about now. My list would include:

Midnight on the Firing Line
And the Sky Full of Stars
Signs and Portents
A Voice in the Wilderness parts 1 & 2
Babylon Squared
The Quality of Mercy
Chrysalis

 

[Guy Gardener]

Impatient judgmental people need to start with In the Beginning.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

"Mind War"

 

[FPAlpha]

Stick with it, trust me and this board.

B5, for all its faults and substandard acting and stand alone episdes, spins a great tale that unfolds bit by bit until it is completely revealed and the excrement has hit the fan

The first season, while overal not the cream and brilliance of SF TV, is still very important in setting up the universe, characters (though some characters change tremendously and for the better, G'Kar for example) and overarching plotline has rarely been seen since.

While Star Trek shows boast better sets and effects and overall had better actors B5 still has the most epic story that TNG never was able to reach (DS9 was awesome once the Dominion was introduced but it pales to the epic story of B5).

The effects are of course outdated since it was a 90s show on a TV budget but it's still watchable so as i said.. stick with it, season 2 kicks ít a gear higher and season 3 is all around pure brilliance and gripping from start to finish.

Due to TV production realities, the producer and boss of the show JM Straczynski was unsure if he would get the promised 5 seasons and so had to adapt season 4 to conclude the main storyline which may have felt a bit cramped but at the last second he got season 5 but then it was too late to follow the original 5 season storyplan so he had to extend th show and find new storylines which were not bad and set up a wider universe for the spin off shows which sadly didn't do so well and were cancelled.

So enjoy the ride, it is one of the best epic SF shows ever produced and shows what can happen if you have a really cool story to tell and plan it through from the start. You'll enjoy the show again once you have seen it completely and how subtle sometimes the hints were at things to come but they are there

 

[Bob Morton]

The third episode of Season 1 really informs and gives motivation to a major characters Third Season turning-point decision. I skipped that one my first time through and ever since have wished I could have watched it in sequence.

 

[Klaus]

Well worth it as others have said... a truly wonderful show imho...

 

[Marsden]

It's the best show ever made.

 

[T'Girl]

Bester, from psi-corp. Walter Koenig's best work.

 

[RandyS]

I fell into a show hole and decided to give Babylon 5 a try. I know it was a popular show, but had never had a chance to see it. I bought season 1 and I've watched the pilot and first episode, and I gotta tell you, so far I'm not impressed. It seems kinda cheezy. Is it gonna get better? What season was the best?

Yes, its going to get better. Alot better.

That said, season one has some good stuff in it. You should stick with it.

Babylon 5 would be my all-time favorite sci-fi universe if it wasn't for the fact that Star Trek exists. Still, being number two isn't bad.

Have fun. You're in for a hell of a ride.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Listen to the music, not the song.