Babylon 5

[JD]

"Signs and Portents"

"What do you want?"

At this point, I wanted the "main story" of this unfurling tale to kick into gear. And I get the feeling that it did with this episode. Look, it's called Signs and Portents, which happens to be the subtitle of the season as a whole, so it's not too hard for me to guess that this is meant to be a significant episode, and likely foreshadows a lot of what's to eventually come. Much of it was intriguing. That said, I couldn't help but feel that I was somehow expecting more.

The hole in Sinclair's Battle of the Line recollection continues to be filled, and the revelation that the Minbari wanted him and only him to take command of the station is compelling. He's going to turn out to be some kind of sleeper agent, right? (don't answer that)

We also know what's at stake - the ominous vision of "what could be" must not be allowed to pass.

The biggest space battle seen so far was a fun watch; even the effects are endearing to me (see notes below). There was also some typically effective humour with Londo and G'Kar. There's rarely a dull moment when either of those two are on screen.

On the negative side, some of the writing seemed a little clunky and staged to me - not least the propensity for characters to launch into charged monologues after repeatedly being asked "what do you want?" by the creepy Morden. It was almost worth it just for Kosh's response, however.

Did I ultimately enjoy it as a standalone hour? Yes. Was I perhaps expecting something a little MORE significant? Probably. Do I think I'll likely enjoy it more on a rewatch with the knowledge of the full story? Absolutely. For now though, I'll deem it good, but not great.

And what do I want? I want the first truly GREAT episode to reveal itself. Maybe it'll be the next one!

Rating: ***

- It didn't escape my attention that Kosh reported his environmental suit as "damaged" right after warning Morden to disperse. Did Morden attack him? The balls on that guy if so.
- "On my first birthday she said I would be killed by the shadows" - why did I get the feeling that I should immediately consider this Kiro guy a goner?
- I'm liking the effects more and more for their industrial feel - the Starfuries mechanically detaching before launching into space was so satisfying.
- The music was great in this one. Blaring the theme tune so often really felt as though the episode was declaring THIS is Babylon 5.

"And I say England's greatest prime minister was Lord Palmerston!" "Pitt the Elder!"
"Lord Palmerston!" "PITT THE ELDER!"

The season title episodes are the most significant episodes of the season.
B5 was one that had a little bit of a slow start, but trust me, once you start getting into the next couple seasons things really start to pick up.

 

[BlueStuff]

And what do I want? I want the first truly GREAT episode to reveal itself. Maybe it'll be the next one!

In short, it wasn't.

"TKO"

Not a whole lot to say about a pretty silly, predictable episode that struck me as the opposite of essential. Though I suspect this one ranks very low in the rankings of B5 fans, from what I remember Infection was even worse. TKO at least featured a somewhat interesting (or, had the potential to be interesting) subplot with Ivanova and her rabbi allowing for a sympathetic view of faith. That said, even that was very predictable in the general ground it covered. "I don't want to confront my feelings." "Please reconsider." "Okay, I will. You're right, I feel better."

The main plot was even more ho-hum, throwing out a standard "man is initially pooh-poohed upon trying to get involved with a foreign culture, but he shows his resilience and earns their respect!" theme. With all the flashy lights and barmy sci-fi dressings, I couldn't help but compare it to DS9's Move Along Home, a similarly reviled hour from that show's first season. Much like that, I suspect that TKO will be quickly forgotten in the grand scheme of things - maybe the next episode will pick up the quality!

Rating: **

- I quite enjoy Michael O'Hare's performance by now. He always looks so, so tired and weary, but it's believable given what his character has gone through. Still, he always maintains his qualities as a leader. There was also such genuine concern for his crew when he hears about the passing of Ivanova's father.
- The fighting plot wasn't helped by the highly stereotypical kung-fu voice of the Muta-Do. There was a glimmer of an interesting idea when that one random dude highlighted the inherently imperialist nature of humanity - but they didn't do anything interesting with it. Instead, it's "Smith! Smith! Smith!"
- Caliban: what is his angle?
- I don't think it would've been too much to ask for some more complex fighting choreography. It got to a point where Smith and alien-Drago were simply trading blows like Rock Em Sock Em Robots.
- My theory (on season one at least) seems to be on point so far: No Londo/G'Kar, no good.

I now wish there was a hole in my mind.

 

[David cgc]

"Infection," "TKO," and an episode from a later season where they really should've known better all flirt with being regarded as the worst episode of Babylon 5.

 

[DonIago]

Does the later episode's name feature a color and a number?

 

[Kraig]

Does the later episode's name feature a color and a number?

That episode is saved by denn-shah, and is a must see because of it.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I dislike episodes of SF shows that appear to be merely an excuse to include boxing, wrestling, or similar fighting arts for the titillation of those that enjoy such spectacles. I can immediately think of examples on B5, nuBSG, and Voyager but there are surely others.

 

[DigificWriter]

I dislike episodes of SF shows that appear to be merely an excuse to include boxing, wrestling, or similar fighting arts for the titillation of those that enjoy such spectacles. I can immediately think of examples on B5, nuBSG, and Voyager but there are surely others.

"Unfinished Business" (the nuBSG boxing episode) is far from being a "throwaway" story, but it doesn't sound like you've watched it or else you would already know that.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

"Unfinished Business" (the nuBSG boxing episode) is far from being a "throwaway" story, but it doesn't sound like you've watched it or else you would already know that.

It seemed like irrelevant filler as did quite a number of other nuBSG episodes and I have no intention of ever watching it again having seen the lacklustre finale. I can waste my time watching other crap instead. Anyway you seem to have enjoyed it and derived some deeper meaning. I have no problem with that.

 

[DigificWriter]

^ Nothing in nuBSG is "irrelevant filler.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

^ Nothing in nuBSG is "irrelevant filler.

Really? It seemed to me that the show runners hadn't a fracking clue where they were going in later seasons. Parts of it were good but I felt as much let down by its denouement as I did by Lost's.

 

[DigificWriter]

Every individual episodic story that nuBSG told progressed the journeys of individual characters or had something to do with either the overall premise of the series or the driving plot of an individual season.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Why didn't anyone try hooking up that alien healing device to a cow? Cure the patient and steaks all around afterward. Deathwalker's immortality pill, too.

 

[Farscape One]

The healing device from "THE QUALITY OF MERCY" was discovered after the events of "BELIEVERS". Much later that year. Deathwalker's secrets on how to use that serum died with her when the Vorlons blew up her ship.

 

[Gov Kodos]

The healing device from "THE QUALITY OF MERCY" was discovered after the events of "BELIEVERS". Much later that year. Deathwalker's secrets on how to use that serum died with her when the Vorlons blew up her ship.

That post dropped in without any context. I was just wondering about the stuff. It all sounds like vampirism of the magical variety. The machine needed a human to heal a human, Deathwalker's drug allegedly worked the same or that's what I took from her speech but it doesn't make sense. Plankton and humans are both living things, why shouldn't a bottle of some simple life form do just as well? I get the quandary JMS wanted to propose but it doesn't make sense unless the technology conforms to magical vampire rules.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

That post dropped in without any context. I was just wondering about the stuff. It all sounds like vampirism of the magical variety. The machine needed a human to heal a human, Deathwalker's drug allegedly worked the same or that's what I took from her speech but it doesn't make sense. Plankton and humans are both living things, why shouldn't a bottle of some simple life form do just as well? I get the quandary JMS wanted to propose but it doesn't make sense unless the technology conforms to magical vampire rules.

The ethical quandary posed by the way that the Techno-mages acquire their implanted tech is similar but more believable. As you state, there's nothing intrinsically special about the "life force" of a human cell as opposed to any other terrestrial eukaryotic cell. It's a less rational plot device than midi-chlorians.

Every individual episodic story that nuBSG told progressed the journeys of individual characters or had something to do with either the overall premise of the series or the driving plot of an individual season.

I seem to recall a character development scene where Bill Adama was redecorating his quarters, working out he'd painted himself literally into a corner, and breaking down sobbing in a heap. I assume that was a metaphor for the position that the script writers found themselves in rather than showing a formerly stoic, courageous leader at the end of his tether. Maybe I'm misremembering or imagining it. Anyway, I can't be arsed to check...

 

[JD]

I dislike episodes of SF shows that appear to be merely an excuse to include boxing, wrestling, or similar fighting arts for the titillation of those that enjoy such spectacles. I can immediately think of examples on B5, nuBSG, and Voyager but there are surely others.

I think there's a rule somewhere that every sci-fi or fantasy shows has to have a fight club episode. It seems like almost every one I've watched has had one.

 

[David cgc]

I seem to recall a character development scene where Bill Adama was redecorating his quarters, working out he'd painted himself literally into a corner, and breaking down sobbing in a heap. I assume that was a metaphor for the position that the script writers found themselves in rather than showing a formerly stoic, courageous leader at the end of his tether. Maybe I'm misremembering or imagining it. Anyway, I can't be arsed to check...

I can't believe how much I missed people willfully misinterpreting Battlestar Galactica.

Also, that's a funny pick for an example of time-killing episodic filler, as it was in the big table-clearing exposition-dump that answered all the questions about where the Cylons came from and what they were all trying to accomplish.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I can't believe how much I missed people willfully misinterpreting Battlestar Galactica.

Also, that's a funny pick for an example of time-killing episodic filler, as it was in the big table-clearing exposition-dump that answered all the questions about where the Cylons came from and what they were all trying to accomplish.

An infodump isn't character development nor is it good writing. I don't know but I expect the writers' room smelt a bit funny after they came up with that one.

 

[StarCruiser]

This discussion hasn't really been hitting as much on B5 but, it has convinced me I was right to skip NuBSG...

 

[DigificWriter]

This discussion hasn't really been hitting as much on B5 but, it has convinced me I was right to skip NuBSG...

Misinformation has convinced you you were right?

I'm not sure you should be admitting that on a public forum.