Niners Unite...around Babylon 5!
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The wait was fine, for me.
The show started a little slow (which if you are patient is fine), like a book and then really picked up speed.
But the weeks wait gave you time to absorb everything and then try and guess what things would came out later from that episode.
It also served as a trial run, see what works and what doesn't and work from there.
But Parliment of Dreams is a really good episode.
The show started a little slow (which if you are patient is fine), like a book and then really picked up speed.
But the weeks wait gave you time to absorb everything and then try and guess what things would came out later from that episode.
It also served as a trial run, see what works and what doesn't and work from there.
But Parliment of Dreams is a really good episode.
^ I take it this is your first time watching B5?
Babylon 5 Official Records Archive Search:
Station Report, March 2258. Commander Jeffrey Sinclair Reporting.
The arrival of the rogue telepath, Jason Ironheart, nearly proved catastrophic for the station. As my assigned telepath Talia Winters explained it, his abilities were expanding beyond his control, and I suspect he might have destroyed the station if he had stayed longer. I strongly recommend that whatever happened to him be investigated and avoided by all telepaths in the future.
Fortunately, the arrival of two PsiCops forced Ironheart's hand, and he fled the station before doing permanent damage. Sadly, one of the PsiCops attempted to intercept the rogue, and did not survive.
Mr. Ironheart attempted to escape the station in a commandeered vessel, but his ship exploded before he reached the jumpgate, presumably due to his unstable abilities. At this time he is presumed dead.
As an addendum, I have taken possession of sensor scans recorded by a survey ship near Sigma 957. They show unusual and dangerous anomalies in that sector, and as a result I recommend it be marked a navigational hazard on all star charts. I know EarthForce will be interested in anomalies in proximity to Babylon 5 after what happened to the previous station, but these scans suggest that any attempt at scientific inquiry would be unwise.
End Report
Jeffrey Sinclair, Commanding Officer Babylon 5
Cosigned by Alfred Bester, PsiCorps Rating P-12
Station Report, March 2258. Commander Jeffrey Sinclair Reporting.
The arrival of the rogue telepath, Jason Ironheart, nearly proved catastrophic for the station. As my assigned telepath Talia Winters explained it, his abilities were expanding beyond his control, and I suspect he might have destroyed the station if he had stayed longer. I strongly recommend that whatever happened to him be investigated and avoided by all telepaths in the future.
Fortunately, the arrival of two PsiCops forced Ironheart's hand, and he fled the station before doing permanent damage. Sadly, one of the PsiCops attempted to intercept the rogue, and did not survive.
Mr. Ironheart attempted to escape the station in a commandeered vessel, but his ship exploded before he reached the jumpgate, presumably due to his unstable abilities. At this time he is presumed dead.
As an addendum, I have taken possession of sensor scans recorded by a survey ship near Sigma 957. They show unusual and dangerous anomalies in that sector, and as a result I recommend it be marked a navigational hazard on all star charts. I know EarthForce will be interested in anomalies in proximity to Babylon 5 after what happened to the previous station, but these scans suggest that any attempt at scientific inquiry would be unwise.
End Report
Jeffrey Sinclair, Commanding Officer Babylon 5
Cosigned by Alfred Bester, PsiCorps Rating P-12
Good to have you here, Kolrad!
Feel free to pitch right in when you like! The more the merrier! 
Mind War
Well, while this episode is okay, personally, I think the "B" story might be more important in this one than the "A" story - at least in some ways.
In the "A" story, we have the entrance of Bester. For you B5 newbies who currently think of Walter Koenig as a Trek actor....be prepared to revise your thoughts on that matter. Cus IMO, the part he plays in B5 (and yes, we do see a fair amount of him in the show) is WAY more important that is Chekov. Bester is a great character, IMO - one of the better occasional characters on B5, if not the best. This is by no means his best episode, but if you take it as a mere introduction to the Psi Cops and Bester, we got alot of new info here!
Some decent develoment for Talia...but I never liked her that much, so I don't really care that much about Jason Ironheart and her.
The "B" story involved Catherine traipsing off to do a survey on Sigma 957. Now, here, I do have a question for OmahaStar or somebody:
<span class="spoiler"><font class="small">Spoiler:</font><hr /><span>Where the entities Catherine encountered at Sigma 957 part of the First Ones? Or might they even be the Shadows?</span><hr /></span>
I've always wondered about this...
Anyway, some most interesting comments made by G'Kar to Catherine in this one - especially at the end when he was talking about the ants.
No Londo in this one...so nothing new to report there.
Well, while this episode is okay, personally, I think the "B" story might be more important in this one than the "A" story - at least in some ways.
In the "A" story, we have the entrance of Bester. For you B5 newbies who currently think of Walter Koenig as a Trek actor....be prepared to revise your thoughts on that matter. Cus IMO, the part he plays in B5 (and yes, we do see a fair amount of him in the show) is WAY more important that is Chekov. Bester is a great character, IMO - one of the better occasional characters on B5, if not the best. This is by no means his best episode, but if you take it as a mere introduction to the Psi Cops and Bester, we got alot of new info here!
Some decent develoment for Talia...but I never liked her that much, so I don't really care that much about Jason Ironheart and her.
The "B" story involved Catherine traipsing off to do a survey on Sigma 957. Now, here, I do have a question for OmahaStar or somebody:
<span class="spoiler"><font class="small">Spoiler:</font><hr /><span>Where the entities Catherine encountered at Sigma 957 part of the First Ones? Or might they even be the Shadows?</span><hr /></span>
I've always wondered about this...
Anyway, some most interesting comments made by G'Kar to Catherine in this one - especially at the end when he was talking about the ants.
No Londo in this one...so nothing new to report there.
<span class="spoiler"><font class="small">Spoiler:</font><hr /><span>First Ones. And yes, we see them later. They are not the Shadows, nor any species connected to them. </span><hr /></span>
Mind War, by JMS, directed by Bruce Seth Green, 9/10
This episode is an example of what Walter Koenig is capible of doing, when given good material.
Prior to the mid-90s, Walter was known solely for his role as Chekov from Star Trek, and it was pretty much a one-note character. This role gives him something to stick his teeth into, and he can be ... scary ... when he wants to be.
In this episode, we're given an early look into the dealings of the Psi Corps and how they operate. We already know about P-level ratings, but this gives us more insite. P10s are instructors. P12 are automatically Psi Cops, a "men in black" type group of agents whose responsibility is keeping other telepaths in line.
We find that one in every thousand humans is a telepath, and of those, one in every ten thousand is a telekenetic. Psi Corps has been experimenting on its own, trying to create stronger telepaths, or something even more powerful.
One of those powerful creations is Jason Ironheart, a former instructor of Talia Winters. Jason has come to the station, trying to excape from Bester and Miss Kelsey, Psi Cops assigned to track him down, and destroy him if necessary.
And just when Jason is becoming some kind of superbeing, Catherine Sakai is in orbit of Sigma 957, an unhealthy planet known for strange goings-on. Another superbeing there, which may or may not even realize Sakai is there, opens up a portal (or, perhaps, a jumpgate). Sakai's ship is caught in its wake, and 90% of the energy is drained out of it.
Moments before her ship crashes, she's rescued by two Narn ships, sent under G'Kar's orders. As he reminds her, no one on Babylon 5 is exactly what they seem. If he surprised her, then he is quite happy about it.
Now, to add a little bit more ... Yes, this is the first episode about the Psi Cops, and I don't know whether it was the fault of the scriptwriter, the actors, or the director, but a lot of the scenes early in the episode (and everything done with "Miss Kelsey") are completely over-the-top. Ok, Ms. K, we get it. Now shut up now. Ugh.
And finally ....
"My name is Mary Ann Cramer, and I'm still a bitch."
The War Prayer, by D. C. Fontana, directed by Ricahrd Compton 7/10
First, just a purely trivial note ... All but 2 episodes of the first season were aired in a different place than when they were filmed. This is one of those two exceptions. It's the 7th episode filmed, and the 7th episode aired. The only other episode to claim this honor is the 11th episode, "Survivors".
There are a growing number of "Earth First" type groups back home; they will do whatever it takes to get rid of all alien influences, and shut the borders, keeping Earth for Earthers.
Among this group is an old friend of Susan's, Malcolm Biggs. He has come to the station to recruit Susan and possibly Sinclair to his cause. His group wants to get into the alien sector and commit mass murder, then leave the station before they're caught.
One of the aliens they attack is Kiron, a relative of Vir Cotto, who has traveled to B5 with his girlfriend Aria (played by Danica McKeller, known to pretty much all of us as "Wendy" from "The Wonder Years").
In the end, he and his group are exposed for what they are and shipped back to Earth.
Not a bad episode, not a great one either. There's nothing that really stands out about this episode (unlike the last two, which both had major Arc connections), this standalone works best as an introduction to home guard and the type.
That said, I really like Shaal Mayan. It's a shame they didn't make her a regular, as she played so well against both Delenn and Londo.
*******************
"...has released this statement regarding fugitive Jason Ironheart. 'The fugitive's stolen ship was destroyed after it fired on enforcement agents pursuing him. It is with deepest regret that we report the loss of our fellow Psi Corps brother.'
Psi Corps Enforcement agent Alfred Bester will be a special guest on NightSide Tonight.
In other news, Dr. Vance Hendricks has been sentanced to life in prison for his role in the murders aboard Babylon 5 and theft of priceless artifacts from museums on twelve worlds.
As we reported yesterday, Minbari poet Shaal Mayan will be appearing before the Senate on Friday. Mayan is on a goodwill tour, bridging the gap between the many cultures she has met in her travels. Dan Randall has more on this story. Dan?"
First, just a purely trivial note ... All but 2 episodes of the first season were aired in a different place than when they were filmed. This is one of those two exceptions. It's the 7th episode filmed, and the 7th episode aired. The only other episode to claim this honor is the 11th episode, "Survivors".
There are a growing number of "Earth First" type groups back home; they will do whatever it takes to get rid of all alien influences, and shut the borders, keeping Earth for Earthers.
Among this group is an old friend of Susan's, Malcolm Biggs. He has come to the station to recruit Susan and possibly Sinclair to his cause. His group wants to get into the alien sector and commit mass murder, then leave the station before they're caught.
One of the aliens they attack is Kiron, a relative of Vir Cotto, who has traveled to B5 with his girlfriend Aria (played by Danica McKeller, known to pretty much all of us as "Wendy" from "The Wonder Years").
In the end, he and his group are exposed for what they are and shipped back to Earth.
Not a bad episode, not a great one either. There's nothing that really stands out about this episode (unlike the last two, which both had major Arc connections), this standalone works best as an introduction to home guard and the type.
That said, I really like Shaal Mayan. It's a shame they didn't make her a regular, as she played so well against both Delenn and Londo.
*******************
"...has released this statement regarding fugitive Jason Ironheart. 'The fugitive's stolen ship was destroyed after it fired on enforcement agents pursuing him. It is with deepest regret that we report the loss of our fellow Psi Corps brother.'
Psi Corps Enforcement agent Alfred Bester will be a special guest on NightSide Tonight.
In other news, Dr. Vance Hendricks has been sentanced to life in prison for his role in the murders aboard Babylon 5 and theft of priceless artifacts from museums on twelve worlds.
As we reported yesterday, Minbari poet Shaal Mayan will be appearing before the Senate on Friday. Mayan is on a goodwill tour, bridging the gap between the many cultures she has met in her travels. Dan Randall has more on this story. Dan?"
<span class="spoiler"><font class="small">Spoiler:</font><hr /><span>Yep. I remember that. In this episode, we don't get a really good look at the First Ones, and until now, I'd wondered but was never sure. Later, when Susan and Marcus go back and try to rally some of them, we get much better looks at them. As we do during the final showdown of the Shadow War.</span><hr /></span>
Anyway, thanks for the clarification there!
Hehehehe...
No one is as he appears.
And this, by the way, is the chief thing that makes Londo Mollari my favorite character in all of Scifi. And G'Kar pretty far up the list too. The evolution of these two characters is simply a masterpiece.
Hi all! Am sorry, it's a hectic week for me at the moment, so will be posting my thoughts on these last few eps asap (what I can say right now is that I have REALLY enjoyed them, they've definitely convinced me that this series is a keeper, now!). :thumbsup:
In the meantime, I thought I'd post this photomanip I did the other day for Parliament of Dreams. If it's too facetious for this thread, mods, please alert me and I'll remove it!
In the meantime, I thought I'd post this photomanip I did the other day for Parliament of Dreams. If it's too facetious for this thread, mods, please alert me and I'll remove it!
^ Yep. I love it too.
Good work, Llanita! :thumbsup:"Parliament of Dreams" was great. I loved watching Sinclair and Garibaldi react to the various religious ceremonies. Londo's line, "When every day is a struggle, one needs as many gods as possible" or something like that was a nice revealing touch about the Centauri. With Londo portraying a life of excess it brought them down to a real level. G'Kar's (sp?) paranoia was well played. The whole "pain-givers" bit was a bit unoriginal--in name and in how they worked; however, the scene was saved by Natoth kicking G'Kar's ass (good fun that was!). Overall I'd give it 8/10.
"Mind War," I think that's the name of the episode, was a step down. While it was critical in setting up the PsyCorp as a potential threat and the PsyCops as above the normal laws for telepaths, it was a bit slow for me. It had great potential and Koenig really nails Bester from the go, but there were just enough cheesy parts to drop it to a 5/10 for me. The Bester/other PsyCop scene when they probe Talia's mind was particularly painful to watch.
On a side note, I've been surprised as how bad some of the CGI is. I don't remember it being so obvious--perhaps new shows have up'ed the ante so much that looking back on CGI's beginnings makes it look so bad. The scenes in the subway-like transport are really bad.
This is only my second time through season 1 (I've seen seasons 2-4 three times, but didn't buy seasons 1 or 5 when they came out). Thanks to internet rentals and this forum I'm really enjoying revisiting these early episodes. They show flashes of what the show will become, and even with the few duds and weak moments they are very entertaining. I might just have to seek out this season set after all.
"Mind War," I think that's the name of the episode, was a step down. While it was critical in setting up the PsyCorp as a potential threat and the PsyCops as above the normal laws for telepaths, it was a bit slow for me. It had great potential and Koenig really nails Bester from the go, but there were just enough cheesy parts to drop it to a 5/10 for me. The Bester/other PsyCop scene when they probe Talia's mind was particularly painful to watch.
On a side note, I've been surprised as how bad some of the CGI is. I don't remember it being so obvious--perhaps new shows have up'ed the ante so much that looking back on CGI's beginnings makes it look so bad. The scenes in the subway-like transport are really bad.
This is only my second time through season 1 (I've seen seasons 2-4 three times, but didn't buy seasons 1 or 5 when they came out). Thanks to internet rentals and this forum I'm really enjoying revisiting these early episodes. They show flashes of what the show will become, and even with the few duds and weak moments they are very entertaining. I might just have to seek out this season set after all.
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