I get that the dating story was to help bring some lightness to a heavily dramatic episode, but I think it brings down the whole episode overall slightly.
Stargate SG-1, Farscape, Space: Above and Beyond... Lexx.DS9, Voyager, Babylon 5... I should just finish the job and add The X-Files! Relive the '90s in Sci-Fi!
No, I'm going to do that. Just a random thought that crossed my mind.
What would you have chosen as a B story instead?
Screw it. I'll do The X-Files once I'm done with B5. I have the entire series on DVD anyway, and I want to always have at least one non-Trek thing going.I've sometimes thought of rewatching X-Files. My mom did so a few years back and commented on how many now-well known actors were guest stars back then.
Regarding Londo doing the voiceover at the beginning..."The Gathering" (B5 Pilot) -- Re-Watch, 1st Half
Thoughts about the pilot now that I'm more familiar with the series.
I prefer Sinclair giving the opening monologue instead of Londo. It sounds like something Sinclair should be doing, given that he's in charge of Babylon 5. In retrospect, now that I heard Londo doing it here, it just seems strange.
There's something about Takashima that doesn't quite click. I think Ivanova was a re-worked version of Takashima, and I have an easier time imagining Claudia Christian delivering these lines as Ivanova than Tamlyn Tomita as Takashima. Tamlyn Tomita just doesn't seem well-suited to the role. Though I did like her as Nedar (a.k.a. Commodore Oh) in Picard.
Andreas Katsulus overacts it a little bit as G'Kar in the pilot. I blame this on the director, Richard Compton. Andreas Katsulus tones it down a bit in later episodes, and he was still theatrical but didn't overdo it as Tomalak in TNG.
All the other actors nailed their roles from the beginning.
"The Gathering" feels like it drags on now, but I still appreciate it because I'll never forget how much I struggled to take everything in the first time I watched. For that reason, I don't hold it against "The Gathering" when I probably would in any other circumstance. This is one of those situations where it's a pilot and you just have to give it some grace. As opposed to DS9 where it was an outgrowth of elements that developed over time on TNG, and thus less to take in all at once.
Even without telling me, just by looking at it, I can tell there had to be at least some re-mastering, re-doing, or touching up of the CGI. The exterior shots look too advanced for 1993 but look just about right for 1998.
After a season of Babylon 5, I can tell the difference between Richard Compton's directing and Janet Greek's directing. I don't remember if Richard Compton directed any more episodes after "The Gathering", I mostly remember Janet Greek, but it's interesting how much of a difference the directing makes all the way around. Not just with guiding the actors through their performances, but also the technical aspects. The lighting is a lot darker in "The Gathering". The shots themselves some of the angles seem like weird choices. The shots are probably them figuring out how best to capture the inside of the station. The lighting, well, that's a deliberate choice. I prefer brighter lighting on darker sets, so you can clearly see everything, but the atmosphere still looks dark. Ditching the neon lights after "The Gathering" was a good choice. Not everywhere on the station should look like a night club, except for the parts Downbelow that want to look like one.
I don't know if I mentioned this before, I probably did but, in case I didn't, Sinclair having a video call with his girlfriend reminds me of Heyward making a video call in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The context is completely different, but the concept is the same. Definitely a homage. For some reason, the retrofuture feels more futuristic to me than someone using Skype or Zoom.
As Varner tried to take advantage of Londo, I felt bad for him. It seems like everyone tries to take advantage of Londo!
G'Kar is trying to mate with Lyta. That's my cue to grab the rice I just cooked up. If they'd shared the same universe, I would've said Nog must've gotten his dating tips from G'Kar...
It's funny how neatly things lined up in the transition from the pilot to the series. Takashima and Dr. Kyle want to save Ambassador Kosh, and that involves seeing him in the flesh. They rope in Lyta to help them. Coincidentally, the actors who played these characters didn't return to the series due to unrelated reasons. But JMS was able to take what happened in-universe and make it work to fit around what happened in Real Life!
I'll post my new thoughts about the second half later today.
Well, that too.(It's because he likes talking.)