Your Babylon 5 Recommendation

[HugeLobes]

Posting this on the Niner forum because the two shows seem so closely (apparently 'suspiciously') related.

I loved DS9. It's the only Trek series I've really enjoyed as opposed to just watching when it's on. Started B5 thinking I'd love it, but hasn't really taken.

Love the premise, and it does have one of the most evocative opening sequences ever. I mostly enjoyed the episodes heavily related to the overall story but felt the standones were pretty abysmal. Might be the main difference with DS9, which had great overarching story episodes and great single episodes.

So, do you think it's worth continuing? For context, just got through season 1.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I enjoyed Babylon 5, mostly after its first season, though not nearly as much as DS9. I think it's worth sticking with. Sometimes I think that the desire to tell the whole story, to create lore, really hurt the dramatic presentation, but it shouldn't be a problem if you don't mind "squinting" a little.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I felt the same way after season 1, it gets better when the main arc picks up in season 2.

Season 1, like with DS9, is more enjoyable once you understand the characters.

 

[Butters]

I recommend sticking with it. The seeds are slowly sown but it gathers pace and the stakes get higher and higher. The similarities with DS9 really are superficial.

 

[John Clark]

For me, absolutely. I did enjoy it from the start, but things do get more hectic as time goes on

 

[Seven of Five]

I did my latest B5 rewatch a few weeks ago and I always forget how much I get wrapped up into it each time.

Season one is much better during a rewatch when you know the characters better. The pace really does pick up in season two though so hang on.

The show was definitely at it's best when it was telling the arc stories.

 

[shivkala]

Honestly, as much as I love Babylon 5, I kind of feel that if "Babylon Squared" and the season finale, "Chrysalis" didn't grab you, it might not be for you. Yes, season 2 picks up, but I'd dare say that while things gel a bit better in season 2, it's not a vast quality differential.

Of course, everything gets better the second time through the series as you start to pick up on the threads you missed or didn't realize were important (despite the more serialized nature of Deep Space Nine, Trek has a habit of dropping, retconning, or outright ignoring threads they previously dropped). And the third season is my absolute favorite of the show. Of course so much in the third season has things that pay off in seasons 4 and 5.

 

[kkt]

I didn't care much for Babylon 5 season 1. I rewatched it and continued to watch through about season 4, and to be honest I didn't think it got much better in seasons 2-4.

 

[bolak]

I loved B5 but it was like watching a stage performance more than a sci-fi show; the acting was often hammy and sometimes you had to be generous in enduring the ambling scripts.

After the conclusion of the Shadow War I went back and watched season 1 again and whilst it was still Hamalot 5 it did reveal several 'aha!' moments.

 

[marlboro]

I've tried the show three times and I've never made it through the first season.

The acting: it's pretty rough. I have a hard time believing it would improve significantly. I could be wrong.

The special effects: I don't watch shows for special effects, but if you can't do them better than this I wish you wouldn't even do them.


The ending: I've heard a lot of people say that the show improves dramatically, but that the ending is comparatively weak. Since the show is so interconnected, I find this pretty discouraging.

 

[HugeLobes]

I kind of feel that if "Babylon Squared" and the season finale, "Chrysalis" didn't grab you, it might not be for you.

I liked those, it was mainly the standalones.

Anyway, thanks for the advice! I'll persevere for at least another season. I'm interested when they'll finally call it quits on Garibaldi's hairline.

 

[RPOW0614]

Big fan of B5 and all things Trek.
Stay with it, it's a good story despite the bad acting and the sub-par special effects.
I think Londo's story is one of the most tragic stories in all of Sci-fi.

 

[DonIago]

If you're not enjoying it by the time you get to "The Coming of Shadows" in S2 then you should definitely abandon all hope. S1 is rough, especially on a first viewing.

S5 starts off rocky as well, but some of the finest work of the show is in the last few episodes.

 

[Forbin]

It's the best sci fi show ever.
(I just said that to counter the negatives).
There actually is brilliance along the way, as well as some tedium. But overall I thought it was an amazing experience that I wouldn't have wanted to miss.

Those who complain about the effects may not realize that B5 was the ground breaker for TV-budget digital effects. They did it first, learned, developed, and grew, and other shows have them to thank. Don't be ungrateful.

 

[BillJ]

While rougher around the edges, I think it is a better overall show than Deep Space Nine.

 

[Mage]

Bad acting at times, hammy dialogue, bad SFX. And simply one of the best scifi shows ever.

"Tomorrow is sunday Delenn, and I'm going out for a drive."

 

[HugeLobes]

I kinda like the hammy acting. Not everything needs to have the realistic approach most actors now take. In this sort of space drama, hamming it up seems appropriate.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I would stick with it. I'm just at the end of a rewatch and I forgot how much I loved this show and the characters. Because the creator had a definite end in mind, characters change, there are real consequences that most sci fi shows don't really indulge in.

If by the end of Season 2 it's not your thing... yeah...

 

[JD]

I'd put in another recommendation to stick with it. Like others have said, it takes a little while to really take off, but once it does it's great.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I also have to admit, rewatching Season 5, I’m coming around to it as well.

The show is marvelous, in spite of its low budget. I love these characters so much.