Babylon 5

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105946/


So I'm out of Star Trek to watch on Netflix so I'm going to start Babylon 5 at @Marvey's recommendation. It's a slow start (all the Trek's are as well) but I'm 10 episodes in and really getting a feel for the universe. Yes, it's a similar setting to DS9. I read somewhere that they basically stole the premise for DS9 from B5. Whatever, DS9 is still awesome. Sci-fi hipsters gon' hate. My intuition tells me B5 has the potential to be equally awesome so I'm excited to see what it offers. What I like from my initial sampling:

• Close to earth
• Ghetto sci-fi technology. No transporters, replicators or silly holodeck wizardry. What is probably a way more realistic look at what 23rd century space tech would actually look like
• Believable characters. Such a breath of fresh air coming from Voyager. Voyager is not terrible overall once you push through it, but it leaves this fake and ghey taste in your mouth.

I'll post more commentary and inane memes as I move along.

 

Ensign Kim is actually very relatable for me. Young smart kid with big ambition. Grew up with overbearing Asian parents. 7 seasons of persistently trying to get laid. I think he's the quintessential Star Trek fan that they put on screen as fan service.

B5 looks like it's removed all the teenager stuff and is what an actual military installation would look and feel like

 

I've been plodding through season 1 for a month or two now. Every once in a while I remember it and get back to it... After B5 I'll probably turn to TOS.

 

B5 really hits its mark in seasons 2 and 3. Still good in season 4, but season 5 has the same issue as what sunk Star Wars: Phantom Menace; political intrigue and exposition done poorly. I don't think I ever finish watching Season 5. Still, Babylon5 is like Star Trek: Deep Space 9, awesome story that builds over entire seasons, maturely handled themes, and under appreciated.

Unfortunately, only available on DVD...Definitely on my must buy BluRay list.

 

Would love to watch that show again but once again we get shafted here in the EU when it comes to streaming content. Yes i'm salty...

 

Just started Season 2.

Spoiler: Season2

Please tell me Sinclair is going to come back soon. I don't like this new guy at all.

 

And don't miss the one-season spinoff, Crusade.

 

I'm going by this order for now.

Spoiler: Season2

Things are barely set into motion and the internal politcal intrigue is already way more interesting than anything Star Trek has done. Star Trek is pretty one trick pony....rogue starfleet admiral, sneaky romulan, blah blah blah done a million times. The Section 69 stuff in DS9 was good but still 1-dimensional in comparison. It's great when we don't know if our actual protagonists are all on the same side.

 

I joined the forum recently and am most glad to see that there are still some who like the series. I did follow other 'syfy' series, but none has got that scope that B5 had. Sure Star Trek TNG, DS9 and such were good, but I found them to be too linear and clinical.

For myself, i don't mind missing out a few episodes here and there, not the case for B5, I followed it religiously back then. Even bought all five TV series boxsets plus one movie boxset.

It's true that in B5, the protagonists and their allies aren't what they seemed to be, some with agendas of their own. I like that sometimes, the series leave a few big questions unanswered.......then pop a jaw dropping resolution a couple of seasons later.....just think B4.

B5 remains my all time sci-fi series, and imo, no other series has come close.

 

Poor guy gets practically "killed" every season too.

 

Been marathoning the past few months, have 2 episodes left. Haven't watched any of the movies so far, they all seemed kinda poor to my taste.

Overall B5 is good, but it's just not quite there compared to the best of ST (TOS, TNG, and DS9). Once I finish I'll write up my thoughts. Not sure if I really need to watch Crusader series as well.

 

Just started watching this, thanks for figuring out the correct viewing order @OJneg

 

I didn't follow that because I didn't particularly like any of the movies. And with the weaksauce ending of season 5 I'm not inclined to watch the Crusader. B5 really hits the peak around S2 and S3

 

Well i missed allot when B5 originally aired, but i'm kind of ocd about this kind of stuff. Even if it's bad i have to watch it. Looking forward to S2 and S3 though

 

B5 kinda peaked during seasons 2 and 3, back when the Shadow War (loved the idea of powerful ancient beings), season 4 was OK'ish other than the lame ending (done due to possibility season 5 being canceled). I've watch some ST TNG and Voyager (which I'd enjoyed more than TNG) as well as DS9, while I've nothing against Voyager and DS9, TNG seemed kinda clinical to me. Usually, they run into a problem, so they'll put their big heads together and 'scienced' their way to a resolution. Or, when they run into trouble, they'd put their big heads together and outwit their opponents.

I did enjoy one particular episode of TNG when Picard was at his wit's end, and had to asked Q's help to get back from Borgs' space (one of those times where Picard and the crew of the Enterprise couldn't outwit or 'scienced' their way out.....perhaps that's why I'd liked it. The one Star Trek series that I'd enjoyed as much as B5 is Enterprise.......but really hated that lame ass ending, why the network responsible decided on ending the series that way is beyond me.....

 

I stumbled upon Andromeda, about ten episodes in in the first season, not bad at all. Any one else tried this series?

 

Hercules in space did you get to the episode where they find his sword and blond wig yet?

 

B5 was the one and only space soap opera for me. In retroperspective the relationship between Garret and commander feels kinda gayish today. And oh man was the staging cheesy.. I loved every episode. Especially the ones which had something to do with the mystical shadows.