We are gray. We stand between the candle and the star...
Most of the first few seasons were good. Most of those episodes were based off the original storyline.
The series really took a turn for the worse in the last couple seasons when they reached the climax of the original storyline and ran out of material.
Season four was supposed to be the shadow war and it's conclusion. Season five was supposed to be the Earth Civil War and its conclusion. All of that material ended up being put into season four. The producers thought the show was going to be canceled, but wanted to tell the whole story arc. I love the first four seasons, but season five was seriously lacking because of that.
Best line evar."Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, BE SOMEWHERE ELSE!" - Delenn
I tried getting into this show once before and got through all of two episodes before getting bored. I found the acting to be bad, either because one or two people couldn't act or someone was over acting. The humanish alien with the crazy spiked hair was the biggest overactor, man he got SO ANGRY and I couldn't help but laugh at it. Overall the first two or so episodes just didn't leave me wanting more which is ultimately why I stopped which is a shame since I heard the show was really good.
Maybe I'll try again soon since the entire series is on Hulu.
vorlons > *
There were a couple of obvious Tolkien parallels (falling into the pit at Z'ha'dum and coming back?) and one direct quote ("Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger"). I don't think overall it was especially Tolkienesque though. But there was a lot of Lensman in there (JMS is working on an adaptation of Lensman now actually), some Babylonian mythology (hence the name), lots of things.