The Best of the best-- Babylon 5

Soundmanred

Lifer
Oct 26, 2006
10,780
6
81
I...
Think it is...
The best show that takes place..... . .
Between . .. 2257 and 2262 A.D. . . . .. . . .. . . .
Marcus Cole was my favorite character, and I long to have long flowing hair such as his.
 
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guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
5
61
Marcus was my favorite character.

300px-Marcus_Cole.jpg



I am a ranger
We walk in the dark places, no others will enter
We stand on the bridge.. and noone may pass
We live for the one
We die for the one
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
Fantastic story arc.
Fantastic development.
Fantastic characters.
Bad acting (by some)
Bad writing at times (Horrible attempts at poetry and attempts to sound "deep")

Still a must see!!
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
81
We are gray. We stand between the candle and the star...

Babylon 5 had some excellence. For example, the episode "Severed Dreams" from the third season. That was the episode where the shit started hitting the fan and the station got into the fight. The climactic moment in the final battle was pretty awesome.

"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
 

BudAshes

Lifer
Jul 20, 2003
13,975
3,318
146
I loved it when it came out and i was 12. Not sure I could re-watch it now without being too critical.
 

Sahakiel

Golden Member
Oct 19, 2001
1,746
0
86
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.
 

Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,197
4
76
I was always a fan of how when they said a species was more powerful, they really were.
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
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.

I think you mean just the last season. If I'm not mistaken everything but the last season was part of the original story arc. Even the last season I didn't mind that much though I agree it did go down hill.
 

Uhtrinity

Platinum Member
Dec 21, 2003
2,263
202
106
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.
 
Dec 10, 2005
27,553
11,915
136
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.

Yeah. I don't think Season 5 was bad, but it just lacked a lot of the development that was seen in the earlier 4 seasons. Still one of my favorite shows though. Over the last few years, I must have watched the entire series 3+ times over.
 

acheron

Diamond Member
May 27, 2008
3,171
2
81
Still my favorite show.

Every time I watch it though, I get disappointed when season 2 comes around and Sinclair leaves.

Season 5 got better in the second half, but the first half kind of meandered and kept focusing on things nobody cared about (those damn telepaths).
 

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,674
146
106
www.neftastic.com
"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
Best line evar.

The Earth ships on the other side sat there for a moment and basically said, "Oh shit... she's right."
 

crownjules

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2005
4,858
0
76
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.
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
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.

You may have to force yourself through the first season. And the bad acting and dialogue never go away. Once you get hooked on the story arc though you will watch every damn episode!
 

Liet

Golden Member
Jun 9, 2001
1,529
0
0
I did enjoy it when I was younger, and thought it was one of the better sci-fi series. However, there was some terrible writing, some poor actors who had to do the best they could with really overly-dramatic writing, and some self-indulgent nerdiness (OMG WE GOT CHEKOV FROM STAR TREK TO GUEST STAR OMG!!

What really got me was how much was directly stolen from Tolkien. It put it OTT, but the series still worked in the first few seasons anyway.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
> What really got me was how much was directly stolen from Tolkien.

Actually it was borrowed from E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series, with help from SF writer Harlan Ellison.
 

acheron

Diamond Member
May 27, 2008
3,171
2
81
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.

The thing that impresses me is how well the story arc hangs together on multiple viewings. Compare with, say, the new Battlestar Galactica, which also had a very heavy arc, but they were obviously winging it as they went along, and in retrospect a lot of the things in the early part of the series make no sense in view of the later parts. B5 wasn't perfect about this, but was damn close.
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,161
7
0
It has been years since I have seen an episode.

Perhaps the best continuing story line I have ever seen in a sci-fi type tv series. Instead of doing 'monster of the week' they presented a long and thought out story arc, great stuff.
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
81
vorlons > *

One thing I liked about some of (but not all) the aliens in Babylon 5 was that they were alien. Two of the coolest scenes were when the Shadows destroyed first the Narn outpost and then the colony. And then the scene later when Sheridan convinced Kosh to send Vorlons to fight the Shadows directly. Both the Vorlon and Shadow ships were badass.
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
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.

There were a number of other things taken from TLOTR. Rangers, Lorein, the shadows were clearly Sauron's troops, the first ones were clearly elves dwarfs etc etc.... The fact that the first one's time is at an end and that now it's mans turn to explore the universe is the same as the elves and other first magical creatures leaving middle earth. There is other stuff too.