Finished watching Season 3

[Brian G Turner]

Well, I finally finished watching Season 3 - by itself. My Christmas present to myself, in case anyone remembers.

Still a very good series - some exceptional writing involved. The questions of morality and existence and character interplay were pretty superb. Some of the character dialogue is absolutely delectable - especially where G'Kar and Londo Molari are concerned.

I never realised how closely connected everything was with Season 2, though - really, Seasons 2 and 3 are two halves.

I really want to see all the rest now, though (excepting season 5!!). I'll have to save up and buy Seasons 1,2, and 4 at some later date, and then watch them all and in order. And review them, too.

It's hard to pick the best episodes, though - the one where Kosh pays for helping Sheridan (you know the one!) was an absolute landmark, and the 2-parter when they return to Babylon 4 - and live out the events as played out in Season 1 was an absolutely masterpeice of writing. If there's one thing Straczynski was good at it was plotting through time, and sticking to it - the Treks never seemed able to handle time travel ( a topic in itself!).

Overall, though - a superb work of science fiction - some of the best ever to be aired IMO - but you really need to watch season 2 (at least) to properly appreicate it, really.

 

[Ahdkaw]

I finished watching season 3 over the Easter weekend, which was quickly followed by the entire season 4 and they were both very enjoyable. Moving into season 5 and whilst it feels a bit tagged-on-the-end there is still the fall of Londo Mollari (both the heart attack and the Drakh) and Centauri Prime, which for me makes season 5.

Although Byron, gawd I hate Byron. He deserved to die.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Londo was a great character - and the fall of Centauri Prime is something that had been in the works for some time. There's a point in Season 3, at least, where Londo recalls a vision of being on Centauri Prime, when the Shadow vessels fly over. Or am I mixing things up and that scene was in Season 4??

 

[Ahdkaw]

Yeah, that's season 4, and Londo brings in Morden and nukes the island. Whilst Morden is being dragged away to have his head lopped off he says, "You'll pay for what you did today, Londo!"

That be a reference to the future of Centauri Prime I think. Although whether he would know about that, I am unsure, as it took place before the end of the Shadow War...

 

[Genus]

For me season 3 is the best one, but season four is also damn good. The start of the third age of mankind and the forming of the Alliance.

I love it because of the storylines involved with the politics, such as President Clark and especially ISN. Freakishly prophetic stuff. Just look at what's happening now with Bush, Blair and Fox News.



I love Babylon 5, my favourite science fiction program. I have series 1-4 on DVD, waiting for the release of series 5, which I haven't seen yet because I was working abroad when it was on the tele. Star Trek is so PC by comparison.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Oh, god - Genus - my commiserations. Season 5 is toilet paper. No shadows, no Ivanova, no plot to work with. I'll buy seasons 1-4 with a gusto, but never 5. It is an abomination.

On a lighter note, I found the short blooper film easter egg on the season 3 DVD. Quite funny, but I wish they'd made it longer.

 

[SDNess]

I really have to watch this. I've never seen a full episode and only watched it once or twice when it was on TNT back in the day. Is it still on TV?

 

[Genus]

It's not on at the moment. If you're in the UK then look out for reruns on Channel Four, that's where I saw the first four series to begin with. I'm sure it will turn up on satellite TV or cable soon enough though.

I, Brian, that's a damn shame. Someone mentioned this previously, but when Warner pulled the funding for the 5 year story arc and Mikey had to cram it all into a four series spread they really did the show an injustice. Originally, series 3 was supposed to have been a much more indepth look at the Old Ones and the machinations behind the second age, then series 4 the big battles and the coming of the second age at the end. Series 5 was originally pencilled in as the "Earthwar" that happened in series 4 and the forming of the Alliance, but it would have gone into so much more detail, including the telepath war and apparantly a new alien threat which they ultimately made into the short film "Third Space".

I knew Claudia Christian wasn't in series 5, and after seeing the other Bab5 movie (Soul Reaver I think), I can't say I think much of her replacement. No Marcus either, he was such a cool character.

As long as J'kar is in it, I'm happy. I just love the way he shuts people up.

"And as you humans most concisely say....boom"

 

[Brian G Turner]

Oh, god - Genus - my commiserations. Season 5 is toilet paper. No shadows, no Ivanova, no plot to work with. I'll buy seasons 1-4 with a gusto, but never 5. It is an abomination.

Having now finished Season 5, I want to completely disagree with my previous statement - I'm not sure why I remembered it with such venom. For some reason I had a sense of it ending halfway through a story, when it fact it had a clear ending. I can only presume that I missed some of the later episodes.

Either way, although I remain not so keen on the opening few episodes of Season 5, in the end it provides a fine finale for a fantastic show.

 

[Frost Giant]

I hate Byron. He deserved to die.

I didn't like him either.

In some ways the show peaked around season 3. Things got a little anticlimactic after the conclusion of the Shadow War. But it's still worth getting all the seasons and the movies in my opinion.