Just started watching...

[sozme]

I dont know it seems like its very slow right now in the first season. Does it get better?

 

[j d worthington]

Never particularly struck me as "slow", but certainly carefully structured and detailed -- a lot of which plays a growing part in what comes after. The first season (as I recall; it has been some time now) lays much of the groundwork for all the various situations which play out later....

 

[Brian G Turner]

The first season is very slow, and sometimes very cheesy. However, this is everything being set up in place for what will happen after.

Babylon 5 is probably the best science fiction show ever aired, but it would be hard to follow if you hadn't watched Season 1.

And, yes, a load of things in Season 1 will be referenced later.

Season 2 ups the pace immediately, and it hits a crescendo in the middle of Season 3. Starts to slow down somewhat towards the end of Season 4. Season 5 is a bit crap - it rounds off the story but the writing has become a lot weaker by then.

Hope that helps!

 

[Rodders]

Babylon 5 is probably the best science fiction show ever aired, but it would be hard to follow if you hadn't watched Season 1.

What he said.

In defence of Season 5, there were some outstanding episodes.

 

[Grunkins]

I think I'm going to take the plunge on B5 soon. I've heard great things. Wish it was on netflix.

 

[psikeyhackr]

i thought it was great as soon as I saw Soul Hunter.

Soul Hunter (Babylon 5) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Definitely not your run of the mill SF series designed for mass appeal.

psik

 

[BigBadBob141]

REF: I, Brian
I agree, very good overall but I too thought season 5 a bit weak.
I thought the way they dealt with the runaway telepaths pretty short sighted and stupid.
I would of thought they would have been very handy working with the station security.
My favourite part of the whole lot was when Babylon 5 and the renegade ships barely survive fighting off one lot of Earth Force only for a second lot to arrive.
Then it looks as if a third force is arriving right on top of them, only it's the Minbari in the nick of time.
Oh boy does Delenn kick ass, "The only Human to destroy a Minbari warship is behind me, you are in front of me".
It may not have been all that well thought out towards the end but overall a first rate SF series!

 

[Brian G Turner]

My favourite part of the whole lot was when Babylon 5 and the renegade ships barely survive fighting off one lot of Earth Force only for a second lot to arrive.
Then it looks as if a third force is arriving right on top of them, only it's the Minbari in the nick of time.
Oh boy does Delenn kick ass, "The only Human to destroy a Minbari warship is behind me, you are in front of me".

Oh, yes - Severed Dreams. First B5 episode I sat down and watched properly, after friends nagged. Was hooked by that and chased up the previous episodes after Season 3.

 

[Ransonwrites]

Quote:
Originally Posted by I, Brian

Babylon 5 is probably the best science fiction show ever aired, but it would be hard to follow if you hadn't watched Season 1.


What he said.

Thirded.

I picked it up sometime in the first season and only watched on and off as I found it cheesy, as well, but things really improved in season two. Bruce Boxleitner really energised the role of captain, whereas Michael O'Hare was much more of the laid back, macho film noir type... although as a result Sinclair was a natural partner to Garibaldi, who in season 1 was very much a space-faring private dick who only needed a panama hat to fit right into 1940s Chicago. Even his PPG looked like a small 6 shot pocket pistol!

I have, coincidentally, been watching Season 2 on DVD lately, and it's also been airing on the Watch cable channel where it's just up to the end of season 4. I don't think much of season 5, either. In fact, I can hardly remember a thing about it, so that probably tells you enough!

The middle three seasons are definitely the best. I've enjoyed going back to it, and being a few years down the line and a little more educated on the subject of writing, I find I'm appreciating much more of it than I did the first time.

I find it amusing when watching DS9 to spot all the little things they nicked off B5, right down to character and ship names (G'Kar, Vorcha class, etc.) not to mention entire plots, although they were never able to do the themes justice as DS9 was hampered by being Star Trek, which has always been heavily sanitised.

 

[thedoctor1980]

I'm the same, just started watching for the first time a few days ago, I am three episodes in. My thoughts at the moment are that it's pretty cheesy but I'm going to stick with it given I have heard such good things.

I came across a good article and am going to go with what the author says, he talks about skipping a few episodes and stuff.

Only 2 posts so can't post link! If you google 'how to watch babylon 5 aarons essay' you'll find it, maybe someone else can post it if they think it's worthwhile.

 

[Ransonwrites]

How to watch Babylon 5

Aaron's essay is interesting. It's probably a good guide to extracting all the pertinent information from Season 1 that you need for subsequent seasons without wasting time on the sub par episodes and stand alone plots.

I was amused, however, by the tone of his writing. Sounds like a guide to performing novel sex acts. My dirty mind couldn't resist a bit of on-the-fly editing.

Pop in the first episode, Midnight on the Firing Line, and watch it...

Just ease into it.

Now, get ready for the slow part.

It won't hurt too bad as long as you're good at catching up on the run.

... skip Infection. It's not the worst episode of the series, but it'll really break your stride if you watch it now.

There are two characters who will give heart-thumping performances later on, ... one that is so full of promise that even a poor conclusion doesn't diminish it.

It's more of a teaser.

OK. Now, you're about half way through. Take stock.

... Take a day or two to do other things and think about where the show is going. I'm going to call this a "pause" and I'm going to suggest that you take a pause several times, going forward... making the payoffs far more worth it. People who just slam through don't get that effect.

This will work even better if you watch the series with a friend ...

Sorry, have I lowered the tone?

 

[Bluebird]

I watched it for the first time about 6 months ago and was pleasantly surprised. I doubt I would have ever watched it without being pushed into it as it does look cheesy and quite dated now, but it was worth it for some great writing and real drama. It does have its share of clichés but is a charming and easy show to watch while catching you off guard with some very cool ideas.

 

[TrekkieKimber]

I'm enjoying my first time watching this show hehe =) such an amazing cast.

 

[BAYLOR]

I'm enjoying my first time watching this show hehe =) such an amazing cast.

It's an amazing series.

 

[psikeyhackr]

I'm enjoying my first time watching this show hehe =) such an amazing cast.

I was unimpressed until the Soul Hunter episode. I had seen The Gathering a year earlier and thought "a cheap Star Trek but better than Space 1999".

But it is curious how Trek either avoided or denigrated religion until Babylon 5 and then Deep Space Nine came along.

psik

 

[TrekkieKimber]

I think they wanted to teach tolerance of other peoples beliefs. That one Babylon 5 episode was an interesting one.

 

[Ice fyre]

Thing is B5 took a lot of criticsm as did DS9 for being so like each other. Which I thought was a bit silly, there were huge differences! Both dealt with real world politics but in a Sci-fi way. But the races, the setting, the story and effects were so very different. Deep Space 9 was something different for the Star trek universe, a darker version of its timeline! B5 has one of the best story arcs in Sci-fi, the bad guys are without doubt some of the darkest In TV for a long time. Its a quite sutble transformation and chariter development.

 

[Chuluun Sarangerel]

Thing is B5 took a lot of criticsm as did DS9 for being so like each other. Which I thought was a bit silly, there were huge differences!

I don't get what those allegations are based on at all. All they have in common is that they are set on a space station, but there are only so many locations a science fiction series can be set in: spaceship, space station, planet. Surely the people who claimed that B5 copied off DS9 (or vice versa) don't expect series to be set inside a giant space amoeba just to be different?

 

[Tim Murray]

I dont know it seems like its very slow right now in the first season. Does it get better?

B5 is one of my favorite sci fi TV shows. It has great depth in the character development. It might seem slow at times, but all comes into play in later episodes. I watch the series from start to finish every couple of years, and I always see something new.

 

[BAYLOR]

B5 is one of my favorite sci fi TV shows. It has great depth in the character development. It might seem slow at times, but all comes into play in later episodes. I watch the series from start to finish every couple of years, and I always see something new.

It's one of the greatest shows of all time .