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[BigBadBob141]

Yes, the trouble all starts because Londo Mollari, the Centauri ambassador, has had a bad day and just received news that puts him in a very bad mood.
He is asked what he would like most of all and makes a wish he never thinks could ever happen.
Unfortunately and unknowingly he makes to the worst possible person.
So be careful what you wish for, it might not come true as you expect!!!

 

[BAYLOR]

Yes, the trouble all starts because Londo Mollari, the Centauri ambassador, has had a bad day and just received news that puts him in a very bad mood.
He is asked what he would like most of all and makes a wish he never thinks could ever happen.
Unfortunately and unknowingly he makes to the worst possible person.
So be careful what you wish for, it might not come true as you expect!!!

Londo came realize that it was all on him. As he said J'Kar before the Keeper was placed on him. " Before I had no power and all of the choices and now I have all of the power and no choices"

You couldn't help but feel for bad for him.

 

[Frost Giant]

Very worth it, especially once the Shadow War kicks off. Most series have trouble their first season, B5 also underwent some cast changes that improved things considerably.

 

[Dave]

I have a secret. I never watched Babylon 5 before until last week. I must have seen the odd episode, because I've started watching and the odd scene I think I may have seen before. Possibly, I just caught it while switching channels. I did watch Deep Space Nine and I actually can't see much of a similarity - beyond a superficial soap opera in fancy dress on a space station. Certainly, they don't deserve the great copycat claims that were thrown at them.

I don't know why I never saw it, but as time went on it seemed more ominous to attempt to watch all 5 Seasons, so never bothered. Earlier this month @Phyrebrat and the other London Chronners persuaded me to attempt it and I have now begun.

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

You are telling me! I am deliberately giving it leeway for being 25 years old, but it must have been very cheesy and slow even then. No wonder I never watched it. I have been told that I must persevere until mid Season 3, and so I will try, but the characters are only just beginning to stop being cardboard cut-outs, and they don't seem to have many redeeming qualities. We will have to see. I'm not convinced.

I'm also finding spoilers all over Chronicles - favourite scifi villains, for instance.

 

[BAYLOR]

I have a secret. I never watched Babylon 5 before until last week. I must have seen the odd episode, because I've started watching and the odd scene I think I may have seen before. Possibly, I just caught it while switching channels. I did watch Deep Space Nine and I actually can't see much of a similarity - beyond a superficial soap opera in fancy dress on a space station. Certainly, they don't deserve the great copycat claims that were thrown at them.

I don't know why I never saw it, but as time went on it seemed more ominous to attempt to watch all 5 Seasons, so never bothered. Earlier this month @Phyrebrat and the other London Chronners persuaded me to attempt it and I have now begun.
You are telling me! I am deliberately giving it leeway for being 25 years old, but it must have been very cheesy and slow even then. No wonder I never watched it. I have been told that I must persevere until mid Season 3, and so I will try, but the characters are only just beginning to stop being cardboard cut-outs, and they don't seem to have many redeeming qualities. We will have to see. I'm not convinced.

I'm also finding spoilers all over Chronicles - favourite scifi villains, for instance.

Season one sets up everything.

 

[Brian G Turner]

it must have been very cheesy and slow even then.

I'm a huge B5 fan, but even I skip most of season 1 when rewatching - there are only a few episodes that really need to be seen. I think there's a list somewhere - will try to find it, else people can recommend the season 1 episodes that are "must see" here.

 

[BAYLOR]

I'm a huge B5 fan, but even I skip most of season 1 when rewatching - there are only a few episodes that really need to be seen. I think there's a list somewhere - will try to find it, else people can recommend the season 1 episodes that are "must see" here.

Babylon Squared come to mind.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I have been told that I must persevere

Having skimmed through the season listing here: List of Babylon 5 episodes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I'd suggest the essential Season 1 watching as:

1 - Midnight on the firing line
13 - Signs and portents
18 - A voice in the wilderness part 1 (possibly)
19 - A voice in the wilderness part 2 (possibly)
20 - Babylon Squared
22 - Chrysalis

I'm not sure about episodes 18 & 19, but they sound as though they may be worth sticking with for how they connect with everything later.

Ignore the rest and you'll miss a few small plot points, but nothing you can't pick up later.

Season 2 definitely steps up a gear, and Babylon 5 pretty much reaches its peak half-way through Season 3. If you can persevere, chances are good you will be glad that you had.

There will still be filler episodes and silly moments - but Seasons 2-4 offers some of the most intelligent, complex, and entertaining TV out there. Unfortunately, the limited budget will still make it look dated at times.

2c.

 

[Ed Ryder]

I'd add the following S1 eps

Soul Hunter - some Minbari history
Mind War - introduces the Psi corps and Bester, plus Sakai's discovery
And the Sky full of Stars - vital info on the Battle of the Line and Sinclair's history

I also like Deathwalker as it shows a different side to the Vorlons

Mind you, despite a few clunks here and there I like season 1 so would recommend watching all of them - even TKO!

 

[Dave]

Thanks for all the advice, but I'll probably soldier on as I have nothing else waiting to be watched at the moment. I'm also well through the first Season in any case.

 

[Droflet]

Dave, I envy you. To see this show for the first time is pure magic. I've probably watched it three times.

 

[psikeyhackr]

I'd add the following S1 eps

Soul Hunter - some Minbari history
Mind War - introduces the Psi corps and Bester, plus Sakai's discovery
And the Sky full of Stars - vital info on the Battle of the Line and Sinclair's history

I also like Deathwalker as it shows a different side to the Vorlons

Mind you, despite a few clunks here and there I like season 1 so would recommend watching all of them - even TKO!

Ditto, Dotto, Ditto. Actually I was annoyed at the whole idea of skipping so many 1st season episodes but couldn't decide what to say. The alien technology in Quality of Mercy appears much later in a significant episode. The camio by June Lockhart is worth it all by itself. Ever heard of Lost in Space?

psik

 

[manephelien]

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.

The fuss was because JMS first pitched Babylon 5 to Paramount, which rejected it and then started developing its own show set on a space station. Due to budgetary constraints, however, it took longer for B5 to air, so that many people thought that DS9 came first. Babylon 5 is a very character-based show with long story arcs. Even rewatching the first season can be rewarding, watch for the first moment when Delenn starts building the support for her triluminary. Unless I'm completely misremembering things, this happens as early as in The Parliament of Dreams. DS9 is also the first Star Trek show with more than marginal character development and ongoing story arcs.

Season 5 is a bit less structured than seasons 2, 3 and 4 because JMS was unsure of getting a fifth season and the show finale was actually shot at the end of season 4, and the season 4 finale was tagged on at the last minute. This is the reason why you see Claudia Christian's name in the 4th season finale credits when she doesn't appear in the episode, and they aren't shown at the end of the 5th season finale, where she has a reasonably prominent role. She had left the show by then and adding her as a guest star would have meant additional payment.

 

[Droflet]

You certainly know your B5.

 

[HareBrain]

You certainly know your B5.

A bit unfortunate here that "5" looks a bit like "S".

 

[Droflet]

Ooi.

 

[Ed Ryder]

didn't DS9 start its story arc in response to all of the good press coming from B5?

 

[Droflet]

Wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Rodders]

That's how i interpreted it.

DS9, with it's Bajoran story arc took a long time to get going, whereas B5 got into the meat of it pretty quickly.

 

[Ed Ryder]

DS9 even stole General Hague!