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[Stoney Mason]

Well I've acquired all of Babylon 5 and I'm finally going to start watching it but I need the proper viewing order with the movies and such in mind. I figured there are enough Babylon nerds on here to help me out with this. Thx ahead of time.

 

[hoochinlondon]

lucky you, sorry cant be a help on the order but the shadow War is one of my fav parts of sci fi

 

[SpoonyBard]

The Gathering -> seasons 1-3 -> In The Beginning -> seasons 4 & 5 -> rest of the movies, Call to Arms last, and do not watch The Legend of The Rangers

In The Beginnign would of course chronolocally be the first one to watch, but it spoils things that happen during the first 3 seasons, so it's not worth it. And you should be able to get more out of it if you already know the characters.

 

[Vlad]

The Gathering -> seasons 1-3 -> In The Beginning -> seasons 4 & 5 -> rest of the movies, Call to Arms last, and do not watch The Legend of The Rangers

In The Beginnign would of course chronolocally be the first one to watch, but it spoils things that happen during the first 3 seasons, so it's not worth it. And you should be able to get more out of it if you already know the characters.

Actually, he should watch In The Beginning after S4 (or at least until after "Atonement") to remain completely spoiler free. And yes, while it does take place almost entirely before the rest of the series, it not only would be a huge spoiler-fest to watch it first, but it also relies a good bit on knowledge of the characters, so it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, anyway.

 

[SpoonyBard]

I actually liked The Gathering when I first saw it, it gave a decent introduction to the characters, the politics and techonology. The plot was not that great, but not Infection or "Grey 17 Is Missing" bad

serious spoiler, don't read:

Spoiler

The return of Lyta Alexander was pretty big thing in the series, but if you had never seen The Gathering you wouldn't have any idea who she was.

 

[mosaic]

For the original series, I'd suggest The Gathering, Seasons 1-4, In the Beginning, Thirdspace, River of Souls, Season 5, and A Call to Arms.

 

[Matt]

It's true that The Gathering is actually pretty different (i.e., issues having to do with the Grey Council, etc.) from the rest of the show, but if you have it, you might as well start with it.

 

[Stoney Mason]

Thx. I'll follow the extended route and try out even the weaker things. I'm sort of a completionist so...

 

[Stoney Mason]

Well I watched the Gathering....yeah that was all over the place.


Really interesting concepts and setup initially but it sort of dissolves into a cheap whodunit by the end with a by the books resolution.

On to the show proper. I have pretty high expectations after all the hype I've always heard but their is a secret part of me that fears BSG has rasied the bar for me on what I like and expect from Sci-Fi (Although I still love Farscape). We'll see.

 

[quest]

The series does start out a little slow and uneven. It took most of the first season IMO for it to really get into a groove IMO. The first season is really just an introduction of characters and setting things up for the rest of the series. B5 is my favorite scifi series ever just because of incredible story arc and the changes the characters make over the series.

 

[Coop]

For the original series, I'd suggest The Gathering, Seasons 1-4, In the Beginning, , Sleeping In The Light, and A Call to Arms.

That seems about right

 

[Diatribe1974]

Well...if you watch...if Garabaldi has hair....and the more you watch, he loses his hair, then you're watching them in the right order.

 

[mosaic]

"Only one Earth commander has ever defeated the Minbari in combat.

He is behind me. You are in front of me.

If you value your lives, be somewhere else."

 

[Troidal]

Well...if you watch...if Garabaldi has hair....and the more you watch, he loses his hair, then you're watching them in the right order.

:lol so true.

 

[Stoney Mason]

Well to be honest I never watched the original run because it looked sort of cheap and seemed to have actors that were B grade. At the time most of my friends loved it, however, but I never gave it a chance because back then it was hard to get into something of a serial nature if you didn't start watching it from the beginning.


I'm a couple episodes in and to be fair some of my inital concerns seems justified but I can also easily see very early even that the show seems plotted and is deeper in a true traditional sci-fi sense than maybe say BSG. Of course I should probably just watch and shut up since I'm most likely just talking out of my ass and haven't seen enough to form any truly valid opinions.

 

[Vlad]

Well to be honest I never watched the original run because it looked sort of cheap and seemed to have actors that were B grade. At the time most of my friends loved it, however, but I never gave it a chance because back then it was hard to get into something of a serial nature if you didn't start watching it from the beginning.


I'm a couple episodes in and to be fair some of my inital concerns seems justified but I can also easily see very early even that the show seems plotted and is deeper in a true traditional sci-fi sense than maybe say BSG. Of course I should probably just watch and shut up since I'm most likely just talking out of my ass and haven't seen enough to form any truly valid opinions.

Nah, you're just about right where everyone else probably was at that point. It shows promise, but there's still a few things here and there that are bothersome. A lot of the stuff you're seeing will be important later on, but they're not presenting it as such, which is nice. The show definitely takes most of the first season to really get going, though, especially Ivanova's character.

 

[basis]

The most important thing to me was the story. Granted the acting and sfx might have taken some of it away, but at its core is a grand story arc that spanned 5 seasons... 5 real years for those of us who got sucked into the series. (more if you count The Gathering and those early Usenet days.... Lurkers unite!)

"Stay in formation. Hold the Line. No one gets through, no matter what!"

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Watch the seasons straight through 1-5, than watch all the other stuff in any order you'd like.

Edit: Season 1 is kinda lame, but it's important for backsotry. It gets much, much better later, and the acting improves dramatically.

 

[SpoonyBard]

The main plot moves slowly during season 1, but it features some of the best episodes of the entire series. Nothing beats Babylon Squared and And the Sky Full of Stars.

 

[basis]

The main plot moves slowly during season 1, but it features some of the best episodes of the entire series. Nothing beats Babylon Squared and And the Sky Full of Stars.

.second that.

little did those of us who started watching the series knew that both episodes will have greater consequences later in the series... which translates to several real-years of our lives. that was what impressed me about B5 over other series, that it can sustain long-arcs and deliver them with great impact.

 

[Stoney Mason]

Finished the first season. I can be addictive like that...


Good show. I can see why it was very popular with the hardcore sci-fi crowd and I like it better than the various Star Treks that sprouted up after the original.

The acting is all over the place (BSG really has completely and forever raised that bar) and it has a cheapish look and feel to it but I've watched the old Doctor Who's and the original Trek so who am I to complain.

The overall storyline seems pretty well plotted although as in any 22 episode seasons there is a fair share of filler on an episode to episode basis.

I did watch the first episode of Season 2 and was disappointed they switched captains. The first captain seemed to be a very original take on a commander. Bruce Boxleitner strikes me as a pretty boy. I do like the political nature of the show with all these different competing factions and such. The whole show reminds me of a better Deep Space Nine which I was fairly middling on myself although I know a lot of people worship it on this forum.


Either way on to Season 2.

 

[Javaman]

It took me a while to figure out where I had seen Danielle in "Lost" before. It turns out that she was one of the main characters in Babylon 5 (Delenn).

 

[Vlad]

The acting is all over the place (BSG really has completely and forever raised that bar) and it has a cheapish look and feel to it but I've watched the old Doctor Who's and the original Trek so who am I to complain.

It gets better. The effects improve a LOT from S2 onward, and while that acting always does remain a bit unusual, it's still good.

The overall storyline seems pretty well plotted although as in any 22 episode seasons there is a fair share of filler on an episode to episode basis.

Again, in future seasons, there's far less filler episodes. Season 3 is probably one of the best 22-episode seasons of anything I've ever seen.

I did watch the first episode of Season 2 and was disappointed they switched captains. The first captain seemed to be a very original take on a commander. Bruce Boxleitner strikes me as a pretty boy. I do like the political nature of the show with all these different competing factions and such. The whole show reminds me of a better Deep Space Nine which I was fairly middling on myself although I know a lot of people worship it on this forum.

Surprise, surprise, Sheridan gets better as things progress, too. What's really neat is that the "pretty boy" thing isn't an accident...

 

[Stoney Mason]

It took me a while to figure out where I had seen Danielle in "Lost" before. It turns out that she was one of the main characters in Babylon 5 (Delenn).

Yeah I caught that too. :lol She's kinda hot for an older lady.

 

[Javaman]

Yeah I caught that too. :lol She's kinda hot for an older lady.

I donno... Her forehead is kind of sharp.

 

[basis]

the thing about the 'filler' in season 1, was that near all of it gets a mentioned in the remaining 4 seasons. most of which were how a character has changed since season 1.

the B5 fans were that meticulous in spotting things mentioned in say 4th or 5th season and pointing to aspects (or previous facet) of a character in season 1. its a series that has definite growth, not only about the story arcs but in the characters themselves... for better or the worse... thats one of the reasons it endured with the sci-fi (and some non-sci-fi) fans.

the acting and sfx might come-off now as horrid given the fancy post-production work done in other series these days, but back then the producers claimed that each episode of B5 was within a very tight budget whereas other series had the luxury of a big corporation funding them. they were the underdog, the series had its quirks, but they struggled to tell a story - and that they did well.

and as to why the captain got changed... it gets explained later but indirectly... if you need a direct explanation - read the comic, but even that doesn't fully explain everything either :> (sorry i dislike revealing spoilers to new B5 initiates)

 

[SpoonyBard]

The effects were actually better on earlier seasons. The way various spaceships moved used to be realistic looking, but they dumped that down starting from season 3, when the episodes started having more effect shots. Now the Starfuries fly like X-Wing fighters. The detailed explosions were replaced by simple fireball puffs. The Mars episodes look terrible with those low detail flat textures. And the plasma gun effects were downgraded heavily. They look really nice during season 1.


And the commander got changed because the actor left. They just wrote that into the story, kind of.

season 4 ending spoiled here:

Spoiler

Same thing happened with Ivanova later in the show. The actress who replaced her was terrible.

 

[mosaic]

Boxleitner / Sheridan gets much better as the series goes on... by season 3 he's in a groove, and by the end of season 4 you'll find yourself wanting to emulate him (around the ladiez). I almost swore off the show back in the day when they replaced O'Hare / Sinclair, but I stuck with it. I'm glad I did. It took a while for him to get comfy with the role and for JMS and the other writers to write dialogue for him that sounds good coming out of his mouth. Season 4 would seem absolutely strange if Sinclair had remained in the lead role and Sheridan hadn't taken over.

I heart season 4.

 

[maharg]

The overall storyline seems pretty well plotted although as in any 22 episode seasons there is a fair share of filler on an episode to episode basis.

When you go back through the show and then start rewatching it at some point, you will completely eat those words. I don't think there's a single episode, even in S1, that doesn't have something relevant to the long term plot. Even garbage like Infection set a lot up about the nature of the universe.

 

[SpoonyBard]

Totally! Really, from midway through season 2 onward, the show really finds its stride. There are only a few hiccups along the way (Grey 17...). It really is a huge bummer that season 5 got screwed up by the suits.

I'd say that the second half of season 4 got also screwed up by those suits. JMS had to finish the story far too quickly, things moved too fast and individual stories got too little screentime. The whole

Spoiler

war against Earth

was over too quickly. Originally Sheridan was supposed to be

Spoiler

captured just in time for season 4 cliffhanger.

Basically the main story was finished by the time season 4 ended, and only the less important plot points were left for the last season.

 

[Shard]

I am going to say that Seasons 2 through 4 are the only portions that a new viewer actually NEEDS to watch.

 

[maharg]

Season 5 gets far too bad of a rap. If you miss out on it, you miss out on an ending for Londo and G'kar, and that's just unacceptable.

 

[Shard]

Season 5 gets far too bad of a rap. If you miss out on it, you miss out on an ending for Londo and G'kar, and that's just unacceptable.

Well, not so much Londo since that had been telegraphed well before it actually occured, prophecies being fulfilled and such.

 

[Troidal]

I was always curious what would have happened if Sinclair were still in the entire series.

Spoiler

What would have been the original story to the Babylon 4 story arc? They did a good re-write involving both Sinclair and Sheridan in there, ultimately giving Sinclair the honorable final exit in season 3. But if Sheridan didn't exist, who would have been Valen? Or if Sinclair still would have been Valen, who would then fight the Shadow Wars?

I know it's a "what if" thing but it still makes me curious even to this day...

 

[BocoDragon]

Well I've acquired all of Babylon 5

The way you've stated it as "acquired" instead of bought/borrowed/rented indicates that you definitely downloaded it You don't have to answer... just blink twice for "yes".

 

[Stoney Mason]

I'm forgot to mention it was very nice of the producers to allow former 49er's running back Roger Craig to transition to acting as the doctor on the show.

Spoiler

kidding

 

[Stoney Mason]

As JR would say "Business is picking up".

Season 2 is pretty good so far and much better than season one as you people mentioned.

 

[Stoney Mason]

Finished Season 2.


....Wow

 

[Woakes]

Babylon 5 is so epic. Be forewarned though that your standards may be raised to a level where most modern sci-fi simply won't pass muster anymore.

In such a polluted genre (many sci-fi films aren't sci-fi at all, they're just "Horror film in space", "Slasher film on a spaceship" etc...), Babylon 5 stands head and shoulders alongside only a few others.

 

[Vlad]

Finished Season 2.


....Wow

Heheheh. Sounds about right.

The best part is that Season 3 blows Season 2 out of the water.

 

[Stoney Mason]

The narn stuff was absolutely brutal.

When Londo threw G'Kar out of the council I teared up a bit.

 

[Vlad]

The narn stuff was absolutely brutal.

When Londo threw G'Kar out of the council I teared up a bit.

Yup. Some of the best moments in the series revolve around those two characters.

So I take it your opinion of the show has improved since the first season?

 

[Stoney Mason]

Yup. Some of the best moments in the series revolve around those two characters.

So I take it your opinion of the show has improved since the first season?

Very much so. I'm a few epsiodes into the third season. It's definitely one of the best things I've seen in the sci-fi genre.

The first season is so jovial and sort of silly that I thought the show would stay in that territory. It ends of being sort of like the calm before the storm and I look back on the first season wistfully as lighter times. Lando and Gkar and a lot of the characters develop beyond that simple archetype established earlier. A lot of shows could take some lessons on how to develop characters from Babylon.

It's exactly where Trek should have gone with next generation and the follow up shows instead of actually where they did go.

At this stage the only real conmparison for me is BSG. It's odd. BSG is prettier, more artistic, more literary, better acting, etc but at this point it's either a push or I give Babylon the slight edge. It's weird in a way. Babylon seems to be greater than the some of its parts for some reason. The main thing I like is how they strech plotlines and past events from episode to episode. BSG does it too but for some reason it packs a bigger punch in Babylon. It's like all the cool and interesting concepts and action you like about sci-fi packed into a nice little ball without the pretentiousness that BSG sometimes will get stuck in. On the face of it its a cheesy little show that sort of knows it but says **** it let's just do a good ****ing sci-fi show. It's way better than it has any right to be.

I should probably drop it. I really like both so what does it matter....

I've heard the 4th and 5th seasons are a bit screwed becasue of the cancellation thing and that seems a shame.

 

[thetrin]

This thread makes me want to rewatch Babylon 5. I actually watched the seasons piecemeal, so I don`t remember much of the story. Oh man, I already have too much to watch.

 

[MattKeil]

Good to see the OP is enjoying the show (and tearing through it about as fast as I did). I know exactly what you're talking about with the "happy cheesy show" suddenly turning into this epic saga. I remember watching the episode in which Narn is attacked, and realizing they weren't going to wrap that all up with a nice little bow by the end of the episode. The series and the universe it takes place in irrevocably change in that episode, and that shot with Londo on the ship watching the mass driver bombardment makes no bones about it.

Great, great ****ing show.

 

[SpoonyBard]

I actually started rewatching the show, as kind of background noise while playing Civilization. I'm close to end of season 2 now. The show is still surprisingly great, even though the dialogue is often pretty cringeworthy and I can't stand Mira Furlan's overacting. The difference between the first and second season was a lot larger than I remembered. The lighting got better, in effect shots and actual sets, and the new spaceship designs were all pretty cool.

 

[Vlad]

Very much so. I'm a few epsiodes into the third season. It's definitely one of the best things I've seen in the sci-fi genre.

The first season is so jovial and sort of silly that I thought the show would stay in that territory. It ends of being sort of like the calm before the storm and I look back on the first season wistfully as lighter times. Lando and Gkar and a lot of the characters develop beyond that simple archetype established earlier. A lot of shows could take some lessons on how to develop characters from Babylon.

It's exactly where Trek should have gone with next generation and the follow up shows instead of actually where they did go.

At this stage the only real conmparison for me is BSG. It's odd. BSG is prettier, more artistic, more literary, better acting, etc but at this point it's either a push or I give Babylon the slight edge. It's weird in a way. Babylon seems to be greater than the some of its parts for some reason. The main thing I like is how they strech plotlines and past events from episode to episode. BSG does it too but for some reason it packs a bigger punch in Babylon. It's like all the cool and interesting concepts and action you like about sci-fi packed into a nice little ball without the pretentiousness that BSG sometimes will get stuck in. On the face of it its a cheesy little show that sort of knows it but says **** it let's just do a good ****ing sci-fi show. It's way better than it has any right to be.

I should probably drop it. I really like both so what does it matter....

I've heard the 4th and 5th seasons are a bit screwed becasue of the cancellation thing and that seems a shame.

I'm willing to bet that, by the end of the third season, that edge is going to be a bit more than "slight" .

As far as S4 and S5 go, yes, they got a little messed around, but Cyan's assesment is spot on. The first half of the season is so-so. There's some good moments and storylines here and there, but it's not nearly as good as S2-4. However, the second half really gets good, and really goes a long way towards redeeming the season, especially the last 5 episodes or so.

 

[Stoney Mason]

Finished Season 3. What can I say..it was excellent also. The show has really tightened up amazingly since the first season is all I can say. They really know how to plot a long term conflict.

 

[Boogie]

The second half of 5 went back to being excellent, though, culminating with what is easily the greatest series finale of all time. Seriously

The naked truth. I think it's probably one of only maybe three times I've teared up watching TV or a movie.

As soon as I am able to get disposable income again, I need to pick up the DVDs.

 

[Doogdogg]

I loved this series.

The Shadow war ended way too early IMO.