Watching Babylon 5 for the first time

[Toxteth O´Grady]

So I was browsing Best Buy the other day when I saw that they had the first two seasons for only $15 each. I've been interested in watching this for a while now, but never got around to it. So I decided to buy the two sets and give it a go finally.

Then I noticed that the pilot episode aired before the rest of the season and wasn't on the first season set. I was itching to watch the show at that moment, so I just threw $2 Amazon's way and watched it through them. I also watched the first episode of season 1.

First impressions: It wasn't what I was expecting. Which isn't a bad thing! I liked being introduced to the station itself and seeing its many different denizens. Throughout the episode I kept thinking that G'Kar's voice was familiar, but I couldn't pin point it. Then it hit me: Tomalak! I always wanted Tomalak to show up more on TNG or even DS9, but seeing that he's a regular character on this show is cool.

I'm still trying to figure out the history of this universe. The humans were in a war with the Minbari and Commander Sinclair fought them?

It was said in the episode that Babylons 1-3 were sabotaged and destroyed and Babylon 4 disappeared. Do I have that right? I'm hoping to find out more about the earlier stations throughout the show.

The characters: The ambassadors were interesting in their own ways. I'm not feeling Sinclair so far, after the pilot and the first episode. I think it'll take some time to warm up to him. I did like Laurel in the pilot, but her character was replaced in the first episode. I was kind of bummed but I didn't mind the new first officer, Ivanova. I'm a fan of Stephen Furst and I knew he was on this show and I'm liking him already. And I'm interested in learning about Garibaldi's past.

The visual effects are definitely the worst part of the show. They used early '90s CGI for the exterior shots and it shows. But it was a product of its time so I will easily be able to get over that.

That's all I can think of right now. But I hope to keep this thread going so I can discuss the show with some fans.

 

[BigJake]

I'm still trying to figure out the history of this universe. The humans were in a war with the Minbari and Commander Sinclair fought them?

Earth in fact came close to getting destroyed in the Earth-Minbari War (the Minbari are technologically superior to the Earth Alliance). Sinclair fought in the final battle, when the victorious Minbari "surrendered" out of the blue for unexplained reasons, and those events have a specific relevance to what unfolds over the course of the show.

(I'm trying not to spoilerize things as I can't quite remember how much was revealed and when this far out of my last watch.)

In re: Commander Sinclair, I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Michael O'Hare's performance as the character was infamously stiff. He loosens up and humanizes considerably as the season progresses, but opinions vary as to whether he's ever technically speaking "good." There turns out to have been a very sad reason for this, but truthfully speaking Bruce Bauxleitner's time in the lead role is stronger by most estimations.

It was said in the episode that Babylons 1-3 were sabotaged and destroyed and Babylon 4 disappeared. Do I have that right?

Yes. Babylon 4's place in history turns out to be quite interesting.

 

[Toxteth O´Grady]

Yeah, I knew going in that Michael O'Hare was only on the show during the first season. That's why I'm hoping that he will be memorable by the end of his run.

I just looked at the link you provided. Now that I think about it I did hear about that when it was first announced. That is sad. The article says that he loved his fans. I'm assuming it was his decision to leave the show? If that's true it must've been hard for him to leave.

Right now the universe of Babylon 5 seems small due to the small amount of info I know, but I'm very much looking forward to my knowledge expanding as I watch.

 

[MacLeod]

The first season can be a little slow at times but it does lay the groundwork for future seasons. the B5 TV Movie "In The Beginning" covers the events of the Earth-Minbari war but I wouldn't recommend watching it until you're into at least season 2, though 7 episodes or so into s4 would be better. As it might give away a few details you might not want to know as the story is framed some 16 years after S5.

 

[Toxteth O´Grady]

Thanks for the advice, MacLeod! I'll do that.

Where does the short-lived spinoff "Crusade" come in? Is it worth watching?

 

[Caligula]

Yeah, I knew going in that Michael O'Hare was only on the show during the first season. That's why I'm hoping that he will be memorable by the end of his run.

My favorite episode of the series is the one in which your question will be answered. That's the most I can or should say about it.

My personal favorite season is the fourth. I'm glad you've picked up on Babylon 5. Better late than never! I should really consider re-watching the thing, myself!

 

[3chordboy]

Thanks for the advice, MacLeod! I'll do that.

Where does the short-lived spinoff "Crusade" come in? Is it worth watching?

I did a complete rematch of B5 last year including TV movies and Crusade. got halfway through Crusade and gave up... it just ain't B5 sadly

 

[Toxteth O´Grady]

I did a complete rematch of B5 last year including TV movies and Crusade. got halfway through Crusade and gave up... it just ain't B5 sadly

Oh, really? Well, if I can watch it somewhere for cheap I might check it out.

 

[Sindatur]

Thanks for the advice, MacLeod! I'll do that.

Where does the short-lived spinoff "Crusade" come in? Is it worth watching?

Crusade, is a Sequel Series, so, it should come after all 5 Seasons of Babylon 5. There were 4 TV Movies (One of them already mentioned In The Beginning, and one of them is a Pre-Pilot to Crusade A Call To Arms). Crusade has some good episodes, but, the order of episodes is a bit messed up, due to TNT deciding they didn't want to have the Series afterall, and giving JMS ridiculous suggestions, and mixing up airing order and so on, so, JMS made some changes here and there to try to make it link up better, but, there is no way to watch it all in proper order. Some of the best scripts were never even filmed, those scripts show that S1 was going to end very strong and set up S2 excellently.

 

[Caligula]

Where does the short-lived spinoff "Crusade" come in? Is it worth watching?

Chronologically, "Crusade" begins five years after the events of the Babylon 5 TV series, and is set up by one of the TV movies. In my opinion, it's really not worth your time.

 

[shivkala]

I enjoyed Crusade, but that might be because I saw the bulk of it on Sci-Fi (back when it was Sci-Fi), a few years after it was aired on (and cancelled by) TNT. Gary Cole is awesome, as usual and it introduced me to Daniel Dae Kim.

 

[Toxteth O´Grady]

I'm a completist so I'll probably watch Crusade if I can.

This weekend I'm hoping to dive into season 1 some more.

 

[DrCorby]

Thanks for the advice, MacLeod! I'll do that.

Where does the short-lived spinoff "Crusade" come in? Is it worth watching?

As others have said, Crusade is set after all 5 seasons of B5 and the TV movie A Call to Arms. Yes, it was uneven, but there were some very interesting character and event set-ups that probably would have paid off nicely down the road. It's really too bad that TNT interferred w/ JMS during production and then cancelled the series even before it had aired.

My family enjoys pulling out our boxed set and cherry-picking fave episodes (like the ep that guest-starred Edward Woodward). I'd say it's worth checking out after you finish watching B5!

And congrats on your B5 watch-thru. Though I'm a confirmed Star Trek fan, I did enjoy much of B5. (Just picked up all 5 seasons and the movies to watch again.) Enjoy!

 

[Caligula]

Gary Cole is awesome, as usual and it introduced me to Daniel Dae Kim.

Well, okay, it wasn't ALL bad. It was my intro to DDK as well.

 

[RoJoHen]

Season 1 of B5 is one of those seasons that is infinitely better the second time around. It lays the groundwork for so much of the show that you just don't realize at the time.

It's easily one of the best shows ever. Enjoy!

 

[dansigal]

Season 1 of B5 is one of those seasons that is infinitely better the second time around. It lays the groundwork for so much of the show that you just don't realize at the time.

It's easily one of the best shows ever. Enjoy!

Yeah, the series is fantastic for this! There will be a tiny things that have huge significance to bigger things that happen YEARS down the line, but they are so small that you would never really pick up on them on the first time around, because you don't know other things.

For example a scene in the first season will open up on a character putting down a newspaper and you catch a glance of a headline that forshadows something that pays off in season 3.

 

[Toxteth O´Grady]

Yeah, the series is fantastic for this! There will be a tiny things that have huge significance to bigger things that happen YEARS down the line, but they are so small that you would never really pick up on them on the first time around, because you don't know other things.

For example a scene in the first season will open up on a character putting down a newspaper and you catch a glance of a headline that forshadows something that pays off in season 3.

Wow, I'll be sure to pay close attention when I'm watching, then.

 

[Klaus]

...I wish I could watch it again for the first time. You're in for a treat.

 

[Toxteth O´Grady]

...I wish I could watch it again for the first time. You're in for a treat.

I love watching an old TV show for the first time. I know exactly how long I have to go and I don't have to wait for the next season or even the next episode! And there's that feeling that you're watching something special because you know that millions of other people are fans of it. That's how I felt watching Star Trek and, more recently, Doctor Who for the first time.

 

[Sindatur]

...I wish I could watch it again for the first time.

That's what Alzheimer's is for