As much as I loved the series, I have to say that the "River Of Souls" movie was a total borefest. I'm hoping the last movie in the set is more interesting because ROS seemed really pointless.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

Heh, so here it is 10 years later, starting my first rewatch. I’m glad that it’s available via Amazon Prime now since it’s much more convenient for me than DVDs.
Anyone else considering a rewatch? Unfortunately they don’t have the movies available, just seasons 1-5.
Maybe I’ll make this a decade event. See you all in 2028!

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I did a B5 re-watch last year. the good episodes hold up extremely well and the bad episodes just don't. I know it would be a crap load of extensive and expensive work but I wish they would remaster this series.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

Too bad Prime doesn't have the movies, the series starts with the pilot movie, The Gathering. The proper viewing order:

Movie: The Gathering
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Movie: In the Beginning
1st 2 disks of Season 4
Movie: Thirdspace
Remainder of Season 4
Season 5 (all but the last episode)
Movie: River of Souls
Movie: Call to Arms
Season 5 (final episode)

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

Prime does have the expanded TNT version of The Gathering. Scroll left from S1E1... it's listed as S1E0.

Rewatching for the umpteenth time... already almost done with S1.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

Still my third favorite science fiction television show (after Twilight Zone and Star Trek TOS). I would just watch the series in the order they originally aired.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I have all the DVDs, including the movies... somewhere, just dunno where. Probably in a cupboard in the garage. Unlike some people on this forum, I keep a clean home!

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I would suggest that anyone who wants to watch it for the first time just start with the pilot movie "The Gathering," and go through the seasons in order.

The other movies and "Crusade" are really just ancillary material, and to watch the movies between episodes just breaks up the forward narrative momentum.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I bought the series on Vudu last year before it hit Prime. :lol: I think I still have the seasons, Crusade, and the movies on DVD.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I'll agree that Thirdspace and River of Souls are superflous in the grand scheme, but The Gathering and In the Beginning are right where they need to be in the story arc, and A Call to Arms sets up Crusade if you're so inclined. The Lost Tales just felt sad after having watched the series in it's original run.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

People kept saying how wonderful this program was. I watched the first four seasons and then couldn't work up enough enthusiasm to finish. I gave away the DVD sets, including the movies, to someone who liked B5 so much that she was hanging onto boxes of videotapes that she'd recorded off the air.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I'm the oddball. I start with In The Beginning. It sucks me in and gets me hyped to see what led to this point.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I’m in the middle of a rewatch as well, but I skipped most of season 1. Up to beginning of season 5 now. I think seasons 2-4 have held up well.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

On a second or subsequent viewings, I found the most watchable sequence was:

- In The Beginning (movie)
- season 2
- season 3
- season 4

Most of season 1 and season 5 were tedious slogs to go through, as well as the other movies.

Though with all that being said, on a first viewing I would go through the proper sequence as mentioned earlier.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

On first viewing, dont watch In The Beginning until after Season 3, at the earliest. It does spoil a few things.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I feel like knowing everything from "In the Beginning" screws up so much of the dramatic tension of season one, especially. Knowing so much about Delenn and Sinclair before the show begins ruins a lot, IMO. I'd definitely watch it later in the run.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

On a first viewing of the show, this ^ is definitely the case.

Though with that being said, whenever I do further rewatches of B5, I usually skip over season 1. The tedious slog over season 1, seems to be a lot of the episodes in the middle and towards the end of season 1.


Whenever I do rewatches of B5 where I devote my full attention to watching the show, I like the fast pace and (relatively) coherent serialization over seasons 2 to 4. Watching "In The Beginning" and going straight to season 2 is not entirely perfect (ie. such as at the very end of the movie), but it does maintain the fast pace and provides enough background to keep my attention during a rewatch.

The times I do watch season 1, I usually play it in the background when I'm at home and doing something else (such as netsurfing, or minor housework).

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

Just finished up S1 again... Hadn't seen it straight thru in years. I thought it actually held up much better than I remembered. Sure there's some "slog" especially in the middle but there was so much character development in S1 that's paid off in later seasons... it was a very pleasant re-watch.

Too bad Amazon (and iTunes) couldn't get the 5.1 soundtrack that's on the DVDs. The "surround" logo is still burned in the video at the start on both streaming services.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

Now I want to rewatch it. :)

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I just slogged through the end of season 1 too, and ready for the roller coaster ride to begin now.

re: Starting Babylon 5 for the first time...
 

I watched the first 3 seasons and some of 4 a decade ago on dvd.

Lost interest and never went back to finish it.

I’m still deciding if I’ll extend Prime for another year in July. Not a fan of the 20% increase.

Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

So, I finished the first season of B5 and MY GOD was it an endurance trial to sit through. Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik pretty much carry this show (and they're not even in every episode). The production values are chintzy, the directing is pedestrian, the pacing is glacial, and the sets, costumes and the like are just ugly to look at. It's an obviously intelligently written series, but I'm not sure if I can make it to season 3 where the show is supposed to get better.

Am I the only one who has felt this way? I hear it's the work of genius, but I keep checking the elapsed time on the DVD player.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

That is what I've heard from everyone, even those that love the series. The show supposedly becomes great during its second season, building upon the foundation laid out in season one.

Never found the time myself to binge all five seasons.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

It does get better. Watched the whole series when it was on broadcast tv. Also owned all the DVDs.
Yes season 1 was slow but stick with it. By season 3 you will be on the edge of your seat. And wow season 4.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

Definitely.

I went through the same thing and pressed on and so glad I did.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

I watched it for the first time maybe 10 years ago and enjoyed. At the time, the graphics were definitely dated. I can only imagine what they’re like today.

However, the characters and plot as I recall are great. There are some interesting shifts, and really “oh crap!” plot changes. It’s a shame like half of the actors are dead now. :(

Note, if I remember correctly, I screwed up and watched a tv move first even though it came out - I think - between seasons 4 and 5. So don’t pull the same mistake!

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

On a first watch, one should watch through it sequentially in spite of the tediousness of season 1. I also found season 5 was tedious to watch too.

Though on a re-watch, I skip seasons 1 and 5 altogether. I start with the "In The Beginning" telefilm and go straight to season 2 -> 4 in sequence.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

I was in the same situation several years ago, and someone on this forum recommended sticking with it (I think it was das Monkey), and I was glad I did. Been a while since I've seen it.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

Absolutely! You’ve already gotten through the hard part. Season 2 still takes a few episodes to really take off but once it does you’ll be completely hooked. And all the shit you thought was filler earlier will come back, and you’ll realize how meticulously the puzzle pieces were laid out.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

BTW- did you watch The Gathering? It should have been watched prior to season 1. If not, definitely watch it prior to season 2, since a character from the movie comes back as a main cast member.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

Yeah, I remember buying the Season One DVD and being super skeptical after watching the first few episodes and almost gave up. Managed to finish the season and then bought the second season and was hooked. So many plot threads are followed up in Seasons 2 and 3 and the show just really picks up momentum. Only problem I have with the show is now whenever I start rewatching it, it's pretty much the only thing in my DVD player for the following three weeks...It's that addictive (although I always skip the last season...Season Five was extremely weak and not necessary...)...

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

Yes, it's worth it.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

Stick with it. You will be so glad you did.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

Babylon 5 is one of the first series that was attempted as a 'novel for television' and a huge influence on later serialized television - and, while I don't like to use the term ripped off...was a huge huge influence on Deep Space Nine.
Londo and G'Kar DO carry the show not just because of their enormous acting chops but, frankly, their antagonism drives so much of the plot.

Season 1 isn't as bad as season 5 in my opinion - you can skip S5 if you want and just watch the series finale "Sleeping In Light" but I think Season 1 has some very pertinent episodes that seem like throwaway scenes/episodes but come back in a big way later. However, S2-4 are some of the finest most thrilling science fiction ever on television even today in my opinion. Only series I rank more highly in the realm of sci-fi is Farscape, but this show has my favorite episode of ANY show which is the S3 finale.

Yes, the show has some cheap production values to us now, but some of the SFX were pretty good cgi 'for the time' but don't look as good now on DVD or upscaled or whatever you are watching it on now...and many of the side characters in an episode look like they got picked up off the street for the day...but that doesn't matter with how epic the plot of the show becomes.

The plot of the show does start to wind down about half way through S4 because the showrunners thought they were being canceled and ended up getting an S5 anyway which affected the quality hugely so if you ever want to rewatch it later, you'll probably have a running order of your own to get the most out of it.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

Yes, yes, yes. Londo and G'Kar are two of the greatest characters ever written. I still get chills just thinking about their scenes.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

I'll add one more yes. Season 1 is kind of a slog (except for a few good episodes such as "Signs and Portents," "Babylon Squared" and "Chrysalis") but stick with it. Season 2 starts picking things up, and about halfway through s2 it becomes one of the best damned stories ever told on television.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

You’ve got that last part backwards. JMS shopped the show around to different studios, one of which was Paramount. They liked it but passed, but then turned around and took many of the ideas from JMS’ pitch and rewrote it to fit into Star Trek lore. So DS9 is actually a rip-off of B5. Unfortunately Paramount managed to get DS9 on the air before B5, which made it look even more like B5 was the copy cat.
Studios do this shit all the time, which is why we get so many movies close together that seem to have such similar plots, like Armageddon/Deep Impact, Volcano/Dante’s Peak, Antz/A Bug’s Life, etc.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

That's what I meant. I enjoyed DS9 despite knowing how Paramount treated JMS, but I've rewatched Babylon 5 several times and still haven't gone all the way through DS9 more than one full viewing.
When B5 really kicks into the full shadow arc, it is absolutely edge of your seat, binge watching at its finest.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

Interesting. I've watched Deep Space Nine many times over the last several decades. The parts are stronger than the sum. Individual episodes are some of the most incredible in the Trek canon: "Duet", "Necessary Evil", "Past Tense" parts I and II, "The Visitor", "Hard Time", "Trials and Tribble-ations" (which is absolutely genius), "Far Beyond the Stars" and "In the Pale Moonlight" just to name a few. The show makes things up on the fly and doesn't have things pre-planned as I could see. The Mirror Universe saga is completely pointless. However, the Dominion is probably the greatest antagonist in Trek since the old school Borg. It's a great show and acquits itself well, rip-off or not. In fact it's easily the best of the post-Roddenberry spin-offs.

At the risk of causing a B5 vs DS9 pissing contest--which I'd like to avoid, *so far* there's been no episode of B5 that I want to revisit and indeed found the first season punishing to sit through. That may change as I watch the rest of the series.

Re: Watching "Babylon 5" For the First Time--It Get's Better, Right?
 

As boring as you might think the first season is, don’t skip it because many plot points are referenced later on when things start getting good.