Thank you Bandoman and brainee. I already watched "The Gathering" before watching S1. Now having finished S4, I'll watch "In the Beginning" now, then S5.

That's true. Except that the final episode of season 4 was produced in season 5. The episode that would have aired as the final episode of season 4 had they not been renewed was moved to the end of season 5.

I really want to rewatch Babylon 5 again but somehow in my move from Arizona to Colorado my Season 5 set seems to have lost its first disc. I've been holding out on rebuying the set but the itch is getting stronger.

Ah, right. Thanks for the clarification.

Yes. The intros changed every season as a way to tell the audience that this wasn't some static show like Star Trek, but things would change from year to year. When season 3 premiered, a lot of people were extremely puzzled by the opening shot in the credits with the two Starfuries, because they didn't think the show would change that fundamentally. And then it did.

I remember watching the first season as it aired and being surprised when the raider storyline actually had a conclusion. In any other show of the time, it would've been a recurring problem that popped up every few episodes without ever being resolved.

I'm just about to wrap up season 2 of the show. As a total noob to the show, I am surprised at how much more "serious" the second season felt compared to the first.

Mwahaha. Just you wait, Season 3 and 4 will own your life!

I'll let Bandoman do the honors ...

das

Yes!!

heh-heh-heh



Thanks, that felt great!

When you rewatch S1 someday after finishing the show you'll be surprised how many hints and foreshadowing type things were dropped during S1. The show is a bit uneven in S1 like a lot of shows (Buffy's S1 is awful IMO for example). S1 contains I'd say 70% of the bad / weak episodes of the entire show

That's good to know. Some of the dialog was just hilarious in the first season (compared to the second). I didn't mind it, just made me laugh. I'm now officially into the third season.

There's one thing I can't seem to forget from the first season, perhaps some seasoned vets can expand upon the significance:

At the end of a season 1 episode, G'Kar was explaining something to one of the other members of the crew (can't remember who). They had been investigating a planet that had some alien race protecting it and attacking those who came close to it (if it remember correctly). He was saying how there's some advanced races "out there" that look at other races as mere ants or insects (he said something like that).

Now that this whole thing with the Shadows is starting, my mind keeps going back to that scene in the Season 1 episode.

Any experts feel free to clarify that scene (and which episode it was) in case I'm not remembering it right.

Just keep watching.

I know Bando did this already, but....

heh heh heh

You've remembered all the major details of that scene correctly. The episode is Mind War, by the way.

As another B5 newb, I'm thrilled to find discussion of the series. The Lurker's Guide is great, but I also enjoy reading other viewers' reactions and thoughts. Thanks for the discussion and the tips here!

I just finished season 4 (I've been on a commando viewing schedule!) and I was unsure about season 5, but from your comments, it sounds like I should watch it. Luckily Best Buy has the season episode sets on sale now for $19.99 so I went ahead and ordered the last season. Until it gets here, I'll just have to make do with the movies; I need to watch 'In the Beginning' now.

I'm very glad I decided to go ahead and finally catch this show I've heard so much about. It's so marvelous to enjoy a story that actually feels that it is progressing towards some denoument, as opposed to endless filler episodes and reset buttons. I love all the themes and images that bring to mind mythology and literature, Tolkien's works especially. And there are a few pretty men to enjoy, also.

I'm just sad that I'm nearly done. Next up: Farscape.

OK so based on everyone's comments in this thread and das' strong recommendation, we decided to start Babylon 5 this weekend. We watched The Gathering and while it wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen, the acting was very stiff and the writing was unbearable in parts, especially the exposition to supply history for the characters. That said, we'll be sticking with it a bit longer because you all said it wasn't a great pilot. I'll chime in to let you know what I think along the way.

P.S. Is Season 1 similar to The Gathering in acting and writing? I can't imagine sitting through 22 hours just to get to season 2...

For the most part, yes. But sit through it anyway. You'll thank us later.

I think Season 1 improved on the pilot, but not by too much. There are still some absolute gems in the first season though. Unfortunately the season is pretty front loaded with the worst ones.

I think that the pilot is just that, a pilot - an outline sketch idea of what they ultimately wanted to do. They took what worked from it and changed what didn't so that it would be better. Some of the characters come off very differently in the pilot, and even look different, compared to the way they do on the show - and of course, they also replaced some of them, too.

This 'finding of their way/getting the kinks out' is something that they continued to do with the First season, too - which is why it's very uneven compared to later seasons. That and the fact that they used more outside writers during this season. When JMS took over the writing for pretty much the rest of the entire show's run, everything was much more on an even keel.

And in regards to the acting/writing - it's no worse than I've seen on other shows (i.e. Star Trek or the like).

Don't let it stop you from watching the show, though, (I think all 5 seasons are on sale at Best Buy this week for $19.99 each,too, btw) as it's one of the best sci-fi shows ever to air. The journey these characters will take you on, and the story told is not to be missed.

I'll be starting the Babylon 5 journey this weekend. I have seen so much praise for it here over the years so I took the $150 cash I got for christmas and bought all 5 seasons and the movie set. Can't wait to get started.

I've finished The Gathering and the first two episodes of the series.

The series definitely improved from The Gathering. Most noticeably the cheap sets, 80s hair styles, cheap costumes and worst actors were all dispensed of. While it's still not on par with a Star Trek: TNG to me, it's got that feel and if it just gets better, I'm looking forward to seeing what's to come.

It's already imaginative and intriguing, and even within the second episode, they're setting up an overall mystery, I can tell.

Anyway, Maxflier and anyone else starting out with The Gathering, it does get slightly better once Season 1 starts. Here's hoping you guys are right and it gets even better yet!

Same here. I expected it to be awful, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. The episodes are definately worlds better than the pilot movie was though, just as you said.
Ivanova is very nice to look at! For those that have seen the entire series, is it ever explained why she replaced the asian woman who was in The Gathering?

Yes, although not in detail. But there is another layer to it that we wouldn't tell you about until you've finished season 2.

That's not a yard stick, it's a ruler!

Seriously, I like TNG as much as the next guy, but I can think of a number of sci-fi shows that blow it out of the water. If TNG is your high water mark, I think you're soon going to have a new record holder on your hands.