Babylon 5

[MissRowy]

I don't know if there is a thread on this already but I have just started watching Babylon 5 with my partner, we are into season 2 and loving it..

 

[Strathos]

Meh. Never much cared for it myself.

 

[Davidnic]

One of my favorites.

 

[Blackmarch]

Great show, excellent actors.

 

[actionsub]

I don't know if there is a thread on this already but I have just started watching Babylon 5 with my partner, we are into season 2 and loving it..

Oh, you're just getting started then! Season 1 put all the pieces into place, but got up-ended when Michael O'Hare had to leave the show because of mental illness (he developed schizophrenic tendencies and was unable to continue in a regular role) so Bruce Boxleitner came in. (O'Hare will come back later in Season 3 for a couple of episodes that will finish up the Sinclair story and why he got sent off to Minbar.) Enjoy the "happy" Sheridan with the oranges and little quirks now, he won't get to stay that way very long. The rollercoaster that is B5 is going up the first incline now; so buckle in, the ride gets crazy from there.

 

[MissRowy]

Please no spoilers!!! And season 1 was great...I also read that O'Hare died in 2012 of a heart attack and that he was suffering with schizoprenia.

 

[Paidiske]

We enjoyed it very much. I think what it did with its story arc was quite innovative in its time. Will be interested to see what you make of it as you go on, Rowy.

 

[MissRowy]

Well as I said we are just into Season 2 after Delenn came out of her cocoon. And we just saw the episode The Long Dark

 

[actionsub]

Please no spoilers!!! And season 1 was great...I also read that O'Hare died in 2012 of a heart attack and that he was suffering with schizoprenia.

Other than that, I'll tell you nothing further. It would be completely unfair. When I first saw it, a cable network was rerunning the first four seasons at the same time the final season was airing for the first time. So they'd be making references to things in the new episodes that were spoilers, and it wasn't nearly as much fun.
What you heard about O'Hare was completely correct; the show's producer made a promise to O'Hare not to publicly reveal the mental illness as long as O'Hare was alive to avoid ruining any other acting career O'Hare could have had.

 

[MissRowy]

Yeah cos the producer and O'Hare were actually close friends from what I have read. Anyway can't wait to watch the next episode. We watched The Spider's Web last night and man was it good!

 

[Dave-W]

I have never seen the show. But I understand that the filming schedule kept Billy Mumy from reprising his role as Will Robinson (the grown up version) in the movie Lost in Space.

 

[PloverWing]

One of my favorite shows!

As much as I liked Lost in Space as a kid, I'm glad Bill Mumy did Babylon 5 instead of the Lost in Space movie. His Lennier is an unforgettable character.

I could talk a long time about some of the interesting characters and ideas in the show, but that would involve spoilers. Come back to this thread when you've finished the 5-year story arc, and we'll have a discussion!

 

[PKFox]

I'm on season 3 right now, but I'm not getting through it very quickly because I'm so busy. So far, I love the show, but for many different reasons.

 

[MissRowy]

We are nearly at the end of Season 2. Just watched Knives which was a bizarre episode in itself. And believe it or not Bill Mumy was also in Star Trek DS9 towards the end of the last season.

 

[MissRowy]

Into Season 3 and nearly at the end...at the episode arc

Spoiler

where they go back to Babylon 4 and Sheridan ends up in Centauri Prime 20 years later

Please don't read the spoiler if you aren't up to this part of Season 3

 

[RDKirk]

Very, very interesting series. I've just been re-watching some excerpts on YouTube.

It was a pioneer of the fully developed series intended from the beginning to be a specific length with beginning, middle, and ending and characters that developed as the story proceeded. It almost got cancelled at one point and the creator and primary writer J. Michael Straczynski had to make some plot changes in the third season so that he could have ended it there, if necessary...but it went on and he was able to pull it back to his original vision.

During its run, Straczynski had a forum on the old GEnie site where he discussed stories and plots each week with us fans. That was great fun. He never gave us spoilers of future episodes, of course, but it was fun to ask, "What did you mean by that?" and give him compliments when due.

 

[Solomon Kane]

Babylon 5 is my absolute favorite of sci-fi series tv. I have the entire series, Babylon Crusade, and all the movies on dvd.

Now the funny thing, I had no interest in watching it when I first heard about it before it aired. At the time Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had been on the air for a couple of seasons and I thought B5 was just going to be a cheap rip-off.

But my girlfriend, at the time, was interested in seeing it, and because of her work schedule asked me to tape them for her. Long story short, I was captivated by the end of the first episode and my fascination with the series just grew and grew with each new season.

I loved the character arcs, the meta-plot, as the development of the setting as the story progressed.

It is one of the few series where I'll pull out the dvds and do a marathon viewing every couple of years.

 

[MissRowy]

The character arcs are brilliant...my partner and I are now into season 4 and just watched Thirdspace which was kinda like a long episode...Andreas Katsulas has really nailed his role as G'Kar and he should have got more recognition for what he did.
I follow Straczynski on Twitter and there is this website if you want to check it out Australian Air Dates for Babylon 5

 

[MrJim]

B5 along with DS9 and Farscape are my top SF TV series.

 

[RDKirk]

B5 along with DS9 and Farscape are my top SF TV series.

Find some way right now to watch SYFY's "The Expanse!" The first season is on Amazon now, and the second season should hit Amazon soon.

Watch it! It's a hard SF, and not the same flavor as those others, but certainly at least as good in story--but scientifically hard. You might think of it as B5 with harder science.

For instance, there is no FTL, just really good reaction drive. There are no lasers or phasers or blasters, just nukes and rail guns and bullets. There is gravity in a space ship only when they're spinning or under thrust--otherwise they're weightless.

There are three political factions: The Earthers, the Martians, and the Belters. Old, decaying, Machiavellian Earth and young, militaristic, rebellious Mars are locked in a Cold War on the verge of turning hot. They both oppress the Belter mining colonies, and the Belters have no use for either of the "Inners." All of them are seeking the weapons potential of the discovery of a strange alien form of microbial life.

The worlds are fully developed, especially the asteroid worlds and society of the Belters. Love their South African-ish accent and patois.

It's got some outstanding acting and terrific space battles. Every character is layered, and a character you might have though early on was shallow turns out to have depth that you see later, and then look back to realize it was always there. The character with the most interesting backstory is Amos, who is first presented as dumb muscle...but watch him carefully, especially his eyes and let his backstory unfold.

And the Mormons are building a generation ship to take them to another star...which is no surprise at all.

This is the kind of stuff the old-school writers like Asimov, Heinlein, Niven, or Pournelle would pen.

Here are some clips on YouTube (there is profanity, so I won't link them directly here).

World's best space battle: "The Expanse Scene - Best Space battle I ever seen"

Soliloquy of a Belter terrorist: "THE EXPANSE | That Makes Me a Monster | SYFY"

Amos' view of life: "The Expanse - The Churn"

A public servant not to be crossed (1): "THE EXPANSE | Season 2, Episode 9: 'Q&A' | SYFY"

A public servant not to be crossed (2): "The Expanse - I will rain hellfire down on them all"