Babylon 5

[MrJim]

Just learned one of the main characters died from B5..Vir..

 

[MissRowy]

Yes he died from complications of diabetes...He was a great actor and really played the role of Vir quite well.
This is my favourite line from Vir

 

[GandalfTheWise]

I watched the show when it first came out. I was also on the old news group JMS was participating on. He'd sometimes release little teasers of upcoming things and commented on many people's questions. As I recall, a few of the discussions on technical subjects found their way into a few dialogues on the show. It was a bit of a different era then. Though a few seasons in, (as I recall it) the lawyers for the network stepped in and wouldn't let him interact directly with fans for fear of someone suing over him "stealing" an unsolicited idea someone might present.

Unfortunately, the combination of B5 being broadcast on different local stations and a personal move to a different state meant I ended up missing part of it in the later seasons. But then I caught up on it during re-runs later. I also enjoyed Crusade and wish that would have turned into a 5 year run as well.

Years later, I got the DVDs for all 5 seasons on sale for quite cheap. I got to enjoy watching them with all 3 of my daughters at various times. Each time I found that I was enjoying it as much as I had the first time. Perhaps in another decade or so my granddaughter might be up for it.

One of my favorite series and set of stories. It was rare to have a series do so much nice character development over the seasons on so many different recurring characters. So many not-so-well-known actors created some very memorable characters.

 

[MissRowy]

JM Strazynski really did well with the writing. I am up to Season 4 now and man its intense!!

 

[RDKirk]

Interestingly, although Strazynski is an atheist (or was at the time), he didn't shy from illustrating that beings in his story could be religious, and he didn't ridicule religion either. One particularly seizing episode revolved around a race that like Christian Scientists did not believe in using medicine for religious reasons. They had a mortally child that the station's doctor (an atheist) was convinced he could save, but he needed the captain to authorize him to take the child by force. The captain refused, stating he had a duty to honor everyone's culture and beliefs.

Another episode made a hugely striking directorial decision. The captain had been captured by enemies and was being interrogated and tortured. Then entire episode was a camera on the captain during his interrogation. There was no "meanwhile, back at the ranch" cutaway to any other characters. It was the captain being tortured during every moment of screen time.

When the captain passed out from torture, the program cut to a commercial. The program returned to show the captain regaining consciousness for the next round of interrogation. I think maybe back in the old "writer-driven" days of television, they might have done something like that, but it was an interesting technique.

Strazynski was still doing his weekly conversations with fans online, and I couldn't wait to congratulate him.

 

[GandalfTheWise]

JM Strazynski really did well with the writing. I am up to Season 4 now and man its intense!!

If memory serves, during season 4 JMS did not know if it would be renewed for a 5th season so rushed the story arc to finish the main parts by the end of S4. I don't want to give away any spoilers or hints. The final episode of S4 might be best watched after season 5. It was written before they knew they would be renewed for S5. Others here can chime in on their thoughts (avoiding hints or spoilers), when I re-watched the series with my kids, I considered waiting to watching the final S4 episode after S5. We ended up just watching in order though. No big deal either way.

Season 5 then became a bit of a hodgepodge and took a bit to get on track compared to the previous 4. I still enjoyed it, but it had a different feel. I also liked some of the B5 movies released later that fit into the story arc at various places. The Lost Tales (or whatever the title was) was like the series. The Legend of the Rangers was a love it/hate it show for B5 fans.

I enjoyed the partial season of Crusade that followed B5. The pilot/prequel "A Call to Arms" is essentially a B5 movie.

 

[RDKirk]

If memory serves, during season 4 JMS did not know if it would be renewed for a 5th season so rushed the story arc to finish the main parts by the end of S4. I don't want to give away any spoilers or hints. The final episode of S4 might be best watched after season 5. It was written before they knew they would be renewed for S5. Others here can chime in on their thoughts (avoiding hints or spoilers), when I re-watched the series with my kids, I considered waiting to watching the final S4 episode after S5. We ended up just watching in order though. No big deal either way.

That is true, and like taking a wrong turn with GPS, it required some noticeable "rerouting" going into Season 5.

 

[MissRowy]

Thanks I will pass that on to my partner who is watching it with me

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Just learned one of the main characters died from B5..Vir..

Andreas Katsulas - Wikipedia

 

[Zackuth]

I watched this during its airing and I have always thought it was the best series, sci-fi or not, on television. I taped the episodes and binge watched (before binge watching was popular) each season over a weekend. It is still my favorite series ever! The one thing I liked most about the series is the characters grew as experiences (life) happened.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Used to watch B5 when it was first on channel 9 back in the 90s. Picked up the DVD box sets a few years ago for something like $25 each. If you haven't got there already, prepare to be disappointed in Season 5 - it really isn't a patch on the others.

 

[MissRowy]

Actually Season 5 has been really good IMO. I am enjoying it. And also the episode "Fall of Centauri Prime" links to the movie "In the Beginning"

 

[RDKirk]

It was all good.

 

[Pádraigín Ní Saorlaith]

Interestingly, although Strazynski is an atheist (or was at the time), he didn't shy from illustrating that beings in his story could be religious, and he didn't ridicule religion either. One particularly seizing episode revolved around a race that like Christian Scientists did not believe in using medicine for religious reasons. They had a mortally child that the station's doctor (an atheist) was convinced he could save, but he needed the captain to authorize him to take the child by force. The captain refused, stating he had a duty to honor everyone's culture and beliefs.

Another episode made a hugely striking directorial decision. The captain had been captured by enemies and was being interrogated and tortured. Then entire episode was a camera on the captain during his interrogation. There was no "meanwhile, back at the ranch" cutaway to any other characters. It was the captain being tortured during every moment of screen time.

When the captain passed out from torture, the program cut to a commercial. The program returned to show the captain regaining consciousness for the next round of interrogation. I think maybe back in the old "writer-driven" days of television, they might have done something like that, but it was an interesting technique.

Strazynski was still doing his weekly conversations with fans online, and I couldn't wait to congratulate him.

I started watching this show a while back (almost to the end of season 4), and I really appreciate the respect JMS has for religion. My favorite episode is probably "Passing Through Gethsemane" because it focuses heavily on Christian theology surrounding forgiveness. I also like that he established Ivanova to be a practicing Jew, and then stuck to that. So often, writers make a character religious and then have them ignore their faith when it's convenient, or don't actually show them being observant. But we see Ivanova sit Shiva, light her menorah at Hanukkah, and discuss Kosher law with her rabbi. She isn't just Jewish, but her faith is a part of who she is, and JMS is careful to show that. (The only time I can think of him forgetting this is when she eats bacon. Maybe it was turkey bacon. I don't know.)

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

Just learned one of the main characters died from B5..Vir..

Many of those actors have died and relatively young.

Babylon 5 curse - IMDb