As a Sci-Fi fan I’ve been a huge fan of shows like Battlestar Galactica, The Expanse, Terminator: TSCC, Star Trek, etc. I keep hearing Babylon 5 is awesome.
I was too young at the time to watch the series when it was on. But then as an older teen/ young adult I decided to give it a try. Everything was so cringe it was hard to get through 3 episodes. IMO the whole vibe was “safe…” maybe even a bit corny–not the intense, exciting, politically-tense space opera that I was told it was.
So maybe the beginning episodes are just world-building? What do other people think?
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The first season of the show absolutely comes across like store brand Star Trek. The production values and effects look a bit weaker, some of the acting is a bit soap opera-ish, and it’s often self-contained adventures of the week.
Seasons 2-4 are some of the best Sci-Fi put to television. You might feel like Season 1 is “gotta get through it” and…on repeat viewings of the show, there’s at least four Season 1 episodes that truly are dead ends that might contain some world building but I still just skip them. TKO chief among them.
A lot of people will tell you the first season isn’t worth watching. I’ll admit that the acting is a little cheesier, and there are some episodes that you might think are a little heavy handed… but they set the stage for you to feel what you feel when the things they were exploring in the b plots come back in the main arc of the show. There will absolutely be moments 3 and 4 seasons in where you go ‘oh shit, they set this up in the second episode!’ Because it was heavy handed enough that you will remember it, even thoughbyou didn’t get it at the time.
To an extent, you do have to get over the cheesy acting. I see it more like a play than a show with overly realistic acting. Some of the acting is a tool to get things across. And you know what? I don’t know how well Londo and G’kar would play out without that cheesy background. There hasn’t ever been better character development than those 2.
There will absolutely be moments 3 and 4 seasons in where you go ‘oh shit, they set this up in the second episode!’
First time that happened (season 1 or 2 - it’s been a while), I knew I was hooked.
My absolute favorite callback moment requires watching the show twice.
Watch Babylon 5 through all the way. Then start it again. And wait for Delenn to tell Lenier “I cannot have an aide that does not look up. You will be forever running into things.” And look at the expression on her face.
The sheer craftsmanship that went into this show.
The first season is a lot of world building and one off episode stories. They all move forward character motivation and the world, but it is the most difficult part to get through for most people. Once season 2 gets going, it pretty much doesn’t stop til halfway through season 5.
I’d easily say that B5 is as good or better than almost any other sci fi show ever made. It’s absolutely a product of it’s time, but at the same time it is so forward thinking in terms of an ongoing multi season story arc that survives multiple major characters leaving the production with few hiccups. It is almost prescient in some of the scenarios that are explored, particularly in the back half of season 4.
I don’t know if another show has done a better pairing than Londo and G’Kar. By all measures, I probably watched B5 way too young, but I adored it at the time and found it amazing on a rewatch a handful of years ago. Typing this makes me want to watch it again
Agreed. Had a hard time pushing through season 1 but when the link between season 1 and season 2 occurred, I was hooked. Great overarching and intertwining storylines with amazing character development.
IMO watch the first 2 seasons. If it doesn’t move you by then, it probably won’t and you can say you’ve given it a fair shot.
Look up a “necessary episodes only” watch list.
Babylon 5 is excellent… eventually. Most of season 1 is supremely skippable, and much of it absolutely should be skipped. Season 2 gets a lot better, and by season 3 you’ll be watching every episode.
This was the list I found. I will give it a chance too.
Story Arc essential ones
Midnight on the Firing Line Soul Hunter And the Sky Full of Stars Survivors Signs and Portents A Voice in the Wilderness Babylon Squared The Quality of Mercy ChrysalisI managed to dig up the list I used when I was rewatching it with my wife.
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1.01 Midnight on The Firing Line
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1.06 Mind War
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1.08 And The Sky Full of Stars
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1.13 Signs And Portents
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1.18 A Voice In The Wilderness (1)
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1.19 A Voice In The Wilderness (2)
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1.20 Babylon Squared
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1.22 Chrysalis
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2.01 Points of Departure
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2.02 Revelations
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2.08 A Race Through Dark Places
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2.09 The Coming of Shadows
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2.13 Hunter Prey
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2.15 And Now For A Word
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2.16 In The Shadow of Z’ha’dum
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2.19 Divided Loyalties
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2.20 The Long, Twilight Struggle
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2.22 The Fall of Night
Personally I would very much skip Soul Hunter. It’s a bad episode, and it’s plot relevance is only for one of the movies. I’m also really not convinced that Survivors is strictly necessary. I guess on that one I’d say give it ten minutes, and if you’re not digging it then skip.
From Season 3 through season 4 just watch every episode, it’s a really solid show by that point. Season 5 is basically a coda. Watch or skip based on how you’re feeling by that point. The main plot functionally resolves at the end of season 4 because of network fuckery.
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I watched through the whole thing and… to be honest? I didn’t like it. The acting was generally poor, the plotlines were overwrought and for the most part had poor conclusions. There were definitely some interesting moments and character interactions, but for the most part it felt more like a fan fiction of science fiction rather than a science fiction show itself.
