Hi everyone, kinda new to the forum so i thought id ask a question haha: ive been contemplating getting Babylon 5 for awhile and i think i might go for it. every thread ive read theres always people gushing about the show, and i think i should check it out, so my question is this: is it worth a blind buy? thanks!!
It is totally Worth it, just remember it was a 90 show so the graphic’s are dated alittle, but still a great 5 year arc. there are a load of spin off too. new stuff may still come out, but very little is know about that. there is loads of great Actors and stories in the show. I would totally go for it.
It’s worth it. How ever the pilot movie and most of the first season are difficult to watch. The early seasons of TNG and DS9 weren’t exactly great either. The idea is just to get through them as quick as you can until the good stuff gets going.
like we’ve suggested before on the thread, you can start with the “The Gathering/In The Beginning” DVD, which has the pilot The Gathering, which as Magnus mentioned is a bit difficult to watch. But definately watch “In The Beginning” first.
It gives a bit more purpose as you watch the first season.
But the show definately picks up from season 2, and season 3 and season 4 are just master piece.
UNLESS, however, you’re a spoilerphobe, because the prequel movie gives away most of the major twists and surprises from the series. IMO, knowing everything ahead of time takes away a lot of the mystery from the show, but it’s worth it, if you’re willing to believe that everything will be explained if you’re patient. Of course, everyone’s taste is different, so that’s really up to you.
No matter what you decide, B5 is definitely worthwhile. 
Babylon 5 is an incredible tale. Every character plays a part in the story and are interesting and diverse. There are a few episodes you can miss but most are important to the overall 5 year arc.
It’s difficult to pick an episode that doesn’t involve the arc and spoilers for you to check out and see if you like the show. ‘The Parliament of Dreams’ is a first season episode which doesn’t give too much away and is pretty decent. Once you see the first season finale ‘Chrysalis’, you’ll be hooked.
Check out ‘The Parliament of Dreams’ on Hulu.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/17535/babylon-5-the-parliament-of-dreams
Before committing to purchasing the whole series, watch a few episodes on Hulu and make your decision. Some Trek fans love it, others despise it.
It did receive the Roddenberry seal of approval, though.
Majel Roddenberry appeared in an episode, supposedly as a peace offering between the fandoms.
hah cool! majel! haha i think im gonna do it amazon has ssn1 for like 18 bucks so why not?
18 bucks? Nice. Babylon 5 is amazing, but I disagree with what some folks have been saying about where to start. The pilot movie “The Gathering” is somewhat weak, but I would not start with “In The Beginning”. I would just start with the first season 1 episode “Midnight on the Firing Line”.
Well, let me put it this way then… if you go through Season 1 and find yourself having problems going through the first season because you feel like the story is going no where and the special effect and production looks a bit out dated, watch In the Beginning to keep the flame going.
I myself watched from the first episode, but I missed In the Beginning TV movie, and when I watched it on DVD, I realized that I missed out a lot. Other TV movies tho… aren’t as impressive or important to the story.
Welcome trekkier
B-5 is so worth getting. I’ve watched this series all the way through many times. I also recommend starting with The Gathering/In the Beginning.
Yes, the beginning episodes are weak, but once hooked, they are forgiven.
The great thing about B5 is the 5-yr story arc. It’s so satisfying to have a beginning and an end.
The other great thing are the characters. They all develop and expand. Ones you start out intensely disliking, you come to have great affection, in spite of their serious character flaws.
There are some great lines and wonderful moments. Londo has the best lines, I think.
Oops, I think I’m gushing. Go treat yourself trekkier. Enjoy.
The character growth really brought me into the show. Watching G’kar go from the being a minor annoyance to a major hero was a great part of the story.
Yes, when you compare who he was in The Gathering and who he becomes later, it’s amazing. I also love the relationship between G’Kar and Londo. Hate, hate, hate, respect, sympathy, friendship?
And what can be said of Londo. So many great lines, so many funny moments, so easy to despise. And later, against your will, your heart breaks for him and his tragic fate.
yeah, talk about grey and shifting aliance. to this day B5 still has the best take on this. What at first seemed like unbreakable alliance and loyalty will wear off, and what seemed like unbreachable hatered also wears off. It’s pretty amazing.
wow no one compared baltar to Londo?
-ROB
well, both are very popular with women…
Yes, G’Kar is definitely my favorite part of the show. So many of the deeply insightful quotes are his. Heck, most of my “favorite quotes” on my Facebook page are his.
“If I take a lamp and shine it toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth… for understanding. Too often, we assume that the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the sense of revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search - who does not bring a lantern - sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light… pure and unblemished… not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes we stand in front of the light and assume that we are the center of the universe - God looks astonishingly like we do - or we turn to look at our shadow and assume that all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way, we defeat the purpose, which is to use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and in all its flaws; and in so doing, better understand the world around us.” ~ G’Kar
I’ve just started watching the saga again this week, to take it all in. I don’t agree the early shows are week. As an audience, we weren’t seeing how things hooked together into a single story, so the episodes didn’t seem significant. They helped lay ground work for things to come and supplied quite a bit of Foreshadowing.
Infection, the episode which sold me on the series, was the first episode to mention a devistating war 1,000 years ago, but we didn’t learn until season 2 why that war was significant. I also loved Sinclair’s speech to the Ikarran which struck me as a very Capt. Kirk like moment. And of course, we have one of my favorite quotes of the series at the very end of the episode.
“Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics, and you’ll get ten different answers. But there’s one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on: whether it happens in a hundred years, or a thousand years, or a million years, eventually our sun will grow cold, and go out. When that happens, it won’t just take us, it’ll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-tsu, Einstein, Maruputo, Buddy Holly, Aristophanes, and all of this. All of this was for nothing unless we go to the stars.” ~ Sinclair
WOW, you pulled some of the best quotes from the show out. G’Kar was by far my favorite person, Delenn second the changes she goes through are so amazing. SPOILER ALERT!!! From voting to start a war to falling in love with someone she almost killed as a blood enemy. But back to G’Kar his speeches were always captivating, but I loved his dedication to an idea what ever it be. He always willing to fight and die for what he believes or for a friend. It really comes across in the series.
Right, whatever he did, he did whole heartedly with a passion. There was nothing half done with him, and he calculated the long term results of everything (except the taking of the dust of course) before he did anything.
If anyone want a orginal scrpit, Claudia Christian is selling hers from the babylon 5 days on her website, along with other items.