Babylon 5

[JasonPratt]

Just went back to check his official guide page for "The Gathering" http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/000.html

I haven't rechecked the page for the episode where the new traitor is revealed, but he hints heavily that Laurel Takashima was going to have that plotline. So I feel justified.  :) (Of course this leaves her off as an unresolved plotline, but it doesn't matter; no doubt she was used by the enemy elsewhere offscreen.)

[GDS_Starfury]

thats not how I remember it but its been a looong time since I watched the series.
both B5 and BSG suffered from writer problems at various points.

[airboy]

B5 is available on DVD.  I have it.

It was very good - but it got markedly worse in the last half of the last season.  I'm glad it ended when it did.

If restarted, do it in a completely different era.

[FarAway Sooner]

I was very excited to rewatch it about 5 years ago.  I picked up the DVDs on Netflix and was horrified at how bad the first half of the first season was.  The script writing was nothing but cliches, the dialogue was heavy-handed beyond belief, and the dramatic scenes alternated between badly overacted and as emotionless as a George Lucas romance scene.

Did it get better after the first season, because I could only make it through about 12 episodes?  I had fond memories of the show, but couldn't for the life of me remember why.

[mirth]

Don't be too harsh with the first season of B5. Keep in mind that season one of Star Trek TNG was dreadful, as was a good part of season 2. If those early episodes were trotted out today, TNG wouldn't last half a season.

[JasonPratt]

Did it get better after the first season, because I could only make it through about 12 episodes?  I had fond memories of the show, but couldn't for the life of me remember why.

It gets better even later in the first season. Although the guy who plays Commander Sinclaire never really gets any better as an actor (but fortunately he leaves at the end of season 1 with only some guest appearances afterward).

As far as characters go, I think most people watched it for the development of G'kar (the bald-looking lizard ambassador), Londo (the fan-haired ambassador), and maybe Lenier (the ambassador aide for the space-elves) and Vir (the ambassador aide to Londo). And Garibaldi the security chief. They all have very interesting character arcs; the other people less so.

The epic plot is the other reason most people who like it like it; but much of the first season is setting up the epic plot in the background, not bringing it to the forefront. And the other stories tend to be kind of weak and annoying even when the Main Plot is running. Worse, because of the way the main plot is spread out in the background over the first season, it's hard to say an episode is skippable. Otherwise I'd offer a list of critical eps and you could just go with those.

Season Two is about half and half Main Plot and Story of the Week. Fortunately the one-off stories tend to be a bit stronger. Seasons Three and Four are all just about totally Main Plot. (Season Five is mostly epilogue to the Main Plot, which tied up nicely at the end of Seas4.)

[mirth]

It gets better even later in the first season. Although the guy who plays Commander Sinclaire never really gets any better as an actor (but fortunately he leaves at the end of season 1 with only some guest appearances afterward).

I must be the only person who like Michael O' Hare (Sinclair) better than Bruce Boxleitner (Sheridan). I've never cared much for Boxleitner as an actor, though I watched 'Scarecrow & Mrs King' when I was a kid (Kate Jackson was still cute).

Either one of them was better than Tracy Scoggins. For my money, Gary Cole was the best captain in the B5 universe. Too bad Crusade never had a chance.

[mirth]

Damn, having been on B5 is apparently a serious curse. Four actors of major characters have died at fairly young ages:

   
• Michael O'Hare (Sinclair) - age 60
• Andreas Katsulas (G'kar) - 59
• Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin) -44
• Jeff Conaway (Zack Allen) - 60

[JasonPratt]

Assuming you watched the Pilot movie (which does have strong connections to the main plot), and up through Ep#8 "And The Sky Full Of Stars" which is a critical ep, here are the critical eps through the end of Season Two.

#9, "Deathwalker" -- the A-story fleshes out why Earth is liked so much by the League of Non-aligned Worlds (we helped them win against the genocidal space Nazis when none of the greater powers would help), so has quite a bit of political importance to the Main Plot. Talia and the Vorlon Kosh have an ultimately more important B-story. (Sort of. It also gave the writer, JMS, a backdoor possibility for something that he never cashed in on later.) A weaker critical ep, but critical eps later will be referring back to this.

#11, "Survivors" -- mostly a Garibaldi characterization piece involving factors that will be much more important later; also involves President Luis Santiago, so has some connection to the Main Plot eventually. A weaker critical ep.

#12, "By Any Means Necessary" -- the A-story (written by JMS' wife by the way) is about unions going on strike at B5. Not a critical ep in itself, but will be mentioned in a critical ep later #16.

#13, "Signs and Portents" -- the whole freaking season was named after this episode. Super-critical.

#16, "Eyes" -- Talia and Sinclair are investigated by their respective superiors. (This is where Sinclaire's decision from #12 will be mentioned, btw.) Moderately critical.

Everything afterward in the first season is critical one way or another, although "The Quality of Mercy" (next to last ep) is more thematically critical than "plot" critical for reasons that won't be obvious until later.

[JasonPratt]

I must be the only person who like Michael O' Hare (Sinclair) better than Bruce Boxleitner (Sheridan).

I don't actively dislike him -- I'm amused every time he opens his mouth, and not always in a bad way. ;) But yeah, I couldn't say he was better than Boxleitner. I can say I missed him when he was gone, and was glad to see his guest appearances later.

[JasonPratt]

Looking back over Season Two, it might be easier to list the non-critical eps...

The first episode I might skip is #27, "The Long Dark". It still has ties to the main plot, but in a sideways sort of way.

#29, "Soul Mates", might be technically skipable. It does tie up a plot thread for Londo, allowing for super-important developments later, but never gets referenced again if I recall correctly.

Ditto #30, "GROPOS". The soldiers are fighting somewhere but I don't recall it being anywhere important to the plot.

Ep #39, "Knives", is less important when it comes after Ep #38 (its eventual broadcast order) instead of before (its intended plot order).  Could count as skipable, except for Londo's political plotting which is kind of important.

Everything else in Season Two is definitely critical, although some eps moreso than others.


Every episode in Season Three is also definitely critical, although also some eps moreso than others. (And there are Story of the Week sideplots that are fairly weak, even though important developments happen otherwise in the episode.)

[Staggerwing]

Damn, having been on B5 is apparently a serious curse. Four actors of major characters have died at fairly young ages:

   
• Michael O'Hare (Sinclair) - age 60
• Andreas Katsulas (G'kar) - 59
• Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin) -44
• Jeff Conaway (Zack Allen) - 60

IIRC Andreas Katsulas played a Romulan in a recurring role on ST-TNG.

[GDS_Starfury]

G'kar was an incredible character.

[TheCommandTent]

G'kar was an incredible character.

I agree, I really enjoyed his development and depth in the show.

[mirth]

Damn, having been on B5 is apparently a serious curse. Four actors of major characters have died at fairly young ages:

   
• Michael O'Hare (Sinclair) - age 60
• Andreas Katsulas (G'kar) - 59
• Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin) -44
• Jeff Conaway (Zack Allen) - 60

IIRC Andreas Katsulas played a Romulan in a recurring role on ST-TNG.

Commander Tomalak.