Babylon 5 - season 1 (Signs and Portents)
Jun. 6th, 2009 11:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lathanyMany moons ago, I bought the first four seasons of Babylon 5 on DVD. However, having seen them a number of times on video, I put them to one side and never watched them. Over the last couple of weeks, however, I've got them out, dusted them down and started watching again. A couple of days ago, I finished season 1 and thought I would write a shortish LJ review (its original showing was long before LJ).
Whilst I suspect that everyone who wanted to see it has by now, I'll stick this in an LJ-cut because I can.
So how was season 1 (Signs and Portents) ?
I didn't bother with the pilot episode (which I only have on video), but launched straight into the season proper.
I found it remarkably re-watchable and didn't find the special effects too dated. Whilst Sinclair's acting has often been rubbished, I didn't feel it was too bad. However it's Londo and G'Kar who really stand out. Their feud is beautifully done and season 1 is spent with G'Kar having the upper hand (until the last episode) and generally being a bad guy.
In terms of the others, Talia and Na'Toth deserve a mention for both being excellent. Plus, who didn't enjoy Bester in Mind War? He was wasted on that Star Trek role, he does bad guys so much better.
In terms of the writing, whilst wordy, Babylon 5 has some lovely set pieces and soliloquies in it. OK, everyone says it, but Londo's response to "What do you want?" is still great. Plus there are plenty of good comedy lines (primarily from Ivanova).
Visually, the Shadows are beautiful still. Plus the machine on Epsilon 3 is good. The Grey Council is another set up which is still extremely striking and the various fighter battles are good. Also the general tone of costumes (I'm rubbish at dating historical clothing, but 50s?) was well-chosen as it makes the series feel less dated than if they'd gone with nineties stuff.
Coming to the plot - the whole two(ish) plots per episode works very well and gives you plenty to consider. Returning to this now, there are lost of little bits all over the place that turn up in later episodes as being extremely relevant. Examples include Lennier lying to save face for Londo in The Quality of Mercy, Walker Smith (the human fighter from TKO) observing that Garibaldi needs to watch his back more and Franklin's interest in travel (hitchhiking).
On the individual episodes; there were good and bad ones.
The good episodes include Signs and Portents - Morden, Londo losing hope, the end of the raiders and Kosh vs the Shadows (which I've now seen too many times), A Voice in the Wilderness - the machine, early sight of the Mars problems, Londo and landing thrusters and Earthforce acting badly, Chrysalis - the Cocoon, more cliffhangers than I thought possible, G'Kar realising that the Shadows might be back, Mind War - Talia and Bester and Sky Full Of Stars - The Battle of the Line.
On the bad episodes, head and shoulders above any other is Grail. Not only is the main plot weak (the feeder which pretends to be Kosh), but the side plots (the Seeker and also Jinxo) are also weak. This episode is mainly notable for outlining what happened to the previous four Babylon stations and for making clear that JMS originally only had two Minbari castes. However other bads include Infection - weak main plot but saved by the side plot (Ivanova's dying father) and having David McCallum in it and TKO - I've never been a big fan of fight-based episodes but again saved by an Ivanova sub-plot (the Rabbi turning up).
But overall - I (again) enjoyed it.
Whilst I suspect that everyone who wanted to see it has by now, I'll stick this in an LJ-cut because I can.
So how was season 1 (Signs and Portents) ?
I didn't bother with the pilot episode (which I only have on video), but launched straight into the season proper.
I found it remarkably re-watchable and didn't find the special effects too dated. Whilst Sinclair's acting has often been rubbished, I didn't feel it was too bad. However it's Londo and G'Kar who really stand out. Their feud is beautifully done and season 1 is spent with G'Kar having the upper hand (until the last episode) and generally being a bad guy.
In terms of the others, Talia and Na'Toth deserve a mention for both being excellent. Plus, who didn't enjoy Bester in Mind War? He was wasted on that Star Trek role, he does bad guys so much better.
In terms of the writing, whilst wordy, Babylon 5 has some lovely set pieces and soliloquies in it. OK, everyone says it, but Londo's response to "What do you want?" is still great. Plus there are plenty of good comedy lines (primarily from Ivanova).
Visually, the Shadows are beautiful still. Plus the machine on Epsilon 3 is good. The Grey Council is another set up which is still extremely striking and the various fighter battles are good. Also the general tone of costumes (I'm rubbish at dating historical clothing, but 50s?) was well-chosen as it makes the series feel less dated than if they'd gone with nineties stuff.
Coming to the plot - the whole two(ish) plots per episode works very well and gives you plenty to consider. Returning to this now, there are lost of little bits all over the place that turn up in later episodes as being extremely relevant. Examples include Lennier lying to save face for Londo in The Quality of Mercy, Walker Smith (the human fighter from TKO) observing that Garibaldi needs to watch his back more and Franklin's interest in travel (hitchhiking).
On the individual episodes; there were good and bad ones.
The good episodes include Signs and Portents - Morden, Londo losing hope, the end of the raiders and Kosh vs the Shadows (which I've now seen too many times), A Voice in the Wilderness - the machine, early sight of the Mars problems, Londo and landing thrusters and Earthforce acting badly, Chrysalis - the Cocoon, more cliffhangers than I thought possible, G'Kar realising that the Shadows might be back, Mind War - Talia and Bester and Sky Full Of Stars - The Battle of the Line.
On the bad episodes, head and shoulders above any other is Grail. Not only is the main plot weak (the feeder which pretends to be Kosh), but the side plots (the Seeker and also Jinxo) are also weak. This episode is mainly notable for outlining what happened to the previous four Babylon stations and for making clear that JMS originally only had two Minbari castes. However other bads include Infection - weak main plot but saved by the side plot (Ivanova's dying father) and having David McCallum in it and TKO - I've never been a big fan of fight-based episodes but again saved by an Ivanova sub-plot (the Rabbi turning up).
But overall - I (again) enjoyed it.
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Date: 2009-06-06 01:57 pm (UTC)When I first came to B5 I came in after the start - the first episode I saw properly was the one which is done as an extended report from ISN. I loved the format, it totally hooked me, and you could just feel the weight of the back story. I also loved the PsiCorp ad with the 'subliminal'! IIRC, Delenn was being interviewed about her change, so I guess it must have been somewhere in season 2.
So, it was great to start watching in sequence. I found that quite a lot of episodes came earlier in the series than I'd thought - I did so much jumping around the first time round.
Of course, I didn't get very far into it, because I ended up leaving the country. But I did really enjoy it as far as I got. Everything that made me love it the first time was still there. Londo and G'Kar, of course, are a large part of what makes the show - their arcs separate but intersecting, and personalising the larger story. I always loved Londo in particular (one of my all time favourite tv moments is Londo watching the bombing of Narn, I'd love a poster of that image).
Later parts of G'Kar's arc annoyed the hell out of me, mind - JMS really used him to pimp his sanctity of the writer thing.
"Lennier lying to save face for Londo in The Quality of Mercy"
Yes, this was one of my favourite chunks of story, too. It really stuck with me - inspired a couple of rp backgrounds. , Lennier was another favourite character of mine (shame JMS utterly broke character at the end). And Vir.
Hm, if I'm staying at your place later this month, B5 could be the new Heroes...
no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 08:16 pm (UTC)Works for me... although, be warned, I (deliberately) don't have season 5.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 11:02 pm (UTC)