this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2023
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Lemmy World Rules

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Should I Give Babylon 5 Another Chance? (lemmy.world)
submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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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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[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

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
Chrysalis
[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I managed to dig up the list I used when I was rewatching it with my wife.

  • 1.01 Midnight on The Firing Line

  • 1.06 Mind War

  • 1.08 And The Sky Full of Stars

  • 1.13 Signs And Portents

  • 1.18 A Voice In The Wilderness (1)

  • 1.19 A Voice In The Wilderness (2)

  • 1.20 Babylon Squared

  • 1.22 Chrysalis

  • 2.01 Points of Departure

  • 2.02 Revelations

  • 2.08 A Race Through Dark Places

  • 2.09 The Coming of Shadows

  • 2.13 Hunter Prey

  • 2.15 And Now For A Word

  • 2.16 In The Shadow of Z'ha'dum

  • 2.19 Divided Loyalties

  • 2.20 The Long, Twilight Struggle

  • 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.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Nice! Thanks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

I didn't really enjoy the episodes/season dealing with the Earth separatists. Much rather have earth - alien conflict.

Loved me some Londo.