The results of my poll show that I have a very diverse group of readers visiting my blog. The most interest seems to be in my features of Etsy shops. So for those people… I have another feature lined up for next Monday.
For those interested in metal, I plan to write about goldfill soon.
And for the geeks who frequent my blog (Yay, geeks!), I thought I’d talk about Babylon 5 today since I recently rewatched it. I’m hoping that some of you have seen it too and can post your opinions. I like the overall story arc of B5, but the writing was klutzy at best. I mean, seriously, how many times do you need your characters to use the phrase “straight to hell”? Or how many times in the first season does Ivanova need to state she’s Russian? lol I never really became a big fan of the actors who played Sheridan or Sinclair; they just didn’t capture my attention (or imagination) for some reason. Even with better writing, I don’t think I would have warmed up to them. Mira Furlan as Delenn was pretty good (although I think she’s even better on Lost), and who doesn’t like Londo (Peter Jurasik)? A bad guy that we actually kinda like… That doesn’t happen in every series. I think my favorite characters are Lenier, Vir, and G’Kar, because they undergo the most change within the series. (Yeah, Delenn and Sinclair change _species_, but their basic character remains untouched.)
Looks like I need to do something crazy at this point, like get some sleep. I hope there are a couple of you out there who have seen B5.
Question of the Day: If you’ve seen B5, did you like it? What did you consider to be its strengths and its weaknesses?
micheledodge
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
The Earth fighters were really cool. I haven’t seen it in many years… so I really can’t comment any more than that. So, I won’t comment futher. This is the end of my comments. This sentence is discussing the lack of commentary about the subject matter, but not really.
I love going around the house, trying to impersonate Zathras. Too much fun.
Zathras good at doings, not understandings.
Tee hee. 😉
no, not Zathras. You mean Zathras.
Zathras! That’s who I was thinking of. He’s the best!
My husband just introduced me to B5 last year – we got the dvds and spend a couple months watching them all the way through. It was a little slow to start (and Season 1 just has some huge drag in acting and writing), but in all I loved the series. I’m slowly watching my way through it for the second time.
My favorite part of the show was the overall arc and the intricacies of the plot. I found the plot and the underlying discussion of humanity to be very interesting. It made up for the shallowness of most of the characters. G’Kar was my favorite, I think. I loved the arc of his character. I also loved the funny animal/person that I can’t remember the name of who shows up in Season 2 (I think) on B4 when the ship is in time flux. What is his name? He always talked in third person. Anyway, he was great! 🙂
Yeah, season 5 was pretty empty for the very reasons you mentioned. Not as bad as most of the movies, but definitely nowhere as good as seasons 1-4. I’ve seen five of the movies; I believe there were 7 total, and a short-lived spin-off? I intend to check those out when time (and my wallet) allow.
I didn’t much like the movies (and I thought it was pretty funny how Crusade sorta ripped off Star Blazers (ok, Uchuu Senkan Yamato) with what was basically the the Wave Motion Cannon.
My favorite aspect of B5 was the fact that it did have an enormous story arc where things that happened earlier actually mattered later.
Probably the worst part is how they crammed all the main arc stuff into the 4th season when they thought it’d be canceled, then it wasn’t.
Plus I think Ivanova was supposed to have a much bigger roll in season 5, only she left the show, so they brought Lyta back to do the psi storyline. But that would really have been the culmination of her whole family backstory with her mother. And how cool would that be? Commander of B5 station being a strong psyker.
Whassername that they brought in to command and “gee, she’s Sheridan’s exwife” never really fit in with the whole picture, and Garibaldi on mars was kinda weak. Zach Allen just didn’t have quite the same flair.
If there’s discussion of sci-fi I am usually counted upon to join in and blather on. 🙂
And you’re right, don’t even get me started on networks and their seeming inability or inflexibility in the handling of serious dramas that happen to take place in a sci-fi setting. It’s as if they can’t see the drama for the sets and want to relegate these shows to the back of the shop. I could go on for hours.
But to answer your question. I’ve seen all the B5 movies except Call to Arms. I need to pick up the dvd for that one. My favorites were The Gathering, In the Beginning & River of Souls. Thirdspace was okay but it just didn’t strike my heart like the others. My goal is to get all the dvds and lay them out to watch it all in order(of sorts).
It’s my new thing now. I’m doing it with book series also and waiting to do the same with BSG when it finally wraps. Kind of a knowing-what-you-know-now thing to see the richer story in the end. 🙂
Yay, someone commented on my sci-fi post!
I just knew there were some fellow sci-fi geeks out there. 🙂
I agree with almost everything you said (although I never became a Garibaldi fan.) I think it’s tough for writers to keep a show with such a strong storyline and strong continuity going. It’s a challenge to keep viewership up enough to convince the network to continue airing the show for five years. I love a strong continuity myself, although I have to admit that being able to buy entire series on DVD makes it much easier to follow and enjoy.
Did you see the movies too? I’d love to hear your take on them?
*nerd geekess rant over*
My gods! I haven’t talked B5 in ages! Seriously, like highschool & college. 🙂
Okay, Delenn was my absolute fave character & yeah, Mira’s even better on Lost (though I wish they used her more). Second fave was a tie between Garibaldi & Londo. Sheridan got on my nerves a bit in all honesty.
I think the series strength was in the epic way they told their story. It was plot heavy and I very much enjoyed the politics and social aspects interwoven in the show. This is something that I’ve rarely seen pulled off so well and can only point to the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica as a possible/probable rival to B5.
Funnily enough, I think its strength was in some ways its weakness. You have to have a very dedicated viewership that’s willing to keep up with the story and continue to care from season to season. I think that when you look at the entire arc of the series it’s such a rich story but it’s not really something people can come in 2 seasons later and just pick up and this really counts on grabbing a large audience in the first season with a long attention span. There’s not enough fluff to just jump in and go, you need to know the history or it just looks like some scifi show and not the finely crafted epic drama it is.
😀