No spoilers here! (Babylon 5)

Member Name: Bob McCow

Product:	Babylon 5
Date:	25/02/01 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Special effects (!), deeper storylines.

Disadvantages: The jokes, a few weak episodes, Byron.

This opinion is meant to act as a guide to Babylon 5 - something to help people dig into it, without giving away too much.
Babylon 5 is a 5 year "television novel", that charts the begining of the third age of mankind (Whatever that is...). It is a series set on a space station - unlike in Star Trek, the problems come to the ship, rather than the other way round. Each season it changes and evolves, so that if you pick an episode at random, you can quickly tell which period it is from. More than that, seemingly unimportant events in the earlier episodes become vital turning points later in the series. This means that you need to watch carefully; you never know when a minor character is going to return to wreak havoc among the existing crew.

The first problem that people generally experience when watching the pilot is the Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari and his haircut. The instant you see it, he is marked out as a comedy character, and as straightforward comedy is one of Babylon 5's biggest weaknesses, Mollari can, initially, be an incredibly off-putting character. But if you compare his portrayal in the pilot to the character he has become by season 3's Convictions, it is clear that he is one of B5's strongest, as his humour increasingly comes from his character, not his situation. Like many of the other characters, he evolves. Even in the first proper episode, Midnight On The Firing Line, it is clear that there is far more to this Ambassador than just getting drunk and irritating the Security Cheif, Garribaldi.

The music in the pilot is poor too. Once Christopher Franke was put in charge, it improved dramatically.

There is then the computer graphics. They look tacky and cheap at first, but when the fighting starts, the direction and sheer choreography of the ships is phenomenal. They move in a way that would have been impossible to acheive with models - the space fights are often even more impressive than those
in Star Wars - Return of the Jedi.

Shadows are everywhere in Babylon 5. Behind the politics and motivations of the first season, dark forces are manipulating all the races in the galaxy. Most obvious are the Vorlons. They have undreamed of power, but seem content to merely advise, never really interfering with the other races. So, why have they sent an Ambassador to Babylon 5?

The Minbari, too, are a powerful race, but it was the war between Earth and Minbar (which Earth was loosing completely until Minbar surrendered - why?) that resulted in the building of the station, to prevent future wars. The Minbari appear to feel some link with the Humans, and in particular, Commander Sinclair.

The first season sets up all the threads that run through the 5 years, and can seem a little slow in places. However, it establishes so many ideas that are important. Watch out for:
The Psi-Corps, the Human organisation that regulates and controls telepaths. Specifically, Lyta Alexander.
The Great Machine, a massive artefact and maybe a weapon in the coming war?
Mr. Morden. An agent of some impossibly powerful force.
The Healing Machine in the Quality of Mercy.
Just a hint - don't watch In The Begining until at least you've seen all of the third season - it gives a way far too much.

If you're thinking of picking up some B5 videos, plump for a few in the first season. "A Voice in The Wilderness" is probably the most entertaining place to start. Also go for "Mind War" and the superb season closer, "Chrysalis".

Season 2 is generally regarded as Babylon 5's finest, and if you want to find out why, look at the stand alone episode "Confessions and Lamentations". You don't need to worry about Delenn's new haircut, just enjoy one of the best pieces of single episode drama on offer.

Bear with it - it will grow on you. Don't watch anything from Season 5
first, though. Byron is the most terminal drip in sci-fi, making Harry Kim look like officer material. Don't worry - things improve after Byron blows himself up.

Summary: