Babylon 5: The best damn Sci-Fi ever.
Im gonna just gonna lay it out. Babylon 5 is the best sci-fi show ever. It blows everyone else away. From the silly StarTrek, to Starwars and back again. Its controll of the viewers emotions should be illegal. I have seen almost all the episodes. But since the show came to an end (not becuase of ratings but becuase the story ended) several years ago I have almost forgotten the greatness that is Babylon 5. Untill today when my friend bought a DVD with 2 2hour Babylon 5 movies on it (the creators threw these movies in from time to time at major plot intervals). The first was alright, since it was the very first Babylon 5 episode at all shows are sketchy at the very beginning acting wise, but the plot was great. But the second was the Earth-Membari war. This 2 hour special beats the crap out of any Starwars movie. If you do not know or have never seen Babylon 5, try to watch this movie sometime. It lays down the greatness that follows the series through its history.
Here is to Babylon 5 from the earth-membari war, to the Mars rebellions, to the Earth Alliance war, to the Shadow War and everything in between. Its status in my mind as the greatest sci-fi to ever grace this planet.
Timelines
<a href="http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/b5history-index.shtml"; target="_blank">http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/b5history-index.shtml</a>;
<a href="http://www.isnnews.net/babylon5/eplist/whathappened.shtml"; target="_blank">http://www.isnnews.net/babylon5/eplist/whathappened.shtml</a>;
[ 12-26-2001: Message edited by: Falcon ]
[ 12-26-2001: Message edited by: Falcon ]</p>
Here is to Babylon 5 from the earth-membari war, to the Mars rebellions, to the Earth Alliance war, to the Shadow War and everything in between. Its status in my mind as the greatest sci-fi to ever grace this planet.
Timelines
<a href="http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/b5history-index.shtml"; target="_blank">http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/b5history-index.shtml</a>;
<a href="http://www.isnnews.net/babylon5/eplist/whathappened.shtml"; target="_blank">http://www.isnnews.net/babylon5/eplist/whathappened.shtml</a>;
[ 12-26-2001: Message edited by: Falcon ]
[ 12-26-2001: Message edited by: Falcon ]</p>
Comments
That said, my favorite B5 episode is "Deconstruction of Falling Stars". Best B5 episode ever.
I really like the placard a Minbari in the crowd is holding at the beginning of the episode. It's a really nice touch that puts it all in perspective.
I have shown this show to a good number of people and all them walk away wondering more. The 5-year story contained within the 5 seasons of this show is incredible. The final episode is moving and quite emotional, at least for those who have watched the series.
Want the DVD (and damn well you should), get it from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005NTNP/107-2028243-0812504"; target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>
Or get it on <a href="http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60021580"; target="_blank">Netflix</a>
So watch the show on the Sci-Fi channel at its new time, 5:00. <a href="http://www.scifi.com/babylon5/"; target="_blank">Click here</a> for the Sci-Fi channel's B5 site.
Also watch the new Legend of the Rangers movie, on January 19th! <a href="http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/"; target="_blank">Click here</a> for Rangers info. Also there's a trailer for Rangers at Lord of the Rings, but you can check it out on the Rangers site too.
Need more convincing or need more info? Post away, I love chatting about B5!
The reason Babylon 5 was so good is because the story was so complete. if the show was a whole bunch of non-linear, non-related plots like Star Trek: TNG was, we wouldn't be talking about it today.
The whole reason why you watch Babylon 5 is because you want to know what happens NEXT or how loose ends get tied up. With almost every other show, you don't get that.
<strong>Season 1 started out really slow, but through season 4, it was probably the best Sci-Fi I had ever watched. Everything after the original move to TNT = horrible.
The reason Babylon 5 was so good is because the story was so complete. if the show was a whole bunch of non-linear, non-related plots like Star Trek: TNG was, we wouldn't be talking about it today.
The whole reason why you watch Babylon 5 is because you want to know what happens NEXT or how loose ends get tied up. With almost every other show, you don't get that.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I have watch a few episodes of Babylon, the special effects are amazing, but i find it slow, i have impression that nothing progress. I think it is the problem of this sort of series (remind me the serie the prisonner (remember the number 6) who give you the impression that everytime he won't succeed unless the final episode.
Never saw B5 though.
And that new Enterprise show kicks some ass, if I do say so myself.
I was really into it when it used to be played on TV, and I would either watch every show or tape the ones I knew I was going to miss.
Now that I think of it, it does remind me of the Tolkien of Sci-Fi...
Those episodes with Zathras though, f*kin brilliant!
<strong> However by the end of the third season it started to fall apart </strong><hr></blockquote>
That was the moment when I stopped watching!
The best SF in it's time was TRON!
Master Control Program - I loved it! I even changed DOS 3.3 on my Apple IIe to MCP
[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: smalM ]</p>
For those unfamiliar with Babylon 5
*Spoilers*
Humanity was expanding.
Following the defeat of a small race called the Dilgars humanity had quickly expanded its boarders. We had grown arrogant in our success' in space. Confident in our growing empire of the stars. We formed alliances with many races, which supplied a steady flow of new technology into the Earth Alliance. However there was one race that we new little about. The Minbari. They where a secretive race. One that had been jump capable for hundreds of years. The Earth Alliance decided to send Captain Jankowski of the Prometheus, in a scouting mission to gather as much information on the Minbari as possible, in order to guage their threat to Earths expansionist ambitions.
Captain Jankowski of the Prometheus was a stout man. A confident man. But he was arrogant, and hot headed. Known for his involvement in the Omega incident. Where he falsely fired on a Dilgar ship. However in a military tribunal he was cleared of all wrong doing.
The expedition encounterd a Minbari ship earlier than they though they would. It was alone, and moving slowing. No jump gate had been formed. Jankowski approached slowly, not wishing to be spotted, and thinking that he hadnt, he moved closer and closer. The Minbari who had known they where there all along decided to turn around and face the oncoming squadren. This was an unidentified species so they opened their gun ports, and powered up weapons. Not as a sign of hostility, but as a sign of strength.
Jankowski faced a decision. Seeing the Minbari Cruiser, turning to face his ship, with gun ports open and powering up. He had already disobayed orders by being dedected. The Minbari ship drew closer to investigate the Humans. The Prometheus' sensors could not penetrate the Minbari ship, or where being jammed, they could not tell which. He panniked, and ordered firing of all batteries. The attack caught the Minbari off guard, it ripped through the hull, and killed a Minbari council member. Jankowski the Prometheus, and their escorts flead.
The Minbari where enraged. Only animals could committ such a crime against a peacefull species. A near-genocidal war of vengence was begun. The Minbari sweeping out of space like a thuderclap, and crushing all in their wake. No human ship could stand toe to toe with a Minbari ship and survive. First the very outer defenses of the Earth Alliance fell. Then the outer colonies begain to fall one by one.
Even in the early stages of the war we new we where likely doomed. Arrogance, a common human trait, had in many ways spurred our reach for the stars, and now it would doom us to all eternity.
In all the course of the war only one ship would survive a battle with a Minbari ship: The Lexington. It was a suprise attack by the Minbari. One of the few since the Minbari never did need suprise in order to destroy us. A single Minbari fighter was sighted. The captain of the Lexington order a chace, realizing to late that it was mearly a trap. Jump gates opened all around the Lexington and the rest of the group. Minbari cruisers ripped through the small taskforce ripping apart the ships with methodical efficiancy. It was over quickly, and the Minbari simply returned to hyperspace. But they where hasty. While the rest of the force had been tottaly massacured, the Lexington, though sevearly damaged, was still alive. It had casulties on all decks though. Its captain had been impaled by a structural beam collapse, his blood floating up into the zero grav bidge. His second in command John Sheridan was still alive however, as well as most of the bridge crew. The Lexington was tottaly disabled so they new that if they sent a distress call the Minbari would quickly return to finnish the job. Yet if they didnt the astroid feild that they where in would slowly rip the ship into peices. So Sheridan formed a plan. Sent out two two megaton nuclear devices into the astroid feild and sent a distress call. A single Minbari ship returned. And prepared to finnish off the Lexington. Sheridan sprang his trap, and caught the Minbari ship in between the nukes. It would take both of them to destroy the cruiser, but they did. The Lexington became the only Earth ship to survive an encounter with the Minbari.
But the victory was short lived. It was only one ship, and one battle. The Minbari continued to roll back the Earth Alliance fleet. It would go on for 4 years through the vastness of space. Countless millions where slaughtered. Even the Minbari grew tired of the constant slaughter and death. What was the honor in slaying a defensless enemy? But the war had taken on a life of its own, and nothing in their power could stop it. As one Minbari council member stated. And so it continued. As the Minbari reached our solar system. Io quickly fell. And they bypassed Mars.
This was the end. The President sent out a plea for volunteers to defend Earth in what would be called the "Battle of the Line." In order to buy time for the evacuation of Earth. There where few that turned down her plea. The last of our forces assemebled in a giant line protecting Earth. A full 20,000 ships stood, ready to face the certain death that would come. They new that no one at the line would survive. The short and violent timeline of the Human species was about to end. Those at the line took there post with solom determination. If they where to die they would die with honor. And at least be known as a brave race. They where no longer fighting for more territory or wealth. They where fighting for the right to live.
The Minbari struck.
A wave of jumpgates opened. As far as one could see. It was as if the preverbial hand of god had arrived to sweep them from the universe. Thousands of Minbari ships emerged. They opened fire. The Minbari tore through them as they had done so many other countless time. The whole of the Earth Alliance armada could do little more than scratch the Minbari. Yet they stood there grownd, prepared to fight to death. A Minbari observer stated "They fight bravely" and was replied by by another Minbari "is it bravery or mere desperation?."
A man named Jeffrey Sinclair was in the middle. A commander of a squadren of Aurora class Starfurys. A small manouverable, yet weak one manned fighter. He watched in horror as his squad was annihilated. These wernt statistcs on ISN, these where his friends, people who he had lived with and depended on. These where brothers. The horror of battle struck a deep chord in him. As his friends where insinerated around him, some sucked out of their ships only to float around in the darkness of space, as their blood boiled. His own ship was disabled durring the fight. Fellow fighters and cruisers behing blown into dust. He resolved not to die like this. Not this way. He would take some of these bastards with him if he was going to die. He fired what was left of his afterburners, and barelled strait into one of the Minbari cruisers. Yet just before impact something passed in front of him and he blacked out.
To the other fighters of the line it was as if everyone had gone deaf. The fighter stoped. The Minbari ships ceased firing. A sea of reckage and bodies separated the two forced at the Battle of the Line.
When Jeffery Sinclair awoke, he was still in his ship. Drifting. He fired up the engines, ready to continue, only to discover two things: first, that he had been out of it for a full 24 hours.
Second: The War was over.
On the very eve of the Minbari's victory they surrenderd. It would have been the crowning achievement of Minbari military might. But they stopped. The guns fell silent. It is one of the great mysteries of that era. Debated in countless military circles, and on countless worlds. The truth would only be known to a select few Minbari. What is known is that the military genius who led the Minbari into the war committed suicide the day of the surrender possibly in shame at some revelation, though it is unclear if his death took
place before or after the surrender. And the rift between the military and religious castes apparently came to some sort of climax, with the
religious caste taking complete control. There are rumors of some sort of religious vision, of a prophecy of great things, and a prophecy of complete doom.
At the conclusion of the war, those Terrans who fought in the Battle of the Line were proclaimed heroes. Deep inside though the warriors of the Line never felt like heros. They did not stop the Minbari. Many would struggle with depression, and alchohalism.
After the surrender of the Minbari's had been accepted. It became clear that this could never happen again. And so the Babylon project was born. To prevent another genocidal war. To the billions that died in the Earth-Minbari war, it would be assured that their deaths had not been invain.
It would not be easy however. For 4 of the stations where either sabatogied and destroyed, or dissapeared mysteriously. But with Babylon 5 completed, purhaps their is hope for peace, and unity, against the darkness that has been growing across the galaxy.
[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: Falcon ]</p>
The LotR parallels are obvious and intentional in the series. JMS is a big Tolkien geek.
I hope rangers is good, and I hope they make a good series out of it. I think they will, since it's the sci fi channel, and the brought us Farscape, the Chronicle (mmm Rena Sofer) and the Invisible Man.
Watch 'em, they're great free entertainment!
And while you're at it, don't forget to watch Legend of the Rangers Saturday on SCI-Fi