How to start B5

DBS · Post by **DBS** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:21 pm

Hey all, I am very interested in getting into Babylon 5, and wondering where the best place to start would be.

Do you think I should start with the pilot, then basically go through things in order (each season in order, then movies in order)?

Or should I find out which chronologically happens first (I think the movie showing the Human-Minbari war?) and start through it in that manner?

Or is there a better way yet?

Thanks!

Space Ghost · Post by **Space Ghost** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:29 pm

This should help:

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries ... plist.html

DBS · Post by **DBS** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:31 pm

Ooh, that is great!

Thanks!

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:34 pm

Good site, I only recently got into B5 so that will probably halp a bit.

Varthikes · Post by **Varthikes** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:57 pm

If you're just starting out, I recommend starting with The Gathering.

In the Beginning, which covers the Earth-Minbari War, answers why the war ended the way it did. A question that is asked frequently asked during the first season of the show before being answered in the Season 2 pilot.

It's also fitting to watch In the Beginning just before the very last episode because the Minbari War story is framed by one of the characters telling the events as a story to a couple of children.

Space Ghost · Post by **Space Ghost** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:36 am

No problem! Anything I can do to help potential B5 fans.

Sothar · Post by **Sothar** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:40 pm

Here is the way I would personally recommend watching B5. It's pretty much the order in which it was made but not exactly.

-The Gathering (series pilot)
-B5 Season 1
-B5 Season 2
-B5 Season 3
-B5 Season 4
-Here, you could watch In the Beginning and Thirdspace. Thirdspace happens during season 4. In the Beginning contains spoilers up to this point in the story so I would recommend waiting until this point for maximum appreciation of both the series and the movie.
-B5 Season 5 (except perhaps Sleeping in Light, the final episode)
-River of Souls
-Legend of the Rangers
-A call to Arms
-Crusade (All 13 episodes in the order on the DVDs. There are a few inconsistencies for production reasons but sorting out the episodes would be too much trouble for the difference it makes)
-The Lost Tales (when it comes out at the end of the month.)
-Sleeping in Light, the final episode of B5

I have obviously not seen The Lost Tales yet but it will be chronologically set about 5 or 6 years after the beginning of Crusade.

If you watch Sleeping in Light with season 5 (which is also a nice way) and would finish with Crusade, I recommend you watch Legend of the Rangers after Crusade even if it happens before. You see, Crussade was cancelled and doesn't have an ending; it's not a very interesting way to finish. Legent of the Rangers, while not the best B5 movie has a nice touch to it's ending.

Obviously, the very best way to appreciate all the details and intricacies of B5 is to watch all of it in this order and then re-watch it all again to see all you missed but I'm not enough of a geek to do that *whistles inocently*

celeritas · Post by **celeritas** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:08 pm

i just finished watching b5 (save for lost tales of course). its too bad crusade didn't make it into a complete new series -- it ends just when things are about to get interesting...

i have to agree with the not bothering to reorder the crusade episodes for viewing though -- its a lot of work for not a lot of benefit as there are still continuity errors even with JMS' prefered order.

i'd also suggest reading the unanswered questions on Lurker's Guide to get the most out of each episode if you have time (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/eplist.html). well...only if you are a nut like me, maybe.

Varthikes · Post by **Varthikes** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:23 pm

That is too bad, especially when you hear what JMS had planned for the later seasons.

Post by **Graham Kennedy** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:47 pm

Oh do tell, what did he have planned?

Varthikes · Post by **Varthikes** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:20 pm

In one of the commentaries, I think it was one of the commentaries... Anyway...

The search for the cure would only last for two seasons. Then, Gideon and crew would uncover a plot involving Earth/Shadow hybrids. And, they would essentially become renegades on their own ship.

That's all that I remember. That and the character conflicts/evolutions. A rift would form between Gideon and Galen toward the end of the first season.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:02 pm

How come it got canceled?

celeritas · Post by **celeritas** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:27 pm

just from hearsay, i believe it got cancelled without airing because of differences between the producers and TNT. it was party due to people who watched babylon 5 don't watch anything else on TNT and vice versa or something like that. i think they eventually aired the 13 completed episodes but it was all out of order and nobody ended up picking it up.

its too bad. i was really looking forward to finding out what happened between B5 and crusade (telepath war, etc.)

Post by **Graham Kennedy** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 5:20 pm

I know JMS complained of massive interference from the suits at the network. For instance, it reached a point where execs were complaining that a scene had characters walk from one room to another, and this might confuse the viewers.

They also wanted Dureena to be a super-sexy woman who explored other cultures by having sex with every species she met.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 5:56 pm

Argh! Goddamned execs!
Why can they never leave things alone!