Why BABYLON 5 is AWESOME

[@RowanJColeman]

BABYLON 5 RETROSPECTIVE/REVIEW Watch Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3fJfIKrl7x4Z5Y

[@kimmypfeiffer9130]

re watching for the first time since it originally aired and loving it even more knowing how it ends and seeing the clues as early as the first episode....it IS awesome and as a soundtrack fan, it's awesome you mentioned the music! remembering how much i LOVED the theme song each week! GoT level for sure!

[@Jukrates]

When you start watching you're like "wtf" and when you finish the series you're like "I wish I could forget everything and watch it again". At least that was MY reaction

[@vap0rtranz]

Same. Slow start and then didnt like knowing it was ending, ... Too lifelike!

[@tmayberry7559]

Hell don't forget what you've seen just watch it again

[@Xelpherpolis]

Agreed. When I first started watching B5 I didn't get what all the fuss was about. It wasn't *bad* but it just seemed like little more than a poor man's Deep Space 9. Then shit officially got real during Season 2 and I was was officially hooked from then on.

[@grproteus]

I had that idea of skipping the final episode in my first viewing, because I knew it would be sad. Saw it 20 years later. Was not disappointed :'(

[@sirachxi3918]

I still have to tell myself not to cry in the second half of season 5.

[@xthor86]

I would add one other thing. The acting. The acting in this series goes far above and beyond movies. G'kar and Londo especially does their roles so amazingly well. Everything about this series is a joy.

[@JeffStevens]

Londo and GKar are amazing but they are standouts. Much of the rest of the acting is quite poor by professional standards.

[@jarjared3522]

I have seen pretty much every signature science fiction television series and I have to say Babylon 5 is my absolute favorite out of all of them.

[@nicholasdickens2801]

Edward Bedor Here here :)

[@Meatisfood]

Crusade had couple fun episodes but overall it was pretty crap. And what about that terrible soundtrack.

[@wolf99000]

Meatisfood it was meant to change the plague was going to be cured early in its run then it was going to be more a space show in that universe but then turner started interfering the grey uniforms was a turner idea

[@Meatisfood]

Katie Adams I know.

[@FrogFromFog]

yes Star Trek is not any equal to Babylon 5.

[@johndough8699]

The episodes with Babylon 4 are, IMO, one of the best time travel stories ever. When Zathras said, “Not the one” in the second episode that explained it, I had a nerdgasm.

[@ZakhadWOW]

"... this is...wrong tool".

[@daveroche6522]

Been saying for years that Zathras would be an excellent POTUS: Zathras: "Obama was the One, Trump NOT the One, but Zathras, yes, Zathras will be the One. Zathras good at doings, not so good at sayings". GREAT MAKER!

[@ethangarofolo8170]

“Never use this.”

[@daviddiggens8841]

​@@daveroche6522you got that backwards but yes, he's amazing. Three years gives perspective. I consider this a form of time travel too. Hence why I bothered

[@kabatsky]

"Kosh is... um... Kosh" : D The most accurate description of Kosh tbh...

[@ZakhadWOW]

as well as Ulkesh "He's a vorlon, alright"

[@taykrueger217]

Jerry Doyle was my stepfather. Thank you for your honest and thoughtful video on Babylon 5. Some buddies of mine and I are starting a KZbin channel in his honor.

[@robbygaines1807]

Taylor I did not know he had passed. I enjoyed his work on B5 very much. He brought a great reality to his character. He will be surely missed.

[@humanoideric]

hell of an actor and my fav character in this series :)

[@JohnJ469]

I can only my condolences. I thoroughly enjoyed watching his work.

[@robertwake5337]

I only found out yesterday about Jerry passing on. I was gutted. So many fond memories of B5 . The show is still so fresh in my mind, I was gobsmacked as to how many years have passed since it was made. I found myself watching a 20th anniversary reunion with Jerry on, and he speaks of life changing events. After coming back from a coma,he says," in the last 3years, I've not missed a sunset. I'm pretty sure the sun is gonna come up tomorrow, I know if it does I'm going to be there. My point is...,we don't know when it's over.... as long as we've got today...and you've got a choice.....why would you choose to make it a bad day. ". Great words from a great guy. It's horrible to see your idols go back to the stars, but at least they are captured for all time . I've a new mission to watch the complete B5 Saga again. Can't wait.!!! Condolences Taylor to your family,and everyone who knew Jerry.

[@lastofmygeneration]

RIP Jerry Doyle. My condolences to you and yours.

[@Blahbevava]

Babylon 5 literally changed me as a person and the way that I think about life. Most powerful Sci-Fi I've ever seen in my life.

[@andromacke]

Mr. Extreme Same here. I’ve even got a license plate that reads “VORLON.” B5 is so much a part of my life; I can’t imagine life without it.

[@peterz395]

@Mike MckayI'm no fan of trump at all, but you're right, that went on for quite long. Let's say 9/11 was done by the military industrial complex to then pass the patriot act.

[@nicerperson1]

One of the very few Sci-Fi shows that has episodes with such emotional content that it made me cry. Star Trek TOS - don't think there were any, TNG a couple, DS9 a few more, but B5? nailed it! Buck Rogers in the 24th Century made me cry - tears of laughter 😹

[@ZakhadWOW]

HALLELUJAH! I'm not the only one! I had been deeply affected by Kosh from the pilot up to his death and subsequent interactions from Sheridan's mind; long before the ultimate revelation of exactly what a 3 edged sword is. And who doesnt love to throw out the expression "hour of scampering" now and then to describe rush hour? LOL

[@anxiousdreamers7120]

@@andromacke Vorlon tabuta chok!! >:((((

[@DarthBobo68]

You should add in the superb acting of the late Andreas Katsulas.

[@stephenphilips8024]

He was also the best Romulan, ever!

[@Palmergeddon1]

And Snarf in thundercats!

[@btessery]

Mr Katsulas's g'Kar was one of my favorite characters. He changed and grew from a Hotheaded former Rebel to a great philosopher with an almost Budda like quality. The words of philosophy of JMS that came from his character still ring with me today. Andres is no longer with us just as many of the actors from that series, but they will love on in our hearts and videos.

[@davidmcleod6032]

Ben T, yet g'Kar came full circle in his last final act in the death of the Centauri Emporer Molari.

[@btessery]

This true...but I think it was more of a mercy killing then revenge for past wrongs...then again he did look a little deranged with his hands around Molari's neck...

[@voltairedecent255]

When I first started watching B5, I remember thinking to myself that it's going to need something more to keep me as a watcher, and seriously considered giving up watching it. By the time the series ended, and ummm.... *yawning* so hard that my eyes were *watering* (yes, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it), I felt like I had just been given a revelation of biblical proportions. I couldn't stand G'kar or Londo at the beginning, but by the end, they were my two favorite characters. The absolute brutalness. The lies. The deceit. The scheming. The heartbreak. And all the lonely places that we must walk. These and many more things were what made this show the best ever sci fi ever written. And I'd like to also toss out there how great Emperor Cartagia was. Dark beyond comprehension. 20+ years after it finished it's run, it still endures the test of time. So, to Mr. Straczynski, Thank you for giving us Babylon 5. And you were right... "Faith manages".

[@patinho5589]

And I heard it wasn’t quite his originally written vision. That they cancelled a 5th season and made him finish it all in the 4th season (2seasons in one).. then they gave him a 5th season.. urgh. And he had to write some epilogue for a season.

[@lastofmygeneration]

When I ran across Babylon 5, I had already watched tons of Star Trek, Farscape, Earth: Final Conflict, Andromeda, Stargate, and other sorts of cult scifi shows. After I finished the series, I was astonished I had never heard much about it and knew nobody else who had. This show deserves waaay more recognition and praise. Thank you for such a great review. I have just one nagging question about a loose end: What happened to Londo Molari's gift to the Sheridans that contained the parasite!?!

[@disecke]

It puts a Keeper on David Sheridan, and sets up a series of events explored in a trilogy of novels. You see part of what happens during flash-forwards in War Without End Pt II in season 3

[@eesger]

@@disecke Oh! I remember Delenn sort of detecting that there was something in there, so I always assumed that "bom was defused"..

[@evertonporter7887]

@@disecke The Drakh War and the liberation of Centauri Prime.

[@DougLas-og4vq]

Thank you for six minutes and forty-seven seconds of total truth. 'No boom today. Boom tomorrow'.

[@bearwilliams2260]

What?! Look, somebody's gotta have some damn perspective around here! Boom. Sooner or later... BOOM!

[@nicholasdickens2801]

Bear Williams No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow.

[@Zamolxes77]

"Ambassador" "Yes" "Boom... boom boom boom ... boom boom.... boom. Have a nice day"

[@thexalon]

Boom shubba lubba lubba Boom shubba lubba lubba Hey there Hey there three bags full. You come here often? Yes, I do....

[@joesycamore2899]

"BOOM!"

[@leechmiller1072]

Babylon 5 is awesome. One thing you forgot, The Shadows, the scariest and most alien sci-fi villians ever.

[@andyf4292]

best aliens,,, i'd love to see them meet startreks Federation....

[@mephistoxarses8585]

@@andyf4292 I shudder to think of the Shadows entering the Star trek galaxy as a whole let alone the Alpha and beta Quadrents. Star Treks "first galactic war" Deep Space nine's wormhole opens up and thousands...i say again Thousands of refugee ships come pouring through speaking of "The Dominion is being over run!. They're everywhere! We cant stop them!"

[@stevetheduck1425]

- and in the entire show, a Shadow said only five words.

[@cgmoran91]

True, the Vorlons ended being just a scary. They could destroy a whole planet without evening thinking about it.

[@dionysislarson6352]

And I think that he forgot about one of the best 'Ass Kicking' scenes in all of SciFi. When Sheridan was setup by Garabaldi on Mars. Everything about that scene was kick ass!

[@mgrimble3975]

As soon as the theme music kicked in I knew it was time to watch this whole show again for about the 20th time lol. It's just Epic.

[@baba_zhenya5227]

Favourite!Forever!!!

[@RomanaChallans]

Literally thought the exact same thing:)

[@kenny9582]

M grimble Im on the third episode and it's pretty slow. When would you guys say it really gets good?

[@scoterf]

kenny0720, hang in there, its all worth it in the end. Some of the episodes are just fillers, exploring some other races and what not but most episodes do help the build up, though you wont realise at the time.

[@60b1in]

Some episodes especially season one, will only start making sense in context of later series. Every piece of information, especially about main characters, will get reused later. The social themes in S1 feel forced sometimes and the FX suck somewhat. But don't skip them, you will be rewarded later. PS: Don't expect to get every arc in the series on first watching. I watched it plenty of times and am still spotting nuances that I missed before...

[@Oldstudent42]

When my family moved cross border, we had to wait several day for movers and internet. Amoung the things we packed was a dvd play, our small tv, and our B5 set (with movies). It kept us sane, even our kids in grades 8 and 11. We had some great family discussions, sitting in camp chairs and eating from paper plates.

[@derp6764]

"If you go to z'ha'dum you will die" "One moment of perfect beauty" "no" "pity zathras" "I wouldn't miss this for the world" Babylon5 is THE BEST tv sci-fi serial hands down.

[@DennisMoore664]

You just touched my soul.

[@backtoearth1983]

The Expanse is a good second place, Picture a whitestar over the Roci, see her tumble.

[@DrJReefer]

I still use a few B5 lines. This is... wrong tool.

[@flashgo2]

Never use this. was the next line or line after. need to rewatch to remember were it belongs

[@voltairedecent255]

*Sigh*... It's Zathras. Slight difference in the way you say it. ;)

[@isegrim1978]

When Michael O'Hare comes to the "Humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal .. all alone in the night." part of the season one intro it sends a shiver down my back, such a great voice.

[@Yoderstein666]

isegrim1978 I really wish he had been able to finish his characters full arc. All things considered though I’m glad he was able to come back for as much he did.

[@COMALiteJ]

@@Yoderstein666 We now know the sad reason why.

[@daveroche6522]

There's a HUGE message there when O'Hare introduces representative of Earths major (releigious) beliefs to the to others in season one - everyone is there! Pure excellence!

[@jefftappan3091]

Mr. O'Hare had the commander's voice, quiet authority.

[@callianr6980]

"Kosh is, um, Kosh." Truer words have never been spoken.

[@ulti-mantis]

"Yes"

[@MonoKabi]

@@ulti-mantis "Good."

[@ZlothZloth]

@@MonoKabi We are ALL Kosh.

[@zoecornish]

Kosh would be proud

[@androstempest]

Except when Kosh is Kosh’s replacement who was like scary Kosh.

[@daviddavies3637]

Shame that about a third of the main cast have since passed away. Katsulas (G'Kar), Conway (Zak Allan), Doyle (Garibaldi), O'Hare (Sinclair), Biggs (Franklin), Furst (Vir Cotto), many way before their time.

[@Dragoon91786]

I mean, and then Conway died before he could give the mind-blowing performance in Star Trek: Axanar. Heh. Fuck Paramount. Can someone PLEASE revoke their copyright now? Thank You!

[@RudiRaichura]

Shit, Biggs Katsulas and Furst have passed away also? I knew about the others :-(

[@redpillcommando]

Damn it! We lost Vir Cotto too. RIP Stephen Furst.

[@GlasgowGallus]

Yeah, we were having a B5 binge a few weeks ago when it hit us how many of the cast had passed...thanks for your work guys, you made it happen 😔🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@eddiegaltek]

Passed beyond the Rim, I think you mean.

[@Gizur01]

B5 was simply one of the best Sci Fi shows to be made. Sleeping in the Light is, in my opinion, the greatest final episode of tv drama I have seen. From seeing JMS himself turning off the lights, to the fantastic music swelling up as the station is decommissioned to the way it continues to tug at the heart as you see each character in their first and last shots, it's an emotional rollercoaster, purely because you have grown to like, love and understand every single one of the characters. It was also first for a number of things, first to use CGI for it's action shots (because they couldn't afford models), the first time that a single writer had written every episode of a season (unheard of then, (season 3)), the first to run not just episode arcs, but season arcs and an overarchign serial arc and of course the first time that a writer went online after each episode aired and discussed that weeks epsiode with fans with internet (although that nearly meant that Passing through Gethsamane couldn't be made when a fan uploaded what he thought would make a great plot for an episode that was too damn close to JMS actual script). Personally I still think this is a show, that like Crusade and Firefly, was overlooked by many at the time but has found a strong following years later. For the record I also think DS9 was one of the best ST shows and never understood the rivalry at the time between the two sets of fans. Anyone who refused to watch the other show out of "loyalty" missed two excellent Sci fi shows (and it gave Majel Roddenbury and Walter Koenig fantastic roles that were so different from their ST roles). So sad that so many of the cast adn crew have gone beyond the Rim.

[@GreyDancer42]

Another reason this was such an amazing series is what was happening online while it was being created & released after the 1st season. This is back in the mid early/mid 90's when the internet was still pretty new and small relative to now. WB had a B5 area on AOL, including a chat room, in which the actors, crew and even JMS were regulars. JMS himself would log on during shooting and writing when he had insomnia stuck on a plot point or excited by something and would chat with us with incredible candidness, and including us in solving problems. The cast and crew would come and hang out at all times of night & day randomly on top of actual scheduled guest chats. It was really something special. I have never seen that happen with any other nerd show of that time, or since.

[@zollen123]

Best Sci-Fi series in TV history!

[@dackelyolo2749]

agree !

[@junito1957]

STARTREK IS NOT EVEN IN THE SAME LEVEL AS B5, BETTER STORY, BETTER ACTOR AND MOST OF ALL WAY BETTER BATTLES

[@stabarnak9841]

Well, until The Expanse came along.

[@stabarnak9841]

@@Spr1ggan87 Cancelled on syfy and picked up by Showcase, so there'll be much more of Holden and Company to come (with 8 novels, 2 novellas and several short-stories by James SA Corey to glean from) ... gotta disagree with ya, in my book it is the best TV Sci Fi series since BSG 2004. But such things are subjective. Hoping we'll see a stand alone (two-parter?) episode based on « The Churn », which is a backstory novella for Amos, my favourite Expanse character. That story could change your mind on the series, as it features what life is like on earth in the era in which the Expanse is set.

[@Zero11s]

space only exists in your mind

[@mikeyvester]

There is one absolute and unconditional truth in the universe, Babylon 5 is the greatest television show ever. By the way, I hate Sheldon Cooper's guts because he said Babylon 5 was derivative. I completely boycotted "Big Bang Theory."

[@RowanJColeman]

I just think Big Bang Theory is a big pile of poo in general.

[@oliverhancock5397]

mikeyvester I know, it is stupid as everything is derivative of something else... that isn't a critic so much as a fact and is a stupid thing to say... something's borrow heavily and it can be detrimental but that isn't the case with Babylon 5 at all it is inspired by so many things.

[@CCB5er34]

I heard that the BBT writers were mystified by B5, no wonder, too much Trek and Next Gen numbed their brains.

[@Melayahm01]

I have decided that Sheldon may always be correct, but he is not always right. There is a difference. He was of course definitely wrong about B5

[@worfy4154]

That's Sheldon Cooper for you. He does not understand social interactions and Babylon 5 chuck full of them. :)

[@robgraham5697]

Babylon 5 is the last time I made sure I was in front of a Tube when the next episode came out. And that was not easy as it kept being switched all over the dial. The characters were what made it for me. Mr. Coleman is correct that Londo's arc is almost Shakespearean. It was fascinating how his patriotism dragged him into the depths and eventually raised him up again. G'kar's growth touched me. I aspire to his wisdom and courage. And when I go I hope it is with the courage and to as good an end as Nerroon. Now I have to go watch those episodes again.

[@jamescameron149]

Babylon 5 will always have a special place in my heart. Stories that stood across seasons and required the audience to think and understand. One was required to suspend disbelief, however this is the same of all good Sci-Fi. I need to go fetch my discs...

[@Octoberfurst]

To me B5 was the best science fiction show ever made! It had complex characters and great story-lines. No one was all good or all evil. The characters had flaws & made mistakes--just like in real life. Some characters had tragic ends. Others were heroes. It was brilliant. There will never be another show like it.

[@Tonydjjokerit]

So true Octoberfurst,even the Shadows weren't so bad at the end

[@fireyflower6643]

Except for the shadows, now they were all evil

[@darrenhawkes598]

I agree fully with everything you wrote.

[@Karajorma]

@@fireyflower6643 Except that they weren't. Their goal was literally to help the other races. It was the way they had of doing it which was evil.

[@Jagzeplin]

idk emperor cartagia didnt seem to have any redeemable qualities

[@kungfuskull]

Okay, I NEVER comment on youtube. But I want to thank you directly. All of my very well cultured friends are being stubborn as hell about trying B5 no matter how much I gush about these very same points: complex characters who actually evolve and progress or regress, a vast overarching yet insanely detailed truly epic narrative, rich lore, on and on. And now you've given me a hady 6 minute way to say "SEE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WATCH IT ALREADY GODDAMNIT!!!" :) so, /thank you/ very much for putting it well, succinctly, and pleasantly. Cheers! ^_^

[@imeize]

kungfuskull no offense, but your friends can’t be that well cultured if they refuse to even try a series like Babylon 5.

[@AlexanderWright1]

Find new friends!

[@fireyflower6643]

@@adamnesico you can see it via showbox, cybeflix, beetv apk apps, or go on ebay and buy the dvd box sets

[@rachiesayd9423]

Same here! No matter how much I try to convince others, nothing but blank stares!!! Oh well, their loss!!! I know what is Awesome!!!

[@kungfuskull]

@@adamnesico sorry to be late to reply, but 1: i got the dvd set off amazon quite cheap, and an ex actually got me a copy at the same time 🤣 AND i bought it digitally on Prime Video, AND it's currently streaming free on Prime Video. Enjoy!!!

[@RowanJColeman]

Okay Public Service Announcement - I REALIZE THAT NARN'S ARE NOT REPTILES. My mistake. You don't have to keep telling me in the comments :)

[@mrprototype438]

Ok I promise not to say anything about the Narn. 2:29 you say Commander Sheridan... Umm I think you will find that is Captain Sheridan! :D Great synopsis of what makes B5 one of the best shows I have every seen.

[@firebornliger]

They do appear to be reptilian or amphibian. Though this is more an issue is applying the loose classifications of Earth biology to an alien species. :P Now I'm curious if JMS ever commented on the biology of the species. Certainly, others in the comments have brought up the "pouch" terms the Narn use which hints at a marsupial nurture method. Though, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are born in the same fashion. Nor even that the Narn have glands to nourish these young in said pouch or outside it...

[@BenignImages]

I do think they are marsupial. G'Kar does on several occassions talk about his childhood as a pouchling.

[@mrprototype438]

So first thing is that marsupials have a pouch. Second thing is that JMS has indeed confirmed that Narn biology is based on earth marsupials.

[@SpiritOfBagheera]

Rowan J Coleman They sure seemed reptilian to me... Not sure what others are on about.

[@porpus99]

For those of you who just start watching B5, here is some advice. The first season may seem kind of slow, as it is over all just story and plot development. However, once you get into the second season things start rapidly picking up. Third season and beyond, it is fantastic. This is because all five seasons of Babylon 5 were basically written and mapped out before production even began.

[@Muck006]

Season 1 = introducing the characters (A LOT OF THEM!) and "the universe" ... it is the basis of the enjoyment of the following seasons. +Mark Engel Bah, better sets for the station would improve it much more.

[@michaelfoy8078]

season 1, has a lot of 'throw away' episodes in that they don't really contribute to the arc, they are great one-off stories and lull you into a false series world, where you don't know that in the course of the next 66 episodes, the world is going to change, people are going to change, the centauri - a bunch of fun loving people, the Narn, cold and cruel, Earth stable and supportive, the minbari a foe, turned friend(but don't trust them too far) and the vorlons, well vorlons will be vorlons after all. b5 is without doubt the greatest sci-fi tv series, the depth of the characters, none are perfect, have failings, and with these faults, your don't know which way a character is going to jump, when push comes to shove. Unlike Star trek, where technology is ALWAYS used to solve a problem, sometimes in B5 is is no solution. people die, heck, whole races die. JMS makes nobody safe in his world, taboos shunned by other shows are held up for inspections. How many children have been killed in the ST world, yet JMS, lets a father kill his son, kills men, women and children with a plague. Sends soldiers off to die on a remote planet. Powerful stories. So the next time some asks you, "who are you?" or "what do you want?" watch out when you reply.

[@HobbyView]

Season 1 is best if watched again after finishing the series. A lot of hidden gems and foreshadowing that will make you say, "Holy Crap" now that you know the rest of the story.

[@anonagain]

When I first watched Season1, I too thought most of them were 'standalone' stories. It wasn't until the third time through the series where I could see the connections. Every one of the Season 1 episodes has some gem hidden within which relates to the overall arc. And I was still catching a few new references the fifth time though. Strazinski actually outlined a full million year history (some of it very detailed) in order to write the show - even the actors didn't get all the connections until the series was over, and JMS didn't tell them because he wanted them to react to the moment, not what would happen a few years down the road. No other Sci-fi show (or any other genre) has attempted to do that, let alone accomplished it. Then you can read the novels (all written from JMS's outlines with his approval) that fill in the gaps between show episodes or in missing time periods. IMHO, the best Sci Fi show ever done.

[@europeansovietunion7372]

@anonagain The first episodes are indeed standalones ; even if they connect somewhat with the rest. And that's a good thing, because there's no good way to present a story that rely on the understanding of a very alien world. Non-SF shows usually don't have that issue and can start straight away, but for Space Operas with a very alien universe you have to make a choice : - Focus on presenting the universe with little to no storytelling, and bore the viewer... - Focus on the main plot instead, and confuse the viewer. That what happened to me with The Expanse, I dropped mid season 1 because too little was told about the universe to really understand what was at stakes. I'm sure key details will be revealed later but I'm not patient enough for that : if you're going to tell me a story, you better allow me to at least embrace it... - The B5's way, which is basically using the first few episodes to tell smaller scale stories that require very few knowledge of the universe. This way allows the viewer to both enjoy a story, and learn about the universe one bit at a time. So later on, he will be prepared to fully appreciate the main plot ; understand the motivations and stakes. And as a viewer it's much better to be able to really gasp the full extent of the story as it's being told (which doesn't mean there can't be surprises) ; rather than being confused most of the time and unable to enjoy it until the "Aha" moment.

[@roshee5573]

I have watched this series so many times I can not count . Best ever space opera/ drama and battles!

[@TheAhvila]

So much skillfully crafted future-history with so much depth in this, best space opera in existence.

[@EyesOfFrozenMeat]

B5 at its very best was unmatched.

[@rudolftrost3534]

It still is...

[@dystopia47]

I can't believe it took so long to come out on DVD and nearly didn't

[@larkfeast]

Farscape was much better

[@susie9893]

@@larkfeast PREACH IT

[@xthor86]

@Erik Mikkelsaar And much better acting performances in B5, and a more coherent/interesting universe.

[@fandomvault4901]

babylon 5 needs to be on netflix. it needs to be brought back.

[@RicCrouch]

It's currently on Amazon Prime video, if that helps...

[@AleksandrPodyachev]

yes it is, that is where I am watching it

[@Falconfire851]

Hell, I just bought the entire DVD collection on Amazon Prime for $93. It has all 5 seasons, the TV movies and the follow-up show Crusade. It's got tons of behind the scenes stuff too!

[@RicCrouch]

@@Falconfire851 I've got those, too! :)

[@GreyDancer42]

How's the quality on those? I was just looking at them yesterday!

[@alvinreyes2989]

i've always felt that B5 was way ahead of its time when it came to story telling. its lore, character development and multiple deep stand alone story arcs can be compared to Game of Thrones. it bums me out that this show should be way more popular that it is.

[@ronaldboers8061]

One of the most interesting shows ever written. I was really sad when it ended. Another great show (for different reasons) that is always overlooked by nearly everybody was the brilliant Farscape.

[@fireyflower6643]

Totally agree

[@makomadns4]

Def was ahead of it’s time. If it was done today with the same cast & better cgi i’m willing to bet it would be a smash hit. The one thing I think would be different today is it might have had a longer run than 5 years. I know thats what the plan was from the start but i think that the show could have easily continued exploring the telepath war and more of the world we saw in Crusade. Infact i think it would have been an interesting concept to have both shows running together using the same earth plague story line and intermixing more than other spin off shows have really done before. Maybe one show on day will.

[@evertonporter7887]

@@makomadns4 Crusade could be remade, but done like the BSG reboot. Indeed, Crusade is crying out for a remake...just keep TNT away from it!

[@COMALiteJ]

@@makomadns4 The Drakh Plague was only going to be a story arc for the first couple of seasons of _Crusade._ JMS had other storylines planned for later seasons. The plague would’ve been resolved by the end of the second season.

[@joelcohen4353]

I wholeheartedly agree. B5 is one of the greats. One detail you omitted. Harlan Ellison's creative input. He's one of my favorite SF writers of all time. His contribution to B5 is significant.

[@proggyboi7115]

I distinctly remember watching the season 1 episode "signs and portents", mocking the direction and shot composition for the first ten minutes, then at the end, there was the twist that subverted everything. I literally screeched with excitement and shock. I give Strazinsky a lot of criticism very often, but the man is a genius in arc plotting.

[@TriniCrew]

I love my Star Trek, But I must admit I also love B5 just as much. G'Kar's Speeches/ dialogue made this show simply Epic for the lack of a better word.

[@RicCrouch]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnvQpnuEeciLgrM

[@fireyflower6643]

G'Khar was epic

[@WTHIWWT]

No matter how many times I have watched sleeping in light it still gets me every time

[@ZakhadWOW]

for me its that damned Franke music while the station blows up...

[@jamesdietz29]

Babylon 5 was (is) awesome indeed! So awesome it deserves a cinematic movie franchise! I remember waiting with baited breath every week for a new episode and was always glued to my TV when one was on.

[@jonsouth1545]

I when I was about 13 I remember running 9 miles in under 45 mins with my brother cross county so I could get back home in time for the episode Babylon Squared (one which introduced Babylon 4) as my parents had forgot to set the video recorder and we had all gone out to the beach no other show could ever have made me do that

[@jamesdietz29]

I hear ya! I turned down overtime at work just to make sure I got home to see a new episode! I sure wish Warner would get off their butts and make a movie franchise or at the very least a new (well done) rebooted show. And while I have the complete series on DVD, I wish I could find it on Blu-ray.

[@Melayahm01]

Oh, wow, if you'd missed that one - Such an important episode. Good running

[@rmsgrey]

There are two things that keep me from wishing for a B5 revival: 1) too many of the original cast are no longer available, so any new stories would either have to be recast or set at a significant distance from the show's events 2) Can you imagine Babylon 5 written by Michael Bay? You'd need to either get JMS on-board, or find another JMS - an attempt to revive the series without a JMS equivalent would be a failure. That's not to say that I wouldn't love it if a modern equivalent could materialise. Probably the closest we've come in the last decade or so was the Battlestar Galactica remake - though that clearly wasn't planned more that a season at a time.

[@Muck006]

The only way to remake Babylon 5 would be to make a FAITHFUL remake (with better sets) while ironing out some plot holes/science flaws. I am always reminded of one scene from "Lord of the Rings" (the second BOOK, not the movie), where Gimli and Legolas come to the caves in Rohan with beautiful stone formations. Gimli then says that he is in awe and his people would come to visit and improve upon them while stating that these improvements would be "one chip with a tiny hammer each month" ... and NOT WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER. Sadly far too many "remakes" use the sledgehammer method ... like the Bayformers have shown.

[@AlexanderWright1]

Star Trek: "Who are you?" Star Wars: "What do you want?" Babylon 5: "Get the hell out of our galaxy!"

[@marsneedstowels]

Expanse: "Who do you serve, and who do you trust?"

[@biocapsule7311]

@@marsneedstowels Technically the Expanse "where are you going?", Battlestar Galactica is "Do you have anything worth living for?"

[@tacticalsweater5119]

Expanse sucks.

[@eminemfan50098]

@@tacticalsweater5119 ok troll

[@smorre4004]

"Never start a fight but always finish it."

[@bovnycccoperalover3579]

B5 is a masterpiece.

[@bdchiaccio]

I totally agree with everything you said and most recently I got my seventy-five-year-old dad who is the Star Trek die hard to start watching it and he can't stop binge watching

[@RowanJColeman]

Glad you enjoyed watching :)

[@skyblueo]

Thanks for giving B5 so much love. I was addicted to it when it originally aired. I have to say that I was afraid that it wouldn't age well. I just started watching it again and it ages very well, unlike the original Star Trek. It was the first show to use totally digital FX, which is why the space battles are so amazing! Even DS9 was still using practical FX at the time. This was a show that was ahead of it's time and still holds up.

[@RowanJColeman]

Nae danger

[@nono7105]

It was the lack of practical effects that made it unpopular in the first place. The CGI just wasn't as good as the models back in the day. So it looked cheesy by comparison.

[@dhindaravrel8712]

They don't make them like they used to. Favourite show!

[@slitor]

I suggest "The Expanse" it ticks all the boxes so to speak.

[@SILVERSTACKINGACADEMY]

Dhindara Vrel And it is the biggest pity! 90's is the gold era of great TV shows!

[@skahthansen1316]

Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck cite Babylon 5 as being a huge influence.

[@GJS2183]

Will always think of it as the best TV show, not just Sci-Fi, in general! R.I.P. Andreas, Mira, Jerry,...

[@leandrobravo3319]

Still watching it every year and after the first time, Londos fate breaks my heart from the beginning on. It is such a well written series and you can feel the love for each character. " Because what is built endures, and what is loved endures."

[@daggumnametaken]

one of my favourite things they did, and I am saying this as an atheist. The episode when they had representatives of every earth religion, it always bothered me how Star Trek pretends Earth religions were just no longer a thing.

[@snauw]

I know, right? Fellow atheist here, and one of the things that seemed awfully unrealistic about Star Trek was that everyone had just abandoned religion. Sorry, not buying it, we're not wired that way. Faith is part of human fallibility, something that Star Trek ignores in order to explain why there's no conflict amongst humans to speak of. Kudos to Straczynski, himself an outspoken atheist, for not ignoring it. Fun fact about that faith lineup: they had 250 people in it, most of whom used their real names AND belonged to the religion they represented. According to Joe Straczynski they went over the names twice with Michael O'Hare. After that, he got everyone's name and religion right on take one.

[@daggumnametaken]

snauw they also had legit doors on earth, I was never able to believe everyone swapped to sliding doors in the future lol

[@Muck006]

Hint: Atheism doesnt really exist. We ALL have a religion ... just not a "traditional one". G.K. Chesterton once said "When we stopped believing in god we didnt start believing in nothing but rather in anything." Just look at how FANATICAL many feminists, SJWs, Antifa, capitalists, vegetarians/vegans, "new tech hippies"[1] are these days. Those are CLEARLY religions. All of them have some form of belief which will "save humanity". [1] Just look at the people standing in line outside a shop whenever a new iPhone is coming. They are there to "praise the allmighty apple with a bite" and to pay their dues.

[@PongoXBongo]

Atheism is not a lack of religion, nor is it a religion itself. It is simply a lack of belief in a god or gods, period. It's not a philosophy, it's not a way of life, it's a single answer to a single question. It's not tied to cosmology or evolution, social Darwinism, nihilism, or anything of the like. It says nothing of morality, spirituality, or who should wear the fanciest hat.

[@daggumnametaken]

PongoXBongo I called dibs on that hat, according to atheist laws, you must all bow before my hat. This rules is as sacred as calling shotgun, but never calling it without direct line of sight of the car. The non lord laid out these laws, and the non believers must respect them.

[@ak102986]

I'm a huge Babylon 5 fan and I completely agreed with you.

[@Werrf1]

I'm not going to pretend I'm not biased here - I met my wife in a Babylon 5 chatroom on AOL (yes, during the dial-up days). I'm firmly of the opinion that Babylon 5 forced TV sci-fi to grow up. It dragged us kicking and screaming out of the TNG days (whch was great, don't get me wrong), and into the Farscape era. The very idea of telling a coherent story across multiple episodes, even multiple seasons...that was from Babylon 5. Without Babylon 5 we would not have had Farscape, or Stargate, or Battlestar Galactica. Babylon 5 is when TV science fiction grew up.

[@UncleMikeDrop]

I LOVED the it when Vir told mr. Morden exactly what he wanted. Vir was a BOSS in that episode. On a more seripus note, there were few things more gut-wrenching and powerful Michael Garibaldi's ongoing battle with alcoholism. They lived in the universe of wonders and that made it all the more impactful to see such a real world problem threats to back into reality and shows you and refusing to let you think all that glitters, Is gold.

[@coasterblocks3420]

And then when Vir got what he wanted and gave that cheeky little wave to Mr Morden’s head on a spike. That was a very satisfying moment.

[@UncleMikeDrop]

@@coasterblocks3420 I know, right? I really wish Vir got more boss moments like thar.

[@coasterblocks3420]

Mike Vasquez I totally agree. We can only wonder what could have been if we had been given the season 4 and 5 as originally envisioned. Do you remember the scene where Vir was describing how his people have sex to one of the humans? I almost wet myself laughing!

[@UncleMikeDrop]

@@coasterblocks3420 Modern Classic. We do at least have the knowledge of Vir's innevitable ascension to Emperor.

[@COMALiteJ]

@@coasterblocks3420 Ever wonder how Londo knew about Vir’s wish to Morden? He wasn’t present when they had that conversation. A speculation: Morden, defeated as his two Shadow guardians had just been gunned down in the throne room, with the Shadow base island blown up, and is about to be executed, in an off-camera scene we never got to see, Morden asks Londo for one final request. “And why do you think you deserve a final request?” “I did give you what you wanted, but forget that. It’s not for me.” He produces a data crystal and plays back a recording of that conversation with Vir. “You wouldn’t know, but before I was corrupted by the Shadows, I was a good man.” [For that story, read the _Babylon 5_ Dell novel #7, _The Shadow Within_ byJeanne Cavelos, which is considered canon by JMS - it’s also a vital prequel to the _The Passing of the Techno-Mages_ novel trilogy] “Please allow me to be that good man one more time, and grant the request of the one man I was unable to corrupt - your _protégé.”_

[@dmotz]

This video made me watch through B5 for the first time in 2017, and now I'm rewatching it with friends who have no idea what's in store for them. Thank you for making this video, I genuinely would never have watched this incredible show otherwise!

[@UteChewb]

And also the most frightening enemy with the most badass spaceships: the Shadows.

[@Ower8x]

Agree they were the stuff of nightmares, together with the TNG Borg, they were the most frightening for me when I was a kid and was watching this.

[@Muck006]

Shadows are much more threatening because they can simply "appear out of nowhere" due to the nature of B5 space travel.

[@andrewthorne3570]

Babylon 5 was meant as a 5 year story, was just a pity that WB said that they where going to cancel after season 4 causing JMS to compress the plans for season's 4 and 5 into one season then they said "You know season 4 did so well we want a season 5" and he's like "You've already had it, at the later part of season 4" so the season 5 we got was not part of the original 5 year plan

[@Hellberch1]

Still started to set up some epic stories in what became season 5 though. The start of the Alliance, the consequences of everyone's actions during the shadow war, the rumbles of what would become the telepath war

[@evertonporter7887]

JMS truly fought for this show tooth and nail!

[@Gilmaris]

Season 5 has received a lot of hate, but while I understand and even agree with the criticism, I still like it.

[@bobbwc7011]

Not entirely true: JMS just accelerated certain plots. The original cliffhanger for season 4 was the episode where Sheridan gets kidnapped, leaving his fate open until season 5. JMS also lost his set of notes. The notes got trashed by accident and he even tried to recover them from the dumpsters but could not retrieve them. The problem was: With those notes he kept track of all the characters and plotlines, so that he had to rewrite now half of a season from memory. The second half of season 5, when the show was clearly back on track, was as planned, closed the Londo arc and opened the Telepath war arc for Crusade. And of course: Sleeping In Light.

[@ericgaillard4456]

What is important in this story is the opposition of 2 concepts, much like yin and yang. What is best for a living organism, evolve according to well-defined rules or on the contrary evolve in a context where there is no rule where everyone must fight to survive? Who are you? -VS- What do you want? Or maybe there's a 3rd path, making our own choices, committing our own mistakes and building our own future.

[@rmsgrey]

"Who do you serve and who do you trust?"

[@Muck006]

Nazis vs. SJWs/Antifa? GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR GALAXY! Having a different opinion is always possible, but people dont realize that there are many more sides to "choose". Mainstream media like their "simple world view" of black and white ... and it is high time they get told to stop polarizing the people and start reporting OBJECTIVELY.

[@michaelfoy8078]

it was a choice between, 'What do you want?' and 'Who are you?'. The Shadows weren't evil, that's the key point, they just thought that there other races would develop more with their help. Vorlons were like your mother, 'clean up your room, get that tie straight...' the Shadows were like your father, 'let's go outside and kick a ball, here's a gun, go shot something' they wanted to raise 'their children' differently, no wonder there was a divorce. it would have been interesting to have followed them when they left. maybe that was the follow up show, rather than what we had.

[@EgorDmitrenkov]

Yep, classic *ORDER* vs *FREEDOM* also reflected in collectivism vs individualism

[@greyfade]

@@Muck006 Understanding is a three-edged sword: Your side, their side, and the *truth*.

[@horacebury]

This was bloody excellent. You said everything I’ve ever wanted to say. Thank you 🙏 You are so perfectly correct about Christopher Franke.

[@adrianokury]

One thing I just loved in B5 was the use of lush synthesizers. Aural pleasure to hear with headphones....

[@SpartasEdge]

Babylon 5 and Stargate SG-1 are my fave series of all time, just awesome. They created such a rich universe in Babylon 5, loved it.

[@RowanJColeman]

I may do a "Why Stargate is Awesome" video in the future.

[@SpartasEdge]

Yeah you should 😀 As i felt that was also a really rich universe, tieing in Earth technology and mythology with aliens to the ancients themselves, and the Earth tech vs alien tech always makes me think of Halo. Like i say though, loved how it intertwined mythology into the show, from Egyptian and norse gods being alien in origin to Atlantis and Arthur and Avalon, to evolving bad guys like the replicators. Like Babylon 5, had a great cast of main and recurring characters and story arcs, and the action, both on the ground and in space, were always excellent, and the scripts i thought were always both clever and witty. Thought Atlantis was a worthy spinoff too.

[@JohnJ469]

You know, my wife and I never separate, not even to just go to the shops, without saying "I love you". B5 fans know why. ;)

[@JMHCLash]

wow...I'm tearing up....understanding why the entire time.

[@NiTeHaWKnz]

Forget the Star Fury, I'll have a White Star! I also figured out pretty early on that you can't miss one episode because of the story arcs. You miss a small incident in one, you have no idea why something major has happened later on.

[@TheFalconerNZ]

true, you often couldn't even miss 5 minutes of a show without losing some important infomation

[@rbbecker73]

Except the boxing episode in season 1. Everyone can (and should) skip that one.

[@InfernosReaper]

Nah, there are some very unimportant and even skippable episodes. Tis folly to pretend otherwise. Most of that's in the early seasons, though, and guides have been made for it.

[@madcat1738]

@@rbbecker73 you need to remember to watch your back, Garibaldi. Boxer tells it twice to Michael foreshadowing what happens in the season finale.

[@RachaelTheFirboldDruid]

The year is 2018... ive stumbled upon your video... and i can't stop smiling at every nail you managed to accurately hit.

[@EstebanMataVargas]

Mr. Coleman, I compliment you on your excellent work (and baritone voice). Thank you so much for reminding me how awesome this show is.

[@tanukiman3855]

And Claudia Christian is not only a total babe but makes Ivanova a tougher than nails officer, not just eye candy.

[@pilotamurorei]

funny how the woke leftists dont herald her as some sort of feminist hero, doesnt it? Oh wait it makes sense, they dont actually give a shit.

[@kaziu312]

@@pilotamurorei Indeed! Susan Ivonova is death incarnate. Heck, she's one of my favorite all-time female characters from sci-fi. The people at CBS are now busy claiming that their Michael Burnham is a pioneer on STD. Meanwhile Claudia Christian is saying *"AM I A JOKE TO YOU?"*

[@gilraine1225]

@@kaziu312 claudia is also a great person that has been very open with her own personal battles.

[@adamofblastworks1517]

I named my Space D&D CAG after her (Ivanova the character, not Claudia the actress). The best starting CAG ever. I even got an additional permanent +1 higher than normal starting CAG modifier after I rolled a semi-joke d20 for inspiration when she saw some of the fleet carriers in the capital. From a +8 to a +9. Normally, command crew improvements are very rare to come by. Unfortunately she died when the rest of the party destroyed my carrier in an attempt to destroy a single amulet that was on my ship, because antimatter explosions are bigger? And then my primary character was executed for treason for having used amulet in the first place, which caused us to lose a macguffin we literally *just* reclaimed, a bit under a real life year and a half... I accidentally also caused us to instantly go from the end of early game to the beginning of late game, skipping mid game entirely.

[@mallninja9805]

@@pilotamurorei I can see your Night Watch armband from here.

[@Kay0Bot]

Good sale. I watched it with my friend and got to see his face when he realized that they show was one big story and not a season by season show.

[@RowanJColeman]

Glad to hear it

[@ValerianMacMillan]

I think B5 was the first non-soap opera show to do the big, constant (as opposed to X-files, which was cyclical) arc. After that, slowly but surely, everybody else started doing it too. For example, the coeval (but still excellent) Deep Space 9 started out as an episodic show, but took a cue from B5 and started doing bigger arcs. But there was never a "wow, now that weird episode three years ago suddenly makes sense!" moment in it whereas it was practically the norm in B5.

[@daggumnametaken]

Robert Brown I love DS9, but it was a huge B5 rip off. There is a big history there of how and why it happened. You should look into it, then rewatch DS9 and spot the similarities.

[@rmsgrey]

+Robert Brown There were some examples before B5 - I like Mysterious Cities of Gold - but, yeah, B5 was the one that really launched the idea - partly because of the prevalence of the home VCR meaning you could get away with requiring people to watch every episode to keep up with the plot.

[@robbygaines1807]

B5 was by far my favorite SF show and I am a big Star Trek fan. When B5fist came out I was blown away with the effects and the story arc. There are still plot holes that I wish JMS would fill, "He's not the one." I was a member of the internet blog group, The Speculation Council, that got kicked off because we were getting very close to some of the truths, my contribution was that the Vorlons were actually the future humans. Lots of clues to that. Also got to meet and hang out with Bruce and Mira at a scifi convention and hung out for many hours with Claudia in Houston. All nice folks. I even talked on the phone with Kosh, he would tell me the difficulties of the costume and how hard it was to hit his marks cause he couldn't see them on the floor. I too was amazed at the space battles and how they ships and fighters did not fight like they were in the atmosphere, they just turned around and fired back. Very impressive. And I loved the actor's dialog and the writing by JMS. All very good. I think too many people missed a good thing here.

[@disecke]

"He's not the one" was because, earlier in War Without End I in Season 3, Zathras was instructed by future Sinclair to not reveal who the One is to any past versions of those who were to become parts of the One, so as to not risk interfering with their life paths. Zathras even said right after that he did what he was told. :)

[@gytissiaulys1967]

Used to watch this after school. Now time to watch this from episode 1 because i don’t remember a thing about it. I’m sure this will be fantastic journey

[@thebkg]

Babylon 5 became my all time favorite TV show by its 4th season. To this day it still remains on top. I re-watch my full set of dvds about once ever 18 months or so.

[@chuckjaegerbs]

B5 is my all time favorite! As i saw the final episode i had tears in my eyes!

[@rachiesayd9423]

I could go on and on for hours about Babylon 5!!! When it aired on TV it was the height of my week I got so excited with anticipation of a new episode and once it started I literally trembled and began breathing heavily!!! Scrutinizing every single detail to try and piece together the very complex plot!!! What really struck me is, Star Trek and other Scl-Fi shows idealize humans but B5 portrays us in our full array of emotions, personalities, motives, etc. Which made the characters more real and believable and sympathetic!!! I would follow the politics just like I do real world political discourse, so intriguing!!! It is impossible to summarize, praise, or explain B5 in 6:47 minutes... Whole college courses could be focused on all the intricate scenarios presented, in fact I always thought B5 should be part of any college level political science class... Everything was included, crime, terrorism, war, betrayal, love, propaganda (my favorite episodes were the propaganda ones, very sophisticated!!!), Political machinations, EVERYTHING!!! Anything having to do with human nature and relations was treated with honesty, accuracy, and authenticity!!! Like I said I could go on for hours but to conclude, great special effects, fantastic characters, awesome plot line, sophisticated subject matter, authentic portrayal of human nature, etc. It had everything one could ever want or hope for!!! One last point, having what most shows lack is a complete story arc that gave the whole sense of satisfaction and questions answered!!! Truly a one of a kind and I could never pick a favorite character, too many to choose from........

[@JnEricsonx]

Very happy to have met JMS a few years ago, my first season of B5 is signed proudly. And oh yeah, I met Peter Jurasik/Londo, RIP Andreas Katsulas/G'Kar.

[@carolbevis3376]

Thank you for reminding me why B5 is my all time favourite TV Show!

[@donkensler]

I was in Japan when this series began, and when I returned to the States I decided to give it a whirl. It was in the middle of Season 2, and I was completely lost, so I gave it up. Then a few years later the syfy channel ran one episode a night and I watched it straight through, enthralled. After my then-partner (now husband) moved in with me I bought the boxed set, we watched one episode a night, and he was hooked (he wasn't a huge science fiction fan until then). I agree with everything Rowan said here. This was without a doubt the best science-fiction series ever on TV.

[@Keurosaur]

This show is abso-fucking-lutely *spectacular*...

[@redpillcommando]

Star Trek and Star Wars cannot hold a candle to Babylon 5. The writing and acting were far beyond anything on TV at the time and IMHO it has yet to be surpassed. In 'Wheel of Fire' when sweet little Lyta Alexander turned around and said "Pleased to meet you Mr. Garibaldi" it gave me goosebumps for a week. Why Netflix is not picking this show up is hard to understand.

[@dlxmarks]

Probably not for lack of trying on Netflix's part. The movie and TV studios want to launch their own (mostly soon to be unsuccessful) online services while bleeding Netflix with increasingly unsustainable licensing fees. Netflix is going deep into debt to produce its own content not so much because it wants to but because it has to.

[@seraphina985]

DS9 was probably the only Star Trek that came remotely close to creating anything resembling the depth of character and story arcs, but then a lot of the others were hampered by being written in an era in which having long running arcs within a series let alone between them was just not a done thing. DS9 & B5 were children of a different time when TV series stopped being a series of cut down short movies and started being an actual series that built up a history and plot as they developed. Course this doesn't really explain how Voyager managed to completely miss the memo on this and totally messed up the entire premise of their show which would have been ideal fodder for a proper serialised format that didn't result in everything magically resetting every episode which doesn't exactly work with the whole single ship alone without support premise.

[@ronaldboers8061]

Oh man that show on Netflix that would be great.

[@fireyflower6643]

I would have to disagree about star wars, except after star wars 3, then all the following sequels to star wars were DIRE But certainly star trek pales into comparison to B5

[@craigs71]

@@seraphina985 There is a very good reason for the similarities.

[@trendane]

I just heard today that Stephen Furst passed away. Farewell, Vir Cotto.

[@Melayahm01]

Me too, hence finding myself here. So many B5 actors gone now, so sad. Vir had some of the best lines in the show.

[@Melayahm01]

I saw The Day After. (I don't recall Stephen Furst being in it though) Not nearly as scary as the BBC's Threads. I couldn't sleep after that one

[@Palmergeddon1]

Well he lived long enough to see and wave

[@trendane]

Yes indeed he did!

[@ThyFacelessOne]

Now, sadly, he, Richard Biggs, Andreas Katsulas, Tim Choate (Zathras), Jeff Conaway, Jerry Doyle, Michael O' Hare all went beyond the rim.

[@brownehawk7744]

Just rewatched this at 36, would have been a young teen last time I saw it. Show hits way different when you're older, great show, well written even the graphics were ahead of its time for being a tv show.

[@CCB5er34]

ITS THE BEST, ITS IN MY HEART, SOUL AND DNA. VERY WELL DONE ROWAN.LOVE IT AND JOE.

[@davidsande2342]

Been watching sci-fi for 60 years and Babylon 5 is still my favourite.

[@Wraithlord77]

Some of the effects are a little dated now but still, those BATTLES WOOHOO!!! . One of the best SciFi show's ever IMO , just EPIC.

[@paulm2835]

Of course the FX is now dated, they were among the first to use CGI, and were using souped-up Commodore Amigas...

[@Muck006]

Only entitled "30 fps games are unplayable" and "I need 4k graphics for my games" kiddies of today care about "effects being dated". The stop-motion monsters of Ray Harryhausen in Clash of the Titans beat the silly modern remake any day because of the STORY.

[@redsmirnoff1921]

Quite agree - Babylon 5 is absolutely awesome. Plus the Shadow ships were creepy as hell.

[@hakont.4960]

I was actually more scared of the Vorlons as a kid, that big soulless eye that literally stare into your soul...

[@ZakhadWOW]

@@hakont.4960 Kosh's aperture was NOTHING, compared to the EYE OF SATAN on Ulkesh's suit o.0

[@CoreyKat]

Insanely well developed. I guess so. Great drama. At 63 I never even heard of it. Just finished. Incredible

[@joes2686]

Lorien "it's easy to find, something worth dying for. Do you have anything worth living for"... Vorlon "Who are you". Shadows "What do you want"....... Powerful words, not many people understanding it's meaning. This was and continues to be a great show. An adventure to life.

[@garysmith9823]

Babylon 5 was better written than any of the Star Trek series, and had a much more realistic view of human society.

[@nulian]

Well star trek was more if human kind improved themselves. In B5 in the end the humans on earth destroy themselves and go back to the middle ages in technology.

[@piotrd.4850]

Star Trek was built on AVOIDING LONG STORY ARCS, Babylon 5 just opposite. That's why B5 works better as series and universe foundation, but Star Trek has better particular episodes.

[@ronaldboers8061]

@@piotrd.4850 It way worse then you think. They actually offered the idea of the series to the people that made Star Trek. After having the script for more then a year they said they were not interested in developing it. So they gave it back and just before the first season of Babylon 5 came out Deep Space 9 suddenly showed up and there were quiet a few similar characters and stories. They settled outside of court.

[@SebastianSnoeck]

Before b5 i was a stark trek fan but since I discovered b5 everything changed ...

[@rebeccadittman6350]

It’s true. Star Trek is great but it had this underlying “hey, when we get to the stars everything gets better” it’s an incredibly hopeful view which is enjoyable in its own right. B5 on the other hand writes the series like “yep we went to the star... we fixed some things, and found other problems” it shows the ongoing struggle of man. And I love that kind of writing too, because then when the characters do overcome bad things, internal struggles, and dodgy pasts it’s so much more satisfying! The ending feels more earned, and is therefore so much sweeter. And B5 does that view better than any other show I’ve ever seen.

[@jamesfry8983]

Babylon 5 is truly epic in every way possible

[@chiffmonkey]

Season 4's "The Illusion of Truth" is incredibly relevant right now.

[@wcthesecret]

Why?

[@chiffmonkey]

@@wcthesecret Media spin is at an all time high.

[@wcthesecret]

@@chiffmonkey true

[@ZakhadWOW]

and that smarmy AF black woman anchor for the Clark ISN? JESUS how FOx News/APN is SHE? I sure hope that poor actress didnt catch too much crap for it...

[@madcat1738]

@@ZakhadWOW you must mean CNN/MSNBC. They are the ones shilling for the government and misleading the populace with propaganda.

[@maslelviz]

I saw quite a few episodes in the late 90s, when I was a kid, and completely forgot about it. But then I came across the Mass Effect series and it reminded me of this amazing show. I rewatched this show last year and OMG, I want to do it again!

[@theawesomeran7779]

Thank you so much Rowan. I started B5 when it came to Amazon and loved it all!

[@shenmovie]

I'm a huge fan of Bab 5 and that is a great review, which avoids spoilers. Thank you.

[@djerhyjnbaptiste4030]

good delivery... I got to watch Babylon 5 once I'm done with Star Trek TNG. Your channel will go far...

[@bsmnt23]

"Equally brilliant to [Star Trek]"? Selling B5 a little short aren't you?

[@RowanJColeman]

I see it as the highest of compliments.

[@Muck006]

Star Trek is like a cop show where every episode is its own story. Babylon 5 is like a soap opera with a continuous story and a MUCH higher immersion factor. From the Star Trek universe only DS9 comes close to this ... and B5 is much more engaging than Star Trek for "fans who watch every episode" while Star Trek is much easier to consume for "casual viewers" ... which is why they have a much greater audience. Size of audience doesnt make it better though.

[@game2572]

Muck006 B5 ran the same time as DS9 so iron had to sharpen iron

[@kohakuaiko]

game2572 thankfully not in the same time slot.

[@max_power3386]

DS9 ripped off the idea from B5. JMS pitched the idea of B5 to the network that ran DS9 a year before they came out with DS9. JMS successfully sued the network for stealing his ideas. Eerie when you think about it: The main cast consists of a commander on a space station that has to be peacemaker to multiple alien races, a security officer, a doctor, a first officer, need I go on? There is a main area where the crew unwinds filled with shops and gambling. It is interesting to look up videos on the B5 cast members reactions to DS9. Patricia Tallman's (who plays Lyta Alexander on B5) video is one of the best. "They even had a character named Lyta, I mean they didn't even change the name!"

[@tja9212]

the first opening was just awesome. the view on the stars and just the tune built such an universe in my head everytime i heard it. it has some seriousness to it the whole series - besides all the humour and charme - manages to accomplish. season 3 opening was just epic... also it is interesting how my first impression was "this has a lot of dungeon synth vibes to it!" and well, franke was part of Tangerine Dream which is considered a huge influence on the whole dungeon synth thing.

[@SlideRulePirate]

Brit here. One lonely Sunday afternoon in the last century I was station hopping on the tv attempting to track down something vaguely watchable. I totally got lucky and caught the opening of S01E01 completely by chance. I'd never heard of it, hadn't seen it advertised, I just stumbled across it. I was hooked right there and then.

[@adrian9797ful]

First of, I love that someone makes videos about Babylon 5. Secondly, till now I never knew that the music of B5 was made in Germany so I have something to be proud of. And third, I have to wholeheartly agree with all points made, Idid watch Episode 1 to 6 of StarWars and some of Star Trek and BSG but none were as brethtking or stunning to me as B5.

[@wardragonprime]

I particularly liked the Psi Corps episodes.

[@michaelfoy8078]

The Jason Lionheart episode is my favourite psi corps episode, for obvious reason

[@KhaosAdmiral]

Bester is legit one of my favorite Sci-Fi villains

[@craigs71]

@@KhaosAdmiral Charismatic but chilling in equal measures.

[@UteChewb]

If you have ever played Starcraft II then you would have seen an ad on the tv that Raynor is watching for a group that is similar to the Psycops. A nice nod to the B5 ad for Psycops complete with the subliminal message: The corps is father the corps is mother.

[@ZlothZloth]

@@UteChewb We're everywhere (for your convenience)!

[@NapoleChan]

"Why Babylon 5 is awesome" "Why Farscape is awesome" Easily eludes to knowing "Why your taste in SciFi is Awesome"

[@antonyborlase3965]

The fact it was a story, a epic journey of idea, thoughts, emotions and setting up for what comes next. Things you see I S3 needed you to go back to something in S2 for the ‘what?’

[@ruisantos3117]

Thank you for the retrospective. Babylon 5 is currently on Pluto and Tubi and I can't wait to dig in.

[@JasonJrake]

It has also been admitted by Mass Effect writers to be a big inspiration for them. B5 ruined me for all but the best fiction in any format. thanks for making such a clear case for giving it a try.

[@MikeRagnos]

I've wachted B5 twice, all series and movies. Now I want to see it again :)

[@JesseFerguson-xh8px]

My teenage years were watching this and star trek with my uncle. Good times and I love this show

[@ThePathStrider]

The pinnacle of Babylon 5, to me, was the episode Z'ha'dum. When Sheridan signals his ship to his position with a nuke counting down, while Delenn watches his farewell message - it was probably the most emotional thing I've ever seen.