After tons of recommendations from friends about this show, I decided to rent the DVD's and give it a watch. It took some time and I almost didn't see it thru because of the cheesy 90's special effects, but somewhere along the way I started to see what others love so much about it.
Babylon 5 is one of those rare finds. An adult oriented mix of futuristic warfare, social commentary, and spirituality that tells the epic story of the future of mankind. Unlike many other sci-fi shows that hit the reset button at the end of every episode and take the characters back to where they began, B5 develops the characters with purpose in every episode, slowly unveiling their destiny to the viewers. Even in the weaker episodes, and there are a few, there is almost always some significant character development going on.
B5 struggled to survive in it's tiny niche, and by watching the DVD extras it's clear that the cast and staff took great pride in that. Still, ultimately it might have been good for the show that they existed in a small venue, because I doubt that this kind of long term vision would have survived in a larger market. As it stands, watching B5 is a bit like reading a decent novel in the scope and reach of the story being told.
For those interested in the bottom line, B5 is a tremendous, epic story that explores the conflict between the need for order and the desire for self determination. Character development happens in nearly every episode, but many of the one episode story arcs are utterly forgettable. Most of the special effects look poor by modern standards, but that's to be expected. Straczynski's introduction of many spiritual elements was well ahead of its time in popular media, and would not be seen again for nearly 10 years until Battlestar Galactica, although his touch is a bit more heavy handed than BSG. It may be a matter of taste, but I prefer the subtle touch of the almighty in BSG to the overt mysticism Starczynski offers. The 5 season arc is very well done, but chafes a bit with the season 4 to 5 transition due to the fact that the show's producers thought they were getting canceled at the end of 4 and hurried along a few plots too quickly.
In the catalog of sci-fi, Babylon 5 stands nearly alone as a series that explored the future of humanity in an intelligent and meaningful fashion and survived long enough to complete its story. If you are a fan of sci-fi, this show is for you.
Babylon 5 is one of those rare finds. An adult oriented mix of futuristic warfare, social commentary, and spirituality that tells the epic story of the future of mankind. Unlike many other sci-fi shows that hit the reset button at the end of every episode and take the characters back to where they began, B5 develops the characters with purpose in every episode, slowly unveiling their destiny to the viewers. Even in the weaker episodes, and there are a few, there is almost always some significant character development going on.
B5 struggled to survive in it's tiny niche, and by watching the DVD extras it's clear that the cast and staff took great pride in that. Still, ultimately it might have been good for the show that they existed in a small venue, because I doubt that this kind of long term vision would have survived in a larger market. As it stands, watching B5 is a bit like reading a decent novel in the scope and reach of the story being told.
For those interested in the bottom line, B5 is a tremendous, epic story that explores the conflict between the need for order and the desire for self determination. Character development happens in nearly every episode, but many of the one episode story arcs are utterly forgettable. Most of the special effects look poor by modern standards, but that's to be expected. Straczynski's introduction of many spiritual elements was well ahead of its time in popular media, and would not be seen again for nearly 10 years until Battlestar Galactica, although his touch is a bit more heavy handed than BSG. It may be a matter of taste, but I prefer the subtle touch of the almighty in BSG to the overt mysticism Starczynski offers. The 5 season arc is very well done, but chafes a bit with the season 4 to 5 transition due to the fact that the show's producers thought they were getting canceled at the end of 4 and hurried along a few plots too quickly.
In the catalog of sci-fi, Babylon 5 stands nearly alone as a series that explored the future of humanity in an intelligent and meaningful fashion and survived long enough to complete its story. If you are a fan of sci-fi, this show is for you.