Babylon 5 is one of the best science fiction shows ever made. It also kind of sucks, and that’s okay. “I hope the future will be like Star Trek, but I’m afraid it’s going to be like Babylon 5.” Thi…
“I hope the future will be like Star Trek, but I’m afraid it’s going to be like Babylon 5.”
Season 1 is hammy stereotypical action sci-fi like most other contemporary shows, but with quite important world building that is used for all plot points in the rest of the seasons.
So much questionable acting, awkwardly cheap shots, laughable cgi (even with the remaster), and distinctly 90s costume. No two ways around it, you have to accept those parts as a product of it’s time. The writing is good from the start, and the acting gets better, as you get hooked on the characters everything takes off.
It fundamentally is a political soap opera with make up, but in a more fantastical way than Suits or House of cards, it’s kind of a different thing when the political scheming gets derailed by a planet turning out to be a forgotten superweapon or that the current powers-that-be turn out to be ousted by unknown space magic. It’s also a lot more dramatic seeing civilisation crumbling after a series of particularly poor developments.
What I love about Bab5 is that there’s always at least three plot arcs, you have the Problem-of-the-day that requires running around and punching someone, you have the factional current issue where someone is building up forces in a way that’s noticed in the day, and you have the overarching galactic issue brewing slowly, where planets or governments disappear and unknowable things move in the corner of your eye.
Also, superb story hooking, where a couple of planted background happenings are the pivotal main arc a few seasons later.
It’s why I rewatch all episodes every couple of years, so much great weaving, world building, character, faction and universe development that you just don’t get to see the first or even fifth time.
Also, Andreas Katsulas turns out to be marvellous actor and his character one of the most interesting in almost any epic story I’ve seen, heard or read since.
Sorry for the late reply, but I’ve now watched the two seasons of Strange New Worlds and just can’t agree with you.
Strange New Worlds works at establishing plot lines, in the first season telling you a central character plot point and a few episodes later doing an episode around it. Until the J’Gal character plot there aren’t even any twists.
What I mean with plot weaving would be something like the Vulcan Archeological Medicine fellowships being a secret Romulan plot (established through the multiple glimpses into what they’re studying), or having reconstructed Pike after his premonition so that he can escape it.
And this totally makes sense, Strange New Worlds is a TOS tribute, and those are notorious for being very episodal, with almost no links between episodes outside the main characters.
Either we have different interpretations of plot weaving, or it’s extremely subtle that I cant detect it after a rewatch.
Ok @Brainsploosh@lemmy.world - you are absolutely correct - this is an amazing series. I’m gonna confess that it was a very hard slog for me to get through the first 2.5 seasons, but then it just became this neverending stream of “wait… what??? woah!!!”. I’m in the second half of season four and I’m kinda blown away. I’m absolutely certain I’ll be re-watching it to find some of that weaving you mentioned. Thanks again for your description.
Season 1 is hammy stereotypical action sci-fi like most other contemporary shows, but with quite important world building that is used for all plot points in the rest of the seasons.
So much questionable acting, awkwardly cheap shots, laughable cgi (even with the remaster), and distinctly 90s costume. No two ways around it, you have to accept those parts as a product of it’s time. The writing is good from the start, and the acting gets better, as you get hooked on the characters everything takes off.
It fundamentally is a political soap opera with make up, but in a more fantastical way than Suits or House of cards, it’s kind of a different thing when the political scheming gets derailed by a planet turning out to be a forgotten superweapon or that the current powers-that-be turn out to be ousted by unknown space magic. It’s also a lot more dramatic seeing civilisation crumbling after a series of particularly poor developments.
What I love about Bab5 is that there’s always at least three plot arcs, you have the Problem-of-the-day that requires running around and punching someone, you have the factional current issue where someone is building up forces in a way that’s noticed in the day, and you have the overarching galactic issue brewing slowly, where planets or governments disappear and unknowable things move in the corner of your eye.
Also, superb story hooking, where a couple of planted background happenings are the pivotal main arc a few seasons later.
It’s why I rewatch all episodes every couple of years, so much great weaving, world building, character, faction and universe development that you just don’t get to see the first or even fifth time.
Also, Andreas Katsulas turns out to be marvellous actor and his character one of the most interesting in almost any epic story I’ve seen, heard or read since.
Strange new worlds is doing this, as well.
Sorry for the late reply, but I’ve now watched the two seasons of Strange New Worlds and just can’t agree with you.
Strange New Worlds works at establishing plot lines, in the first season telling you a central character plot point and a few episodes later doing an episode around it. Until the J’Gal character plot there aren’t even any twists.
What I mean with plot weaving would be something like the Vulcan Archeological Medicine fellowships being a secret Romulan plot (established through the multiple glimpses into what they’re studying), or having reconstructed Pike after his premonition so that he can escape it.
And this totally makes sense, Strange New Worlds is a TOS tribute, and those are notorious for being very episodal, with almost no links between episodes outside the main characters.
Either we have different interpretations of plot weaving, or it’s extremely subtle that I cant detect it after a rewatch.
Ok @Brainsploosh@lemmy.world - you are absolutely correct - this is an amazing series. I’m gonna confess that it was a very hard slog for me to get through the first 2.5 seasons, but then it just became this neverending stream of “wait… what??? woah!!!”. I’m in the second half of season four and I’m kinda blown away. I’m absolutely certain I’ll be re-watching it to find some of that weaving you mentioned. Thanks again for your description.
Haha, good things are better shared, I’m happy you gave it another go!
Well - thanks for that - I’m giving it another go. “Long arcs” definitely reel me in :)