Rating: 
Summary: A "thinking man's" SF Classic
Review: Season 2 of Babylon 5 more than fullfills the promise that season 1 showed. With the arrival of Bruce Boxleitner as Sheridan and after the climactic events of last season's "Chrysalis", the arc which J. Straczynski promised starts to gather momentum. Who are the Shadows? What are the Rangers? What will happen to Delenn because of her tansformation? What is Talia's secret? What does Morden know about Sheridan's lost wife? All these questions are answered, and even more are raised. Although it may be best to watch this series straight through from season 1, enough back historyis given and there are more than enough stand alone episodes to get the new viewer involved. And don't always expect things to end happily or neatly, or for the easy way to be taken. Prices must be paid, sacrifices made, and not all ills can be cured. If only for "Comes the Inquisitor," a philosophical and emotional tour de force, "In the Shaodw of Z'ha'dum," some of Boxleitner's best acting, and the Hugo - winning "Coming of Shadows," the second season is more than worth the asking price. And I left out the Nightwatch, Drafa, and a stunning end to the fighting between the Narn and the Centauri. Truly SF on a grand, sweeping, breathtaking scale with a true "sense of wonder." If you are new to B5, I envy you the hours of enjoymwent this set will bring. If you know the series, the clear transfers and commentary by jms and many in the cast add to the enjoyment. Not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Shadows loom over second season of B5
Review: Now that most of the characters had a backstory, the second season of B5 ventured further into it's 5 year story arc involving the war with the Shadows. Although I never really bought the romantic subplot involving Sheridan (I never felt that Boxleitter and Mira Furlan had much chemistry as a couple), it does work well within the context of the story. The political intrigue of season one expands to include Mars colony, the Psicorp and the usual suspects. Boxleitter is a better actor than Michael O'Hare and he manages to bring considerable power to the role. The change in the guard (due to studio politics amongst many other things)also allowed for a richer, more indepth back story for the series. Although there are a fair share of clunkers during this season, overall the quality is high. The third season would be where the series really hit its stride. There are a number of very cool extras on the second set. Once again JMS does a color commentary on a couple of episodes but, more important, Bruce Boxleitner, Jerry Doyle and Claudia Christian provide a color commentary that is quite funny and glib on 1 key episode. I had forgotten that Melissa Gilbert did not play Sheridan's wife in the brief footage we see of her. Amazing how time will adjust your memory. The special features include a couple of documentaries and are of pretty good quality. There's a new introduction by J. Michael Straczynski and Bruce Boxleitner that is interesting as well. The transfer is an improvement over the first season box set Signs and Portents. There's still quite a bit of scratches and analog artifacts. Most noticable, though is the occasional fuzzy picture quality. This is probably due to the low level lighting in some key scenes and a lack of QC when the digital compression was done. Still, the overall quality is quite good although not comparable to the Trek or DS9 picture quality (particularly for seasons 4-7 with ST:TNG). Nevertheless, it's nice to finally have this important series available on DVD. The overall quality of the writing and directing is top-notch and an improvement over the uneven quality of season one. The acting also took a leap forward during this pivotal season with the addition of Boxleitner and a number of strong guest turns.
Rating:
Summary: BEST SHOW EVER. Good second season: "The Coming of Shadows"
Review: "They walk among the stars like giants...."
Yes, Babylon 5 is the best sci-fi show ever produced, and season 2 is where the series starts to truly shine. After a rather boring first season, J.Michael Straczynski (series creator) took the reins and wrote ~75% of the show. AND IT SHOWS. Season 2 starts with battles, ends with battles, and has plenty of drama in the middle. A new race called "The Shadows" starts pulling strings, manipulating the characters, and ultimately spinning off a war. And just when you think all is dark and dreary and depressing... along comes season 3 where all hell turns loose! SO IF YOU'RE NEW TO BABYLON 5 then I recommend you start with season 2... which is where the show truly starts to shine.
Rating:
Summary: What we were waiting for...
Review: Finally! After waiting two years to start to fill the gaps in my collection, the second season has arrived on DVD! I hadn't seen "Revelations" or "And Now For A Word" since their original syndication broadcast in the 1994-1995 season. After spending the past day reviewing this season on DVD, it's really evident that this is where Babylon 5's arc truly comes into his own. Where writing, acting, and production are concerned, the second season is perhaps a better point of introduction for new fans than the first, where the cast and production team were still getting into the swing of producing a stellar show on a meager budget. The second season manages to preserve much of the "darkness" that gives Babylon 5 its realism, while higher production values remove some of the grittiness felt throughout the first season. Remarkably, the CG - state-of-the-art at the time - doesn't yet look dated - an amazing testament to the effort that went into the series. Although Bruce Boxleitner's (Captain Sheridan's) "happy-go-lucky" attitude for much of this season can be grating at times, seen as part of his development across the next three seasons, one begins to appreciate his talents -- although I must admit that I do miss Michael O'Hare's weighty performances from the first season. The returning cast puts in solid performances: Mira Furlan (Delenn), Peter Jurasik (Londo) and Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar) consistenly steal the show as the alien ambassadors. While Mary Kay Adams as Na'Toth doesn't equal Caitlin Brown's acerbic performances from the first season, and Robert Rusler is unremarkable as Lt. Keffer. A slew of fantastic guest stars compensates amply for any weaknesses in the main cast: from Michael Ansara (Elric), Dwight Schultz (Amos), Ed Wasser (Morden), Paul Winfield (Gen. Franklin), and Pat Tallman (Lyta Alexander) among many others. Some of the most memorable stand-alone episodes: "GROPOS," "And Now For A Word," "Confessions and Lamentations," and "Comes the Inquisitor" take approaches almost never seen in science fiction television. The DVD itself feels more professional than the first-season release -- it includes a booklet listing which episodes are on which discs... a tremendous asset missing from the first set. Although I'm not qualified to comment on the quality of the DVD transfer, I must say that (for eccentric and unexplainable reasons of my own) Babylon 5 only looks "right" to me in widescreen. The two commentaries provided by creator and executive producer J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) - on "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum" and "The Fall of Night" are less illuminating than his remarks from the first season -- he repeats much of his material between the two commentaries -- and despite his brilliance in concieveing of and writing B5, how many times can you hear him talk about "choices, consequences, and repsonsibility" before you become nauseated. However, the high-energy and irreverent running commentary given by Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, and Bruce Boxleitner on "The Geometry of Shadows" provide a hysterical glimpse into the minds of the actors looking back on the series 8 years later. Interestingly, they express a desire to work on a B5 feature film -- something which the success of these DVD sets might just eventually inspire -- if they can demonstrate financial viability. The DVDs also include an introduction to the set and two small featurettes: "Building Babylon: Blueprint of an Episode" and "Shadows & Dreams: Honors of Babylon", featuring new interview with the actors (including Claudia Christian, Andrea Thompson, Peter Jurasik, and Bruce Boxleitner -- not interviewed for the first season set) I personally found the comments from the production staff on the first season DVDs more illuminating; it feels like Warner has focused more on the actors for greater market draw, sacrificing real content. Overall: 4 stars. This is some of the best television production and writing you'll run across, especially in science fiction. Babylon 5 remains unmatched, and the second season (matched only by the third season) is its best. The DVD is long overdue, and I can only hope that Warner will continue this series, and release all 5 seasons, plus the TV movies and the short-lived Crusade spinoff on DVD -- good sales figures should encourage this. This set would be well worth the money for the episodes alone, although the actors' commentary is a very nice bonus. The other DVD extras are dissapointing.
Rating:
Summary: A real review of this Box Set
Review: Video Quality: Overall, this season looks a lot better than the first season's episodes. This isn't really because of the mastering of the discs, but is most likely the result of a better filming process that was used. Still, you tend to notice some graininess on certain scenes (especially close up shots). So far, I've watched 17 episodes and only one ("In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum") looked really bad...almost like I was playing a VCD instead of a DVD on that episode! The rest were fine, and some were absolutely flawless in appearance. Audio: I think it sounds absolutely great! Very clear on all channels and I think it is an improvement over the season one set with respect to Dolby Digital 5.1 mastering. Some cooler surround effects and a wider dynamic range on the audio this time around. Extras: A little better than the last set, especially the easter egg on disc 6 which has a 3 minute gag real. Again, you get episode teasers for each episode which is a nice touch and some documentaries. One of the best extras is a commentary on "The Geometry of Shadows" by Boxleitner, Christiansan, & Doyle. Absolutely hilarious and something fans will love. A not so good thing: If you are new to the series, DO NOT listen to the 3 commentaries or it will ruin the series for you since they have a habit of discussing stuff that happens later on in the show...like the ultimate fate of certain characters (Oops!!) No kidding, you listen to these and kiss all the big suprises for the rest of the series goodbye. A shame. Overall: A really good product and well worth buying. They did a great job on this set and I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be pleased with it.
Rating: 
Summary: Great show - pity about the picture and sound quality!
Review: Just bought the second season of Babylon 5 and I have to admit to mixed feelings on the quality of the DVD's.
While this show was (and remains) consistently heads and shoulders above other TV SCI-FI in ambition and execution, Warners have done a pretty shabby job of transferring these shows to DVD.
Has anyone else for instance, noticed the loss of lip-synch in the episode 10 'gropos' on disc 3 - during the general's speech outlining his battle plan? Or on episode 16 disc 4 'in the shadows of z'ha'dum' - during various scenes with Sheridan,Franklin and others?
The problems with dust and dirt on the picture, remarked on by many fans - are also a real annoyance and should have been dealt with before release by Warners. As well as the many CGI effects that give this show its distinctive look.
This show is a superb example of TV SCI-FI and while many of the features, creator commentary etc on this DVD set are top notch - Warners should slow down their DVD release schedule and give the show the treatment the fans demand!
Rating:
Summary: A Coming of Great Things
Review: Finally, finally, Warner Home Video gets it act together! This set kept the things that worked in the first set (cool looking case, episode guide, teasers for each episode, season synoposis by the creator and actors) and fixed the things that didn't (the remarkably poor encoding). Having watched this on a computer monitor, this was quite noticable. The only major complaint I have about the DVDs themselves was that they could have cleaned up the film stock before encoding to DVD. Thoughout the entire season, but most notable towards the beginning, there are blemishes, dust, and various scratches that show up. Really, it's quite sad that such a great series would have recieved such shoddy storage. I've seen movies many decades older than this that resulted in cleaner DVDs. Oh, and on a cute note, the Minbari crusier that's on the middle of the booklet is upside down. Story wise, this season is miles ahead of season 1. Bruce Boxleitner is a much better actor than Michael O'Hare, and his character of Captain Sheridan really brings together several of the things that happen. The other actors settle into their roles nicely and have some of their histories expanded. Part of what makes some of the character building episodes that occur throughout is the suprub writing and humour. Even in some of the tense and dramatic episodes like The Coming of Shadows there are some laughs to be had. We're also treated once more to the slime bag Psi Cop character of Alfred Bester, portayed excellently by Walker Koeing. I look forward greatly to seeing more of him in the next two seasons! The hallmarks of things never seen elsewhere on sci fi series continues. Station bathrooms show up again. The miracle cure arrives mere hours too late to save the dying race. One of the characters has a potential relationship with a character of the same gender. And Earth in painted in a none too flattering light. Over all, everything here is better than the first season. It starts out strong and ends even stronger. The last half dozen episodes, with the fall of Narn (Londo's face as he witnesses the orbital bombardment is one of the best scenes I have ever watched). And following that, this set is far better quality than the first one, with the exception of the dirty film stock they encoded things from. The encoding, the documentries, everything is much better. At this rate, things should be almost perfect for seasons 3-5, when things get REALLY good.
Rating:
Summary: Audio and video problems
Review: After reading reviews of all the box sets and some of the problems some people have had,I just wanted to add my experiences.
I too had a few occasions where the picture would break up and even freeze as someone else has mentioned.
I removed the dvd from the player and cleaned it useing a cd/dvd spray cleaner.When I reinserted the dvd and played it again I had no further problems.
I have encountered this on one or two other brand new dvds of other shows and in each instance a good cleaning solved the problem.
The discs never look dirty or scratched and are always played fresh out of the case which leads me to believe it may be a coating of something that cant be seen by the naked eye but is detectable by the players laser.
It may not solve everyones problem but its worth trying before returning the discs for an exchange and then encountering the same problem.
I hope this helps as the series itself is great and nothing is more frustrating then having a problem in the middle of watching it.
Rating:
Summary: A "thinking man's" SF Classic
Review: Season 2 of Babylon 5 more than fullfills the promise that season 1 showed. With the arrival of Bruce Boxleitner as Sheridan and after the climactic events of last season's "Chrysalis", the arc which J. Straczynski promised starts to gather momentum. Who are the Shadows? What are the Rangers? What will happen to Delenn because of her tansformation? What is Talia's secret? What does Morden know about Sheridan's lost wife? All these questions are answered, and even more are raised. Although it may be best to watch this series straight through from season 1, enough back historyis given and there are more than enough stand alone episodes to get the new viewer involved. And don't always expect things to end happily or neatly, or for the easy way to be taken. Prices must be paid, sacrifices made, and not all ills can be cured. If only for "Comes the Inquisitor," a philosophical and emotional tour de force, "In the Shaodw of Z'ha'dum," some of Boxleitner's best acting, and the Hugo - winning "Coming of Shadows," the second season is more than worth the asking price. And I left out the Nightwatch, Drafa, and a stunning end to the fighting between the Narn and the Centauri. Truly SF on a grand, sweeping, breathtaking scale with a true "sense of wonder." If you are new to B5, I envy you the hours of enjoymwent this set will bring. If you know the series, the clear transfers and commentary by jms and many in the cast add to the enjoyment. Not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor DVD Quality
Review: I have purchased all 4 seasons that were available. Every one of them have discs that are faulty. They "freeze" or skip scenes. Those scenes will not play. Pretty poor. I have even tried these on other DVD players...same results. Oh yes, and ever try to get someone to acknowledge this problem and correct it? Not happening.
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