Rating: 
Summary: PRE ORDER NOW or if you read this after it is released
Review: You need to watch this series in order to fully understand how great it is. This series shows what it is to be human. There is Sci-Fi, there is Drama, Intrigue, Comedy, and all the other things that can be said about a show. The premise is a HUGE space station some five miles long in neutral space that was built to prevent future wars, basically a United Nations type of situation. The story unfolds over a five year time line. You start out with the Gathering which develops the characters and some of the background. Then you watch season one which develops the story for seasons two, three, and four you get the MEAT. Season five is the conclusion so to speak. In Season Two the story builds the case for war. Season two builds off season one's stories by setting the ground work for events that transpire in season three and four. You see the Narn / Centari conflict growing, Earth becoming more distant from the aliance, the Shadows recruiting allies, and the Vorlon's setting up the battle lines. One must be carefull not to become so addicted to the story you skip work and watch every episode from the gathering to the last episode Sleeping in Light.
Rating:
Summary: The story builds...
Review: The second season of Babylon 5 is like the second spice you put in your chili: it is definately an improvement, but you only sense that there is something better to come. Of course, the chili doesn't taste right if you don't put in the second spice second, and so those who want to wait for the more numerous "wow" episodes of season three won't get the right "taste." There are, in fact, some rather lusterless episides in season two (for my money, even more than there were in season one), but the arc hits ground in even the most seemingly arcless episodes. Plus, JMS really gets comfortable with his charactors in season two, primarily because he gets to re-invent Sinclair in the Sheridan charactor, who is less grim and forboding, and therefore allows JMS to lighten the overall mood and, I think, enjoy the writing more. Season 2 sees the start of the real ensemble interaction that carries the series through to the end. Of course, some would argue that episodes like "Comes the Inquisitor" are exactly the opposite of light, but I say that CTI wouldn't have been so memorable without the more "human" and less bleakly driven charactors JMS develops in season 2. The acting in season 2 isn't better than season 1. It just seems so because the writing is so much better (and the special effects and makeup - we finally get to see Mollari's hair as JMS originally wanted it to look!) I am ordering this today, and suffering through the wait. Maybe, if there is a kindly diety, the moneygrubbers will decide that they want their profits early, and we will see season 3 before November 2003!
Rating:
Summary: So it begins....
Review: Season 1: Although good, only laid a foundation (my girlfriend loved it...but she has no clue yet that season 1 was the tip of the ice berg). In season 2, expect the "suspense" to come. If you have not "seen" Babylon 5. Season 2 is where you start to say "Holy batmilk Batman"... This is where you get glimpses that are so shuddering you sit there in aw wondering "could we have seen what we just saw".... This is where the plot start to thicken into a rich beef stew. ENJOY!!!
Rating:
Summary: My Goodness!
Review: What can be said that the others haven't already? It definitely fleshed out the framework of the first season, making Babylon 5 much more than just another Star Trek-wannabe. However, it should be said that this season builds on what came before, so it makes sense to watch season 1 first. I know season 1 is a bit less interesting, but you'll find yourself, midway through an episode of season 2, saying "Ah, so that's why the Minbari said that in season 1!!!" Just think - JMS had 5 *years* to build his story, so the threads duck and weave back and forth like a well-woven tapestry. Although it takes multiple viewings to see all the layers, it is definitely worth it! Now, all we need is the other three seasons, and Crusade!!
Rating:
Summary: Where it all begins to happen
Review: If you like SciFi or even just good story this series is for you. The second season is where everything begins to move on JMH's fantastic 5 year story of life on Babylon 5. A sort of intergalactic UN. The best way to view these shows is one at a time with time in between to think about what just happened. You have to pay attention every minute because if you miss something you will find it is important much later. For instance in the very first episode "The gathering" Kosh's greeting to Sinclair actually is a clue to what happens near the end of the third season in "War Without End". Watch them in order, Don't cheat! Save "In the Beginning" for the end of season four where it belongs, sit back and enjoy some of the most intelligent TV ever written!
Rating:
Summary: Stand up and cheer!!!
Review: Finally, the wait is over and hopefully the fans have won. I read various articles over the past few months that said the sales of Season 1 would determine the future of the rest of the season series going to DVD. All I can say is "YAY!!" Being a homebody and a total DVD addict, my favorite DVDs are the extended and extremely long series sets. This is one of my all time favorite series to hit DVD and when the 1st season hit the shelves, I was there...now nowing that the rest of the series will more then likely make it to disc, my nights off are going to be a lot more enjoyable. For those who have yet to see the show, come on guys...take a chance. This show has some of the best Sci/Fi writing to hit TV in years and some of the most gripping cliffhangers you will ever see. WITH NO COMMERCIALS AT CRUCIAL MOMENTS!!! If the transfers keep along with the first season, the upcoming seasons will be just as flawless in look and sound. Put that on a big screen and you will have a totally mind-blowing experience you won't soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: Shall we continue...
Review: The second season of the best tv show ever introduces us to a fantastic new character: Sheridan, who is one of my all time favorite heroes. The second season has some of the most increadibly written storys ever told: Coming of Shadows, where the war truly starts to develop, Comes the Inquisitor (one of my top three favorites ever) where we see the importance of a leader's motivations--doing the right thing for the right reason--maybe one of the most important themes to understand in today's political climate, The Long Twilite Struggle, where we see some of our favorite characters fall into very difficult positions, sorry can't elaborate, but it is very moving in hopeful and disturbing ways, and then the season finally which gives us our first view of the man behind the curtain--Kosh. The second half of season two is fast, terrifying and provokative. You will not see more intricate stroy telling or character development in any tv show before or since. Lets keep the sales up so we can get up to season 5 on DVD--Babylon 5 deserves it and so does its fans. Look around, at the reviews on this site and at the messages on its home posting board, see the way this show has educated and inspired people to do better, to be better. It's a rare thing today, and that is why it should be marvelled at. The Ancient Greeks felt that the Ilyad and the Odysse where the halmark of their civilization, if there was a story that was to equal that in our society, it would be/should be Babylon 5!
Rating:
Summary: A new season, a new direction...
Review: This is where, as they say, the plot thickens. With the advent of season 2, which begins with a significant cast-member change, stories which were hinted at in season 1 start to bear some fruit. For instance, right at the start of the season in "Points of Departure" and "Revelations", we finally find out what happened to Sinclair at the epic Battle of the Line, why the Minbari surrendered, but in true Babylon-5 tradition, the ramifications of this are left neccessarily vague until much later. The season title is 'The Coming of Shadows'. We see Londo's agonising descent into darkness as his ambition, with the aid of the mysterious Shadows, starts to become terrifying reality. Earth is in turmoil due to events at the end of the last season, and some very sinister things start to happen there. We learn what a Vorlon looks like under his encounter suit. In short, the arc moves up a couple of gears, until by the end of the season you're left gasping, desperate to see the continuation. There are some truly magnificent (never bettered) episodes in this season. The Hugo award winning "The Coming of Shadows" episode is the obvious first WHAM! episode, and stands out. With audio commentary by series creator J. Michael Straczynski this will be interesting even if you've seen it dozens of times. Other highlights include: "The Long Twilight Struggle" (with cast commentary), "The Fall of Night" (with JMS commentary), "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum", "And Now For A Word", "Comes The Inquisitor", "Acts of Sacrifice" and many more. Basically, the quality just jumps up a few notches with this season, and if you've only ever experienced Star Trek before, this season will show you just what TV SF can be and should be. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The Coming of Shadows
Review: This is the year things really started to heat up and the overall story arc of this series' five-year plan began to edge out the more stand-alone episodes. About halfway into the season, Babylon 5 becomes a true chapter-by-chapter affair. In fact, series creator, J. Michael Straczynski's saga became so continuity driven, that by the last third of this season, he went from the show's most prolific writer to its ONLY writer. This Herculean task would challenge him for the next two and a half seasons (and three B5 movie specials) without a break. Amazingly, this staggering amount of work didn't decrease the quality of writing; Just the opposite. I'd go so far as to say that jms' unbroken marathon of scripts running from late Season Two through the end of Season Four is an unmatched body of work in all of science fiction television (perhaps ANY television, period). Like Buffy and The X-Files, Babylon 5's Season Two pulled in casual viewers and Season One viewers became unmitigated addicts with no turning back. Here's a SPOILER-FREE smattering of the some of the better Season Two Babylon 5 entries (as small a list as I could bring myself to provide!): REVELATIONS: Without fanfare or preamble, one of the central mysteries of this saga is revealed and a major character will never be the same again after a certain "change". AND NOW FOR A WORD: The first (but not last) of Babylon 5's refreshing experiments in format. This episode is done entirely as a futuristic "60 Minutes" or "24 Hours" type program, which visits Space Station Babylon 5 and digs deep with hard hitting, exploitive journalism, bringing one character to tears and also illuminating the seemingly dark motivations of another. IN THE SHADOW OF ZA 'HA 'DUM: An intense episode about personal loss and sacrifice when two powerfully opposed characters square off. Bruce Boxleitner does some of his best work in this episode as John Sheridan's personal agenda puts him in conflict with his staunchest allies. DIVIDED LOYALTIES: The less revealed the here, the better. You need to see this one for yourself. A jaw dropping surprise awaits. Without spoiling here, I've noticed that whenever Star Trek does the same kind of story that B5 does in this episode, they turn it into a cheap stunt by promoting away any possible audience surprise (Spock's TNG guest appearance, for example). Here is a good example of how anything is possible on this series without warning! THE LONG TWILIGHT STRUGGLE: A massive and dramatic conclusion to a major storyline. Breathtaking effects, performances, surprises, and great tragedy capped off with tremendous performances by Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar and Peter Jurasic as Londo. COMES THE INQUISITOR: The most claustrophobic and intense episode so far, featuring one of the best guest performances by Wayne Alexander (Babylon 5's favorite utility guest player) as The Inquisitor. This atmospheric and experimental episode (almost a two-person stage play) also features a tour-de-force performance by Mira Furlan's Delenn. THE FALL OF NIGHT: A Season-ender, which does the seemingly impossible job of topping Season One's finale. The (very story-supporting) special effects pushed the state of the art at that time and still hold up magnificently today. The story itself is a pressure cooker, but the topper is a MAJOR series revelation. Saving the best for last... THE COMING OF SHADOWS: This Season's best episode (which is saying something) won the Hugo (A major award from the Science Fiction community) for Best Dramatic Presentation of the Year, beating out other entries in television AND feature films. It's easy to see why. The drama, subtlety, surprise turns, and razor sharp dialogue are positively Shakespearian. A pillar of the series as a whole. Also, here's a good model to study for any serious writer of television drama. Of course, the balance of this season has some dynamite episodes such as GROPOS, SOUL MATES, A RACE THROUGH DARK PLACES, and ACTS OF SACRIFICE. Season Two is wonderful, with even the weakest episode well worth watching. It's a solid improvement on a perfectly fine inaugural season...and year three is even better! Happy Viewing!
Rating:
Summary: More of the SciFi Television Ever
Review: I was worried that we were not going to get all 5 seasons on DVD. This is the best SciFi story ever created. I hope that future seasons will come out more quickly than every 6 months. Star Trek:TNG was releasing DVD's nearly every month. If you've never seen Babylon5, buy it. It will amaze you in the rich character development, bleeding-edge computer graphics effects and rich intelligent scripts. This is one of those landmark productions that will hope up for years to come.
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