Rating: 
Summary: The Best Of Year One
Review: Since B5 Year One is considered by many here as a mere warm-up to the rest of the series, I present the following First Season entries as essential and fantastic Babylon 5 viewing. These episodes alone make the entire first year well worth the purchasing:(Fear not: No spoilers here.) DEATHWALKER: You'll love the sheer toughness of this one. A villain beyond understanding or redemption. Sinclair and Garibaldi willing to buck the system to do what's right. Sarah Douglas' electrifying portrayal of a character that even death is too good for. N'Toth at her wrench-swingin' best. Cool FX. The great twist and turns throughout leading up to an unexpected trump card played from an unexpected quarter. Riveting throughout. MIND WAR: This was the first episode that many saw the series for what it was rather than "Well, it is doing right for what Next Gen is doing wrong." It was with this story that fans began to love B5 for ITSELF. Huge threat, huge stakes. A dynamite intro to the Psi Corps and Bester. (Giving us a new appreciation for Walter Koenig by revealing an acting ability that was NEVER properly spotlighted by Trek) A story that's awe-inspiring, imaginative, and intense. And, oh yeah...the sub plot about Katherine and Sigma 957 with G'Kar's speech capping the whole thing. "No one is what they appear to be" indeed. (And Psi Cop Kelsey is pretty darn cute too) A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS: This two-parter about the Great Machine is simply epic. Numerous factions dealing with a powerful and deadly discovery, the ticking clock, Sinclair's surprising willingness to oppose his own. The incredible FX, and two unlikely characters working together for the first time. Just delightful. AND THE SKY FULL OF STARS: If you're a sucker for War Stories, here is all that and more. A great, intriguing payoff which raises as many questions as it answers (a B5 hallmark). Christopher Neame is a delightfully over-the-top heavy, the stylized FX has emotional impact as well as a cool factor, Chris Franke's chilling and sophisticated score, and of course there's the teeniest chance that the series from this point on is all in the mind. BABYLON SQUARED: This one's an all-out rocket ride. Fully satisfying on it's own, this episode is also sequelized in a Third Season 2-parter. Here's a B5 that has it all, delivering what this series does best, action, intrigue, laughs (in the form of the could-have-been-annoying-but-was-great Zathras), high stakes, ect. CHRYSALIS: Wow! Nothing was the same after this one. The best Season-ender SF had ever seen (Until B5 topped it in both Second and then Third years!). When watching this, you can feel the rug being pulled out from everyone's feet and the show take a decidedly dark and epic turn. The surprises and emotions keep hitting one after another until the end credits. And perhaps the best Season One episode... SIGNS AND PORTENTS: This brings home the idea that a true epic tale is being told. Not merely a series with strong threads of continuity, but clearly, Babylon 5 is a capitol "S" Story. Of course, stunning FX, music, and performances by regulars and guests alike, Morden's incredibly cool, creepy introduction, the Raider battle supreme, and Ladira's chilling vision of B5's possible fate. Though, the above entries are essential viewing for the overall saga, Season One has some other very worthwhile episodes such as: BELIEVERS, LEGACIES, SOUL HUNTER, and, THE QUALITY OF MERCY. Thanks for listening.
Rating:
Summary: A review from a non-scifi fan who loves this show!
Review: I want to preface this by saying that I have never really been much of a scifi fan. Most of the scifi I have watched in my lifetime was due to having roommate after roommate who were scifi fans, and watching it because they watched it. But I must say, this show is *very* *very* different. I still do not consider myself a real sci fi fan, but I will be only too happy to own this series on dvd...it is just *that* different, and just *that* damn good. J Michael Straczynski has a very rare talent. Most television shows pretty much decide at the start of each season where the show will go that season, and plan accordingly. This was not the case with B5. JMS put lines of dialogue, hints of characters, even things that appeared to be throwaway plotlines in the first season or two. Some of these hints took a season to reach fruition, some took longer. This shows me that JMS had a 5 year plan for this show from the start. This incredible foresight allowed him to foreshadow so many things to come. That is a rare treat, because after you have seen the full series once, you can go back a second, third, fourth, etc, time and see how in the first season, someone would mention something. That something would apparently go nowhere, until....two seasons down the road, when it became central to the story. This is sheer brilliance!! A show that continues to grow after repeated viewings is, alas, too uncommon in today's television viewing. Although, perhaps that is a good thing, since it makes shows like B5 all that much more special. Another amazing strength to this show are the main cast, and especially the supporting cast. The Captain (Bruce Boxleitner from season 2-5), Claudia Christian (my personal favorite actress/character) as his smart talking, attitude fueled assistant, and Jerry Doyle as Security Chief Garabaldi are great people. THEN....the three main ambassadors, DeLenn, Londo, and G'Kar...Wow! Every show on television should have three such richly realized and incredibly portrayed characters. Any or all of them can easily carry whole episodes on their shoulders (and, thankfully, often get the chance). I can only imagine what it must have been like for JMS to write this series, knowing full well that his cast could deliver on whatever he threw at them. It was the perfect blend of writing and acting. Now, for any fans of the original Star Trek series, I need to speak of Walter Koenig. This man came into his own in this series. Whenever I see Walter anywhere these days, I always think of him as Bester, never as Chekhov.....his work on B5 will be remembered long after Star Trek (at least, in my opinion). All in all, I would definitely say this is a great series to initiate someone into sci fi. For sci fi fans, it won't get much better than this. But then, I am sure you already know that. So, for the non scifi fan who might be reading this, check this series out. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Finally...
Review: I've been waiting for this series to show up on DVD. This truely has been one of (if not the) best sci-fi series to be made fro TV. Season five was weak compared to the rest of the series, but the storyline has always been captivating. I can't wait to see it again...
Rating:
Summary: Dream Come True
Review: After years of waiting and anticipating the best epic series in television history will hit dvd. I did not initially pay attention to B5 after watching couple of episodes of the first season. It was when I watched an episode in season tree titled "Passing Through Gethsemane" that I found myself in my seat with my jaw opened in awe at the end of the episode. I then began to watch this show religiously. At B5 nights nothing could drag me away from the TV. Those whom I convinced to watch the show also agree that writing is next to none. The story is an epic and it begins to build up during first and second season. One final word, it is the only SciFi show or movie that has made my wife to shed tears. If you are tired of dull plots and constant technical jargon gives B5 a try you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Signs and Portents
Review: Babylon 5 is certainly the most complex, intriguing, exciting, and INTELLIGENTLY WRITTEN Space-based SF series in TV history. Beautiful and pioneering special effects, wickedly cool ship designs, but most importantly is the sharp, multi-dimensional writing and stellar performances by a talented cast (Especially those portraying the three key alien ambassadors). As noted by others here, Season One is (for the most part) good stuff, but the series only gets better as this saga builds from a terrific inagural season to unmatched heights by the end of its run. Since Babylon 5 is a SERIALIZED show designed to have a definite beginning, middle, and end (Uniquely structured as an EPIC NOVEL rather than a typical TV series) it's not one to watch randomly or start in the middle. When enjoyed complete and from the beginning, I'm sure you'll agree that it blows away any other SF program since the original Star Trek in '69 (even better in some ways). ...and well worth your time to watch them all. B5 (as it is affectionately known) is equal parts; The Very Best in SF Literature (Noted writer Harlan Ellison is a story consultant throughout), Hill Street Blues, and Lord of the Rings (This latter comparison is more obvious as the story unfolds). The best reason for the B5 fan to buy this DVD box set is obvious (even if you have it on tape already): It will encourage Warner Brothers (Not the smartest DVD Studio considering their universally detested cheap cardboard DVD cases and idiotic lack of WB animation releases...Looney Toons or Animaniacs anyone? Batman box set...Hello?) to release the other four seasons of this glorious show, its TV movies, and spin-off show: Crusade. They won't do it unless Season One sells a lot of copies, so spread the word, folks because we want 'em all! Two Final Warnings: 1.)...I'm pretty sure you'll be hooked like many I have turned on to the series. Hooked bad. 2.) ...Babylon 5 will make most other SF shows unwatchably dull by contrast, (Especially the post-Kirk Star Trek shows). Thanks for your time. Happy viewing! PS To other reviewers: We B5ers ask that you NOT REVEAL ANY PLOT POINTS or spoilers here! Its a lot more fun for a new viewer to watch the story unfold totally fresh.
Rating:
Summary: Best Sci-fi tv show ever !
Review: If you like Star Wars or Star Trek, please take the time to give Babylon 5 a fair shake. This show has something for everyone to relate to. My girlfriend who can't stand science fiction watched every episode and loved it. She went through a couple of boxes of kleenex too. I myself was brought to tears quite a few times. You have to at least watch the first season to get into it. After that you will be an addict. TRUST ME!
Rating:
Summary: Best sci-fi show !
Review: Yes, believe me, even if I'm a great sci-fi lover, I have to say, as well as lots of my friends who have seen the show, that it's the best sci-fi show ever produced. Characters are all interesting, the plot/intrigue is incredibly deep, special fx are good (a lot better than in trek I'd say), really there's something in this show for everyone. I cannot wait for the DVD set (if it's ever sold here in Belgium, I hope so!). Buy it, you won't regret it, even if like some peoples say it, the first season is a bit less interesting, but nevertheless necessary if you want to appreciate to its full potential this wonderful show.
Rating: 
Summary: If you don't know Babylon 5, buy this after Season 2
Review: Babylon 5 is my all-time favorite TV show, but I didn't actually get into it until midway through Season 2. The things that I really liked about it was that it was incredibly strong on plot (which, for me, is the most important aspect of a show), setting up stuff that didn't pay off until years later. The acting and dialogue, however, had its ups and downs, and it didn't really gel in some cases until the second season (in all honesty, I think the acting never *did* quite gel for a few of the B5 actors). When I first saw the first season, I didn't really get into it much, until I rewatched it after I saw later seasons. Episodes that are seemingly throw-away actually turn out to be much more interesting when watched in the context of knowing how the entire show ends up. If you never have seen it before, and don't want to wait to watch it until after the second season, I might recommend that you watch a subset of the episodes first; when I got people hooked on the show, I'd usually concentrate on showing them only the most plot-heavy first season episodes: "Midnight on the Firing Line", "Signs and Portents", "Babylon Squared", and "Chyrsalis". I'd sometimes throw in "By Any Means Necessary" too, since it's a really strong episode. After you've seen those episodes, go back and watch the rest of them. You'll probably appreciate the disc more.
Rating:
Summary: The best TV show, Sci-Fi or otherwise
Review: It was so much better than anything else that its concept was 'borrowed' to create Deep Space Nine, the best of all of the Star Trek series. It also created the multi-vector attack mode now seen on Voyager.
Rating:
Summary: Babylon 5: The SciFi series of thinking people
Review: I have always been somewhat of a fan of several of the Star Trek flavors, particularly TNG, but Babylon 5 was something else entirely. Have you ever read a book or seen a movie that was so good that you felt depressed when it was over--one so good that it became a part of you, altering your way of thinking and raising the standards of what you consider to be "good" so much that nearly everything else pales in comparison? This is Babylon 5. While Babylon 5 had a lower budget than some other SciFi series, particularly in the first season, it is written so well that it defies explanation. I cannot compare it to anything on TV or any movie because never before has something of this quality been achieved outside of books.
At first, I didn't like many of the characters, but as the series progresses the character development is so well done that the greatest authors and writers of all time would be impressed. This is the only television series that I would have skipped work for, would have rearranged school classes for, and now would have purchased a Tivo for.
The first season gives important background information, but frankly many of the characters don't show their acting talent well, and the computer animators seem to produce graphics that look, well, like computer graphics rather than real life. Note that this was the first series to make extensive use of computer graphics, so their were in a way pioneering a new use of an existing medium, but there is still a very sharp transition between computer and human scenes.
That said, the first season is an investment in what I consider the greatest story ever told on television, and one of the best on any medium. If you are an avid SciFi fan, I would go so far as to say that your life is not complete until you have experienced Babylon 5.
I hope I don't raise expectations so high that people are dissapointed with the first season. This has happened many times with B5 in any season--people will hear about the series and will watch an episode, but unlike Star Trek in which most episodes are self-contained stories that only loosely relate to each-other, Babylon 5 is setup such that each episode is like a chapter in a good book. Like in a book, if you read, say, chapter 13 without reading 1 - 12, you are going to have no idea what is going on, who anyone is, or what anyone is talking about and will probably not like it. You need to see it from beginning to end, at least until the close of the second season.
As a side note, I have noticed that people of a lesser education tend to prefer Star Trek and those of a higher education tend to prefer Babylon 5. I am in now way saying that Star Trek fans are stupid, after all I am one myself, but I thought I would mention this factoid.
Also note that I don't really watch very much television, so it is possible (however unlikely) that a different series has exceeded Babylon 5 in quality, but I doubt it, because everything I have seen that I consider "good" is at best a distant second. If you want to see an entertaining science fiction series that raised the bar for all science fiction--a bar that has yet to be touched by anything else--watch Babylon 5.
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