"They walk near Sigma 957, and they must walk there alone." Such an amazing performance. Andreas Katsulas was one of the finest actors in this or any other science fiction.
Beautiful performance by this great actor wasn't it? " We are all lessoned by your passing Andreas. I truly hope to meet you on the other side and thanks...
_"and i am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the universe. That we have not yet explained everything."_ - These are the scenes which brought greatness into a science fiction novela.
@@Sonnabend00 My friend 2 things 1. Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe Peter Ward, and Donald E. Brownlee, 2. Google: Probability Estimate for Attaining the Necessary Characteristics for a Life Support Body Dr. Hugh Ross The Odds of finding Higher Life (more advanced than a bacteria) are 1 in 10 to the 282nd power...Against. Alas the numbers say "Ain't No One Here But Us Chickens." So The Question is (assuming these people are correct) Why is their Higher Life Here?
The writing and acting on Babylon 5 was some of the best in any sci-fi series ever. The VFX might not hold up any more, but the performances and the scripts most definitely do.
@@XernuhtZwei Unfortunately given how the entertainment industry is injecting politics into everything nowadays with the subtlety of a bull in a China shop I would not want Babylon 5 "rebooted"
I find myself minding less and less what a show looks like. The most gorgeous CGI in the world cannot cover up the fact that modern TV and movies are unwatchable dumpster fires.
The acting was so good. His change in tone when he says, "we've tried," makes me think he is remembering something, and that wasn't an empty statement.
This is what hooked me on the series for good. This scene took the discourse from grandiose philosophy to the real-world and back in the space of a few syllables.
I guess the Sigma 957 Walkers weren't interested in chatting with ants. Only when an ant had the guts to call them chicken and told them that the Vorlons claimed that in the last war, they did all the work while the Sigma 957 Walkers took all the credit did they break their silence.....
@Håkon JMS said they were mostly amused by Ivanova's request.. that and their animosity against the Vorlons made them cooperate.. it didnt costed them much at all after all..
@Håkon They weren't tricked. It's alluding to the fact that maybe the difference between the Vorlons and Shadows isn't so clear a cut difference between good and evil, and that maybe the Vorlons aren't as squeaky clean as they would like us to believe. The Walkers are peers to the Vorlons and Shadows, how many times have they seen the Vorlons be the first to break the rules they all, as peers, agreed on?
@Håkon For me, the most disappointing moment was when the shadow planet killer turned out to be... nukes. Here's a race a billion years ahead of us, nuking a planet.
One of the first inklings of just how good the writing, dialog and character development would become. This scene is really our first introduction to G'kar the Philosopher. G'kar the kind. That G'kar was not Babylon 5's "Klingon Archetype". And the late Andreas Katsulas was just so amazing in the role.
to be fair the klingon culture is pretty deep and they could have been potrayed more similar to the mimbari. its just that half the time writers decided to go the meme route.
@@marketsquareus G´kar changes so much, he is so deep and wonderful, deeply human and transcending his humanity at the same time. And maybe thats why I like Londo more. He is flawed, deeply flawed without being a bad guy, and he learns to avoid the mistakes he has done, but doesnt REALLY learn. For me, the seemingly "easy" success of G´kar gaining enlightenment is too much, in a way. Yes he suffers greatly for it, but still he has it easy, he has his book to follow, a guidance. Londo is just, lost and he tries but he doesnt really try to be a better person, he doesnt try to change, but he tries to do the right thing, and in many ways he struggles more. Londo is a tragic character, and tragedy is never forced from outside, it always comes from within. Its his choices that bring so much evil on him. He doesnt want it, repents it, but cannot control it, cannot control himself, even when he becomes the Emperor. The power, the wealth, its all fleeting, all for nothing, and in the end, all he has is himself and its not enough. But despite all the bad, horrible things he has done, he remains a lovable scoundrel, a pitiable creature, and still having that certain pride on him. A bit of Han Solo, a bit of Gollum, a sprinkle of Hitler and maybe a cup of elderly James Bond in an unlikely mix that still works.
@@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681 Not sure i would call Narn being mass driven to the stone age, subjected to slavery and genocide not to mention G'kars lost eye an "easy" road. What did Londo loose? His girlfriend but thats about it, he was appointed emperor, his dream come true. He wasnt a good guy, he murdered all those narn on ragesh 3, he was excited to hear about how Vir was "killing" all those narn, proud his boy was becoming more like him and then outraged when he found out vir didnt kill them, he saved them. Yes, Peter jurasic was brilliant in the roll but londo was evil and greedy, not really enduring traits.
Nothing quite gives you the chills like realizing that in your quest for knowledge, you're no more than an ant trying to understand that it's been picked up by a Narn on a space station a hundred trillion kilometers from Earth.
Until it becomes expedient and you find you must go there - Ivanova and Marcus recruiting the Walkers of Sigma 957 to the Army of Light (S3E5 "Voices of Authority")....
I can't remember which was the first episode I first watched, I just remember following it in ... think it was 2nd season. Was it then that the captains, John Sheridan and Jeffery Sinclair, changed from one to the other? But yes, G'kar was my favorite of all the characters, due to his philosophic nature.
The first episode I saw that I remember was when Sheridan was falling in low-g from the exploding lift car before being saved by the Vorlon, that long fall and bright light is what I remember most clearly from when my dad was watching it. For me to pick up the show a decade later when everything wasn't lost on me and I couldn't appreciate the writing way better than I would've been able to beforehand.
Well BSG had a predecessor in the 80s, before B5 was created, but I get what you're saying. I'm a heavy Star Trek and Star Wars fan, but nothing has really captured my interest and enjoyment as much as this series.
Supposedly the way they shot the series makes it impossible to update the graphics.....at least with any reasonable budget. The spaceships could be updated but the set pieces apparently can't. And if they upgraded part and not the rest it would make it pretty jarring to watch.
G'kar and Londo have the best character development that I have ever seen in the media. I started to watch this show again, and it captivates me today as it did when I have seen it on TV.
I have always loved G'Kar's analogy of the ant. "How shall he answer?". All of the unknown wonders of the universe wrapped up in a single unanswerable question.
I wonder if Aliens / Extra terrestrials existed if they view life on Earth the way most people would view Ants / bugs! Maybe the equivalent of David Attenborough might be interested in Earth of humanity or maybe they would seek to contact other lifeforms like Whales in Star Trek 4 The Voyage Home!
That man, his mastery of acting turned what probably would have turned out to be a rather mediocre character, into the most powerful and influential characters of the whole damn series. I miss him.
And I'm so happy to have met them both. More so because the convention I met Peter at, I was on line checking into the hotel, and I can't remember if someone asked me the time, or I asked the time, and suddenly realizing you're face to face with Londo fucking Mollari....apparently my eyes went 4th of July according to my friends.
@@Ragitsu The odds of there being higher life (more advanced than bacteria) is one in ten to the 282nd power...against Michael Strauss - God, Particles, and the Cosmos [Entire Talk] ruclips.net/video/NDY9lWYNZi8/видео.html 37 minute mark although the whole thing is worth your time IMO.
G'kar never ceased to amaze me. His outlook on the universe despite the incredible pain he's endured, is so deeply profound, it is humbling. But then, B5 featured so many vivid, amazing characters. Lenier. Delenn. Londo Mollari. Marcus Cole. Garibaldi. I've had the B5 complete series box set for a couple of years now. I still break out a DVD and watch 2 or 3 episodes a week, sometimes more.
This happened before the War, during the days of the brash, hot-headed, aggressive G'Kar. This scene stood out because it showed another side of G'Kar, showing everyone a glimpse of what he would eventually become.
@Steve Ross i always disliked Marcus more. First time through liked Lennier had some great moments s1-3 but the fell into cliched assistant inlove with superior and dissaproving of her real love interest role and just falls apart in s4 and 5. Low point was when he was going to let John die but John saved himself and that look between the two... great tv there.
As I recall, G'kar, while a warrior by necessity, believed in the spiritual teachings of his people. I believe that the pain he suffered was part of the reason for his outlook on the universe. There are far greater things in the universe than himself, his pain, his wins, his losses and especially the winners he lost to. The Cenatauri might strut about like alpha male peacocks, but there were 'life forces' who did not notice nor care. If he cared just as little, was he perhaps a bit closer to those 'life forces' than to the Centauri in the scheme of things?
Its one of the first times we see g'kar in a non adversarial role and it shows in a neutral enviroment he's actually quite a nice guy with a philosophical streek.
You can actually see here indications of one of the "trapdoors" that J. Michael Straczynski revealed that he built in for each major character. Straczynski knew that over the course of the five planned years the show was to run, one or more of the actors might become unavailable to continue, for any number of reasons. Sadly, that's precisely what happened (by the end of the very first season no less) with Michael O'Hare, who's growing mental health issues precluded his continuation as a series regular. This episode was setting up the role that Anna Sheridan was later to play: the love interest of the main hero, who would poke around where the Elder Races were wont to make their homes, would get captured by the Shadows, and brainwashed into being a pawn they used to lure the hero to their homeworld. When Bruce Boxleitner took over as the hero from season two on, they had no time to start establishing that all over again, so they introduced his character as a presumed widower whose wife had already been lost on an exploratory expedition.
@@HawkGTboy I will admit, I haven't summoned up the willpower to actually watch S5 yet. Got the DVD set, binged through to the end of S4, but felt I needed to take break before S5 and Crusader. 3 months later, break still ongoing...
Goddamn, Andreas could deliver these lines...and really make you FEEL it! I don't think any other actor could do his role justice...and I hope no one ever tries.
“That’s it? That’s all you know?” “Yes. They’re a mystery. And I am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the universe-that we have not yet explained everything.” As one who holds religious beliefs, and yet was enthusiastically raised on Star Trek, Star Wars, and Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos’ tv show, I have a very profound respect for G’kar’s message here. I don’t see anything in my faith in God being contradictory to the vast majority of Scientific facts and discovery. There’s a few things I don’t personally fully understand or agree with, but, this quote of G’kar’s... it’s utterly brilliant-I really wish more people could see things this way... that regardless of your personal experience or take on the world around you, there’s always some part of the picture that you cannot see or grasp, perhaps will never be capable of understanding. Despite all our accomplishments as a race, we are still merely human, merely mortal-there will forever be mysteries to unravel and wonders in the universe... and regardless of what you know or think you know, we have not yet explained everything... Shalom.
The problem starts when humans fill in the gaps of knowledge with whatever make them feel more comfortable. Right now we know that we DON'T know a lot about the universe after seeing and measuring the huge amount of components present out there, even our own species origin is a mistery that could never been solved, we are just humans still evolving, both in our techology and in our own morality. Since our species has the predatory tendency to find new ways to obliterate itself for no better reasons than the Conquerors had to kill the natives of South America back in the ages, there is not much hope for the learning curve hitting every single human being in the same level to assure that trivial wars for power, economical gain or simple hatred would be in the prehistoric past. Pity on ourselves for the technological marvels our species created in the last century, pity on our species for still embracing the middle ages hatred for other, the unknown or for simply not having enough emphaty close to heart.
@@PointReflex Though, war is a tremendous way of increasing technology and industry, there's the nice saying - "we should do in peace what we do in war". War isn't a bad thing entirely, there rarely is anything entirely bad, but normally the losers, like in all conflicts normally aren't fans. You brought it up with the South Americans, do you believe those who lost the against the Romans were happy? But it did make them stronger, a point made in the show, peace can bring stagnation, it some ways we're kind of in one now, technology is still improving to certain extent, but art, culture, music and so on have in a sense have become stale and in many ways uninspired, but some of greatest art has come from war, like Flanders Field, or the picture of St Pauls in WW2, and many more - this post wouldn't stop for quite a while. I worry that people will try so hard to remove a part of themselves in this foolish drive of a idea that's not based in reality, conflict is the bedrock of this universe, because all things are constantly in conflict, even our great sun is constantly trying to blow up, but it's equally being pulled back in, life on this planet is constantly fighting, we're constantly fighting to just survive against the perils of illness, starvation, sadness and so on, it's funny we might overcome common issues, but people without purpose may be the biggest obstacle.
G'Kar is one of my favorite characters. Love to hear him talk. Of course, they are all so good it is hard to say one is better than the other. Great cast.
"...And I am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the universe, that we have not yet explained everything..." God I love that line.
This show had such great character development. Early on i thought that G'kar was nothing else but a warrior archetype, but he proved me wrong down the stretch. Such great writing on that series.
exactly. People talk about the Fermi paradox, like if there are aliens older than us, then why don't we know. Consider, humans have made ridiculous technological progress within 100 years, progress that is accelerating, and the more we progress the more it accelerates. Just 1000 years into the future if we survive our own progress, we will be unrecognizable beings. What narcissistic mind would believe that a civilization millions of years older than us would even care about our existence at all?
annoyed707 you TDS maroons really can’t take even a day off from inserting your hate for trump, everywhere. We come to sci to escape politics. But no. No. Here you come along.
@@VoodooGMusic Not to mention how alien a civilization a thousand years behind today's would view us... I can't imagine if we live in the next thousand years we'll be incomprehensibly powerful and advanced as compared to todays.
Whever I think of Babylong5, the first characters that come to mind are G'kar and Londo. Both characters had such amazing transformative development and yet their performances were utterly believable. I hadn't known the actors prior to B6, and I was always perplexed that their roles here were'nt a launchboard for their careers.
It was precisely because of his beginnings that most did not listen to him. Remember at the start of the series, G'Kar was a manipulative, mean and devious being. That kind of behavior set the others perception of him. Only as he went through the war against the Centauri did his nobler nature become revealed.
They would have investigated Za'Ha'Dum….found out about the Shadows much quicker. The shadows would have moved before the White Star fleet was finished....and everyone would have died.
The man who played G'Kar... he will be missed. He personified G'kar of the Narn to perfection. Babylon 5 is such an underrated TV show of its time. Truly, it was ahead of its time in story continuity and story telling. If only the special effects could've matched the rest of the production on the same caliber. So many of those great actors and actresses have passed on, now. I only hope, that should a reboot be made, that, first, they not change any of the story & script (with minor variations, of course), and 2, they chose equally phenomenal actors to portray their legendary counterparts.
As much I love DS9, I love B5 more because of how they stick to their story. No retcons, no loose ends. When you first watch this episode you might think, "oh! this is those one off episodes which talks about some random mystery of universe and leave it to us to interpret it." kind of similar to that Star trek episode where Captain Kirk perfoms that Carbonide manevur to an alien ship who then turns out to be a friendly 3 foot baby looking superior race and thats the end of it. No follow ups. But in B5, they circle back to Sigma 957 in the future when Ivanova and Morden Takes the Whitestar for search of the first ones. It's just amazing that they actually closed that circle and not leave us with "God works in mysterious ways" stuff.
That was one of the beautiful things about the series as I saw it. Londo, G'Kar, a few other were not really villians. They were far more complex and interesting than that.
Many movies and TV shows are dated. The further times passes for each movie and TV series episode, those too become dated. But they are, in and of themselves, wonderful storytelling.
I don't understand the writers of The Big Bang Theory when they had Sheldon blurt out B5, "You call that dialogue?" The dialogue on B5 was always much more intelligent than on DS9 and even a many Star Trek (Whatever) episodes.
If my memory serves me correctly, this was the audience's first glimpse into the depth of the character of G'Kar. Prior to this episode, he had been presented exclusively as one-dimensional, shallow, sometimes buffoonish...and let's be candid...villainous. This was the first time we got to see that there was more to G'Kar than we ever thought.
This is my feeling about people who keep trying to explain magic tricks. A little mystery and wonder is good for the soul, sometimes it's good to know that there are still things we can't explain
I love this scene but you've edited out the "No one here is exactly what they appear to be" sections which are just as brilliant. G'kar teaches two lessons at the same time.
I miss Babylon 5 so much, I watch all the series at least twice every year but it still miss it so much. When it was first screened it set a benchmark that will never be beaten. It was and still is superb.
I agree. There are a few other series that were almost on that level: Star Trek TNG (JMS actually got a number of plot ideas from there), and also Stargate SG1. If you watch all of Star Trek TNG, then watch Babylon 5, you'll see how many ideas came from there into B5.
@@bdpiano Well to be fair Paramount and CBS stole his ideas for B5 and turned them into DS9. He pitched B5 years before DS9 was in development. They even settled out of court for an undisclosed amount as JMS was going to sue them. There is a fine line between getting ideas and stealing them to make a new show.
I didn't give B5 much of a chance when it started. It looked cool but was way too political and the only impression I got of G'Kar was his relationship with Londo. He's so much more than I gave him credit for.
I think this was the first time we saw G'kar show his intellect, and that he wasnt just there to hate on the Centauri and be aggravated. Andreas was good in Star Trek, but i feel this show really let his talent shine.
Man, I never truly knew how fantastic Star Trek was... I can't believe I never watched this with my Dad... He and I both watched Star Wars and Harry Potter, but man, I feel like he and I missed out big time...
If you check the IMDB cast list for that episode, I think you'll find that the character's name is "Catherine Sakai." She is a planetary surveyor, not a berry.
great video, but it would have had more gravity if you had included the part where g'kar orders two heavily armed narn fighters to check up on miss sakai. appreciate your efforts
I love this series so much. It can convey the sense of wonder and mystery of space far better than star wars ever did, even with lesser special/visual effect.
"They walk near Sigma 957, and they must walk there alone."
Such an amazing performance. Andreas Katsulas was one of the finest actors in this or any other science fiction.
His voice acting in Primal (PS2) was great, as well.
As was his role as a Romulan in Star Trek: TNG
Until, you know, we managed to piss off both of their oldest sibling and they had to intervene.
We are quite impressive ants, aren't we?
Loved this episode...and that monologue at the end.
It helped that his talents were given the soil and sun to bloom by a writer as gifted as J. Michael Straczynski.
Beautiful performance by this great actor wasn't it? " We are all lessoned by your passing Andreas. I truly hope to meet you on the other side and thanks...
_"and i am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the universe. That we have not yet explained everything."_ - These are the scenes which brought greatness into a science fiction novela.
I agree!
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” - Arthur C. Clarke.
@@Talrion Create?
100%
@@Sonnabend00
My friend 2 things
1. Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe
Peter Ward, and Donald E. Brownlee,
2. Google: Probability Estimate for Attaining the Necessary Characteristics for a Life Support Body Dr. Hugh Ross
The Odds of finding Higher Life (more advanced than a bacteria) are 1 in 10 to the 282nd power...Against.
Alas the numbers say "Ain't No One Here But Us Chickens." So The Question is (assuming these people are correct) Why is their Higher Life Here?
The writing and acting on Babylon 5 was some of the best in any sci-fi series ever. The VFX might not hold up any more, but the performances and the scripts most definitely do.
Wensleydale As does the directing and cinematography.
It's crazy that the CG is the only thing that doesn't hold up. The designs of the ships would look amazing if remastered to today's standards.
@@XernuhtZwei Unfortunately given how the entertainment industry is injecting politics into everything nowadays with the subtlety of a bull in a China shop I would not want Babylon 5 "rebooted"
This was re-released on HBO now. They upscaled all of the scenes.
I find myself minding less and less what a show looks like. The most gorgeous CGI in the world cannot cover up the fact that modern TV and movies are unwatchable dumpster fires.
-They understand our language, they just not willing to speak to us in it.
-Who knew they were French!
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time.
Well the Vorlons said you wouldn't be of any use anyways.
Zog!
@@BogeyTheBear Zog what? Zog yes? Zog no?
Fine, I will get the bucket.
This was our first glimpse of the character G'Kar would turn out to be.
It was the first time he dropped the mask i think. Unless Na'Toth's first episode came before this.
The acting was so good. His change in tone when he says, "we've tried," makes me think he is remembering something, and that wasn't an empty statement.
This is what hooked me on the series for good. This scene took the discourse from grandiose philosophy to the real-world and back in the space of a few syllables.
"We have as much chance of communicating with them as an ant has with us. We know, we've tried"..........Ivanova : "Hold my vodka"
Lorien: It's dangerous to go alone, take this *hands message in First One*
I guess the Sigma 957 Walkers weren't interested in chatting with ants. Only when an ant had the guts to call them chicken and told them that the Vorlons claimed that in the last war, they did all the work while the Sigma 957 Walkers took all the credit did they break their silence.....
@Håkon JMS said they were mostly amused by Ivanova's request.. that and their animosity against the Vorlons made them cooperate.. it didnt costed them much at all after all..
@Håkon They weren't tricked. It's alluding to the fact that maybe the difference between the Vorlons and Shadows isn't so clear a cut difference between good and evil, and that maybe the Vorlons aren't as squeaky clean as they would like us to believe.
The Walkers are peers to the Vorlons and Shadows, how many times have they seen the Vorlons be the first to break the rules they all, as peers, agreed on?
@Håkon For me, the most disappointing moment was when the shadow planet killer turned out to be... nukes. Here's a race a billion years ahead of us, nuking a planet.
Man, that score at the end is just perfect. Gives me goosebumps; so fitting to emphasize what G'kar just said.
It's one of the best scenes in the whole series!
Egobyte83 Me too, and kind of sad too.
One of the first inklings of just how good the writing, dialog and character development would become. This scene is really our first introduction to G'kar the Philosopher. G'kar the kind. That G'kar was not Babylon 5's "Klingon Archetype". And the late Andreas Katsulas was just so amazing in the role.
Amen to that!
my all time favorite sci fi character
to be fair the klingon culture is pretty deep and they could have been potrayed more similar to the mimbari. its just that half the time writers decided to go the meme route.
@@marketsquareus G´kar changes so much, he is so deep and wonderful, deeply human and transcending his humanity at the same time. And maybe thats why I like Londo more. He is flawed, deeply flawed without being a bad guy, and he learns to avoid the mistakes he has done, but doesnt REALLY learn. For me, the seemingly "easy" success of G´kar gaining enlightenment is too much, in a way. Yes he suffers greatly for it, but still he has it easy, he has his book to follow, a guidance.
Londo is just, lost and he tries but he doesnt really try to be a better person, he doesnt try to change, but he tries to do the right thing, and in many ways he struggles more. Londo is a tragic character, and tragedy is never forced from outside, it always comes from within. Its his choices that bring so much evil on him. He doesnt want it, repents it, but cannot control it, cannot control himself, even when he becomes the Emperor.
The power, the wealth, its all fleeting, all for nothing, and in the end, all he has is himself and its not enough. But despite all the bad, horrible things he has done, he remains a lovable scoundrel, a pitiable creature, and still having that certain pride on him. A bit of Han Solo, a bit of Gollum, a sprinkle of Hitler and maybe a cup of elderly James Bond in an unlikely mix that still works.
@@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681 Not sure i would call Narn being mass driven to the stone age, subjected to slavery and genocide not to mention G'kars lost eye an "easy" road. What did Londo loose? His girlfriend but thats about it, he was appointed emperor, his dream come true. He wasnt a good guy, he murdered all those narn on ragesh 3, he was excited to hear about how Vir was "killing" all those narn, proud his boy was becoming more like him and then outraged when he found out vir didnt kill them, he saved them.
Yes, Peter jurasic was brilliant in the roll but londo was evil and greedy, not really enduring traits.
Love how Sakai gets the shivers after talking to G'Kar. One of the MANY scenes of this show that I cherish.
Nothing quite gives you the chills like realizing that in your quest for knowledge, you're no more than an ant trying to understand that it's been picked up by a Narn on a space station a hundred trillion kilometers from Earth.
Tip of the week : When G'Kar tells you to stay away from somewhere, PAY ATTENTION !
Until it becomes expedient and you find you must go there - Ivanova and Marcus recruiting the Walkers of Sigma 957 to the Army of Light (S3E5 "Voices of Authority")....
G'kar was a Character you did not like in the beginning, but at the end you was rooting for him and waiting on him to share his knowledge.
This little speech of his to Catherine was when I first decided G'kar was my favorite character. Luckily he kept it up through the whole series
Actually, that was the first episode of B5 I ever saw. It hooked me on the series. Gkar's philosophic way captivated me!
I can't remember which was the first episode I first watched, I just remember following it in ... think it was 2nd season. Was it then that the captains, John Sheridan and Jeffery Sinclair, changed from one to the other? But yes, G'kar was my favorite of all the characters, due to his philosophic nature.
This episode did it for me. My old boss introduced me to this series with a boxed set, back in 99 or 00. Such a great show.
@@bdpiano Good job you didn't tune in and have TKO as your first B5 experience!
The first episode I saw that I remember was when Sheridan was falling in low-g from the exploding lift car before being saved by the Vorlon, that long fall and bright light is what I remember most clearly from when my dad was watching it. For me to pick up the show a decade later when everything wasn't lost on me and I couldn't appreciate the writing way better than I would've been able to beforehand.
The effects might seem dated, but Babylon 5 would set the standard. Without it, no BSG, no Expanse... It was and remains one of the best.
Well BSG had a predecessor in the 80s, before B5 was created, but I get what you're saying. I'm a heavy Star Trek and Star Wars fan, but nothing has really captured my interest and enjoyment as much as this series.
B5 was definitely way ahead of its time.
Need to rerelease with updated graphics I would buy
Supposedly the way they shot the series makes it impossible to update the graphics.....at least with any reasonable budget. The spaceships could be updated but the set pieces apparently can't. And if they upgraded part and not the rest it would make it pretty jarring to watch.
BSG has a namesake in the 80s, but not a stylistic predecessor.
G'kar and Londo have the best character development that I have ever seen in the media. I started to watch this show again, and it captivates me today as it did when I have seen it on TV.
no one drops the mic like G'Kar in this show,
I have always loved G'Kar's analogy of the ant. "How shall he answer?". All of the unknown wonders of the universe wrapped up in a single unanswerable question.
I wonder if Aliens / Extra terrestrials existed if they view life on Earth the way most people would view Ants / bugs! Maybe the equivalent of David Attenborough might be interested in Earth of humanity or maybe they would seek to contact other lifeforms like Whales in Star Trek 4 The Voyage Home!
That man, his mastery of acting turned what probably would have turned out to be a rather mediocre character, into the most powerful and influential characters of the whole damn series. I miss him.
As do I.
Indeed, acting was terrific
But…but he killed Richard Kimble’s wife!
Such a great show. I miss its magic. The main actors were rock solid. Andreas and Jurasik almost singlehandedly carried the show on their shoulders. F
And I'm so happy to have met them both. More so because the convention I met Peter at, I was on line checking into the hotel, and I can't remember if someone asked me the time, or I asked the time, and suddenly realizing you're face to face with Londo fucking Mollari....apparently my eyes went 4th of July according to my friends.
The Music was so captivating in this series! What an absolute bonus to the amazing characters!
The music, the characters, the storys, the effects, were all incredible!
Christopher Franke of Tangerine Dream scored B5. Still sends shivers down my spine!
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” - Arthur C. Clarke.
#Ragitsu
The numbers say We're alone.
@@stevenwiederholt7000 I doubt that we are the only life in the universe.
@@Ragitsu
The odds of there being higher life (more advanced than bacteria) is one in ten to the 282nd power...against
Michael Strauss - God, Particles, and the Cosmos [Entire Talk]
ruclips.net/video/NDY9lWYNZi8/видео.html
37 minute mark although the whole thing is worth your time IMO.
@@stevenwiederholt7000 absolute rubbish. The numbers themselves say that we are NOT alone.
@@9753flyer
Please Cite Source.
God that show was the best! Great writers, great actors, great music, great sfx!
I agree! Have you checked out Stargate SG-1? Also very good.
G'kar never ceased to amaze me. His outlook on the universe despite the incredible pain he's endured, is so deeply profound, it is humbling.
But then, B5 featured so many vivid, amazing characters. Lenier. Delenn. Londo Mollari. Marcus Cole. Garibaldi.
I've had the B5 complete series box set for a couple of years now. I still break out a DVD and watch 2 or 3 episodes a week, sometimes more.
Having a sort of antagonistic arc that never really felt like it got resolved didn't help.
This happened before the War, during the days of the brash, hot-headed, aggressive G'Kar. This scene stood out because it showed another side of G'Kar, showing everyone a glimpse of what he would eventually become.
@Steve Ross i always disliked Marcus more. First time through liked Lennier had some great moments s1-3 but the fell into cliched assistant inlove with superior and dissaproving of her real love interest role and just falls apart in s4 and 5. Low point was when he was going to let John die but John saved himself and that look between the two... great tv there.
As I recall, G'kar, while a warrior by necessity, believed in the spiritual teachings of his people. I believe that the pain he suffered was part of the reason for his outlook on the universe. There are far greater things in the universe than himself, his pain, his wins, his losses and especially the winners he lost to. The Cenatauri might strut about like alpha male peacocks, but there were 'life forces' who did not notice nor care. If he cared just as little, was he perhaps a bit closer to those 'life forces' than to the Centauri in the scheme of things?
Me too I all ways end up watching them all although I struggle with season 5
One of the Best Scfi series ever created.
We are in agreement with your statement. (Kosh voice)
Not one of. . . But the best!
undoubtedly
Some of the best writing ever to be on TV. The whole dynamic between G'kar and Londo is truly awesome.
Its one of the first times we see g'kar in a non adversarial role and it shows in a neutral enviroment he's actually quite a nice guy with a philosophical streek.
You can actually see here indications of one of the "trapdoors" that J. Michael Straczynski revealed that he built in for each major character. Straczynski knew that over the course of the five planned years the show was to run, one or more of the actors might become unavailable to continue, for any number of reasons. Sadly, that's precisely what happened (by the end of the very first season no less) with Michael O'Hare, who's growing mental health issues precluded his continuation as a series regular. This episode was setting up the role that Anna Sheridan was later to play: the love interest of the main hero, who would poke around where the Elder Races were wont to make their homes, would get captured by the Shadows, and brainwashed into being a pawn they used to lure the hero to their homeworld. When Bruce Boxleitner took over as the hero from season two on, they had no time to start establishing that all over again, so they introduced his character as a presumed widower whose wife had already been lost on an exploratory expedition.
And showed up later reprogrammed by those 'Dhummies.
It’s amazing how JMS had the whole thing mapped out from the beginning. I wish he had been able to stretch seasons 1-4 into 5 or even 6 seasons.
@@HawkGTboy he did get 5 seasons, just he had planned for 5 seasons, got cancelled after season 4, then unexpectedly picked back up for season 5.
@@MandoWookie I know. But S5 was so bad that I pretend it never happened.
@@HawkGTboy I will admit, I haven't summoned up the willpower to actually watch S5 yet. Got the DVD set, binged through to the end of S4, but felt I needed to take break before S5 and Crusader. 3 months later, break still ongoing...
The beginning of G'kar's metamorphosis from warrior to priest.
"They must walk there, alone" Best explanation ever of "Don't know what it is and not going to ask"
The amount of wisdom the characters in this series share... this isnt just a scifi story to me, but a spiritual one.
Goddamn, Andreas could deliver these lines...and really make you FEEL it! I don't think any other actor could do his role justice...and I hope no one ever tries.
This program was amazing, the storylines, acting and characters were some of the best, I'm glad it's available for free on freevee in it's entirely
One of the best episodes, and one of the best scenes every made.
“That’s it? That’s all you know?”
“Yes. They’re a mystery. And I am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the universe-that we have not yet explained everything.”
As one who holds religious beliefs, and yet was enthusiastically raised on Star Trek, Star Wars, and Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos’ tv show, I have a very profound respect for G’kar’s message here.
I don’t see anything in my faith in God being contradictory to the vast majority of Scientific facts and discovery. There’s a few things I don’t personally fully understand or agree with, but, this quote of G’kar’s... it’s utterly brilliant-I really wish more people could see things this way... that regardless of your personal experience or take on the world around you, there’s always some part of the picture that you cannot see or grasp, perhaps will never be capable of understanding. Despite all our accomplishments as a race, we are still merely human, merely mortal-there will forever be mysteries to unravel and wonders in the universe... and regardless of what you know or think you know, we have not yet explained everything...
Shalom.
The problem starts when humans fill in the gaps of knowledge with whatever make them feel more comfortable. Right now we know that we DON'T know a lot about the universe after seeing and measuring the huge amount of components present out there, even our own species origin is a mistery that could never been solved, we are just humans still evolving, both in our techology and in our own morality. Since our species has the predatory tendency to find new ways to obliterate itself for no better reasons than the Conquerors had to kill the natives of South America back in the ages, there is not much hope for the learning curve hitting every single human being in the same level to assure that trivial wars for power, economical gain or simple hatred would be in the prehistoric past.
Pity on ourselves for the technological marvels our species created in the last century, pity on our species for still embracing the middle ages hatred for other, the unknown or for simply not having enough emphaty close to heart.
@@PointReflex Though, war is a tremendous way of increasing technology and industry, there's the nice saying - "we should do in peace what we do in war".
War isn't a bad thing entirely, there rarely is anything entirely bad, but normally the losers, like in all conflicts normally aren't fans. You brought it up with the South Americans, do you believe those who lost the against the Romans were happy? But it did make them stronger, a point made in the show, peace can bring stagnation, it some ways we're kind of in one now, technology is still improving to certain extent, but art, culture, music and so on have in a sense have become stale and in many ways uninspired, but some of greatest art has come from war, like Flanders Field, or the picture of St Pauls in WW2, and many more - this post wouldn't stop for quite a while.
I worry that people will try so hard to remove a part of themselves in this foolish drive of a idea that's not based in reality, conflict is the bedrock of this universe, because all things are constantly in conflict, even our great sun is constantly trying to blow up, but it's equally being pulled back in, life on this planet is constantly fighting, we're constantly fighting to just survive against the perils of illness, starvation, sadness and so on, it's funny we might overcome common issues, but people without purpose may be the biggest obstacle.
And get so bogged in with legalities and mumbo jumbo we miss or dismiss what was the message of loving others as yourself or the like.
I miss this show and that man.
G'Kar is one of my favorite characters. Love to hear him talk. Of course, they are all so good it is hard to say one is better than the other. Great cast.
One of my favorite parts of the series, and probably the point where I realized that G'kar was a lot more than just some bloodthirsty schemer.
I agree!
Andy Kats monologues were always the best. RIP
I remember this episode and that scene in particular. It was touching, terrifying and profound all at the same time. It predicted things to come.
That final scene was one of the best in the series.
"...And I am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the universe, that we have not yet explained everything..."
God I love that line.
This show had such great character development. Early on i thought that G'kar was nothing else but a warrior archetype, but he proved me wrong down the stretch. Such great writing on that series.
A very wise lesson as we as a species reach out into the stars looking for others. Sometimes they might not even care that we are there.
Too late. They've already got you-know-who's tweets.
exactly. People talk about the Fermi paradox, like if there are aliens older than us, then why don't we know.
Consider, humans have made ridiculous technological progress within 100 years, progress that is accelerating, and the more we progress the more it accelerates.
Just 1000 years into the future if we survive our own progress, we will be unrecognizable beings.
What narcissistic mind would believe that a civilization millions of years older than us would even care about our existence at all?
annoyed707 you TDS maroons really can’t take even a day off from inserting your hate for trump, everywhere. We come to sci to escape politics. But no. No. Here you come along.
Maybe we've already been intercepting their communications but we lack the intelligence to understand any of it.
@@VoodooGMusic Not to mention how alien a civilization a thousand years behind today's would view us... I can't imagine if we live in the next thousand years we'll be incomprehensibly powerful and advanced as compared to todays.
Whever I think of Babylong5, the first characters that come to mind are G'kar and Londo. Both characters had such amazing transformative development and yet their performances were utterly believable. I hadn't known the actors prior to B6, and I was always perplexed that their roles here were'nt a launchboard for their careers.
I get impression that both have foundation in Stage acting which requires more nuances performance.
Seriously, if anyone had listened to *G’Kar* from the beginning...
It was precisely because of his beginnings that most did not listen to him. Remember at the start of the series, G'Kar was a manipulative, mean and devious being. That kind of behavior set the others perception of him. Only as he went through the war against the Centauri did his nobler nature become revealed.
They would have investigated Za'Ha'Dum….found out about the Shadows much quicker. The shadows would have moved before the White Star fleet was finished....and everyone would have died.
G'Kar was the Cassandra of Babylon 5.
It's sad that so many of the great performers from this show have passed away.
I agree
G'kar was pretty much the wisest person in this show.
Such a well written and acted character.
Unexplainable and yet entirely justified goosebumps! Thank you, Katsulas. Thank you.
This show is scifi platinum. Jkar is one of the best characters in all of the genre.
The man who played G'Kar... he will be missed. He personified G'kar of the Narn to perfection. Babylon 5 is such an underrated TV show of its time. Truly, it was ahead of its time in story continuity and story telling. If only the special effects could've matched the rest of the production on the same caliber. So many of those great actors and actresses have passed on, now. I only hope, that should a reboot be made, that, first, they not change any of the story & script (with minor variations, of course), and 2, they chose equally phenomenal actors to portray their legendary counterparts.
One of the first episodes where I really started to appreciate G'Kar
J’Kar had some of the best line and monologues in the whole series
As much I love DS9, I love B5 more because of how they stick to their story. No retcons, no loose ends. When you first watch this episode you might think, "oh! this is those one off episodes which talks about some random mystery of universe and leave it to us to interpret it." kind of similar to that Star trek episode where Captain Kirk perfoms that Carbonide manevur to an alien ship who then turns out to be a friendly 3 foot baby looking superior race and thats the end of it. No follow ups. But in B5, they circle back to Sigma 957 in the future when Ivanova and Morden Takes the Whitestar for search of the first ones. It's just amazing that they actually closed that circle and not leave us with "God works in mysterious ways" stuff.
I remember that this was the 1st scene that I saw G'Kar as being something more than the villian sterotype they had given him previously.
That was one of the beautiful things about the series as I saw it. Londo, G'Kar, a few other were not really villians. They were far more complex and interesting than that.
God I loved, and miss this series. It was absolutely wonderful, and fun. Now many who played on it are no longer with us, and we are lesser for that!
This was absolutely the best science fiction series ever done.
Many movies and TV shows are dated. The further times passes for each movie and TV series episode, those too become dated. But they are, in and of themselves, wonderful storytelling.
There was so much more to B5 then star trek
Yes, B5 > DS9
I don't understand the writers of The Big Bang Theory when they had Sheldon blurt out B5, "You call that dialogue?" The dialogue on B5 was always much more intelligent than on DS9 and even a many Star Trek (Whatever) episodes.
@@Eyes-of-Horus I have a feeling, but am not certain, that that issue is something between BBT producers/writers and J. Michael Straczynski
We still needed a Star Trek to give us Babylon 5....Its influence can not be ignored.
@@Teardehawkee Gene Rodenberry's influence can still be felt today
The 'evolution' or 'character arc' of G'Kar was one of the best in a great show.
One of the best scenes in LIFE.
If my memory serves me correctly, this was the audience's first glimpse into the depth of the character of G'Kar. Prior to this episode, he had been presented exclusively as one-dimensional, shallow, sometimes buffoonish...and let's be candid...villainous. This was the first time we got to see that there was more to G'Kar than we ever thought.
This is my feeling about people who keep trying to explain magic tricks. A little mystery and wonder is good for the soul, sometimes it's good to know that there are still things we can't explain
"We are movers and shakers, dreamers and makers." ;)
One of the Most amazing Actors in any Sci fi series,i dont believe anyone could take The Role of G'kar better.
I agree!
Beautiful writing, acting and music. Babylon 5 always made me kind of sad as well as enjoying the episodes.
One of my favorite moments of the whole series.
Great writing... AND great acting in the delivery of those words to maximize their impact.
A one minute scene better than any scene star wars or star trek has ever had.
I love this scene but you've edited out the "No one here is exactly what they appear to be" sections which are just as brilliant.
G'kar teaches two lessons at the same time.
I mean why not?
G kars
Words still hold strong even to this day
Absolutely. Have you ever read his Declaration of Principles?
I miss Babylon 5 so much, I watch all the series at least twice every year but it still miss it so much. When it was first screened it set a benchmark that will never be beaten. It was and still is superb.
I agree. There are a few other series that were almost on that level: Star Trek TNG (JMS actually got a number of plot ideas from there), and also Stargate SG1. If you watch all of Star Trek TNG, then watch Babylon 5, you'll see how many ideas came from there into B5.
@@bdpiano Well to be fair Paramount and CBS stole his ideas for B5 and turned them into DS9. He pitched B5 years before DS9 was in development. They even settled out of court for an undisclosed amount as JMS was going to sue them. There is a fine line between getting ideas and stealing them to make a new show.
I didn't give B5 much of a chance when it started. It looked cool but was way too political and the only impression I got of G'Kar was his relationship with Londo. He's so much more than I gave him credit for.
I think this was the first time we saw G'kar show his intellect, and that he wasnt just there to hate on the Centauri and be aggravated.
Andreas was good in Star Trek, but i feel this show really let his talent shine.
God I miss this level of writing in modern sci-fi...
The depth of this story... fantastic.
Man, I never truly knew how fantastic Star Trek was... I can't believe I never watched this with my Dad... He and I both watched Star Wars and Harry Potter, but man, I feel like he and I missed out big time...
Such a great actor!
Our first glimpse into the incredible character that G'kar would become.
This was/is a really good show. I do miss it.
Awesome! G'Kar was, is, one of the Wisest of the Ambassadors..
This was the first sign that G'Kar wasn't the person we thought he was.
That voice, though.. Beautiful, powerful.. enchanting.
How i miss Andreas Katsulas..
"Strange things happen there... Holst starts playing for no reason..."
I so loved this show
This is the one scene that stuck with the most since watching it as a kid.
This was the 1st episode of B5 I saw. That one scene hooked me!
If you check the IMDB cast list for that episode, I think you'll find that the character's name is "Catherine Sakai." She is a planetary surveyor, not a berry.
One of my favorites, incredible episode!
G'Kar's preceding quote was also great, pretty much emblematic of the entire series: "No one here is exactly what they appear!"
this is a glimpse of G'kar's future greatness
I knew I saw that actress before, she's Rambo's only ever love interest in 1985's Rambo First Blood part 2. About 10 years even before Babylon 5.
Knew I'd seen her before.
great video, but it would have had more gravity if you had included the part where g'kar orders two heavily armed narn fighters to check up on miss sakai.
appreciate your efforts
Or the part where he explains to her why he sent them.
I guess Ivanova was a particularly bothersome ant that they weren't able to ignore.
Steve Rogers ZOG
A fire ant. Who can ignore them?
Or the first ones weren't what they seemed.
She was able to appeal to their pettiness by bringing up the loud neighbor they hated.
What? Zog yes? Zog no? What about them Vorlons?
Hi First Ones thanks for not stepping on me.
G'Kar has a lot wisdom in him when he teaches people lessons they need to learn
I agree!
B5 is a great Sci fi show. Gave a new view on the genre.
Gkar and Londo what an epic story line.
What was it "i cannot forget but i can forgive"
fucking epic
G'kar was a brilliant character
B5's theme kicking in the right moment. Great ost, great performance. THIS is SCIFI done right.
I liked this show, so many great characters, being acted out in front of our eyes.
I love this series so much. It can convey the sense of wonder and mystery of space far better than star wars ever did, even with lesser special/visual effect.