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Top 10 Babylon 5 Episodes
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- Опубликовано: 13 авг 2024
- I've looked at the best of Star Trek, so now lets delve deeper into Babylon 5. These are the Top 10 Babylon 5 Episodes...ish.
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There is only one human captain who has defeated a Minbari Ship. He is behind me. You are in front of me.
If you value your lives, be somewhere else!
Damn ninja onion slicers!
"Be somewhere else" not leave now, not get the hell out but simply 'be' somewhere else like your mere existence in this place at this time is too much and you cannot exist in a different place fast enough.
That was, "Only one human captain has survived combat with a Minbari ship."
Be. Somewhere. Else.
for me my fav is londos speech in the movie (in the beginning) and that brilliant soundtrack in the background. :)
The humans, I think, knew they were doomed. Where another race would surrender to despair, the humans fought back with greater strength. They made the Minbari fight for every inch of space. In my life, I have never seen anything like it; They would weep, they would pray, they would say goodbye to their loved ones, and then throw themselves without fear or hesitation at the very face of death itself, never surrendering. No one who saw them fighting against the inevitable could help but be moved to tears by their courage. Their stubborn nobility. When they ran out of ships, they used guns, when they ran out guns they used knives and sticks and bare hands. They were magnificent. I only hope that when it is my time, I may die with half as much dignity as I saw in their eyes in the end. They did this for two years they never ran out of courage but in the end, they ran out of time.
Londo. One of the greatest, if not the greatest, casting of a sci-fi character. With G'Kar a very close second. Peter Jurasik and Andress Katsulas. Just perfect.
Separate they where beyond exceptional and what they did as actors to elevate those character set the standard high.But does two together where just pure bliss. The acting the monologues and the depth from Enemies to friends,beginning to death.(They are the greatest) for me anyways. best thing straczynski did was to give them the character and let them make it there own smart man.
Only 22 likes after 2 years? let me amend that at once.
Such a fantastic monologue, but I must say the President's speech that follows is one of those moments that still puts a lump in my throat.
"One last battle, to hold the line against the night."
One of the best lines for me was a blink-and-you-miss-it line in Day Of The Dead, when the dead Morden appears in Lennier’s quarters. Lennier says something along the lines of “At least your presence here proves that there is an afterlife.”
And Morden replies “Not necessarily. But you’ll find out soon enough.”
Draal to Ivanova "You're trouble. I like you". Ivanova to Draal "That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me."
>"They are alone. They are a dying people. We should let them pass."
>"Who? The Narn or the Centauri?"
>"Yes."
And from that moment i knew i was hooked. Babylon 5 is an absolutely superb piece of media, for me, personally, outshining every other sci-fi story to date, shot or written.
'The Avalanche has already started, it is too late for the Pebbles to Vote'
'You do not understand, but you will....'
I always liked the Koshism: The avalanche has already started; it is too late for the pebbles to vote.
That, and Ivanova’s speech at the end of thr first episode:
Ivanova:
Talia:
Ivanova: I very much doubt it.
No trite la-de-da ending. Just the messiness of human relations and the grittiness that made B5 the best sf ever.
My mom hated me after that. "Do you want Pizza or Pasta?" - "Yes"
I love how G'kar later mirrors that statement to some extent:
[The Centauri] Are a lost people! They ought to be pitied! They are already on a course for self-destruction! They do not need help from us. We need to redress our wounds, help our people, rebuild our cities!
I loved Babylon 5. Til this day, my favorite quote is "The Avalanche has already started. It's too late for the pebbles to vote." - Kosh
"Anatomically impossible Mr. Garibaldi, but you're welcome to try"
Can you imagine just having a few Friday-evening beers & chillin' with Kosh in the local (whatever that was)? "Imbibing ethyl alcohol is a 3-edged sword"? Hell yeah - AND SO IT BEGINS...... Great Maker!
i love that! better now then then!
I absolutely love love love Babylon 5; the richest and most powerful story I experienced during my formative years. The saddest thing for me is just how many of the great actors from the series have passed away before their time. Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar), Michael O'Hare (Sinclair), Richard Biggs (Dr Franklin), Jeff Conaway (Zack Allen), Stephen Furst (Vir), Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi).
I did not know Jerry Doyle was dead. I met him once at a con when the show was still in production. Must have been 1994. He was very nice, and not the least bit full of himself.
Tim Choate (Zathras) also.
@EmceeDoctorB How is that ironic? Garibaldi wasn't an alcoholic.
@EmceeDoctorB OK, it's been a long time since I have watched the series, but I seem to have missed that entirely. Do you mean he had an ongoing drinking problem while he was head of security on B-5, or was he a recovering alcoholic and the booze was what had wrecked his career before? I have some vague memory of him being drunk, one time.
@EmceeDoctorB OK, I had forgotten that. I need to get out my discs and binge watch.
I freaking love this show, my favorite episode is "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place" where Lord Refa gets killed by the Narns over the choir members. Deff not the best episode but I personally loved that and seeing Refa get his just deserts was epic.... and now I'm going to have to watch the entire series again. At least it will hold me over till Game of Thrones
Agreed. Definitely in my top five favorite episodes.
Oh yes, definitely. With the Violin Concert in the background it was chilling.
Loved the cryptic clue at the end credits. “Z Minus Ten Days.”
„and the rock cried out, no hiding place“ is one of my favourites!
Always 😊
Fantastic list, but my ultimate favorite is missing. "A Late Delivery from Avalon" is a heart wrenching tale of a former serviceman suffering from PTSD. Written well before the attention actual servicemen and women need for mental health, this episode lays raw and bare the soul crushing despair one man feels for firing the first shots that nearly ended mankind, compounded by being a survivor of the Battle of the Line.
Micheal York's portrayal of David McIntyre was haunting and beautiful. So deep was McIntyre's anguish that his mind dove toward the one person he felt was the humanity had to offer: King Arthur. And "Arthur's" interaction with G'Kar is an Oscar level stuff. No more spoilers here for those who haven't seen it. This episode is an incredible story of tragedy, loss, forgiveness and redemption.
If you have a heart at all, keep a hankie nearby. You'll need it.
I'm not sure I agree but they made a satisfying thump when they hit the floor
A VERY agreeable thump.
G'Kar's lizard scowl was epic.
Or the fact that David mcIntytre blamed himself for starting the earth minbari war.
No thanks. I watch B5 to be transported to a different world, not to be reminded of the crappy world we live in.
No love for Passing Through Gethsemane? That one might have been pretty self-contained with no real consequences for the story arc as a whole, but it was just so utterly sad and heartbreaking and somehow uplifting at the same time. Plus it showed in its final moments the difference between knowing on an intellectual level that you should forgive and how difficult it actually is on an emotional level to forgive.
I also love this episode.
Yeah that and Confessions and Lamentations are my two favorite non-arc episodes, and rate right up there with any of the arc episodes that the content creator here mentions.
Where do you start with season 3? Every episode is gold! Picking ten is impossible :D
Yes. Brother Theo giving Brother Edward the last rights as he dies in his arms gets me every time; a perfect Pieta. The compassion in Theo's voice is just incredible. One of the most powerful scenes in the series, in my opinion.
True, but in my humble opinion the image of "forgiveness" at the end of the episode is so much, much more impressive.
You have a good list but one of my all time favorites (and I see others mentioned as well) is “Comes the Inquisitor)
“You have the audacity to believe you’re on a mission from God...here, now we will find out, once and for all”
"Interludes and Examinations" where Kosh died had me on the edge of my seat the first time I saw it... so sad that it didn't make this list.
Major Ryan: "Hiroshi! Get out of there! Get to the lifepods."
Hiroshi: "Too late to get out! Our primary systems are hit. We've got fire on all decks now. There's nothing we can do now except..."
Major Ed Ryan: "Hiroshi? HIROSHI!"
That moment still gives me goosebumps to this day. Babylon 5 excelled at adding emotional depth to it's battles in a way that few other shows have even come close to managing.
"Get us closer to the enemy!"
"How close?"
"Right down their throats."
Epic moment!
My Gf and I watched it last night, my absolute favorite episode. “Goodbye dad”.... It’s like “remember today little brother” from Two Towers and always hits me in the gut.
It was ironic that a Japanese Captain was forced into a kamikaze charge. And it’s unfortunate that Sheridan got the surviving ship’s name wrong in the subsequent two scenes.
Bruce McGill was great in the role of Ed Ryan, but then, he's great in everything. Funny thing is JMS hired him by accident. He was thinking of another actor with a similar name. A happy accident.
Cheating no you did what was necessary B5 is all about arc's not episodes.
DR H lupercal
I agree. Most of the worst episodes were the stand alone ones. Most of the best were 2-3 parters.
You are right. The whole is a lot more than a single episode. However, the episode when Babylon 4 reappeared was a real big one.
@@Phatman2167 There are no 2-3 parters in B5. Watch the show!
@@meryatathagres1998 The Epsilon III story arc from season 1, "the war without end I + II" from season 3. Those are true two-parters.
@@michaelguth4007 I was trying to convey the point that B5 has a continuing story. Factually you are right.
When this was first airing in the 1990s, I tried to get people to watch it. I remember assuring them that it was the most Tolkienesque thing I had seen on TV (in light of its depth of history and the tragic operatic marks it hit). But more than, I recall trying to explain to people that it had long arcs and a five year story, which at that time was something entirely new and few (if any) series were even dabbling in. By 2000, several well-loved series had adopted the idea of single-season arc. And the influences go on. I'm often watching something and thinking "they borrowed that from B5."
Babylon 5 is simply the best of all Shi-Fi and better than almost all of the rest.
The Long Twilight Struggle has one of the most accurate space battles ever: energy weapons travel at the speed of light, so you only need a second to hit a target that's 300,000 km away and, of course, out of visible range. I just ADORE that!
What got me hooked in Season 1 was the first appearance of a Shadow ship.
I am a long time speculative fiction fan and my first impulse when seeing a ship of a new race is, "Cool. I wonder what they're like?"
Not with The Shadows. My first thought then was, "I only want one thing from these people; away. Far, far away."
You ever play Mass Effect? Wait till you see a Reaper.
Pretty much the same for me. That and "A Sky Full of Stars" really hooked me on the show all those years ago.
I've seen Mass Effect and the Reaper's are impressive, no question there, but...
*sigh*
you simply can't beat the build-up of the Shadows. The telepathic scream when their ships fly by, their firepower (guess who had the beam that cuts through ships first) and finally when you learn that it uses a sentient being as it's central computer system. And that's before their planet killer shows up, which is a terror by itself.
*brrrr*
And the fact that Vorlon's planet killer was the first one was amazing. At that moment so many little things start make sense.
I can still remember that moment the shadow ship appeared for the first time. Up 'til then the show was pretty standard (because I missed some of the cues), but that moment was like "What the FUCK?!?" and from that moment on I never missed an episode.
Delenn riding in with the cavalry still makes me giddy!
"If you value your lives... Be somewhere else!"
@@KrK007 But you have to use the full quote for extra chills: "Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else.
@@deanbarton1583 Since I am currently watching season 1, one single (but Insignificant) error comes my mind on this scene: Sheridan wasn't the only one to survive a battle with a Minbari fleet, Sinclair also survived a battle.
@@guntere1004True (and so did a lot of other pilors etc).
But Sinclair was never promoted to captain, only Commander, so it is still correct :-)
@@srenkoch6127 Ok I have to admit, I didn't consider that.
Michael O’Hare as Jeffrey Sinclair became a great character in the first season. He started out as an average man placed in an extraordinary position and grew into a just and moral leader. I was very disappointed when they replaced him with Bruce Boxlietner in the second season. I thought at the time they needed a Hollywood leading man type to boost their ratings.
It was many years before we found out about Michael O’Hare’s medical struggles as the real reason for the change. I’m very glad they were able to bring back Michael in several episodes of the show. And it was wonderful to see Bruce Boxleitner’s character grow into a very important part of Babylon 5.
His problems were severe mental health issues. And he knew it.
i actually stopped watching for a season when Bruce Boxleitner came on. wasn't a fan. that changed.
@@frankconley6321 There exists a youtube vid where JMS explains that now Michael O'Hare's family had given permission, he could set the record straight. It's worth searching out.
Sinclair was definitely a better diplomat, the best fit for Babylon 5. In the beginning Sheridan was too brazen, but it also functioned as an interesting character flaw. Later that same attitude became an asset, when B5 broke away from Earth and in the Shadow War. I think, from the perspective of B5 in universe, they would've been best served by a year more of Sinclair and then Sheridan, for the times they lived through.
As a view from without, I found Sheridan (and the rest of B5 to be honest) far too American at times: lots of bluster and resorting to strength over wits. Luckily there were also many moments of compassion and diplomacy.
@@stevetheduck1425 I was in the room when JMS shared the story at the Phoenix ComiCon. He said "Leave me 20 minutes at the end for something I want to share". It was a shock to all, heartbreaking to those who respected Michael, doubly so for those who had less-than-positive theories about his stepping aside.
For me, "Passing through Gethsemane" was the best episode. JMS, an atheist himself, has never seemed to look down on believers. This episode, brought in a truly likable bunch of characters. Brad Dourif gives an amazing performance. I loved everything about this episode.
i especially love the end. Amazing how many religions there are and all are welcome!
Brad Dourif plays essentially the same character on Star Trek Voyager - Crewman Lon Suder. He murders, gets redemption, sacrifices himself.
@@brianray8484 his time on voyager is many years after B5
The true religion of life is compassion and tolerance. And that is what JMS plays up in every religious episode.
One of the many things I love about this series is that religion permeates the show, from individuals' Faith's to the overarching themes of godlike beings and good/evil . I'm an atheist myself but I've always felt religion has much to offer and will never go away, despite all the bad that can come from it.
Z'ha'dum, for me, was the best episode of Babylon 5. I genuinely couldn't speak for minutes after i saw it for the first time on Channel 4 in the Uk in 1996. I was in complete shock. Delenn watching Sheridans message while he is in an unimaginable situation with the Shadows still to this day makes me tear up. Oh and Christopher Frankes' score to this episode is outstanding, his 8 minute cue 'into the abyss' gives me goosebumps towards the climax.
I am soooo with you on that one.
Realising that was 22 Years ago, damn I feel old.
If you go to Z'Ha'Dum, you will die!
I echo this 100%. I remember watching it live back in 1996, legit thinking that they killed off Sheridan. Just an unbelievably emotional, yet beautiful episode.
Same here mate!!
Londo's story arch brings ne to tears each time I see it. I personally believe his monologue from "In the Beginning" about the Earth-Minbari war is one of the finest in the series.
The music in that monologue is amazing, creates the perfect tone for the visuals and monologue. It might be my favourite B5 moment.
Londo was President Hindenburg of Germany during and after WWI. They were the Prussians/Germans of the pre Hitler years, for writing inspiration. The speech given from the balcony before his destroyed world was lifted from the end of WWI. The evil parasite on his neck was Hitler and the National German Socialist Workers faction making demands and offering dire consequences.
@@STho205 Oh piss off
If you value your lives, BE SOMEWHERE ELSE!This still sends shivers down my spine...even after all those years
There are so many quotable lines from the show its unreal.
"Actually .... Now that you mention it."
'Dust to Dust' the moment when Gk'ar goes all in and sacrifices part of himself for a greater purpose in his transformation into the spiritual leader for his people. A magnificent arc of Londo and G'kars in their long running struggle and relationship. Beyond epic. How this episode does not get a mention with the two acting behemoths on show only a Vorlon knows....
I forget the name of the episode, but I believe it was in Season 1. The episode focused on Dr. Franklin and his morals as a Doctor, trying to decide if he should save the life of an alien child by operation or honor the parent's wishes by not operating and watch the child slowly die. It was amazing! And not to spoil the ending for anyone who hasn't seen it, but the final scene of Franklin and the "Egg" just kills me every time.
The show is called "Believers"
That was the episode that got me hooked!
as with all episodes stuff that happened in the background came back as vital later
I don't like that episode on a personal level because I feel it is very heavy-handed in the message it is putting across (it was obviously based on events in the headlines at the time)... But I don't hate it and I get why people like it.
I am also willing to give Jay Michael Strazinski a pass on that episode because he treats the religious incredibly well in Babylon 5.
He shows in one episode that all of the major religions are still thriving and that all of the religions are representative of Earth.
He has entire episodes that have the religious characters as either neutral helpful people or the good guys, while also showing that there are bad sides to religion in other episodes, and he has so much more that treats religion well and discusses religion respectfully that it's a welcome breath of fresh air.
Nice to give Babylon 5 some love :) I love the show :)
Random Gameuser42 agreed
Got to agree it was brilliant when I was a kid, everyone was watching Star trek and I have never been able to stand it.
You beat me to it ... a year ago :D
IMO greatest television show ever.
Yep brilliant stuff.
I always loved the episode where Londo Has a heart attack and we see the worlds through his dreams and sub-conscience.
When he goes to the bar and the bartender says ALL the bottles are empty, "The Metaphors are getting a bit thick" is the single best line in the entire series.
i must admit trying to pick a fav episode in this series is almost like picking your fav child. I can't think of a single series with such overlapping arcs and stories and beginning middle and end in a single over multiple seasons no-show as matched it I think since.
but I think my fav episode is the one at the end of season five with the destruction of Centauri prime and coordination of Londo as emperor as we see the Sheridon going to Azhar-doom still meant the fall of the Republic and that touching moment between Londo and G'kar was amazing and really gave the context of to their deaths that they didn't die as enemies but as friends and it had to happen to save others.
Like a lot of folks, Za'ha'dum really ranks up there just because of the last few minutes of the final act and G'kars narration. Since we never see him talking, I think of it as him writing in the book he began (Book of G'kar?) after events in Dust to Dust. Love DtD not just for the Londo/G'kar confrontation but also for Bester coming on board and putting the command staff into fits. The Interrogator also is pretty amazing because it gives such a glimpse into De'Lenn and Sheridan and the Vorlons long before you actually got to see what they were truly up to.
Mind War has that brilliant moment with G'Kar, who before has always been considered the villain, saving Sakai, and The Fall of Night, with the reveal of what Kosh really is (or at least what he pretends to be), I feel should have been mentioned, but a good list none the less.
Passing Through Gethesame, Dust to Dust, Comes the Inquisitor and Z'Ha'Dum I feel are three of the strongest episdodes. B5 didn't dumb down to it's audience, and the drama between all the characters was magnificent.
Absolutely. I had that moment in Mind War mentioned in my script, but I had to cut it down. So many more great episodes to name.
Absolutely loved Dust to Dust, practically any episode in which G'Kar features really (Andreas Katsulas was a god) I never felt so much for G'Kar as I did in that episode. Did love G'Kar in the episode Convictions aswell when he and Londo are stuck in the lift and he is deliriously happy that he might get to see Londo die and not have to lift a finger to see it done!
DanteCorwyn +1
Fall of Night, was Kosh's first reveal. Kosh and the Vorlon's real appearance however? was finally seen in; "Falling Toward Apotheosis." B5 and its double twists.
I missed Sakai in later seasons, you can tell she was the prototype for Anna Sheridan. I liked Sakai a lot better to be honest, if we got to see more of Anna with Sheridan before her return in the finale it would have added a bit more weight to it.
Babylon 5 was IMO the greatest Sci Fi show of all time.
Damn tootin'
Props to “comes the inquisitor” and “intersections in real time”.
Those 2 episodes are also my 2 favorite episodes,
Its interesting that these two episodes are "Interrogation" episodes, we really get to delve deep into the minds of our 2 main protagonists.
"Comes The Inquisition" is a multi-level story that works well. On the surface, it is a simple story about the relaltionship of Delenn and Sheridan being tested by extreme circumstance. Then, you have the sheer will of the Vorlons exercised through a mysterious agent in order to move the plan along against the Shadows, testing the "tools" needed.
And then. Then the reveal that shows not just what the Vorlons are capable of in the technical terms, what they are capable of in moral terms to achieve their goals . . . What they are willing to do.
And it's a moment to make you pause.
Damn you and damn this for showing up in my feed. Now I'm going to have to watch the series again. :)
Just watch best clips like everyone else.
That is disrespectful, gotta watch the entire thing plus Legend of The Rangers now.
Ah, the joys of reliving life, love, sorrow, tragedy, and epic storylines...
@Starforge1,
I have to watch it all the time. It's on AmazonPrime, free of charge, outside the $10.99 prime monthly membership.
You think that's bad? I just found out there's a whole heap of prequels and spinoffs I totally missed! I thought I had the whole storyline wrapped...! ;)
The Coming of Shadows really needed to be on this list - "How does this end?"
"In Fire"
yep this episode got me back in the series since i really didnt like the series until this part and i only watched it because a good friend told it was awsome. Now i watched the series a few times since lol.
That was breathtaking at the time. I just adored this episode and it rightly won a Hugo. It was overshadowed (no pun intended) by basically all of seasons 3 and 4 but at the time it was the most jaw dropping episode of television ever aired.
Slightly late to this one.
I still think one of the most powerful moments of Severed Dreams was right at the start, when the EAS Alexander had just destroyed the EAS Clarkstown.
"Did you ever meet the captain of the Clarkstown? The general introduced us last year. He has a wife back home, three small children, an Abyssinian cat named Max. That's what makes this war different from anything we have been through before. This time we know everyone we kill."
08:54 This was actually the core in writing JMS had. He said than rather than being an actual character, he wrote President Clark as an idea to fight against.
Severed Dreams is one of those stories that will live with me forever.
Who else is disappointed we never got to see the Telepath War? either in a separate movie or a few episodes of the series. They spent so much time on building the animosity between Garibaldi & Bester throughout the series that it's a bit disappointing that we never got to see Garibaldi & Lyta get their revenge on the little Bastard.
Read the Telepath book series. Pretty certain JMS approved it as cannon, and well done. (And final conclusion between Bester and Garibaldi!) Also the Centauri Prime Trilogy is pretty much required reading to finish the show...
Reading it in a book is not the same as seeing it on screen acted out by our favorite actors! After so much time was spent during the course of the series on building the animosity between Garibaldi & Bester, I wanted to SEE Garibaldi in his words "Nail that little suckers head to the wall" I will always be disappointed that they never filmed it and just put in book form. They could have made it into a stand alone movie when they had the actors alive, soundstages available, & the money, but no, we got 'Legend of the Rangers' & The Lost Tales.
Think about how you would visualize a "Telepath" war ... that is practically impossible, because you cant simply show mental duels and the whole "posing" they did in B5 would get old quickly. Telepaths talking to each other mentally would also be kidna quirky, which a fan might understand, but "Joe Random walking by"? It needs to be able to draw in new viewers too ...
Reading a book is actually BETTER than seeing it on screen, because you can describe stuff in detail. If you have ever played D&D and know of the "Dark Sun" setting there is a brilliant first series of books which describe telepathic combat in very good images. If you play the game those actions are just "roll dice and take damage" in comparison ... and it would be the same with showing it on a screen.
How should I know who is disappointed? What do I look like - a mind reader? ;)
@@quiquagmc955 It has been a long time since I read it but my recollection is that the Telepath Trilogy barely mentioned Lyta's part in the Telepath War, although the last volume appeared to be set well after the end of it. The story about the Vorlons secretly visiting Earth was fun (1st volume).
Thank you for "the Deconstruction of Falling Stars". My hands down favorite.
Mine too, and it's funny that most commentators brush off the final scene of that episode, simply syaing "humans hit vorlan stage", but that's always fascinated me about it, what did it mean to be "vorlon stage"? The vorlons and shadows were the last races of thier 'generation' and played opposing poles. But of the b5 gen, who was left as an opposing pole? plus earth had been set back, so were they now the only ones left? have the others already departed? How do the current races view them with that ominous encounter suit, I'd say that the humans were clearly more involved as they were still displaying the rangers symbol on thier fleet, so did the new humans all join the rangers (I'd guess so), but also look at that final monolgue, was he just talking to the human race then or all the races of that generation?, if there was no opposing equal force, had they finally united the galaxy? and had they done that with open hand guiding all the current races, or closed fist, either by domination, or more likely than that by being a common 'enemy'? (Might expalin the ecounter suit) Then look at the encounter suite again, the vorlons hid thier true form and looked like angels to all the races of the galaxy, did the humans eventually do that? Did he revert to human form cos that's the natural physical, or out of honour to race at the death of the system ( I only wonder as I recckon energy is now the natural form)? I think on that last point that humans likely did pull the Vorlon trick, but that they prefered thier natural physical form as shown be encounter suit, perhaps the same for the vrolons after all, but the differences in technology are interesting. Shadows and Vorlons used 'living' ships, but it looks like the humans kept more with machine and AI, rather than the biological of the vorlons and shadows
I've got to give a shout out to "And the Rock Cried Out No Hiding Place," Refa's death may be the best moment in the show.
That is the best one! The music was so perfect for that episode. I watched it 3 times in a row.
Fabulous list, and of course, a fabulous show.
Honorable mentions:
And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place
The Long Night
Dust to Dust
I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry...
Then you remember how many actors from this show we've lost, and you have to lie down, and cry a lot.
Don't bring that up.... I'll burst into tears on that alone. I can't watch that last episode with out choking up. ;_;
Yeah, no chance of that with that episode. I keep a big glass of water handy when watching it to stave off dehydration.
shit, I started crying watching this. the second they started playing the Earth Minbari War Suite in the background.
That war suite was so appropriate for Sleeping In Light. One of the saddest instrumental pieces I've ever heard if not the most.
B5 was Game of Thrones in space, before Game of Thrones.
Yup!
And after watching the train wreck GoT became, Babylon 5 surpasses it by a big margin. Babylon 5 had its WTF moments without mocking the audience (aka "subverting your expectations")
And without all the naked bodies
Dude, GoT is garbage, sorry. And of course you cant compare it with babylon 5 hahahahaha. You are just another blind GoT fan who was seduced by the hype and propaganda, but GoT was never a good show after the first season. But like you many many people didnt wake up in time.
Nope, can't even compare the two.
I've always loved Signs and Portents just for Londo's "what I really want" speech. The coming of Shadows is also a great episode, love the Emperor and his "you will burn" for this last words
OMG I've been waiting for this video for so long! This is so gooooood.
There are only two I think you missed: Chrysalis and the fall of centauri prime.
Please more Babylon 5!!!
Oh and z'ha'dum
Glad you enjoyed. Aye, so many more great episodes. I have another video planned on the spin-off Crusade.
That usually hit me hard, but I can hold back the tears...until they set off the charges and we see Babylon 5 itself come apart...then I cry. a lot.
Rowan... You perform a TRUE service to the sci-fi community. I own all of B5. You are dead on
it would not be rescanning the film which would be the expensive part but rather updating the VFX, to do that properly B5 would require a full 1080p or 4k VFX redo, but all the origional models were lost so they would have to remodel everything from scratch, then produce I am guessing an average of about 5 minutes per episode of vfx footage.
the old stuff is definately watchable but a modern audiance would be more than a little disapointed with 20 year old low res CGI, which has been cropped to make it even lower res than it origionaly was
Sadly I have to agree. The ship effects were incredible (for the time), especially the Vorlon living technology. But they were generated for a TV screen, and there is no additional detail to scale up for a higher resolution, and a different screen aspect.
some of the models may still be around. and there are talented ameture ones. i sat on a tabletop game which had a amazing mimbari warship. it was hand made, to scale to match the micro machines models so they could be used for tabletop gaming. even had handmade shadow vesels.
The guys in Finland did an awsome remake of most of the models for their project "Star Wreck", they sent a copy to JMS, who have thanked them, so I guess, he knows who to look for if he wants to remodel the series ;)
One of the things to "improve" would be the view outside the command deck window, where the stars didnt rotate most of the time.
The matte painting view along the inside of the station is mostly ok, because colours get weaker in the distance and the station is HUGE.
I loved the episode when Londo and G'Kar were trapped in the lift. And one of the greatest moments was when Mr. Morden's head was spiked on a pole and Vir really waved his hand to it.
Cometh the InquisitorCometh the Inquisitor
A cold and chilling tale, compelling in that it tells the story of someone making sure that the main caste are up to the coming task and ready to do what ever is necessary to do it, and with the added punch of WHO they had doing the questioning
A most chilling line to end on “Remembered not even as Sebastian, Remembered only as JACK”
The only thing I didn't like was the way Lyta Alexander was treated through the episodes, she was used, she put her life at risk many a time for others. But when she was in trouble or needed help, noone was there to help her. Then it wasn't any wonder why she turned to help her own people as a priority.
Lyta is my favorite B5 character. Few characters in sci fi or fantasy have given more and treated so badly...by their own 'crew'. That is what made it real for me The episode where she is about to get thrown out of her apartment and none of her 'friends' help her is a brutal one. The scene where she has no choice but to put on her Psi-Corp uniform...again... and the tears are running down her face ALWAYS leaves me with a knot in my throat..Totally effed up. Great episode.
Zholla Mychalis Yep, I agree that was the worst for her, no consideration for the work she did & the sacrifices she made.
Except there was someone who very much cared for her. He just wasn't one of the big movers and shakers.
Oliver H True, he did become head of station security. Would've liked a book series on the telepath wars.
Agreed... which made the elevator scene in Third Space devastating....and one of my favorite head shaking scenes. The quiet scenes in Babylon 5 hold great power...more so than just about any sci fi/space opera and this one is just plain wrong. Excellent acting, writing and directing.
Comes The Inquisitor is one of my favorites
It becomes a game of "how soon did you realise who the inquisitor was?"
Just call me.... Jack
Oh, man... That was definitely one of the most intense episodes of the series - no small feat with three full-on wars going on in the story! The closing line for that episode always sends shivers down my spine. "Remembered not as a savior, not as a hero, not even as Sebastian. Remembered only as Jack."
One of my favourites as well. "This body is only a shell. You can not touch me. You can not harm me. I'm not afraid."
I loved it too, it was one of the first glimpses to what the Vorlons actually want.
Well done. Very well done. My favorite line was when Sheridan was setting up the league of planets, and told Ivonava, " Say nothing happening in sector 20 today.( no idea what sector). Also note worthy Chikar requites the constitution, Sheridan, objects and then read it. and says ..." it IS better.",
My Favorite was "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place" with the epic end of the Villain Lord Refa and the iconic last Scenes of his Death
My favorite is "Intersections in real time". That episode sees sheridan's force of will to be grinded down by an uncaring machine in a stunningly depressive way. P.S "and the rock cried out" is also exceptional
One I would have included in the list is actually one of the B5 movies: "In the Beginning." The prequel that focuses (through flashbacks) on the Earth-Minbari War.
the movies were hit and miss, but it still says a LOT that even a master actor like Martin Sheen wanted to be in one (the worst one, but there it is). Personally I have a real love for THIRDSPACE and its Lovecraftian flavor :D And to see the return of the Shadow CLoud in "A Call To Arms" EEEEEEEEE That was a horrifying surprise.
Maybe list the "most brilliant scenes" too?
- the "now look what you made me do" argument between Londo and G'Kar in front of the lift
- "it's not that bad" monologue from Londo
- now I need to "cheat": the whole "Vir + Morden's head on a pike" series of scenes
- the questioning of "tick" vs "tock" by Lorien ... "What do you need to be living for?"
G'Kar is the one I remember most about in the series. I remember him starting as a rash and belligerant scheamer to an iron willed sage in the end, struggling for the very survival of his people.
Nicely done....I can't think of any others that were better.. Well....maybe one was left out....I forget the name of the episode. I believe it is like the 4th or 5th episode of season 4.. Sheridan and his forces need to get the Shadows to show up to an ambush they have planned for them. He sends a White Star vessel on a suicide mission. The captain of that ship is played by a Pre Breaking Bad Brian Cranston. He tells him that he is sending data to him that he wants the Shadows to get but not too easily. Basically it is a "fight to the death but make sure the bad guys get the info" mission.
ruclips.net/video/2g1adlZEkOk/видео.html
Holy shitballs John, I hadn't realised... Brian Cranston just got even cooler!
I was initially interested in Babylon 5 because of the Commodore Amiga doing all of the CGI work, but then the characters and plots sucked me into the narrative instead. So, Double Win! :D
The Amiga is really the spiritual successor to the Atari 8-bit series of computers as both were designed by the same man, Jay Miner (RIP). Both computers utilized multiple processors where as most computers in the 80s and 90s relied almost all functionality on the CPU. Conversely, the Atari ST was developed by the same team who created the Commodore Vic20/64 after Jack Tramiel (RIP) acquired Atari after leaving Commodore. The history of BOTH of these companies is really amazing.
I agree, and want to add some love for the music guy. Christopher Franke is all that. As in in all shows/movies, the soundtrack is half of the show. Once you discover his style, well I just loved it. Could you imagine watching this show with a Nickleback soundtrack? Go big or go hard.
That space CGI blew everything else out of the water, including the higher budget stuff from Star Trek. I don't care what the high res super realism people of today say. B5 battles were beautiful and captivating. And yes, that music was nothing short of epic. I hope no one ever tries to remake this.
I started watching it as a kid cuz my mom watched it along with star trek. Many years later, i got a friend of mine hooked on it. He wasn't really a sci-fi nerd like me and he had some not so nice things to say about the first season but by the time we got to season 2, he was hooked and was dying to know how it played out.
Same here Foebane72, grabbed me in a very special way, still does
Favourite scene, Londo tells Vir there's a present for him in the garden, Morden's head on a pike stick.
and the flash back to where he tells Morden what he wants.
"Confessions and Lamentations" was a tear jerker. That one broke me.
The first time I watched that one... punch in the gut. Especially since that was in June 2020, and the pictures resembled those in the news so much. I didn't expect a full happy ending, that much I had caught about the show so far. I thought the little girl was going to die. I was not prepared for an entire species' extinction.
There's so many great moments in B5 that it's hard to pin down. But the "war without end" story arc is the best time travel story I've ever seen, and it has tentacles extending everywhere throughout all five seasons of the series. Just brilliantly done.... also Zathros. The best done character ever.
Day of the Dead is one of my favourites
Sleeping in light, ends it all completely.
Beyond doubt.
Not only was it a moving episode, but it had absolute finality. Every moment I had invested in B5 was finished.
I cried as much for the story as for the end of the show.
Me too.
BABYLON 5 is so overlooked. It was Top 3 of greatest sci-fi TV shows
#1 alone at the top. Firefly might have caught it if it had lasted more than a season.
@@PackerBronco - I'll call it a tie because Firefly had the excellent movie.
@@PackerBronco not even close, firefly was rubbish.
Dang, you didn't even mention the Angel reveal from the episode where Sherridan falls which was mind blowing as it is showing how the Vorlon had been screwing with worlds for centuries.
Something a recent Star Wars film forgot: how a mask works. Two reasons: one, someone is ugly / villainous / does not want to show their face, two; they would be recognised. Babylon 5 got this exactly right.
“A late delivery from Avalon,” in Valen’s name why not?
It’s about the psychological scars of war, coping mechanisms, Arthurian legend, and Garibaldi’s salami.
Gotta mention "The Coming of Shadows", a simply brilliant episode from beginning to end and the other Hugo-awarding winning episode from this great series.
"You can't defeat a Shadow ship! They just keep coming, and coming!"
"With all due respect Ambassador, I've heard that before."
'And now for a word' and Gropos where great episodes from season 2. 'And now for a Word' is possibly my second or third favorite episode with 'The Long Twilight Struggle' and 'Severed dreams' being so close I can't decide between them.
I kind of wish they didn't cancel the show after season 4, only to renew it for season 5. Because of that JMS planned on ending the show at the end of 4, and started tying up the loose ends for a series finale. When he got word that season 5 was a go, he had put much of the story arc to bed and had few loose ends to continue to weave the full 5 year arc from. Which is why I think the fifth season is so watered down.
JMS squeezed events planned up half way trough 5th season into second half of season 4. To make things even worse, he lost lot of material he had written for 5th season by leaving tons of paper all around his hotel room while visiting some scifi convention.... without no need for cleaning up sign at hotel door. Janitor came and put few episode scripts and lots of other notes into trash. JMS then had to rewrite stuff from memory and had lot less time to polish the scripts. Also Claudia Christian signed on to another tv-show while 5th season wasn't funded so Ivanova had to be replaced. Basically there is only half a season worth of content for 5th season and it is stretched out into full season.
True. However it was still better than any other Shi-Fi series that came before or after it.
@@johnoakes3106 Agreed. JMS felt that other sci-fi shows were "too clean". Not only were the ships pristine and sterile, but the humans seem to have solved all our problems in a few centuries, while we haven't in the thousands of years of our history.
One of my favorites was A View from the Gallery. The behind the scenes episode in season five. Very well done that humanizes the whole series.
Still makes me sad seeing the Narns running forward into fire like that in Severed Dreams the show was filled the moments like that still watch the show once a year at least to this day
such a shame the network messed with Crusade I would have loved to see what the show would become
Best sci-fi show to date IMO. Its funny how many of the actors show up in the various iterations of star trek too
Oh....so much to comment on... B5 is still, for my money, one of the finest television series (let alone SF television series) ever produced. Such amazing themes, so richly portrayed. You could just as easily (and powerfully) track both Londo's and G'Kar's intertwining arcs through episodes like "Midnight on the Firing Line", "Acts of Sacrifice", (the already-mentioned "Dust to Dust"), "The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari", and of course "The Fall of Centauri Prime". My brother and I have discussed more than once, how ANY of the characters in the main cast could be a force of nature on many occasions, and often someone you DID NOT want to piss off. The show was as much about Londo and G'Kar, as it was about Sheridan, Delenn, or Ivanova. It worked on both the micro level of human drama with such offerings, as well as on the macro level of commentary about life, the universe and everything. All that said, I also LOVED it's space battles and how they served the larger themes. There was such build-up to them in terms of plot. They carried weight, had lasting consequences, and meant something. "Between the Darkness and the Light" contains my all-time favorite battle (it's really a tie with "Severed Dreams.") So when they were both mentioned, I literally jumped out of my chair. Thank you for the excellent video, and for reminding us old fans about (and perhaps introducing new ones to) this amazing show. Now I'll have to break out my boxed sets and start all over again as well....
Hard to make a list like this without including the episode with Ivoniva's "God sent me" speech.
"Comes the Inquisitor" was fantastic, other one was "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place"
Some fantastic acting and a great subplot.
*Sebastian:* "Who are you?"
*Delenn:* "I am not afraid." (the right answer, for the right reason, at the right time)
I agree with And the Rock Cried out, honestly, that scene in particular where Londo lays out to Refa that the Narn are going to brutally kill him for all of his sins against them is one of the most satisfying moments.
I can't think of many episodes I didn't enjoy. Man I love Babylon 5! As good as some of the Trek shows are, I genuinely think B5 is better in general.
Grey 13 is missing!
Grey 17 is missing was probably a below average episode, I'll have to give it another watch as it's been a year or so. In fact I'm due another B5 marathon soon, thanks for the reminder! But the thing about B5 is that it was so good in general, that even the less memorable episodes are still very watchable imo.
I've watched Babylon 5 several times and I always see something I've missed before.
Just recently a friend told me to watch the clothing guy in Babylon 5: Crusade. He is saying something about asking him for how to handle political changes. He was the first representative of Night Watch visiting Babylon 5.
season 1 episode 14 *TKO*
I think you can just skip this one. It's a waste of time.
bowser515 I totally agree, way better more expansive, multi layered story lines, innovative visual breathtaking effects
Very well done. You illustrated the interweaving stories well. Thanks.
I went through quite a few answers and am surprised no one has yet mentioned "Passing Through Gethsemane." I had to see it more than once to get *all* of the impact. One of the best and the best "non-arc" stories.
Coming of Shadows is my favorite. The actor playing the Centauri Emperor was fantastic.
Was that Turhan Bey?
They named the character after the actor. So fitting for such a respected man.
@@PCLoadLetter and he came back to be a MInbari Anla'Shok mentor later on!
@@ZakhadWOW And they used his real name again. They split Turhan between his character (Turval) and the other character he appeared with (Durhan).
@@PCLoadLetter Yep, tho this time they tried to be a bit less obvious about it! LOL
"Intersections in Real Time" is a very dark story about truth lies and holding on when all seems lost. It's a personal favorite of mine. As was "Passing Through Gethsemane" and almost anything with the monks.
A voice in the wilderness: "Worst case of testosterone poisoning..." was my favorite Ivanova quote.
I love this episode my Husky Achilles saw it the first time i rewatched it after he passed was difficult
About time the masterpiece of a story is getting some love. I have favorites from each season. My all time favorites from season one is Death Walker followed by Signs and Portents. I have all five seasons, plus all B5 movies.
For me, my favorite scene is the elevator scene from season 3 episode 2 "Convictions". The chemistry between Londo and G'kar was fantastic.
the whole parts of that through the episode. Watch it when ever I'm feeling low. We're in here
A View from the Gallery is one of my faves.
That is the one with Mac and Bo, correct? "Worker Cast"
I loved that one, too.
+MaiAolei yep. season 5. I surprise it didnt get an honorable mention here
A View From The Gallery is the only episode whose title I remember. It was unique, not just in B5, but on TV generally, (AFAIK.) The only thing I can name that's even similar was an episode of MLP:FiM titled Slice Of Life. (I just watch the show, okay? I'm not a fan.) Anyway, that was by far my favourite B5 episode.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a fan of My Little Pony, my friend.
+MaiAolei I am a fan myself. its actually pretty good.
A good list, but I have to put in a shout out for "Za'ha'dum" and "The Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place"
Sleeping in Light is the only finale of a show that honestly made me sad.
Uh... And The Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place... The ULTIMATE combination of G'Kar and Lando, two bitter rivals, working together for a common cause that would lay the groundwork for both a close friendship, and the liberation of two planets from different forms of oppression?
By far one of the best examples ever put together of how people TRULY work behind the scenes to accomplish their goals, while still being able to claim complete innocence if things go horribly wrong.
Which one was it that this bad assed women was commanding the station and fought off an invasion? It was seen through the eyes of a couple of worker guys. That one was my favorite.
That was 'A View from the Gallery', in season 5.
Jeez. How long have those two been married?
pforce9 “
An episode I think is often over looked is Season 5, episode 4 "A view from the Gallery". An episode that takes place through the point of view of two maintenance workers. Thought it was great and gave an interesting view of things outside the main casts point of view.
I came here to say this. It was great for that reason, plus it gave us the important question: G'kar and Londo. How long have they been married? ;)
Shame I’m only finding this channel now - amazing work, and binging your videos. Hearing that In The Beginning music during Sleeping in the Light was the best kind of emotional gut punch.
I'd recommend watching my latest video on Babylon 5.
One of my favorites was “A View From The Gallery “. It gave a more in-depth look at the people who lived on Babylon five. It showed how they lived through crisis and those that were charged with cleaning and repairing on the station. It was well done without being campy like some other shows have done.
The trouble with b5 it is like jaffa cakes you can't just have one the best Sci find series ever written
Swedish meatballs my friend. Swedish meatballs...
agreed
Day of the Dead, written by Neil Gaiman, was a fascinating and unforgettable episode.
I didn't know there was all this love for B5 out here! It's my favorite sci-fi show of all time, followed by Battlestar Gallactica and then ST: TNG and Voyager. But B5 will always have a special place for me, it was truly the sci-fi show for adults. Any scene between J'Kar and Londo, well they are as close to perfect as you can get and should be required viewing for aspiring film students, of any type.
Thank you for the comments on B5. Having worked on the show as an animator for season 4 and 5 (in fact a few of the shots you used I did), It is good to know there are still fans out there. I am excited by the release on HBO Max and Prime. It was a fun couple of years blowing up space ships....
Thank you for your work! I adored B5 when it aired. Even went to the big Blackpool con in 1997. I'm rewatching it for the first time since the 90s. I've forgotten much, but remember all the great lines😊. I won't be watching the finale though, once was enough for a lifetime😔
Thank you again for helping create the best Sci-fi show I've ever seen👍💖
Congrats on being involved with something at that level. Of course there are still fans out there. You don't forget a pinnacle work once you've seen it. The writing, the arc, the lines, the extraorinary actors who brought it to life--unforgettable. I had the rare good fortune of being handed a big box of videotapes of the first 4 seasons, taped by a colleague who wanted to have someone to discuss the show with. I binge watched it all in a few months with my 6 month old baby girl sitting by, and saw all the pieces fitting so well together. Basically did the same with Game of Thrones; watched the whole thing in the last month before the end when HBO made it free.
How many of those episodes were directed by Mike Vejar? 4-5 is my guess. He was the best they had.
Another one of his is Comes the Inquisitor - for me the best dramatic presentation of the series. It has the best characterization of the show (which has many, many great presentations) by Wayne Alexander as Mr. Sebastian. Others too great job as well. This is very archetypal episode, which can be watched again and again.
It's tough to pick a single favorite director, in my opinion. Janet Greek did fantastic work and is my favorite director for the show, personally, but David Eagle gave us Severed Dreams. It's surprising that JMS didn't direct more than he did, since SiL turned out amazing.
No matter what, Season 3's finale(Zha'ha'dum) is still my favorite season finale of any show, with the final climax and strangely disturbing monologue.
But no matter what will be born, we only know it will be born ... in pain.
Who decides whether the hem lines will be above or below the knee this year? I'm with them.
I really enjoyed the episode "The Very Long Night of Londo Molari" It showed the strain and stress on his body and mind from the guilt he carried from the war with the Narn. The interactions between him and Jicar were my favorite parts of the series.
The Deconstruction of Falling Stars was the pinnacle of Babylon5. It was my favorite episode/story in the entire series. Thank you for including it.