Somewhere out there there's a post from JMS replying to me stating that the change to Franke was a combination of wanting something a bit different, and Copeland's touring schedule. I think JMS has forgotten the touring schedule, and the opportunity for something different has been morphed (mostly by fans) into a dislike of the OST.
Perfectly. And people don't believe wokes would actually want to throw us all into concentration camps. In fact, I recently saw an interview with one of new cough cough Star Trek cough cough "actors" saying, "F- you all, I'm going to brainwash your children into transgenderism." Someone who says something like that is evil and should be thrown in jail for life without a trial.
Genders meaning, patriots meaning, soon there will be no homeless just people in transition. Exactly what the liberals have done and don't get it mixed up they're not done just because of the election. Plans are in place to screw Americans more and more.
This series holds a very special place in my heart. I'm a huge SF nerd. I love both Star Trek and Star Wars. They can't be beat. However B5 is a series I've watched (from start to finish) more times than I can count. There are many scenes that have stuck with me through the years, and will probably still be with me at the end.
@@Mephilis78 I ain't pretending at all SW's was pop SF that sold it to the masses and Trek well I'll always like trek but it can't hold to the classics.. Read books they are better. Peace
31:00: Wtf is he babbling about? He's desperately trying to make this Sound Grey but its just... blatantly not? Is this youtuber's moral compass heavily skewered or wt?
@@slevinchannel7589 there are still many people on this planet who respect other peoples' -religious beliefs- -brainwashing- delusions. It's ridiculous in the year 2024 that anybody believes in sky wizards or fairytales, but religion perpetuates itself by brainwashing children.
Yeah, sometimes when I see a scene it hits me and I realise all or most of the actors are gone now. The final elevator ride which has Susan, Garibaldi, Vir, Zack and Stephen in it just before the station is shut down, is one example. Only Claudia Christian is still with us.
Great Maker - that scene with Sheridan in the White Star; brief flash of lignt; gone! Heartbreaking - which demonstrates the power & strength of J. Michaels writing and Bruces acting......
Babylon 5 really was a special kind of show, something that comes together maybe once in a generation.. Yeah, the CGI really did not hold up, and suffered especially for the DVD release, but it also doesn't matter all that much, because it was just so character driven. Londo Molari has one of the best complex character arcs in TV. I don't know if we can ever get a 5 season planned story arc again in this era of brutal and shocking cancelations of good shows. The only sad thing is just how many of the main cast have already passed.
You are correct that the streaming era has made Hollywood more quick to axe sci-fi shows. However, it's not impossible for such shows to have survive and even thrive. A great example is The Expanse which lasted six seasons. Like B5 before it, the gritty space opera is very character driven and has complex story arcs spanning throughout its run.
Event hen it barely made it through, with PTEN (B5's home network) falling apart, Warner budget cuts as it was Season 5 was heavily pared back, We're all just glad it make it through all of the challenges.
I know the CGI looked a bit off even on a CRT tv set compared to Star Trek: TNG and newer 'treks, but Babylon 5 looked okay on a CRT, though really dated on LCDs and other flat planel displays.
The death of Marcus broke me. His sacrifice sets the standard for Hero and pure love. Crusade is very much a space crusade with Mstheson as Arthur, Galen as Merlin, etc. I wish it had continued. Galen was my favorite from the start
WOW! That was pretty close to what I wanted to see for ages! ...which is someone to assemble only the 5 year arch into a few hours of only the BIG STORY. Thank you very much!
Babylon 5 is teh very first tv-show I remeber seeing form beginning to the end and my all time favourite show. Ty for teh supercut, will be watching at least few time s a year until the end of time.
31:00: Wtf is he babbling about? He's desperately trying to make this Sound Grey but its just... blatantly not? Is this youtuber's moral compass heavily skewered or wt?
I loved Delynne 'only one human Captain has survived battle with the Minbari he is behind me you are in front if you value your lives be somewhere else' outstanding moment brilliant to watch
Oh, children, this brings back memories! Some twenty-something years ago, a twelve-year-old kid in Southern Germany, spent his last days of summer holidays with The X-Files, Star Trek, Babylon5, The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits and Beyond Belief. There were three German channels that aired Sci-Fi through the entire summer weekends and they aired them in such order, that you could watch all shows. I remember it vividly: SAT.1 aired Star Trek - TOS at 2PM, Star Trek - TNG at 3PM, Star Trek - DS9 at 4PM, Star Trek - VOY at 5PM, then Pro7 aired Babylon5 at 6PM and 7PM, then The X-Files at 8PM, Outer Limits at 9PM and VOX aired Beyond Belief at 10PM and Twilight Zone at 11PM. Every Saturday and Sunday in July, August to mid September. The best summer weekends ever.
Love how Babylon 4 is in the thumbnail 😅. I feel like that's not an oversight but that little bit of trolling given your amazing attention to detail. I'm in the middle of S03 for like the 5th time in a decade.
One of the things I love about Babylon 5 is the voiceovers on the title sequences and the way they change to reflect the themes of each season. I get a shiver down my spine hearing "Babylon 5 was our last, best hope for peace... It failed." I'd love to see a discussion on the five seasons' title sequences.
Those bloopers! "She's pregnant. and you did it!" made me legit spray my drink🤣The one where the officer explains general Haig's absence is golden too, enhanced by the female sounding person in the background who is almost choking with laughter! Also: this retrospective is just awesome. Really, if the a movie studio or a tv company would have wanted to do one, they couldn't have done better. Class A+ professional work, Mr Coleman! Thank you for reminiscing one of my favorite shows of all time and doing it justice!
I rewatch B5 at least once a year, and literally finished season 4 today. But I can never make it all the way through season 5 without alcohol. And the less said about every single movie, the better.
A comment for the algorithm as I caught these all at the time. My cousin got me into B5, I was a little bit younger than him and although I liked it, catching disjointed episodes on TV made it difficult to follow. For a while I was collecting Series on DVD and when I was a little older and could watch them how they were intended I really fell in love with it. It's a great show with an amazing cast, there was so much great chemistry. They had fun with the show but dealt with some weighty stories. Despite the more limited budget compared to Star Trek, the station felt alive. This was ambition that delivered.
Even if it makes no sense logically, my favorite moment in terms of personal character momnts is when Londo tells Veer to go outside to see his "gift", and it's Morden's head on a spike, and Veer, with the most satisfied smile of all, waves at his "lifeless eyes". Of course the other great moment, as good as, is when Veer tells Morden that's what he wants, earlier in season 2. The pure attitude of rapture when he says, "I want to look into your lifeless eyes, and wave... like this!" is priceless! Love Veer! Oh, and it makes no sense logically because Londo had no way of knowing that's what Veer had told Morden he wanted.
Well done! The best synopsis of the series I've seen. B5 was more of a coming of age story for me. As a young man I ignorantly held very strict views of the world, more importantly my role in life was to show others how wrong their differing opinions were. This show helped me understand points of view are very subjective and that doing the right thing is sometimes very difficult, and may have unintended consequences. It helped me consider the others around me and their unique situations and to consider the long term consequences of my actions. I think the good person I have evolved into was largely due to internalizing the themes and lessons of this show.
The juxtaposition of Reefa's brutal death with the main cast happily singing a baptist church bop about the death of sinners was what first intrigued me about the series. If they were willing to take such a major risk to intertwine two scenes like that... I thought 'my gods, what else am I missing?'. Seriously ballsy, brave, and sharp writing in that whole setup and payoff. I still go rewatch just that sequence sometimes when I need a reminder to take risks and stand behind challenging ideas when writing.
I really enjoyed B5 when it was originally aired. A group of us would always gather, watch and discuss the episode, and I dont thing anyone ever missed a single show. I never warmed up to Lochley. The others in my group didn't seem to mind her, but she just never filled the spot of Ivanova properly.
I can't find the words to say what a great job you've done here. This thing was long and I started listening to it around midnight and kept listening. You did a phenomenal job of going over that entire series, the background, some character insights, and things about JMS. And it makes me miss the series all the more. A podcast I do is going to be covering it next week and this was a great refresher, absolutely great job! Thank you
I look forward to every retrospective video you put out. Thank you for all the hard work and research you put into these. This is by far one of my favourite channels on RUclips.
For me, Babylon 5 is the greatest and most exciting sci-fi series of all time. Others don't have to feel the same way. Because for me, there are scenes here that I associate with the term "space opera" like in no other series. I still get goosebumps when Londo looks down at the Narn's home planet as they shoot him with mass accelerators. The music also plays a big role here. And I still love Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Deep Space Nine, Farscape, Lexx, Firefly and so many other older and newer series like Falling Skies, Defiance or The Expanse. Despite that, Babylon will always be deep and unassailable in my heart ❤️❤️❤️⭐💫💥✨☄️🌌🌏🪐🌕❤️❤️❤️
I am truely happy to see such a detailed project on Babylon 5. I grew up with this show, and it is what shot me in the direction of science. Sure it has its flaws but this was truely something special.
I believe that when we watch a video, part of it goes with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere on this website when it is quiet, and just listen. After a while, you will hear the echoes of all our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone, our words will linger in these webpages for as long as this comment section remains. But I will admit that the part of me that is going will very much miss the part of you that is staying.
I just started watching Babylon 5 for the first time ever a few weeks ago and I'm about to start Season 5. I was blown away how much I love Babylon 5 more than Star Trek which I grew up on. I was saddened to learn soon after how many of these great actors are no longer with us.
I always describe B5 as "Often cheap, often cheesy, occasionally cringy, and the best SF show of all time". Londo &G'kar are the best characters ever put on the small screen.
Making my comment just before Part 2. I grew up watching this show in "real time" having watched some of Season 1 on 2nd generation VHS copies. Sometimes on a re-watch, I'll put in the Final Episode in place of the Season 4 ending. After all that was how JMS intended it having filmed that episode during Season 4 and thinking his show was cancelled. I don't "hate" Season 5, but the frantic pace of Season 4. Season 5 seems almost like a different show or a different story told in the same Universe. I always wonder how it would have been had JMS gotten his 5 seasons his way. Thank you for this amazing look back at a show that changed my perception of "good SF" forever.
Whatching this to gear myself up to see the final episode. I'm going to be to be crying ugly tears about President Sheridan's farewell into the place of no shadows and consent light. Its going to be all the harder that in real life he's still here but so many more cast members have pass beyond the Outer Rim. Love all of you Babylon 5 family for the awesome story. My thanks
I was put onto tis show very early, and so pleased to have watched all the episodes, and films. It was the forerunner for so many of today's shows. How can you write story arcs which have a pay-off two series further down the line? Brilliant work RJC putting this video together.
I found myself thinking about the sea change in modern TV, where the focus moved from monster of the week shows in the 80's to the hyper serialised multi season arcs of today. I settled on Babylon 5 being the first real example that set out to do this from the beginning. I can't think of another show that did this earlier.
Babylon 5 was the first (and possibly still only) pre-planned 5+ year arc not based on a pre-existing novel or series of novels, so far as I'm aware. It's entirely possible I've missed an example somewhere, or that one of the shows that appears to have been largely improvised actually was pre-planned. It's not like I've done anything resembling rigorous research on the matter.
There were a lot of shows that inspired Babylon 5 which did this or at least attempted to. Dr. Who, Hill Street Blues, The Prisoner, etc. You also had shows like Wiseguy and Michael Mann's Crime Story where the status quo could change between episodes. Of course, the classic example is The Fugitive where there's a series-long arc. Babylon 5 definitely wasn't the first, however it was the first modern one and is still one of the most complex with its multiple series-spanning plotlines.
One thing that contributed to Babylon 5's success was the rise of the VCR (and later TIVO, etc), making it practical for people to watch episodes they would otherwise miss because of life getting in the way. That made it less risky to do long-form serials where people are expected to have watched every episode.
Sorry.. it was none of these... when the Vorlon came out of its suit, the story dashed all of that... up til then, every nerd, who had only ever read LOTR(those people who pretended to read everything else and LOTR was their favorite, except they never even got thru mandatory reading in English- just described all of you) how do you see this and forget the religious aspects of Narnia? Because ya never read it... This show was actually very original. The only physics based sci-fi that any of you have ever seen... sorry.. Two Towers was almost boring.. after BARSOOM? LOL.. I think that some of you pretend like you actually read in school when the fact is, ya didn't... so all ya got is Star Trek? Please...
@@teedepefanio4974 She was not literal about it; she just meant that B5 is the best space opera. And it is an inside joke for people who watch everything B5 related including interviews.
My good man, thank you. If you are ever in Aberdeen Scotland I owe you a steak and a pint! You took me through a time of my life I had lost in part due to amnesia and helped immensely, I owe you.
Thanks for this upload. I never caught on to the show when it aired, mainly because the lore was a little too deep for me. Now that I am to understand the franchise is picking up again, I was pleasantly surprised to find this.
I remember when Babylon 5 first aired. The first season was a little rough, and someone I know called it “Bulls#!+ 5”. I stuck with it, merely as a curiosity, and mainly because of the lack of sci-fi on TV at the time. Episodes like “Babylon Squared” were fantastic, but as with all episodic television at the time being self-contained and resetting to the status quo with each new adventure, I didn’t expect anything to come from the seeds of the long narrative being planted. It wasn’t until the Season 2 premiere, and talk of “an ancient enemy not seen for a thousand years” that I was hooked.
This is a cut of two videos done prior to the announcement of Road Home. I assume if the reboot ever gets off the ground he'll fold Road Home in with those seasons.
i always thought londo and g'kar grew into a real friendship you know i never was so invested in anything on TV or in movies like i was in babylon 5 it pulls you in and holds on to you so tight
Omg thank god I noticed what happened before falling asleep . RUclips algorithm just threw a 3 hour Star Trek video in! Lmao I have never ever seen the show or care at all . 😂
comes the inquisitor always stood out to me and i thought was a vital episode i think how the "in the beginning" movie really was amazing how it was londo the emperor telling the tale right before the end of his life and the prison scene of dilen and john how it all was woven in
31:00: Wtf is he babbling about? He's desperately trying to make this Sound Grey but its just... blatantly not? Is this youtuber's moral compass heavily skewered or wt?
@@slevinchannel7589 he is pointing out how the introduction of Mr. Morden for a long term story arch - a mystery greater story. @RowanJColeman is very clear and eloquently spoken
I can relate to Christopher Franke about deadlines; I never get anything done without them, but I can write and edit a 12 page paper in a few hours and get an A when I have one
HELP THE CHANNEL GROW: www.patreon.com/rowanjcoleman
Wrong his name was William Edgars, not William Bergers.
Somewhere out there there's a post from JMS replying to me stating that the change to Franke was a combination of wanting something a bit different, and Copeland's touring schedule. I think JMS has forgotten the touring schedule, and the opportunity for something different has been morphed (mostly by fans) into a dislike of the OST.
2:11:54 Martin Sheen, not Michael.
I would if i could. Alas, I cannot. Instead, have this upvoted comment.
Created before DS9. Newtonian physics. Politics. Religion. Comedy. A five-part televised novel. B5 had heart and soul. Loved it dearly.
"When we rewrote the dictionary"....how current and chilling that still sounds in 2024.
Perfectly. And people don't believe wokes would actually want to throw us all into concentration camps. In fact, I recently saw an interview with one of new cough cough Star Trek cough cough "actors" saying, "F- you all, I'm going to brainwash your children into transgenderism." Someone who says something like that is evil and should be thrown in jail for life without a trial.
Genders meaning, patriots meaning, soon there will be no homeless just people in transition. Exactly what the liberals have done and don't get it mixed up they're not done just because of the election. Plans are in place to screw Americans more and more.
This series holds a very special place in my heart. I'm a huge SF nerd. I love both Star Trek and Star Wars. They can't be beat. However B5 is a series I've watched (from start to finish) more times than I can count. There are many scenes that have stuck with me through the years, and will probably still be with me at the end.
That's right you bastard!!!
Im also a big Street Fighter nerd but what does that have to do with anything?
@@DI-hw5qr are you pretending that Star Wars and Trek are irrelevant? Such hubris.
I genuinely consider this series better than either of Wars' or Trek's screen outings.
@@Mephilis78 I ain't pretending at all SW's was pop SF that sold it to the masses and Trek well I'll always like trek but it can't hold to the classics.. Read books they are better. Peace
After 30 years I finally got my mum into Babylon 5 and she loved it. Personally I've seen B5 at least 50 times over. ♥️ JMS.
So sad to see all these faces again, knowing so many of them are no longer with us. Rest in peace, and thank you.
31:00: Wtf is he babbling about? He's desperately trying to make this Sound Grey but its just... blatantly not? Is this youtuber's moral compass heavily skewered or wt?
All gone to the Outer Rim......
@@slevinchannel7589 there are still many people on this planet who respect other peoples' -religious beliefs- -brainwashing- delusions. It's ridiculous in the year 2024 that anybody believes in sky wizards or fairytales, but religion perpetuates itself by brainwashing children.
@@slevinchannel7589I don’t understand your problem.
Yeah, sometimes when I see a scene it hits me and I realise all or most of the actors are gone now. The final elevator ride which has Susan, Garibaldi, Vir, Zack and Stephen in it just before the station is shut down, is one example. Only Claudia Christian is still with us.
I am so glad this has finally been uploaded as an all-in-one. Foundation Imaging gave me my first start in Hollywood.
Great username!
Ivanova's scene after Marcus sacrificed himself has never not made me cry, and even these clips from it got me.
She should have boffed him .....
Great Maker - that scene with Sheridan in the White Star; brief flash of lignt; gone! Heartbreaking - which demonstrates the power & strength of J. Michaels writing and Bruces acting......
Best moment of acting in the whole series. The sniffing back of tears was too real.
When people ask Star Wars or Star Trek, I always say 'Babylon 5'. Those who know... know.
A wise man once said you can enjoy more than one flavor of icecream.
@@KingSidJamesBut there's always those you like best.
@@ManOutofTime913 To quote the ears,
"There are always possibilities"
Babylon 5 really was a special kind of show, something that comes together maybe once in a generation.. Yeah, the CGI really did not hold up, and suffered especially for the DVD release, but it also doesn't matter all that much, because it was just so character driven. Londo Molari has one of the best complex character arcs in TV.
I don't know if we can ever get a 5 season planned story arc again in this era of brutal and shocking cancelations of good shows.
The only sad thing is just how many of the main cast have already passed.
Londo and G'Kar is still the best friendship in all of sci fi
You are correct that the streaming era has made Hollywood more quick to axe sci-fi shows. However, it's not impossible for such shows to have survive and even thrive.
A great example is The Expanse which lasted six seasons. Like B5 before it, the gritty space opera is very character driven and has complex story arcs spanning throughout its run.
@@TheVeritas1 The Expanse was axed and then salvaged by Amazon, IIRC.
Event hen it barely made it through, with PTEN (B5's home network) falling apart, Warner budget cuts as it was Season 5 was heavily pared back, We're all just glad it make it through all of the challenges.
I know the CGI looked a bit off even on a CRT tv set compared to Star Trek: TNG and newer 'treks, but Babylon 5 looked okay on a CRT, though really dated on LCDs and other flat planel displays.
I first watched this show back in 99. I was besotted. I actually got into scifi shows because of this. I loved it and have regularly rewatch it.
The death of Marcus broke me. His sacrifice sets the standard for Hero and pure love.
Crusade is very much a space crusade with Mstheson as Arthur, Galen as Merlin, etc. I wish it had continued. Galen was my favorite from the start
WOW! That was pretty close to what I wanted to see for ages! ...which is someone to assemble only the 5 year arch into a few hours of only the BIG STORY. Thank you very much!
Seeing Mollari crawling on that table....I know exactly what episode that was from, lmao. "AHHHHHHHHH."
"He has become one with the universe.
He's passed out drunk.
That too"
@@kevinedie4119"EVERYBODY'S CUTE...everybody's cute...the universe looks stunning in purple..." /crashes onto to the table.
Just long enough for the train between Sheffield and Scarborough. Many thanks!
I've grown rather old and jaded in the past few decades, but seeing Marcus give his life for Susan still has me tear up.
Babylon 5 is teh very first tv-show I remeber seeing form beginning to the end and my all time favourite show. Ty for teh supercut, will be watching at least few time s a year until the end of time.
31:00: Wtf is he babbling about? He's desperately trying to make this Sound Grey but its just... blatantly not? Is this youtuber's moral compass heavily skewered or wt?
I loved Delynne 'only one human Captain has survived battle with the Minbari he is behind me you are in front if you value your lives be somewhere else' outstanding moment brilliant to watch
Oh, children, this brings back memories! Some twenty-something years ago, a twelve-year-old kid in Southern Germany, spent his last days of summer holidays with The X-Files, Star Trek, Babylon5, The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits and Beyond Belief.
There were three German channels that aired Sci-Fi through the entire summer weekends and they aired them in such order, that you could watch all shows.
I remember it vividly: SAT.1 aired Star Trek - TOS at 2PM, Star Trek - TNG at 3PM, Star Trek - DS9 at 4PM, Star Trek - VOY at 5PM, then Pro7 aired Babylon5 at 6PM and 7PM, then The X-Files at 8PM, Outer Limits at 9PM and VOX aired Beyond Belief at 10PM and Twilight Zone at 11PM. Every Saturday and Sunday in July, August to mid September. The best summer weekends ever.
A divine lineup
WOW. An epic compilation to be sure. You're amazing, Rowan.
Jurasik reading JMS's autobiography is quite the trip, if you've merely read the book you ain't heard nothing.
I heard the life story of J. Michael Straczynski on BBC's Outlook programme. The story is titled "How Superman saved my life".
One of my favourite show of all times. Excellent writing and cast. Even after all these years it's still living rent free in my head :)
Fond memories of Babylon 5. Colemans rectrospectives, mostly as I view them. Just great! ❤
@@patrickvandenakker7181 rectrospective? Interesting choice of words.
@@JeffreyTappan-bb8rr LOL see it now….
@56:20 G'Kar's words are so relevant today!
season 3 in general is VERY relevent today...
ministry of peace etc
Love how Babylon 4 is in the thumbnail 😅. I feel like that's not an oversight but that little bit of trolling given your amazing attention to detail. I'm in the middle of S03 for like the 5th time in a decade.
One of the things I love about Babylon 5 is the voiceovers on the title sequences and the way they change to reflect the themes of each season. I get a shiver down my spine hearing "Babylon 5 was our last, best hope for peace... It failed." I'd love to see a discussion on the five seasons' title sequences.
"In the year of the shadow war, it became something else. Our last, best, hope...for survival!"
"It's... just a greeting..." still gets me even after all this time.
48:48 the text says "THE PSI CORPS IS YOUR FRIEND. TRUST THE CORPS"
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
The Corps is Mother. The Corps is Father.
Best use of "prelapsarian" in a youtube video ever
Those bloopers! "She's pregnant. and you did it!" made me legit spray my drink🤣The one where the officer explains general Haig's absence is golden too, enhanced by the female sounding person in the background who is almost choking with laughter!
Also: this retrospective is just awesome. Really, if the a movie studio or a tv company would have wanted to do one, they couldn't have done better. Class A+ professional work, Mr Coleman! Thank you for reminiscing one of my favorite shows of all time and doing it justice!
I think that the orchestral music gave the show a larger-than-life feel.
I really look forward to the retrospectives. Babylon 5 was way ahead of its time.
I rewatch B5 at least once a year, and literally finished season 4 today. But I can never make it all the way through season 5 without alcohol. And the less said about every single movie, the better.
In the Beginning was solid I think, the rest, yeah ...
@@voiceover2191agreed. In the beginning had an amazing third act.
Best Sci-Fi show ever made!
@@peanut1001x Say plenty of people.
@@peanut1001xSays me. I've seen most of the space shows at this point, and this is definitely the best.
A comment for the algorithm as I caught these all at the time. My cousin got me into B5, I was a little bit younger than him and although I liked it, catching disjointed episodes on TV made it difficult to follow. For a while I was collecting Series on DVD and when I was a little older and could watch them how they were intended I really fell in love with it. It's a great show with an amazing cast, there was so much great chemistry. They had fun with the show but dealt with some weighty stories. Despite the more limited budget compared to Star Trek, the station felt alive. This was ambition that delivered.
I just watched these videos last week 😂
Oh well, here we go again~
yup I'm rewatching as well
IT'S AMAZING that actor Daniel Dae Kim still looks exactly the same 30 years later!!!😂
Even if it makes no sense logically, my favorite moment in terms of personal character momnts is when Londo tells Veer to go outside to see his "gift", and it's Morden's head on a spike, and Veer, with the most satisfied smile of all, waves at his "lifeless eyes". Of course the other great moment, as good as, is when Veer tells Morden that's what he wants, earlier in season 2. The pure attitude of rapture when he says, "I want to look into your lifeless eyes, and wave... like this!" is priceless! Love Veer! Oh, and it makes no sense logically because Londo had no way of knowing that's what Veer had told Morden he wanted.
That's a great bit. To add preciseness, the character's name is Vir Cotto.
Well done! The best synopsis of the series I've seen.
B5 was more of a coming of age story for me. As a young man I ignorantly held very strict views of the world, more importantly my role in life was to show others how wrong their differing opinions were. This show helped me understand points of view are very subjective and that doing the right thing is sometimes very difficult, and may have unintended consequences. It helped me consider the others around me and their unique situations and to consider the long term consequences of my actions. I think the good person I have evolved into was largely due to internalizing the themes and lessons of this show.
The juxtaposition of Reefa's brutal death with the main cast happily singing a baptist church bop about the death of sinners was what first intrigued me about the series. If they were willing to take such a major risk to intertwine two scenes like that... I thought 'my gods, what else am I missing?'. Seriously ballsy, brave, and sharp writing in that whole setup and payoff. I still go rewatch just that sequence sometimes when I need a reminder to take risks and stand behind challenging ideas when writing.
I really enjoyed B5 when it was originally aired. A group of us would always gather, watch and discuss the episode, and I dont thing anyone ever missed a single show. I never warmed up to Lochley. The others in my group didn't seem to mind her, but she just never filled the spot of Ivanova properly.
I have never watched a YT video even half this long before. This is meant as a complement.
I can't find the words to say what a great job you've done here. This thing was long and I started listening to it around midnight and kept listening. You did a phenomenal job of going over that entire series, the background, some character insights, and things about JMS. And it makes me miss the series all the more. A podcast I do is going to be covering it next week and this was a great refresher, absolutely great job! Thank you
Babylon 5 had iconic and epic musical scores in so many episodes!
I look forward to every retrospective video you put out. Thank you for all the hard work and research you put into these. This is by far one of my favourite channels on RUclips.
For me, Babylon 5 is the greatest and most exciting sci-fi series of all time. Others don't have to feel the same way.
Because for me, there are scenes here that I associate with the term "space opera" like in no other series.
I still get goosebumps when Londo looks down at the Narn's home planet as they shoot him with mass accelerators. The music also plays a big role here.
And I still love Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Deep Space Nine, Farscape, Lexx, Firefly and so many other older and newer series like Falling Skies, Defiance or The Expanse.
Despite that,
Babylon will always be deep and unassailable in my heart
❤️❤️❤️⭐💫💥✨☄️🌌🌏🪐🌕❤️❤️❤️
That was pure gold! Thank you!
I would Love to see you make one of these videos about Earth final conflict or sliders
Danke!
In the beginning, is quite possibly one of the most underrated movies of all time.
I am truely happy to see such a detailed project on Babylon 5. I grew up with this show, and it is what shot me in the direction of science.
Sure it has its flaws but this was truely something special.
I believe that when we watch a video, part of it goes with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere on this website when it is quiet, and just listen. After a while, you will hear the echoes of all our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone, our words will linger in these webpages for as long as this comment section remains. But I will admit that the part of me that is going will very much miss the part of you that is staying.
unsure of what you on. but that thought seems somehow fitting to the content. Ill leave this part of me right here, if you don't mind. :)
i just got to the part. i didnt remember. my bad.
Nice way to combine the best of G'Kar's sad goodbye speech. Too fitting due to the number of characters that gave passed beyond the rim.
Glad to see this as a complete version!
The first appearance of the Shadow vessel always chills my soul. 33:40
Andreas Katsulas is amazing actor and you feel his performance as Gkar you don't see him acting only you feel his words
We live for the one, we die for the one.
I just started watching Babylon 5 for the first time ever a few weeks ago and I'm about to start Season 5. I was blown away how much I love Babylon 5 more than Star Trek which I grew up on. I was saddened to learn soon after how many of these great actors are no longer with us.
A masterfuly crafted and implemented story. It is so good. So, so F'n good
Rip O'hare
I always describe B5 as "Often cheap, often cheesy, occasionally cringy, and the best SF show of all time". Londo &G'kar are the best characters ever put on the small screen.
THE PSI CORPS IS YOUR FRIEND. TRUST THE CORPS.
Making my comment just before Part 2. I grew up watching this show in "real time" having watched some of Season 1 on 2nd generation VHS copies. Sometimes on a re-watch, I'll put in the Final Episode in place of the Season 4 ending. After all that was how JMS intended it having filmed that episode during Season 4 and thinking his show was cancelled. I don't "hate" Season 5, but the frantic pace of Season 4. Season 5 seems almost like a different show or a different story told in the same Universe. I always wonder how it would have been had JMS gotten his 5 seasons his way. Thank you for this amazing look back at a show that changed my perception of "good SF" forever.
G'kar's farewell has become my defacto eulogy when loved ones die. I used the quote in full when i lost my dad.
B5 is one of the best. ty very much for your great supercut!!
Fantastic production. Reminds me why I love Babylon Five so much. Thank you for this.
Lets remember some of the cast has gone on to the rim with the first ones we will remember them 😢
Whatching this to gear myself up to see the final episode. I'm going to be to be crying ugly tears about President Sheridan's farewell into the place of no shadows and consent light. Its going to be all the harder that in real life he's still here but so many more cast members have pass beyond the Outer Rim.
Love all of you Babylon 5 family for the awesome story. My thanks
Ohh the bloopers at the end. I could watch those for hours! Now those need to be released on DVD.
Redo the Star Treks to be 3+ hours.
Not a criticism - an encouragement!
I was put onto tis show very early, and so pleased to have watched all the episodes, and films. It was the forerunner for so many of today's shows. How can you write story arcs which have a pay-off two series further down the line?
Brilliant work RJC putting this video together.
@2:10:24 Dammit, I've seen that ep so many times, and yet, it STILL gives me chills when I see it again, the music is what does it to me, incredible
B5 is an awesome show. It fell a little after the shadows/vorlons left, but overall such a great show.
I found myself thinking about the sea change in modern TV, where the focus moved from monster of the week shows in the 80's to the hyper serialised multi season arcs of today. I settled on Babylon 5 being the first real example that set out to do this from the beginning. I can't think of another show that did this earlier.
Babylon 5 was the first (and possibly still only) pre-planned 5+ year arc not based on a pre-existing novel or series of novels, so far as I'm aware.
It's entirely possible I've missed an example somewhere, or that one of the shows that appears to have been largely improvised actually was pre-planned. It's not like I've done anything resembling rigorous research on the matter.
There were a lot of shows that inspired Babylon 5 which did this or at least attempted to. Dr. Who, Hill Street Blues, The Prisoner, etc. You also had shows like Wiseguy and Michael Mann's Crime Story where the status quo could change between episodes. Of course, the classic example is The Fugitive where there's a series-long arc. Babylon 5 definitely wasn't the first, however it was the first modern one and is still one of the most complex with its multiple series-spanning plotlines.
One thing that contributed to Babylon 5's success was the rise of the VCR (and later TIVO, etc), making it practical for people to watch episodes they would otherwise miss because of life getting in the way. That made it less risky to do long-form serials where people are expected to have watched every episode.
Many thanks, RJC, for a great trip back into the B5 universe. A great watch. Cheers from Brisbane Australia mate👍
As Patricia Tallman said, lord of the rings in space!
I told my brother in law it’s like Game of Thrones meets Star Trek and goes PG.
with a little bit of Moorcok; chaos and order and things...
Sorry.. it was none of these... when the Vorlon came out of its suit, the story dashed all of that... up til then, every nerd, who had only ever read LOTR(those people who pretended to read everything else and LOTR was their favorite, except they never even got thru mandatory reading in English- just described all of you) how do you see this and forget the religious aspects of Narnia? Because ya never read it...
This show was actually very original. The only physics based sci-fi that any of you have ever seen... sorry.. Two Towers was almost boring.. after BARSOOM? LOL.. I think that some of you pretend like you actually read in school when the fact is, ya didn't... so all ya got is Star Trek? Please...
@@teedepefanio4974 She was not literal about it; she just meant that B5 is the best space opera. And it is an inside joke for people who watch everything B5 related including interviews.
Thanks!
My good man, thank you. If you are ever in Aberdeen Scotland I owe you a steak and a pint! You took me through a time of my life I had lost in part due to amnesia and helped immensely, I owe you.
Thanks for this upload. I never caught on to the show when it aired, mainly because the lore was a little too deep for me. Now that I am to understand the franchise is picking up again, I was pleasantly surprised to find this.
I am currently getting ready to watch series 4 of Babylon 5 . Series 3 was fantastic .
nailed the intro, epic! :)
I remember when Babylon 5 first aired. The first season was a little rough, and someone I know called it “Bulls#!+ 5”. I stuck with it, merely as a curiosity, and mainly because of the lack of sci-fi on TV at the time.
Episodes like “Babylon Squared” were fantastic, but as with all episodic television at the time being self-contained and resetting to the status quo with each new adventure, I didn’t expect anything to come from the seeds of the long narrative being planted.
It wasn’t until the Season 2 premiere, and talk of “an ancient enemy not seen for a thousand years” that I was hooked.
Fantastic show, fantastic overview.
It would have been nice to have brought back Tamlyn Tomita during the Earth war segment in season 4.
Ultimate retrospective indeed. Great video of my fav sci-fi series. 👌👍👊
I watch the series every year 😁😜
Very great video. Very quick and informative. I appreciate that.
I always wanted more of the technomages, purely fantastic things and ideas
I’d love to see you do a “The Road Home” video!!
This was so entertaining, interesting, thorough and well done! Thank you. I didn't hear any mention of the Road Home at the end though.
This is a cut of two videos done prior to the announcement of Road Home. I assume if the reboot ever gets off the ground he'll fold Road Home in with those seasons.
i always thought londo and g'kar grew into a real friendship
you know i never was so invested in anything on TV or in movies like i was in babylon 5 it pulls you in and holds on to you so tight
I love this series. Since it took YEARS before it even went on TV and abruptly was scrubbed i had to eDonkey it. Watching it now is just WOW
Loved this series, such good story telling
Omg thank god I noticed what happened before falling asleep . RUclips algorithm just threw a 3 hour Star Trek video in! Lmao I have never ever seen the show or care at all . 😂
comes the inquisitor always stood out to me and i thought was a vital episode
i think how the "in the beginning" movie really was amazing how it was londo the emperor telling the tale right before the end of his life and the prison scene of dilen and john how it all was woven in
Great review of a great series, Babylon 5. Thank you for your hard work.
31:00: Wtf is he babbling about? He's desperately trying to make this Sound Grey but its just... blatantly not? Is this youtuber's moral compass heavily skewered or wt?
@@slevinchannel7589 he is pointing out how the introduction of Mr. Morden for a long term story arch - a mystery greater story. @RowanJColeman is very clear and eloquently spoken
@@jeffco5237 Or so you claim
I've only caught a few episodes. 🤦♂️ I need to buy this series. I only hear great things.
In the beginning was why I started watching the show!
BEST! SERIES! EVER! In Valens Name......
Is that just me, or Garibaldi always looked like discount Bruce Willis?
You mean improved Bruce Willis
He was willis' stunt double
Yes, and no...
Discounts his accomplishments so, no. Not really.
He was just Baldi to me.
I can relate to Christopher Franke about deadlines; I never get anything done without them, but I can write and edit a 12 page paper in a few hours and get an A when I have one
I used to do that. Hate to break it to you, but that's just grade inflation. Getting an A on the paper does not indicate you learned anything useful.
Happy to enjoy the master cut ❤❤❤
55:09
😑
"The Long Twilght Struggle"
Typo in the episode title. Wow. Big fan, never noticed.