I love the original Star Trek series, but one of it's shortfalls was that it rarely gave any of the regulars except Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley a chance to show what good actors they really were. I always figured they were all much better than they got to show on Star Trek, so I was delighted that Walter Koenig got such a meaty and fun role on B5. He played Bester to the hilt! Glad to find out he loved doing so.
They say the day after Bester died and was buried, an unknown figure, possibly bald, was seen digging up his corpse and driving a stake through his heart...just to make sure.
I always got the feeling that Bester enjoyed 'crossing swords' with Garibaldi, Bester's interactions with other characters was because he had to go down to the level of the mundane and it was a chore, but with Garibaldi, it was amusement.
@@MarkJohnson-ro1ed Oh, he definitely enjoyed provoking Garibaldi. Such as that one time he scanned him in front of Lyta knowing she would say something, then smiling like the Cheshire cat after he confronts him then gets hauled off by security.
@@oldfrend It is shown in the Psi-corp book trilogy. He survived the war, went into hiding, but was eventually found and imprisoned where he eventually died. babylon5.fandom.com/wiki/Psi_Corps_Trilogy
He really liked the role. In interviews, Walter Koenig said that even though he wasn't in that many episodes he always liked that every time he did show up, he got to move the plot along and do something noteworthy.
To think. JMS originally was going to cast him as the guy who kidnapped Sinclair. And after something came up and couldn't do that. He was given the role as Bester instead. Best choice they made for sure.
Think if I recall it was a heart attack and he called him to say he could not and he was tolled they find something else and they wanted him and Bester was created for him as they wanted Walter in B5
JMS said that when he first met Koenig, he knew from the start that he could be so much more than Chekov. No disrespect meant to Checkov's character, of course, he meant he could be more than just comic relief.
also it has bean proven based off what he did to garibaldi that he dosnt care for any human life unless you are a telepath one of his people. normal people he couldn't care less.
@@kreb7 The Vorlon removed any limitations that would allow her to be classified under any such measurable scale. As @rizon72 said, she is a biological doomsday device. Thinking of her as a mere "scorched earth" bomb is like believing the black hole at the center of the galaxy feels like it has a slightly stronger pull than a magnet held in your hand.
Well, considering Anakin the Loser never picked up that Leia was his daughter while he was interrogating and torturing her I think we can forgive Bester.
Although I could never forgive what his character did to Garibaldi l absolutely enjoyed Walter Koenig's portrayal of him. I actually liked this character better than his role as Chekhov.
Walter Koenig is very politically correct these days about his years on star trek, but when he was younger he said as a guest star on B5 he played a complex deep character which was real and enjoyable to play...while multiple seasons and movies on trek he played a 2dimensional cardboard character which was sterile and required little acting. And was NOT enjoyable to play...though somewhat profitable.
Gotta love these dark gray characters. Bester was bad, but damn if his reasons didn't make sense. You loved to hate him, yet he still made him likable.
Even more so after reading the books. He basically just wanted to feel like he belonged, but even other telepaths constantly belittled and betrayed him until finally the only thing that mattered to him was his mission.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrin I liked the psi Corp books. Yeah, he was out of place, and ended up a man with a mission and finally mostly alone, wanted, and hunted by Mr. garibaldi. Through it has been some years. Need to reread them.
One of the reason Babylon 5 works so well is everyone is a fully fleshed out. No one is unidimensional, except maybe Byron to an extent. No one acts without reasons the character should.
Later in that same scene Bester tries to scan everybody but is blocked at every turn and when he looks at Lita he can't scan her either and than realizes he's made a mistake and she isn't a P5 but something more.
@@Necromonger69 Nope you're correct. She went to the Vorlon's home world where she got a huge up grade to some level where she's considered a Doomsday weapon. She reveals that Garibaldi while she's in jail/brig 👍
Its not just how he delivers its also the expressions and mannerisms. I just love how in B5 they just let Walter go at it Bester is one of the best villains on TV i liked him in Star Trek but in B5 he was astonishing. The Corps Is Mother, the Corps Is Father
I feel Babylon 5 created and sustained an atmosphere that challenged actors in new ways and really let them shine. Even those that were only in one episode are memorable.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrin Neroon is one of those characters John Vickery played him only in 5 episodes and he is more memorable than some characters are in lead roles on other series. Other one would be Zathras who was only in handful of episodes and is still quoted and loved after 25 years.
@@Fydron but which one? Zathrås, Zathrás or Zathrâs? We see three on screen and there's supposedly six or seven more. No idea what _thier_ names are of course 🤣
"I'm a telepath...work it out." Best line Koenig had in the entire series, but I also like, "Mr. Garabaldi, on a scale of one to ten, how stupid do you think I am?"
@@tatianalyulkin410 He was never sadistic. Or psychotic even. Sociopathic, yes, but there wasn't really malice behind anything he did, which is the scariest thing about him.
The moment he played on Babylon 5, he stopped being Chekov to me and forever became Bester. "Anatomically impossible, Mr. Garibaldi. But you're welcome to try."
There's a scene in season 5 I believe, where Bester tries to scan Lyta, and she slaps him telepathically. He's astonished and asks if she actually slapped him by moving air, or convincing his mind that he (a P12) had been slapped. Either way is extraordinary.
It's in Season 5 when the blood hound units come to round up the rogues. The part right after was even better, when he noticed that it weakened her and asked how often she can do this, and how many people he need to order from earth before she gets overwhelmed by numbers. That was a power move if I've ever seen one :D
@@xellos5262 If they actually had that many P12s, they wouldn't be manipulating things behind the scenes, they'd flat out rule the world. Which is, of course, why they wanted to dissect Lyta so badly, just like they had Talia, for similar reasons.
@@jarowan Oh no, the masses he would have thrown at her would be mundanes. He doesn't need P12 TPs, as the sheer act of - whatever she did - was straining her. Had nothing to do with the telepathic strength of her opponent. When I remember the Ironheart-Episode, this guy's ability to do what Lyta (probably) did was ripping his flesh apart. I think that the tradeoff for keeping her body was... less stamina?
@@xellos5262 With Ironheart, I think Psi Corp had managed to damage the Vorlon weapon safety interlocks, and he starting to cook off. Lyta, on the other hand, was adjusted by the Vorlons directly, so she wasn't so much at risk of falling apart.
Bester: "the captain's opinion not withstanding, the badge and the uniform do provide certain advantages..." Garibaldi: "you mean like intimidation?" Bester: "absolutely! Just like, your badge... and your uniform."
Loved how in situations like this he just doesn't bother to fight it. Just goes along with it to get things moving. He picks his confrontations carefully and doesn't waist energy on frivolous arguments that will just waist time and energy. Even puts a jovial spin on things like this.
Always loved how Koenig was able to move from being the affable Slavic officer in Star Trek to the sarcastic jerk with a hundred sick burns on deck. Few characters in Sci-Fi have been able to balance out being likable and detestable so evenly while going to both extremes. One of several reasons why I liked this show better than Deep Space Nine.
While I too have a soft spot for Babylon 5, there is a difference in context when compared to Star Trek. To me, Babylon 5 was a complete "kit", with a clear beginning, story, and an ending as one turns the last page of a good book. DS9 was a continuation of an existing franchise, which in theory, has no end. But! While yes, was rough in the beginning, evolved into a wonderful adventure.
@@tailgunner2 Don’t get me wrong, The Dominion War was a brilliant move by Berman and his crew that built well off the TNG mythos. My main criticism of DS9 was that the primary cast wasn’t as strong, I though Sisko was a weak lead when compared to both Picard and Sheridan/Sinclair.
My all time favourite recurring TV character and the Showrunner got his number of appearances just about perfect. Dominated every episode he appeared in, perfectly played by Koenig.
What a great actor, and great writing. Bester was, imo, the most memorable villain in B5. So cynical and hateable but the one episode from his Pov made him relatable. And then the whole struggle with Garibaldi. B5 is full of gems but Bester is definitely one of them.
if you ever read the books, you can find out a lot of his backstory and what happened to him afterwards. You get a small amount of sympathy for what he must have gone through to make him what he became.
He always had very specific reasons and goals for everything he did, even if his methods were questionable at times, and detestable at others. But there was always purpose behind his actions, sometimes semi decent motivations as well. Still didn't stop him from being the kind of guy you just want drop kick down the length of the central hub.
I remember as a kid seeing the movie Moontrap, and realizing that the actor just did the accent for Star Trek. I just legit thought for the show they'd gotten a actual Russian actor(even though as a kid I knew in the 60s Russia and America weren't on great terms). Hell, I thought James Doohan was a Scottish actor in that sense as well.
@@amandaburnside1825 Oh, I know that now. I just literally more thought they'd gotten literally a actor from Russia as a kid. :) Just like Anton Yelchin was of Russian heritage. RIP.
@@JnEricsonx I like to think that they ( the producers) did that on purpose. I mean, it makes sense that they would choose Walter and Anton because of that. Can't really say that about the other actors/ characters, though.
@@MM22966 As far as physique goes, yes, Arnold would be a good Khan. Still, I doubt that Arnold could bring the "superior intellect" to the table. Talking was just not his strong side in the 80s. In 1982 he just did Conan the Barbarian.
@@PeterLGଈ I wonder if Walter was deliberately referencing Montalban's Khan acting style for this? I can't recall seeing him in anything else, so I don't know what he is like acting different roles.
@@steveaustin2686 yep because she was vorlon enhanced the fact is the vorlon's seeded telepathy among sentient races the idea being they would naturally become a more dominant gene as people would want telepathic offspring to give them an edge so when the vorlons modifed her she went beyond p12 or 13 and became a whole new level and type of telepath we never actually see her full range of powers but the implication is she was a more stable version of jason ironheart or at least one stage below what he became so if she really went for it she could probably have just killed him with a thought.
@@naturelass Agreed. The rogue teep in the Crusade flashback with Lt Matheson who had to get the sleepers every 2 hours was supposed to Lyta, but Pat Tallman wasn't available.
I think this bit of acting really showed that Walter Koenig was typed cast after the Chekov character. It would have nice to see him more diverse characters. Bester was one of the best characters in B5.
1:45 - I think Sheridan is one of the few people … Bester cannot best. “I'm thinking it over” as a reply to Bester's explanation, why Sheridan should not blow him out of the sky, gosh, I _love_ it when you see that Bester is getting nervous… Yep, Sheridan can be really savage.
Walter Koenig did an absolute wonderful job inhabiting this character. Read the novels which centered around the Bester character later and would always hear his voice in my head as i was reading them.
Ironic, I thought the opposite is true. Bester would come up with hurtful comebacks to cause an emotional reaction and thus ride it into a scan without them knowing. Lita and Talia both said strong emotional reactions to thinks are harder to block and telepaths can often use that to sneak a scan that way.
"I'm a Telepath! Work it out!" Good Lord! Walter Koenig delivering it with such coldness and sarcasm in his voice. honestly paramount just lost a golden opportunity to make Chekhov into something really big like Quark or Garak.
Bester always have been one of my Favorite B5 characters. He always stole the show when he in an Episode. Walter Koenig is an amazing actor that's sadly very often side lined.
The Swedish translation of "hiring from the shallow end of the gene pool" was inspired: "välja de små valörerna på genbanken." Directly translated back, it is "choose the small denominations at the gene bank."
I read some B5 books afterwards involving Bester. Gives a lot of background info, and you understand why he's a jerk. It's a defense mechanism for how lonely he was and rejected all the time when younger, because he was such an incredibly powerful telepath. Its like if a kid has a high IQ and everyone around him can't relate to him, and kids, well, are kids, etc.
Bester, played by Mr. Koenig is probably my favorite character in B5. Absolute evil in the beginning, then later, his emotions start to surface, his true belief that everything he does is the best for the corps and those like him. The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father!"
Koenig was a friend of JMS’s girlfriend at the time and warned them that Paramount had stolen his idea and was about to release Deep Space 9. JMS had pitched B5 to Paramount years earlier and they had rejected it.
I'd heard the story about them stealing the idea, which is a story I happen to believe, but never knew this about Koenig saying something before DS9 was released. Thank you for sharing!
To this day I don't understand why they treated her the way they did. She was a part of the team, so why was she not earning at least a basic income? Was it for no other reason than her being a telepath? I'd hate to think the crew would be spitefully prejudiced in such a way.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrin If nothing else, she should've gone to Minbar and been a respected veteran ferchrissakes. Yeah, it's one of the big shames of B5. I blame in part the season 4/5 brouhaha when JMS was forced to condense basically 3-4 seasons worth of material into 2 because of greedy studio execs. JUST FRICKING PAY THE MAN WHO WAS MAKING THE BEST GOSH DARN SCIFI SERIES OF ALL TIME.
I like to think Garibaldi, knowing it would be picked up, thought his words at him in big bright Las Vegas neon sign letters just especially for Bester.
Though a 'villain' I always LOVED Bester. He was quick witted and Walter Koenig did such a brilliant job giving him so many layers. Though Koenig is most remembered as Chekov in Star Trek, I hope future generations fully appreciate his amazing performances in Babylon 5.
This man dies after a statue of him is put up. Mind, he's in a cell, overlooking the statue, with his parents, some of the first people to fight for teep rights, holding the 'unknown baby'. He dies knowing that everything he fought for, everything he sacrificed for, was worthless, and he was completely forgotten by all but his enemies, because he had no friends left. And it was all because of his own ego. If he'd just unalived Mr. Garibaldi in that tube train on Mars, he'd have been the one to guide his people, maybe even all of humanity, into a new age, with him at its head. But if he'd done that, no one, anywhere, would have known how smart he was, to twist the machinations of Shadows, Vorlons, and all the powers of the galaxy, to fit his ends. And he needed SOMEONE to know how brilliant he was. And when he was buried, Garibaldi, who was heralded as a champion of Teep rights, thanks to his assistance to Leeta, placed a stake on the grave. Just in case.
Well with the captain behind him with no lign of sight, he could not read the captain, and their exchanges till that point had been tolerable at best. He could not be sure the captain wouldn't give in to emotional satisfaction over curiosity and strategic gain. It also was telling that the captain knew better than to approach head on.
Sheridan got the best of that third one; Bester’s potential mistake was assuming that the satisfaction of blowing him out of the sky would be brief, rather than a happy memory to enjoy for years to come.
I can see it now. Twenty years later Lorien comes to get Sheridan and asks if he has any regrets. Sheridan thinks back over his life, then smiles when he remembers blasting Bester to dust and thinks to himself "Totally worth it".
I met Walter Koenig, and I said, "Hiya Alfie good to see you again." He laughed, and I guess he thought it was funny. I can think is he must have a good sense of humor.
@@SMAXZO I've little doubt why Bester was nervous in that moment. He would have known who and what Star Killer was, and what he was capable of. Telepathy can only get you so far in single combat. At some point, the Mundane opponent stops thinking and relies on instinct and muscle memory.
Funny thing is Walter took a bit of Bester into him playing Chekov in STO (Chekov turns out to be a Temporal Agent, so you work with him a few times during the Temporal War arc). course, by that point, he's Captain Chekov.
He finds that out during the meeting but of course he does not say anything and barely reacts when he finds himself blocked by the "P5" in the room. The need to update their files on her.
I think that was why Sheriden took so long. Weighing in not only curiosity, but how useful Bester might be, vs the potential threat he represented. The crew were able to work with and make use of him, but he was also dangerous. They knew full well he was only 'on their side' when it served his interests.
after treating Lyta Alexander wrong, using the telepaths only, the greatest mistake from Sheridan was not to destroy Alfred Bester as he was able for (blowing out from the sky)
@@fighterck6241 or gain a valuable asset for further deals with Bester. Once Bester's true love as onboard, Bester had a vested interest in protecting B5 to a degree.
Bester is a bit of a prick, but nobody could deny his way with words and sarcasm is second to none😆also the vision of Bester filled with sweets and being bright and cheerful is certainly very contrasting, this guys great🤣😅
In the same episode is a great moment when Garibaldi is hypocritical and Bester points out how Garibaldi also uses his uniform and badge to intimidate.
He did write most of them himself, but there were a few he brought in someone else to write. I don't remember if it was online or a special on one of the DVDs, but I saw a video once where station medical personnel were rushing JMS down the hall on a gurney while clutching a keyboard.
I'm a fan of Star Trek. I'm a fan Star Wars. (why can't we all get along? anyway) I'm a fan of Babylon 5. Taking into account what has become of the Trek and Wars franchises, I definitely believe B5 is the best of both worlds. *wink* Or even all worlds. Thank you for your attention. 🛸🚀✨
Thank you for keeping room in your heart for all those franchises. Babylon 5 is my favorite, but I enjoy Star Trek and Star Wars as well. I don't understand why people seem to think you can only like one franchise at a time.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Perhaps the biggest reveal of Babylon 5 was discovering, "Holy Crap! Walter Koenig can act his socks off!"
I love the original Star Trek series, but one of it's shortfalls was that it rarely gave any of the regulars except Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley a chance to show what good actors they really were. I always figured they were all much better than they got to show on Star Trek, so I was delighted that Walter Koenig got such a meaty and fun role on B5. He played Bester to the hilt! Glad to find out he loved doing so.
They gave him a very meaty role and he did it wonderfully.
They say the day after Bester died and was buried, an unknown figure, possibly bald, was seen digging up his corpse and driving a stake through his heart...just to make sure.
I'm surprised he didn't straight up burn him to ash.
I always got the feeling that Bester enjoyed 'crossing swords' with Garibaldi, Bester's interactions with other characters was because he had to go down to the level of the mundane and it was a chore, but with Garibaldi, it was amusement.
@@MarkJohnson-ro1ed Oh, he definitely enjoyed provoking Garibaldi. Such as that one time he scanned him in front of Lyta knowing she would say something, then smiling like the Cheshire cat after he confronts him then gets hauled off by security.
did they ever say when bester died? i'd assume during the telepath war, but was that ever confirmed?
@@oldfrend It is shown in the Psi-corp book trilogy. He survived the war, went into hiding, but was eventually found and imprisoned where he eventually died.
babylon5.fandom.com/wiki/Psi_Corps_Trilogy
Walter Koenig should be proud of the work he did in this show. Although a secondary character, fans could never get enough of Bester.
He really liked the role. In interviews, Walter Koenig said that even though he wasn't in that many episodes he always liked that every time he did show up, he got to move the plot along and do something noteworthy.
There is no one better, that's why he is called Best and played by a King.
To think. JMS originally was going to cast him as the guy who kidnapped Sinclair. And after something came up and couldn't do that. He was given the role as Bester instead. Best choice they made for sure.
Think if I recall it was a heart attack and he called him to say he could not and he was tolled they find something else and they wanted him and Bester was created for him as they wanted Walter in B5
@@Wenchework yea cause JMS really wanted Walter in Bab 5 and it was a great choice.
"I'm a telepath, work it out!" must be Bester's version of "I'm a locksmith and I'm a locksmith!" 😁
The greatest line in all of comedy.
Did anyone ever take Chekov seriously? Did anyone ever NOT take Bester seriously? A huge difference in characters and what a change by Walter Koenig.
Gotta love an actor who can actually play other people than themselves.
JMS said that when he first met Koenig, he knew from the start that he could be so much more than Chekov. No disrespect meant to Checkov's character, of course, he meant he could be more than just comic relief.
The opening scene here is proof of that. Absolute savage.
also it has bean proven based off what he did to garibaldi that he dosnt care for any human life unless you are a telepath one of his people. normal people he couldn't care less.
I think the fact that you always know this is the actor who played Chekov makes him even CREEPIER here.
"she's a P5. If I were really going to try something, she's not strong enough to block me anyway"
Laughs in Vorlon
If anything she's a P100 or Greater. If Bester had poked the bear a few more times he would have found out. The Hard Way.
@@RobertWilke he kind of learned that. Why else would he offer her contract under condition her body to be donated to the Corps after death
@@RobertWilke it looks like it works on a log scale ie every 1 increment is 10 fold
@@kreb7 she is the telepath equivalent of a doomsday device.
@@kreb7 The Vorlon removed any limitations that would allow her to be classified under any such measurable scale. As @rizon72 said, she is a biological doomsday device. Thinking of her as a mere "scorched earth" bomb is like believing the black hole at the center of the galaxy feels like it has a slightly stronger pull than a magnet held in your hand.
''Anatomically impossible, Mr. Garibaldi. But you're welcome to try.''
One of my all-time favorite Bester lines and it was in just his first episode.
The intrigue of that line ...
@@perfectsplit5515 Actually, an incredible detail of character consistency.
Think about Garibaldi's favourite pastime ...
@@Nala15-Artist “favorite pastime”
Drinking?
@@perfectsplit5515 Pretty much the only way to have "go fuck yourself" on cable TV in the '90s...
@@perfectsplit5515 Like in my brother's case Garibaldi's " falling off the wagon " was the result of imprisonment and torture.
1:36 I love that Sheridan was the one person who seems to genuinely have *unsettled* Bester at times.
"I'm thinking it over"
Bester: We're not expendable. Mundanes are.
Garibaldi: That would be us.
Bester: Got it in one, Mr. Garibaldi.
Ship of Tears.
I often wondered if Garibaldi was a latent, and Bester picked up on that.
@@chrismaguire3667 He never picked up on Ivanova being a latent/low level Psi.
Oh, the Master Race! I'm a Ukrainian Reb so don't get me started on the Master Race! 🤣
Well, considering Anakin the Loser never picked up that Leia was his daughter while he was interrogating and torturing her I think we can forgive Bester.
Oh man. When he just steps inside, says "Anatomically impossible, Mr. Garibaldi." and the ambient music hits. Straight chills.
Although I could never forgive what his character did to Garibaldi l absolutely enjoyed Walter Koenig's portrayal of him. I actually liked this character better than his role as Chekhov.
Pretty sure bester taking control of the brainwashing, is the reason Garibaldi not only lives, but gets a best end.
Bester was just a better written character. Chekhov was a fine co-starring character, but it took time for people to really like him and care for him.
Walter Koenig is very politically correct these days about his years on star trek, but when he was younger he said as a guest star on B5 he played a complex deep character which was real and enjoyable to play...while multiple seasons and movies on trek he played a 2dimensional cardboard character which was sterile and required little acting. And was NOT enjoyable to play...though somewhat profitable.
Way better character just like most characters in B5.
You scare me. You knew what I was thinking. Me too. I believe Walter Koenig also said he liked playing Bester over Chekov as well.
Gotta love these dark gray characters. Bester was bad, but damn if his reasons didn't make sense. You loved to hate him, yet he still made him likable.
Even more so after reading the books. He basically just wanted to feel like he belonged, but even other telepaths constantly belittled and betrayed him until finally the only thing that mattered to him was his mission.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrin I liked the psi Corp books. Yeah, he was out of place, and ended up a man with a mission and finally mostly alone, wanted, and hunted by Mr. garibaldi. Through it has been some years. Need to reread them.
Because of Bester i wanted to be a telepath. Instead the Psi Corp made me watch youtube for illicit content and report back to them.
One of the reason Babylon 5 works so well is everyone is a fully fleshed out. No one is unidimensional, except maybe Byron to an extent. No one acts without reasons the character should.
@@joehealy6376 remember, no one here is exactly as they appear
Later in that same scene Bester tries to scan everybody but is blocked at every turn and when he looks at Lita he can't scan her either and than realizes he's made a mistake and she isn't a P5 but something more.
If I remember correctly it's her contact with Kosh but I could be wrong
@@Necromonger69 Nope you're correct. She went to the Vorlon's home world where she got a huge up grade to some level where she's considered a Doomsday weapon. She reveals that Garibaldi while she's in jail/brig 👍
@@55Quirll Yes you're correct.
I remember playing the old B5 CCG and there was a card that did this - switched an existing telepath to a P15.
I liked putting it on Ivanova.
@@Justanotherconsumer "Ivanova is god."
Its not just how he delivers its also the expressions and mannerisms. I just love how in B5 they just let Walter go at it Bester is one of the best villains on TV i liked him in Star Trek but in B5 he was astonishing.
The Corps Is Mother, the Corps Is Father
I feel Babylon 5 created and sustained an atmosphere that challenged actors in new ways and really let them shine. Even those that were only in one episode are memorable.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrin Neroon is one of those characters John Vickery played him only in 5 episodes and he is more memorable than some characters are in lead roles on other series.
Other one would be Zathras who was only in handful of episodes and is still quoted and loved after 25 years.
@@Fydron I'm planning on doing a Zathras video next. Whenever I think about what scenes I'm going to use, it ends up being pretty much all of them.
@@Fydron Yeah, but which Zathras?
@@Fydron but which one? Zathrås, Zathrás or Zathrâs? We see three on screen and there's supposedly six or seven more. No idea what _thier_ names are of course 🤣
Oh, snap. Bester was always one of my fav "love-to-hate" characters, on ANY television show. Thanks for the upload! 😄
"I'm a telepath...work it out."
Best line Koenig had in the entire series, but I also like, "Mr. Garabaldi, on a scale of one to ten, how stupid do you think I am?"
I like how at that point he didn't care to even pretend like he followed the rules.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrin Not society's rules, but his own.
The Teeps were his peeps and if a thousand mundanes had to die to save one telepath, oh well.
Psychotic- yes. Sadistic- yes. Stupid- no way. One of the most brilliant evil minds I've ever encountered.
11.
@@tatianalyulkin410 He was never sadistic. Or psychotic even. Sociopathic, yes, but there wasn't really malice behind anything he did, which is the scariest thing about him.
The moment he played on Babylon 5, he stopped being Chekov to me and forever became Bester. "Anatomically impossible, Mr. Garibaldi. But you're welcome to try."
There's a scene in season 5 I believe, where Bester tries to scan Lyta, and she slaps him telepathically. He's astonished and asks if she actually slapped him by moving air, or convincing his mind that he (a P12) had been slapped. Either way is extraordinary.
It's in Season 5 when the blood hound units come to round up the rogues. The part right after was even better, when he noticed that it weakened her and asked how often she can do this, and how many people he need to order from earth before she gets overwhelmed by numbers. That was a power move if I've ever seen one :D
@@xellos5262 If they actually had that many P12s, they wouldn't be manipulating things behind the scenes, they'd flat out rule the world. Which is, of course, why they wanted to dissect Lyta so badly, just like they had Talia, for similar reasons.
@@jarowan Oh no, the masses he would have thrown at her would be mundanes. He doesn't need P12 TPs, as the sheer act of - whatever she did - was straining her. Had nothing to do with the telepathic strength of her opponent. When I remember the Ironheart-Episode, this guy's ability to do what Lyta (probably) did was ripping his flesh apart. I think that the tradeoff for keeping her body was... less stamina?
@@xellos5262 With Ironheart, I think Psi Corp had managed to damage the Vorlon weapon safety interlocks, and he starting to cook off. Lyta, on the other hand, was adjusted by the Vorlons directly, so she wasn't so much at risk of falling apart.
@@felixautomaton5314 It's a pity they didn't bring Ironheart back to help Lyta and the free Psychics go to Vorlon space.
Bester: "the captain's opinion not withstanding, the badge and the uniform do provide certain advantages..."
Garibaldi: "you mean like intimidation?"
Bester: "absolutely! Just like, your badge... and your uniform."
One of my favorite Bester quotes. He is just fantastic! :)
I still always like his line of, " hello I trust my usual quaters in the brig are ready."
"For you, Mr Bester, always!"
"Brig" I presume you meant (damned auto-correct gets me all the time too)
Loved how in situations like this he just doesn't bother to fight it. Just goes along with it to get things moving. He picks his confrontations carefully and doesn't waist energy on frivolous arguments that will just waist time and energy. Even puts a jovial spin on things like this.
"I'm thinking it over."
Very relatable
"Trust me, it won't be brief." Just can't compete with silence... Which I think is only because he actually looks concerned there for a moment.
Instead of Crusade I wish we would have gotten a series based on the telepath wars with Bester as a regular character.
My favorite exchange
Bester: We're not expendable. Mundanes are.
Garibaldi: That would be us.
Bester: Got it in one , Mr. Garibaldi.
"Haven't we learned by now to trust each other?"
"No. Now sit."
Best exchange
That pinata come back was always my favorite
I've always wondered what Garibaldi was going to say back.
Mine too. I used a variation of it once. Went over the other person's head. I was such a dork then. Lol
Nothing. Nichego. Bubkes. Bester got him 120%. 🤣
Always loved how Koenig was able to move from being the affable Slavic officer in Star Trek to the sarcastic jerk with a hundred sick burns on deck. Few characters in Sci-Fi have been able to balance out being likable and detestable so evenly while going to both extremes. One of several reasons why I liked this show better than Deep Space Nine.
While I too have a soft spot for Babylon 5, there is a difference in context when compared to Star Trek.
To me, Babylon 5 was a complete "kit", with a clear beginning, story, and an ending as one turns the last page of a good book.
DS9 was a continuation of an existing franchise, which in theory, has no end.
But! While yes, was rough in the beginning, evolved into a wonderful adventure.
@@tailgunner2 Don’t get me wrong, The Dominion War was a brilliant move by Berman and his crew that built well off the TNG mythos. My main criticism of DS9 was that the primary cast wasn’t as strong, I though Sisko was a weak lead when compared to both Picard and Sheridan/Sinclair.
I don't know about that, garak had a love hate thing going on, so did quark.
@@hellsunicorn really, i thought he was getting better when he got the beard and bald style.
I agree, but...Chekov wasn't Slavic. He was Russian.
My all time favourite recurring TV character and the Showrunner got his number of appearances just about perfect. Dominated every episode he appeared in, perfectly played by Koenig.
For me it was Q as my favourite till they turned him into a clown on Voyager. Since then it's Commander Shran from Enterprise.
he was such a lusciously evil character in B5.
What a great actor, and great writing. Bester was, imo, the most memorable villain in B5. So cynical and hateable but the one episode from his Pov made him relatable. And then the whole struggle with Garibaldi. B5 is full of gems but Bester is definitely one of them.
if you ever read the books, you can find out a lot of his backstory and what happened to him afterwards. You get a small amount of sympathy for what he must have gone through to make him what he became.
I'm on S5 of Bab5 and I have to say you couldn't pry my eyes from the screen when he was in a scene. And he was always the star of rhe scene.
He always had very specific reasons and goals for everything he did, even if his methods were questionable at times, and detestable at others. But there was always purpose behind his actions, sometimes semi decent motivations as well. Still didn't stop him from being the kind of guy you just want drop kick down the length of the central hub.
Walter Koenig played this character to absolute perfection.
I remember as a kid seeing the movie Moontrap, and realizing that the actor just did the accent for Star Trek. I just legit thought for the show they'd gotten a actual Russian actor(even though as a kid I knew in the 60s Russia and America weren't on great terms). Hell, I thought James Doohan was a Scottish actor in that sense as well.
@@JnEricsonx Walter is of Russian descent. Why doesn't anyone know this?
@@amandaburnside1825 Oh, I know that now. I just literally more thought they'd gotten literally a actor from Russia as a kid. :) Just like Anton Yelchin was of Russian heritage. RIP.
@@JnEricsonx I like to think that they ( the producers) did that on purpose. I mean, it makes sense that they would choose Walter and Anton because of that. Can't really say that about the other actors/ characters, though.
So is JMS. Don't be fooled by his Polish last name- my teach identifies as a Russian anti Putin " Ukrainian Loyalist ".
Babylon 5 made me realize that Walter Koenig would have unironically made a good Khan Noonian Singh.
I disagree, because Koenig could not rock Ricardo Montalban's "chest of justice".
@@luna-hw9li By that standard, we could use Arnold Schwarzenegger! Schwarzenegger for Khan!!! Surely a case of genetic FITNESS, LOL!!!
@@MM22966 As far as physique goes, yes, Arnold would be a good Khan. Still, I doubt that Arnold could bring the "superior intellect" to the table. Talking was just not his strong side in the 80s. In 1982 he just did Conan the Barbarian.
That was who came to mind during the Piñata scene. Very strong KNS vibes with his expression.
@@PeterLGଈ I wonder if Walter was deliberately referencing Montalban's Khan acting style for this? I can't recall seeing him in anything else, so I don't know what he is like acting different roles.
"She's just a blip".
Oh, Bester. You have no idea how wrong you are...
IIRC, didn't she slap him down right at the table as he tried to read the others.
@@steveaustin2686 yep because she was vorlon enhanced the fact is the vorlon's seeded telepathy among sentient races the idea being they would naturally become a more dominant gene as people would want telepathic offspring to give them an edge so when the vorlons modifed her she went beyond p12 or 13 and became a whole new level and type of telepath we never actually see her full range of powers but the implication is she was a more stable version of jason ironheart or at least one stage below what he became so if she really went for it she could probably have just killed him with a thought.
@@naturelass Agreed. The rogue teep in the Crusade flashback with Lt Matheson who had to get the sleepers every 2 hours was supposed to Lyta, but Pat Tallman wasn't available.
“She’s not powerful enough to block me anyway.” *five minutes later* “so explain to me again why Bester’s head is now inside out?”
That was the point. Bester knew that if she could stop him, then the Vorlons did something to her.
You missed one of the best one from Season 5.
"and if Garabaldi is killed?"
"...Zack gets his room?"
I think this bit of acting really showed that Walter Koenig was typed cast after the Chekov character. It would have nice to see him more diverse characters. Bester was one of the best characters in B5.
I really miss this show. And I really miss Bester.
They should have added the scene where he ask about about usual accommodations.
This man should have got more roles as a villain. He played sinister character perfectly.
1:45 - I think Sheridan is one of the few people … Bester cannot best. “I'm thinking it over” as a reply to Bester's explanation, why Sheridan should not blow him out of the sky, gosh, I _love_ it when you see that Bester is getting nervous… Yep, Sheridan can be really savage.
Bester's name comes from Alfred Bester, the novelist who invented psy-cops in the Demolished Man novel which is a psy-cop investigating a murder case.
Walter Koenig did an absolute wonderful job inhabiting this character. Read the novels which centered around the Bester character later and would always hear his voice in my head as i was reading them.
He appeared a few times in the short-lived series 'Star Lost'.
I don't even know whether Koenig was using his real-life speaking voice as Bester, but I so enjoy Bester's voice.
Babylon 5 will never die!
God I love Bester. His my favorite character of all time. Too bad we never get his funny expressions no more. Babylon 5 is the best series ever.
Bester needed to be charged with grand theft show every time he popped up :D
I like to think Bester regularly used his powers to probe everyone to best hit them where it hurts with his comebacks.
Never thought of it that way, but now that you say it, I have no doubt it's true.
Ironic, I thought the opposite is true. Bester would come up with hurtful comebacks to cause an emotional reaction and thus ride it into a scan without them knowing. Lita and Talia both said strong emotional reactions to thinks are harder to block and telepaths can often use that to sneak a scan that way.
@@AgentExeider It could even go both ways
I've only just noticed that the pause he uses are in the same places....that....Shatner would....have...USED.
The Shatner comma, indeed.
"I'm a Telepath! Work it out!" Good Lord! Walter Koenig delivering it with such coldness and sarcasm in his voice. honestly paramount just lost a golden opportunity to make Chekhov into something really big like Quark or Garak.
Had to be the most likable bad guy in all of television history.
Bester always have been one of my Favorite B5 characters. He always stole the show when he in an Episode. Walter Koenig is an amazing actor that's sadly very often side lined.
Babylon 5 - best. Series. Ever.
Plus serious shoutout to Walter for turning Bester into the most punchable little shit in the Galaxy! Well done, Sir.
It does take talent to make a villain shine so well. You love them as a villain, and also want to field goal them down the length of the station.
Bester was one of those characters that you just love to hate.
2:47 I'm a learned individual and even I don't know that one. Its like quoting Machiavelli and expecting people to know.
He was arrogant. He not only saw "mundanes" as expendable and obsolete, but he also assumed that they were all idiots.
he was so nice in Star Trek, here you want to see him thrown out air lock after the first meeting.
I love Bester, he is the villain you can't help but like, but Sheridan had better come backs haha.
The Swedish translation of "hiring from the shallow end of the gene pool" was inspired: "välja de små valörerna på genbanken." Directly translated back, it is "choose the small denominations at the gene bank."
I like that version better
The small unmarked units of currency.
Khan: I Always Remember a face, isn't that right, MR. CHEKOV?
Bester: Hmmm, you must be some kind of psychic!
Chekov : We are looking for nuclear wessel
Bester stares cold at him
Chekov : eh, nevermind
People are still posting about B5? SWEET!
Bester, one of Sfi-fi's best villains played by one of the most iconic Sci-fi actors. Mr. Koenig is a legend.
Pretty sure Koenig had more dialog in one of his appearances as Bester than all of his appearances as Chekov. Movies included...
I read some B5 books afterwards involving Bester. Gives a lot of background info, and you understand why he's a jerk. It's a defense mechanism for how lonely he was and rejected all the time when younger, because he was such an incredibly powerful telepath. Its like if a kid has a high IQ and everyone around him can't relate to him, and kids, well, are kids, etc.
Bester, played by Mr. Koenig is probably my favorite character in B5. Absolute evil in the beginning, then later, his emotions start to surface, his true belief that everything he does is the best for the corps and those like him. The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father!"
Have you read the Psi-Corp Trilogy? Those books humanize him even more and make it really easy to sympathize or even empathize with him.
Babylon 5 was the last of the sci fi series. There would never be another.
Let's see what the reboot looks like... 🤔
Koenig was a friend of JMS’s girlfriend at the time and warned them that Paramount had stolen his idea and was about to release Deep Space 9. JMS had pitched B5 to Paramount years earlier and they had rejected it.
I'd heard the story about them stealing the idea, which is a story I happen to believe, but never knew this about Koenig saying something before DS9 was released. Thank you for sharing!
I forgot Lyta was there.
Really shameful how they abandoned her after the war.
To this day I don't understand why they treated her the way they did. She was a part of the team, so why was she not earning at least a basic income? Was it for no other reason than her being a telepath? I'd hate to think the crew would be spitefully prejudiced in such a way.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrin If nothing else, she should've gone to Minbar and been a respected veteran ferchrissakes. Yeah, it's one of the big shames of B5.
I blame in part the season 4/5 brouhaha when JMS was forced to condense basically 3-4 seasons worth of material into 2 because of greedy studio execs. JUST FRICKING PAY THE MAN WHO WAS MAKING THE BEST GOSH DARN SCIFI SERIES OF ALL TIME.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrinIt had more to do with the fact that she was tied to the Vorlons than her being a teep in the end.
0:26 the moment Bester sees (in Garibaldi's mind) that it's not so anatomically impossible
I like to think Garibaldi, knowing it would be picked up, thought his words at him in big bright Las Vegas neon sign letters just especially for Bester.
Though a 'villain' I always LOVED Bester. He was quick witted and Walter Koenig did such a brilliant job giving him so many layers. Though Koenig is most remembered as Chekov in Star Trek, I hope future generations fully appreciate his amazing performances in Babylon 5.
Walter Koenig is such a legend. Guy had a key part to play in two legendary scifi-shows; who can say the same?
Probably Bill Mumy : B5, Lost in Space, Twilight zone
This man dies after a statue of him is put up. Mind, he's in a cell, overlooking the statue, with his parents, some of the first people to fight for teep rights, holding the 'unknown baby'. He dies knowing that everything he fought for, everything he sacrificed for, was worthless, and he was completely forgotten by all but his enemies, because he had no friends left.
And it was all because of his own ego. If he'd just unalived Mr. Garibaldi in that tube train on Mars, he'd have been the one to guide his people, maybe even all of humanity, into a new age, with him at its head. But if he'd done that, no one, anywhere, would have known how smart he was, to twist the machinations of Shadows, Vorlons, and all the powers of the galaxy, to fit his ends. And he needed SOMEONE to know how brilliant he was.
And when he was buried, Garibaldi, who was heralded as a champion of Teep rights, thanks to his assistance to Leeta, placed a stake on the grave. Just in case.
He also assumed that the girlfriend he had when he was in hiding wouldn't support him and wiped her memory, making her into yet another enemy.
Koenig's BEST performance EVER.
"I'm thinking it over" has some TeamFourStar vibes.
1:41 The brief moment Mr Bester was ever worried...
Well with the captain behind him with no lign of sight, he could not read the captain, and their exchanges till that point had been tolerable at best. He could not be sure the captain wouldn't give in to emotional satisfaction over curiosity and strategic gain. It also was telling that the captain knew better than to approach head on.
Bester, the king of trolls
He was a really creepy and intimidating character. It seemed like he was always in control.
Bester is just the right WESSEL for snappy comebacks.;-D
Sheridan got the best of that third one; Bester’s potential mistake was assuming that the satisfaction of blowing him out of the sky would be brief, rather than a happy memory to enjoy for years to come.
I can see it now.
Twenty years later Lorien comes to get Sheridan and asks if he has any regrets. Sheridan thinks back over his life, then smiles when he remembers blasting Bester to dust and thinks to himself "Totally worth it".
I met Walter Koenig, and I said, "Hiya Alfie good to see you again." He laughed, and I guess he thought it was funny. I can think is he must have a good sense of humor.
Great show! had fine times in my 20's as a bachelor with B5
Bester war immer ein Highlight in der Serie. Wobei Babylon 5 voller Höhepunkte war. Die womöglich beste Sci fi serie aller zeiten.
Honestly, at 1:40 I'd say that Sheridan had the better comeback there by not saying anything and 'thinking it over'.
Hell, I think that's the only time I know Bester was ever worried. I mean, Sheridan would've have as Bester put it "blow him out of the sky"
@@SMAXZO I've little doubt why Bester was nervous in that moment. He would have known who and what Star Killer was, and what he was capable of. Telepathy can only get you so far in single combat. At some point, the Mundane opponent stops thinking and relies on instinct and muscle memory.
It's funny that by the end of season 3, Bester hates just as much to come to Babylon 5 as the others hate to see him on board.
Loved Walter in B5. Such a great character and played to perfection by Walter.
Funny thing is Walter took a bit of Bester into him playing Chekov in STO (Chekov turns out to be a Temporal Agent, so you work with him a few times during the Temporal War arc). course, by that point, he's Captain Chekov.
as it turned out, Lyta was NOT, in fact, a P5.
More like a P5000
He finds that out during the meeting but of course he does not say anything and barely reacts when he finds himself blocked by the "P5" in the room. The need to update their files on her.
"I'm thinking it over"
If I'd been in his position, I'd have had a very hard time not pulling the trigger.
I think that was why Sheriden took so long. Weighing in not only curiosity, but how useful Bester might be, vs the potential threat he represented. The crew were able to work with and make use of him, but he was also dangerous. They knew full well he was only 'on their side' when it served his interests.
Bester was one of the best characters in a great show full of great characters
When I was younger Bester was one of my favorites and he scared me so much. I think that's why.
a perfect example of a villainous PC for any RPG players out there. Lawful evil in a good party. 'Because your enemy is my enemy'
It's strange but I think I associate him more and appreciate his character more in B5 more than as Chekov in Star Trek
bester was the best. He just didn't give AF. His arrogance was well earned and he played it beautifully.
after treating Lyta Alexander wrong, using the telepaths only, the greatest mistake from Sheridan was not to destroy Alfred Bester as he was able for (blowing out from the sky)
Yeah, but then he wouldn't have had the weapon to defeat Earthforce at Mars without killing anyone.
@@fighterck6241 or gain a valuable asset for further deals with Bester. Once Bester's true love as onboard, Bester had a vested interest in protecting B5 to a degree.
@@Krahazik that too. Although that didn't keep him from screwing over Garibaldi.
I now know why he was as named Bester. He had the bestest comebacks.
Al Bester was actually named after the science fiction writer Alfred Bester.
@@stephenwales6918I bet you're a lot of fun at parties 🥳...
Bester. A Far better character than Chekov, imo.
By design; otherwise, Shatner would get upset.
1:40 - anyone else expect him to say “Keptin?”
I'd love to have seen "I'm here to save your butts! Next time, show a little gratitude."
You're right, that would have been a good one. :)
I really loved how he was introduced to Sinclair and their first exchange
Bester is a bit of a prick, but nobody could deny his way with words and sarcasm is second to none😆also the vision of Bester filled with sweets and being bright and cheerful is certainly very contrasting, this guys great🤣😅
In the same episode is a great moment when Garibaldi is hypocritical and Bester points out how Garibaldi also uses his uniform and badge to intimidate.
@@annoyed707 yeah, he's smart and because he's a bit evil he knows his to catch people out, one of the best written villains I've seen
Love this series miss it glad I have it on dvd
Love this video B5 always a classic and loved show I miss It
I remember reading in the 90s that J. Michael Straczynski wrote the script for every episode and it was equated to being a novel every week.
He did write most of them himself, but there were a few he brought in someone else to write.
I don't remember if it was online or a special on one of the DVDs, but I saw a video once where station medical personnel were rushing JMS down the hall on a gurney while clutching a keyboard.
@@AuthorDodgeMerrin Did not know that. Thanks for the info.
Dorothy Fontana wrote a couple of episodes.
Amazing.
I'm a fan of Star Trek. I'm a fan Star Wars. (why can't we all get along? anyway) I'm a fan of Babylon 5. Taking into account what has become of the Trek and Wars franchises, I definitely believe B5 is the best of both worlds. *wink* Or even all worlds. Thank you for your attention. 🛸🚀✨
Thank you for keeping room in your heart for all those franchises. Babylon 5 is my favorite, but I enjoy Star Trek and Star Wars as well. I don't understand why people seem to think you can only like one franchise at a time.
I liked those franchises as well butnifnthey did face off trek would win the space battle while wars wins the ground
That first scene with Garibaldi. Do you think this was when Bester decided to mess with Garibaldi’s head?