Season 1 is definitely the slowest paced of the show, but it has some great world building. JMS, the creator, has likened the series to being like five books. Each season has its own sub title on the DVDs. Season 1 is called "Signs and Portents." On the theme of world building, this episode really does a great job of further building what we know about the Centauri, and Londo.
And it's totally fine they take it slower - that way the viewer has a chance to get to know that new universe. The important factions and characters. See how things are and work, before all the things that will happen later. Watching it for the first time sure didn't feel slow, because it IS a well written show with great stories going on. There is so much to learn. About characters, about whole civilisations. Also, by showing us "normal" for a while makes all the changes later weigh much more.
@@commanderkruge Indeed. Season 1 acts as a "setting of the board" in the chess analogy. I've heard people tell first timers to skip over Season 1. Which, to me, is a terrible idea. So many little things are laid out in season 1.
@@OpenMawProductions Exactly. This is introducing the players and the playing field, before the match(es) start. :) Which - when done like this - is already part of the fun of the game. So to say. ^^
@@OpenMawProductions Definitely, skipping season one is a major mistake. I don't want to explicitly say the episode number, but my saying that the "What do you want?" episode is one that shouldn't be skipped.
Ah, season 1, the goofy and fun, innocent. It's especially fun on a rewatch. Important episode for Londo and Susan Ivanova. It's insane to think that a relatively small episode like this one, just running around the station and getting chased by bad guys, will play a role in later seasons. And the quote "What do you want you moon-faced assassin of joy?" is still one of the favorites of the fandom with people using it all the time.
Shes a victim. A slave that either lets herself be used for whatever her owner wants or suffers for disobedience. This was network tv so its pretty sanitized but it’s not hard to imagine the nightmare she lived. You don’t endure that kind of trauma and just move on. He actually displays pretty surprising emotional intelligence with how he handles it. Think this episode demonstrates why Londo is more than just the drunken functionary of a House living on faded glory that the first couple episodes paint him as. he’s able to see beyond the minutia of what she did and understands why she did it. Londo is also no stranger to cruelty and politics, he’s effectively a Roman noble who truly believes in Rome and is just old enough to have seen the Roman Empire at it’s height.. but knows he’s now a living witness to it’s decline. He waves off what she did so easily because it’s the kind of dirty politics he sees the decaying and corrupt Centauri Republic drowning in every day. To him the files are safe again, consequently his House and the Republic are safe for another day. Shes no threat to either any more so he feels no need to hold grudge or resentment. Rome may be a tinderbox but it won’t burn down today, might as well enjoy the fiddle music while you can. Londo’s an incredibly multi-faceted character and definitely one of the best on the show.
The fans (including me) will hype B5 - but keep a couple of things in mind :) 1. The show has of course dated to some degree, try to look past filming methods/sfx of the day. (it was ground breaking at the time) 2. It was produced under a studio system that sanitized, and also padded seasons to fit the status quo model of "case of the week" that most big procedural or sci fi shows had at the time. 3. Rewatches are incredibly rewarding... even years later. I rewatch the whole series, like reading a favourite book, at least every 2 years. Every time I find something new to appreciate. 4. The show lends itself to speculation and the fans will love hearing your wild guesses, near misses, and bullseye ideas! 5. Enjoy the ride!!!! We're with you all the way!!!
On Purple, I don't think it was explicit said in the episode, but it is a call back to ancient Rome, where the royal families were the only ones to wear purple because of the cost of the dye. So Born To The Purple for me is a reference about the Ceentauri noble houses
"Born to the Purple" is a traditional idiom meaning 'being born into a royal family' for the purple colour's association with the highest levels of aristocracy.
True First Ones, those who are genuine fans, will not spoil you. Once you become a 'First One' you will understand, we wouldn't want to ruin your take.
I've always looked at the Centauri crests more like peacocks, but lions work about as well; it's a display. As for the background stuff; yes, pay attention. Newscasts, artwork, newspapers, even background actions are all planned out, purposeful, and either move the story forward or provide world-building stuff. When it first aired, during our watch parties (since I recorded the series), we'd watch the episode, catch what we could, and then rewind and make sure we listened to each newscast and every scene with a newspaper. A couple of years ago I did another re-watch of my DVDs, and caught a detail I'd missed lo these many years of rewatching my favorite show.
Rewatching the show with future knowledge gives every episode an entirely different flavor. If you like it the first time it is going to blow your mind once you complete the series and rewatch.
The comments saying that the first season is slow, have seen the other seasons. In retrospect, they are. To a first time viewer though, you get to see each episode and judge it off only what episodes you've seen.
The Centauri Hair: Together with the VERY old-style fashion the hairdos work a little like those ridiculous powdered wigs that were hip in the olden days. Actually the clothes are a clever way to say quite a lot about where the Centauri are - they pretty much look like a 18th/19th century European monarchy, around the time before World War I began and suddenly the time for Monarchies was mostly over... And Molari said so himself: In the past the Centauri were this big empire, ruling many planets (not just the Narn) - but times change... Which is a dangerous situation. Here in Europe we have, right now, a sad reminder of what happens when nations dream of their former glory going on. The parallels are eery, up to the old style golden palace rooms Putin plays Czar in...
Loving you guys watch this and react. I’m pleased you are already enjoying season 1. I found it hard going but after season 3 and 4 it became one of my all time favourites. Looking forward to seeing how you react to the plot developments and satisfying character arcs.
Julien: "That makes me feel like I'm stone cold or something because I had no emotions during that." Ray: "But we know your situations. We know why you are like that. We know you hate life." 🤣
What amazes me about BB5 is how well it stands up to the test of time. This show is 30 years old. Graphics and storytelling is good enough to have come out now. Sad to know how many actors have passed from this show. My only advice. Starting with season 2. Don't watch opening credits. Big spoilers in them.
Born to the purple is an expression used to describe people born into upper nobility. Purple dye was very expensive and hard to get for most of European history, so going all the way back to the Caesars, it has been an indicator of status.
@@Shadowman4710 I do recall that title. I didn’t actually watch Hill Street regularly but its influence was hard to ignore. I did watch St Elsewhere, which was often called Hill Street Hospital and featured Stephen Furst.
"Born to the purple" basically means "born to nobility". Purple was a very expensive color in ancient and medieval times, so it was reserved for the high born. In ancient rome the color purple was reserved for the emperor, an that's where the association comes from.
@@RKnights the first purple dye invented in antiquity was by the Phoenicians. You got it by grinding up a certain snail shell. It was rare and insanely expensive to create. Hence it was limited to the very rich, royalty. And by royal decree, only they could use it. Side note, Centauri costumes and uniforms are modeled on Imperial France of the late 19th Century.
Many commenters will tell you this, but I want to reinforce the concept: PAY ATTENTION. Season 1 is good if a bit uneven, but the one consistent thing is that there are very important things that are said, done, learned that will all come back in the next four seasons. Sometimes things like world building or character background are used for later major plot points. I noticed you were taking notes......you'll need them! Have fun.
Vir is my favorite character. I drop no spoilers, but y’all should keep notes of your first impressions of every character and review them after the final episode of season five. The episode title may make more sense later.
Part of why Londo was so forgiving is as we learn later He has never had this love between a man and a woman "My shoes are too tight, but it's okay because I've forgotten how to dance" Also, episode name, purple is considered the color of nobles and Londo is part of a noble house He is born to purple
This is the second TV series I've encountered where ICE is brought up. The first being Max Headroom. ICE was first introduced to the world in the cyberpunk novel that started it all, Neuromancer, as well as several short stories Gibson wrote set in The Sprawl. The term was introduced to Gibson by Tom Maddox who included it in an unfinished manuscript he allowed Gibson to read (Gibson gives him a special thank you in Neuromancer for allowing him to use the term and acronym).
@@RKnights There are a lot of great characters in this show, but the Londo/G'kar pairing is definitely my favorite. Andreas Katsulus and Peter Jurasik are incredible together as actors.
I appreciated season 1 so much more upon rewatching the series. It definitely gets better. Also, I love your enthusiasm for the show and am now subscribed to your channel.
Babylon 5 takes a lot of time to fleshen out its characters. There will be more episodes in Season 1 where character development is in the center of the plot. That's why some consider it the "weakest" of the five season - but in reality it's necessary. In contrast to Star Trek, they didn't have decades to establish a universe.
Ahh, the slightly goofy early episodes continue. Still, find myself grinning with these, all the more so with those great quips you bust out. As everyone says, early Season One can be rough, but it's usually fun, and the second half really picks up. Also, don't worry about missing stuff that may be important later on. B5 plays fair and when the callbacks happen the show puts it in a context where you can figure out what you might have missed. It just adds flavour to the stew. Good to see you're enjoying the characters, :)
Esoteric trivia: the term Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics (ICE) dates back more than 10 years before the episode was broadcast. I first encountered it in Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984), but it predates even that by a bit. The term actually has a Wikipedia page, if you’re interested (and don’t already know all this). Cheers.
6:00 House Mollari is an old and powerful House, and Londo is an Ambassador. He's got plenty of money and prestige with which to convince any even vaguely interested centauri woman into his bed. Though Adira is... special. 14:36 - 17:24 One of my favorite gags in the series, both G'kar and Londo tell their temps to "just don't give away the homeworld". 22:21 One of the most fun things in this show is watching Londo and G'kar fuck with each other. The "Born to the Purple" is a reference to Londo being born to a wealthy noble House and the purple files his family has gathered on the other Houses over the years.
About Spoilers- usually the B5 crowd is pretty good about avoiding spoilers, at least through the first season, after that it gets harder. Yes, for full enjoyment you really have to pay attention- you never know what offhand comment you hear in Season 1 may have major implications in Season 5. Sneaky that way...... Have seen others explain the phrase, so I won't again. BTW, notice what color his coat is- it's a way to remind people of his rank in spite of being at times a buffoon
Scroll down for more thoughts on what the title means, and how it applies to the sub-plots: 30:50 "Born to the Purple" means... coming into life at a high social station. Purple, in the old days, was considered the color of royalty.* ‘Born to it’ means inheriting that status, by birth into your family line. *Tidbit: in the Roman Empire, I think I heard it was illegal for anyone other than the Emperor to wear purple clothes. So, the title refers to how Londo is born into all this regal experience, with the politics, intrigue, and even backstabbing and problems that come with it. Some shades of its meaning as a title may refer to: (A) Adira is born to a new life of higher social standing, with and by receiving her freedom, by a touch of Londo and his purple status (and purple files?), (B) G’Kar’s new aide coming up and being ‘born’ into a world of higher stakes politics ("purple" level intragalactic diplomacy), (C) maybe Vir being promoted into the same thing, and (D) Susan Ivanova’s heartbreaking elevation to reconciliatory conversation with her father, being ‘born’ into a new life, relationally, with him in his last moments--here, "purple" being the color of twilight, asphyxiation (hospital-wise--literally maybe, or choking on grief?) or a funeral shroud. (And, also (E) Garibaldi is born into a cold hard awakening of understanding about Susan Ivanova, as he leaves behind his playful investigation (and light-hearted bantering with her), and enters, a ‘royal tier’ (...entering, as it were, the ‘royal’ court of human fragility, limits, and mortality-to face ‘King Death’ that comes for us all [and thus reigns over everyone]) ...and being thrown into an experience of mortality and life’s stakes, being born into a ‘higher level’ of seriousness.) 😮😅😊
Centauri are hairy people, except their women. Can you see how the Centauri corruption is a prelude to our present politics for the last 30 years? "Born to the Purple" will only make sense in the last episode after the final regular season. The "reach arounds" are epic in obscurity.
Season 1, fir me, only has a couple of bad episodes. But, the purpose of season 1 is to introduce the entire universe the story takes place, something a new Star Trek show no longer has to do, with the major powers, the political situation, the military situation, the societal situation and the historical situation for each of the major races, 5 in total. It also has to introduce the major players, of which there are about 14 in all. This is necessary so that later in the story when things of import begin to happen, you know about the characters and hopefully like some of them enough so that you care what happens to them. Season 1 is season full of character pieces along side some action sequences and a lot of background filler to accomplish this. This makes some people think it is "slow". Maybe, but it is important to give the viewers the information it needs to follow story all the way through. Season 1 is like The Fellowship of the Ring and the four Hobbits journey from the Shire to Rivendell. Along the way, you get background on them, Gandalf and Strider. You see the way the world works and hear of strange things going on in far off places. You are getting slowly introduced to Middle Earth before heading off on the big journey to Mordor and the world beyond. People think this part of the story is slow, but it also is necessary to draw the reader in so that you do care what happens. On later reads, you may skip a chapter here and there, or the whole first part, but by then you know what you need to know. In future re-watches of Babylon 5, you may skip some episodes in season 1, but at least you will already have seen them and gotten the information each on contains. Of course, if you do skip episodes, you will miss out on seeing all the threads JMS laid down in season 1 that come to life in later seasons.
Purple was traditionally considered the Royal colour and has been forbidden for common people to wear. So the title Born to the Purple means born into nobility
Not the strongest episode so far, no, but at this stage it's as much a matter of telling the story as it is a matter of establishing the characters and describing the B5 universe. It's early days.
"Born to the Purple" - Purple is a colour traditionally reserved for Kings and Bishops and so forth in the olden days, I *think* that was, because the dye was really rare and expensive. So the colour here is symbolical for the kind of life that Mollari lives in the Empire as a person of his position, I think. Stuck in all those conspiracies and political manoeuvring.
@@RKnights The first couple episodes of the season 2 intro have a spoiler. The original airing had a non-spoiler version but in the video transfer they used the later edit for everything. There is *technically* a spoiler in the S3 intro but that was always there and I don't think it tells you much without knowing the context.
@@RKnights The opening credits are not spoilers, they were intended for the viewer to watch them when the show first aired. The whole show frequently hints at future events (or possible future events?) through various prophesies, or the fact that The Gathering began with a monologue from Londo Molari from some time in the future. A lot of the fun your first time watching is to try to figure out what it is you're seeing hints of, before they happen.
@@RKnights Yeah, really don't do that. I have no idea why they put in what they did. All I will say is it shows something that you're not supposed to see till later down the line.
This may sound extreme, but my best advice is to NOT look at the comments sections of these videos, until you finish the series. That way, you can get no spoilers at all.
😆 so I shouldn't tell you that the last episodes ends with the whole crew of the Enterprise shutting off the holodeck at the end of the greatest holo-novel ever 😏
B5 season 1 is still very good it's just considered weak by comparison to the sheer brilliance that comprises season 2-4 (season 5 is kinda like season 1 in that its still actually mostly quite good but just doesnt hold a candle to the masterpiece of television that made up season 2-4 (and (without being too spoilery now you guys are well past the beginning, Sheridan is frankly just a far better captain (and frankly a much better actor) than Sinclair (or Lockley but I wont go into that further cos spoilers)
Season 1 is definitely the slowest paced of the show, but it has some great world building. JMS, the creator, has likened the series to being like five books. Each season has its own sub title on the DVDs. Season 1 is called "Signs and Portents."
On the theme of world building, this episode really does a great job of further building what we know about the Centauri, and Londo.
And it's totally fine they take it slower - that way the viewer has a chance to get to know that new universe. The important factions and characters. See how things are and work, before all the things that will happen later. Watching it for the first time sure didn't feel slow, because it IS a well written show with great stories going on. There is so much to learn. About characters, about whole civilisations.
Also, by showing us "normal" for a while makes all the changes later weigh much more.
@@commanderkruge Indeed. Season 1 acts as a "setting of the board" in the chess analogy. I've heard people tell first timers to skip over Season 1. Which, to me, is a terrible idea. So many little things are laid out in season 1.
@@OpenMawProductions Exactly. This is introducing the players and the playing field, before the match(es) start. :)
Which - when done like this - is already part of the fun of the game. So to say. ^^
@@OpenMawProductions Definitely, skipping season one is a major mistake. I don't want to explicitly say the episode number, but my saying that the "What do you want?" episode is one that shouldn't be skipped.
@@shawncatThat one, no, but also without the preceding episodes we wouldn't really care about the characters and how they behave in that episode.
True fans of this show WON'T give away any spoilers. They will not destroy the experience
Ah, season 1, the goofy and fun, innocent. It's especially fun on a rewatch. Important episode for Londo and Susan Ivanova. It's insane to think that a relatively small episode like this one, just running around the station and getting chased by bad guys, will play a role in later seasons. And the quote "What do you want you moon-faced assassin of joy?" is still one of the favorites of the fandom with people using it all the time.
Don't tell the fandom favourites, you moon faced assassin of Joy! 😉😋
I look at these episodes, and I see the innocence that went away in later seasons.
Shes a victim. A slave that either lets herself be used for whatever her owner wants or suffers for disobedience. This was network tv so its pretty sanitized but it’s not hard to imagine the nightmare she lived. You don’t endure that kind of trauma and just move on. He actually displays pretty surprising emotional intelligence with how he handles it.
Think this episode demonstrates why Londo is more than just the drunken functionary of a House living on faded glory that the first couple episodes paint him as. he’s able to see beyond the minutia of what she did and understands why she did it. Londo is also no stranger to cruelty and politics, he’s effectively a Roman noble who truly believes in Rome and is just old enough to have seen the Roman Empire at it’s height.. but knows he’s now a living witness to it’s decline. He waves off what she did so easily because it’s the kind of dirty politics he sees the decaying and corrupt Centauri Republic drowning in every day. To him the files are safe again, consequently his House and the Republic are safe for another day. Shes no threat to either any more so he feels no need to hold grudge or resentment. Rome may be a tinderbox but it won’t burn down today, might as well enjoy the fiddle music while you can.
Londo’s an incredibly multi-faceted character and definitely one of the best on the show.
Well said.
The fans (including me) will hype B5 - but keep a couple of things in mind :)
1. The show has of course dated to some degree, try to look past filming methods/sfx of the day. (it was ground breaking at the time)
2. It was produced under a studio system that sanitized, and also padded seasons to fit the status quo model of "case of the week" that most big procedural or sci fi shows had at the time.
3. Rewatches are incredibly rewarding... even years later. I rewatch the whole series, like reading a favourite book, at least every 2 years. Every time I find something new to appreciate.
4. The show lends itself to speculation and the fans will love hearing your wild guesses, near misses, and bullseye ideas!
5. Enjoy the ride!!!! We're with you all the way!!!
The lady who played Adira also was in Robocop as the Sunblock 5000 commercial girl.
Alotta Fagina in Austin Powers.
She was also in the first Austin Powers as Alotta Fagina.
On Purple, I don't think it was explicit said in the episode, but it is a call back to ancient Rome, where the royal families were the only ones to wear purple because of the cost of the dye. So Born To The Purple for me is a reference about the Ceentauri noble houses
Thanks for that detail. Completely went over my head at first, but it now makes a lot of sense.
@@RKnights Finally playing Rome Total War has been useful! See that mother, I wasn't wasting my time... ;-)
@@neilbiggs1353 lol, I think Julien plays that
There are nice, subtle references like this throughout the series. It just gives that much more context to an already deep storyline.
"Born to the Purple" is a traditional idiom meaning 'being born into a royal family' for the purple colour's association with the highest levels of aristocracy.
True First Ones, those who are genuine fans, will not spoil you. Once you become a 'First One' you will understand, we wouldn't want to ruin your take.
I've always looked at the Centauri crests more like peacocks, but lions work about as well; it's a display. As for the background stuff; yes, pay attention. Newscasts, artwork, newspapers, even background actions are all planned out, purposeful, and either move the story forward or provide world-building stuff. When it first aired, during our watch parties (since I recorded the series), we'd watch the episode, catch what we could, and then rewind and make sure we listened to each newscast and every scene with a newspaper. A couple of years ago I did another re-watch of my DVDs, and caught a detail I'd missed lo these many years of rewatching my favorite show.
The slave-owner is not a Centauri. He is a Golian, a member of one of the Centauri empire, which includes several other planets.
"moon faced assassin of joy", lol
What a great line
Flounder!
Rewatching the show with future knowledge gives every episode an entirely different flavor. If you like it the first time it is going to blow your mind once you complete the series and rewatch.
"We have a great deal in common. Adira has betrayed us both!"
"WHAT?"
EXACTLY my reaction. That slick mofo
The comments saying that the first season is slow, have seen the other seasons. In retrospect, they are. To a first time viewer though, you get to see each episode and judge it off only what episodes you've seen.
Correct, the acting and story so far have been great
The Centauri Hair: Together with the VERY old-style fashion the hairdos work a little like those ridiculous powdered wigs that were hip in the olden days.
Actually the clothes are a clever way to say quite a lot about where the Centauri are - they pretty much look like a 18th/19th century European monarchy, around the time before World War I began and suddenly the time for Monarchies was mostly over... And Molari said so himself: In the past the Centauri were this big empire, ruling many planets (not just the Narn) - but times change...
Which is a dangerous situation. Here in Europe we have, right now, a sad reminder of what happens when nations dream of their former glory going on. The parallels are eery, up to the old style golden palace rooms Putin plays Czar in...
Loving you guys watch this and react. I’m pleased you are already enjoying season 1. I found it hard going but after season 3 and 4 it became one of my all time favourites. Looking forward to seeing how you react to the plot developments and satisfying character arcs.
Season 1 sets up so much that pays off over the next three seasons...
Julien: "That makes me feel like I'm stone cold or something because I had no emotions during that."
Ray: "But we know your situations. We know why you are like that. We know you hate life." 🤣
🤣🤣🤣
What amazes me about BB5 is how well it stands up to the test of time. This show is 30 years old. Graphics and storytelling is good enough to have come out now. Sad to know how many actors have passed from this show.
My only advice. Starting with season 2. Don't watch opening credits. Big spoilers in them.
Yeah, I don't know why they did that.
Born to the purple is an expression used to describe people born into upper nobility. Purple dye was very expensive and hard to get for most of European history, so going all the way back to the Caesars, it has been an indicator of status.
Even earlier to the Phoenicians
Oh, you sweet sweet summer children, you've no idea of how... complicated Centauri relationships and their societal norms can be.
If you have ever seen the movie Tron, the guy who plays Londo was one of the good programs forced to play games by the MCP in that film.
Peter Jurasik, played Crom. Flynn has to fight him on the Ring Grid.
He had a popular recurring role as Sid the Snitch on Hill Street Blues.
@@sdfried4877 which he reprised in the very short spin-off "Beverly Hills Buntz."
@@Shadowman4710 I do recall that title. I didn’t actually watch Hill Street regularly but its influence was hard to ignore. I did watch St Elsewhere, which was often called Hill Street Hospital and featured Stephen Furst.
You all have my respect for not mentioning you know what while talking about Tron. :D I enjoy when people actively try not to spoil ANYTHING. :D
"Born to the purple" basically means "born to nobility". Purple was a very expensive color in ancient and medieval times, so it was reserved for the high born. In ancient rome the color purple was reserved for the emperor, an that's where the association comes from.
Purple was once the color of royalty, so to be, "Born to the Purple", is to be "nobility".
Thanks for that, it didn't even cross my mind
@@RKnights the first purple dye invented in antiquity was by the Phoenicians. You got it by grinding up a certain snail shell. It was rare and insanely expensive to create. Hence it was limited to the very rich, royalty. And by royal decree, only they could use it.
Side note, Centauri costumes and uniforms are modeled on Imperial France of the late 19th Century.
@@RKnights It's also reference to the "purple files". Londo was born to this life of blackmail and political intrigue.
Many commenters will tell you this, but I want to reinforce the concept: PAY ATTENTION. Season 1 is good if a bit uneven, but the one consistent thing is that there are very important things that are said, done, learned that will all come back in the next four seasons. Sometimes things like world building or character background are used for later major plot points. I noticed you were taking notes......you'll need them!
Have fun.
Vir is my favorite character. I drop no spoilers, but y’all should keep notes of your first impressions of every character and review them after the final episode of season five. The episode title may make more sense later.
The giant cockroaches are running the Mantis gang ;-) That is why the light is so poor in the bilge, they just scatter and you can't catch them ;-))
Centauri makes are like peacocks, but lions works too.
Oh, yes! Purple files and treaty negotiations, a love story and a sad story. All in a slow, but fun episode.
Good to see you enjoy.
Be seeing you!
Part of why Londo was so forgiving is as we learn later
He has never had this love between a man and a woman
"My shoes are too tight, but it's okay because I've forgotten how to dance"
Also, episode name, purple is considered the color of nobles and Londo is part of a noble house
He is born to purple
Garabaldi (Jerry Doyle) was almost in Moonlighting, Bruce Willis got the part.
Both had hair at the time.
This is the second TV series I've encountered where ICE is brought up. The first being Max Headroom. ICE was first introduced to the world in the cyberpunk novel that started it all, Neuromancer, as well as several short stories Gibson wrote set in The Sprawl. The term was introduced to Gibson by Tom Maddox who included it in an unfinished manuscript he allowed Gibson to read (Gibson gives him a special thank you in Neuromancer for allowing him to use the term and acronym).
Great reaction for a great episode. I love the Londo and Ivanova stories.
Ivanova is such an interesting character
@@RKnights There are a lot of great characters in this show, but the Londo/G'kar pairing is definitely my favorite. Andreas Katsulus and Peter Jurasik are incredible together as actors.
More frequent B5 reaction uploads PLEASEEEE
I appreciated season 1 so much more upon rewatching the series. It definitely gets better. Also, I love your enthusiasm for the show and am now subscribed to your channel.
Babylon 5 takes a lot of time to fleshen out its characters. There will be more episodes in Season 1 where character development is in the center of the plot. That's why some consider it the "weakest" of the five season - but in reality it's necessary. In contrast to Star Trek, they didn't have decades to establish a universe.
⭐ Alternate episode title: BORN TO BE A 'PURP'
Ahh, the slightly goofy early episodes continue. Still, find myself grinning with these, all the more so with those great quips you bust out. As everyone says, early Season One can be rough, but it's usually fun, and the second half really picks up. Also, don't worry about missing stuff that may be important later on. B5 plays fair and when the callbacks happen the show puts it in a context where you can figure out what you might have missed. It just adds flavour to the stew. Good to see you're enjoying the characters, :)
Esoteric trivia: the term Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics (ICE) dates back more than 10 years before the episode was broadcast. I first encountered it in Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984), but it predates even that by a bit. The term actually has a Wikipedia page, if you’re interested (and don’t already know all this). Cheers.
The story of the centauri hair is out there on RUclips. Londo tells it at conventions, quite amusing that they went with it for the whole series.
6:00 House Mollari is an old and powerful House, and Londo is an Ambassador. He's got plenty of money and prestige with which to convince any even vaguely interested centauri woman into his bed. Though Adira is... special.
14:36 - 17:24 One of my favorite gags in the series, both G'kar and Londo tell their temps to "just don't give away the homeworld".
22:21 One of the most fun things in this show is watching Londo and G'kar fuck with each other.
The "Born to the Purple" is a reference to Londo being born to a wealthy noble House and the purple files his family has gathered on the other Houses over the years.
About Spoilers- usually the B5 crowd is pretty good about avoiding spoilers, at least through the first season, after that it gets harder.
Yes, for full enjoyment you really have to pay attention- you never know what offhand comment you hear in Season 1 may have major implications in Season 5. Sneaky that way......
Have seen others explain the phrase, so I won't again. BTW, notice what color his coat is- it's a way to remind people of his rank in spite of being at times a buffoon
"I forget how big B5 is" it's 5 miles on the inside habitable portion. It's like 10 miles total.
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Moon faced assassin of joy 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The central section that rotates is 5 miles long. The whole thing is longer
Scroll down for more thoughts on what the title means, and how it applies to the sub-plots: 30:50 "Born to the Purple" means... coming into life at a high social station. Purple, in the old days, was considered the color of royalty.* ‘Born to it’ means inheriting that status, by birth into your family line. *Tidbit: in the Roman Empire, I think I heard it was illegal for anyone other than the Emperor to wear purple clothes. So, the title refers to how Londo is born into all this regal experience, with the politics, intrigue, and even backstabbing and problems that come with it. Some shades of its meaning as a title may refer to: (A) Adira is born to a new life of higher social standing, with and by receiving her freedom, by a touch of Londo and his purple status (and purple files?), (B) G’Kar’s new aide coming up and being ‘born’ into a world of higher stakes politics ("purple" level intragalactic diplomacy), (C) maybe Vir being promoted into the same thing, and (D) Susan Ivanova’s heartbreaking elevation to reconciliatory conversation with her father, being ‘born’ into a new life, relationally, with him in his last moments--here, "purple" being the color of twilight, asphyxiation (hospital-wise--literally maybe, or choking on grief?) or a funeral shroud. (And, also (E) Garibaldi is born into a cold hard awakening of understanding about Susan Ivanova, as he leaves behind his playful investigation (and light-hearted bantering with her), and enters, a ‘royal tier’ (...entering, as it were, the ‘royal’ court of human fragility, limits, and mortality-to face ‘King Death’ that comes for us all [and thus reigns over everyone]) ...and being thrown into an experience of mortality and life’s stakes, being born into a ‘higher level’ of seriousness.) 😮😅😊
For the longest time, I thought Adira was Salma Hayek. Apparently not.
Love This awesome Clasic show a.nd these Reactions Guys keep it up
Thanks brother 😀😀😀
I LOVE Londo
Centauri are hairy people, except their women. Can you see how the Centauri corruption is a prelude to our present politics for the last 30 years? "Born to the Purple" will only make sense in the last episode after the final regular season. The "reach arounds" are epic in obscurity.
@@miller-joel Decline of every Empire. Some, like China, do this every Dynasty.
"It's ok, we know your situation. y'know.. YOU HATE LIFE" I'm dead
😂
Purple is a Royal colour.
Season 1, fir me, only has a couple of bad episodes. But, the purpose of season 1 is to introduce the entire universe the story takes place, something a new Star Trek show no longer has to do, with the major powers, the political situation, the military situation, the societal situation and the historical situation for each of the major races, 5 in total. It also has to introduce the major players, of which there are about 14 in all. This is necessary so that later in the story when things of import begin to happen, you know about the characters and hopefully like some of them enough so that you care what happens to them. Season 1 is season full of character pieces along side some action sequences and a lot of background filler to accomplish this. This makes some people think it is "slow". Maybe, but it is important to give the viewers the information it needs to follow story all the way through. Season 1 is like The Fellowship of the Ring and the four Hobbits journey from the Shire to Rivendell. Along the way, you get background on them, Gandalf and Strider. You see the way the world works and hear of strange things going on in far off places. You are getting slowly introduced to Middle Earth before heading off on the big journey to Mordor and the world beyond. People think this part of the story is slow, but it also is necessary to draw the reader in so that you do care what happens. On later reads, you may skip a chapter here and there, or the whole first part, but by then you know what you need to know. In future re-watches of Babylon 5, you may skip some episodes in season 1, but at least you will already have seen them and gotten the information each on contains. Of course, if you do skip episodes, you will miss out on seeing all the threads JMS laid down in season 1 that come to life in later seasons.
2:50 YEAH Santiago best president ever 🎉
Purple was traditionally considered the Royal colour and has been forbidden for common people to wear. So the title Born to the Purple means born into nobility
at least for me, the funniest moments in the series are between Londo and his Narn "friend" as well as some of the most tragic
I would have been funny if Suzan was just messing with Garibaldi as well.
But of course the real deal was so much more emotional.
Not the strongest episode so far, no, but at this stage it's as much a matter of telling the story as it is a matter of establishing the characters and describing the B5 universe. It's early days.
"Born to the Purple" - Purple is a colour traditionally reserved for Kings and Bishops and so forth in the olden days, I *think* that was, because the dye was really rare and expensive. So the colour here is symbolical for the kind of life that Mollari lives in the Empire as a person of his position, I think. Stuck in all those conspiracies and political manoeuvring.
Just in case no one has mentioned it: DO NOT watch the opening credits for the other seasons as there are spoilers in them
Really? We were not aware of that
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@@RKnights The first couple episodes of the season 2 intro have a spoiler. The original airing had a non-spoiler version but in the video transfer they used the later edit for everything. There is *technically* a spoiler in the S3 intro but that was always there and I don't think it tells you much without knowing the context.
@@RKnights The opening credits are not spoilers, they were intended for the viewer to watch them when the show first aired. The whole show frequently hints at future events (or possible future events?) through various prophesies, or the fact that The Gathering began with a monologue from Londo Molari from some time in the future. A lot of the fun your first time watching is to try to figure out what it is you're seeing hints of, before they happen.
@@RKnights Yeah, really don't do that. I have no idea why they put in what they did. All I will say is it shows something that you're not supposed to see till later down the line.
This may sound extreme, but my best advice is to NOT look at the comments sections of these videos, until you finish the series. That way, you can get no spoilers at all.
@@miller-joel you hit the nail on the head lol.
😆 so I shouldn't tell you that the last episodes ends with the whole crew of the Enterprise shutting off the holodeck at the end of the greatest holo-novel ever 😏
Purple files is probably like a classification rating.
I can say I have watched all of B5 and I can tell you I still don''t understand the meaning the Born the Purple in this title either.
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A long story sequence is harder to watch. The more Watchers the marrier ;-)
Purple………Green……..
And Vader is Luke's father..
What's that? It's a spoiler for the wrong franchise?
B5 season 1 is still very good it's just considered weak by comparison to the sheer brilliance that comprises season 2-4 (season 5 is kinda like season 1 in that its still actually mostly quite good but just doesnt hold a candle to the masterpiece of television that made up season 2-4 (and (without being too spoilery now you guys are well past the beginning, Sheridan is frankly just a far better captain (and frankly a much better actor) than Sinclair (or Lockley but I wont go into that further cos spoilers)
Nope, not a Centari.
Bros before hoes