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Thinking about trying this series out...

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    Thinking about trying this series out...

    So I'm a long time fan of sci-fi but didn't REALLY get into what I would call the "culture" of it until this summer, when I tried out Stargate SG-1. Since then I have finished up SG-1, Atlantis, started BSG, and thinking about trying out more shows. This happens to be one of the ones I'm thinking of.


    So, how good is this series? I have read the reviews on Amazon, both good and bad...It sounds like a good show. Most of the negative reviews are about the poor quality of the recordings on the DVDs, and not about the show itself.
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    #2
    Babylon 5 is structured like a novel with an extremely large continuous story arc. As long as you perservere past the initial rough patches, it is a great series. It certainly has its ups and downs but is my favourite sci-fi show of all time.

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      #3
      Yeah, one of the main things that is drawing me to it is its size...5 seasons at 22 episodes a season. 110 episodes is pretty awesome for 5 seasons...Some of my favorite shows have more seasons than that but have a vastly lower amount of episodes.
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        #4
        Babylon 5 is well worth watching if you can commit the time to watch pretty much every episode - with a few exceptions, once you hit season two it's not something that's easy to skip in and out of because it relies so heavily on story arcs (and boy are there lots of them). Once finished, you'll very likely feel incredibly satisfied.

        It does have a few missteps though. Sometimes the acting can be hammy or wooden, occasionally both at the same time, though this is predominantly in the first season from what I can remember, which I've heard has turned some people off - this is a shame, because it gets better. Stick with it and you'll be rewarded with some of the best storytelling televised science fiction (and some would argue television in general) has seen.

        But frankly, while I can't tell you to like it (LIKE IT!...see?) it is very highly regarded and with good reason. It's dramatic, comedic, tragic, has deep and meaningful characterisation yet it also has epic, galactic scope. It's got politics, action, conspiracies, jokes, great writing, special effects that still look quite good today and were basically revolutionary for the time, brilliant prosthetics and cool spaceships.

        There's a reason I bought the complete box set and watch it from start to finish every two or three years.
        And now it's time for one last bow, like all your other selves. Eleven's hour is over now... the clock is striking Twelve's.
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        Stargate Ragnarok | FF.net | AO3 | Lakeside | My Fallout 3 Mods | Poppy Appeal | Help For Heroes | Combat Stress

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          #5
          Originally posted by Gen. Chris View Post
          Yeah, one of the main things that is drawing me to it is its size...5 seasons at 22 episodes a season. 110 episodes is pretty awesome for 5 seasons...Some of my favorite shows have more seasons than that but have a vastly lower amount of episodes.
          Babylon 5 is arguably my favorite sci-fi show of all time. Some people are put off by the first season for various reasons but once you're able to get through all that, be prepared for an exciting ride. B5 has one of the most tightly written story arcs I've ever seen. Many other sci-fi shows I've watched since then are comparatively weak in how they handle arc-based writing.

          I personally don't like stand-alone episodic writing too much. I've found that the shows that have the greatest re-watch value for me have been the ones with the least number of stand-alone episodes.
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            #6
            Hm..Well you guys are making me more curious for the show, to be sure.

            Currently I don't have enough time to watch what I have, much less add any more to watch..But hopefully over X-Mas break I can get my hands on a season or two of this show and give it a whirl.

            Does the show have a conclusion?
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              #7
              Originally posted by Gen. Chris View Post
              Hm..Well you guys are making me more curious for the show, to be sure.

              Currently I don't have enough time to watch what I have, much less add any more to watch..But hopefully over X-Mas break I can get my hands on a season or two of this show and give it a whirl.

              Does the show have a conclusion?
              Yes, there's a well-defined beginning, middle, and end to the saga. There's a group of B5 movies and a couple of small spinoffs but they all take place before the chronological end of the series.
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                #8
                Yeah, I can see on Amazon that they boxed together all the movies into one set...Lol


                I'm still interested in trying it out, but I gotta wait
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                  #9
                  Awww, that's unfortunate. But it'll be worth it, I promise. Just like Cold Fuzz, it's one of my absolutely favorite sci-fi shows. The only other one that comes even close is Farscape. I had watched some sci-fi off and on earlier, but B5 in the 1990s turned me into a fan.
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                    #10
                    I'll add my voice to the chorus - B5 is an outstanding story with rich, complex characters and thoughtful writing. I've asked for the rest of the seasons (I've only got a couple in my collection) for Christmas.
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                      #11
                      I wish I had more money right now because the entire series is cheap right now on Amazon.
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                        #12
                        Question...I'm probably going to be getting this series and watching it soon. Is there any specific viewing order when it comes to the movies and the show that is necessary continuity wise?
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                          #13
                          Probably one of the best ways is this.
                          And now it's time for one last bow, like all your other selves. Eleven's hour is over now... the clock is striking Twelve's.
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                          Stargate Ragnarok | FF.net | AO3 | Lakeside | My Fallout 3 Mods | Poppy Appeal | Help For Heroes | Combat Stress

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                            #14
                            Ah okay...Well I will keep that in mind. Thanks Sealurk!

                            So anyone have any more reasons why I will like this show?
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                              #15
                              Bought the complete series + the 5 movie collection tonight :-)
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