"The Babylon Project was our last best hope for peace. It failed."

[salienne]

You know, no wonder I grew up with such a love for sci-fi and characters, 'cos you know, this is honestly the best television show I've ever seen. Honestly, it runs like a novel through all 5 seasons, with believable events, issues, characters, subplots atop subplots atop an actual overarching plot, and such a well-constructed world. It just fits, symbolically, realistically, emotionally, and from a story-telling perspective, and I haven't been rewatching it obsessively for the past two weeks, of course not.

Also, it has the only realistically developed and portrayed romance I have ever seen done on television. Now this isn't to say there are no great romnaces on television, but even the best ones often fail in some way. First off, UST can be overdone (The X-Files), the romance can feel like too much of a [manipulated] plot-point at times (Farscape), or, well, the emotional continuity can be sloppy or completely absent for much of the series (Doctor Who). And as much as I love all those, will they/won't they just gets boring.

Whereas here, Delenn and Sheridan actually get to know each other first over the course of an entire season. There's respect, and admiration, and conversation, and, well, an actual believable growing relationship. Then, once they each know how they feel, they actually date and, again, gradual development, vs. "OMG LOVE AT 1ST SIGHT CUZ WE'RE THE TWO LEADS AND WE JUST MET LET'S SNOG BUT WE CAN'T OMG". Also, the romance is a subplot and not one of the points of the show, which I like loads.

I love me preplanned novel-like TV shows.

And can I just say how much I love Marcus, and not just because of the accent? And Ivonova, who is probably the most well-rounded and believable female character I've ever seen on television? And Delenn (well, most of the time :P)? And Garibaldi? And Londo (well, most of the time)? And Vir? An G'Kar (again, most of the time)? And Lennier?

And, just because I have to, here's some snippets showing why I love Marcus:
Marcus [after beating the crap out of everyone in a bar]: They always said I was carrying around a lot of repressed anger.
Lennier: And?
Marcus: I'm not repressed anymore.

Marcus: It's like I've always said: you can get more with a kind word and a two-by-four than you can with just a kind word.

^(He's not usually quite so violent. It was just that episode. But he is usually that clever/amusing.)

And the lesbian subtext was INTENTIONAL LESBIAN SUBTEXT. Which basically/almost makes one of the main cast bisexual, which is pretty good for a 90's sci-fi show.

And the show brought back Jack the Ripper and almost King Arthurt several centuries in our future. Convincingly.

...If I ever wrote anything like this show, I would die happy. Seriously.

Comments

[adriannevandal.livejournal.com]

Welcome, welcome, to the awesomeness that is B5... Now tell me... Have you only watched the series? Or have you found your way over to the movies and Crusade yet? Because I gotta tell ya... Galen is just as awesome as any of the characters on B5. :D

[salienne.livejournal.com]

Well, not welcome so much as "Welcome back." I love growing up on sci-fi shows. XD

O_O Didn't even know there was so much life beyond the tv show...

And Galen? *Intrigued* Who be he?

[adriannevandal.livejournal.com]

THey made several movies and started a spin-off series, before the networks got stupid. You really must check it out. Especially the X-Files spoof ep of Crusade. It's hilarious!!

Galen is a technomage and he's AWESOME!!!

Now here's the real question: Does the series finale of B5 make you cry, without fail?

[salienne.livejournal.com]

*Is all bitter that she can't find the rest of the show anywhere online* I made it through all of S2 and all but the last two episodes of S3, and now I can't find anything but random episodes anywhere online. *Grumbles* I'm going to make a point to try to find as much of the other stuff once I finally rewatch the rest of the show itself, though.

Oooh, I like me technomages! Their first episode with Londo was awesome.

Well I haven't rewatched it, but after reading up on Wikipedia and thus remembering the episode... Yes. I mean, I tear up thinking about it/remembering. I'd be a wreck watching.

[adriannevandal.livejournal.com]

We'll have to talk again, when you finally get through all 5 seasons. Have you checked Bit Torrent to see if anything's available there?

[salienne.livejournal.com]

We'll have to talk again, when you finally get through all 5 seasons.

Definitely. :D

And I can't torrent, because the school is evil and blocks it. I've actually bought one of the episodes on iTunes because I was going through "MUST. KNOW. WHAT. HAPPENS. NEXT." spasms.

[salienne.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE TOTALLY JUST FOUND ALL OF IT!!!! *Does the dance of ultimate joy* Granted, I also just bought two episodes because I was silly, but they were good ones, so it's worth it.

....Sorry, I will stop squeeing now. And continue not studying for my final tomorrow and instead watching Babylon 5. :P

[adriannevandal.livejournal.com]

Hooray for iTunes!!! Go finish your studying and then watch B5!!! We'll discuss later.