Babylon 5

[Mark]

Saw this on another board while surfing and I wondered how local experts might tweak it or if people simply agreed. Be careful not to reveal any spoilers, please. Never watched any of this series because I never had the chance and always figured someday I would do so but in its entirety. That time is soon to be coming and I want to have the best possible viewing experience that can be had. Thank you in advance for any help in making that happen.

Some movies stand on their own but it helps to watch them in some order.

The first movie below was made well after the series was made yet fit flawlessly as a prequel (and then some) to the series. It was cool seeing the series then seeing the prequel, In The Beginning, but you may want to watch it in order.

In The Beginning (part of it occurs during War Without An End 1-2 (3-16, 3-17) and The Fall Of Centauri Prime (5-18) using flashbacks. The story itself is a flashback movie showing never given information predating The Gathering)

The Gathering

Season 1-3

Season 4: 4-1 thru 4-10

Thirdspace (occurs between Into The Fire (4-6) and No Surrender, No Retreat (4-15)

Season 4: 4-11 thru 4-22

Season 5: 5-1 thru The Corps Is Mother, The Corps Is Father (5-13)

The River Of Souls(occurs during season 5)

Season 5: Meditation On The Abyss (5-14) thru 5-22

The Legend Of The Rangers: To Live And Die In Starlight (stands alone)

A Call To Arms

The Crusade Season 1

 

[Mouseferatu]

Do not, do not, do not watch "In the Beginning" before watching the series. While the movie is indeed a prequel, it assumes you've watched the series (or at least a good chunk of it), and spoils some of the first two seasons' major plot points.

Seriously. Don't. Don't. Did I mention don't?

It's worth watching, absolutely. (In fact, I think it's the best of the B5 movies.) But afterward, not before.

In fact, I'd watch the entire B5 series before watching any of the movies. The ones that don't give spoilers are entirely standalone stories that don't need to be watched at the precise time they technically "occur."

 

[occam]

Do not, do not, do not watch "In the Beginning" before watching the series. While the movie is indeed a prequel, it assumes you've watched the series (or at least a good chunk of it), and spoils some of the first two seasons' major plot points.

Seriously. Don't. Don't. Did I mention don't?

It's worth watching, absolutely. (In fact, I think it's the best of the B5 movies.) But afterward, not before.

In fact, I'd watch the entire B5 series before watching any of the movies. The ones that don't give spoilers are entirely standalone stories that don't need to be watched at the precise time they technically "occur."

The fanged rodent has it right. You can watch the movies after watching all of the series, or in the same order in which they were aired, but do not follow them chronologically.

 

[Richards]

Agreed. There is much wisdom in the Rodent of the Night. I'm halfway through season two, having never seen the series before, and the friend that's loaning me his VHS tapes gave me the "In the Beginning" DVD movie to watch first. Not only did it spoil a lot of future plotlines, but now whenever I see this one particular character in any danger I know he'll be just fine, because he played a prominent role in the chunks of the movie that took place after the rest of the series.

Johnathan

 

[stonegod]

In the Beginning gives away the huge plot point for Season 1. It also gives away the fact that certain characters survive stuff by the fact they are in it (but that isn't as huge of a deal---as there is a big diff on how they get there). But that plot point is a huge one, so I wouldn't do it.

It was shot after seasons 1-4 were in the can, though it does not give away anything particular in season 4.

Never saw Thirdspace, so no comment.

River of Souls was a bit meh for me anyway, but it doesn't give anything away that I recall.

 

[Meloncov]

I think there's a reasonable argument for watching ITB first; while it does give away several plot points, it also means that you start watching the show with something good, instead of the rather dreadful first half of the first season.

 

[Inferno!]

As I watched the first season, I wanted to like it, but always thought it could be better. But after season one, all the foreshadowing pays off, and in retrospect season one wasn't so bad.

As far as the movies, yeah - what everyone else said.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I think there's a reasonable argument for watching ITB first; while it does give away several plot points, it also means that you start watching the show with something good, instead of the rather dreadful first half of the first season.

While it is (unfortunately) true that the first half of season 1 was pretty weak (especially given the fantastic nature of seasons 2-4, and parts of 5), I still can't get behind watching ITB first. Better simply to acknowledge going in that the series takes some time to get going, and that it's worth waiting for it to do so, than to spoil such major plot points.

 

[Umbran]

Seems to me you can skip the movies entirely, and not miss anything really important or particularly entertaining. The series stands on its own, and the movies are of markedly lesser quality.

 

[Mark]

Seems fairly close to unanimous. Thanks, all!