Question on Babylon 5 from a newbie

[Umbran]

I'll also go on record as saying that you don't want to skip the first season.

All specific plot content aside, the first season establishes who these people are. One of the greatest things about B5 is character development. The characters at the end of the series are not the same people they were when they started. And you must watch the first season to understand their journey. Plot summaries from websites are not an adequite substitute.

Put on top of that the relevant plot bits, and in gneral the 1st season can't be skipped. They may not be quite as snappy as the rest of the show, but you see the same in other media - the first chapters of a book aren't usually as spectacular as the rest, but that's because the later chapters build upon the earlier ones.

 

[KenM]

make sure you watch the piolt movie "The gathering", NOT "In the Begininng", ITB has major spoilers that will ruin your enjoyment of the series.

 

[VorpalBunny]

make sure you watch the piolt movie "The gathering", NOT "In the Begininng", ITB has major spoilers that will ruin your enjoyment of the series.

Yeah. In the Beginning has some spoilers for season 4, so wait until you're at least halfway through S4 to watch it.

I agree that S1, while the weakest is still most definitely worthwhile. There's stuff that happens in the first episode of the first season that doesn't really pay off until S3. However if you're determined to skip some of the weaker moments of S1 be sure you at least catch:

- Midnight on the Firing Line
- The Parliament of Dreams
- Mind War
- And the Sky Full of Stars
- Signs and Portents
- A Voice in the Wilderness parts 1 & 2
- Babylon Squared
- Chrysalis

You'll miss some great SF, but you won't be completely lost when you start S2.

 

[Orius]

Yeah, like the posters said above, Season 1 is important, but not seemingly so at first. I haven't seen most of those eps in quite a while, but I do remember not being terribly impressed by most of them. The series may seem uninteresting at first, but JMS has a habit of sticking important hints and clues to what will happen later on in earlier episodes where they don't seem important at all. Of course not all the episodes are "arc" episodes either, there were a number of episodes written by people other than JMS that are essentially little more than filler.

From what I remember these episodes are important:

"The Gathering". Not an episode per se, it was the TV-movie that set up the series. It's a bit cruder than the show itself, especially with makeup, but it does intorduce the basic concept, and several main characters.

The season premier for the first season is important, because it introduces us to some more cast members, and so on. There was an episode about the soul hunters pretty early in the season too, I think the second or third episode that has some important stuff too, IIRC.

"Mind War". I don't remember much about this episode, but it does introduce Bester the Psi Cop who is sort of a recurring villain on the show. Some plot elements might be important too, but I don't remember.

"Signs and Portents": This is a very important episode, because it sets up a lot of stuff in the background that become important later in the season and the overall story arc itself.

"A Voice in the Wilderness" A two-part episode, it has relevance to stuff that happens later on, primarily in the third season.

"Babylon Squared" I actually have this one on tape, so I actually remember most of what happened. It's an important episode as well, it sets up some Season 3 events.

"Crysalis" I have this on on tape as well. This is pretty much where the main story arc starts to pick up speed. It's a very important episode, and definitly should not be missed.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

"Crysalis" I have this on on tape as well. This is pretty much where the main story arc starts to pick up speed. It's a very important episode, and definitly should not be missed.

Guess which episode I missed first time around? Then when I got back at the start of Season 2

Spoiler

They've changed captains, Geribaldi is in the hospital, the President is dead, and Delen is in a cocoon!

Gah!

If you can rent the first season and buy the rest that is what I would go with, though as has been stated, there are some good episodes. I just really did not like Michael O'Hare.

The Auld Grump, you know that spoiler thing is really nifty!

 

[Endur]

This is a very good list. The critical parts of the first season are:
1) Introductions to the characters
2) Anytime you see the Vorlon Ambassador
3) Signs and Portents

- Midnight on the Firing Line
- The Parliament of Dreams
- Mind War
- And the Sky Full of Stars
- Signs and Portents
- A Voice in the Wilderness parts 1 & 2
- Babylon Squared
- Chrysalis

You'll miss some great SF, but you won't be completely lost when you start S2.

 

[WizarDru]

Everyone's said it, but I'll repeat it...don't skip season one. Skip certain episodes, if need be.

For example, "Infection" is the worst B5 episode evar. I mean, it's truly terrible. The episode "Believers" is, to me, a horrible episode...but some folks think that it's a critical "They'd never do this on Trek" story. Which is true, but it was written by D.C. Fontana, so make your own judgements. "TKO" is an episode that should have had it's A and B stories reversed, IMHO, and the 'Garibaldi falls down and then gets backup in 5 minutes' episode is weak, as well.

B5 Season one is easily the weakest of the seasons...but some episodes are very good, too. Episodes like "Signs and Portents" and "Babylon Squared" are great. Also, I can say from experience that watching them closer together in rapid sucession (as opposed to a 3 month gap between some runs of episodes) and then going straight into season 2 and beyond makes the series hold together much more cohesively. Some things that are introduced in Season one aren't seen again until season four, in some cases...obviously I'm avoiding specifics for spoiler protection purposes.

JMS often describes B5 as a 'Novel for television', and he really means it. There is a clear beginning, middle and end to the series. Characters change and develop over the course of the series...and if you don't understand them from the beginning, you'll be confused later on. Many of the characters start off in one direction, and completely change by the end of the series.

I remember when the series was new, I looked at it with what I call 'Star Trek' eyes. I intereperted the show through a filter of assumptions, and that influenced my opinion of it negatively (as in "Oh look, the belligerent 'Klingon-like' agressive alien and the Ferengi-like blustering comic-relief alien are arguing again".) When I realized how I'd mis-read the series, I was pretty disappointed that I'd done so, and worked fast to cover lost ground.

And anyone who's watched the series knows how off-base the above description would soon prove drastically wrong, even by the second episode, in some cases.

The show is bouyed by several very talented actors, namely Peter Jurassik and Andreas Katsulas among others, whose deliveries raise some scenes to among the best TV has to offer. Following their characters development is almost reason enough alone to follow season one, if for nothing else.

(Note to Self: Go get boxed sets next week).