5 things I love about Babylon 5

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

I'd almost forgot about signing up for Babylon5_love.  When I originally signed up I had had a few ideas of what to post, but I couldn't decide on one.    Then the time slipped away , so I've decided to go with the community name and post some things I love about Babylon 5.    There will probably be some spoilers so I'm putting everything under a cut.

1.  One episode characters - I don't think I've ever watched another show that had so many guest characters that I cared about and wanted to know what happened to them after they left Babylon 5.  Alysssa from Legacies, Dr. Mary Kirkish from Messages from Earth and David McIntyre from A Late Delivery from Avalon are just a few of the one episode characters that have made me care about them.

2.  Vir - Because, for me at least, there cannot be a post involving Babylon 5 and love without including Vir.  With every other character on B5, I could understand why someone might not like that character even if I disagree, but not Vir.  The idea of not liking Vir is incomprehensible to me.  Vir is the one main character who I have never once gone, "Oh, why did you have to do that?!" about.  I'll end this section with one of my favorite Vir moments and something that my parents and I can quote from memory:

"I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I'd look up at your lifeless eyes and wave like this. Can you and your associates arrange it for me, Mr. Morden?"

3.  The wonderful female characters -  Awhile back there were a lot of meta posts about female characters.  While reading the posts, I was thinking about how much I enjoy the female characters on B5.  All six of the female characters who were in the opening credits of B5, Na'Toth, Talia, Lyta, Lochley, and especially Ivanova and Delenn, came across to me as interesting and real people.  In truth I think that Delenn is my favorite female character ever and Ivanova is in the top ten if not the top five.

4.  Believable character evolution - The characters of Babylon 5 weren't static.  They evolved and changed as things happened to them, most especially demonstrated by Londo and G'Kar.  My initial reaction when watching The Gathering was that G'Kar was going to be the untrustworthy villian and Londo was going to be the comic relief.  In the end G'Kar is a very trustworthy hero and Londo is one of the most tragic characters ever and both arcs are completely believable.

5.  Bonding with other fans - Being able to discuss the wonderfulness of Babylon 5 with other fans is a great thing.  Luckily for me finding other B5 fans is as easy as walking into the next room because both of my parents are fans.  There have been countless conversations around the dinner table about B5.  Then there is the joy of going around the Internet and running into Babylon 5 fans especially in places that have nothing to do with B5.  Last but not least, this community particularly right now when a lot of other parts of Fandom haven't been so much fun.  Every so often those of us in Fandom need to be reminded of the love that brought us here in the first place.  Thank you.

Comments

[selvatica.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing this.
2 points I would like to pick up on! 1st, Marcus is the best!!!
And 2nd, it must be great to have a family that you can talk to about it. Mine just aren't interested. Having said that, I recently discovered that one of my daughters friends was a B5 fan, so imagine my elevated position there! I'm an OK Mum in someones eyes :)

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

I like Marcus a lot even if he doesn't make my personal top five. That is one of the great things about B5, there are so many wonderful characters to chose from.

It is lucky to have my family interested in B5. Being a B5 fan is one of the signs of being an OK mum.

[browncoatrebel.livejournal.com]

Yes! For my birthday, a friend has promised me B5 fic in which I can be a Ranger and meet Marcus. (Silly ficcers, what can I say?)

Of course, another friend of mine and I have decided I have Delenn's soul before it becomes Delenn.

I've converted my friends to B5.

[natoth.livejournal.com]

Aww, I agree with all five points! Thanks for great review, it is pleasant to think, that our opinions are so similar.
(as to #3. My own herione #1 is Na'Toth... and I would like to mention Adira Tyree and three Londo's wives (Timov, Mariel and Dagger) because these Centauri women are wonderful!)

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

One of the things on my list of Reasons Why I'm Glad Season 5 Happened is finding out what happened to Na'Toth. Adira and Londo's wifes are covered under both 1 and 3. I especially love Timov.

[natoth.livejournal.com]

It was one of my reasons, too. I admit, I have been stunned, when I watched "A Tragedy of telepaths" first time, because one thing to reflect on destiny of the favourite character, thinking out versions about her wonderful rescue, and absolutely another thing to see how your dreams were embodied in a reality (let it was not absolutely how you imagined it).
There are many strong and interesting female characters in this show, and even Liz Edgars, the Garibaldi's wife, (whom I never liked, if to be honest) can become interesting if to get accustomed to her more closely...

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

I love Na'Toth's rescue and I could never have imagined it but now I wouldn't have it any other way.

[lilmikeegee.livejournal.com]

moonfaced assasin of joy indeed
vir is the awesomest character!

and B5 has some very lovely women.

but the thing that gets me is even the crappy characters are worthy of repeat watching and emotional investment. the overall story arc is impecible. i rewatch the show every year and every year i get more and more from it.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about getting more out of the show with each viewing and about the crappy characters being worthy of repeat watching. I've actually managed to get an appreciation of Keffer and I thought he was the most boring character ever on B5.

Vir should be enshrined in the pantheon of awesome characters.

[fifmeister.livejournal.com]

Great points! I agree with them all, but particularly number 4. The character development on B5 is one of my favorite aspects of the show. It really just blew me away--to the point where, in all the other shows I watch, I unconsciously compare their character development to that on B5. It's a pretty high standard to live up to. ;)

I definitely agree with number 3 as well. I have a tendency to get easily annoyed with female TV characters, but B5's female characters such as Delenn and Ivanova were likeable and realistic at the same time. Ivanova in particular had quite a profound impact on me--I found I could relate to her because our personalities are alike in a lot of ways, but at the same time, there were aspects of her character which I don't have that I admired.

This community is really making me want to watch the show again from start to finish! I need to see if I can find the time to do that. ;)

[galyndean.livejournal.com]

I've actually begun rewatching them again. From the Beginning. Because of this community.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

I also compare the character development of other shows to B5, particularly if the show is going for any sort of arc (I'm more lenient on more episodic based shows).

Whenever I get annoyed at other female TV characters, I watch a B5 episode. "Severed Dreams" and Between the Darkness and the Light" are my favorites to watch at those times.

I also need to find time to rewatch the show again.

[galyndean.livejournal.com]

I agree with all five points.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[lilliew.livejournal.com]

Totally agree! All great points! Brother Edward (Brad Dourif) in Passing Through Gethsemane. Michael York and many other guest stars (Penn and Teller, Scott Adams, Majel Barrett and many others had fabulous characters that really added to the show.

One point that has always been a favorite of mine was how much interaction JMS had with fans back in the day when the show was being done. This was done in the day of Compuserve, GENIE and newsgroups. This was before the Web really exploded. I can even find two of my old questions from back in the day that JMS answered. Nowadays, it's more common for creators/producers/etc. to have interaction with the fans, but it really made you feel a part of the show even more back then.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

Those are some more of the characters that I cared about who only showed up in one episode. All of those characters just added richness to the show.

I wasn't on the Internet at that time, but I can imagine that it was a great experience. I almost envy you having two questions answered by JMS.

[beam-oflight.livejournal.com]

Vir has some brilliant moments, and he's annother character who has evolved loads over the series. B5 does have kick ass female characters, Ivanova will always be right up there for me. I've always liked the way that the plots all intertwine and suddenly emerge and you left going 'ooooooooooh' or 'omg, what!?' great fun :)

I wish I had more people in RL who watch and tallk about B5. As it is my dad got me into it, and practically everyone else I know hasn't got a clue what i'm talking about :(

Nice points, I agree with every one of them!

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

While my first four reasons all centered on the characters of B5 the intertwining plots that make you go "woah" the first time around and "Oh My Gosh, of course" after thinking about it are another part that makes B5 so great.

In my family it was my mom who got my dad and I into it and it became a weekly family ritual to watch Babylon 5.

[beam-oflight.livejournal.com]

My mum's not a sci-fi person, but me, my day and my brother, watched two episodes a week all the way through, every sunday afternoon :)

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I agree with those (and would add my favorite one ep character is Dr. Lazarenn from Confessions and Lamentations). I would add the music to the list--what other show had a soundtrack written for each episode? Also the speeches--there were so many that remain in your head: Delenn's in Severed Dreams, G'Kar's "We will be free" in The Long Twilight Struggle, G'Kar's farewell to Sheridan and Delenn's farewell to the station in Objects in Motion and Objects at Rest, the Declaration of Principles, Sheridan's resignation from EarthForce--this could take all night!
Also one silly thing that I really liked but wasn't terrifically important: their quarters. I know, weird. But they were all so different and expressive of their personalities. I go back and check out the art, and the lighting, the views from the windows. OK, it is weird. Must be my interior interior decorator coming out....

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

I almost included the speeches as one of the reasons. With a special mention for G'Kar who I've always felt had the best speeches out of anyone.

[browncoatrebel.livejournal.com]

Awesome post! I think my favorite non-recurring character is Shaal Mayan, the Minbari poet.

Vir is awesome. I think my favorite scene of his was when Londo sent him to bug the technomages, and he had that line, "I work for Ambassador Mollari. After a while nothing frightens you." His character was just so perfectly written and acted.

Women, yes. I have a hard time choosing between Ivanova and Delenn for favorites. I'm more like Ivanova, but Delenn is my role model.

Characters are what make me devoted to a show. Trek's good, I like Trek, but no one changes. B5 is so real to me because there are so many shades of grey--most people are not simply Good or Bad, even the heroic figures.

Fanning is also great. I earned myself a free Lost Tales poster from the video store when the sales lady found out I was a fan too. Also, I've written B5 quotes into a paper and had a professor who I learned that way was also a fan. (If anyone's interested, it was Lochley's "loyalty, duty, honor" speech.) And I've converted my friends to the fandom, so we sit around and watch the DVD's and make funny commentaries. They do think I'm a little too obsessed when I start quoting entire episodes with the actors, though.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

Shaal Mayan is a nice character. I enjoy that she shows up in a lot of Minbari based fic.

I love the story about your professor.

[browncoatrebel.livejournal.com]

I just like the Minbari in general, but Shaal Mayan is a personal favorite. I bet I could make myself a bone crest with enough Sculpey clay...and I'd be geeky enough to do it, too. ;-)

Yup, I was very surprised when I got the paper back with commentary about Lochley! I had attributed the quote to The Great Joe, of course, so I knew he had to be a fan to be able to identify the speaker.

For a lit class, I wrote about the Hero's Dream Cycle (a la Joseph Campbell) as displayed through Sheridan's character. Pretty much all of the major characters have a Hero's Journey cycle in their arcs.

[gabolange.livejournal.com]

What you said. So much more, of course, but mostly what you said.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

Thank You.

[cerebel.livejournal.com]

My mother went to school with the guy who plays Vir - she always enjoys it when he's on screen :P

But, word on the rest. I love B5 :)

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

That is so neat about your mother. Thank you.