Cons: First season is slow, early effects are cheesy. Worth
noting mainly in passing.
The Bottom Line:
The real characters
Pull you into the drama
Love every second
20 Years Later, It's Still My Favorite Show
Unfortunately, it also attracts trouble. There are raiders
in the area, the Narn and Centauri races have at best a fragile peace, and
someone is always trying to smuggle something on board.
Even worse, an ancient enemy is rebuilding forces. There are
rumors and sightings, but what's true? The Minbari and Vorlon ambassadors seem
to know more then they are willing to share. Why? Just what are they hiding?
And why did the Minbari surrender hours before they destroyed Earth?
This complete series set includes all 110 episodes from the five seasons. The
added Movies set includes the original pilot and some other films that were
made while they were filming the 5th season.
You've got everything you need here to enjoy the entire saga.
Another unique thing about the series is the fact that it
was the first TV show to use CGI for its effects shots. At the time, the Star Trek franchise was still using
models. Some of these effects, especially close ups, look very cheesy, but the
first two seasons were completed in the early 90's before Toy Story hit theaters. While the effects can be jarring, the story
is so good I hardly notice most of the time.
Season 1 is the most uneven and hardest to get into, but the
beginnings of the story are there, and it lays the background on the races,
people, and cultures we will be dealing with over the course of the show. As
such, it's very important to watch. Just keep telling yourself it gets better.
Season 2 brings a new captain and a storyline that is
gaining speed. Bruce Boxleitner steps on board as Captain John Sheridan. While
there are still plenty of stand-alone episodes, the story really begins to gel
and little things happen that move the story forward in almost every show.
Season 3 brings surprises and increasing tension. Earth
becomes a problem in this season as the dictator running the planet begins to
abuse his power. Meanwhile, the Shadows are becoming stronger and Sheridan is trying to
determine whom he can really trust.
Season 4 is full steam ahead as most of the plot lines are resolved.
Every episode advances the story, bringing in things from all three previous
seasons for a ride you won't want to miss. By this point, it is best to have
watched the other seasons, but you could jump in here if you have patient
friends willing to explain back story and alien culture to you. I know because
I did.
Season 5 was a last minute reprieve so it starts slow since
it has little previous story to immediately resolve like the previous years
have. However, the viewer is once again hooked by the half way point by the
amazing story telling. By this point, the characters have grown and changed so
much they seem like different people. Watching the last few episodes always
chokes me up as I once again say goodbye to these friends.
As previously mentioned, this show starred Bruce Boxleitner
for four of the five seasons. With a few exceptions, the rest of the cast were
unknowns at the time and many are best known for their work here. However, they
all did a fine job of bringing their characters to life each week and pulling
the viewer into the action. Regular stars included Claudia Christian, Jerry
Doyle, Mira Furlan (who recurred on Lost),
Richard Biggs, Bill Mummy (Will Robinson from Lost in Space), Stephen Furst, Andrea Thompson (who would go on to
star on NYPD Blue and a season of 24 as well as work for CNN), Patricia
Tallman, Andreas Katsulas, Peter Jurasik, and Jeff Conaway (of Taxi fame).
Of course, if you are looking at this page, odds are you are
already a fan and looking for information on the sets. The picture, presented
in wide screen, is mostly good, with some dust popping up occasionally. Sound
is presented in full surround and has never sounded better. Each set contains
two audio commentaries by series creator J. Michael Straczynski and a season
intro by cast and crew. They also have some behind the scenes documentaries and
encyclopedia entries introducing you to the world of Babylon 5. All the sets but season 1 have one
audio commentary each by various cast members and great blooper reels hidden in
the data files area as Easter eggs.
Whether you buy the seasons bundled like this or
individually, don't miss your chance to own this fantastic TV series. Bought here, all you'll be missing is the spin off series Crusade, which didn't even
last a full season (unfortunately).
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