Fandom 50: Babylon 5
May. 3rd, 2024 05:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseThanks to inspiration from kitarella_imagines I'm doing Babylon 5 this week!
Babylon 5 is a sci-fi series by J. Michael Straczynski,which began in 1994, and ran for five 22-episode seasons.
"The series follows the human military staff and alien diplomats stationed on a space station, Babylon 5, built in the aftermath of several major inter-species wars as a neutral ground for galactic diplomacy and trade... Ten years before the series is set, Earth barely escaped destruction by the technologically superior Minbari, who sought revenge after an Earth starship unwittingly killed their leader during first contact, only for them to unexpectedly surrender on the brink of victory. " wiki
I enjoyed the series, and remember the ending didn't make me hate it.
I was lucky enough to attend a B5 convention at the NEC back in the day. I've got fanzines for the show, one of which was focussed on the amazing female characters. While there were some great male characters too I'm going to include vid clips from 2 of the outstanding characters, Susan Ivanova and Delenn.
You should listen to Ivanova; starting at 3:17 is the Babylon 5 mantra
Ivanova is Death Incarnate:
There's also Ivanova: No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow
Don't mess with Delenn:
From the vid description: "Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else." Season 03 - Episode 10 - Severed Dreams RIP Mira Furlan 2021.
And now I'm saddened that I hadn't heard about Mira Furlan's death; she also appeared on "Lost" as Danielle Rousseau. I knew of Jeff Conaway (of 'Grease' fame), Michael O'Hare, and Andreas Katsulas. Jason Carter who portrayed the ranger Marcus Cole is still around and occasionally working. I don't have the heart to check on the rest of the cast.
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Date: 2024-05-03 05:15 pm (UTC)Yes. Please don't check the rest of the cast 😞
But what a great series! I've heard Trekkies dissing Babylon 5 but there is no need- both shows can exist! I will always be a Babylon 5 fan though.
That plot twist about the Minbari war though! And all those other twists! Very well written 🥇
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Date: 2024-05-04 10:30 am (UTC)I think there was some B5 vs Deep Space Nine as they both set on distant space stations after some sort of war but the two shows were very different in tone and I watched both. I don't get the tribalism of only being allowed to like/enjoy one thing!
That said, Of those two, I prefered B5.
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Date: 2024-05-04 11:51 am (UTC)I think there are just so many spinoffs of Star Trek, and Star Wars, that they have overwhelmed Babylon 5 in number.
Yes I prefer Babylon 5 to Star Trek although I did love DS9. B5 is just more complete, complex, believable.
I just remember a Trekkie friend saying snootily 'Babylon 5 is more of a war series, it's not proper sci fi.'
Whatever 'proper sci fi' is.
I think Star Trek is almost a religion because it's been going for so long and has so many devoted fans. And also, early Trek tended to end all the stories neatly with everyone happy. That is a lot more reassuring for people. Babylon 5 rarely ended stories neatly with everyone happy.
Later Trek is more messy and dark though, and more realistic IMO. Humans are NEVER going to have neat stories! For example, humans love tribalism. SMH.
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Date: 2024-05-03 08:07 pm (UTC)Are you aware of the animated movie that was release last year? JMS was heavily involved in it and I think a number of the cast were doing the voices. I haven't seen it yet but here's the link to the trailer.
Babylon 5: The Road Home
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Date: 2024-05-04 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-05-06 03:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-05-13 02:47 pm (UTC)