BABYLON 5 REMASTERED: A Retrospective and Rewatch Thread!

[DarthSkywalker]

So I finished the Gathering: Some thoughts...

Spoiler

- I have watched my fair share of Trek and other sci-fi shows. This show feels the most like the first Mass Effect's citadel missions then anything else I have watched. Feels like an influence, like how BSG was also clearly one.

- "Very large file."

- Every time someone says ambassador, I want to say, "where's your consular ship?"

- "Most impressive". That's my line!

- Weirdest booty call, ever.

- No but seriously, the lizard dude is hilarious. He's so hype.

- That Kosh dude looks so cool. His presence is a nice mood changer, as is the kind of Independence Day/5th Element vibes.

- Laurel will be my Babylon 5 crush.

- The one dude looks dressed like the Toon Patrol from Roger Rabbit.

- The ambassador with the hair and the eyebrows really shouldn't drink in public.

- I like how they have the Disney monorail, but with standing rollercoaster setting.

- For such an advance station, you'd think they could afford HD monitors.

- The T-1000 fight killed me.

- With Kosh around, they are going to need bigger doors.

I definitely enjoyed it, but I am not exactly sure how I feel about Sinclair.

 

[DKDetective]

Episode 1 seems to be in 16 9. Episode 2 looks like it’s in 4 3. ????

If episode 1 on HBO Max is the pilot "The Gathering", that is because the original negatives were destroyed in an earthquake. It is the only non-remastered episode as a result.

 

[InCali]

What happened to the Asian commander? I like Claudia fine, but......the other commander......yowza.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

What happened to the Asian commander? I like Claudia fine, but......the other commander......yowza.

She went back to live in Okinawa I guess. Waiting for her Daniel to return.

 

[InCali]

If episode 1 on HBO Max is the pilot "The Gathering", that is because the original negatives were destroyed in an earthquake. It is the only non-remastered episode as a result.

Well they should have remastered them in 16 9

 

[InCali]

She went back to live in Okinawa I guess. Waiting for her Daniel to return.

I want her back.

 

[DKDetective]

So I finished the Gathering: Some thoughts...

Spoiler

- I have watched my fair share of Trek and other sci-fi shows. This show feels the most like the first Mass Effect's citadel missions then anything else I have watched. Feels like an influence, like how BSG was also clearly one.

- "Very large file."

- Every time someone says ambassador, I want to say, "where's your consular ship?"

- "Most impressive". That's my line!

- Weirdest booty call, ever.

- No but seriously, the lizard dude is hilarious. He's so hype.

- That Kosh dude looks so cool. His presence is a nice mood changer, as is the kind of Independence Day/5th Element vibes.

- Laurel will be my Babylon 5 crush.

- The one dude looks dressed like the Toon Patrol from Roger Rabbit.

- The ambassador with the hair and the eyebrows really shouldn't drink in public.

- I like how they have the Disney monorail, but with standing rollercoaster setting.

- For such an advance station, you'd think they could afford HD monitors.

- The T-1000 fight killed me.

- With Kosh around, they are going to need bigger doors.

I definitely enjoyed it, but I am not exactly sure how I feel about Sinclair.

Okay:

Spoiler

So bad news your crush doesn't make it past the pilot. But the replacement character is awesome, I promise.

The lizard dude, G'Kar, and drunk peacock hair ambassador, Londo Mollari, are probably the show's greatest characters. They are just so deep and they have amazing chemistry.

The standing roller coaster restraints are because the monorail is at the centre of the station where there is less centrifugal force to simulate gravity.

Yeah, I love Kosh. If you are enjoying his vibe, I have high hopes for how you will connect with this show.

Sinclair is an odd fit. Due to real world mental health issues, the actor could only stay on the show full time for the first season. It is a real tragic story and the way that JMS supported him and helped hide his illness until they could wrap the season and paid for his treatment to help preserve his career shows that he is a wonderful human being, everything that Whedon pretended to be but was a lie.

So there is a different lead for the rest of the series. The character's out of place vibe actually pays off in wonderful ways and his arc is wrapped up phenomenally.

P.S. only spoilers for those behind us.

 

[DKDetective]

Well they should have remastered them in 16 9

They did on the DVDs it sucks. The original effects and composited shots were all done in 4:3 for budget reasons, they expected to be able to redo them for home release. But the effects companies went under and assets were lost. So for the original DVD releases they used the original 16:9 in camera footage and then pan and scanned the effects and composited shots. It was not good. This is wayyyyy better!

 

[Snow Queen]

I want her back.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

They did on the DVDs it sucks. The original effects and composited shots were all done in 4:3 for budget reasons, they expected to be able to redo them for home release. But the effects companies went under and assets were lost. So for the original DVD releases they used the original 16:9 in camera footage and then pan and scanned the effects and composited shots. It was not good. This is wayyyyy better!

Yep! Like my beloved Avatar blu rays.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I could always make you sit through Cobra Kai season 3 again.

 

[DKDetective]

Also, she is bisexual and has a same-sex relationship on the series long before any other major character on mainstream US genre TV of which I am aware.

P.S. See above Elsa braid.

 

[InCali]

I like the new doctor. Couldn’t they just have TWO commanders? Lol

 

[DKDetective]

I like the new doctor. Couldn’t they just have TWO commanders? Lol

Oooo, you are already on Soul Hunter? Pay close attention, there are a lot of important little tidbits in that one. What did you think of Midnight on the Firing Line?

And yeah, Dr. Franklin is awesome. Great character.

 

[Snow Queen]

I could always make you sit through Cobra Kai season 3 again.

Well given some other people in that season, not so sure it's forced.

Also, she is bisexual and has a same-sex relationship on the series long before any other major character on mainstream US genre TV of which I am aware.

P.S. See above Elsa braid.

Wow, you think that's all I look f-yeah okay fine.

I don't think I said it, but I liked the pilot movie. Thought the storyline was pretty solid, and seems like the setup has a lot of potential it can get into.

 

[DKDetective]

Well given some other people in that season, not so sure it's forced.


Wow, you think that's all I look f-yeah okay fine.

I don't think I said it, but I liked the pilot movie. Thought the storyline was pretty solid, and seems like the setup has a lot of potential it can get into.

Haha, yeah, I mentioned that primarily because it is a point of pride for B5 fans that B5 beat Star Trek to having LGBT+ characters by about 20 years. Both funny and infuriating at the same time.

 

[InCali]

Oooo, you are already on Soul Hunter? Pay close attention, there are a lot of important little tidbits in that one. What did you think of Midnight on the Firing Line?

And yeah, Dr. Franklin is awesome. Great character.

All good.

Edit. Trying to avoid spoiler tags. Ep 3. Creepy.

 

[DKDetective]

All good.

They set up the G'Kar-Mollari relationship so incredibly well in Midnight. Such great foreshadowing that actually pays off.

 

[InCali]

On episode 4. I didn’t know Harlan Ellison consulted on this. Couldn’t they find any SciFi heavy hitters?

 

[DKDetective]

On episode 4. I didn’t know Harlan Ellison consulted on this. Couldn’t they find any SciFi heavy hitters?

Yeah, I know, like whatever did Harlan do?

Also, when you say episode 4, are you counting the pilot movie? I typically don't (and iTunes correctly doesn't number it as a normal episode) so you might have me confused there. Are you on Born to the Purple or Infection?

 

[InCali]

Yeah, I know, like whatever did Harlan do?

Also, when you say episode 4, are you counting the pilot movie? I typically don't (and iTunes correctly doesn't number it as a normal episode) so you might have me confused there. Are you on Born to the Purple or Infection?

Finished Infection.

 

[DKDetective]

Finished Infection.

Nice. Infection is one of the weaker episodes, but it's got some nice world building with the discussion of organic technology.

I watched Midnight on the Firing Line this morning over breakfast and the depth of the world building still amazes me. The universe, powers, societies, and technology are so well thought out (JMS being a huge Tolkien fan showing through, which is also one of my biggest issues with post-BSG franchise science fiction, such as the Star Trek Discovery, Picard, etc.). Some of my favourite spoiler free aspects of this universe:

The use of hyperspace and jump gates based on String Theory and the idea of other dimensions as a way not to break the theory of relativity with faster than light travel.

The fact that humans and other younger races do not have artificial gravity and rely on rotation to simulate gravity.

The fact that they actually address the fact the old supernerd complaint thay lasers in Star Wars and Star Trek do not actually behave like lasers and B5 actually has beam weapons that do. I also love the fact that the new handguns, PPGs (Phased Plasma Guns), fire realistic bolts of superheated hydrogen gas, which is why the air distorts around the bolts as they pass and the air is heated.

Speaking of the retooling of the weapons, I'm glad they used the opportunity after the series order to punch up the costumes, sets, weapons, etc. Given the historical illusions in the story to the 1930s and WWII, I love how they punched up the military uniform influences from that era with the EarthForce uniforms, with the unit and pilot patches and the use of leather. I think the main series EarthForce uniforms are my favourite sci-fi future military uniform.

@DarthSkywalker and @Snow Queen, did you end up watching anymore last night or were you too heart broken over Laurel's departure?

 

[DKDetective]

I also want to add that one of the reasons for that incredible worldbuilding and consistency is that this really was JMS's baby. He wrote 92 of the series' 110 episodes himself, including the entirety of seasons 3-5 (with the sole exception of one standalone episode by Neil Gaiman in season 5, well as much as you can have a standalone episode of Babylon 5). Basically once the main plot gets started, he could not trust anyone else to write it, even the more standalone episodes, because all of the little hints, foreshadowing, etc. were so important to the core story. All of the standalone episodes still serve to advance the main narrative in some way.

The series really is show runner/writer "auteur" TV, being a singular expression of JMS's artistic voice, for better or worse. It means that his personal strengths and flaws as a storyteller are magnified. I think the former strongly outweighs the latter, but that is a great topic for discussion.

 

[InCali]

I also want to add that one of the reasons for that incredible worldbuilding and consistency is that this really was JMS's baby. He wrote 92 of the series' 110 episodes himself, including the entirety of seasons 3-5 (with the sole exception of one standalone episode by Neil Gaiman in season 5, well as much as you can have a standalone episode of Babylon 5). Basically once the main plot gets started, he could not trust anyone else to write it, even the more standalone episodes, because all of the little hints, foreshadowing, etc. were so important to the core story. All of the standalone episodes still serve to advance the main narrative in some way.

The series really is show runner/writer "auteur" TV, being a singular expression of JMS's artistic voice, for better or worse. It means that his personal strengths and flaws as a storyteller are magnified. I think the former strongly outweighs the latter, but that is a great topic for discussion.

I saw that. None of this wimpy 10-12 shows per season.

 

[Snow Queen]

I also want to add that one of the reasons for that incredible worldbuilding and consistency is that this really was JMS's baby. He wrote 92 of the series' 110 episodes himself, including the entirety of seasons 3-5 (with the sole exception of one standalone episode by Neil Gaiman in season 5, well as much as you can have a standalone episode of Babylon 5). Basically once the main plot gets started, he could not trust anyone else to write it, even the more standalone episodes, because all of the little hints, foreshadowing, etc. were so important to the core story. All of the standalone serve to advance the main narrative in some way.

The series really is show runner/writer "auteur" TV, being a singular expression of JMS's artistic voice, for better or worse. It means that his personal strengths and flaws as a storyteller are magnified. I think the former strongly outweighs the latter, but that is a great topic for discussion.

That is very impressive and also sounds incredibly exhausting.

And just "The Gathering" last night.