I've never seen the series but I've always heard how great it was, even "the best SciFi series EVA!" according to some.

Now it's on Amazon and my wife and I have started watching. We're half way through season 1 and so far it's been, for the most part, a big yawn fest. I like Garibaldi and the three main ambassador characters (Minbari, Narn, Centauri) but everyone else is pretty lackluster. And the stories are mediocre at best, so far, and some of the dialog is cringeworthy. It was made a few years after TNG started but the look of the series is closer to TOS. I've seen the same external cut scenes of the station 30+ times in the first 10 episodes.

How long do I suffer through until it gets good? Or do I cut my losses now and start re-watching SG1 on Hulu instead (which was my plan before B5 came to Amazon)?

Well, the first season hasn't aged well. CGI was done, no kidding, on an Amiga back then. You may want to skip the second half of S1, and look directly at Season 2. If by mid season is still doesn't grab you, maybe it simply isn't for you. Also, of course, most TV memories are rose tinted because at the time they may have been decent, but they were overtaken by style and production values ever since. Still, B5 has reasonably decent space combat concepts that aren't entirely rubbish, and unlike Star Trek it has one continuous storyline which made it very much different at the time.

Season 1 is alot of background buildup and character building, but not that much which is essensial.

Season 2 when Boxleitner comes on. It’s all part of a plan over season 1, it will all come into play in subsequent seasons. The first season is better once you’ve seen the rest of the series, on a second viewing, since you pick up on things that you didn’t know would be relevant. Tough out the “conflict of the week” and it will take off. seasons 2-4 are the best scifi on tv or otherwise IMO, but yeah, season one the first time does drag a bit.
Don’t forget the background movie “In the Beginnning”. It doesn’t spoil later events, just hints at it. Give that a go whenever you want. It’s a frame story set in the future and tells the story of the Earth-Minbari war that is always referenced and will set up season 2 well although that isn’t when it came out originally.

“In the Beginning” has major spoilers concerning Sinclair so I do not recommend watching it until after you have finished season 3.


As for season 1, it has multiple problems and they are mostly related to the bare bones budget that the producers were given.

1. Lots of crappy campy acting from second rate guest stars and supporting actors.

2. There are several stand-alone episodes that have mediocre and forgettable stories.

3. Michael O’Hare did not have the necessary screen presence to be the lead of the show.

Thanks all, we'll stick with it!

Forgot to say that the show gets much better in season 2 and seasons 3 and 4 are absolute gold. Season 5 is good as well but there are multiple changes that you may or may not care for.

I don’t consider there to be spoilers in the movie until you’ve watched the series. Spoilers only in retrospect. I saw it beforehand at the time when it aired and nothing was tipped off.
It was put out when the show was sold to another channel (TNT? Iforget) to stir up new fans to watch the reruns they aired in order and prepare for the final season. It’s fine to watch.

Just to note on O'hare was supposed to carry on throughout the show, but due to mental health issues, only just revealed, had to leave the series.

I didn’t know that. I ultimately came to like the character, more when absent, and O’Hare himself seems likable, but Boxleitner MAKES the show. Lots of great characters, actors and character arcs, but Bruce made the show his. Sheridan is still a character I name game characters after, and countless ships and mechs have been the Agamemnon. LOL
F4U...hang in there until you get to John Sheridan.


The show also has epic season ending episodes, I love how each season is a year.

He was suffering with paranoid schizophrenia.. Having hallucinations on set etc.

Jms promised to keep is a secret until O'hare passed away. (I said recently but it seems this has been known now since about 2013... But I didn't hear until last year)

You never know what someone is living with.

That is not accurate. The original plan by JMS was to have Sinclair on the show until sometime in the middle of season 3 and then Sheridan would come in. So the replacement was supposed to happen at that time instead of right after season 1.

This B5 thread has reminded me about all of the actors from the show who are no longer with us.

Richard Biggs - Dr. Stephen Franklin
Tim Choate - Zathras
Jerry Doyle - Michael Garibaldi
Michael O’Hare - Jeffrey Sinclair
Stephen Furst - Vir Cotto
Andreas Katsulas - G’kar
Jeff Conaway - Zack Allen

It is such a shame that the original high resolution CGI got lost/wiped as it looks really bad on the big screen now.

And what is not to love about Alfred Bester in the series made a good transition from TOS

the complete collection:



Must watch this again after I have cleared out my to watch list

I'm with Raw Kryptonite on the is one. I watched the original movie/pilot when it first aired and I didn't have a friggen clue about what all it setup until things got there in the actual series. Now part of that was I wasn't binge watching 5 years of TV in a week. I can see where if you didn't see it originally and have had to wait several years to put the pieces together it could come off as a spoiler. However I think unless you really key on the movie and think way too hard about what all COULD be going on, it's really not going to spoil much.

-Jenrick

You are referring to “The Gathering” Jenrick. The movie with the spoilers is “In the Beginning”.

Walter Koenig was so good on this show! I love all of the Bester episodes. He was so condescending it was hilarious. I wish they had made the Telepath War a spinoff.