Previous Post Quote: The character development in B5 was fantastic. Quote: Also in this series, actions do have consequences and you don't always get the ticker tape parade, and sometimes you don't get to walk away from the consequences. I'm partway through season 2 now. I don't know, I'm too familiar with the TNG/DS9 style maybe. This show just seems smaller and more amateur, I guess, but I applaud the effort. Other than Sinclair/Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi and the doctor, there doesn't seem to be anyone else. Earthgov is mentioned but barely seen, the station staff is barely mentioned besides Garibaldi's #2. I guess I'm looking for more evil admirals, ensigns roaming around, other ship captains. The universe seems a little bare. I just saw the "GROPOS" episode and it did a good job of what I'm talking about, filling in the universe a bit more. Quote: Londo and G'Kar especially will evolve over the series. While they both have comedic moments, trust me they both get VERY serious as well. Just wait for the ep in Season 2 where they are trapped in the elevator. G'Kar makes a lot of noise but hasnt really done anything yet. Londo is ten times the character he is so far. Londo is funny, has humanity, is corrupt, at times despicable. Multi-faceted. Quote: As to Sinclair, yes the actor was very ill and did what he could to film his scenes but behind the scenes there was a lot of tension. Only he and JMS really knew and they were pals so JMS promised that he would keep the secret unless/until the actor died, then per his request he would reveal the truth, which he one day did: Quote: Acute Paranoid Scizophrenia and the medication wasn't helped by the demands of the shooting of the series. JMS is to be commended for his handling of it, although he was also saving his own skin to an extent. He said if it got out, the show probably would have been cancelled. Quote: Sinclair will appear in Season 2 and his story arc wraps in Season 3. Quote: Delenn will undergo a major change. I bet Bill Mumy was jealous, he seemed to hate the makeup. She got a much easier appliance to wear. Quote: Kosh and the Vorlons get revealed as does the major enemy. Not even a hint yet with Kosh but Morden and the Shadows have a nice buildup so far. Quote: Marcus will join the show Who's the other kid, Kessler? Another guy in the opening credits of every episode and yet he's only appeared about twice so far out of ten or so eps I've seen. Quote: Bester the Psi-cop will return, he is the "Q" of the series as in the character you hate and want to see dead but want him to keep coming back. I think he had more to do in his first ep of B5 than in 30 years of Trek. Quote: After you finish all 5 seasons, go read the B5 Novels, Psi Corp trilogy and the Wheel of Fire Trilogy Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Lol

Stories and plot threads develop starting in season 1 and 2, action starts starting at the end of season 2 and goes into 3 and especially in S4.

The Shadows are indeed the great menace, but you will eventually see that the line between good and evil is a bit jagged and blurry. Also the Shadows have had a LONG time, (1000 years) to prep for their return and have agents in place. This isn't an enemy you can instantly rally the troops and be ready for.

G'kar develops into a spiritual leader for his people, you will see.

Londo: perhaps one of the best examples of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Did you see the episode with the Technomages? What their leader tells Londo will have an affect on him.

As to evil admirals and ensigns running around......you will indeed see some evil and misguided people running around. The Nightwatch......Earth President Clark and his forces....the Psi Corp....

Bill Mumy commented that he wasn't thrilled with the makeup at first as the first session took a long time to apply it, but with practice it got quicker. Also his character develops in an interesting path also.

Kessler? I think you mean the fighter pilot Keffer, he has a part to play.

Bester: yeah he has far more to do in this series then he ever did in Trek.

Valen: throughout season 1, 2 and 3: anytime Valen is mentioned or anything about him, pay attention. Valen was even mentioned in the pilot The Gathering along with the first mentioning of Entil'Zha


ADDENDUM: Babylon 5 was great for long reaching plots and story arcs, while perhaps not on the level of Tolkien or Frank Herbert Dune it is a great space story.

Star Trek: how many times in TOS/TNG/DSP/Voyager/Enterprise did they get the deus ex machina/happy ending with little to no consequences? Answer: most of the time.

TNG: Picard becomes Locutus, decimates about 80% of the fleet and nearly conquers earth before he is stopped and restored. He passed all physical and mental tests and Starfleet allows him to keep the Enterprise????

Picard should have been immediately assigned to an anti-Borg task force to both assist with making new defenses and also to be monitored just in case. Not many episodes afterwards dealt with him being Locutus, there were some but not many. It was just "oh here is your ship back!" It wasn't until First Contact that he was actually ordered by Starfleet to stay out of Borg conflict even though he did face them in the series after being Locutus. Heck the Shatner novels did a better job of showing his post-Locutus PTSD and dealing with it.


The Psi Corp: they started with the best of intentions but thanks to greed, I think some Shadow corruption and the fact that telepaths know they have the right to survive, well they get a bit corrupt by the time of the series. Also while they do seek to protect their own their methods leave a bit to be desired.

Join the Corp or take the sleeper drugs or go to the internment camps.

Also they check DNA of their members to find suitable breeding matches to create a new generation at least as strong as the previous

Genetic experiments on their own (Jason Ironheart)

Psychic reprogramming of their own to make some of them sleeper agents.

The Corp is Mother, the Corps is Father.......magneto would be so proud!