What do you mean you’ve never seen it?
Babylon 5 – where does a person start? At the beginning… no that
would take too long, well what’s it about – OK we’ll start there.
Babylon 5 is a space station – and no they don’t wear anoraks on
it, before any of you sci-fi-sceptics start…. What the series shows is a 5 year
period of “future” history, if you like, concerning events and some of the
characters on Babylon 5 over this period.
But there’s more….
In trying to answer the question – why does the show appeal to
me – its not just the show, it’s the long-running themes within it – one of
which is “Fight for what you believe is right” – yes, everybody nods their head
– that’s what we do… but is it. This show takes that thought (and many others)
and really (and I mean really) makes you think about. Yes, its fine to fight
for what you believe in, but what the show makes you do is really think about
what the characters believe in, because in a sense (and this is where JMS has
done it for me) – every character on that show is fighting for what he or she
believes in…. then their perception of what that belief is… changes, and at
that point – there are no good guys and bad guys (well, on an entertainment
level we know who they are… ) because everyone is doing what they believe is
right.
Was that a bit too deep for you… am I plunging in at the deep
(and profound) end instead of sloping down the levels.
What can I say – the show has dire moments (even JMS has
admitted that) but for any of the lesser episodes, there is something - a gem
of a scene, a throwaway line - if you stick with it, it gets to you. The best
season for me was season 3 – by that stage we knew the characters (or thought
we did) but were more interested in what was going to happen to them.
A lot of questions were answered in season 4 and season 5 - and
yes, its had its critics – but it proved that the duration is longer than the
war… and now its all gone…. And it’s too long between books for my liking. One
final word about Crusade – we were yet again emerging into those deeper
questions (if you look past the entertainment level) but sadly and quite frankly
UNBELIEVABLY it was cancelled.
But then, the same thing happened to Gene Roddenberry and Star
Trek 30 years ago – and that has grown beyond television.
So I will buy (buying/bought – select one) of the videos, the
books and even some of the music on CD. The whole premise of the Babylon 5
universe was amazing to me – and if you think that’s nuts – how many other
shows can make you think about yourself in such a way.
Who Are you? (and its not your name)
Why Are you Here?
Where Are you Going?
What Do You Want
(these last 2 questions are linked – if you know what you want,
you know where you are going and vice versa) And yes folks, I got all that from
a TV show
My Page - links to artwork
et al
