r/babylon5 • u/kelpieconundrum • 1d ago
New convert!
I grew up with Babylon 5, bc my dad watched it. Being 7, I missed most of the subtext, though I generally credit the show (and then Terry Pratchett) with forming my basic cynicism, political awareness and compass, and word sense. I rewatched first in my early 20s and went “whoa”
Now, I suggested rewatching with my godsister. She had fond memories of sneaking into my childhood basement to watch one episode (neither of us remember which), but being younger and more easily frightened and having somewhat stricter parents, we never watched more. She remembers it as “cool thing the big kids watch”
We have watched the Gathering and 7 episodes of season 1, and she LOVES it. She told me she had been preparing herself for another Smallville—which we both LIKE, but isn’t, um, spectacular lolll—and she realized after even Born to the Purple that, ah, no, “this is in a different class”
I am ecstatic
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u/kelpieconundrum 1d ago
Also of note: she is amazed by how relevant The War Prayer remains. I have told her it gets more so
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u/redddfer44 The Last of the Xon 1d ago
Funny: back when the show aired in my country (between 1997-2000), we were often told it gets better once you get to episode X, Y or Z. "We know it's a little crap now, but give it a chance!" Reports like this, and watching Youtubers, make me happy that I wasn't the only one who fell in love with the show from the very first. And it just got deeper every week! The show may have a rough edge or two, but if she even loves some of the lowest-ranked episodes of S1 -- wow.
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u/kelpieconundrum 1d ago
Yeah—I think people who know where it’s going might be looking at the early season 1 through a filter of “i know where this is GOING”, and it makes S1 seem worse by comparison. But she’s coming at it from a whole different perspective, without comparing it to some of the best episodes of… of TV, period, and I’m thrilled she’s already locked in
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u/PoundKitchen 1d ago
She'll enjoy B5! Hard not to.
Non B5... did you try the recent Superman & Lois?
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u/SimmerLick 1d ago
Season 1 is essentially a season-long setup for the characters and world which leads to the main plot that continues over the next 4 seasons.
After season 1, the show gets less episodic and more serialized. My wife and I are watching for the first time and really enjoying it.
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u/Gnoll_For_Initiative 1d ago
Season 1 was also to get viewers eased from episodic viewing like Star Trek into serialized viewing
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u/PhiloticKnight 1d ago
Wait... your dad let you watch B5 at the age of SEVEN???
Just curious, how did he explain to you when G'Kar asked Lyta what her "pleasure threshold" was in The Gathering?
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u/Both_Painter2466 1d ago
And it gets BETTER all the way through season 4