Why Babylon 5 Is The Best Sci-Fi Show Ever
Now, don't get me wrong, I love Star Trek--especially Deep Space 9. I feel no need to pick sides here, even though I know the DS9 and B5 fandoms have had some, uh, friction. But in my mind, what's better than one amazing sci-fi drama set on a space station? Two amazing sci-fi dramas set on space stations!
I suppose if you really, really pushed me to answer as accurately as possible, I'd say Star Trek: TNG is the all-time greatest sci-fi series, and I think a lot of that has to do with its cultural influence and the precedents it set. Babylon 5, sadly, didn't reach nearly that level of widespread awareness and acclaim. Which is why I'm here to tell you about it today.
On first viewing, Babylon 5 looks like a hokey, low-budget rip-off of DS9. I remember, several episodes into season 1, I was wondering what the big deal was about the show, and consulted the internet for reviews. It was okay, I thought, but it wasn't exactly as ground-breaking as I'd been led to expect.
I was super wrong. Here's my advice: if you make it to the finale of season 1, you'll be hooked for good.
Why is Babylon 5 the best sci-fi show ever?
1. It's Basically A Book Pretending To Be A Show
All the other points come back to this one. The writing is just plain well-thought-out. From the characters, to the worldbuilding, to the season-spanning plots. The creator, J. Michael Straczynski, had a vision for how everything would play out, and in some seasons, he personally wrote almost all the episodes. As much as I love Battlestar Galactica, there's no denying they pretty much made it up as they went. And everyone faults Star Trek for its episodic, "reset button" style plotting. Babylon 5, in comparison, is very much like a book, with a beginning, second act, and major climax and resolution, across the seasons. The characters grow and change significantly. And...
2. Things Matter
When things happen, they stick. Factions go to war, species get wiped out, characters get permanently affected by events. Guns that are placed on the mantle in season 1 might get fired in season 2 or 3. Monumental moments develop out of every decision and detail of the context around them. This includes...
3. The Foreshadowing!
This show does a pretty damn good job of planting seeds early on that bloom not only later in an episode, but several episodes--or seasons--down the line. Things mentioned as offhand comments can come back to slap you across the face. And there are puzzle pieces littered everywhere for you to try and figure out. This all leads up to...
4. The Gut Punches
There are many moments of tragedy in human history where everyone was shocked into silence by what had happened. Events in the Babylon 5 universe frequently have that effect on the characters. There are galaxy-changing twists that'll give you the chills. Very few shows have so many deeply memorable, shocking moments. And while the show focuses on many serious questions...
5. It Can Be Pretty Funny
The creator mentioned he always strove to include one laugh-out-loud funny moment in every episode. There are so many I loved, it was hard to pick an example. (It's also difficult because everything builds on itself so much, you can't talk about later seasons very easily without spoilers.) All the characters get some great, hilarious moments, because...
6. Everyone Is The Best Character
Well, except maybe Commander Sinclair, but the good news is he's replaced in season 2 by someone way better. (Tron!). But if you ask any B5 lover who their favorite character is... I feel like the default answer is "everyone's my favorite!" They're all lovable and complex, and they grow so much. Characters who start out timid and forgettable become strong and willful. Characters who start out hating each other develop a complicated relationship. Characters die, and change, and get brainwashed or misled or manipulated. They stand up for their values or fall prey to their flaws. And it all fits together so beautifully.
I also feel we need an honorable mention for...
The Best Time Travel Episode Ever
In season 1, there's a curious little episode about Babylon 4, which got displaced in time. The brilliance of it doesn't come to fruition until a few seasons later, when we revisit it in a two-parter, that's the other "half" of the story--the perfect, interlocking puzzle piece of a non-linear time-travel plot that puts most other time-travel episodes to shame.
And yeah, yeah, there are plenty of criticisms of B5, complaints about the acting, the dialogue, the pacing, and whatever else. I don't agree with all of them, though I see where people are coming from. But at the end of the day, the show was ahead of its time, and the strength of its worldbuiling, characters, and plot, is difficult to match.
I suppose if you really, really pushed me to answer as accurately as possible, I'd say Star Trek: TNG is the all-time greatest sci-fi series, and I think a lot of that has to do with its cultural influence and the precedents it set. Babylon 5, sadly, didn't reach nearly that level of widespread awareness and acclaim. Which is why I'm here to tell you about it today.
On first viewing, Babylon 5 looks like a hokey, low-budget rip-off of DS9. I remember, several episodes into season 1, I was wondering what the big deal was about the show, and consulted the internet for reviews. It was okay, I thought, but it wasn't exactly as ground-breaking as I'd been led to expect.
I was super wrong. Here's my advice: if you make it to the finale of season 1, you'll be hooked for good.
Why is Babylon 5 the best sci-fi show ever?
1. It's Basically A Book Pretending To Be A Show
All the other points come back to this one. The writing is just plain well-thought-out. From the characters, to the worldbuilding, to the season-spanning plots. The creator, J. Michael Straczynski, had a vision for how everything would play out, and in some seasons, he personally wrote almost all the episodes. As much as I love Battlestar Galactica, there's no denying they pretty much made it up as they went. And everyone faults Star Trek for its episodic, "reset button" style plotting. Babylon 5, in comparison, is very much like a book, with a beginning, second act, and major climax and resolution, across the seasons. The characters grow and change significantly. And...
2. Things Matter
When things happen, they stick. Factions go to war, species get wiped out, characters get permanently affected by events. Guns that are placed on the mantle in season 1 might get fired in season 2 or 3. Monumental moments develop out of every decision and detail of the context around them. This includes...
3. The Foreshadowing!
This show does a pretty damn good job of planting seeds early on that bloom not only later in an episode, but several episodes--or seasons--down the line. Things mentioned as offhand comments can come back to slap you across the face. And there are puzzle pieces littered everywhere for you to try and figure out. This all leads up to...
4. The Gut Punches
There are many moments of tragedy in human history where everyone was shocked into silence by what had happened. Events in the Babylon 5 universe frequently have that effect on the characters. There are galaxy-changing twists that'll give you the chills. Very few shows have so many deeply memorable, shocking moments. And while the show focuses on many serious questions...
5. It Can Be Pretty Funny
The creator mentioned he always strove to include one laugh-out-loud funny moment in every episode. There are so many I loved, it was hard to pick an example. (It's also difficult because everything builds on itself so much, you can't talk about later seasons very easily without spoilers.) All the characters get some great, hilarious moments, because...
6. Everyone Is The Best Character
Well, except maybe Commander Sinclair, but the good news is he's replaced in season 2 by someone way better. (Tron!). But if you ask any B5 lover who their favorite character is... I feel like the default answer is "everyone's my favorite!" They're all lovable and complex, and they grow so much. Characters who start out timid and forgettable become strong and willful. Characters who start out hating each other develop a complicated relationship. Characters die, and change, and get brainwashed or misled or manipulated. They stand up for their values or fall prey to their flaws. And it all fits together so beautifully.
I also feel we need an honorable mention for...
The Best Time Travel Episode Ever
In season 1, there's a curious little episode about Babylon 4, which got displaced in time. The brilliance of it doesn't come to fruition until a few seasons later, when we revisit it in a two-parter, that's the other "half" of the story--the perfect, interlocking puzzle piece of a non-linear time-travel plot that puts most other time-travel episodes to shame.
And yeah, yeah, there are plenty of criticisms of B5, complaints about the acting, the dialogue, the pacing, and whatever else. I don't agree with all of them, though I see where people are coming from. But at the end of the day, the show was ahead of its time, and the strength of its worldbuiling, characters, and plot, is difficult to match.
Now you've whetted my appetite! I haven't seen more than one or two episodes of Babylon 5, but I keep hearing good things about it. Your list thereof is very appealing!
ReplyDeleteStraczynski was once said to be working on a treatment of E.E. Smith's Lensman series. Now THAT would be awesome. Pity it doesn't seem to be going anywhere...
Go go go! Though your friends might not see you again until you finish ;)
DeleteI love B5. I came for your reason 1--okay, I joined the party late (4th season)--but I stayed for #5. And 6. Favorite character? Susan Ivanava. By a hair. I love how she embraced her Russian fatalism. And Marcus. I love the way he loved her. And it wouldn't have been the same without Girabali. And the one liners. They were hysterical. And it's such an ensemble cast that I didn't even realize until the fifth season that the story actually belongs to Londo. So tragic when you finally get what you want...
ReplyDeleteMy answer usually goes that way as well. "Ivanova for sure! Well, and Delenn. And Kosh. And Garibaldi. AND OF COURSE LONDO AND GKAR."
DeleteDon't remind me about Marcus :'( That scene with Ivanova after was too heartbreaking...