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I picked up a complete set of B5 when I was in Hong Kong and started tonight.

for a 10, 15 year old show it holds up well, even in Season 1, Episode 1, they're foreshadowing things that pay off in the final season.

I never got to follow it week-to-week when it was on so this is a lot of fun.

First thing I notice, what is a military officer doing as a future UN ambassador?

I mean no one, NO ONE makes serving military officers their Ambassadors. And none of the alien ambassadors are military. Weird considering how well thought-out the rest of the show is.

I remember how innovative it was that their fighters acted like space ships in a vacuum rather than airplanes, and here they are doing it in episode 1.

It's almost a shame it's a TV show so difficult and complex problems have to wrapped up in an hour. Plus the leading man, besides being a military captain, AND an ambassador, also takes out a fighter to personally hunt down pirates. I know TV sort of requires all of this, especially in those pre-Soprano days when TV was in transition but it jumps out to me now.

OMG, Duck Dodgers! They finish with Duck Dodgers! this is awesome!

Kid_Kyoto wrote:First thing I notice, what is a military officer doing as a future UN ambassador?

Are we talking about Sinclair? The Minbari asked for him to be in charge, it was a deal breaker for them. Londo is ex military (pilot IIRC).

George Spiggott wrote:

Kid_Kyoto wrote:First thing I notice, what is a military officer doing as a future UN ambassador?

Are we talking about Sinclair? The Minbari asked for him to be in charge, it was a deal breaker for them. Londo is ex military (pilot IIRC).

True, true, so that helps a little. But in the US he'd resign his commission and not serve in uniform. Can you imagine if Colin Powel had walked around in uniform being called General and still commanded troops?

It's strange, I never thought of it till he called a meeting, now it's bugging me.

Kid_Kyoto wrote:First thing I notice, what is a military officer doing as a future UN ambassador?

I mean no one, NO ONE makes serving military officers their Ambassadors. And none of the alien ambassadors are military. OMG, Duck Dodgers! They finish with Duck Dodgers! this is awesome!

And G'Kar (AK RIP) was a member of the ruling Kar-ri (sp) council, unlike Molari, he was someone of great importance and the ruling council was made of the narn who had led the resistance, he was a military revolutionary and maintained military powers.

And I love the duck dodgers bit almost as much as Garibaldi trying to get Talia to come and see it in the lift...
"maybe after work you could stop by my quarters and I could show you my favourite thing in the universe...ok,ok, my second favourite thing"

B5 is full of little 'quirks' but you must admit that the whole is very impressive.

OT: Gen. Colin Powell always was a General, in the US the rank is for life. He could have been recalled to lead troops at any time.

The Minbari demanded Sinclair be in charge because they found the [spoiler ahead] human / minbar gene in Sinclair when he was scanned while on "the Line"... they realised they were fighting their "brother race".

Just like Star Trek... a lot of home truths about the future has surfaced.

Mik

I'd love to have all my memory of B5 erased, then I could watch it all over again and be surprised.

George Spiggott wrote:B5 is full of little 'quirks' but you must admit that the whole is very impressive.

OT: Gen. Colin Powell always was a General, in the US the rank is for life. He could have been recalled to lead troops at any time.

But not serving while he was SecState. It would be like having the commander of the Pacific Fleet also serving as Ambassador to Japan or chairman of the joint chiefs sitting at the UN. But Sinclair wasn't even a high-ranking officer.

A more logical arragnement would be for Sinclair to resign from the military and serve as ambassador and administrator of the base while Ivanava serves as military commander. But they he couldn't take out a fighter and shoot pirates.

Actually as I think about it, it doens't make sense to have B5 under the Earth Military and for Earth to have a vote. It puts the Ambassadors under Earth's gun. Station security and defense would logically be under a joint commission or a more neutral party.

Of course the other ambassadors might just trust to Earth's good faith and their own diplomatic immunity. And it seems every faction gave it a different priority. The Narn and Minbari sent senior people while the Centari treated it as a dead end job for a loser.

But I'm over thinking. It's a good show.

By the way no worries about spoilers, I know how it goes but I just caught bits of it over the years, never watched the show start to finish.

Ok if you haven't watched it five times then you're in for a treat.

Last part of season I has some epic quotables.

Season I was a year of growing pains. Season II really kicks it into gear with the whole multiyear epic including some bad guys that are really really bad. And don't ever jack with Vorlons...Excellent.

Who are you?
What do you want?

"Who are you?"
"Kosh"
"But Kosh is dead. Who are you"
"Kosh"


I watched the whole series about 2 years ago. Brilliant entertaiment.

btw.: stay the hell away from "Crusade"!!!!

I'm finally watching the dvd's my wife got me for Christmas. I've seen it before and love the show. The only problem I'm having is that the dvd says it's in widescreen but it's not showing that way. I know they filmed the show in widescreen thinking in terms of future release. Anyone else have this problem?

I kind of liked Crusade. I hated the music though, it simply ruins the show.