The first time I saw Babylon 5 was when the pilot movie (known as "The Gathering") was originally broadcast. I thought it was crap. The pacing was abominably slow, the make up was ridiculous (especially the aliens with the fanned out hair) and the music was way too 1980s. I had friends who were instantly in love with the show. I suspected this affection was just a craving for any SciFi on television, rather than an appreciation of some high quality, which was invisible to me.
After it was commissioned as a series, I was told about some interesting plot developments, including an alluded to visitation by the same characters from different time periods (each hidden from the other). It was also mentioned that some great war was going on for the future versions of these characters. This intrigued me and I started to tape it (yes, I know, the old fart and his VCR). I did not watch it, even then.
This resistance came from the fact that Bruce Boxleitner (Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and various god-awful TV romance movies) was the major player in the second season. These friends continued to assure me that Bruce could indeed "act his way out of a paper bag". Still being a stubborn bastard, I did not watch.
One day, while recovering after a very near-death experience (hospital and everything), I started to watch. The episode was "Confessions and Lamentations". It is well worth watching, for anyone who is still a hold out. A very rare thing happened at the end of this episode, I cried. It actually moved me that much. I had never felt that way about any SciFi before, or in fact by fiction of any kind. So, OK, I was hooked after that.
In the next article I will talk about major series events, don't worry, no spoilers. I will also discuss why its creator's writing displays both genius and mediocrity.
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