This convinced me to start rewatching this after having last seen it when it was still airing on TV, and I'm quite digging that site linked earlier with the writeups, specifically the JMS comments section, though I already frequently wish I could see what the heck he was responding to.
Bab5 pretty much ruined the Battlestar Galactica reboot for me.
It was good, but I kept going, "Man, if only you could take Bab5's great arc and story and tension and combine them with the production values of this".
And then I'd have to go back and watch Bab5.
I definitely still enjoyed BSG too, more so than it seems a lot of people did, but I thought this too
This show is so amazing. Just blew through the whole thing on Netflix instant a few months back and it's better than I remembered. The whole back half of season 4 gets me so emotionally invested, culminating with that moment at the end of Endgame (you know the one), and two of the best epilogue episodes ever.
It's aged remarkably well, especially in the gfx department. From the laughably bad CGI in the pilot (which was state of the art for the early 90s) getting better and better with each season.
There's one moment that's pretty funny in retrospect though: in the episode with the visiting monks, and the terrorist setting off bombs around the station:
the command staff wants to examine all the security camera footage of the crowds after each explosion, hoping that the bomber shows up to admire his handiwork every time. "But how will we ever process all those faces? It's impossible!"
So they get the monks to watch all the footage and look for common faces, since they're trained to quickly remember tiny details or somesuch.
And now 15 years later, we can probably run this kind of software on our cell phones.
DivideByZero on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
More than the ship design I dig the Newtonian physics.
But yeah there is just something special about those Earthforce destroyers with the rotating crew sections. They look decidedly human in a galaxy where every alien race is driving something that looks like a flying saucer or giant fish. I love that in B5, humanity is quite a ways behind most of the other races technologically; they have no luxuries like artificial gravity and just got their asses demolished in a massive interstellar war. It sets the stage for the sense of inferiority felt by many humans (especially in the government) and the resultant attitudes and policies that serve to shore up humanity's collective ego at the expense of increasing tentions with alien races.
A far more likely or realistic scenario than the utopian Federation in Star Trek if you ask me.
DivideByZero on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
yeah some of the CGI space battles from season 4 still look pretty cool, surprisingly
Lightwave rendering holds up surprisingly well, yeah.
Part of the season 1 to 4 look improvement has to do with the speed of the computers they had available. For instance, the first season looks less detailed because they were using Video Toasters (the old Amiga+Motorola 68k versions, not the later MIPS.)
And by season 4 they had moved it all to an in-house design/animation team with their own render farm. (full of sexy, sexy old DEC Alphas and SGI workstations that could handle a whopping 8 minutes of video at a time!)
Aight Bale, thanks for the info. I'm willing to check out season 1 since the pilot seems not to be representative of the series.
I would just like to point out that Bale is also very quick to recommend "A Clash of Thrones", Dru.
You are warned.
You mean Game of Thrones, or Clash of Kings, or something entirely different?
After watching a few episodes from season one, it's not that bad so far and I'm willing to see how season 2 goes. I very well may come out of this hating B5, but I'll give it a shot.
And I don't hate the Song of Ice and Fire series, I just don't find it nearly as compelling as many do. As I've said on twitter, the books would benefit greatly from Martin shutting the fuck up and getting on with the story.
Aight Bale, thanks for the info. I'm willing to check out season 1 since the pilot seems not to be representative of the series.
I would just like to point out that Bale is also very quick to recommend "A Clash of Thrones", Dru.
You are warned.
You mean Game of Thrones, or Clash of Kings, or something entirely different?
After watching a few episodes from season one, it's not that bad so far and I'm willing to see how season 2 goes. I very well may come out of this hating B5, but I'll give it a shot.
And I don't hate the Song of Ice and Fire series, I just don't find it nearly as compelling as many do. As I've said on twitter, the books would benefit greatly from Martin shutting the fuck up and getting on with the story.
Yes, I meant both of those things....but remembering the exact name would have probably helped make that clear, huh?
I know you don't hate it...but I know that Bale loves it to itty bitty pieces and I just wanted to take a shot across his bow.
(I'm likely going to give the show a shot as well...yay for netflix)
More than the ship design I dig the Newtonian physics.
But yeah there is just something special about those Earthforce destroyers with the rotating crew sections. They look decidedly human in a galaxy where every alien race is driving something that looks like a flying saucer or giant fish. I love that in B5, humanity is quite a ways behind most of the other races technologically; they have no luxuries like artificial gravity and just got their asses demolished in a massive interstellar war. It sets the stage for the sense of inferiority felt by many humans (especially in the government) and the resultant attitudes and policies that serve to shore up humanity's collective ego at the expense of increasing tentions with alien races.
A far more likely or realistic scenario than the utopian Federation in Star Trek if you ask me.
My roommate and I had this discussion and he boiled it down to Star Trek being the optomistic view of the galactic community while B5 kept the human emotions and instincts.
Say what you want about the pilot and the first season, you have to be a eunich to not laugh at
I wouldn't. You know the rules about crossing species. Stick with the list.
Man: What are you, a bigot or something?
Sinclair: No. But obviously you've never met an Arnassian before. After they finish, they eat their mate.
Also, big spoiler in the very first episode, I mean, really big.
My people…we have a way, you see. We know how, and sometimes even when, we are going to die. Comes in a dream. In my dream, I am an old man, it's twenty years from now, and I am dying. My hands wrapped around someone's throat, and his around mine. We have squeezed the life out of each other. The first time I saw G'Kar, I recognized him as the one from the dream. It will happen. Twenty years from now, we'll die with our hands around each other's throats
More than the ship design I dig the Newtonian physics.
But yeah there is just something special about those Earthforce destroyers with the rotating crew sections. They look decidedly human in a galaxy where every alien race is driving something that looks like a flying saucer or giant fish. I love that in B5, humanity is quite a ways behind most of the other races technologically; they have no luxuries like artificial gravity and just got their asses demolished in a massive interstellar war. It sets the stage for the sense of inferiority felt by many humans (especially in the government) and the resultant attitudes and policies that serve to shore up humanity's collective ego at the expense of increasing tentions with alien races.
A far more likely or realistic scenario than the utopian Federation in Star Trek if you ask me.
My roommate and I had this discussion and he boiled it down to Star Trek being the optomistic view of the galactic community while B5 kept the human emotions and instincts.
I can agree with that. I likes me some Trek, too, but there are times when the relentless optimism just breaks my suspension of disbelief. Like in First Contact when Picard is giving that speech about how humanity has moved beyond motivations like greed, pride, selfishness, etc. Psheah, right. B5 always seemed the more plausible scenario, like this is how the future might actually end up, with a humanity largely similar to the way we are today, rather than this enlightened and whitewashed utopian society. Like if you took Earth today, transplanted it into the future, gave it FTL and ansibles, and let it play around with a bunch of alien races.
B5 handled religion pretty well on the whole, especially that closing scene in S1 when Sinclair is leading the alien ambassador down the endless column of people representing each of Earth's religions.
(and I am unable to read any Londo quote without doing his voice in my head.)
DivideByZero on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
Posts
You're doing it wrong.
You've got natives to oppress.
I CAN DO TWO THINGS
carrying on that grand old English tradition
When I watched it the first time, I had a nagging feeling that I'd seen Peter Jurasik in something before.
So, I looked it up and yep! He was Crom in TRON!
Man, I think I'm going to spend the night watching this.
USA
USA
USA
and also no one ever listen to sil
Just wrong.
No one ever does.
And look whats happened. I hope you're all happy.
and I guess mst3k but that hardly counts
we are all the happiest dudes
happy we aren't butts like you
gameraaaaa,
he is full of turtle meat
he is really good to eat
we all love you ga-mer-aaaa!
So excited for the new Gamera box set
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
Red Dwarf was great but jesus christ they ran that into the ground.
Just pounded every last bit of comedy out of it, until it was juat a sad pathetic reminder of better times.
yes they did
they'd sometimes manage to squeeze a good joke out here or there in the later seasons
but back to earth was unforgiveable
I heard they're planning a new series. I think it may officially signal the beginning of the end times.
Love me some Babylon 5.
oh that is just not something I needed to hear
especially since the greatest show to ever come outta England only got two
I definitely still enjoyed BSG too, more so than it seems a lot of people did, but I thought this too
Eight tops.
Eh?
The Prisoner only got one.
Why I fear the ocean.
it is the best british show
it was amazing
why can't you watch both
I never thought I would say these words but that's good group acting. You can almost feel the room shitting a brick as he gives the order.
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16534
It's aged remarkably well, especially in the gfx department. From the laughably bad CGI in the pilot (which was state of the art for the early 90s) getting better and better with each season.
There's one moment that's pretty funny in retrospect though: in the episode with the visiting monks, and the terrorist setting off bombs around the station:
So they get the monks to watch all the footage and look for common faces, since they're trained to quickly remember tiny details or somesuch.
And now 15 years later, we can probably run this kind of software on our cell phones.
i dig the ship design something fierce
But yeah there is just something special about those Earthforce destroyers with the rotating crew sections. They look decidedly human in a galaxy where every alien race is driving something that looks like a flying saucer or giant fish. I love that in B5, humanity is quite a ways behind most of the other races technologically; they have no luxuries like artificial gravity and just got their asses demolished in a massive interstellar war. It sets the stage for the sense of inferiority felt by many humans (especially in the government) and the resultant attitudes and policies that serve to shore up humanity's collective ego at the expense of increasing tentions with alien races.
A far more likely or realistic scenario than the utopian Federation in Star Trek if you ask me.
Lightwave rendering holds up surprisingly well, yeah.
Part of the season 1 to 4 look improvement has to do with the speed of the computers they had available. For instance, the first season looks less detailed because they were using Video Toasters (the old Amiga+Motorola 68k versions, not the later MIPS.)
And by season 4 they had moved it all to an in-house design/animation team with their own render farm. (full of sexy, sexy old DEC Alphas and SGI workstations that could handle a whopping 8 minutes of video at a time!)
I would just like to point out that Bale is also very quick to recommend "A Clash of Thrones", Dru.
You are warned.
You mean Game of Thrones, or Clash of Kings, or something entirely different?
After watching a few episodes from season one, it's not that bad so far and I'm willing to see how season 2 goes. I very well may come out of this hating B5, but I'll give it a shot.
And I don't hate the Song of Ice and Fire series, I just don't find it nearly as compelling as many do. As I've said on twitter, the books would benefit greatly from Martin shutting the fuck up and getting on with the story.
Yes, I meant both of those things....but remembering the exact name would have probably helped make that clear, huh?
I know you don't hate it...but I know that Bale loves it to itty bitty pieces and I just wanted to take a shot across his bow.
(I'm likely going to give the show a shot as well...yay for netflix)
My roommate and I had this discussion and he boiled it down to Star Trek being the optomistic view of the galactic community while B5 kept the human emotions and instincts.
Say what you want about the pilot and the first season, you have to be a eunich to not laugh at
Also, big spoiler in the very first episode, I mean, really big.
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16534
I can agree with that. I likes me some Trek, too, but there are times when the relentless optimism just breaks my suspension of disbelief. Like in First Contact when Picard is giving that speech about how humanity has moved beyond motivations like greed, pride, selfishness, etc. Psheah, right. B5 always seemed the more plausible scenario, like this is how the future might actually end up, with a humanity largely similar to the way we are today, rather than this enlightened and whitewashed utopian society. Like if you took Earth today, transplanted it into the future, gave it FTL and ansibles, and let it play around with a bunch of alien races.
B5 handled religion pretty well on the whole, especially that closing scene in S1 when Sinclair is leading the alien ambassador down the endless column of people representing each of Earth's religions.
(and I am unable to read any Londo quote without doing his voice in my head.)