Watching Babylon 5 with L, Season 5

[phazedout]

no compromises
Even as lochley whom L notied as the new commander and also spotted the changed credits sequence, there was a fight already. She also said this was the first time the credits sequence said what had happened before, she wasn't that keen on it. She felt it was weird that sheridan washes his socks in the morning rather than the evening. She was wondering how much effort they made to make byron look like a bad guy. She laughed out loud at the idea that they are avoiding technology on a fricking space station. She felt the garden scene was very clearly a model. Also said that the voice matches ran surprisingly quickly. She also felt that they command staff seemed very cold at the death of simon. She asked if the lunatic was going to shoot throuhg the glass. Also wondering at how they got the radion to broadcast from the fighter set up so quickly. Also very amused at the "do you want to be president" "yes" "good put your hand on the book and say i do" "i do" "good, lets eat" scene. It's always been one of my favourites.

[Looney]

WOW! Off to a great start with lots of comments. I hope it will continue. I'm certain it will. If there is one thing to say about Season 5 it is that it has a lot of conversation starters and generates a lot of comments. I hope most of L's Season 5 comments are positive comments. ? Either way I'm sure she will have plenty to say. I know I do when it comes to Season 5.

[phazedout]

Unlike last time I now take notes while we watch, then compile it into a coherent narrative. don't forget to comment on the final season 4 post

[phazedout]

The very long night of Londo Mollari
L engaged form the beginning, laughed a lot at the humorous bits. Wondered if the two inicdents were related. Got uite angry at the saying it was the patients own fault if they died, felt like you were blaming them for not beating, say, cancer. Oh, it's his heart, she intially thought it was hell. Laughed out loud at the Leineer coment on the temple of shirley Also amused by Vir having a fortifying drink whihc is actually non alcoholic. She thought Vir looked unusually non-dishevled, he was very well turned out for Londo's illness.. Commented that they just pushed the syringe thorugh the clothes and everything. She loved G'Kar as Emperor Cartagia, thought his manner was very dandy. Seeing Londo's food tray she said "how american, he has jello",

paragon of animals
She thought it was quant and antiquated they were using pen and paper rather than an electronic thing. Noted Michael was not sitting in a chiar. Said they only put the thing on the rangers nose so he could take it off in order to talk. Stephen lied when he said the ranger didn't ay anything, perhaps Stephen felt he didnt say anything important. On the scene in Sheridan's quarters was wondering why, when they are on a space station, they can afford to throw away half a place of food. In the white star meeting correctly guessed Delenn would say send all of them. Garibaldi recoiled slightly when lyta reached for hiim, also felt he was about a nanosecond away from being slapped. Felt G'Kar should write the declaration electronically asit would be easier. Said of byron, he's an idealist also felt he was quite repulsive in his manner. During the reading of the declaration of principles she said that she preferred G'kars voice to President sheridans. I handed her the framed copy of it that Jan sent me and also said that when the announcement of Andreas's death was made, this was the episode I watched.

[alpha128]

no compromises
Also very amused at the "do you want to be president" "yes" "good put your hand on the book and say i do" "i do" "good, lets eat" scene. It's always been one of my favourites.

It's one of my favorites too.

[Looney]

Just some quick points. I couple years ago subjected my father to watching B5. One thing he says to this day is he can't stand Boxleitner's voice. I don't get it.

And the Declaration has to be written on paper. It is the only way it seems official. Glad L is questioning the little details.

[phazedout]

A view form the gallery
Hooh boy, so many comments, I tried to get them all but here goes. KL though tthe initial ship in hyperspace with the red aliens destroyed looked like a tie fighter, before admitting she knows 3 ships from tha tother franchines, tie fighter, millenium falcon and death star. Comment that L felt a "strong Janeway vibe" when lochley entered C&C, also commented that the spin around was longer than usual when the star fury's launched and she'd have been throwing up. Thought "the short one" (mack) had a woman's voice initially and was wondering if they were vacuuming wiht the device or scanning with a metal detector. Then highly amused when she realised they didn't know either. Commnted that the Doctor said they were in a hurry and yet had time to tella long involved story to "a complete stranger". I pointed out if he'd seen Bo before he'd remember him, becuase that's the kind of guy stephen is. Ha! a bug, they should staert scannign food trasnprots like they do in australia. Really like the honest, old fashioned bug like in old school computers. IT takes two days to shut down a jump gate but white stars can make their own, think she was implyingthat the aline ships could probably make their own ones too. Was asking where hte white strs are, and though carbon monoxide doesn't burn. When they were crawling away she though they'd never get anywhere with that style of movement. When they saw Byron and Co L: figured they didn't know they were telp[aths, after they chased away the alien in red, she thought they'd be creeped out and run away screaming. When Byron put Mac in the star fury L commented he'd need to have some sort fo training to be out there. Comment tha tLondo and G'kar were int eh same shelter as "the plebs". Half expected an anit minbari racist comment from mac. Lots of green explosions when the white stars came thorugh. Said they were total slackers even thouhg they'd been told to attend to the fires they were jsut sitting there watching the combat. Appreciatted the comment re the junk as L is aware of our own space junk flaoting around the earth, toher shows do go on about cleanup after a battle.


learning curve
Obiously not as much commetnery here, although L did say as there was so much dialogue she didn't get a chance to say much, a lot of amusement on the interacitons between Turval and Durhan. Thought the bad guy of the week didn't have zach sussed out as he's mostly liked by his subordinates. Following the comment on the pak'ma'ra L figured they must like surströmming given the smell. When Garibaldi asked the telepaths if they had any questions then left a really short pause before assuming they had not. L asked what Mora'dum meant, i told her it would be explained. Lochley talked down to delenn like a form of mansplaining. Thought Garibaldi was wrong, the war wasn't clear cut not a right side and a wrong side. JHand mic, B5 for a walkie talkie. Guessed tennier would say "my name belongs to me".

There amy be updates from L on stuff I missed, so keep an eye on this thread,.

[Looney]

Yeah no kidding. That was a lot. So I couldn't quite tell from the comments, L did you like A VIEW FROM THE GALLERY or not?

When I read these I want to go watch the episodes, but I am way back in Season One doing gs4291's viewing order. Pretty interesting so far. I don't want to try to through in some Season Five episodes and ruin this vibe I have going with Season One.

[phazedout]

Strange relations
L.said Garibladi looked younger in the preview picture. I said if the same poeple who do the episode preview trailers did the preview pictures that would explain it. She was really thrown by the lt. in C&C doing that thing with his eyes up down your down up down, is he reading his lines, its really annoying. She thought the psy corps logo looks like a hammer and sickle and also did lyta have shorter hair before? L went pffft at the "you are my willow line. Lots of commentery on how the cult vibe was strong here. Spotted that lochley didn't have a history with bester. Comment on the scene where delenn and g'kar went to see stephen they were all bright eyed and bushy tailed, like Jehova's witnesses. Thought the comment about being ead inside was a bad thing. Also noted that they dropped the whole investigaiton in to the blown up liner pretty quickly. ore cult leader commentry on how the whole bunch of telephaths had these long flowing locks. She also guessed she forgot about garibaldi until the lt commented.


secrets of the soul
something in going to go bad he only just threw it up, didn't explode wiht the pak;mara. that look on that kids face. Angels on the head of a pin mentioned in a pratchett book
rapture look on byron fellow telepaths, purely obession more cult like. A comment about mungo confused why stuff is happening.
Thoguht the aliens stephen were talking to looked like box heads. The cult absorption is complete lyta is now a member
he looks bad when the young telkentic got beaten up/ Wht are the Security guys are going to he total,meat heads
His working things out may have other results - regarding stephen and the aliens Stephen was very judgemental and unforgiving in an alien culture he cannot understand imposing his own morality on it. Re the telpaths killing osmeone without byron around to stop them don't they have any agency if their own, more full leader stuff you should have taught them better

[Looney]

Yes a very interesting aspect of Lochley's addition was here lack of experience with Bester.

I think how the cult vibe gets stronger and stronger as the episodes progress.

[phazedout]

Looney, L asked me to point out how much she enjoyed view from the gallery

[Looney]

I hope that is not sarcasm. I know a lot of people don't like it and I admit it is flawed, but it is still a brilliant concept. ?

[phazedout]

totally not sarcasm, last time i saw her she was very insistent i tell you she really liked it.
This whole process has been great for me, watching a friend discover and delight in the show, observing adn recording her impressions, it's brought a whole new angle to it.

[Looney]

A few years back I did a first time watch with my mother, then my father - it took a long time. Dad acted like it was a chore, but I can tell he enjoyed it because every once in a awhile he will reference it. Mom genuinely enjoyed it and constantly complains every time I mention it or going to a convention that I did not have her watch it before Galveston 2014. She actually went with me, but she went to her own choice of panels and not panels with me. She kicks me every time because she knows how much better it would have been had we gone to those panels together after she had seen that show. In my defense I only learned Galveston was happening a few months prior to the actual event and she does live 900miles away.

[phazedout]

Day of the dead
L didn't recognise whomever the tal;er one was of Penn and Teller thought the costume very Victorian London. Asked if the alien talking to Londo was Brakiri, i said he was. She commented about it being some sort of Mexican day of the dead. Leineer is back L doesn't think the president is the type to enjoy cocktail parties. She noticed Loxley doesn't get it , doesnt find int funny. Thinks the brakiri look like they outsourced the decorations to a kindergarten somewhere. When L saw g'kar in nightware said He should have a sleeping hat on top of that thing (think she means a nightcap) Londo talking to the portrait and then when Adira's hand cae in she thought it was a woman , mentioned he had his own protrain there as well.
Thgouht didger looks a bit like Julia Roberts why doesn't zoe know she's dead and everyone else does
life forms, sounds like she's talking about viruses and bacteria (lochley).
who the hell is that he's just as annoying also didn't recognise morden when he first appeared.
curious how grkar knew it was happening how he had that info. Garibaldi had a thing for being raised q poor Catholic boy
She looks like she's in front of the principal when lochley is explaining to sheridan.
they're taking ages to wash the line out of the floor.

in the kingdom of the blind
that was really bad if she was supposed to interrupt him. Its like he stopped himself instead of her interrupting him in the convo between delenn, garibaldi and sheridan.
oh god he's so cocky, Garibaldi that is. Then when they showed the telepahts it was "oh god oh the cultists are back"
He looks disgusting now, he wasn't so repulsive before re byron. She wondered how the blackmail wasn't braking any laws. There was a comment re gthe sexist stereotype of the man protecting the woman nd oh when i am gone i need you to do this for me, this really irked her.