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OK, so Season 1 seemed a little off in air-date order, so I found the Lurker's Guide "Master List." I watched it in that order too, and some parts are still off. The one thing that jumped out at me most was the fact that Delenn's Chrysalis is almost finished in "Signs and Portents" and only about halfway finished in "Legacies." Unless Delenn made a mistake and decided to start unbuilding the Chrysalis, I don't think that's right either! So I then found the "Official Babylon 5 Magazine Chronology" which changes the order of those two episode, but the episodes viewed in the chronology order still seems to have some issues.
After thinking about this, I decided to pay very close attention to details in Season One and try to reorganize the order a bit. Take a look at my list and reasons now and maybe you have some comments or some details I missed too:
1. Midnight on the Firing Line
OK, this one's obvious. First episode!
2. Soul Hunter
3. Born to the Purple
4. Believers
Believers is here for 2 reasons: #1 -- The ambassadors all have lines in this episode that make it seem more of an introductory episode than one that should play later in the season -- the way Londo and G'Kar behave is much closer to the first episodes and #2 -- I found this jms note 9/8/1993:
5. Infection
6. The War Prayer
7. The Parliament of Dreams
In all the chronologies, these two episodes are flipped. It makes more sense in this order for two reasons -- #1, Garibaldi makes a comment to Ivanova in "The War Prayer" that implies it's the first time she's let her hair down, and she lets it down in "The Parliament of Dreams" also. #2, G'Kar's behavior in "The War Prayer" is still similar to the earliest episodes, and given what happens to him in "Parliament" with Tu'Pari, I see this as an event that starts to change the way he thinks.
8. Grail
I moved Grail for a few reasons: Sinclair is not suspicious of Delenn at all at this point so this would seem to come before "And the Sky Full of Stars." Deuce is using a fake Kosh to kill people, but nobody suspects Kosh is capable of killing -- Sinclair's only statement at the end of the episode is "no one knows what you look like." This would seem to place it before "Deathwalker." Then, there is the mention of Babylon 4, which would seem to place this episode before "Babylon Squared" since it seems from later seasons that jms usually likes to put reminders in early episodes before showing the payoff. Lennier also mentions the Warrior Caste which leads into part of the "Deathwalker" plot.
9. And the Sky Full of Stars
10. Mind War
I always wondered about Garibaldi's aide in these two episodes. Since he failed in "And the Sky Full of Stars" is that why Bester scans him in "Mind War"? Or does Bester recruit him in "Mind War" and then the aide helps kidnap Sinclair in "And the Sky Full of Stars." I did find the quote that puts Mind War at about Episode 10 12/19/93:
11. Deathwalker
12. By Any Means Necessary
13. Survivors
I moved "By Any Means Necessary" to before "Survivors" because Londo specifically mentions Ragesh 3 in both episodes, and it makes more sense in this order -- Londo wants to get revenge on G'Kar by withholding the plant for Ragesh 3 in "By Any Means" and Londo thinks that G'Kar has then extorted money out of the Centauri for Ragesh 3 in "Survivors." Londo also is being kind to Garibaldi in "Survivors" since they are both the "odd men out" implying this is still before "Signs and Portents." Also Zeta Squadron is delievered at this point, and I believe that is the squadron referenced in "Babylon Squared."
14. Babylon Squared
15. Legacies
16. Signs and Portents
These episodes are in this order specifically because of how far Delenn is in building her Chrysalis --> She gets the triluminary in "Babylon Squared", has about 1/3 done in "Legacies," and is about halfway done in "Signs and Portents." Also, Susan and Talia start to get to know each other better in "Legacies" which leads into "Eyes."
17. The Quality of Mercy
18. TKO
19. Eyes
There's a specific character progressing for Londo I noticed that makes me think the episodes for him near the end should be "Signs and Portents --> The Quality of Mercy --> A Voice in the Wilderness." My reasoning is as follows: In "Signs and Portents" the Centauri are still a beaten-down people until Londo gets the Eye. In "Quality of Mercy" Londo is told by the Centauri Senator (everybody's favorite regent from much later!) to get to know the Minbari. This seems a likely event to follow the restoration of the Eye.
There's mention of unrest on Mars in "Eyes" which leads into part of the plot for "A Voice in the Wilderness."
Lennier in "Quality" is only focused on his religion. After Londo takes him on a tour of the station, this leads Lennier to want to assist Garibaldi in his bike building in "Eyes." However, I remember once reading a note from jms saying he did not want two Psi-Corps episodes back-to-back, and I found this note on TKO, so it seemed a good episode to place between Quality and Eyes:
20. A Voice in the Wilderness, Part I
21. A Voice in the Wilderness, Part II
22. Chrysalis
In "A Voice in the Wilderness", Londo is now on good speaking terms with Delenn and the Minbari after having gotten to know Lennier in "Quality."
I realize "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" places "Voice" before "Babylon Squared" but that doesn't quite jell with the SaP -> QoM -> VitW Londo development and it also seems more likely that the time-flash for Garibaldi and seeing Lise in "Babylon Squared" was meant to precede his actually contacting her in "Voice."
Watch season 1 in this order and see if the little things make a little more sense. G'Kar's character changes seem more organic to the story in this order, and Londo's as well. The reminders of things coming up in later episodes (Homeguard, Babylon 4, Mars, Warrior Caste, Lise, etc.) also seem to work a little better this way.
After thinking about this, I decided to pay very close attention to details in Season One and try to reorganize the order a bit. Take a look at my list and reasons now and maybe you have some comments or some details I missed too:
1. Midnight on the Firing Line
OK, this one's obvious. First episode!
2. Soul Hunter
3. Born to the Purple
4. Believers
Believers is here for 2 reasons: #1 -- The ambassadors all have lines in this episode that make it seem more of an introductory episode than one that should play later in the season -- the way Londo and G'Kar behave is much closer to the first episodes and #2 -- I found this jms note 9/8/1993:
Your order is a bit off. The short clip I showed was from "Midnight
on the Firing Line," episode 1. In order thereafter: "Soul Hunter," "Born
to the Purple," "Believers," and then "Infection."
on the Firing Line," episode 1. In order thereafter: "Soul Hunter," "Born
to the Purple," "Believers," and then "Infection."
6. The War Prayer
7. The Parliament of Dreams
In all the chronologies, these two episodes are flipped. It makes more sense in this order for two reasons -- #1, Garibaldi makes a comment to Ivanova in "The War Prayer" that implies it's the first time she's let her hair down, and she lets it down in "The Parliament of Dreams" also. #2, G'Kar's behavior in "The War Prayer" is still similar to the earliest episodes, and given what happens to him in "Parliament" with Tu'Pari, I see this as an event that starts to change the way he thinks.
8. Grail
I moved Grail for a few reasons: Sinclair is not suspicious of Delenn at all at this point so this would seem to come before "And the Sky Full of Stars." Deuce is using a fake Kosh to kill people, but nobody suspects Kosh is capable of killing -- Sinclair's only statement at the end of the episode is "no one knows what you look like." This would seem to place it before "Deathwalker." Then, there is the mention of Babylon 4, which would seem to place this episode before "Babylon Squared" since it seems from later seasons that jms usually likes to put reminders in early episodes before showing the payoff. Lennier also mentions the Warrior Caste which leads into part of the "Deathwalker" plot.
9. And the Sky Full of Stars
10. Mind War
I always wondered about Garibaldi's aide in these two episodes. Since he failed in "And the Sky Full of Stars" is that why Bester scans him in "Mind War"? Or does Bester recruit him in "Mind War" and then the aide helps kidnap Sinclair in "And the Sky Full of Stars." I did find the quote that puts Mind War at about Episode 10 12/19/93:
Incidentally..."Mind War" has come out so well that it looks like we're going to move it up in the schedule a bit. It was orignally slated to run about episode 10 or so
12. By Any Means Necessary
13. Survivors
I moved "By Any Means Necessary" to before "Survivors" because Londo specifically mentions Ragesh 3 in both episodes, and it makes more sense in this order -- Londo wants to get revenge on G'Kar by withholding the plant for Ragesh 3 in "By Any Means" and Londo thinks that G'Kar has then extorted money out of the Centauri for Ragesh 3 in "Survivors." Londo also is being kind to Garibaldi in "Survivors" since they are both the "odd men out" implying this is still before "Signs and Portents." Also Zeta Squadron is delievered at this point, and I believe that is the squadron referenced in "Babylon Squared."
14. Babylon Squared
15. Legacies
16. Signs and Portents
These episodes are in this order specifically because of how far Delenn is in building her Chrysalis --> She gets the triluminary in "Babylon Squared", has about 1/3 done in "Legacies," and is about halfway done in "Signs and Portents." Also, Susan and Talia start to get to know each other better in "Legacies" which leads into "Eyes."
17. The Quality of Mercy
18. TKO
19. Eyes
There's a specific character progressing for Londo I noticed that makes me think the episodes for him near the end should be "Signs and Portents --> The Quality of Mercy --> A Voice in the Wilderness." My reasoning is as follows: In "Signs and Portents" the Centauri are still a beaten-down people until Londo gets the Eye. In "Quality of Mercy" Londo is told by the Centauri Senator (everybody's favorite regent from much later!) to get to know the Minbari. This seems a likely event to follow the restoration of the Eye.
There's mention of unrest on Mars in "Eyes" which leads into part of the plot for "A Voice in the Wilderness."
Lennier in "Quality" is only focused on his religion. After Londo takes him on a tour of the station, this leads Lennier to want to assist Garibaldi in his bike building in "Eyes." However, I remember once reading a note from jms saying he did not want two Psi-Corps episodes back-to-back, and I found this note on TKO, so it seemed a good episode to place between Quality and Eyes:
though it was hoped to hold back some of Susan's development
in TKO just a tad longer.
in TKO just a tad longer.
21. A Voice in the Wilderness, Part II
22. Chrysalis
In "A Voice in the Wilderness", Londo is now on good speaking terms with Delenn and the Minbari after having gotten to know Lennier in "Quality."
I realize "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" places "Voice" before "Babylon Squared" but that doesn't quite jell with the SaP -> QoM -> VitW Londo development and it also seems more likely that the time-flash for Garibaldi and seeing Lise in "Babylon Squared" was meant to precede his actually contacting her in "Voice."
Watch season 1 in this order and see if the little things make a little more sense. G'Kar's character changes seem more organic to the story in this order, and Londo's as well. The reminders of things coming up in later episodes (Homeguard, Babylon 4, Mars, Warrior Caste, Lise, etc.) also seem to work a little better this way.
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