One Episiode to sell B5 to the world

[Righteous Bros]

This is the premise:

You have a 1 hour slot (no commercials) on every TV network. You can show 1 episode of B5 during that 1 hour.

You can have 5 minutes before you show the episode and 5 minutes after the explain what B5 is, where it came from and why the episode you are showing is so vital.

This is your opportunity to get everyone else to realise what they missed.

Which episode do you show and why?

My answer: Severed Reams
Why: This is the episode where we go from defence to offense.

Can you think of a better episode to get people hooked?

[Delenn_of_Mir]

I agree! Severed Dreams is an awesome episode, and if that of one doesn't hook anyone I don't know what would.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Great episode..but my problem is that's so far into the series it's really missed all the great buildup. I usually start people with signs and portents.

[KoshN]

"Shadow Dancing" S3E21 worked for me. Made me want to see it all from the beginning. That's further down the line from "Severed Dreams" but "Shadow Dancing" is not as pivotal of an episode. I'd hate to have seen "Severed Dreams" as my first B5 episode because it would have lessened the impact when I saw it in it's correct position in the series. "Shadow Dancing" is a little more isolated, encapsulated, and would make a good first taste of B5.

[Zoltan]

"Coming of Shadows".

Has the small character moments with great monologue(s) as well as big moments that change the shape of the universe (the combination of which we find so fascinating in B5). Add the directing, music and CGI and we got a very nice package.

The mentioned "Signs and Portents", "Severed Dreams" and "Shadow Dancing" (always loved this title) have those traits as well.
"Signs" is a good entry in that the characters don't know any more than the first-time viewer does. Add to that the great "WTF was that *THING*?!" moment, yet I feel it misses the "UN in Space" character.
"Severed" has too much fighting though for an entry episode (even if it is done for drama purposes, not to fill an ep to 42 minutes).
"Shadow Dancing" is more equal in that regard, but might be troubling in that it requires emotional investment to feel its punch (one has to know Franklin as well as the struggle to build the Alliance).

Can't think of any other, but you people might have even better ideas?

[Morden]

I may remember wrong, but I think this topic has already been discussed to death in a very similar thread.

Well, now we are here, so I will of course add my thoughts:
"Severed dreams" is a very powerful episode, granted, it gives away very much, but as a one-time-chance to get someone interested in B5, it'll most definetely work. Zoltan, "The Coming of shadows" would also be my favorite for Righteous Bros' premise, exactly for the same reasons.

That said, if we could have 90 minutes, I'll always go for "ItB", it gives away much of the season 1 mystery, but not about the later overall arcs, and served me very well a few times to get people connected with B5.

OR, on a slightly different note, you could take "LotR" and say: The rest is better!

[Trollheart]

I'd agree A) that "Severed Dreams" is an excellent episode but also B) it is too far into the arc and might confuse people who would then have to backtrack to get to all the good stuff that went before.

To hook an unsuspecting friend, I would bait my line with season 1's "Babylon squared", and wait for them to bite. If you don't want to know how THAT turns out in the future, you're never going to want to watch this series! AND it's not TOO far into the series that you've missed all the really important stuff...

[Jan]

I'm going to go against the trend and nominate "The Parliament of Dreams". It doesn't need a whole lot of setup, you get to know the characters in just the one episode, it's got drama and humor and it's easy to tell that it ain't your mother's science fiction.

Jan

[Dan Dassow]

I'm going to go against the trend and nominate "The Parliament of Dreams". It doesn't need a whole lot of setup, you get to know the characters in just the one episode, it's got drama and humor and it's easy to tell that it ain't your mother's science fiction.

Jan

The Parliament of Dreams and The Coming of Shadows would have been my suggestions.

The Parliament of Dreams is the episode that got me hooked.

Dan Dassow

[Andrew_Swallow]

Believers is the episode for people who like religion or thinking about moral dilemmas.

[Truth66]

I would have to agree that Severed Dreams was my favourite episode and was voted as the number one episode here in Canada several years ago.
To narrow it down to a single episode is very difficult to sell anyone on Babylon 5.
Like it has already been mentioned that there's the whole build up of suspence that leads to Severed Dreams that you would want to capture.
Perhaps a montage of episodes could be used to try and create the essence and spirit of Babylon 5 similar to what is on the official Babylon 5 website.

http://babylon5.warnerbros.com/

[Morden]

Perhaps a montage of episodes could be used to try and create the essence and spirit of Babylon 5 similar to what is on the official Babylon 5 website.

http://babylon5.warnerbros.com/

In this case, I would just suggest the season 5 intro, brilliantly done montage with epic music and voiceover.

[Jonas]

I'm going to go against the trend and nominate "The Parliament of Dreams". It doesn't need a whole lot of setup, you get to know the characters in just the one episode, it's got drama and humor and it's easy to tell that it ain't your mother's science fiction.

Jan

I agree. It has all the elements that are the heart of Babylon 5.

[Marsden]

And Now For a Word seems like a good choice. It doesn't give away too much but shows enough for someone to catch up, plus there's plenty of action which is a good thing.