Sixth (?) time through

[Jonas]

I never thought he was meant to be particularly likeable, as there's definitely some ambiguity to his character. Like Bester, he's a man with a cause, and that dedication can and does corrupt his judgement. I do like that no one in B5 is black and white, which is one of the strengths of the series. I still wish the arc had been spaced out between S4 and 5 to make it more gradual, as the whole Byron thing always felt a bit tacked on to me.

Definitely, but what's interesting to me is that it's more than just his dedication to the cause. The problem is the cause itself. It sounds great at first, but in fact what Byron is preaching is segregation/separatism - a kind of genetic nationalism, in his case. While his methods are nonviolent, his actual goals and beliefs align closely with Bester's. He agrees that "mundanes" are inferior, he agrees that telepaths should live separately from them.

And it's also very interesting to note that ultimately, from what we've seen in Crusade, the Telepath War was *not* a war between telepaths and mundanes.

[Ubik]

This echoes something a good friend of mine said : "An idealist os a very dangerous person". You can see both Byron and Bester as examples. Well, Londo, G'Kar, Sheridan and Delenn are idealists, too, and they are indeed dangerous people.

Good point, there was even the proposed, but never produced 3-part episode in season five where David Sheridan comes back from the future to stop his parents from becoming fascist in leading the alliance.

This ties in neatly to that theme.

[babylonlurker]

I never thought he was meant to be particularly likeable, as there's definitely some ambiguity to his character. Like Bester, he's a man with a cause, and that dedication can and does corrupt his judgement. I do like that no one in B5 is black and white, which is one of the strengths of the series. I still wish the arc had been spaced out between S4 and 5 to make it more gradual, as the whole Byron thing always felt a bit tacked on to me.

This echoes something a good friend of mine said : "An idealist os a very dangerous person". You can see both Byron and Bester as examples. Well, Londo, G'Kar, Sheridan and Delenn are idealists, too, and they are indeed dangerous people.

[Ubik]

What really changed my understanding of Byron is going from the question of whether this character is likeable to whether he's a realistic portrayal of a certain type of (identity) politics. And though I still think there are some weak moments, I now get the intent much more clearly than before. It's a much more critical portrayal than I had first thought, especially with the way Byron echoes Bester in his belief that telepaths are *better*.

I never thought he was meant to be particularly likeable, as there's definitely some ambiguity to his character. Like Bester, he's a man with a cause, and that dedication can and does corrupt his judgement. I do like that no one in B5 is black and white, which is one of the strengths of the series. I still wish the arc had been spaced out between S4 and 5 to make it more gradual, as the whole Byron thing always felt a bit tacked on to me.

[Jonas]

What really changed my understanding of Byron is going from the question of whether this character is likeable to whether he's a realistic portrayal of a certain type of (identity) politics. And though I still think there are some weak moments, I now get the intent much more clearly than before. It's a much more critical portrayal than I had first thought, especially with the way Byron echoes Bester in his belief that telepaths are *better*.

[NotSoWize]

I'm at the end of season 4 on my second re-watch. I really don't remember a whole lot about season 5 (except SiL!) so I'm looking forward to watching episodes where I don't remember what's going to happen next. I also really want to see if the whole Byron story line is as bad as I remember it. I think having an understanding of what happened with Claudia will allow me to welcome Tracy a lot more than I did back when season 5 first aired.

[Ubik]

This all makes me nostalgic for B5. Maybe I'm due a re-watch.

[Dan Dassow]

I agree. I've always wondered if my suspension of disbelief would have been ruined if by some miracle I'd been able to visit the sets back in the day. From everything I've read in the script books and photos in the B5-20 book and props/costumes I've acquired, I think it would have enhanced the show for me rather than ruined. it.

Jan

Props and costumes were on display when TNT promoted the fifth season of Babylon 5 at various venues throughout the US. The props were slightly underwhelming, but the costumes were gorgeous. Since I was watching B5 over-the-air in a fringe reception area, the exhibit was significantly better than the statically reception I saw. Andreas Katsulas completely out-shined any of the exhibits.

[Jan]

The more I learn of the actors and production backstories, the better the series is.

I agree. I've always wondered if my suspension of disbelief would have been ruined if by some miracle I'd been able to visit the sets back in the day. From everything I've read in the script books and photos in the B5-20 book and props/costumes I've acquired, I think it would have enhanced the show for me rather than ruined. it.

Jan

[DaveNarn]

No, I only miss the Zima commercials. I cannot stand gin. When I tried Zima, it tasted like cheep gin.

I tried a Zima once.
Couldn't finish it - it was sort of like something you wouldn't normally taste except by accident, like hair spray or brake fluid. 8-p

I've started watching an episode two or three times a weeks just before bed.
Always gives me something to ponder while taking a break from the cares of the day.
The more I learn of the actors and production backstories, the better the series is.

[Ubik]

Well...sorta...not everybody. That was actually added when the re-edit was done for TNT. It wasn't in the original version. But I thought it was a great change. The re-edit was SO much better.

Jan

Yeah, this is a cool little bit of information. I love tracing how the arc changed with O'Hare's departure from the show.

[Dan Dassow]

Hey it's Mack!

And what is it with Zima? Do you miss it Dan?

No, I only miss the Zima commercials. I cannot stand gin. When I tried Zima, it tasted like cheep gin.

[Jan]

The second time I watched Season 1 and saw so much foreshadowing and revelationary (why isn't that a word?) things, my mind was blown. "Entil'zha Valen" Holy $%!^ they told us right from the beginning!

Well...sorta...not everybody. That was actually added when the re-edit was done for TNT. It wasn't in the original version. But I thought it was a great change. The re-edit was SO much better.

Jan

[Nastastu]

Like Jan and Looney, I think pretty much all the episodes have merit / relevant details, especially in Season 1. That's such a goldmine when you see it the second time around!

The second time I watched Season 1 and saw so much foreshadowing and revelationary (why isn't that a word?) things, my mind was blown. "Entil'zha Valen" Holy $%!^ they told us right from the beginning!

[Nastastu]

Zo Therez alwayz YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSfBaVMViz8

Hey it's Mack!

And what is it with Zima? Do you miss it Dan?