Finally, I have time to start watching #Babylon5. Finished the pilot and I LOVE. Some initial thoughts:
- Well, that escalated quickly (emotionally and plot wise)
- Already passed the Bechdel Test
- How on earth did they do these graphics on Amiga 2000s
- Ivanova wot a badass

Episode 3 and I'm in love. A nuanced badass women who also cries lady tears? In the nineties? Unbelievable. #Babylon5 #Ivanova

Episode 7 - The War Prayer. Otherwise known as "The Brexit Episode". Babylon 5 still brilliant. Loving the swing to poetic sentimentality, right up my street

Episode 8 - WHAT IS HAPPENING. IS DELENN A BAD GUY. WHAT. Can someone just tell me who to hate cheers

Episode 9 - can we talk about Vorlons please. What is their position in the hierarchy? How do they just get to come in and decide who is ready for immortality or not? Also, unrelated, but the commander's name is JEFF.

The watch continues. Episode 10: Dude stole my goddamn line

"But life has to be more than just a pulsebeat.

What we hold sacred gives our lives meaning"

Well that episode (Believers, Ep10) was beautiful. And goes DEEP on some medical dilemmas. Verdict: excellent #Babylon5

Episode 13 starts strong.

Ivanova: "I've always had trouble waking up when it is dark outside"

YOU AND ME BOTH, IVANOVA

WHY DOES DELENN HAVE A TRIANGLE ON HER FOREHEAD?

Okay episode 13 has left me with a million questions. What is the black thing in the sky? Who TF is Morden? Is that a real propehcy or what? @alex_odonovan is being discreetly tight lipped about the whole thing, but he looks troubled. Very exhausting.

Episode 16 #Babylon5 - "Eyes". Ivanova took a DNA tests turns out she's 100% THAT BITCH for standing up for consent above all #Ivanova

#Babylon5 "A Voice In The Wilderness Pt 1" - ep18. Why Ivanova, I quite agree!

#Babylon5 Ep20 - Babylon Squared



Are we in a Flight of the Navigator situation here maybe? V v cool

Man this is some #timeywimey shit and I am HERE for it.

Delenn appears to also be pretty cool. And the only minbari female question mark?

WHAT. IS. HAPPENING!!!



Okay if this isn't explained at some point then I am out

#Babylon5 season one finale (Ep 22). Is there more of a stone cold Slytherin than this guy #morden

I have GENUINELY never seen a show this confident about getting a second season. WTF was any of that? NO ANSWERS YET PEOPLE #Babylon5 #Chrysalis

Dem Season 2 graphics tho #Babylon5 S2E02

DAMN Delenn what a glowup!

Season 2 is seriously more engaging than season 1. And it took me until episode 3 to properly listen to the changes in the title credits...

#Babylon5 S2, Ep 3 (below is Ep2)

The Delenn glowup continues #Babylon5 S2 E07

This last few episodes has started hinting more and more to the wider arc. Also, I can't help but fancy Commander John Sheridan. It is a mixture of the half crooked smile and the authority that does it

To be fair the same "teeth and authority" combo applies to Ivanova. What a combo #Ivanova #Babylon5

#Babylon5 S2E09 - The Coming Of Shadows

GODDAMN that episode had everything. Betrayals! Heartbreak! Political Coups! Superior Races!

I'm going to throw my hat in the ring and say I'm with the Narn right now. Smash the oppressors, G'Kar.

My face when I suddenly see where the minbari ears are #howdidinotseethisbefore #Babylon5

#Babylon5 S02E18 - Confessions and Lamentations.

"I did not know that similarity was required for compassion, commander" - YES DELENN

This episode...it is all a bit close to home right now to be honest. What with it being all pandemicy and that.

OOOOH!! YES! I ship these two hard and designate them Deriden from this point on

I love how this show invokes the sci-fi trope of having someone try to relay a message but dying JUST before they get to the important bit. Mostly they have wasted 30 words before they die ("you must...tell....the captain..... this important...message.... immediately...." DEAD).

#Babylon5 S02E19 - Divided Loyalties. I also ship these two and will be sad if all this flirting doesn't end in their happiness.

I MEAN.....COME ON!
Just manically read loads of articles about these two. The fact that they were written to be romantically involved from the start but edited to be 'implicit'...all sorts of mixed feelings. Happy with it on balance, but please school me if you know better!

Obviously above parenthesised with "for the time, primetime tv" etc. It is further than I saw anything else go at the time, especially with a female relationship. But of course, they (and we) deserve more from that relationship

"You're right. The Talia I knew is dead. Goodbye."

WHAT. I am heartbroken

#Babylon5 SOE20 - The long twilight struggle.

Draal! Good to see you buddy! Please can you install some handrails kthxbye

#Babylon5 S02E21 - Comes the Inquisitor

"This body is but a shell. You cannot touch me"

Delenn has some real "I Am Moana" vibes here

What a weird bloody choice to literally have JACK THE RIPPER.

So I didn't tweet the end of season two as I was so engaged that I forgot to tweet. What an end!!! What a plot!! My face was like Delenn's below for most of the end.

I am very excited for season three, which I will be starting to watch....NOW! #Babylon5

OH YAY! Ivanova gets the credit voiceover!

Ooh..."it failed". SUCH DRAMA. I love it.

Sheridan having his best McFly "nobody calls me chicken" moment I knew I fancied him for a reason

#Babylon5 S03E03

#Babylon5 S03E04 - @BradDourif sums up my life thesis with this killer line:

"Gambling is one of the lesser sins. I've always thought if you are going to sin you may as well go for one of the REALLY BIG ONES"

#Babylon5 S0305 - what an episode! Disco ship first ones! Draal! Space Sexy Umbridge! Finally, evidence against Clark! Phewf I need a drink now.

#Babylon5 S03E10

YASSSSS DELENN YOU DROPPED THIS

"Break the council...and COME with ME"

DELENN KICKS ASS and saves the goddamn day

"If you value your lives...BE SOMEWHERE ELSE"

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

#Babylon5 S03E11 - new looks! Very sharp, I likey

#Babylon5 S03E14 - B5 predicts "fake news"

Once again, Ivanova's face says it all

#Babylon5 S03E15 - here we go! Sheridan has flipped the table and...somehow Kosh agrees to go into battle with the Shadows? What?

#Babylon5 S03E15
NOOOOO!!!!! KOSH!!

I'm not crying you're crying

Ok maybe I am crying a bit.

RIP bigman (if you are really dead)

#Babylon5 S03E15

OH JEEZ.

Londo falling for the first trick in the Slytherin villain playbook. Don't do it Londo! I mean RIP Adira and that, but still surely he can see through this? Yeesh

AND NOW FRANKLIN QUITS.

Honestly B5 you have like three episodes with literal filler like King Arthur and then you do all this in the space of ten minutes.

Franklin is doing the right thing by leaving now before someone gets hurt. Health professionals, take note!

#Babylon5 S03E16

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOO. A thousand year old letter addressed to none other than Commander Jeff.

The return of Sinclair! The time has come. I AM SO HYPE. Timey Wimey shit going on here and I have no choice but to stan.

Oh shit! Babylon 4 and the original war, all explained in one swoop

Time is a circle my favourite sort of sci fi time travel.

OHNO! JS unstuck in time. Gotta hurt.

#Babylon5 S03E16

Man this is wrinkling my brain. Emperor Londo! One possible future? Or the actual future? Woof

#Babylon5 S03E17

They will die - with their hands around each others throats. The moment we have been waiting for is NOTHING like what I thought it would be. Perfect

#Babylon5 S03E17

WHAT A THROWBACK

This show must be the best planned show I have ever seen!

#Babylon5 S03E17

The three, are one.

Yup here come the tears again

#Babylon5 S03E17

This episode BLEW MY MIND!! Brilliant storytelling. Jeff is Valen! (Feel like I should put a spoiler warning there but if you are this far into B5 Twitter you defo have seen it)

This feels like the end of the season but - 5 to go. Phewf, beer break time

I think the thing which gets me is this was so clearly planned right from the start. Not reconning here at all - such confident storytelling #Babylon5 #S03E17

Babylon 5 - S03E22. Finale! Last few episodes were okay - most notably G'Kar double crossing Reefa was satisfying.

BUT NOW! ANNA SHERIDAN! Another stone cold Slytherin I will put money on it.

Sheridan's reaction acting was excellent. DON'T GO TO Z'HA'DUM John FFS.

Fun fact - this episode directed by Adam Nimoy! Of the Vulcan Nimoys.

Everyone: Don't go to Z'ha'dum. IF YOU GO TO Z'HA'DUM YOU WILL DIE.

John Sheridan: I'll be fine I've got a small gun.

#Babylon5 #S03E22

Exposition and tea in the Slytherin common room

Finally! The shadows are Darwinists! The Vorlons created telepaths! John knew that Anna was implanted!

#Babylon5 #S03E22

OMG wut
What a plan!
Is Sheridan dead
Where is Garabaldi
Poor Delenn
Which timeline are we in now
Halp

PS I eat my words the gun was actually very handy

Phewf. Here we go. After a short hot chocolate break we commence with #Babylon5 S04E01

And let me be the first to say: Fuck this dude and the shadows he rode in on

Vampire Lyta

HE'S ALIIIIIIIVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE #sheridanlives

Strong start, S4

Who is this fella tho:

#Babylon5 S0E04 - The Long Night

Look who it is! @BryanCranston

"Your heart is empty Mollari. Did you know that?"

I love G'Kar

#Babylon5

S04E05 was fab. The death of Cartagia! G'Kar being a BOSS! Plans to bring the Vorlons and Shadows together for the ultimate showdown. Aaaand Water White's Weird Cameo!

#Babylon5 S04E06 - Into the Fire

I'm very confused by my feelings for Londo Mollari. He is great (kills the madman emperor because it is right at great personal risk, frees Narn) and terrible (in league with Shadows, enslaves Narn in the first place). A great character arc!

S04E06 - what a resolution! There is no other way it could have gone, and no other way for the younger races to develop. Except....

.....what now? There is 1.5 seasons to to?

#Babylon5 S04E07 - that face when you realise that Lyta towers over you both in height and telepathic ability. P5? More like P500 SUCK IT BESTER LONG LIVE LYTA

My big dilemma is that I want a #Babylon5 PsiCorp badge for my work lanyard but they are so evil so far. I really hope PsiCorp turn good before the end so that I have a reason to get one.

Uhhhh...what in the actual hell.

These shoulder parasite things are actually happening! I guess we are going back to Centauri Prime soon to deal with these very soon. I feel your pain, Regent guy.

#Babylon5 S03E07

#Babylon5 S04E08 - "The Illusion of Truth". As @thefourthcraw said: the actual fake news episode. Utterly skillfully done - right down to the reporter saying he wanted to portray both sides to get in, the psychiatrist on the programme, and the fake concern for Sheridan at the end

This episode really is art imitating life. It highlights the use of psychology and psychiatry for nefarious purposes - I winced as this guy coined "Minbari War Syndrome" on air to shed doubt on Sheridan's mental state. Unfortunately not far from real life both past and present.

Due to a Twitter step back I've missed a load of these. Stuff happened with the non aligned worlds and the Minbari civil war.

Let's dive back in with S04E13! Loving that Delenn has gone back to try and sort out Minbar - and put Sheridan in his place when he objected

#Babylon5

I would also pick Ivanova to be the voice of the resistance.

#Babylon5

NEROON YOU DOUBLE CROSSING BASTARD can't believe I fell for your rubbish

#Babylon5 S04E13

Babylon 5 #S04E14, here we go

This guy doing a great job of being the villain of the piece. Neroon showing a little doubt, at least. There is hope for him yet.

Holy shit ceiling fire to test the character this is amazing

Valen said "Will you follow me into the fire? Will you?"

DELENN IS SUCH A BADASS

I would put money on this being one of @thefourthcraw's favourite Delenn moments, yes?

Oh no Neroon! You turned out to be an alright sort after all before you died. At least you have a place in Delenn's new socialist council - for the workers by the workers

Well done Delenn, what a legend

#Babylon5 #S04E14

And S04E14 isn't done! Sheridan POPS OFF

To war against Earth! Babylon 5 vs everyone, I love it.

What a brilliant episode. Phewf, I need a whisky and a lie down after all that I think

#Babylon5 S04E16 - something something capitalism something

#Babylon5 S04E19

This guy (/rest of season) is really getting on my nerves. However gotta give it up for Vampire Lyta - yet more super powerful women in B5.

IVANOVA NO.......



B5 giveth, B5 taketh away

#Babylon5 S0421

Man, starting up the IA - what a baller move. Bet Delenn planned the whole thing!

BUT.... Marcus . Seeing Ivanova alive but broken by his sacrifice to save her life - just devastating.

#Babylon5 Final episode of S04 was actually my favourite B5 episode so far! As @thefourthcraw says, definitely its own thing, but so beautifully done. Absolutely loved seeing how history gets twisted by the writers.

PS bonus old Delenn kicking more ass and taking more names

"This is how the world ends: swallowed in fire, but not in darkness. You will live on - the voice of our ancestors, the voice of our fathers and mothers to the last generation. We created the world you would have wished for us. And now we leave the cradle for the last time"

#Babylon5 S05 E01

That'll be PRESIDENT John Sheridan to you, buddy

Also not impressed with Shmavanova here.

#Babylon5 - S05 up to ep 11 has only a couple of good things:

1) Lyta the all powerful
2) Garibaldi's mental block

Otherwise it is pretty slow. I get that they had to scramble for a fifth season though, and the building to the Centauri plotline is mega!

Oh, also watching Londo face his regrets and fears and apologise to G'Kar was amazing. Genuinely the best pairing in the whole thing.

I fear that this is not going to end well for Londo though...

THE ONE I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!! #Babylon5 S04E18 - The Fall of Centauri Prime.

Oh man, the Drakh are scary. Never thought I would say this but poor Londo/Centauri.

OH NO he is going to voluntarily give himself up. He has sent G'Kar away!

If the original timeline holds, they will see each other again... to end things, together.

This is heartbreaking. I can't believe he will be on his own with this huge thing, with no allies. Awful.

His lone walk to be inaugurated as Emperor.... ouch. Hurts my heart. Poor Londo.

#Babylon5 - the finale!

Goodnight, John Sheridan.

I'm not crying, you are crying

So good to see all the gang back together - especially Ivanova!

And goodbye, Babylon 5 - makes sense that they would blow it up given all it's aims are complete

"It taught us that we had to create the future, or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have to care for each other - because if we don't, who will? And that strength sometimes comes from the unlikeliest of places..."

So glad that Ivanova closes out the series

"Mostly though, I think it gave us hope that there can always be new beginnings - even for people like us.

As for Delenn... every morning for as long as she lived, Delenn got up before dawn and watched the sun come up."

I AM BAWLING such truth in this ending

Aaaaand... B5 watch through is complete. What a beautiful ending.

That final speech sums up what is brilliant about this show, and about sci-fi/fiction in general. We take these huge themes and can apply them to our own lives.

I won't forget this for a WHILE.

#Babylon5