Important Poll: B5 vs DS9

[Lefty Scaevola]

"Who are you?"

"What do you Want?"

[Zoid]

Do you have anything worth living for?

[GePap]

The single storyline in B5 over five seaons (well, four, since the plot devellopment was rushed in Season four because the producers feared that was their last season, even though they had a five season story) meantt that even in bad episodes (and there were several) there was something important going on and driving the greater story. There were also many memorable scenes while I can't really think of any from DS9.

I mean, the killing of Lord Refa, Londo watching as Narn is bombarded, Sheridan jumping into the pit at Zha'hadum, President Santiago being assasinated. One thing B5 had was good music, which adds a lot to a TV show, even though that is never spoken about much.

[GePap]

As evidence, two competing opening sequences:

Deep Space Nine season 6



Mellow, good production values, a little Meh...

Babylon Five season 3 opening


Cheesy effects in comparison, but much more dynamic, exciting

And because I am biased, the fifth season opening - worst season of B5, best opening

[Elok]

[QUOTE=Zkribbler;5524296]

*The one where the crew travels back in time to TOS Enterprise during the Tribbles episode;
QUOTE]

I remember that one. It was quite a clever idea, and well executed.

Eh, I guess, but it kinda says something right there that the only good episode I can remember relied heavily on an episode from an earlier series. Doesn't it?

[Koyaanisqatsi]

The single storyline in B5 over five seaons (well, four, since the plot devellopment was rushed in Season four because the producers feared that was their last season, even though they had a five season story) meantt that even in bad episodes (and there were several) there was something important going on and driving the greater story. There were also many memorable scenes while I can't really think of any from DS9.

Off the top of my head...Jadzia's death, leaving and retaking the station, the Klingons tearing up their treaty, Gowron being revealed as not a changling, the Pale Moonlight episode, Dukat's relationship with the Kai...a few of the one-off episodes were pretty memorable too, like the elderly Jake, the tribble episode, or riot time-travel episode. They certainly had some stinkers thrown in there, mostly before they decided to start writing longer arcs, but when they got it right they had all the pieces in place to get it really right. When B5 started to get the storyline right, they still didn't have the acting or writing to get it done, even given the larger scope they had to play with since they didn't have to live in the trek universe.

I mean, the killing of Lord Refa, Londo watching as Narn is bombarded, Sheridan jumping into the pit at Zha'hadum, President Santiago being assasinated.

I'd only call one of those a great moment (the bombing of Narn), and none of them were exactly unpredictable. Don't get me wrong, I think B5 had its moments, and its strength was definitely the coherent long-term plot development as you say...I just think the way they actually carried it out in terms of writing and acting made it an average show overall.

[DaShi]

Babylon 5 taught me how to write characters out of story with no explanation whatsoever.

[Thoth]

Google it. The truth is out there...

I could, but

a) that would require effort on my part

and

b) would not be anywhere as entertaining as getting a mod to link to nudie pics.

[rah]

Yeah, like I was going to do that.

[Thoth]

It was worth a shot.