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http://sfdebris.com/videos/babylon5/b5s5e12.php

I'm not sure which part I find more difficult to believe, the whole "dead come to life" thing or the fact that people will still be reading newspapers in the 23rd Century.

I missed most of Babylon 5 Season 5 thanks to the UK broadcast on Channel 4 showing the show at some bizarre hours which changed from week to week.

For all the character work and positives of this episode I still don't feel I've missed anything of any real value. Season 5 from what I've seen so far just appears, inconsistent and occasionally weird.

I'm not a big fan of this episode. I certainly don't mind weird or off-beat television, but there should be a rationale to it. A reason why these things are happening, either in the context of the episode or to advance character and story arcs. Dream logic or mythological explanations are fine, but to me the dead showing up just feels sort of random for this universe. I guess you can find tie-ins to future events and to the characters' lives, but they don't feel necessary. Everything expressed here could have been shown elsewhere in a more effective way.

I have similar issues with the "comedy." Having intentionally bad acting, writing, or comedy in a movie/show can work if there's a larger point to it, but it can also just be grating. The fact that I could commiserate with Lochley's reaction doesn't make Penn and Teller any less annoying here.

ChiggyvonRichthofen wrote:I have similar issues with the "comedy." Having intentionally bad acting, writing, or comedy in a movie/show can work if there's a larger point to it, but it can also just be grating. The fact that I could commiserate with Lochley's reaction doesn't make Penn and Teller any less annoying here.

I felt the same way. Having intentional "you won't get it" humor is a tricky thing, and I don't think the episode pulls it off. The line between that and just failed jokes is thinner than in most comedy. I suspect this is one of those stories that would work better on paper, where you can imply the jokes and be clever in your choice of description, rather than on-screen where we directly see what they say and what they do with our own judgment. What we see is that their act is nothing special or unusual by today's standards, and given the popularity and universality of popular comedy over the last century I might challenge just how much the idea of required cultural context would really matter for a duo that's supposed to have unparalleled mainstream success.

It doesn't help that it seems like the actors didn't really get it either, because everyone feels like they are really forcing it and pretending to enjoy the jokes. It's a risky idea to begin with, and no one on set managed to sell it.

MadAmosMalone wrote:http://sfdebris.com/videos/babylon5/b5s5e12.php

I'm not sure which part I find more difficult to believe, the whole "dead come to life" thing or the fact that people will still be reading newspapers in the 23rd Century.

I was suprise about that too, and I'm woudn't be suprise if at sometme JMS said that newspaper would be more realistic than the PADD

Deledrius wrote:

ChiggyvonRichthofen wrote:I have similar issues with the "comedy." Having intentionally bad acting, writing, or comedy in a movie/show can work if there's a larger point to it, but it can also just be grating. The fact that I could commiserate with Lochley's reaction doesn't make Penn and Teller any less annoying here.

I felt the same way. Having intentional "you won't get it" humor is a tricky thing, and I don't think the episode pulls it off. The line between that and just failed jokes is thinner than in most comedy. I suspect this is one of those stories that would work better on paper, where you can imply the jokes and be clever in your choice of description, rather than on-screen where we directly see what they say and what they do with our own judgment. What we see is that their act is nothing special or unusual by today's standards, and given the popularity and universality of popular comedy over the last century I might challenge just how much the idea of required cultural context would really matter for a duo that's supposed to have unparalleled mainstream success.

It doesn't help that it seems like the actors didn't really get it either, because everyone feels like they are really forcing it and pretending to enjoy the jokes. It's a risky idea to begin with, and no one on set managed to sell it.

From an "outsider's" perspective. I'm a german. My first contact with B5 and this episode was, way back when internet was a thing for the more well-off and YouTube didn't even exist yet. Pen and Teller were as alien to me, as the finer points of binary are to 00111001 00111001 00100101 of humanity. That their jokes were supposed to be alien, due to them being a few centuries ahead in time, is a point that was completely lost, as all I saw was a bunch of "comedians" that weren't funny and an entire cast that never once smiled because they found anything funny, but they smiled and laughed because it said so in the script and their laughter felt as forced and annoyed, as I felt. Imo, taking that step was a good idea, that should have been left at the drawing board, because it was pointless and annoying for the audience.

I don't think Chuck's assessment of Kosh's line is accurate since Sheridan doesn't need to go to B5 but to where the Shadow War and more importantly the cycle ended.

Fixer wrote:I missed most of Babylon 5 Season 5 thanks to the UK broadcast on Channel 4 showing the show at some bizarre hours which changed from week to week.

For all the character work and positives of this episode I still don't feel I've missed anything of any real value.

You have, namely "Sleeping in Light". The series finale and technically season 4's finale since it was shot during season 4 cause they weren't sure they would get a fifth season and when they did they pulled it and replaced it with "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" (which I guess would technically be the first episode of Season 5). Its a great finale and closes out the series on a high note, similar to "All Good Things" on TNG.

I think the biggest thing in my mind about it is that i keep on thinking its a season 1 episode

The way things behave acts like that part of the station is actually in the Brakiri system (when Lochley finally gets through to rest of B5, it a communication relay through Brakiri system). It seems to be more of space warp than anything else. Which is interesting, as that species does not appear to be known to be especially technologically advanced.

Poor Dodger. Everytime she tries to get it on with Garibaldi, he is hung up on Lise. A shame, really, she has some great looking legs.

Mickey_Rat15 wrote:Poor Dodger. Everytime she tries to get it on with Garibaldi, he is hung up on Lise. A shame, really, she has some great looking legs.

I was under the impression that the first time, he was hung up on Talia.