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What were the "worst" B-5 Episodes?
- Thread starter Dayton3
- Start date
vacantlook
Super Moderator
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
Yeah, I think Grail is possibly the suckiest episode of the whole series. And I agree with Chilli: it was such a waste of David Warner!
Yeah, I think Grail is possibly the suckiest episode of the whole series. And I agree with Chilli: it was such a waste of David Warner!
Galahad
Regular
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
But I did like it that the one race who juuuuuuuust might have had an inkling as to where the Grail was, was the one who's ambassador was juuuuuuuuust missed out on ever so slightly.
The interesting thing was that Kosh hadn't done a runner. It seemed he was actually willing to meet with the guy.... although maybe he knew Aldous was going to be offed and just played along.
But I did like it that the one race who juuuuuuuust might have had an inkling as to where the Grail was, was the one who's ambassador was juuuuuuuuust missed out on ever so slightly.
The interesting thing was that Kosh hadn't done a runner. It seemed he was actually willing to meet with the guy.... although maybe he knew Aldous was going to be offed and just played along.
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
Learning Curve, by a clear mile, because it has no redeeming qualities at all. No Compromises and A View From the Gallery would be my choices for second and third worst..
Believe it or not the first time I saw Infection I thought it was so good (by S1 standards) that I went out of my way to get my younger brothers (who I was trying to get into b5 at the time) to watch it. I still enjoy the hammy performances, and the intense conversation where Sinclair and Franklin walk through virtually every piece of the B5 set, cutting to a new set each time they run out of corridor. And seeing Sinclair getting in a proper fight for the third and final time..
Learning Curve, by a clear mile, because it has no redeeming qualities at all. No Compromises and A View From the Gallery would be my choices for second and third worst..
Believe it or not the first time I saw Infection I thought it was so good (by S1 standards) that I went out of my way to get my younger brothers (who I was trying to get into b5 at the time) to watch it. I still enjoy the hammy performances, and the intense conversation where Sinclair and Franklin walk through virtually every piece of the B5 set, cutting to a new set each time they run out of corridor. And seeing Sinclair getting in a proper fight for the third and final time..
darth_librarian
Regular
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
I liked Infection it had David Macallum and a monster, and introduced the viewer to biotechnology. Winner really!
Grey 17 had an excellent sub-plot that really stood out. I had no real issues with it.
I disliked a whole load of episodes though, some in every season for various reasons, but there was never a single one I would want to bin outright.
There are also plenty of single scenes that never worked in B5 for me, and they were often of the same type.
I got bored of the 'spontanious' break-outs of violence and rioting with the same 'Buffy style' fight moves by people who say freak a lot. I know the networks probably had a standard x number of fiht sequences per series quota to meet, but it could have been more inventive.
A lot of the comedy was also very forced, and I got sick of seing alien ambassadors painfully mis-understand various aspects of the human language with oh so hilarious results. (that was all a bit too Trekky...). Chris Franke's comedy music did not help at all...
Also, whenever a character gave out a list of reasons or explanations ("I will tell you three true things...). G'kar often got lumbered with this, which is a shame as he usually got all the best dialogue.
I liked Infection it had David Macallum and a monster, and introduced the viewer to biotechnology. Winner really!
Grey 17 had an excellent sub-plot that really stood out. I had no real issues with it.
I disliked a whole load of episodes though, some in every season for various reasons, but there was never a single one I would want to bin outright.
There are also plenty of single scenes that never worked in B5 for me, and they were often of the same type.
I got bored of the 'spontanious' break-outs of violence and rioting with the same 'Buffy style' fight moves by people who say freak a lot. I know the networks probably had a standard x number of fiht sequences per series quota to meet, but it could have been more inventive.
A lot of the comedy was also very forced, and I got sick of seing alien ambassadors painfully mis-understand various aspects of the human language with oh so hilarious results. (that was all a bit too Trekky...). Chris Franke's comedy music did not help at all...
Also, whenever a character gave out a list of reasons or explanations ("I will tell you three true things...). G'kar often got lumbered with this, which is a shame as he usually got all the best dialogue.
vacantlook
Super Moderator
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
Tolkien sure was right when he said, "It is perhaps not possible in a long tale to please everybody at all points, nor to displease everybody at the same points; for I find from the letters that I have received that the passages or chapters that are to some a blemish are all by others specially approved," as I quite enjoy like "Learning Curve".
Tolkien sure was right when he said, "It is perhaps not possible in a long tale to please everybody at all points, nor to displease everybody at the same points; for I find from the letters that I have received that the passages or chapters that are to some a blemish are all by others specially approved," as I quite enjoy like "Learning Curve".
Recoil
Regular
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
I wanna play too!
Here are mine:
Infection "EEEEEKKKAAAARRRRRRAAAAAAAA" nuff said?
Grail Never liked Deuce as a convincing mob boss in that one.
Soul Mates Waste of time IMO
Knives See above
Exogenesis I agree with someone's assessment above, as to why these guys knowledge wasnt used during the war?
The Ragged Edge Just didn't sit that well with me
Honorable mention to anything relating to Byron. God that is one character I wish never existed. I realize he was supposed to be one of those guys who is kind of a poetic cult leader, but he was really just cheesy and annoying. His whole question "How many Angels can stand on a head of a pin?" I have an answer for ya Byron "Go f#$k yourself you pansy!" "As many as want to." Man, that line still makes me want to bash his head in with a ball pein hammer.
I wanna play too!
Here are mine:
Infection "EEEEEKKKAAAARRRRRRAAAAAAAA" nuff said?
Grail Never liked Deuce as a convincing mob boss in that one.
Soul Mates Waste of time IMO
Knives See above
Exogenesis I agree with someone's assessment above, as to why these guys knowledge wasnt used during the war?
The Ragged Edge Just didn't sit that well with me
Honorable mention to anything relating to Byron. God that is one character I wish never existed. I realize he was supposed to be one of those guys who is kind of a poetic cult leader, but he was really just cheesy and annoying. His whole question "How many Angels can stand on a head of a pin?" I have an answer for ya Byron "Go f#$k yourself you pansy!" "As many as want to." Man, that line still makes me want to bash his head in with a ball pein hammer.
AnlaShokGrey
Regular
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
Okay, if we're moving on to comedy scenes that didn't work, I have an opinion that I'm certain will not be popular: Ivanova "having sex" with the Lumati ambassador in "Acts of Sacrifice." I don't have a problem with embarrassment humor, much, or humor relating to sex. My problem is that this was so over the top that they (IMHO) lost their chance to make it a piece of really good comedy. I think that the dancing around him, and the heavy breathing and moaning and groaning was fine, but the silly little schoolyard-style rhymes ruined it. We certainly didn't need that information, and probably Correlilmurzon didn't, either. If she had just kept it to lascivious noises, etc., you might have had something funny about how the ambassador had managed to intercept some communication channels where he heard humans having sex in a ship or something, and so he knew what it should sound like, but no more. Then, a scene with just the noises and the writhing around him (and without the skipping and the stupid chanting) would have been hilarious. IMHO.
But as it currently stands? Awful. Just awful.
Okay, if we're moving on to comedy scenes that didn't work, I have an opinion that I'm certain will not be popular: Ivanova "having sex" with the Lumati ambassador in "Acts of Sacrifice." I don't have a problem with embarrassment humor, much, or humor relating to sex. My problem is that this was so over the top that they (IMHO) lost their chance to make it a piece of really good comedy. I think that the dancing around him, and the heavy breathing and moaning and groaning was fine, but the silly little schoolyard-style rhymes ruined it. We certainly didn't need that information, and probably Correlilmurzon didn't, either. If she had just kept it to lascivious noises, etc., you might have had something funny about how the ambassador had managed to intercept some communication channels where he heard humans having sex in a ship or something, and so he knew what it should sound like, but no more. Then, a scene with just the noises and the writhing around him (and without the skipping and the stupid chanting) would have been hilarious. IMHO.
But as it currently stands? Awful. Just awful.
Sindatur
Regular
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
I still think it's funny in a 12 year old sense of comedy, but, it is very embarassing when someone not in the know happens to walk into the room. Never fails either, everytime that scene comes on, there's always someone "catching" me watching it. Same thing with DS9, out of 236 episodes, and no more than 10 of them being Ferengi centric, they are about the only ones I ever get "caught" watching, LOL.
I still think it's funny in a 12 year old sense of comedy, but, it is very embarassing when someone not in the know happens to walk into the room. Never fails either, everytime that scene comes on, there's always someone "catching" me watching it. Same thing with DS9, out of 236 episodes, and no more than 10 of them being Ferengi centric, they are about the only ones I ever get "caught" watching, LOL.
vacantlook
Super Moderator
Re: What were the \"worst\" B-5 Episodes?
You're not alone, Amy. I also am not a fan of the Ivanova-Correlilmurzon "sex" scene, and I very much think it's the nursery-rhymy things that Ivanova says that sinks it for me. Hell, I think I'd like better a version of that scene having Ivanova freak out Correlilmurzon by unveiling several pieces of S&M equipment. Having her whack the crap out of a table testing the smacking-power of a riding crop and seeing him react to it would make me laugh more.
You're not alone, Amy. I also am not a fan of the Ivanova-Correlilmurzon "sex" scene, and I very much think it's the nursery-rhymy things that Ivanova says that sinks it for me. Hell, I think I'd like better a version of that scene having Ivanova freak out Correlilmurzon by unveiling several pieces of S&M equipment. Having her whack the crap out of a table testing the smacking-power of a riding crop and seeing him react to it would make me laugh more.
