100 Reviews: 85
So I kind of doubt I’ll do so many reviews today as I did yesterday, for one today I’m a little more in the mood to just watch instead of write about it.
Babylon 5: 1x03: Born to the Purple
How does one discuss this episode without mainly talking about future developments for the show? Not that I’m trying to make these reviews spoiler-light on purpose, but I am trying to review them as what they are without necessarily focusing on the bigger picture. But this one...most of it meaning won’t hit you until years later.
On its own this episode is a little more character driven than things have been so far. It’s mainly, obviously, Londo focused but there’s a fair amount of character development to go around. The actual diplomatic story of the week isn’t really all that important except as a background for stuff to play out around but never at all important in its own right.
One thing I will say is that I kind of regret that the DVDs just go with the primary credit sequence for each season instead of evolving element of it. Because I remember that Ko’dath got a credit space for a while until that didn’t work out and they went with Na’toth. And then in s2 with things like Delenn’s transformation not meant to be spoiled by the credits.
I’ll also say that if I was watching this now for the first time I’d probably have sorta kinda not quite but maybe shipped Ivanova/Garibaldi. Not anywhere near I’d be disappointed that the show left them as friends and colleagues instead of going shippy, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it either (actually, that’s how I feel about a few non-canon ships on this show).
I’m a little wooly headed and trying not to dive into the hindsight’s a bitch issues probably isn’t helping, so let’s address them. Hindsight not only turns the Londo/Adira stuff from a bittersweet one episode relationship to a massive tragedy that will have galaxy wide repercussions, but the Londo vs. G’Kar stuff gets kind of uncomfortable. Yes in s1 you mean to root for Londo not to be disgraced by this and that G’Kar’s slimy so you don’t quite feel bad for using him but...give it a year.
It is an area where I think some chances were lost by the change from Sinclair to Sheridan. Sinclair had taken Londo’s side in this kind of thing, especially against G’Kar, several times and would have had to face that that may have been the wrong thing to do. By the time Sheridan gets there they have, if not 100% switched roles in who’s good and bad, at least were pretty close to it. And while we did get to explore Londo’s fall and G’Kar’s rise through the eyes of several other characters, I wonder if something was lost in not having Sinclair’s view on that turn since he had been such an active participant in picking sides before.
Maybe I just don’t have a lot to say on this one. It’s not a bad episode, and it’s way more important to the story than it gives any indication of being at the moment, but it’s not exactly great either. It’s a subplot in the grand tale of B5 and it’s okay to have that and for it to be that, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to have a ton of material to discuss when I watch it.
Next time:
Well, if I keep doing B5 reviews then that, if I settle in and just start watching who’s to say what’ll actually review next.
Suggestion box
Babylon 5: 1x03: Born to the Purple
How does one discuss this episode without mainly talking about future developments for the show? Not that I’m trying to make these reviews spoiler-light on purpose, but I am trying to review them as what they are without necessarily focusing on the bigger picture. But this one...most of it meaning won’t hit you until years later.
On its own this episode is a little more character driven than things have been so far. It’s mainly, obviously, Londo focused but there’s a fair amount of character development to go around. The actual diplomatic story of the week isn’t really all that important except as a background for stuff to play out around but never at all important in its own right.
One thing I will say is that I kind of regret that the DVDs just go with the primary credit sequence for each season instead of evolving element of it. Because I remember that Ko’dath got a credit space for a while until that didn’t work out and they went with Na’toth. And then in s2 with things like Delenn’s transformation not meant to be spoiled by the credits.
I’ll also say that if I was watching this now for the first time I’d probably have sorta kinda not quite but maybe shipped Ivanova/Garibaldi. Not anywhere near I’d be disappointed that the show left them as friends and colleagues instead of going shippy, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it either (actually, that’s how I feel about a few non-canon ships on this show).
I’m a little wooly headed and trying not to dive into the hindsight’s a bitch issues probably isn’t helping, so let’s address them. Hindsight not only turns the Londo/Adira stuff from a bittersweet one episode relationship to a massive tragedy that will have galaxy wide repercussions, but the Londo vs. G’Kar stuff gets kind of uncomfortable. Yes in s1 you mean to root for Londo not to be disgraced by this and that G’Kar’s slimy so you don’t quite feel bad for using him but...give it a year.
It is an area where I think some chances were lost by the change from Sinclair to Sheridan. Sinclair had taken Londo’s side in this kind of thing, especially against G’Kar, several times and would have had to face that that may have been the wrong thing to do. By the time Sheridan gets there they have, if not 100% switched roles in who’s good and bad, at least were pretty close to it. And while we did get to explore Londo’s fall and G’Kar’s rise through the eyes of several other characters, I wonder if something was lost in not having Sinclair’s view on that turn since he had been such an active participant in picking sides before.
Maybe I just don’t have a lot to say on this one. It’s not a bad episode, and it’s way more important to the story than it gives any indication of being at the moment, but it’s not exactly great either. It’s a subplot in the grand tale of B5 and it’s okay to have that and for it to be that, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to have a ton of material to discuss when I watch it.
Next time:
Well, if I keep doing B5 reviews then that, if I settle in and just start watching who’s to say what’ll actually review next.
Suggestion box