In what order should I watch my B5 marathon?

Re: when to watch ItB

I wouldn't watch it before the Gathering because I think it spoils the whole point of a prequil. The whole fun in watching it is to look back and say "oh thats how he met her, and that what happened at such and such".

Furthermore, if you askme, chronologically, ItB isn't set before the Gathering, it's set when Londo dies in, what, 2278? Therefore another possible order whould be:

The Gathering-S1-s2-s3-s4-Thirdspace-s4-Objects at rest-RoS-[aCtA]-ItB-SiL.

hope that makes sense.

I could go on for hours about why ItB should be watched later, but I've decided its not going first, and this could always be saved for a new topic. oh what the hell, why would you watch ItB first?

------------------
"If it isn't then it's not;
and if it is, well then there you are."

Droshalla, the mighty GKarsEye could not agree with you more. Yes, you know all the "spoilers," but that's not the point. In The Beginning is more of "fill in the blanks" type of movie.

------------------
"You do not make history. You can only hope to survive it."

I would watch ItB as the last thing before SiL, for the simple reason that it is set right before Londo's death, less than 2 years before SiL.

------------------
'I don't believe in the no-win scenario' - JTK

I used to watch the eps in whatever manner I wanted, but since I just recently got all 110 eps on tape, I decided to watch them in order from The very first ep of season 1 to the very last ep of season 5. That does not count the movies. I have all 6 on tape, but haven't decided on watching them along with my episode marathon.

------------------
Dulann: You don't solve your problems by hitting them.
David Martel: Yeah, well, it made me feel better.

I'm planning to watch the entire series from beginning to end in the near future. I've seen all of it before, I'm not a newcomer to the thing.

The problem is, I don't know what order to place several things. I've already decided not to watch In the Beginning first. No way, that my opinion so thats decided. So, from the Gathering to s4 is okay, but where should I watch Thridspace?

I know it comes between The Illusion of Truth and Atonement (with some inconsistencies) but my point is should I watch it where it belongs chronologically, or watch it when it was made (thus having the looking back on s4 effect that it has).

Also, I could watch The River of Souls after Objects at Rest, then A Call to arms, then Sleeping in Light, or I could try any number of other combinations such as SiL, RoS, aCtA... or RoS, SiL, aCtA...

I know where they all are in the story, my question is should I watch them at that point or place them in the order they were filmed/conceived/first aired???

opinions..?

------------------
"If it isn't then it's not;
and if it is, well then there you are."

Good question. I'm sure some of the hard-core B5 fans will be able to help you out. Personally, I'd just go to the Lurkers guide and follow that order.

As to where to put the tv-movies, another good question. If Lurkers didn't tell me, I suppose I'd stick them in wherever they were made if possible.

------------------
"The Bible is a book: it is a good book, but is is not the only book" - Inherit the Wind

"I do not believe that the same God who
has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."—Galileo

hypatia@b5fan.b5lr.com

Here's I would do it (and will if they make those goddamn DVDs):

The Gathering
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4 up until Illusion of Truth
Thirdspace
Finish Season 4
In the Beginning
Season 5 except Sleeping In Light
River of Souls
Sleeping In Light

I don't really count A Call To Arms, since it's more like a part of Crusade. I might put that right before SiL, though.

------------------
"You do not make history. You can only hope to survive it."

Just out of curiosity -- why wouldn't you watch ItB first? The reason there is question about whether or not to start with ItB or The Gathering is because some feel preserving the surprise of Sinclair's identity is important for someone who's never seen the show. But since you have, why wouldn't you want to watch it in chronological order?

Regarding the stuff at the end...well, if it were my marathon, I would skip Thirdspace, River of Souls, and A Call to Arms altogether. Just because sticking Thirdspace in the middle of season 4 kind of interrupts the flow of the story, and really, the movie's not good enough to warrant that. River of Souls, while an interesting concept, I've always considered somewhat weak. Ditto with A Call to Arms...it came off to me as somewhat melodramatic (the whole last stand battle to save Earth thing felt really "been there done that"), and the characterization seemed a little off to me. And plus, if you're not going to watch Crusade at all, then there's not much point to watching ACtA seeing as how it's basically a setup for that series.

But if you're still going to watch all that, then in light of your desire to leave ItB until season 4 and putting production order over story chronology, I'd watch Thirdspace when you said, then River of Souls after "Objects at Rest," then A Call to Arms, then "Sleeping in Light."

------------------
-jmb

all SIX????

Well I have every B5 VHS except vol 5 which is on order and should be delivered to me soon, and "Sic Transit Vir" which was not on my vol27 tape because of an error, so I need to track that down.

By the time I come to watch it, I should have those 3 eps and thus them all.

BTW, I have watched it all before, I know where everything is meant to be in the story, and I know the original production and airing orders. I just want opinions.

Well I'm off to read book 2 of the centauri trillogy: "Armies of Light and Dark".

------------------
"If it isn't then it's not;
and if it is, well then there you are."

The Gathering

Season One ("Signs and Portents")

Midnight on the Firing Line
Soul Hunter
Born to the Purple
Infection
The Parliament of Dreams
Mind War
The War Prayer
And The Sky Full Of Stars
Deathwalker
Believers
Survivors
By Any Means Necessary
Signs and Portents
Grail
Eyes
A Voice in the Wilderness - Part 1
A Voice in the Wilderness - Part 2
Babylon Squared
The Quality of Mercy
TKO
Legacies
Chrysalis


Season Two ("The Coming Of Shadows")

Points of Departure
Revelations
The Geometry of Shadows
A Distant Star
The Long Dark
A Spider in the Web
A Race Through Dark Places
Soul Mates
The Coming of Shadows
GROPOS
All Alone in the Night
Acts of Sacrifice
Hunter, Prey
There All the Honor Lies
And Now For a Word
Knives
In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum
Confessions and Lamentations
Divided Loyalties
The Long, Twilight Struggle
Comes the Inquisitor
The Fall of Night

Season Three ("Point of No Return")

Matters of Honor
Convictions
A Day in the Strife
Passing Through Gethsemane
Voices of Authority
(this was originally meant to air before "Passing Through Gethsemane," but since the events of this episode tie into the beginning of "Dust to Dust," and aren't mentioned at all in "Gethsemane," the initial airing order is actually an improvement)
Dust to Dust
Exogenesis
Messages from Earth
Point of No Return
Severed Dreams
Ceremonies of Light and Dark
A Late Delivery From Avalon
Sic Transit Vir
Ship of Tears
Interludes and Examinations
Walkabout
War Without End, Part One
War Without End, Part Two
Grey 17 Is Missing
And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place
Shadow Dancing
Z'ha'dum


Season Four ("No Surrender, No Retreat")

The Hour of the Wolf
Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?
The Summoning
Falling Toward Apotheosis
The Long Night
Into the Fire
Epiphanies
The Illusion of Truth
Thirdspace
Atonement
Racing Mars
Lines of Communication
Conflicts of Interest
Rumors, Bargains and Lies
Moments of Transition
No Surrender, No Retreat
The Exercise of Vital Powers
The Face of the Enemy
Intersections in Real Time
Between the Darkness and the Light
Endgame
Rising Star
The Deconstruction of Falling Stars

Season Five - Wheel of Fire
No Compromises
The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari
The Paragon of Animals
A View from the Gallery
Learning Curve
Strange Relations
Secrets of the Soul
In the Kingdom of the Blind
A Tragedy of Telepaths
Phoenix Rising
The Ragged Edge
Day of the Dead
The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father
Meditations on the Abyss
Darkness Ascending
And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder
Movements of Fire and Shadow
The Fall of Centauri Prime
Wheel of Fire
Objects in Motion
Objects at Rest
River of Souls

The Legend of the Rangers [pilot movie and series late 2265 to late 2269; "just under 3 years after the events of 'Objects at Rest.'" This means it will be set in late 2265]

A Call to Arms [January 2267]

Crusade [January 2267 - December 2271 was planned].
This ordering, which JMS specified, ignores the uniform change in favor of maintaining continuity of storyline.
Racing the Night
The Needs of Earth
The Memory of War
The Long Road
Visitors from Down the Street
The Well of Forever
Each Night I Dream of Home
Patterns of the Soul
The Path of Sorrows
Ruling from the Tomb
The Rules of the Game
War Zone
Appearances and Other Deceits

In the Beginning (The present tense of Londo as narrator is that of Londo releasing Sheridan and Delenn, and Londo & G'Kar choking each other at the end, and this has to happen between Crusade and "Sleeping in Light."
"In the Beginning" was told ~2278.)

Sleeping in Light [2281].


------------------
KoshN
-------------
Vorlon Empire

Crusade (reruns) starting 03/26/2002 at 1PM EST on the Sci-Fi Channel
http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/

[This message has been edited by KoshN (edited February 20, 2002).]

KoshN,

Very detailed, and thank you, but I did know all of this infomation allready. All I wanted was your personal opinion on when to watch the TV movies, not neccessarily the chronological order which I already know.

I can't watch LotR because the VHS isn't out yet and it wont be on UK TV for some time. Is this your preffered order or are you trying to tell me the chronological order?

Some may ask why even consider not watching them in chronological story order, and the answer would be the different atmoshpere of the TV movies. If you insert them in the story you loose that, and if you watch loads of TV movies and then SiL you might feel a little dissapointed as it is not as long, and the atmosphere is different. You might also loose the continuity of the season in the case of Thirdspace.

Thanks anyway.


------------------
"If it isn't then it's not;
and if it is, well then there you are."

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Droshalla:
Is this your preferred order or are you trying to tell me the chronological order?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes.

Thirdspace is the only one I would consider watching out of chronological order, because it is more of a standalone, that doesn't really fit in the Season 4. It might work better as something to watch after River of Souls, sort of as a flashback.

------------------
KoshN
-------------
Vorlon Empire

Crusade (reruns) starting 03/26/2002 at 1PM EST on the Sci-Fi Channel
http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/

[This message has been edited by KoshN (edited February 20, 2002).]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by KoshN:

Thirdspace is the only one I would consider watching out of chronological order, because it is more of a standalone, that doesn't really fit in the Season 4. It might work better as something to watch after River of Souls, sort of as a flashback.

[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree. I was also considering watching it between s4 and s5 (i.e. after Deconstruction but before No Compromises) as a standalone, as there is no real cliffhanger to resolve. I don't know about after RoS though.

My main worry is that watching a tv movie sandwitched between normal episodes (eg Thirdspace and RoS) makes you loose your thread of episodes by going: ep, TV movie, ep. Because there is such a difference in atmosphere/style, it might be wierd.


------------------
"If it isn't then it's not;
and if it is, well then there you are."

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Droshalla:
all SIX????

Well I have every B5 VHS except vol 5 which is on order and should be delivered to me soon, and "Sic Transit Vir" which was not on my vol27 tape because of an error, so I need to track that down.

By the time I come to watch it, I should have those 3 eps and thus them all.

BTW, I have watched it all before, I know where everything is meant to be in the story, and I know the original production and airing orders. I just want opinions.

Well I'm off to read book 2 of the centauri trillogy: "Armies of Light and Dark".

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes all 6.

**The Gathering
**In the Beginning
**Thirdspace
**A Call To Arms
**River of Souls
**To Live and Die in Starlight (the Ranger movie of course. )

------------------
Dulann: You don't solve your problems by hitting them.
David Martel: Yeah, well, it made me feel better.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by RW7427:
Yes all 6.


**To Live and Die in Starlight (the Ranger movie of course. )

[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

hmm, I take it you live in america then. Have they released the video over there or did you just tape it off the tv? It will be a long time before i get the oportunity to see the movie in any form, unless I can, er... dowload it from somewhere or something....




------------------
"If it isn't then it's not;
and if it is, well then there you are."

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> hmm, I take it you live in america then. Have they released the video over there or did you just tape it off the tv? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The video/DVD of Rangers hasn't been released here yet. RW smartly archives all things B5 on his VHS tapes for later nit-picking.

------------------
Sheridan: Are you trying to cheer me up?
Ivanova: No sir, wouldn't dream of it.
Sheridan: Good, I hate being cheered up. It's depressing.
Ivanova: So in that case we're all going to die horrible, painful, lingering deaths.
Sheridan: Thank you, I feel so much better now.

IMHO, if you want to watch them in true chronological order you should watch "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" last.
I feel that it is truly the last episode.
Thanks
Car

------------------

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Cartagia_II:
IMHO, if you want to watch them in true chronological order you should watch "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" last.
I feel that it is truly the last episode.
Thanks
Car

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good point. If it's proper to watch ItB at it's narraration point, why not do the same for DoFS? Perhaps the answer is that we're watching Babylon 5's story, and all parts should be watched from that anchor point (the years 2258-2281). We look back at 2248 through Londo's eyes in 2278, and DoFS starts off in late 2261. Only at the end of DoFS do we find out the narraration point of DoFS. I think DoFS works fine as the last episode of Season 4. It's better if it's not watched right next to SiL.

------------------
KoshN
-------------
Vorlon Empire

Crusade (reruns) starting 03/26/2002 at 1PM EST on the Sci-Fi Channel

http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/

I agree with KoshN on the DoFS point. I'm going to watch it at the end of s4 in my run.

BTW, vol. 5 arrived today so I'm happy. All I need now is "Sic Transit Vir", even though I own vol. 27.

------------------
"If it isn't then it's not;
and if it is, well then there you are."