CompuServe Thread

>> <sigh> And I promissed I'd stay out of this thread. <g> Yes, the cast worked great together, but only AFTER about the first season. << Yes, I had promised myself the same thing, but couldn't resist. <g> I must agree with you that most of these shows (including ST:TNG) had a whimpy start. The exception was B5 which I thought had a great first show and then when the series started it was poor. I have not watched it recently but have heard that it has gotten much better. My main problem is finding time to actually watch TV. <sigh> Darin

>> My favorite of the lot is Babylon 5. I don't care what anyone says…it's refreshing and IMO better than the idealistic tight-wearing star-fleet do-gooders. <g> Don't get me wrong, I love ST, ST:TNG, VOYAGER, and to a degree DS9. But B5 is a great departure from the sterile world that those others have spun. << That's one of the things that got me hooked on B5. It's different! It seems to pick up where the last one left off. Every ST show is pretty much the same and I may just be burnt out on that type of show. DS9 is getting better I liked the last few shows, because the seem to be following each other like a real series. The origional ST, TNG and Voyager are all pretty much the same thing. You could watch them in just about any order and not get confused. One thing that really bothers me about voyager is that the captain is always beaming down into these dangerous situations with the OA team. I liked the way in TNG the first officer was the one who went into the dangerous situations with the OA team and the captain stayed on the ship and made the command decisions. I also must admit that much of my memories are a bit fuzzy, because I don't watch TNG much any more. -Sam J. Bowling

(Gold Channel message — to all operatives — Section Leader finally sucked into neverending Sci-Fi discussion — situation is proceeding according to plan) >> Yes, the cast worked great together, but only AFTER about the first season. << That's what I was trying to say. Most successful SF TV shows in recent memory have needed some time for actors, writers, directors to find and establish the characters. I'm a huge ST:TNG fan, but only came aboard during season 2. (Didn't watch season 1 due to principles) I loved the show, but cringed when I saw some of those year-1 reruns! Worf's voice a half-octave higher, e.g. I'm just suggesting that we give Voyager the same chance to mature. >> My favorite of the lot is Babylon 5. << Mine too, and I never thought I'd ever find a space show to top a Star Trek franchise! Babylon 5 gives me a reason to watch, every week, to witness the intricate developments that give frightening glimpses of events to come. Year 1 was pretty much a throwaway, but character development shifted into overdrive in year 2. We saw a washed-out, harmless buffoon turn into a ruthless force of darkness, coldly advancing his agenda without any notion that he, in turn, is a pawn to a larger entity. (Londo) We saw a cardboard character, whose sexy appearance and telepathic abilities made her a convenient plot device, change as her loyalty to the organization that raised and molded her from childhood was being weakened by revelation after revelation. (Talia) We learned, at the end of a seemingly harmless episode, that a character had been kept in the dark (and didn't inform his colleagues) about his _real_ mission for 6 months. (Sheridan) We witnessed the gradual transformation of a harmless aide into a faithful companion and fierce collaborator. (Lennier) And best of all, increased acting abilities have seemingly come out of nowhere and affected all the actors. Some of the episodes have had plot twists that have left me speechless. I've seen roller-coaster rides, revelations, sinister foreshadowing, and intricate plot development like I've never seen on any SF show. May sweeps are upon us; it's a great opportunity for those of you who've been told again and again how much the show has improved, to see for yourself. Blaq!