Zocalo: Spoiler-free Discussion of “Babylon Squared”

Is this an episode that asks more questions than it answers? What do you think of the Flying Dutchman? Veterans, can you talk about “Babylon Squared” without spoiling it?

Tune in to see how well we did in avoiding spoilers before the jumpgate next Sunday with our special guest L.M. Myles.

13 thoughts on “Zocalo: Spoiler-free Discussion of “Babylon Squared””

  1. One thing that’s interesting about Babylon Squared that one *can* talk about with new viewers (theres not much) is that, while Sinclair & Co. are taken aback by time-travel, they’re still a little more blasé than they probably should be.

    This maybe reflects – yes, it’s this again – the dominance of Star Trek as this thing with which early B5 is in constant dialogue and which had a powerful influence on what audiences thought of as the conventional features of a televised space-opera universe. Picard encountered time-travel anomalies every other week.

    Not meant as a criticism of B5: if the audience isn’t going to react to a time-travel in this context in the same way as one would do so in reality, it makes sense to avoid having the characters react differently.

  2. I remember the first time I watched this – having no idea what was going on – this was THE first season episode that had me hooked – more so than anything else that came before it – such promise of grand ideas – could they follow through? I had to know to the answer.

  3. Kraus did break news of the time-flux in a casual manner. Being unstitched from reality and pasted back in later, you know how it is! Voord, playing B5 playing it this way in the context of Trek dominance, well, I think you might be right.

    As to wee time jump things, has this episode been re-edited? I remember chuckling at the scene with two guards watching Zathras. When he runs out, their reaction is appalling acting, and a delay that would have seen neither guard hired. Whoa, hey, he got away, we better do something!’ Maybe it was some bad synching on my VHS as it looks a little more professional in digital.

    But hey, Squeeeeeeeeeee.

  4. My husband has decided that he likes this show enough that he did not want me watching this weeks episode while he was away. Then we sat down and watched it together and afterward he declared that we needed to watch an episode of Leverage before we could go to bed. Because we could not end a night on such bad TV. I could not argue.
    I am in this for the long haul. I committed to watching the whole run in a way I just couldn’t back in the 90s, but I don’t think he will stand for too many more like that. Please tell me the next one is better?

    1. Oh, Stephanie. I thought we were friends.

      (Seriously, B^2 is IMHO fantastic when paired with its later-season counterpart episodes.)

    2. Fierceturtle: If you’re OK with adding a little more to your comment, what was it that you didn’t like about the episode?

      Genuinely curious – it seems that whatever didn’t appeal to you and your spouse, really, really didn’t appeal to the two of you.

  5. I haven’t listened to this episode yet (still catching up from the holidays!), but the question I’m hoping to hear answered by our dear hosts:

    Zip then fasten, or fasten then zip?

    1. Genuinely enjoyed and enlightened by the info on the staging and all the discussion. Some good box throwing. Liz, adored your cynical streak. I’ll check out that docceroo podcast.

    2. Fasten then zip. In my experience, Many more of the men i’ve asked fasten than zip rather than go the other way. When I’ve asked women, it seems like more of a fifty/fifty split.

      Whether or not that means anything I leave as an exercise for the reader.

  6. With all the criticism of Michael O’Hare’s wooden wide-eyed acting to date, I can’t believe no-one took the actor who played B4 commander Major Krantz to task – he was incredibly bad!

    Is it a requirement that the commanders of the Babylon space stations be this way?

  7. ZIP THEN FASTEN. I’ll never watch this show again! Kidding of course, it’s got its hooks in me.

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