Babylon 5 vs. Deep Space 9

[mzzz]

Which one did you like better? Maybe we can do a poll...

Me, I preferred Babylon 5. It was just more compact and well done. DS 9 was filled with a lot of fillers. The story in Babylon 5 was very epic and it had all kinds of closure. Some arcs were shaky but overall, it was just brilliantly done.

 

[Savatage]

Definately B5! It's still my favorite scifi series period for all the reasons you just mentioned. If I ruled the world, I'd get Crusade back just so I could see the telepath war played out.

 

[Joelist]

No contest - Babylon 5.

It had a story arc that actually had a direction and was relatively logical. By comparison a lot of the DS9 story arcs were more "shock value" than logical or reasonable.

 

[THX1138]

B5 hands down.

I love that show. I loved the multilayered story telling and even though the original 5 year story got squished into 4. I wasn't too enthused about the 5th season though.

I liked DS9 very much but I LOVE B5.

 

[Tropicana]

I couldn't get into B5, but then I was very young.

Tech wise, it was pretty cool, love the jumpgate thing. Now it reminds me of the game - "Freelancer".

 

[Mr. A]

I've never gotten around to watching B5, so I can't really comment. But from what I read on this thread it seems like I'll have to move it up the list, along with Eureka.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Which one did you like better? Maybe we can do a poll...

Me, I preferred Babylon 5. It was just more compact and well done. DS 9 was filled with a lot of fillers. The story in Babylon 5 was very epic and it had all kinds of closure. Some arcs were shaky but overall, it was just brilliantly done.

Although I have only seen S1-3 of B5 (getting 4/5 in 2 weeks YAY), B5 is a much tighter story overall than DS9. On the other hand, DS9 did cover more issues than B5 and had (imo) much longer arcs which left more room for "filler eps" or even multiple smaller arcs within the main arc. Both are very good, but for different reasons.

 

[Overmind One]

Babylon 5, no contest. . It was Star Trek DS9 that stole from Babylon 5. But DS9 was done very nicely and it was in the Trek universe so I loved it. But to compare the two, its Babylon 5 for sure.

 

[tetrion]

B5 was epic, DS9 was just plain annoying at times. They took 6 years to build up to the Dominion war, the rest of the time they farted around with nonsensical filler eps about Quark and monotonous religious/political Bajoran wrangling (ala Phantom Menace). The thing about it, for a series that prided themselves on agnosticism, DS9 was very religion heavy.

 

[Overmind One]

Although I have only seen S1-3 of B5 (getting 4/5 in 2 weeks YAY), B5 is a much tighter story overall than DS9. On the other hand, DS9 did cover more issues than B5 and had (imo) much longer arcs which left more room for "filler eps" or even multiple smaller arcs within the main arc. Both are very good, but for different reasons.

Well put. Watching Babylon 5, the story "unfolded", whereas in DS9 I felt it just "progressed" and I couldnt feel the tension build like I did with Babylon 5. Also, the races in Babylon 5 were new and mysterious, and the characters and locales were so different. I enjoyed both, but DS9 was Trek and B5 was an Epic.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Well put. Watching Babylon 5, the story "unfolded", whereas in DS9 I felt it just "progressed" and I couldnt feel the tension build like I did with Babylon 5. Also, the races in Babylon 5 were new and mysterious, and the characters and locales were so different. I enjoyed both, but DS9 was Trek and B5 was an Epic.

Yes, this I agree with. DS9 "happened" to the characters,and B5 happened *because* of the characters. I'll get back to this later to explain better because you could interchange those basic descriptions to both series, but there is a distinct difference between the two aproaches.

 

[Savatage]

I've never gotten around to watching B5, so I can't really comment. But from what I read on this thread it seems like I'll have to move it up the list, along with Eureka.

Yeah, you gotta watch B5. The writer had the story for the full 5 seasons planned in advance. He also had contingency plans for every main character in case they left. I must warn you before you start that season 1 was the slowest. It's main function was to introduce the characters and races along with some history. The show didn't really get started until half way through season 2. After that well... think of season 1 as waiting in line to get on a roller coaster and the first 8 or 9 eps of season 2 as getting on the ride and that slow chug to the top and the rest as the plumet at at high speed through sharp turns and loops and a big splash!

 

[Mr. A]

Yeah, you gotta watch B5. The writer had the story for the full 5 seasons planned in advance. He also had contingency plans for every main character in case they left. I must warn you before you start that season 1 was the slowest. It's main function was to introduce the characters and races along with some history. The show didn't really get started until half way through season 2. After that well... think of season 1 as waiting in line to get on a roller coaster and the first 8 or 9 eps of season 2 as getting on the ride and that slow chug to the top and the rest as the plumet at at high speed through sharp turns and loops and a big splash!

You really know how to promote a show and make it tasty/attractive. I will definitely watch it!

 

[Savatage]

You really know how to promote a show and make it tasty/attractive. I will definitely watch it!

Like I said, it's my favorite. After you watch it, let me knowwhat you think.

 

[mzzz]

Yeah, the show was orgasmic.

I have great respect for the writer for his ingenuity and foresight as well as his literary prowess. If you're observant and read into things, you'll probably appreciate the first season for its laying out of the chessboard.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Yeah, the show was orgasmic.

I have great respect for the writer for his ingenuity and foresight as well as his literary prowess. If you're observant and read into things, you'll probably appreciate the first season for its laying out of the chessboard.

Yes indeed. Lots of things were set up in S1 if you bother to look. I never got the B5 S1 is too slow riff. Sure there was alot of establishing background etc, but it always came with a great A beat or B beat to make it still enjoyable to watch.

 

[Overmind One]

Yes indeed. Lots of things were set up in S1 if you bother to look. I never got the B5 S1 is too slow riff. Sure there was alot of establishing background etc, but it always came with a great A beat or B beat to make it still enjoyable to watch.

I liked it from beginning to end and the first season didnt seem slow at all to me. IM glad they didnt rush into the war or reveal too much about the Vorlons in the beginning. The fact that the entire story arc was written before any episode was made really focused the characters and the actors into the overall story. It was known how it would end, and the superior writing of B5 puts it in a unique place in science fiction shows. I dont understand how Nu BSG is so critically acclaimed when its B5 that was the tour de force of scifi serialized drama. It still hasnt been beaten!

 

[Gatefan1976]

I liked it from beginning to end and the first season didnt seem slow at all to me. IM glad they didnt rush into the war or reveal too much about the Vorlons in the beginning. The fact that the entire story arc was written before any episode was made really focused the characters and the actors into the overall story. It was known how it would end, and the superior writing of B5 puts it in a unique place in science fiction shows. I dont understand how Nu BSG is so critically acclaimed when its B5 that was the tour de force of scifi serialized drama. It still hasnt been beaten!

Weeelllll.......
Alot of the really "dark" stuff in B5 (from what i've seen so far) is fairly "glossed over", but that was pretty much par for the course in the time it was made. NBSG (at least for S1&2) was much more "in your face" and stuff "just happened bad" because of understandable human error. (like people getting killed because a strap has not been maintained) I'm not saying NBSG is better (cause, it wasn't) but it was different enough for me to judge it differently.

 

[Joelist]

Both NuBSG and B5 were quality work, although NuBSG declined badly in quality following Season 2 (I kinda prefer to think NuBSG ended after Season 2 and a different show "As The Battlestar Turns" took its place).

 

[Mr. A]

Both NuBSG and B5 were quality work, although NuBSG declined badly in quality following Season 2 (I kinda prefer to think NuBSG ended after Season 2 and a different show "As The Battlestar Turns" took its place).