Babylon 5 question, No spoilers please!

I never saw B5 when it was coming out, but last year a buddy got me the first season DVDs and now I’m completely, hoplessly hooked. I haven’t had a TV show I’ve been this hooked by in…well…decades.

I’ve picked up the subsequent seasons on DVD and I’m about half-way through watching season four. I also picked up the two-movie DVD that has “The Gathering/In The Beginning” on it.

I watched “The Gathering” but was told by a couple of people to wait to see “In The Beginning” 'cause it apparently contains some pretty signifigant spoilers for the later seaons.

Well, half-way through Season 4, I’m wondering “So when do I watch it?” After season 4 is over? After season 5? Should I have watched it already?

Also, there’s apparently a bunch of other B5 movies.
(Thirdspace, The River of Souls, A Call to Arms, Crusade, The Legend of the Rangers): where do they fit into the story, is it worth trying to get the videotapes of them, when do I watch 'em?

Thanks!

Fenris

Thirdspace you can watch any time now. River of Souls takes place during the fifth season, but doesn’t have any spoilers, so I guess it doesn’t matter. A Call to Arms starts after the fifth season, is a sort of lead in to Crusade. Crusade isn’t a B5 movie, but a sequel series to B5, that didn’t get off the ground. There are 13 episodes. Check out the episode “Visitors From Down the Street” and laugh you ass off at it’s parody of another well known television show.

Another soul hooked by B5. You know, I don’t laugh anymore at folks that get hooked on soap operas. I found myself getting emotionally involved by the characters, their strengths and weaknesses, like yelling at Garibaldi, “Don’t do that!” You’ll know what I mean soon, it’s a fourth season thing.

Thanks Baker, but what about “In The Beginning”?

I wouldn’t get near “In the Beginning” until you’re done with the show. It’s incredibly spoiler-heavy. I haven’t seen the rest of the movies, except for the Rangers one. I think you could possibly get away with it after you’re done with the fourth season, but I didn’t risk it myself. I’d wait. B5 is not something you want to be spoiled on!

I got hooked on it a few years ago when the reruns started. Ain’t it GREAT? Oh, and I hooked my mom…for MONTHS she would beg me to tell her what was going to happen next. I wouldn’t tell her. In fact, I think I laughed at her attempts a few times. I’m a terrible daughter! But she’s glad I didn’t spoil her now…:smiley:

No spoilers, huh? Then I guess you won’t want to hear about the lesbian cyborgs that show up late in Season Five.

Oops, I should have put that in a spoiler box.

Lesbian cyborgs are never a spoiler, they’re a treat. :stuck_out_tongue:

You can see “In The Beginning” now. It’s the best Babylon 5 movie, and while it was made right before Season 5, “In The Beginning” (and, for that matter, the revised edition of The Gathering) really doesn’t tell you anything you don’t already know.

There’s only one thing I can think of that’s mentioned – really, just a quick mention, and nothing terribly unexpected – that would make you want to wait until after Season 4’s “Rising Star”, the next-to-last episode in the season.

But there’s no point in waiting any longer than that. Season 5 hadn’t begun yet when “In The Beginning” aired, so there’s nothing in the movie that has any bearing on the events in 2262.

As for the others …

Thirdspace: Takes place during Season 3, so you can watch it now.
River of Souls: Takes place during or after Season 5, but really, you can watch it after you’ve seen Season 5’s first episode, “No Compromises”
A Call To Arms: An unnecessary intro to Crusade. It takes place after Season 5, so watch it after Season 5.
Crusade: The spinoff, which kicked ass. I’m seriously disappointed that it didn’t last. Watch it after Season 5 (it probably won’t come out on DVD until then anyway).
Legend of The Rangers: It stands on its own, and can be watched after Season 4.

Ah. I didn’t know when “In the Beginning” first aired, since I’m a more recent convert.

And I’ve spent a LOT of time yelling at B5. My neighbors must have thought I’d lost my mind.

Not exactly a spoiler, but I cried so hard at the finale I’m surprised somebody didn’t come to see what was wrong. I STILL cry every time I see it.

If you’ve seen episode 9 of season 4, you’re OK to watch “In The Beginning”. I wouldn’t bother tracking down the other movies on tape, because there’s a box set coming out soon that will have all five of them.

All 5 movies? Link, please, as I hadn’t seen/heard this and definitely want to order…

Check the Lurker’s Guide. They say “next year”, but it’s an announcement from 2003.

I haven’t seen any of the movies besides the Rangers one and ITB, so having them all would be really neat. I have to see ALL of B5, after all, at least once.

I cry every time I watch In the Beginning. This isn’t really a spoiler, since you learn what happened in the very first B5 episode, but

when the Mimbari are massing for their final assault on Earth, and the President is giving her farewell to the species speech,

I cry like a baby every time.

I might have to watch it again. I think my brother got the DVD for our mom. But first…the rest of the third season awaits! And the fourth!