Just bought it last night, and haven’t had time to watch any yet.
I’m turning my SO on to the show. I’m playing her the heavy arc episodes, and they were scarce in the first season.
I think she thinks the show is mildly interesting, but when she gets hooked on the 5-year story, I’m sure she’ll see the light.
I got her hooked on 24, so she likes the idea of a continuous story.
I can’t wait to see the specials and extras on the disks. 
Which epsisodes have JMS commentary?
I’m waiting a bit to get this, I have guests for Memorial Day, and if I get this now I will spend no time preparing for them.
Brian
<*>
I’ll have to refresh my memory, but there are two or three with JMS commentary, including the first episode. There is another (ep 3?) with commentary by a few actors, including Claudia. It’s the one where she becomes the leader of one color of the Drazi. Should be funny.
I would have liked to give you episode names, but for some reason, the Lurker’s Guide episode pages seems to be down.
I’ll take notes next time I see the package!
Oh, I paid about $83.
I picked this up on the way home last Friday and watched most of the episodes over the weekend, which was fun in an excessively geeky way. Haven’t seen the extras yet.
I am reluctant to listen to the commentary, since JMS’s commentary on the 1st season irritated me to the point where I yelled at the TV and frightened the cat, and I don’t want to do that again if I can help it.
Maybe someone else can venture in first and tell me if he makes lots of nasty little stabs at Star Trek this time?
I saw it in the store and actually started to drool. Sadly, the spirit is willing but the wallet is weak. The first season they at least put on sale at most stores; this one just seems to be out there with the same, beefier price tag.
What was so annoying about the commentary? Just star trek jabs? I wouldn’t call them undeserved; for most of its run, Babylon 5 had to prove it was distinct and different from DS9. Once it finally did, DS9 just caught on and mirrored its “arc” style, further blurring the differences. That’s gotta be frustrating.
I haven’t watched 'em yet, but they’re sitting here next to me waiting until I get my chance. I adore B5.
It’s been a few months, but as I recall, it was frequent comments along the lines of “…unlike other science fiction shows…” alluding primarily to Star Trek that annoyed me. After 15 minutes or so of this, I was moved to say, “Jesus, Joe, will you just shut up about other shows and tell me something about your own perfectly good show?” When he did talk about behind-the-scenes B5, he had some interesting things to say, but I felt like I had to sit through a lot to get to it.
I can understand him being bitter and angry when he had so much trouble getting anyone to look at B5, but the best revenge is living well ‘n’ all; you’d think that after B5 became popular, critically acclaimed, and award-winning, he’d let it go. Does he want to be like Harlan Ellison, whining about Gene Roddenberry long after he’s dead?
I never got the B5 vs. DS9 animosity. They were both my favorite shows for most of their respective runs (the fact that I’m putting out this much money to get both sets of DVDs speaks for my love). Their similarities were all part of the fun. To my mind, if you like a show set on a space station with a messianic commander, gruff-but-loveable security officer, contentious female first officer, and cute but annoying British guy facing a mysterious enemy from the other side of the galaxy then, hey!, you’ve got twice as much to enjoy.
JMS’ main complaint with DS9 is that he went to Paramount and pitched B5 to them. They claimed they weren’t interested. He goes and pitches elsewhere then, about the time B5 finally gets picked up, Paramount announces that they are creating a series set on a space station. As you yourself pointed out, there were more than a passing few similarities.
JMS (and a lot of B5 fans) feel that Paramount stole the idea for B5 in order to create DS9 and released it when they did to dilute the potential audience, thus reducing B5’s popularity and its possible threat to the Star Trek franchise.
Yeah, he’s still bitter.