# Rate Babylon 5 for me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295 "2008-02-26T21:56:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/41 "2008-02-28T15:08:06Z")
Ivanova was a great character, but I think the best quote of the series came from Delenn of all people. _Only one man has ever gone up against a Minbari fleet and won. He is behind me. You are in front of me._ ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/42 "2008-02-28T16:13:36Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Why? Marcus wasn’t British. [/QUOTE] He seemed to think he was when he approached “Arthur” in that loopy episode where he appeared. Anyway, my point was that the actor was British and the way he spoke hurt my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/43 "2008-02-29T04:43:01Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] He seemed to think he was when he approached “Arthur” in that loopy episode where he appeared. [/QUOTE] Well, he’s certainly a fan of the culture, and he might even be able to trace his family to Britain. But Marcus is from some tiny colony world or other. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/44 "2008-02-29T07:11:16Z")
[QUOTE=Jayn\_Newell] Ivanova was a great character, but I think the best quote of the series came from Delenn of all people. _Only one man has ever gone up against a Minbari fleet and won. He is behind me. You are in front of me._ [/QUOTE] Yeah, but you have to finish that line. After that she says \* if you value your lives, be somewhere else!\* ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/45 "2008-02-29T16:22:04Z")
I’m also rather fond of Londo’s greeting to Vir in one episode: _What do you want, you moon-faced assassin of joy?_ ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/46 "2008-02-29T19:13:50Z")
I have two favourite Ivanova quotes: > [@](#): > > I can only conclude that I’m paying off karma at a vastly accelerated rate. > [@](#): > > No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There’s always a boom tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/47 "2008-02-29T22:27:47Z")
Let us not forget this exchange: \*“I think you just hit a nerve. Vorlons must owe them money or something.” “This also tells they understand our language. They are just not willing to speak to us using that.” “Who knew they were French?” \* ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/48 "2008-03-01T03:36:47Z")
[QUOTE=ArizonaTeach] _Babylon 5_ is much better in the concept than the execution. And JMS (whoops, I mean jms) is the most atrocious professional dialogue writer I can think of [/QUOTE] I agree with **Smeghead** and **Pushkin** , but I think this sums it up best. I enjoyed what I saw of the series when I was in high school but wasn’t able to keep up with it regularly. I tried going back and watching it on DVD recently and found it an utter chore. The story arcs may be elaborate and compelling on paper, but that doesn’t help when they’re delivered to the audience through stilted dialogue and often-mediocre performances. It does improve as it goes along, but not enough to make me sit through it. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295/49 "2008-03-01T09:27:49Z")
I’m with the “bit off way more than it could chew” crowd. After slogging through 4 seasons, I really could not bring myself to care about watching the 5th. Here are some older threads on the subject for your entertainment: [my initial reactions to B5, in semi-realtime](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=302835&) [my somewhat older, vastly more embittered self](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=402453) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rate-babylon-5-for-me/439295.md?page=2)