Puntabulous

Babylon 5: Season 4 – Review

I know what you’re thinking. “No new post since Friday and all we’re getting is a lousy Babylon 5 review?” Yeah, well deal with it. I’m on antibiotics that are having blergy effects on my digestive system and I took off yesterday to celebrate my heritage. But you will be happy to know that I enjoyed the weekend home alone where I crossed off one of the items on my to-do list, as well as finished up the fourth season of Babylon 5.

People told me that this season would move at breakneck speed and pretty much wrap up a lot of the storylines, and they were right. This season felt like two seasons crammed into one, which was both good and bad. Good in that lots of stuff happened, and storylines didn’t need to get too stretched out, but bad in the fact that I’m sure some storylines needed to be compromised and I’m left worried about what Season 5 will be like. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the death in Rising Star because I’m not quite ready to talk about that yet.

This season saw the end of the Shadow War, which was quite exciting. I loved the scene in Into the Fire where Sheridan and Delenn are talking to the Vorlons and Shadows telepathically. That was incredible. But I have to say, after it was over, I was disappointed it was over. It all seemed to have ended abruptly, and even throughout the rest of the season I kept waiting for the Shadows to make a reappearance. I had it in my head that the entire series was about the Shadow War and that it wouldn’t get resolved until the series end. Oh well, guess I was wrong.

We also saw the resolution of the President Clark storyline which was also really well done. I loved the episodes leading up to Endgame, especially Intersections in Real Time, which was probably one of the best episodes of Babylon 5 ever. The interrogation of Sheridan was cruel but incredible to watch, and boy what an ending! And of course Endgame itself was really exciting. I love when Babylon 5 (the underdog of all shows) manages to pull out all the stops and make an incredible season finale. Oh, lets face it, Endgame was totally the season finale, even though two more episodes came after it.

So yeah, onto Season 5! I’m worried, but I’m sure it’ll be good fun. Will the Shadows come back? Will those Keeper things be explained? Will this season not feel tacked on? Will I enjoy it as much without some of the key characters from previous seasons? All those questions and more, answered in a week or so!

REVIEWS, TELEVISION | Craig | January 19, 2010 7:56 am

23 Comments

By Michelle M., January 19, 2010 @ 8:37 am

That was EXACTLY what I was thinking. It’s like you’re psychic.
By john, January 19, 2010 @ 9:25 am

Season 4 was a bumpy and exciting ride! Season 5 isn’t as good, but there are high spots. “Day of the Dead” in particular is a favorite of mine.
By Polt, January 19, 2010 @ 9:29 am

I’m just getting caught up on Glee. I wanna try BSG soon. Craiggers, keeping up with your viewing habits is almost impossible!

HUGS….
By Quentin, January 19, 2010 @ 9:42 am

“Only one human captain has ever survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else.”

Season 5 is very interesting, especially Lyta’s storyline. Be sure to watch “A Call to Arms” after you’re done with Season 5. And then watch CRUSADE.
By Craig, January 19, 2010 @ 9:54 am

Such a great line.

Lyta = Ugh. I don’t know what it is, but she really bugs me.
By Oz, January 19, 2010 @ 10:42 am

Was strip Mario Kart the item you crossed off? More importantly, is that the reason you’re on antibiotics now?
By Craig, January 19, 2010 @ 10:55 am

Yes and no. I mean, no and yes. I mean, what?
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, January 19, 2010 @ 11:06 am

Craig’s disorientated. Time to implement Operation Green Brass Knobber. Go! Go! Go!
By josh, January 19, 2010 @ 11:27 am

Whenever I play stripped [feat. xtina] Mario Kart 64, I alwayz get a rash!
By john, January 19, 2010 @ 11:38 am

Cupcake: On it! ETA approximately oh-1600 hours.
By Craig, January 19, 2010 @ 11:53 am

Is “Operation Green Brass Knobber” a reference I’m not getting?
By The Ryan With The Cupcake, January 19, 2010 @ 12:06 pm

Craig: Nope. I used a random operation name generator (color-metal-unusual animal) to create it.

However, I did that result partially because it sounded vaguely dirty.
By M. Nicodemus, January 19, 2010 @ 12:27 pm

Damn you Craig! I can’t keep up with your voracious TV viewing! *Sigh,* add another one to the queue… let’s see… yup, I should get to it in oh, five years.

Cupcake & John: operation is a go; the fox is in the hen house and the eagle is in the air.
By The Ryan With The Cupcake, January 19, 2010 @ 12:31 pm

Nico: I’ve given up on catching up with respect to Babylon 5. At the moment, I am too busy catching up with Ugly Betty and 30 Rock.
By The Ryan With The Cupcake, January 19, 2010 @ 12:32 pm

Oh, and I’m also trying to catch up with Buffy as well. So much TV, so little time.
By john, January 19, 2010 @ 1:07 pm

Craig: “I’m you greatest fan, I’ll follow you until you love me…” With all the stalking going on, it is a wonder your parents still have grass on their lawn.
By josh, January 19, 2010 @ 1:10 pm

*biggest fan

Sorry…you know I have to make pop culture edits where need be!
By The Ryan With The Cupcake, January 19, 2010 @ 1:22 pm

john: While I was home visiting my parents, I saw several ads for Kids Bop featuring that song. It was the first time I had heard that song, and the creepiness was exacerbated by a twelve-year-old singing it.
By Paul, January 19, 2010 @ 1:22 pm

I haven’t seen B5 since it originally aired, now I must get it and watch the whole series. Just imagine how hard it was to keep track of the plots, subplots and sub-subplots in real TV time.
As for the antibiotics, try eating some yogurt every day you take them, it really helps with the “blergyness”.
By john, January 19, 2010 @ 2:11 pm

Josh: I thought you hated the Gaga? You know the lyrics? I was being lazzzy (no need to let you have all the fun) and didn’t listen to the song to find out the lyrics.

Cupcake: I have an completely rational hatred of all things Kids Bop. It is just wrong, wrong, wrong. I would never let my kids, if I had them, listen to that crap. Why ruin a perfectly good song by having a pitchy prepubescent sing it?

Craig: Paul’s advice on the yogurt is sound. The antibiotics are kiling all the good bacteria in your gut hence the blergyness. Eating yogurt will help bring the good guys back.

M. Nico: The eagle will land in approximately 2 hours. Fox should be prepared for rendezvous with ether, handkerchief and rope.
By josh, January 19, 2010 @ 2:14 pm

John: Gaga herself pissez the taint off of me but I do enjoy some of her songz. But even if I DID hate her music, I would still make it a point to memorize the lyrix to her singles! Pop music is my one true love.
By john, January 19, 2010 @ 2:46 pm

Josh: That sounds painful. I recently watched an interview of hers and I’m not sure. On the one hand, I get the image of “artist” that she is trying to portray, but I’m not sure if it is genuine or if she is just marketing herself. It really could go either way.

I remember Madonna doing something similar in the 80′s, but it felt new as she was growing with the new media. Gaga comes across a little like she thinks we don’t understand the joke, but it could just be professional immaturity. Given that I have only seen one interview, I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Plus, [i]Bad Romance[/i] (I wonder if I did that correctly) is too much fun not to like.
By Justin, January 20, 2010 @ 9:58 pm

Paul: you are so right. It was very hard to figure out B5 when it was originally on the air. Hence the Lurkers Guide.

John: Of **COURSE* she is marketing herself. That is not mutually exclusive with it being genuine. Agree 100% on Bad Romance. I still honestly don’t understand what Josh & Enrico have against the Gaga. Yes, she’s full of herself. What pop star isn’t?

Craig: you have TOTALLY got to replenish your guts’ flora and fauna. Yogurt is better than nothing. You’re better off with high-potency probiotics, with as many billion bacteria per capsule as possible. The unfortunate fact is that antibiotics kill the “good” bacteria in your gut as well as the “bad” bacteria in your blodstream/system, and this creates an imbalance in which “bad” bacteria and yeast/fungus can overgrow in the gut. If you replenish your gut’s bacteria every time you take the abx you will help prevent the “blerginess”

Quentin: that line is probably the single best line in the series.