Discerning Lurkers Portal: A Babylon 5 Podcast

Discerning Lurkers Portal
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The Discerning Lurkers Portal endeavors to review every episode of Babylon 5, one of the greatest sci-fi TV shows ever and a favorite for hosts, Dave and Todd. We'll examine the plot, world-building, characters, performances, dialogue, behind-the-scenes info, and general good stuff and bad stuff of every episode. Near the end, we score each episode using the Psi-Corp P-rating scale from P1 to P12, saving spoilers for future episodes until the very end. We hope you'll also check out our other podcast, Discerning Geeks Portal, where we discuss more geeky topics, with a focus on movie reviews.

  1. 11.03.2023

    #018 - B5 1.18 - "Babylon Squared"

    This week we review one of the best episodes of season 1 and the first part of Babylon 5's only time travel arc, "Babylon Squared."  - Not being as familiar with this episode, maybe not seeing it before, what was Dave's first impression?  Was he pleased, frustrated, or a little of both, with this episode's teasing nature?  - How well (or not well) is the governing structure of the Minbari explained?  Does this Delenn subplot in this episode help explain it any better?  - What is the deal with the Zathras character?  - What are the co-hosts' favorite moments & quotes from the episode?  - What are the co-hosts's opinions of the question, "Fasten or zip?"  - What were the co-hosts' few nitpicks about the episode, and which co-host brought up one actor's performance as one of them?  - How does the story arc we get in Babylon 5 differ from the one we were going to get before certain real-life changes in the cast required adjustments in the story?  - Who from JMS's real life inspired Zathras' odd speech pattern?  - What story point in this episode was intentionally left vague to provide some flexibility when re-addressing the storyline a couple seasons later?  And, how much did that flexibility end up being necessary?  - Did the co-hosts agree on their psi-rating scores for this episode?  - And, what was Dave curious about in the Spoiler Zone? Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as we do the math on..."Babylon Squared." If you see a 5-star rating system, remember to click on 5 stars if you love us or 4 stars if you hate us.  Don't bother with the other three stars.  I really don't understand why they're even there.  ;) If you'd like to contact us, our e-mail is discerninglurkers@gmail.com. - Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal - Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks Public domain music used in this episode... - Intro / Transition Into Spoiler Zone / Outro:  "P----'s Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (Note:  This song sounds perfect for the intro to season 1 of the podcast, but it has an unfortunate name that includes the last name of a war-loving leader of a certain Eurasian country.  From now on, I'm just going to sensor the P-word in the name of the song.)

  2. 31.01.2023

    #017 - B5 1.16 & 1.17 - "A Voice in the Wilderness, Parts 1 & 2"

    This week, we cover the first of Babylon 5's only two-parters, "A Voice in the Wilderness, Parts 1 & 2."  - Which co-host(s) wonder how previous survey crews somehow missed the Great Machine and deemed Epsilon 3 a dead world?  - Do our co-hosts have bad memories, or are there reasons why portions of this two-parter seem easy to forget?  - What did Draal mean being going "to the sea"?  - How did the co-hosts feel about the further development of the background Mars subplot?  Is Mars too much in the background?  - What were the co-hosts' favorite moments?  - Which guest actor will return later but playing a different character?  - Were Sinclair & Garibaldi wrong for their protectiveness over Ivanova, who's tough enough to take care of herself?  - When going through quotes in Green Sector, which co-host loved an exchange between Londo & Garibaldi, and which co-host loved a tirade by a cranky Ivanova?  - Which co-host is a little worried Garibaldi might be a creeper?  - Which tiny little pause by a cast member led one of the co-hosts to reading a snippet from an interview in which that actor admitted to a certain level of disbelief before doing what he did in that scene?  - Which co-host made an unexpected connection between the lyrics of the "Hokey Pokey" and something more serious that was revealed in the episode?  - Which character do the co-hosts really miss, and how many episodes have gone without that character in them?  - Did the co-hosts have a lot of nitpicks for this episode?  - What were the business-related reasons JMS was encourage to write a two-parter like this?  - What led JMS to totally re-write the script for this two-parter?  - Did the co-hosts have similar or different final grades for these episodes?  - And, what spoilers did the co-hosts cover in the Spoiler Zone? Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as we explore "A Voice in the Wilderness." If you see a 5-star rating system, remember to click on 5 stars if you love us or 4 stars if you hate us.  Don't bother with the other three stars.  I really don't understand why they're even there.  ;) If you'd like to contact us, our e-mail is discerninglurkers@gmail.com. - Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal - Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks Public domain music used in this episode... - Intro / Transition Into Spoiler Zone / Outro:  "P----'s Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (Note:  This song sounds perfect for the intro to season 1 of the podcast, but it has an unfortunate name that includes the last name of a war-loving leader of a certain Eurasian country.  From now on, I'm just going to sensor the P-word in the name of the song.)

  3. 14.01.2023

    #016 - B5 1.15 - "Eyes"

    Continuing to view episodes in the JMS-preferred order, the bottle episode "Eyes" is the next installment up for investigation.  - What level of enthusiasm did the co-hosts have for this episode?  - What were the interesting aspects of the Ivanova / Harriman Gray interactions?  - Is this the only episode in which Major Atumbe is mentioned?  (This isn't a rhetorical question.  I'm actually asking, because I'm not sure.)  - Which events from earlier in the season get name drops during Col. Ben Zayn's interrogations of the B5 staff?  - Harriman Gray is played by Jeffrey Combs who's probably well known for his guest roles in Star Trek shows.  How many appearances?  How many shows?  - What Garibaldi quote from this episode confused Todd and in what way?  - What were two of Dave's favorite character moments from the episode?  - What one thing or person encapsulates all of Todd's issues in Brown Sector?  - Where does Dave stand on Todd's main complaint?  - What is the main conundrum involving the motivation, mental status, and timing of the Ari Ben Zayn character?  - How did this episode end up being the responsibility of script supervisor Larry DiTillio, and what were his challenges?  - What circumstance led to one quick interior scene being done with computer graphics, and why was that perfectly fine with Garibaldi actor Jerry Doyle?  - Which actor got caught by JMS trying to sneak the weird name of his band's next album into some alien dialogue?  - Why is the episode called "Eyes"?  - And, what do we cover in the Spoiler Zone this week? Listen now for the answers to these and other probing questions as we take a deep look into..."Eyes." Don't let this podcast be for your eyes...uh, ears...only.  Tell others about us and rate us wherever you receive your top secret podcast communiques.  If you see a 5-star rating system, remember to click on 5 stars if you love us or 4 stars if you hate us.  Don't bother with the other three stars.  I really don't understand why they're even there.  ;) If you'd like to contact us, our e-mail is discerninglurkers@gmail.com.  - Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal  - Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks Public domain music used in this episode... - Intro / Transition Into Spoiler Zone / Outro:  "P----'s Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (Note:  This song sounds perfect for the intro to season 1 of the podcast, but it has an unfortunate name that includes the last name of a war-loving leader of a certain Eurasian country.  From now on, I'm just going to sensor the P-word in the name of the song.)

  4. 02.01.2023

    #015 - B5 1.14 - "Grail"

    We're back to talk about the Babylon 5 episode "Grail."  Note:  We're now going by the JMS-preferred order of episodes, so this one is next instead of "TKO" which was next in the original air order.  - What are Todd's & Dave's overall opinions of this episode?  - What was one of the main strengths of this episode?  - Why did Lennier say there were two castes of Minbari instead of three?  - Who were the very experienced & recognizable guest stars in the episode...and one that was...not so experienced?  - Which usual member of the crew made an acting cameo in this episode?  - Which lines of Ivanova dialogue from this episode are among fans' favorites to quote?  - Which actor wins the Character Superlative this episode for...{exact award redacted}...a certain overactive facial movement?  - Which co-host has issues with some of this episode's special effects?  - What behind-the-scenes information does the script book have about this episode and the involvement of its writer, Christy Marx?  How did she get the job?  What parts of writing the script did she like the best or find most difficult?  - Where does one guest character's last name, Gajic, come from?  - Did Dave & Todd agree on their grades for this episode?  - Was there any need for a spoiler zone this time, and what is this episode's main contribution to the overall story arc? Listen now as we...truly seek...the answers to these and other questions, as we wholly review "Grail." If you'd like to contact us, our e-mail is discerninglurkers@gmail.com. You can also check us out at the Facebook & Twitter sites for our "parent" podcast, The Discerning Geeks Portal, where we take a discerning look into other geeky topics with an additional co-host and with a frequent focus on movie reviews.  Note:  We're a little behind on Twitter again, but we've been posting on Facebook quite a bit about re-uploads of some our classic episodes with slightly improved audio quality. Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks Public domain music used in this episode... - Intro / Transition Into Spoiler Zone / Outro:  "P----'s Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (Note:  This song sounds perfect for the intro to season 1 of the podcast, but it has an unfortunate name that includes the last name of a war-loving leader of a certain Eurasian country.  From now on, I'm just going to sensor the P-word in the name of the song.)

  5. 12.11.2022

    #014 - B5 1.13 - "Signs & Portents"

    This week, we review "Signs & Portents," the Babylon 5 episode so important that J. Michael Straczynski named all of season 1 "Signs & Portents" as well.  - Why is Dave slurring his words?  - How far did Todd get in editing before the file failed to save and proved to be corrupted, such that Todd had to start the editing over from scratch?  - What did Dave & Todd think about this episode?  What category is this episode starting to fall under for Todd?  - What were the various subplots of this episode, and which ones worked better than others?  - What is it about the damage to Kosh's encounter suit that Todd questioned?  - Is there a greater importance to Lord Kiro, or is he just another noble?  - When & where did Ed Wasser, the actor played Mr. Morden, show up on Babylon 5 previously as a different character?  What off-screen role did Ed Wasser also have on the Babylon 5 set before being cast as Mr. Morden?  - What did Dave & Todd like so much about the scene with Londo & G'Kar waiting on the lift?  - What did Todd think was so significant about Kosh's demand to Morden?  - What aspect of the space battle didn't quite work for either co-host?  - What natural catastrophe occurred during the filming of this episode, and how much -- or how little -- did it affect the filming schedule of this episode?  - Which cast member got stuck on set during one of several frequent evacuations?  - And, what topics did the co-hosts cover in the spoiler zone? We see the "Signs & Portents."  We predict you're going to listen to this episode. If you'd like to contact us, our e-mail is discerninglurkers@gmail.com. 'We might have separate Facebook & Twitter accounts "soon" (okay, *eventually*), but for now, you can also check us out at the sites for our "parent" podcast, The Discerning Geeks Portal, where we take a discerning look into other geeky topics with an additional co-host and with a frequent focus on movie reviews. Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks Public domain music used in this episode... - Intro / Transition Into Spoiler Zone / Outro:  "P----'s Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (Note:  This song sounds perfect for the intro to season 1 of the podcast, but it has an unfortunate name that includes the last name of a war-loving leader of a certain Eurasian country that has recently attacked & invaded another country in 2022.  From now on, I'm just going to sensor the P-word in the name of the song.)

  6. 26.10.2022

    #013 - B5 1.12 - "By Any Means Necessary"

    We are finally back with another Babylon 5 episode review, this time taking a look at 1.12 "By All Means Necessary."  - Which two characters were the saving grace of this episode?  - Did the co-hosts like the main subplot centered around the dock workers?  - Did the co-hosts enjoy Sinclair's creative solutions to the workers' issues and/or the diplomatic and interpersonal issues between two ambassadors?  - Which guest actor performance did the co-hosts like and which one did they not?  - What were the co-hosts' favorite quotes from the episode?  - What were the co-hosts' issues with the Eduardo character?  - What were some of the flaws in the resolution to the episode?  - What did the co-hosts think of the negotiating skills of the Orin Zento character?  - What kinds of hoops did JMS's then-wife have to go through to write this episode without there being any sense of nepotism?  - What kinds of bizarre subplots and character inclusions were in early drafts of the scripts?  - What/who is the Rush Act named after?  - What questions did Dave have for Todd in the Spoiler Zone? Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as we try to negotiate the episode..."By Any Means Necessary." If you'd like to contact us, our e-mail is discerninglurkers@gmail.com. We might have separate Facebook & Twitter accounts "soon" (okay, *eventually*), but for now, you can also check us out at the sites for our "parent" podcast, The Discerning Geeks Portal, where we take a discerning look into other geeky topics with an additional co-host and with a frequent focus on movie reviews. Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks Public domain music used in this episode... - Intro / Transition Into Spoiler Zone / Outro:  "P----'s Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (Note:  This song sounds perfect for the intro to season 1 of the podcast, but it has an unfortunate name that includes the last name of a war-loving leader of a certain Eurasian country that has recently attacked & invaded another country in 2022.  From now on, I'm just going to sensor the P-word in the name of the song.)

  7. 11.07.2022

    #012 - B5 1.11 - "Survivors"

    We are back with a review of Garibaldi-centric episode, 1.11 "Survivors."  - Which co-host thought the episode was just okay, and which co-host really enjoyed the episode to the surprise of the other?  - Which recurring character makes his last appearance in this episode, and which character makes his first appearance?  - What was it about Garibaldi's backstory and character development did one co-host particularly enjoy?  - What nitpicks were there about acting and "stunts" in this episode?  - Is the nature of Garibaldi's addiction realistic?  - What preparation did Marc Scott Zicree do to write this episode, and how much of his original work made it into the final version?  - How high or low and how far apart were the co-hosts' final scores?  - And what details about the future does want to hear or not hear in Spoiler Zone? Listen now to hear us address these and other questions as we investigate this episode and try to be..."Survivors." If you'd like to contact us, our e-mail is discerninglurkers@gmail.com. We might have separate Facebook & Twitter accounts "soon" (okay, *eventually*), but for now, you can also check us out at the sites for our "parent" podcast, The Discerning Geeks Portal, where we take a discerning look into other geeky topics with an additional co-host and with a frequent focus on movie reviews. Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks Public domain music used in this episode... - Intro / Transition Into Spoiler Zone / Outro:  "P----'s Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (Note:  This song sounds perfect for the intro to season 1 of the podcast, but it has an unfortunate name that includes the last name of a war-loving leader of a certain Eurasian country that has recently attacked & invaded another country in 2022.  From now on, I'm just going to sensor the P-word in the name of the song.)  - Explanation of weird "stunts":  "Wakka Wakka" by Bryan Teoh via FreePD.com

  8. 06.06.2022

    #011 - B5 1.10 - "Believers"

    We are back!  After an unintended hiatus, we return to review one of the most divisive episodes of Babylon 5, season 1 episode #010, "Believers."  - Which other Babylon 5 podcast got a mention at the beginning & end of this episode?  - What years did Dave & Todd graduate high school?  How is that relevant?  (Hint:  It's not.)  - What was one co-host's biggest issue with the A-plot, and did he wish there was more to the B-plot?  - Does this episode give a fair shot to religion?  Does it make religion look bad?  Or, is it a little of both?  - What were some of the best quotes in this episode?  - Which other dialogue was clunky & downright maddening?  - Who was most right or most wrong in this episode?  Franklin?  Sinclair?  The kid's parents?  - Did Sinclair handle the situation well?  - Did Franklin learn a lesson?  - Did this episode hurt one co-host's opinion of one of the characters?  - What information did one co-host feel was most lacking from the episode?  - So...  Gloppit egg...  Any strong opinions?  (Hint:  Be prepared to adjust your volume almost 2/3 of the way through.  Sorry; it's actually adjusted in editing but probably not enough.)  - What were some of this episode's best & worst moments?  - And, is this episode too much like a Star Trek episode, very different from a Star Trek episode, somewhere in between, or is there just no comparison? Do we address these & many more controversial questions?  I...*believe*...we do.  Listen now if you want to be..."Believers"...too.  (See what I did there?) If you'd like to contact us, our e-mail is discerninglurkers@gmail.com. We might have separate Facebook & Twitter accounts "soon" (okay, *eventually*), but for now, you can also check us out at the sites for our "parent" podcast, The Discerning Geeks Portal, where we take a discerning look into other geeky topics with an additional co-host and with a frequent focus on movie reviews. Facebook:  Discerning Geeks Portal Twitter:  @DiscerningGeeks Public domain music used in this episode... - Intro / Transition Into Spoiler Zone / Outro:  "P----'s Lullaby" by Alexander Nakarada via FreePD.com  (Note:  This song sounds perfect for the intro to season 1 of the podcast, but it has an unfortunate name that includes the last name of a war-loving leader of a certain Eurasian country that has recently attacked & invaded another country in 2022.  From now on, I'm just going to sensor the P-word in the name of the song.)

    #011 - B5 1.10 - "Believers"
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The Discerning Lurkers Portal endeavors to review every episode of Babylon 5, one of the greatest sci-fi TV shows ever and a favorite for hosts, Dave and Todd. We'll examine the plot, world-building, characters, performances, dialogue, behind-the-scenes info, and general good stuff and bad stuff of every episode. Near the end, we score each episode using the Psi-Corp P-rating scale from P1 to P12, saving spoilers for future episodes until the very end. We hope you'll also check out our other podcast, Discerning Geeks Portal, where we discuss more geeky topics, with a focus on movie reviews.

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