Babylon 5 For the First Time - Not a Star Trek Podcast

Babylon 5 For the First Time is a fun listen. I myself am watching the series for the first time, listening long episode by episode with two podcasters that have carefully avoided spoilers. The level of depth is what you would expect from a couple of smart Trek guys having a chat, which is pretty much what I want. It’s fun to hear their reflections and their speculations. And it’s also encouraging to know (I’m a few years behind) that once they watched through the whole series, they decided to turn around and do an immediate rewatch.

I can’t get enough of these two idjits. They’re knowledgeable, but self-effacing. They have fun, but don’t shy away from serious topics. I love how they compare their first-time opinions with their new, more informed positions. I don’t remember how I first stumbled upon them (probably a plug from Norman Lao of the _Mission Log_ Star trek podcast [Get better soon, Mr. Lao!]). In any case, I listened to every episode of “Babylon 5 for the First Time,” and I continue to delight in this second viewing. Some running gags sound strained (especially the unfortunate, frustratingly unfunny “Chickie” bit), but that’s not a deal breaker. Come for the Babylon 5; stay for the many science fiction connections (including Dune, Mass Effect, Stargate, and Star Trek) as well as Rush references galore!

A self-help guru and your eighth grade catechism teacher take turns nitpicking Babylon 5. Discussion can range from righteous anger over leadership techniques to stereotypes about women.

To start with the positives, you can tell that this was made by people with experience podcasting. The two hosts have a good rapport, the sound quality is consistently good, and the editing is almost invisible. The technical aspects are solid. Where the show stumbles a bit is in its premise and execution. The idea of comparing Babylon 5 to Star Trek is fine, but trying to judge its quality by that metric doesn’t work. B5 might owe a lot to Trek, but it wasn’t trying to be Trek. It was its own series doing its own thing. The hosts took a long time to realize this, and I think many B5 fans looking for a chance to relive the series will walk away frustrated before the hosts get there. The other issue is that the hosts remain convinced for far too long that Babylon 5 was a fully serialized show in the vein of newer Trek shows or Breaking Bad. It’s not. It’s semi-serialized, in a similar vein to DS9. It leads to an odd disconnect where the hosts are simultaneously expecting Trek-like morality plays, but missing the Trek-like character pieces at work. Either that or they simply don’t enjoy character-focused stories, which causes them to miss out on what B5’s smaller episodes have to offer. They’re not wrong for enjoying what they enjoy, but criticizing B5 for not being something it wasn’t trying to be is frustrating to hear. It’s not all bad. Sometimes their outside perspective is a strength, such as in their review of TKO. Like many B5 fans I didn’t enjoy that episode at first, but this show’s take on it helped me see it in a new light. And as a fellow Christian, hearing the Catholic host praise Passing Through Gethsemane was rewarding. Unfortunately, it doesn’t undo the frustrations that it’s easy to have with this podcast. While I gave them three stars, it would be more accurate to say they’re a 2.5. The technical aspects are solid, and occasionally the hosts offer some unique insights. But while they are smart, they’re not quite as smart as they think they are. Instead of reconsidering their preconceptions when the show proved it wasn’t going to fit them, they kept judging it negatively for not fitting them. It’s tough to listen to many times, and it takes the hosts a long time to connect with what B5 was truly trying to be. I just don’t know if many B5 fans are going to be patient enough for the hosts to get there.