Hey all,
This question has been bugging me for a while: I wonder when the best moment would be to watch
In the Beginning (ItB) in relation to the Babylon 5 TV series? :roll:
I did a lot of thinking and found 5 different times to watch ItB (warning, some spoilers below):
OPTION 1: At the beginning!
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Watch it as the very first introduction to the Babylon 5 universe (even before the pilot The Gathering)
+ this is favored by the Lurker's Guide (but only for people that have watched the B5 series before!)
+ can be used as a hook to introduce the Babylon 5 universe to someone who has never watched it
(specially since it's much better than the pilot)
- BUT it constitutes a MAJOR spoiler for the series: the mystery of the Earth-Minbari war,
the characters of Delenn and Sinclair, Londo's role in the Shadow war...
- The setting does not make sense: why did Londo emprison Delenn and Sheridan? Why is Centauri Prime ablaze?
OPTION 2: Between Season V and Crusade
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Watch it at the end of season 5, between "Objects at Rest" and "Sleeping in Light"
+ no spoilers and a very effective way to end the Babylon 5 series
- there are already too many other movies in that "spot" (River of Souls, Legend of the Raiders, A Call to Arms...)
that don't have much to do with it. Hence I feel it would be pulling the viewer in too many different directions
(who wants to jump from River of souls to ItB?)
- does not exactly fit the timeline: Sheridan & Delenn are not on Centauri Prime during Objects at Rest!
OPTION 3: After Crusade
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Watch it after Crusade (and save "Sleeping in Light" for the very end)
+ this is the only chronologically "true" place (Londo tells the story in the [i]real[/i] 2278, after the events of Crusade)
- makes the viewer watch all of Babylon 5, all of Crusade before returning to the beginning!
That's a LONG wait to find out what really happened in the Earth/Minbari war...
- also, "Sleeping in Light" would have to be watched after the "distraction" of Crusade
- leaves fans that would rather not watch Crusade (since it's incomplete) out cold
- if you wonder about what's going to happen to Sheridan and Delenn, where do you turn?
OPTION 4: Between Season IV and Season V
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Watch it at the end of season 4, just before the final episode "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" (DFS).
+ ItB was originally aired at this moment (right between DFS and Season 5)
+ Gives a nice "overview" feeling: ItB looks at Babylon 5's past, DFS at its future
- it does not exactly fit the ongoing story: during the episode before ("Rising Star"), Londo Mollari is just
being considered for the title of Emperor, he is NOT Emperor yet!
- also during the beginning of season 5, Londo Mollari is still not Emperor!
He will only be crowned Emperor during "The Fall of Centauri Prime (episode 519)
OPTION 5: During Season III (my favorite)
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Watch it during season 3, between the episodes "War Without End I" and "War Without End II".
+ can be conceived as a story told from within the time loop that occurs during these episodes
(a prequel told by someone caught in the future before the story returns to the present? Whew! :lol:)
+ ItB is definitely part of the human/minbari soul cycle which ends with the episode "War Without End II"
- Yes it causes some spoilers for season 4, but it shouldn't be too bad.
Come to think of it, I wonder if the events in "Atonement" (episode 409) are actually better seen after watching ItB? Think about it!
I'm really curious what other B5 fans think.
Thanks for voting in my poll and for [b]explaining your rationale![/b]
- MCSmarties
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