“Elric: We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, crystal and scanner, holographic demons and invocation of equations. These are the tools we employ, and we know many things.
John Sheridan: Such as?
Elric: The true secrets, the important things. Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever. Seven words to make them go without pain. How to say good-bye to a friend who is dying. How to be poor. How to be rich. How to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them. That is why we are going away—to preserve that knowledge.
I’ll never get tired of how Babylon 5 managed to drop a small jewel here and there that sticks with you so many years later. I don’t think I will ever grow tired of this scene.
If you can find them, read the book trilogies “The Passing of the Techno-Mages” and “Legions of Fire.” Best ones out there, IMO.
The B5 trilogies are selling for around $600 a piece on Amazon, as of checking just now.
Loved Babylon 5
“Green.”
“Purple.”
B5 fans also understand the subtle nuances of Drazi politics.
Green! 😀
These days the Babylon 5 exchange that comes to mind the most is the one between the dying Centauri emperor and the Vorlon, Kosh.
“How will it end?” the emperor says weakly referring to his empire.
“In fire.” replied Kosh.
We are the Centauri, taken over by the Shadows.
Dammit.
So much truth in that show. Especially when EarthGov morphed into the Shadow Soviet Empire.
And, a hot and very evil Melissa Gilbert. Dang.
For fun, go find the music for Bab5 and listen to how the opening credit music changed every season, going from hopeful to really dark and then re-ascending to hope.
Bab 5 had probably one of the best finales ever.
Agreed on the final episode. I rewatch the show every few years and promise myself that I won’t cry at the ending.
…and then I’m watching a sunrise through tearful eyes.
You bastards… The finale was magnificent. This scene always gets me
https://youtu.be/57InOyE1vDI
Yeah… we re-watched selected episodes this year.
Giggling tyrant Cartagia Harris is to be put on the throne completely outside the normal process. (Come on, even her own party’s primary voters didn’t want her.)
Thirteen (red-haired PsiCop from “A Spider in the Web”) has traveled back in time, and is now the Press Secretary. I knew she looked familiar when she turned up during the Obama years. (Teeps, like Thrintun, aren’t all that bright, and her powers don’t work in the era before human telepaths existed.)
“The Illusion of Truth” is evergreen.
So many more…
I was hooked right after this scene: https://youtu.be/p5xhucIJK8k?t=35
G’kar became my favorite character right then and there. He became more than the 2-dimensional “bad/angry guy” he started as.
Londo and Flounder (aka. Vir) came close 2nd as my favorite characters. Londo specially considering his travel from buffon, to dictator, to unsung hero/martyr. And Vir simple because he always had great 1-liners that simple beotch-slapped you in the face and made your think, be they funny or poignant.
Ivanova is my 3rd fav. character. Wish she had been used more towards the end, but at least they gave her an OK go-out.