It's been quite some time since B5 - and the films and Crusade - finished.  I lived with "Babylon 5" for almost six years and when it was over, I couldn't quite believe it.  There'd always been more; B5 had always managed to surprise us one last time.  A second...fourth...fifth series.  Two films, then four.  A spin-off series!  The novels...and the Amazing Stories stories.

But it all came to an end, and suddenly, my life was empty of B5.  That might sound like a silly (or obsessive) thing to say, but of all the things I have watched over the past years, Babylon 5 touched me in a way nothing else did.  For five years (after the first series!) I waited in breathless anticipation for each new episode. That's what it was like.  And when you invest so much time, energy and emotion into something, there's a hole when it's gone.

I didn't realise this at first.  I had other things to fill up my mind - I threw myself back into SW fandom, and then became extremely interested in the whole issue of fandom itself.  Instead of speculating B5, I was studying the culture of mailing lists and it opened my eyes to a lot of issues I'd never considered about fandom.

Yet this learning only lasts so long, and now that I see the same old arguments/discussions coming up again and again, I know it's time to move on.  But to where?  Another new fandom, of course, but I can't help but find all of these empty.  Where are the characters that I know and love?  Sure, I might fall for one or two of them, but the rest I couldn't care less about.  This is my typical reaction to a show:  I have the characters that I love, and then there are those that I can't stand.

It wasn't like this with B5.  To date, it remains the only show where I loved absolutely every character, and that's because of how "human" they were.  Even Morden had a side I could like.  There was no black and white good versus evil, everything and everyone was complex.  Only Farscape and Buffy come close to emulating this.

As I write (February 2001), Babylon 5 is rating hugely on the Sci-Fi channel, picking up lots of new fans.  There are rumours of a new B5 project in the works.  Of course this makes me happy, but it's not without trepidation.  Babylon 5 is over.  I've accepted that and mostly because There Is No More Story To Tell.   I guess "Crusade" would have grown on me, and I'm sure jms would have thrilled us, but nothing can ever match the original, the tragic tale of Sheridan, Delenn, Ivanova and the others.  To add more to their story might only undermine it, and to fill in the missing years, while interesting, would not be nail-biting entertainment because we know how it ends.  (That was one of the constant thrills of B5 - not knowing what was going to happen, knowing that anyone could die at any time.)

The idea of more makes me quietly happy.  But it also makes me realise how much I miss it.  Five years is a long time to invest in something, but I will never regret even one moment enjoying my visit to Babylon 5.
 
 

There is nothing I can say about this amazing saga that hasn't already been said elsewhere.  Nonetheless, I love Babylon 5 so much that I had to create my own tribute page.

To put it bluntly, Babylon 5 is one of the best, if not the best, stories I have ever seen.  There are many television programs that have touched me, but nothing on the level of B5.  Nothing else has consistenly moved me to tears, or caused me to laugh so hard at the character moments.  Nothing else has caused me to count down the days until the next episode.

I love it.  I always will.  The characters, the music, the incredible story, the painful truths, the growing, learning, change.  Add to all of that my 2 great loves: science-fiction and romance, and of course I would be hooked on this show.

I'm not saying B5 was perfect.  Yes, there were some clunkers of episodes in there.  Yet even these I managed to watch twice within one week.  With other programs I sometimes find my mind wandering during the first screening (like XF or Voy) but never B5.  Each moment is special because it's telling the life story of an important being.

With some shows, your love for them grows only after they're gone.  (Examples from my own life: Earth 2, Space: Above and Beyond).  Others are fun while they last (Sliders).  As I write this, it's 2 days until I see "Sleeping in Light".  Am I excited?  Most definitely!  Am I sad?  Again, yes.  I don't want it to end, yet I'm positive I will treasure Babylon 5 forever.

B5 always surprised me.  Towards the end of Season 5 I realised that Londo and G'Kar, characters I had tolerated for much of the show, had suddenly became my favourites!  (My favourite characters change, mind you.  I love action-Johnny but President-Sheridan isn't nearly as much fun.)

The Babylon 5 universe in itself is a beautiful thing.  The universe itself is almost considered sentient, something I truly love to believe.  There are mysteries out there that we cannot begin to comprehend; and technology is only secondary to the human factor.  People still love, fight, endure.

I feel so lucky that I was able to enjoy this show from the very start.  The pilot excited me, the first few episodes intrigued me.  Always the questions, the endless, unresolved questions.  Having been brought up on TNG, I was most surprised to not learn what Kosh looked like during the pilot epiosde!

B5 suffered from terrible programming slots here in Australia, and much of the first season was shown late at night.  Directly scheduled against TNG.  And me with only one VCR.  Despite the fact that it was my final year of high school and the pressures were on, I would sit up late at night to watch B5.  I perservered with it, out of stubbornness perhaps even when the episodes weren't that good.  After "Bablyon Squared" or "A Voice in the Wilderness" (I'm never sure which one I saw first) I began to realise that B5 was something quite special.  Then came "Chrysalis" and I was hooked for life.

Season 2 stunned me even more, and by Season 3 I was taping every episode along with watching it.  (I learnt the hard way about taping things - now, I tape everything. ;)  Despitee the messed up programming Australians were given, I never missed an episode.

I will miss this...when it is gone.

I have one link for you, to a place I loved to visit during the entire journey.   The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 - gives fascinating insight into each episode and jms' comments, which are just as fascinating.

Honestly, what can I say?  Babylon 5 touched me forever.  If you've never seen it, then I urge you to do so - right from the start.  It will be tough going for a while but if you perservere, the rewards are incredible.  You will truly discover a world so far, yet so close, to your own.
 
 

"Home...it's where your passion takes you."   - John Sheridan, 2262

"I love you."  - Marcus Cole, 2261

"We are the universe...Star Stuff". - Delenn, 2259