History YMMV / BabylonFive

** In [[Recap/BabylonFiveS05E08DayOfTheDead "Day of the Dead"]], we learn that Lochley's childhood friend Zoe dying by overdose at a fairly young age, ending what was clearly a rough life, is what inspired her to get her life back on track and enroll in Earthforce. While the choice of name was most likely just a coincidence on scriptwriter Creator/NeilGaiman's part, cult actress and writer Creator/ZoeLund would die in this exact manner the following year at the relatively young age of 37 after having lived a thoroughly miserable life.

** Season 4: [[TheCaligula Emperor Cartagia]] is the psychopathic ruler of the Centauri Republic, a [[AxCrazy madman]] whose murderous and mercurial moods leave his courtiers living in perpetual terror. Those who disagree with, criticize or even annoy him with things as mundane as a constant cough, are decapitated, [[MummiesAtTheDinnerTable their heads kept in a secret room for Cartagia to converse with at his leisure]]. When a jester makes a joke at Cartagia's expense, he at first [[HopeSpot pretends to be unoffended]], only to then kill him. After G'Kar is captured, Cartagia becomes obsessed with breaking him by [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming making him scream]], so he has him [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured for hours straight]] by his best torturer, then, when that fails to elicit a response, Cartagia [[TortureTechnician tortures him personally]]. He only refrains from cutting off G'Kar's hands because he passed out and it wouldn't be fun without a reaction. Later, he has one of G'Kar's [[EyeScream eyes plucked out]] because he didn't like the way G'Kar was looking at him. He then takes G'Kar to the Narn home world for a public trial and vivisection to crush the enslaved Narns' spirits. Cartagia's ultimate plan is to use his alliance with the Shadows to provoke their nemeses, the Vorlons, into [[OmnicidalManiac destroying Centauri Prime]]. While the Centauri believe their emperors become gods upon death, Cartagia wants to [[AGodAmI become a god while alive]], planning to be off world while his home world dies. Cartagia sees no problem with the eradication of his species since he thinks their lives would be meaningless without him, and wants Centauri Prime to burn as an inauguration pyre to mark his ascension into godhood.

* IdiotPlot: One was unfortunately forced on the show by the need to push the Babylon 4 resolution back to Season 3, meaning that for the remaining two-and-change seasons, Sheridan knowing for a fact that a horrible fate is awaiting Centauri Prime, plus some other tidbits about the future, makes him look pretty asinine several times. The only time the show even tries to incorporate this is his overthinking Delenn's warning not to go to Z'Ha'Dum, and in all the cases afterwards it appears his knowledge of the future just conveniently slips his mind.

*** Larry DiTillio (writer & executive story editor), Parkinson's Disease in 2019 at age 71.

** The sheer amount of untimely deaths suffered by the cast, which even more than ''Film/{{Poltergeist|1982}}'' or ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' can make you wonder if there's a curse on them:

** In [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/BabylonFiveS05E08DayOfTheDead "Day of the Dead"]], we learn that Lochley's childhood friend Zoe dying by overdose at a fairly young age, ending what was clearly a rough life, is what inspired her to get her life back on track and enroll in Earthforce. While the choice of name was most likely just a coincidence on scriptwriter Creator/NeilGaiman's part, cult actress and writer Creator/ZoeLund would die in this exact manner the following year at the relatively young age of 37 after having lived a thoroughly miserable life.

* OnlyTheAuthorCanSaveThemNow: "Into the Fire". How to face the Shadows [[spoiler:''and'' Vorlons?]]
-->'''Marcus''': Did we just win?

* TheScrappy: Introduced in the fifth season, which many fans consider to be [[DorkAge inferior to the other four]], Byron is a Fabio-haired rogue telepath [[spoiler: and former Psi-Cop]] who dreams of founding a colony of telepaths. He's broody, introspective, a devout pacifist to the point of looking Christ-like, and managed to rub the fans in entirely the wrong way. He and his telepaths are just plain creepy, the way they dress like Creator/AnneRice characters and never speak (one character {{lampshade|Hanging}}s this by saying they look like a flock of crows). Most fans prefer to pretend that his brief character arc never occurred. Fortunately, [[spoiler:his messianic fiery death]] cheered up viewers immensely.

** In "Walkabout," Franklin wakes up after a one night stand to find the woman unconscious, much like the circumstances of Richard Biggs' wife finding him dead.

* UncannyValley: On the DVD menu screen, watching the characters morph from one to the other as it waits for your selection can range from amusing to... very unsettling.

* PopularityPolynomial: Despite its cult following, the series was not seen in reruns after it left the airwaves, but it has found a new audience on Amazon Prime Video and with airings on Sinclair Broadcasting's Comet digital subchannel.

* FoeYay: Londo and G'Kar, lots of it. Even {{lampshaded}} as early as the first season.

* CriticalResearchFailure:
** In "Infection", DNA apparently stands for "dynoribonucleaic acid", rather than "deoxyribonucleic acid".
** After being criticized for showing a rabbi singing and dancing along to the eponymous gospel song in the episode "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place," JMS claimed he hadn't realized it was a New Testament-exclusive song. One wonders if he ever actually listened to it, since it's a song about sinners trying to avoid the wrath of God on Judgement Day, and name-checks Jesus repeatedly. Presumably, the Rabbi was going along with it to be polite, and it was an interfaith session given the presence of aliens.
*** The rabbi could have also just liked the song and enjoyed the experience. It's not unheard of for non-Christians to enjoy gospel music.
** The StockholmSyndrome is called "''[[NorseByNorseWest Helsinki]]'' Syndrome" in "The Illusion of Truth". Since ''Film/DieHard'' made the same error, it could be an homage or have otherwise inspired its repetition.
** In the UK's captioning of the show anyway; When Garibaldi heralds an invasion by playing a recording of WesternAnimation/PorkyPig going "Th-th-th-that's all folks!" the captioning misattributes the quote to WesternAnimation/BugsBunny.

* CrossoverShip: Elizabeth Lochley (with Captain Gideon of ''Series/{{Crusade}}'').

Of course once Michael O'Hare left they very well couldn't use that ending (since it all hinged on Sinclair). Coupled with worries about even getting [=B5=] finished, JMS merged his original plan for ''Babylon 5'' (basically what we got in season 1 & 3.5) and ''Babylon Prime'' (seasons 3.5 & 5) to create the [=B5=] we got. "War without End" was then used to retconn the vision as being about the Shadows attacking and not the Minbari (whose civil war story line was now moved to season 4). It also allowed the show to better tie together the show by establishing everything was a causality loop.\\\

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Ff2zZ27ow The bar music]] in “The Face of the Enemy” playing when Sheridan is [[spoiler: arrested thanks to a brainwashed Garibaldi]].

** With the news of the show getting a reboot on Creator/TheCW, much of the fandom is up in a tizzy about whether this is good news or not, with some fans preferring a continuation (a la ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'') or a prestige series on a streaming service like Netflix (a la ''Series/LostInSpace2018''). For his part, JMS has noted that a continuation would be difficult with so many of the original cast having passed away, and of course that he doesn't get to choose the network, the network chooses the show. And since Warner Brothers owns B5, they're likely to own a network they own rather than a third party.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: A {{sleeper hit}} in America, the show met with bigger audience across the pond. The conventions back home were modest in attendance, which left the actors ill-prepared for the Elvis-like reception they got in the UK.

* CatharsisFactor: Part of why the show has aged so well - after watching the bad guys' psychotic villainy built up over the course of so many episodes, watching them get their just desserts is ''immensely'' satisfying.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Boy, howdy. JMS wanted to make an Important Show full of Significant Messages, and he wanted to make sure you ''knew'' it. Almost every episode has a moral, usually delivered with a sledgehammer (like ''Parliament of Dreams''). He gets more graceful after the first season, but subtlety is never his priority. By and large, though, most of them are [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped pretty good anvils]].

** Alfred Bester is a charming [[Characters/BabylonFiveTelepaths psychic]] operative who combines ruthless scheming with an infuriating charisma that drives the heroes crazy even as they are forced to respect his skill. Bester can do this even when his telepathic powers have been removed, frequently arriving on Babylon 5 and twisting events to suit his purposes or the purpose of the Psi-Corps. In one such instance, Bester tricks a prisoner by claiming he can read his mind, even when Bester has been blocked from doing so, relying on bluffs and gambits to get the information he desires when he simply suspected the prisoner ''must'' must be lying. Bester frequently enacts daring schemes either for the benefit of the Corps or himself, only breaking from his self-serving nature when the woman he loves is threatened by the Shadows, stating that it has made Babylon 5's war his own

** Alfred Bester is a charming psychic operative who combines ruthless scheming with an infuriating charisma that drives the heroes crazy even as they are forced to respect his skill. Bester can do this even when his telepathic powers have been removed, frequently arriving on Babylon 5 and twisting events to suit his purposes or the purpose of the Psi-Corps. In one such instance, Bester tricks a prisoner by claiming he can read his mind, even when Bester has been blocked from doing so, relying on bluffs and gambits to get the information he desires when he simply suspected the prisoner ''must'' be lying. Bester frequently enacts daring schemes either for the benefit of the Corps or himself, only breaking from his self-serving nature when the woman he loves is threatened by the Shadows, stating that it has made Babylon 5's war his own
** Londo Mollari, despite his buffoonish exterior, steadily grows into true magnificence. In one famous instance, Londo blackmails his rival, the monstrous Antono Refa into helping him because "Because I have asked you. Because your sense of duty to our people should override any personal ambition. And because I have poisoned your drink." He goes on to describe how the poison comes in two parts, one of which was in Refa's drink. If he does not comply, one of Londo's agents in the Royal Court will introduce him to the second half of the poison. Londo proceeds to create a plan to rescue the Centauri from their mad Emperor Cartagia and later arranges a plan to lure Refa to his death at the hands of Narns when Londo believes Refa murdered the love of Londo's life. For this, Londo simply tells the truth about Refa's horrific crimes and vows to free Narn prisoners in exchange for the Narns murdering Refa. Londo later even manages to outwit the Shadows and their servant Morden, blowing up an entire island to wipe out the Shadow presence on Centauri, even ascending to the throne himself. even when the Drakh think Londo defeated and broken, he works against them to ensure the freedom of Centauri, even at the end when it costs his own life with his once greatest enemy turned best friend G'kar of Narn.

** Bester can be this to the heroes, at least Sheridan and the human command crew. Especially in the [[ExpandedUniverse canon Psi Corps novels]] it's clear that telepaths ''have'' been brutally mistreated (with their reveal to humanity resulting in beatings, ostracizing, being locked up "for their own good" and mass murders) and we see even good guys treating telepaths like Lyta and Talia as more tools than people. Bester is not particularly nice, but as his anti-Shadow alliance demonstrates, he genuinely feels his people (telepaths) are a threatened minority at constant risk from mundanes for things like being sold to the Shadows as "weapons components." Never mind Edgars engineering a virus designed to make every human telepath part of a permanent slave class. He's ruthless and isn't any nicer to mundanes than they are to him, but it's hard say he's not ProperlyParanoid. If anything [[NotSoDifferent the only difference between him and Byron is Byron wants to run off to a world somewhere far away, while Bester thinks telepaths should eventually supplant mundanes as the dominant version of humans.]]

* CrazyAwesome: David Mckintyre AKA "King Arthur".

** [[PresidentEvil President (William) Morgan Clark]] is the former Vice President and eventual dictator of Earth. Taking office after arranging his predecessor's assassination, Clark quickly establishes himself as a [[FantasticRacism xenophobic]] fascist who justifies his naked power grabs by claiming they're done to protect Earth from alien sabotage. He creates the [[SecretPolice Nightwatch]], turns news outlets into his {{propaganda machine}}s, and conducts torture on political enemies so they confess to crimes they're innocent of. Upon enacting martial law, Mars refused to obey President Clark's decree. In retaliation, he bombed their civilian centers. When Babylon 5 secedes from Earth until President Clark is removed for his crimes, Clark wages war against Sheridan and the station. One of his most notable atrocities is slaughtering 10,000 refugees fleeing the war just to [[MakeAnExampleOfThem send a message]]. Clark also has no loyalty to his troops, trying to kill some in a FalseFlagOperation to turn public opinion against Babylon 5. When the war turns against him and his capture is imminent, President Clark opts to commit suicide, but not before enacting [[OmnicidalManiac SCORCHED EARTH]]. With a final act of spite, Clark turned Earth's own defense grid against it to [[TakingYouWithMe destroy the entire planet]] rather than allow anyone else to rule it.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Particularly if you've already seen other, subsequent, MythArc SpaceOpera shows such as ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}''. Back in 1994 the idea of a syndicated TV show having a continuing, multi-seasonal arc was unheard of, now it's practically required.
** Although even these days, you don't really see any shows where the creator went so far as to plan out ''the entire story'' from day one. Also, Babylon 5 is still impressive by how well they pulled it off. It mostly rewards repeated viewings, while the "making it up as we go along" nature of shows like Lost and Battlestar Galactica becomes more apparent on re-watch.
** The show has even been noted by [[Creator/BobChipman some]] as being ripe for a reboot, in these days when TV networks are far more open to serialized stories.

** Just before the station's destruction, Ivanova, Vir, Franklin, Zack, and Garibaldi all take a last look around. Less than 20 years later, four of the five actors in that scene had passed away.

** Sheridan being doomed to die in his 60s also makes it horribly ironic that Bruce Boxleitner was one of shockingly few actors on the show who made it to age 70.

* LoveToHate: William Forward, the actor who played Refa, apparently went to JMS after recieving his last script and said, "What have I done wrong that you're writing me out like this?" Joe's answer was that Refa had to die for Londo's arc to progress, and it was precisely because Forward had done such a great job as Refa that he was getting a swansong episode instead of being [[{{McLeaned}} written out off screen]]. (Like General Hague, for instance.)