History YMMV / BabylonFive

* EnsembleDarkhorse:
** Neroon was not originally part of the five year plan, having been created by D.C. Fontana in her script for the episode "Legacies." But JMS was so impressed by John Vickery's performance that he brought the character back several times, eventually making him an essential part of Delenn's story.
** In the episode "Spider in the Web," JMS gave Jeff Conaway a bit part as a security officer, simply wanting to help him get back on his feet after he kicked his heroin addiction that cost him his job on ''Series/{{Taxi}}''.[[note]]According to other sources, Conaway had seen the show on TV and liked it so much he started hanging around the set to watch it filmed, with this being the result.[[/note]] This worked out so well that his character got a name, Zack Allen, and eventually joined the main cast.
** Zathras (and his brothers [[PlanetOfSteves Zathras, Zathras, Zathras, and the others...]]) only appeared in a few episodes, but he's beloved by the fans for his kooky personality and because every single line out of his mouth is solid comedic gold.
** Alfred Bester is one of the show's best-remembered characters, partly because he's fucking Creator/WalterKoenig, but also because he is absolutely ''[[PlayingAgainstType nothing]]'' like Chekov. A nasty piece of work, for sure, but so, so [[EvilIsCool very]] ''[[EvilIsCool smooth.]]''
** Elric the technomage only appears in one episode and a few books, but is beloved for his defiant contempt for those who seek to abuse the status and power of his people, and his TheTrickster moments as he uses sorcery to punish said people.
** ShellShockedVeteran and HarbingerOfImpendingDoom Amis is only in one episode, but his LargeHam introduction, nuanced and touching friendship with Garibaldi, and battle against a servant of the Shadows make him a very well-remembered guest star.
** Centauri Emperor Turhan makes the most of his characterization as TheAtoner and a believer in ModestRoyalty once he finally becomes UnseenNoMore makes many lament how one of the best faction leaders in the series only gets a single episode.
** FourStarBadass General Richard Franklin and Garibaldi's [[TheLadette ladette]] GirlOfTheWeek Dodger from "[=GROPOS=]" make a powerful and lasting impression in their guest roles, especially Dodger, who [[spoiler:dies in her introductory episode but still comes back as a ghost in one season 5 episode.]]

* GenreTurningPoint: For the entire genre of dramatic television, not just in sci-fi, but television ''period.'' ''B5'' pioneered the use of {{Story Arc}}s to previously-unforeseen heights and paved the way for basically every prestige dramatic TV show since (''Series/{{Lost}}'', ''Series/BreakingBad'', ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', ''Series/GameOfThrones'', you name it, etc.). ''Babylon 5'' was the first American TV show to even ''have'' a MythArc. At the time, this was considered a huge gamble because of fears that audiences [[ContinuityLockout wouldn't understand what was going on]], and JMS was the first who really pulled it off [[note]]And during the third and fourth seasons, pulled it off writing ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome singlehandedly]]''[[/note]]. Nowadays, the MythArc for dramatic TV [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny is the norm]], not the exception.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: The Shadows and the Vorlons. It's stated by WordOfGod that their respective questions, "What do you want?" and "Who are you?" become [[ArmorPiercingQuestion armor-piercing]] when turned back on them, because the Shadows no longer know what they want and the Vorlons no longer know who they are. And yet, the way we see the Shadow War play out and finally end indicates that they ''do'' have answers to both those questions, though they are, as Sebastian might say, incorrect. What do the Shadows want? To beat the Vorlons. What do the Vorlons want? To beat the Shadows. Who are the Shadows? Agents of Chaos. Who are the Vorlons? Lords of Order. They could, in effect, represent the boiling down of these questions and their answers beyond the point of usefulness. The repetition of the questions that appears when the Vorlons and Shadows (or more usually, their agents) ask them is deliberate, to keep paring away answers to strip a person to the very core of who they are or what they want. In the end, the Vorlons and Shadows have gone ''beyond'' that, to a place where, while they have an answer to "Who are you?" and "What do you want?" those answers are shallow and, ultimately, meaningless.

** 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 [[GodhoodSeeker 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. How horrible is Cartagia? Meeting him convinces [[OOCIsSeriousBusines Vir that Cartagia must die.]]

** 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 [[GodhoodSeeker 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.

** Sheridan’s actions in “[[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E20Endgame Endgame]]”. In the post 9/11 era no one would condone Sheridan’s use of telepaths as suicide bombers without risking comparisons to Al-qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS or any extremist group.

** Sheridan’s actions in “[[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E20Endgame Endgame]]”. While the use of telepaths as suicide bombers was acknowledged as a necessary evil at the time, in the post 9/11 era no one would condone such an act, necessary evil or otherwise, without risking comparisons to Al-qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS or any extremist group.

** Sheridan’s actions in “[[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E20Endgame Endgame]]”. While the use of telepaths as suicide bombers was acknowledged as a necessary evil at the time, in today’s world no one would condone such an act, necessary evil or otherwise, without risking comparisons to Al-qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS or any extremist group.

** Sheridan’s actions in “[[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E20Endgame Endgame]]”. While the use of telepaths as suicide was acknowledged as a necessary evil at the time, in today’s world no one would condone such an act, necessary evil or otherwise, without risking comparisons to Al-qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS or any extremist group.

** Sheridan’s actions in “[[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E20Endgame]]. While the use of telepaths was acknowledged as a necessary evil at time, in today’s world no one would condone such an act necessary evil or otherwise without drawing comparisons to Al-qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS.

* {{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 pretty good aesops.

** The show's attempts to create "monsters" are generally not very good. The worst include the Nakaleen Feeder in "Grail", the show's first attempt at an all-CGI "character", which looks utterly artificial and devoid of interaction with the physical sets and actors, and the terrible physical costume for the Zarg in "Grey 17 Is Missing".

** See also, Neroon in s03e19, Grey 17 is missing, as shown in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABOw9cNw5lU this clip]]

* {{Sequelitis}}: ''Crusade'' has its share of problems, but inciting laughter isn't one of them. Fans still poke fun at ''Legend of the Rangers'' for the weapons officer and her CG 'gun turret.' ''Dance Dance Revolution'' is [[UnusualUserInterface the best interface]]. (The original concept was a weapons chair which would have been more like ''Film/TheLastStarfighter''.) The Hand is supposed to be older and even worse than the Shadows and yet they're defeated by [[WhatAPieceOfJunk an obsolete flying brick]] with a mediocre crew. ''Twice''. And what happened to casting character actors? Never mind, this fella's got a leading man's chin.

** A couple of episodes of Series/{{Crusade}} introduce that kind of Drakh again with a better make-up design, with the implication that the Drakh have a FantasticCasteSystem with that type as a warrior and the one we saw on Centauri Prime as a leader caste. Also, WordOfGod eventually admitted that the blur effect was because they tried to get the actor to do weird alien movement and it just looked stupid.

* UnfortunateCharacterDesign: The brakiri's foreheads look like, well...big sets of testicles. Or butts.

** Garibaldi's also gotten flack for his actions as Head of Security. In TheNineties being [[CowboyCop Harry Callahan on the streets]] and [[ByTheBookCop Jim Gordon when at the station]] was seen as acceptible. Not so much after TheNewTens.

** "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS01E09Deathwalker Deathwalker]]": [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Jha'Dur]], known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Deathwalker]] is a Dilgar war criminal and the worst example her species had to offer. Known for [[PlayingWithSyringes performing gruesome experiments]] upon innocents, Jha'Dur finds herself upon Babylon 5, and when cornered, she unveils a grand scheme to offer immortality to the other planets' governments. Earth accepts her offer and Deathwalker reveals to Commander Jeffrey Sinclair that immortality would require cannibalism, forcing civilizations to fall upon and destroy each other. The [[ForTheEvulz sheer delight]] she took in watching others suffer was nearly unmatched in the series.

* 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.

* SugarWiki/DevelopmentHeaven:
** With season three, Creator/JMichaelStraczynski became the first person in the history of American TV to write a full-length season single-handed. And then did it again with season four.
** And because he wanted to flesh out everything beforehand, he took what had to be an unprecedented step of CrazyPrepared by giving every character a "trap-door" in case anyone had to be written out due to RealLifeWritesThePlot, so that every exit made sense within the story instead of [[AssPull having to make it up as the show went along.]]
*** Which turned out to not only have been CrazyPrepared but ProperlyParanoid, since the actress playing Talia Winters got written off the show when she felt her character wasn't getting enough airtime.
** JMS put so much thought into how [[SpaceFighter Starfuries]] would work (placement of thrusters for maximum maneuverability, the pilot stands to lower his center of gravity, et cetera) that JPL, who were big fans of the show, asked if they could use his basic design to build vehicles for construction in space. JMS said they could, on the condition that they're called Starfuries.
** He had the storyline so thoroughly plotted out ahead of time that he refused to let actors ad-lib their lines, for fear it might cause discontinuity, or wreck a bit of {{Foreshadowing}}, etc.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** Numerous, but Michael O'Hare having to leave B5 due to struggles with mental illness is the biggest. Had he stayed, the "War without End" story would have been at the end of Season 5 and had a much longer burn.
** If you stop to think about it, the BadFuture in "War Without End" doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If Valen never travels to the past, who is to say [=B5=] (to say nothing of [=B4=]) would even exist, with all its senior staff still in place? No Valen means no Grey Council, which would upset a lot of events in [=B5=] history. Why would the Shadows use torch cutters in order to fight hand-to-claw (so to speak) when they're just going to blow the station up with their ships anyway?\\\
Well, there's a reason for that. Ivanova's message from the future was supposed to be a {{call forward}} to the ''other'' 5-year series JMS wanted to do that got (mercifully) abandoned at some point: Where [=B5=] fell after [[TheBadGuyWins failing to bring peace]] and Sinclair stole [=B4=], in order to set up a spinoff. In the original storyline, it was the Minbari attacking [=B5=] and destroying it, not the Shadows. The Shadows were supposed to be ultimately defeated during the spin off series: ''[[http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/synopsis-of-jmss-synopsis-of-the-original-arc-for-b5-spoilers.53739/ Babylon Prime.]]''\\\
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 retcon 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.\\\
Considering what JMS was dealing with it's kind of amazing how he managed to pull things off. He combined two 5-year series into a single series. Leading to at most the only complaint being about why the Shadows would bother with a "ground" attack; a minor question mark.
** The reason why the end of season 4 seems so crowded, and the beginning of season 5 seems mostly composed of [[{{Padding}} filler]], is because the show was originally going to be cancelled after four seasons due to Creator/{{PTEN}} going under. Season 4 was originally intended to end with the episode "Intersections in Real Time", and the Earth Civil War would be resolved at the beginning of season 5. Instead, the events of season 4 were shortened by four episodes (removing a story arc about Londo and G'Kar returning to Centauri Prime), and the resolution to the Earth Civil War arc was crammed into three super-dense episodes followed by the grand finale.\\\
Then, at the last, minute the show's fifth season was picked up by cable network {{Creator/TNT}} -- but now they'd already used half a season's worth of material. They filled the gap by stretching the telepath-colony arc from three episodes to '''eleven''' and re-inserting the aforementioned Londo-and-G'Kar arc, as well as including standalone filler episodes ranging in quality, from the yawner "A View from the Gallery" to Creator/NeilGaiman's marvelous "Day Of The Dead".\\\
A new standalone season 4 finale was also hastily shot, with the finale "Sleeping in Light" held back to the end of season 5.
** President Clark was referred to as both "William Clark" and "Morgan Clark" in different episodes before someone noticed and it was reconciled by showing his full name as "William Morgan Clark".

** The show was made right at the tail end of the era where G'Kar using his artificial eye to spy on Sheridan and Delenn's wedding night could have possibly been seen as anything but creepy cyber-stalking.
*** What about the two-way tv-set? It cut in on people in bed with no offer to decline on people in compromising positions, as Garibaldi was having something which amounted to foreplay with Dodger, yet still the captain could cut through and get her call routed through seeing him in bed with her.
** Also, Garibaldi's treatment of Talia in the first season. At the time, Garibaldi's constantly being in the elevator Talia needs to use made him come across as a DoggedNiceGuy who was being too dogged for his own good. Today, it gives off a creepy stalker-vibe. Garibaldi's defenders claim that his behavior is ameliorated by being totally in-character for Garibaldi and the fact that Talia could kill him with her mind if his advances were entirely unwelcome.
*** Also he saved her in the comics from an assassin walking out of the elevator so the creepy stalking of Talia might have made sense in context.

* UglyCute: The pak’ma’ra. Their dull, bovine eyes and tentacle faces make them rather appealing in an odd way.

** 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. Adding to the eerie coincidence, Lund had previously made a brief appearance alongside the episode's main guest star [[Creator/PennAndTeller Penn Jilitte]] in the ''Series/MiamiVice'' episode "The Prodigal Son".