Unfortunately this is the point when Michael O'Hare's mental health problems became severe enough to potentially halt production. He begged JMS not to cost everyone else their jobs to give him time to recover. There is more to it. After completing the show, please go watch JMS' explanation of what happened and why.
@@msclrhd It was pretty amazing how JMS, the producers and the execs all deliberately placed themselves in the firing line with that noble lie to the fans, in order to protect O'Hare's acting career and his dignity.
As someone who was watching this when it first came out, oh so many years ago, I was pretty shocked that we were given a new commander/captain. I know that I and many of the other lurkers thought that it was just that he wanted too much money or something like that. Sadly the truth was far more tragic. I was at the phoenix comicon panel in 2012 where JMS revealed everything after Michael O'haire passed away, and it was such a sad thing to hear. I'm so happy that you like Sheridan, and I have to say that I can't imagine the station being run by anyone but him at this point. And there are a lot more surprises coming. As for Lennier seeming older, I think that's just a bit of an artifact of how much responsibility has been thrust on him. He's now the defacto ambassador (sort of, while Delenn ...molts...) and now he has to reveal everything that he was previously bound to keep quiet at all costs.
Yes, being there was a "once in a life time" experience. The absolute quiet when JMS told the story, and as I say, there must have been a lot of dust in that room. Also the fact that JMS told us to relay the story to everyone who needed to hear it.
@@Aeroldoth3 The real life story about what happened to Michael O'Hare, as Darren refers to. JMS told this to a group of a few hundred fans at the (first) 20th Anniversary of B5 at Phoenix Comicon in (2013), AZ. - almost 10 years ago. If you are new to B5 I would recommend waiting with watching it (it has spoilers), you can find it on YT by searching "Straczynski promise panel"
Captain Tron finally enters the picture. And yeah, we went from having a CO handpicked by the Minbari to having the one human being the Minbari hate the most. Earth couldn't have given them a bigger middle finger. This should be interesting!
@@Babylon5FortheFirstTime him and his portrayal of Sheridan is a lot less flat. I also really like that he has worked with Ivanova before, and she already likes and respects him. It gives us a feel for the kind of person we’re dealing with.
His voice is fantastic. He's a cowboy actor from Southern California. He can lasso animals. His comfort in front of a camera is clear. He's got excellent gravitas as well as great leading man looks. He's most importantly able to relax and find himself and come at the material with imagination and confidence. To me, he saved the show.
JMS had offered O’Hare to put the show on hold while he was getting treatment for his mental health issues, but O’Hare didn’t want to risk the show and everyone else’s jobs for it. And this is exactly why JMS wrote trap doors for most of his main characters - in the real world, sometimes shit happens and he wanted to ensure he could keep the show going if and when something did happen and someone had to leave.
If you're reading Jomprey a couple of spoilers have surfaced in the comments below, hopefully you haven't read them yet. Might be best to skip the comments until a friendly mod can winnow them. Folks, can we please reign ourselves in. We managed to get past the ultimate B5 spoiler boss-fight in keeping the Sheridan/Sinclair shift underwraps, but please no references, coy allusions, fan in-jokes, quotations or actor reveals for upcoming episodes and seasons. If what you're referring to has to be said in the future tense, keep schtum. I know we love to think of B5 as a novel on TV, you don't spoil a novel somebody's reading, do you? Okay, lecture over.
Finally, Season 2 and Bruce😍 As someone who had little time for Sinclair in the 90s, I remember Sheridan's intro and loving his energy and natural enthusiasm plus he was a Hollywood poster boy and being like... "yes, *claps hands* this is much better!". Haha.
And we get to the start of season 2. You have no idea how hard it was biting our tongues when you suggested that Sinclair was half minbari. Or when you said in the wrap up episode that you wanted answers and we knew they were coming in the next episode.
The shock is over, we have Sheridan. I've been counting the days to see your reaction, and I was not disappointed! Some reactors really liked Sinclair and found it took awhile to warm up to the change but I was pretty sure for you it'd be a positive change as whether it was how the character was written/his acting style or the issues he was going through, Sinclair was not someone that gel'ed. You made a good point in noticing that this is not 'a new Sinclair' and it was a positive in how JMS approaches change - if it's a new person so he will react/interact differently, that just how life works. Bruce brings so much to this episode, I don't know how much is his style or the scope of writing for a new character, but he has such an easy going charm and quick smile and he immediately bounces off of Ivanova in a way we never really saw with Sinclair (who I saw more as a mentor for her, rather than a friend/colleague/leader). It's Sheridan's facial expression that hit most for me. They really change in a flash and react with what he is saying/hearing - from polite, to jovial to determined and grim when he is talking about his previous history with the Minbari. Lot's of layers - and it pulls you in. The whole scene with them walking through the station is just a delight in writing and performance. It's trivial, it's part catchup for the audience of 'the state of play' but it tells a lot about how this man works, with his delight at fresh oranges. It feels like a real conversation between two colleagues reaquainting.
There are lots of little upgrades throughout, to sets, costumes, effects etc. that give Season Two a much more solid and accomplished feel. I don't think there was much of a budget increase, but since they'd come in under-budget for S1 (one of JMS's motivations was to prove this could be done), and since the basic set construction was already done, they could spend the money on smartened up what they had. Even things like the Centauri hair looking fuller and less straggly.
All B5 production mishsps can be amusingly explained in-canon by attributing it to the shoe-string budget the Earth senate gives the station. The reason the Centauri have better hair now? New hair-care products shop opened on the Zocolo.
Your joy during the part about the souls was so enjoyable. Its great to start seeing everything coming together, and its gonna be even more exciting this season!
They mention the sectors in the pilot episode.. but here is a quick and dirty run down: *Blue Sector* is the Docking bay, Station Admin, and Earth Force only. *Green Sector* AKA the Alien sector is Diplomatic sector and where the bulk off the alternate atmosphere quarters are located *Red Sector* is the commercial area and where most of the civilian quarters and amenities are located. *Brown Sector* also known as "Down-below" is the Industrial/maintenance/utility sector. It is populated by the Station's homeless and dispossessed squatting. *Grey Sector* is not populated and is off limits to all but Station staff. it is where all the station's critical systems are located including the main reactor
A slight correction there. Grey sector is the industrial/maintenance sector. Brown sector (down below) is the designation for all the parts of the station that were unfinished due to budget constraints. The sector doesn't serve a planned role as it was never completed, though some areas are more complete than others (we saw some civilian quarters in a more developed part of Brown sector in season 1's The Quality of Mercy). Due to it being unfinished, some areas are a warren of intersecting rooms and corridors (almost like certain walls, doors or even floors were missing). This is where all the people down on their luck go and is the perfect place for criminals to give security the slip.
You see reference sometimes to Yellow Sector which is specifically the fusion reactor at the butt end of the station, but I think this is only in sources external to the show, and I'm never sure about its canonicity. I'd generally assumed that the industrial Grey Sector would include the fusion reactor.
What I love is that, while developing the show, knowing it would hopefully run five years, every major character was built with a ‘trap door’ so the actors could leave or come back without it affecting the story overall.
Happy to have found your reactions. Welcome to the family. 🙂 The effects were not redone. Those are the original effects from way back. B5 was known for its at-the-time cutting-edge effects done with the "Toaster."
Yes! I was going to say this too. The effects are already a big leap ahead here in episode one of season two. But just wait! They keep getting better rapidly.
@@Iymarra This is more than a bit misleading though Netter Digital used a number of tools. The "toaster" came with lightwave which was what the early seasons used for the 3d modeling, but the compositing was pushed to a Discreet Logic Flint system running on an SGI indigo and multiple after effects seats. I know this because I sold them the Flint.
Love the Omega-class destroyers. They're inspired by the design of the Alexei Leonov from "2010: Odyssey Two". Ivanova as always lays down the law like no other. I think this episode does an excellent job of introducing Sheridan, giving us his various personality aspects. His bemusement at Delenn's cocoon, his delight in having simple luxuries light fresh oranges and running water showers, and how he figures things out. You're right about him being kind of the opposite of Sinclair, he was the hurting warrior looking for one last blaze of glory, Sheridan is a war hero with the only true victory against the Minbari, Sinclair was looked down on in EarthDome, Sheridan seems to be seen favorably by them, Sinclair was a fighter pilot put in a governing role, and Sheridan is a warship commander. Incidentally, JMS says he's a descendent of General Philip Sheridan from the American Civil War. And yeah, you were more or less right. And since you like the patches, you may have noticed those wing-shaped ones on the right shoulder, they weren't there last season. They indicate a qualified Starfury pilot.
as a bit of civil war historian i looked that up. turns out that there is no male line of descent from Phil Sheridan; his son died without issue. but it's the thought that counts.
@@RichardWelty Lol. You have to remember things weren't so easy to look up in those days- in 1994 it was primarily bulletin boards and so forth. JMS just got it wrong
umm, i actually did look it up back then. but it was a cool idea, just not backed up by objective reality. it's not as if i got upset over it or anything.
Absolutely loved watching your reactions this episode!! So satisfying seeing you get the answers you've been wanting. I'm glad you're warming up to Sheridan already - recasting the lead role was a huge change. You're absolutely right that they're both very different characters and while I do have a favorite between the two I appreciate both for what they each brought to the show. Super looking forward to the show this week and of course your next reaction!!! Keep up the great work!
It’s one of the best recastings I’ve ever seen. They gave an in universe reason that wasn’t just killing the character, it actually feels like an important part of the plot and could have been part of the plan the whole time. Well done. (PS- I’m aware it wasn’t the plan.)
Yeah, this is how B5 works, it builds things up slowly and only then give you the payoff. Too many shows try to give you payoffs immediately, or very quickly, and they just don't have the impact that they should because they are rushed.
Either that or they do the opposite: set up a mistery at the start and then milk it season after season but never answering anything. This show has the proper balance: it sets up misteries and slowly gives you answers throughout each episode, each answer leading to even more questions and so on.
@@oenrn Exactly correct. B5 didn't keep piling on mysteries and questions and holding the revelations to the very end (by which time the audience is just exhausted and has lost interest). JMS followed an approach akin to the great sci fi novel series, and it is no coincidence that shows that also follow fully written novels are structured so well (such as Game of Thrones -- until there weren't any novels left -- and The Expanse). Now...if only someone had the guts to go after David Brin's Uplift novels...
I've had the joy of watching this series at least 8-9 times and let me say that you are in for a wild ride! I won't give anything away but I think it's worth noting that many people sadly gave up on the series because of Season 1. Initially, I did, but I gave it a second chance several years later. Trust me, when you finish B5, Season 1 will make perfect sense. Enjoy!
@@brentallenlive You're very welcome! Trust me, this is going to be the greatest Sci-Fi you will ever watch! I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil anything. Just sit back and Enjoy! 🙂
Now you know why I was so excited for you to see this episode! When you were talking about how hard it would be to be with Sinclair for five seasons it was such a struggle to keep from spoiling this. Sheridan is really fantastic and I think both of you will love him. And finally I can confirm: yes, you were right. Sinclair has a minbari soul. You should have seen my reaction when you made that guess 😂
I was a big Sinclair fan and was sad to see him go, but learning later why he left I can't blame the show too much. Didn't love Sheridan immediately, but he grew on me over time.
I said the answer would be coming and would be all-encompassing - Humans & Minbari having the same 'pool of souls' (Minbari don't kill Minbari, even when they're Human) & joining together to face the great enemy as prophesy dictates... yep, there ya go. So yes Brent Allen/'Bren Talon'/Jomprey de Chuckle Nugget, you were spot on that Sinclair could be thought of as 'a Minbari'...
Gotta love watching Tron work his magic! This is such a major shift for everything going forward, and I was waiting with great anticipation for you to get here! I have a poster for the series but I could never share it due to the giant Bruce Boxleitner and conspicuous absence of Michael O Hare. Oddly enough this was my first episode of B5, until the HBO Max Remasters.
Great episode and a great reaction. It was fun watching you get excited as you got certain answers. I was in the navy. When you get a new commander, the tone changes for the staff. Bruce Boxleitner is a talented actor. I believe we were lucky to get hom on the show. He was in Tron as well as David Warner and Peter Jurasik. I'm looking forward to Monday show with Jeff. I believe there will be some interesting comments and discussions.
Yes, you did catch on with the clues about Sinclair. That's one of the things about Babylon 5, many of the clues are there, and they do work together (for the most part), and that's because JMS knew what he was planning to do with the series (unlike other shows which just create things out of the blue). You will find there will be new questions, but also things will be more forthcoming (the beats grow faster, so to speak, as the show progresses, and that was also on purpose). Enjoy the ride. More to come. Much more to talk about soon. But just don't forget, things connect in the show, and plot points keep coming back. As for Sheridan.... surprises to come still... too...
Also, as for Sheridan -- he did bring a lot more viewers to the show. He is far more charismatic-active instead of Sinclair's contemplative (and dare I now say, Minbari) style. As I pointed out, the more one learns about Sinclair, the more his style of handling things (and even why he can be off-putting) makes sense overall (and why he is much more appreciated once that is understood).
It is an amazing start for Season 2 indeed. Really glad it got you all fired up and, yes, John Sheridan brings a different energy to this position at the head of B5. Both he and Sinclair are warriors, to be sure, but Sinclair has softer edges, whereas Sheridan (at this time anyway) has sharper ones. Things are now in motion in a bigger way already. I can't wait to hear what Jeff thought of the episode.
I also think that Sheridan has more leadership experience, so he’s instantly more comfortable in the role. In truth running something as big as B5 was probably over Sinclair’s head, so he had to struggle to make it work.
Super fun Jomp! We all saw this coming and had to bite our tongues ....it was amusing watching you throwing a little fit in your season recap because you didnt get the answers you wanted when you wanted them. Babylon 5's break from the traditional tv formulas gives up its goods on its timeline vs what anyone wants or expects and any episode can reveal a tremendous amount at any time. As you've seen ANYONE can go. You've got some puzzle pieces down but are still missing the picture (which is right on front of you) this is so entertaining.
So far you're the first reactor that I've watched who didn't care for Sinclair. I can relate because I wasn't sure if I was going to watch season 2. When I found out that Bruce Boxleitner was going to be playing the new captain because Sinclair would not be back, I was ecstatic because I was a huge fan of Bruce already. After watching the whole show and going back and watching season 1, I appreciate Sinclair and season 1 so much more.
Which is weird, because O’Hares acting at the time was heavily critiqued. I jumped for joy when I heard Bruce was coming on board, too. I was a already a fan.
@@Janice4th I don't think it was the acting for me necessarily than the fact that season 1 seem to go so slow. I know now that it was a buildup of the larger B5 world and appreciate it much more.
Really?? Like, everyone else is on board with Sinclair? I mean, he wasn't terrible, just not great. And, to be fair, they were explaining why he wasn't too great, eventually. I find it hard to believe we're the only ones that weren't on board with him.
@@Babylon5FortheFirstTime There people back then who weren't as much of a fan. Sometimes I think being able to binge watch a show helps with some aspects so I'm wondering if that's why Sinclair and season 1 are more popular now. I appreciate season 1 a whole lot more now than I did when it aired.
Yes, answers! It is a really cool explanation for the surrender. I am glad you like Sheridan. Solid first episode for him. So excited for season 2. What am I saying, I have already seen it! Bring on the podcasts.
Oh man.... I am so envious of you. To rewatch this again for the first time would be a true blessing and pleasure. Enjoy. This is my favorite series of all time.
And so it begins ... Great to see your reaction to the changes. Yes, it has been hard to keep the keyboard shut when it comes to the change in command. Yes, there were answers, and as usual, new questions. JMS likes to shake the status quo some times. When you were talking about Sinclair secretly being a Minbari, I think we (old fans) have been biting our tongues and enjoying this prediction. Well, not exactly a Minbari, but having a Minbari soul.
I count having the soul as him being Minbari, though of course, there are issues with that, but it is close enough to say it made Sinclair think and be more Minbari as well. So to say he is Minbari or part Minbari (Minbari soul) is as good a way to describe him as any.
The 3D graphics quality jump up S2 and it continues to get better as the show progresses. They used very early computer graphics software running on Amigas. Using 3D GFX meant they could do cool things like having the models respond to realistic space physics. Like where Starfury thrusters fire in the correct direction to rotate the ships while keeping their forward momentum. There was a huge amount of improvement year by year in GFX software around that time. So you can see the change in the show season by season.
You already know about Michael O;Hare's mental health issues. One of the things that still amazes me is that it was kept secret until his death. In this age where if an actor sneezes it gets out the fact JMS and the other actors kept it secret shows their character.
Also, him giving it to an empty room without being perturbed says a lot about his character. In a quick throwaway gag we learn that his ego is pretty durable, and he’s not full of himself. It’s really a clever way to tell us some important things about his character.
@@wackyvorlon Although the minor thing that bugs me about this is that if the primary C&C is offline, the Alternate C&C should be running. But that would require the other Lt. Commander previously mentioned on the station to ever actually appear on the show. And it wouldn't be as funny.
As Sinclair is troubled and marked by his time in the war (and the battle of the line in particular), Sheridan is not proud of but is accepting of his actions during the war, as he stated. An interesting difference between them, though of course only one was abducted, tortured, released and examined with mistrust by his own people for years afterwards. That probably..affects someone. Alas, as you now know, the mental difficulties O'Hare was having were far too much and he did not want to disrupt the show and was thus, trapdoored by JMS. In retrospect, a character with missing memories who was tortured, subjected to further mental invasion by his own people and shown hallucinations and basically fucked around with, dealing with what we'd probably describe as PTSD (It took years for him to avoid having the urge to kill a minbari whenever he saw one, as he stated) being played by a guy suffering with paranoid delusions and hallucinations? Poor guy.
While Soulhunter might not be people's favourite episode, especially first time through, in retrospect having it second episode of the first season is interesting. From the beginning we learn souls are real in this universe, and they are a big deal in Minbari society. Without nailing this in early, and subsequent stories where the soul or soul essence plays a part, the revelation in this episode would have so much less weight. However with that knowledge built up in season 1, it lands with a punch. Especially with the other side of the coin coming up in different episodes of Minbari not killing Minbari. I think this revelation and the impact of it going forward was set up brilliantly across season 1 without giving to much away. On later viewings you can see the breadcrumbs being laid down.
You have no idea how hard it's been for all of us to keep our mouths shut about Tron...I mean Scarecrow, err, I mean Bruce Boxleitner when you guys kept guessing about the future of Sinclair. General Hague=Admiral Leyton
yesyesyesyesyes! I am so happy you are finally here. As you said, this is a action, and given the well-known dramatic structure, I don't think it's a spoiler to say it will be the first of many. The table is set, let the meal begin.
Great reaction. And yes the first answer of so many questions. I was secretly smiling between your wrap-up show and your complains. Back then my reaction was more like: They give us an answer? Now? On episode 1? I love this show! 😍 And Sheridan, I liked him from the start too because I knew the actor from Scarecrow and Mrs. King. But I wasn't sure about him be the right one. I wasn't sure about Sinclair either, he grew on me sometimes and sometimes he was meh. And so it begins. I'm looking forward to it.
After a decade of TNG, Sheridan was the closest thing we had to James T Kirk: a handsome, emotionally accessible man of action with a penchant for speeches. He’s even a fan of Lincoln. Sheridan’s easy nature works well with Susan as you can see how quickly she opens up to him on a personal level compared to her almost exclusively professional relationship with Sinclair. What happened to O’Hare was unfortunate and wasn’t his fault and we judged him harshly. I always felt he was a bit off and now we know why. Sadly, we’ll never really know how he would have been in Season 1 or beyond if his condition hadn’t worsened. Either way, Sheridan is a breath of fresh air and a casting coup for the show as he was a well established actor with a built in cult SciFi fan base. Extra note: as a reader of sci-fi magazines at the time like Starlog, I knew in the summer of 1995 that O’Hare was being replaced so it wasn’t a shock if you were following the news. Final note: None of these effects are redone, they are all original. WB is too cheap. What they did do, if you’re watching HBO Max, is upscale the original effects to make them suitable for modern televisions. Aside from that, you’re seeing exactly what we saw back then. You’ll notice the FX are evolving and improving with every episode.
So here is what happened to Sinclair.... behind the scenes that is, and it is a story that didn't come out until after Micheal O'Hare's passing: Micheal O'hare was suffering from mental health issues and was finding it more and more difficult to keep a handle on it, so he left the show. JMS kept the matter confidential, and continued to pay Micheal so he could afford treatment until he died.
He was suffering from paranoid delusions that were involving the crew if I recall correctly. He left rather than let ot drag down the show of I am not mistaken. But it has been a while since I saw JMS talk about it so I could be mistaken.
Fun Fast: Not only did both Bruce Boxleitner as Capt. John Sheridan and Peter Jurasik as Londo was in Babylon 5 but the two was also in the 1982 Disney film TRON Bruce Boxleitner as Tron and Peter Jurasik as Crom.
Brent, welcome to the first season of Captain Smiling Golden Retriever Puppy. I'm sure you're liking of Capt. Sheridan will only grow as the season continues. Others have posted about Michael O'Hare's departure, but I can promise you Bruce Boxleitner performance will win you over. And you're not quite done with getting answers to question left hanging at the end of Season 1.
Captain is played by Bruce Boxleitner. Probably his most famous roles, besides this, are in Tron (he played Tron) and in the show Scarecrow and Mrs King (he played the spy "Scarecrow"). As for answering your questions... In a way you could be right. JMS interacted with fans all the way through the show on Usenet and other online forums (this is pre Worldwide Web). So if some fans raised your point of not understanding the station layout, JMS could slip that in the show.
I really loved this reaction video. In the future it would be interesting to know how you would analyze / your thoughts regarding the season intros as well which is different in every season. 🤩
In any fictional story there's the risk that the world feels a little bit too much like everything works "by design", a little too contrived to be natural, as though everyone everywhere is always at the exact right place for the story to happen in the most exciting way. What I love most about Sheridan's arrival here is that it dispells this notion both in-universe and in the production. He's not a chosen one, he's not "meant" to be there, and neither the writers nor anyone on the station could entirely account for the possibility that he would be. Going forward, there is always going to be the question of "what would have happened if Sinclair was here?", and in my opinion that makes the future of the show twice as interesting.
‘I wonder if he is also hand picked by the Minbari 😂.’ By the way, O’Hares wooden acting was a huge topic during Season 1. The fans had no idea about the issues with O’Hares mental health was causing problems on set. Captain Sheridan is my favorite Captain!
I remember when this came first when I saw Agamemnon I was: What on earth was that!?! I was so mesmerized the new war ship. It looked completely different anything I had ever seen before or since in Scifi show. Second season... that has some best G'Kar and Londo moments... :D
The agamemnon revealed a vastly superior ship design to what we had seen from earth force in season 1 - however having seen 2010 I immediately saw it as a derivative of the leonov which it was, a cooler more advanced sinister upgrade from it. I love all the symbolism with the greek helmet and war spear.
The actor who played Sinclair, Michael O'Hare was suffering from schizophrenia and it became very difficult for him to continue, unknown only to J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of the show. O'Hare did not want to have the series stop because of him, so JMS agreed to keep his condition a secret, and he did until O'Hare passed away years later. It was not until then that we knew why he left the series. But JMS helped him as much as he could, both personally and financially.
Fun thing about the names: Note that Jeffrey Sinclair and John Sheridan both have the initials JS - matching the series creator/writer (and yes, he usually uses his middle name as well to make it JMS, but still). He intentionally chose the names that way, I guess he wanted to give something of himself to those lead roles. And as others already mentioned, it apparently was a mutual agreement between JMS and O'Hare to cast a different lead starting season 2. But Sinclair wasn't killed off, after all, we saw an older version of him in Babylon Squared, right?
Guys, please get a moderator for the comments! You deserve to get to watch the show without people ruining it for you. Plus it's so satisfying to feel like you've seen things on your own...
Not a spoiler (anymore), but some background info JMS shared online for this season: So, the club we see starting at 14:48 is Earhart's, it's a lounge exclusively for EarthForce personnel and their guests. Basically it's the station's O-Club.
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski revealed after O'Hare's death that the actor had had severe mental illness.[43][44][45] During the filming of the first season of Babylon 5, O'Hare began having paranoid delusions, and halfway through, his hallucinations worsened. It became increasingly difficult for O'Hare to continue working, his behavior was becoming increasingly erratic, and he was often at odds with his colleagues. Straczynski offered to suspend production for several months to accommodate treatment; however O'Hare feared that such a hiatus would put the series at risk, and he didn't want to jeopardize others' jobs. Straczynski agreed to keep O'Hare's condition secret to protect his career, and O'Hare agreed to complete the first season, but would be written out of the second season so that he could seek treatment. His departure from the cast was announced without explanation, except that it was mutual and amicable.
We’ve heard the story. It’s amazing and sad. The fact O’Hare when out of his way to not jeopardize the show and the huge lengths JMS went to to care for him. Amazing. Also, very sad. One day, we’ll treat mental health the way we should.
Michael O'Hare's mental health had deteriorated by the end of season 1. JMS had to recast, behind the scenes JMS did a whole load to help Michael. The Trek guy played an admiral on DS9. The GCI is not remastered or touched up, what you see now is what we saw in the 90's. The team had spent the time between seasons working hard on how to create CGI (and most importantly, how to light it). They essentially created the art of CGI on a budget (they used networked Amiga's). There are a few CGI shots in this season that got nominated for awards! (such as the Hugo award)
The reason Michael O'Hare was out is a really sad one and was revealed only 20 years later, as JMS promised to keep it secret until after his death. So, the recasting of the station's commander was the first time, JMS had to open the first of his backdoors in case that an important main actor left the show.
Now that we can discuss part of Michael O'Hare's struggles and how it resulted in him having to leave the show I think you'll now understand why fans are so protective of Michael. He was suffering from schizophrenia, JMS noticed that his MH was declining partway through season 1 and offered to put filming on hold. Michael knew that could finish the show so insisted on carrying on even though he was struggling. By the end of the season JMS knew Michael wasn't up to another season as he was suffering paranoid delusions, JMS went out of his way to help Michael during season 2 (such as help with bills & help getting MH support). JMS said to Michael that he'd take news about his MH to his grave, Michael said "no, take it to my grave". Michael wanted JMS to speak about MH struggles after he'd passed. JMS kept the secret until Michael passed away and sometime after his death he revealed all of this and more as per Michaels wishes
About as good a summation as you can expect. Only thing I would add- JMS met with Michael about halfway through the season about his issue, and Michael asked to see out the rest of the season so that it would not cost people their jobs. As JMS put it- "by the end of filming Michael was just barely holding on by his fingernails". IMO that explains why episodes filmed later in the season (such as "Eyes") Michael seemed so "wooden" and borderline unwatchable
AFAIK the CGI was not re-done. It was very early CGI and a lot of that data was lost, and is incompatible with modern systems anyway. So to remake the CGI now, they'd have to do it all from scratch.
Lol. I figured you'd like this one 1 Robert Foxworth played the General. He later would play a part (Admiral Leyton) in DS9 BTW - he also sort of had a "Trek connection" as the star of a TV Movie/Failed pilot "The Questor Tapes" by Roddenberry and Gene Coons- he essentially played a early version of Data 2 "So, Michael O Hare is out. Or is it a plot point?". Yes 3 As noted, the Minbari have no love for Sheridan 4 "Good Luck Speech" I was in the Army 36 yrs. Had one officer give a short speech when he assumed company command, and the same exact speech yrs later when he took up the battalion. 5 "I said Sinclair was Minbari" ... Lol. You are in for some surprises yet, but you've got about 1/2 of it figured out 6 "Good luck speech " part 2- giving the speech to a empty room. Typically (at least in the US Armed services) there are times when things are shut down for maintenance, usually during the slowest times. On B5 the command section is shut down every 36-48 hrs or so. Personally, think it would have been better had JMS had added someone in the background, say with a mop.....
And honestly from here on out the quality of the show just keeps climbing. There’s a number of characters we haven’t even seen yet who were portrayed by really excellent actors.
John Sheridan, my quite possibly favorite Captain in all Sci-Fi. Keep in mind Minbari souls being reborn in each new generation and gradually being diminished as Leneer was talking about is all based on belief of Minbari people. Like any belief there is no scientific evidence to support it. Except for Soul Hunters who call them fools for believing in such nonsense as reincarnation of the souls they are desperate to collect and preserve.
I understand your liking Sheridan more. I liked both Sinclair and Sheridan, but prefer Sheridan by a smidge. I think this has to do with 1) Sheridan being a more upbeat person. He's not weighed down by the trauma of the Earth Minbari war. He's also a more active character. He radiates energy. 2) Unlike in season 1, JMS didn't have the time to spend many episodes exploring Sheridan's character. Sinclair was supposed to be a mystery and part of a mystery. JMS intended to slowly reveal his story and he had 20+ episodes to develop his character. There isn't time for a slow reveal of who Sheridan is, there is plot to get to and we need to have a feel for him now. So the writing was structured to show his character and to make us like him. 3) JMS had a year under his belt. He had found his footing on writing the show. He had done all the necessary world building. He was simply a stronger writer than he was in season 1. 4) Boxleitner gave a more energetic performance than O'Hare. This may have been due to O'Hare's illness or a difference in acting approach or a combination of both. O'Hare had done a lot of stage acting, and that is different from TV acting. His style may have influenced his performance. A reviewer on a different series said there are three things you need to do to make a character likeable. They have to 1) Make a joke, he makes a couple 2) Make a friend, in this case Ivanova, and 3) Make a plot point, in this case the conflict with the Minbari and the Trigati showing up. Basically Sheridan is portrayed by a good actor and has been given a good foundation to be liked by the audience.
I wouldn't say that JMS became a stronger writer in season 2, he just had a bigger influence on how the story progressed. 1st season a large portion of episodes were written by different people while JMS was busy as executive producer. 2nd season he took over writing more often with only a small number of episodes handled by others. By 3rd season he was the SOLE writer for the show until the final year, when other writers took over for some episodes.
I know you hated Soul Hunter, but one of the best things about the show is the way it builds by layers. With Soul Hunter and Believers, it established in universe the belief in, and value of, the soul and especially for the Minbari. Dukhat's soul is the one the Soul Hunter fought to get, and the Minbari fought like zealots to retain. It makes it even more heightened now it is established that the greater pool of souls was being diminished for reasons they didn't discover until the battle of the line... Though I guess it's a good job they didn't obliterate us so the souls would finally be reborn as Minbari! ;-)
I totally agree. If they had told us why the Minbari surrended at the start it would have been a plot point for convenience of the story but no impact. Instead with seeen, heard, experienced the consequences of how these races see the universe. Delenn's seemingly out of character reponse to the Soul Hunter is completely inkeeping with the unthinkable surrender in the war. One thing Believers made me realise is these are not just humans that look different, they think different. It doesn't matter if we believe it, it doesn't matter if it's scientically true, these are cultural tenets that are core to them and their decisions. Oh and as why they didn't try and get their souls back by wiping us out, well, Minbari don't kill Minbari ;-). Pretty sure that'd cause it to have to go to a ten year committee to decide if that technically meant physical Minbari or those that had part of a Minbari soul ;-).
So... now that you've seen this one I can address something. Michael O'Hare bowed out of the series due to severe mental health struggles he was having. Apparently they were so bad he was seeing and hearing things that weren't actually there. JMS kept the secret of why he left until O'Hare passed because that was the promise he'd made.
I don't know where you are in your first watch of the show as you were mentioning wanting to know why the "Holy War" stop. There's a movie called "In the Beginning" that details a lot of that information.
This show has always been a podcast first, documenting our first watch of Babylon 5, and looking for the messages and morals in the series. Around episode 9, we also being posting our reaction videos.
Just one suggestion: Watch at least one intro per season, unlike DS9 and others, they do change the intro every season (not so much for season 1/2 but certainly for 3 and later.
I believe they will, they're just not watching the intro for the first few episodes, as many of us have asked them to do - to avoid seeing potential spoilers.
Sheridans introduction is kinda weird if you didn't watch the show when it was airing. The cast called him a "golden retriever" cause he was smiling in every scene, which can be kinda annoying if you focus too much on it. Arguably I would say that the first half of season 2 is weaker than season 1, but oh boy does the highs beat out the lows
7:29 Maybe this is a minor nitpick however it’s always seemed to bother me that if she served under him in the past, how did she not know about his tradition?
Bruce Boxleitner at the time was well known in the TV show "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," and in the movie "Tron." so casting Bruce on B5 gave it a wider potential audience. at the time Bruce was not an "A" lister. but was well known and liked by audiences. just his vocal tone you can hear the lighter side, or comedic side at times. not totally hard core drama acting all the time.
And so it begins...
and by "it" I assume you mean pushing the like button, subscribing and setting notifications to all
This is my favourite Save file name when first starting a game.
Nothing is any more like it was before.
Unfortunately this is the point when Michael O'Hare's mental health problems became severe enough to potentially halt production. He begged JMS not to cost everyone else their jobs to give him time to recover. There is more to it. After completing the show, please go watch JMS' explanation of what happened and why.
JMS also said at the time that the TV excecs wanted a more charismatic "gung ho" leader in order to not break his trust with O'Hare about that.
@@msclrhd It was pretty amazing how JMS, the producers and the execs all deliberately placed themselves in the firing line with that noble lie to the fans, in order to protect O'Hare's acting career and his dignity.
As someone who was watching this when it first came out, oh so many years ago, I was pretty shocked that we were given a new commander/captain. I know that I and many of the other lurkers thought that it was just that he wanted too much money or something like that. Sadly the truth was far more tragic. I was at the phoenix comicon panel in 2012 where JMS revealed everything after Michael O'haire passed away, and it was such a sad thing to hear. I'm so happy that you like Sheridan, and I have to say that I can't imagine the station being run by anyone but him at this point. And there are a lot more surprises coming.
As for Lennier seeming older, I think that's just a bit of an artifact of how much responsibility has been thrust on him. He's now the defacto ambassador (sort of, while Delenn ...molts...) and now he has to reveal everything that he was previously bound to keep quiet at all costs.
Yes, being there was a "once in a life time" experience. The absolute quiet when JMS told the story, and as I say, there must have been a lot of dust in that room.
Also the fact that JMS told us to relay the story to everyone who needed to hear it.
@@BabylonLurker what story?
@@Aeroldoth3 The real life story about what happened to Michael O'Hare, as Darren refers to. JMS told this to a group of a few hundred fans at the (first) 20th Anniversary of B5 at Phoenix Comicon in (2013), AZ. - almost 10 years ago.
If you are new to B5 I would recommend waiting with watching it (it has spoilers), you can find it on YT by searching "Straczynski promise panel"
@@BabylonLurker thanks
Captain Tron finally enters the picture.
And yeah, we went from having a CO handpicked by the Minbari to having the one human being the Minbari hate the most. Earth couldn't have given them a bigger middle finger. This should be interesting!
Captain Tron(John) Sheridan!😏
Earth will wish he would be behind them, and not the Mimbari. Earth will wish to be ... somewhere else
This is why your favorite episode "Soul Hunter" was important. It established the concept that Mimbari believe in souls and reincarnation.
Bruce Boxleitner is an amazing actor. He made me cry in Babylon 5, he made me cry in Spec Ops: The Line, and he plays the iconic Tron!
I like him so far.
@@Babylon5FortheFirstTime him and his portrayal of Sheridan is a lot less flat. I also really like that he has worked with Ivanova before, and she already likes and respects him. It gives us a feel for the kind of person we’re dealing with.
His voice is fantastic. He's a cowboy actor from Southern California. He can lasso animals. His comfort in front of a camera is clear. He's got excellent gravitas as well as great leading man looks. He's most importantly able to relax and find himself and come at the material with imagination and confidence. To me, he saved the show.
@@Babylon5FortheFirstTime From your reaction it is already a safe bet on what side you will come down on on B5's equivalent of "Kirk vs Picard".
I’ve often thought that if he’d been twenty or so years younger or the MCU had started earlier he could have done Steve Rogers.
JMS had offered O’Hare to put the show on hold while he was getting treatment for his mental health issues, but O’Hare didn’t want to risk the show and everyone else’s jobs for it.
And this is exactly why JMS wrote trap doors for most of his main characters - in the real world, sometimes shit happens and he wanted to ensure he could keep the show going if and when something did happen and someone had to leave.
JMS is smart
If you're reading Jomprey a couple of spoilers have surfaced in the comments below, hopefully you haven't read them yet. Might be best to skip the comments until a friendly mod can winnow them.
Folks, can we please reign ourselves in. We managed to get past the ultimate B5 spoiler boss-fight in keeping the Sheridan/Sinclair shift underwraps, but please no references, coy allusions, fan in-jokes, quotations or actor reveals for upcoming episodes and seasons. If what you're referring to has to be said in the future tense, keep schtum. I know we love to think of B5 as a novel on TV, you don't spoil a novel somebody's reading, do you? Okay, lecture over.
Finally, Season 2 and Bruce😍
As someone who had little time for Sinclair in the 90s, I remember Sheridan's intro and loving his energy and natural enthusiasm plus he was a Hollywood poster boy and being like... "yes, *claps hands* this is much better!". Haha.
And we get to the start of season 2. You have no idea how hard it was biting our tongues when you suggested that Sinclair was half minbari. Or when you said in the wrap up episode that you wanted answers and we knew they were coming in the next episode.
It was so hard to keep from spoiling…
@@wackyvorlon Brent is now offically the King of Predictions. You may call him, King Chucklenugget
So much this. I was flat out amazed when I heard it said.
@@Babylon5FortheFirstTime or is he? Hmmm. 😂
The shock is over, we have Sheridan. I've been counting the days to see your reaction, and I was not disappointed! Some reactors really liked Sinclair and found it took awhile to warm up to the change but I was pretty sure for you it'd be a positive change as whether it was how the character was written/his acting style or the issues he was going through, Sinclair was not someone that gel'ed.
You made a good point in noticing that this is not 'a new Sinclair' and it was a positive in how JMS approaches change - if it's a new person so he will react/interact differently, that just how life works. Bruce brings so much to this episode, I don't know how much is his style or the scope of writing for a new character, but he has such an easy going charm and quick smile and he immediately bounces off of Ivanova in a way we never really saw with Sinclair (who I saw more as a mentor for her, rather than a friend/colleague/leader).
It's Sheridan's facial expression that hit most for me. They really change in a flash and react with what he is saying/hearing - from polite, to jovial to determined and grim when he is talking about his previous history with the Minbari. Lot's of layers - and it pulls you in. The whole scene with them walking through the station is just a delight in writing and performance. It's trivial, it's part catchup for the audience of 'the state of play' but it tells a lot about how this man works, with his delight at fresh oranges. It feels like a real conversation between two colleagues reaquainting.
There are lots of little upgrades throughout, to sets, costumes, effects etc. that give Season Two a much more solid and accomplished feel.
I don't think there was much of a budget increase, but since they'd come in under-budget for S1 (one of JMS's motivations was to prove this could be done), and since the basic set construction was already done, they could spend the money on smartened up what they had. Even things like the Centauri hair looking fuller and less straggly.
All B5 production mishsps can be amusingly explained in-canon by attributing it to the shoe-string budget the Earth senate gives the station. The reason the Centauri have better hair now? New hair-care products shop opened on the Zocolo.
Your joy during the part about the souls was so enjoyable. Its great to start seeing everything coming together, and its gonna be even more exciting this season!
They mention the sectors in the pilot episode.. but here is a quick and dirty run down:
*Blue Sector* is the Docking bay, Station Admin, and Earth Force only.
*Green Sector* AKA the Alien sector is Diplomatic sector and where the bulk off the alternate atmosphere quarters are located
*Red Sector* is the commercial area and where most of the civilian quarters and amenities are located.
*Brown Sector* also known as "Down-below" is the Industrial/maintenance/utility sector. It is populated by the Station's homeless and dispossessed squatting.
*Grey Sector* is not populated and is off limits to all but
Station staff. it is where all the station's critical systems are located including the main reactor
A slight correction there.
Grey sector is the industrial/maintenance sector.
Brown sector (down below) is the designation for all the parts of the station that were unfinished due to budget constraints. The sector doesn't serve a planned role as it was never completed, though some areas are more complete than others (we saw some civilian quarters in a more developed part of Brown sector in season 1's The Quality of Mercy). Due to it being unfinished, some areas are a warren of intersecting rooms and corridors (almost like certain walls, doors or even floors were missing). This is where all the people down on their luck go and is the perfect place for criminals to give security the slip.
You see reference sometimes to Yellow Sector which is specifically the fusion reactor at the butt end of the station, but I think this is only in sources external to the show, and I'm never sure about its canonicity. I'd generally assumed that the industrial Grey Sector would include the fusion reactor.
What I love is that, while developing the show, knowing it would hopefully run five years, every major character was built with a ‘trap door’ so the actors could leave or come back without it affecting the story overall.
Happy to have found your reactions. Welcome to the family. 🙂
The effects were not redone. Those are the original effects from way back. B5 was known for its at-the-time cutting-edge effects done with the "Toaster."
Yes! I was going to say this too. The effects are already a big leap ahead here in episode one of season two. But just wait! They keep getting better rapidly.
24 Amiga 2000 'Toasters' god bless them, for this fantastic show.
@@Iymarra This is more than a bit misleading though Netter Digital used a number of tools. The "toaster" came with lightwave which was what the early seasons used for the 3d modeling, but the compositing was pushed to a Discreet Logic Flint system running on an SGI indigo and multiple after effects seats. I know this because I sold them the Flint.
Love the Omega-class destroyers. They're inspired by the design of the Alexei Leonov from "2010: Odyssey Two".
Ivanova as always lays down the law like no other.
I think this episode does an excellent job of introducing Sheridan, giving us his various personality aspects. His bemusement at Delenn's cocoon, his delight in having simple luxuries light fresh oranges and running water showers, and how he figures things out.
You're right about him being kind of the opposite of Sinclair, he was the hurting warrior looking for one last blaze of glory, Sheridan is a war hero with the only true victory against the Minbari, Sinclair was looked down on in EarthDome, Sheridan seems to be seen favorably by them, Sinclair was a fighter pilot put in a governing role, and Sheridan is a warship commander.
Incidentally, JMS says he's a descendent of General Philip Sheridan from the American Civil War.
And yeah, you were more or less right.
And since you like the patches, you may have noticed those wing-shaped ones on the right shoulder, they weren't there last season. They indicate a qualified Starfury pilot.
as a bit of civil war historian i looked that up. turns out that there is no male line of descent from Phil Sheridan; his son died without issue. but it's the thought that counts.
@@RichardWelty Lol. You have to remember things weren't so easy to look up in those days- in 1994 it was primarily bulletin boards and so forth. JMS just got it wrong
@@MrDdaland How do we know it's not a slightly alternate universe where he did have kids? ;)
umm, i actually did look it up back then. but it was a cool idea, just not backed up by objective reality. it's not as if i got upset over it or anything.
fair point
Season 1.. My father watched. ,meh he said. Season 2, on video, binge watched first few episodes whilst having the flu. That was it, he was hooked.
Absolutely loved watching your reactions this episode!! So satisfying seeing you get the answers you've been wanting. I'm glad you're warming up to Sheridan already - recasting the lead role was a huge change. You're absolutely right that they're both very different characters and while I do have a favorite between the two I appreciate both for what they each brought to the show. Super looking forward to the show this week and of course your next reaction!!! Keep up the great work!
It’s one of the best recastings I’ve ever seen. They gave an in universe reason that wasn’t just killing the character, it actually feels like an important part of the plot and could have been part of the plan the whole time. Well done. (PS- I’m aware it wasn’t the plan.)
Yeah, this is how B5 works, it builds things up slowly and only then give you the payoff.
Too many shows try to give you payoffs immediately, or very quickly, and they just don't have the impact that they should because they are rushed.
Either that or they do the opposite: set up a mistery at the start and then milk it season after season but never answering anything.
This show has the proper balance: it sets up misteries and slowly gives you answers throughout each episode, each answer leading to even more questions and so on.
@@oenrn Exactly correct. B5 didn't keep piling on mysteries and questions and holding the revelations to the very end (by which time the audience is just exhausted and has lost interest). JMS followed an approach akin to the great sci fi novel series, and it is no coincidence that shows that also follow fully written novels are structured so well (such as Game of Thrones -- until there weren't any novels left -- and The Expanse).
Now...if only someone had the guts to go after David Brin's Uplift novels...
I've had the joy of watching this series at least 8-9 times and let me say that you are in for a wild ride! I won't give anything away but I think it's worth noting that many people sadly gave up on the series because of Season 1. Initially, I did, but I gave it a second chance several years later. Trust me, when you finish B5, Season 1 will make perfect sense. Enjoy!
Thanks!
@@brentallenlive You're very welcome! Trust me, this is going to be the greatest Sci-Fi you will ever watch! I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil anything. Just sit back and Enjoy! 🙂
Now you know why I was so excited for you to see this episode!
When you were talking about how hard it would be to be with Sinclair for five seasons it was such a struggle to keep from spoiling this. Sheridan is really fantastic and I think both of you will love him.
And finally I can confirm: yes, you were right. Sinclair has a minbari soul. You should have seen my reaction when you made that guess 😂
Yes, mine, too.
Does Sinclair have a Minbari soul?
@@Janice4th it’s made clear in this episode that yes, he does.
@@wackyvorlon I’m being coy. But I can’t go further without spoilers.
@@wackyvorlonI didn’t really think was until later seasons
I was a big Sinclair fan and was sad to see him go, but learning later why he left I can't blame the show too much. Didn't love Sheridan immediately, but he grew on me over time.
I said the answer would be coming and would be all-encompassing - Humans & Minbari having the same 'pool of souls' (Minbari don't kill Minbari, even when they're Human) & joining together to face the great enemy as prophesy dictates... yep, there ya go.
So yes Brent Allen/'Bren Talon'/Jomprey de Chuckle Nugget, you were spot on that Sinclair could be thought of as 'a Minbari'...
Gotta love watching Tron work his magic! This is such a major shift for everything going forward, and I was waiting with great anticipation for you to get here! I have a poster for the series but I could never share it due to the giant Bruce Boxleitner and conspicuous absence of Michael O Hare. Oddly enough this was my first episode of B5, until the HBO Max Remasters.
Great episode and a great reaction. It was fun watching you get excited as you got certain answers. I was in the navy. When you get a new commander, the tone changes for the staff.
Bruce Boxleitner is a talented actor. I believe we were lucky to get hom on the show. He was in Tron as well as David Warner and Peter Jurasik.
I'm looking forward to Monday show with Jeff. I believe there will be some interesting comments and discussions.
Welcome to Season 2. There are good times ahead, and many more surprises still to come. 😊
Yes, you did catch on with the clues about Sinclair. That's one of the things about Babylon 5, many of the clues are there, and they do work together (for the most part), and that's because JMS knew what he was planning to do with the series (unlike other shows which just create things out of the blue). You will find there will be new questions, but also things will be more forthcoming (the beats grow faster, so to speak, as the show progresses, and that was also on purpose). Enjoy the ride. More to come. Much more to talk about soon. But just don't forget, things connect in the show, and plot points keep coming back.
As for Sheridan.... surprises to come still... too...
Also, as for Sheridan -- he did bring a lot more viewers to the show. He is far more charismatic-active instead of Sinclair's contemplative (and dare I now say, Minbari) style. As I pointed out, the more one learns about Sinclair, the more his style of handling things (and even why he can be off-putting) makes sense overall (and why he is much more appreciated once that is understood).
"You talk like a Mbari , Commander."
The General was Admiral Layton on DS9 from the two parter Homefront and Paradise Lost
That he was. Proof they happen in the same universe?
You're definitely gonna learn more about Dukhat, and the "spider things" :)
It is an amazing start for Season 2 indeed. Really glad it got you all fired up and, yes, John Sheridan brings a different energy to this position at the head of B5. Both he and Sinclair are warriors, to be sure, but Sinclair has softer edges, whereas Sheridan (at this time anyway) has sharper ones. Things are now in motion in a bigger way already. I can't wait to hear what Jeff thought of the episode.
I also think that Sheridan has more leadership experience, so he’s instantly more comfortable in the role. In truth running something as big as B5 was probably over Sinclair’s head, so he had to struggle to make it work.
Super fun Jomp! We all saw this coming and had to bite our tongues ....it was amusing watching you throwing a little fit in your season recap because you didnt get the answers you wanted when you wanted them. Babylon 5's break from the traditional tv formulas gives up its goods on its timeline vs what anyone wants or expects and any episode can reveal a tremendous amount at any time. As you've seen ANYONE can go. You've got some puzzle pieces down but are still missing the picture (which is right on front of you) this is so entertaining.
So far you're the first reactor that I've watched who didn't care for Sinclair. I can relate because I wasn't sure if I was going to watch season 2. When I found out that Bruce Boxleitner was going to be playing the new captain because Sinclair would not be back, I was ecstatic because I was a huge fan of Bruce already. After watching the whole show and going back and watching season 1, I appreciate Sinclair and season 1 so much more.
Which is weird, because O’Hares acting at the time was heavily critiqued. I jumped for joy when I heard Bruce was coming on board, too. I was a already a fan.
@@Janice4th I don't think it was the acting for me necessarily than the fact that season 1 seem to go so slow. I know now that it was a buildup of the larger B5 world and appreciate it much more.
Really?? Like, everyone else is on board with Sinclair? I mean, he wasn't terrible, just not great. And, to be fair, they were explaining why he wasn't too great, eventually. I find it hard to believe we're the only ones that weren't on board with him.
@@Babylon5FortheFirstTime There people back then who weren't as much of a fan. Sometimes I think being able to binge watch a show helps with some aspects so I'm wondering if that's why Sinclair and season 1 are more popular now. I appreciate season 1 a whole lot more now than I did when it aired.
@@Babylon5FortheFirstTimeone reactor said Sinclair was his favorite & was sad to see him go!
I knew you guys would get more hypedin season 2. 😀
Loved the way you reacted like I did the first time, with such enthusiasm for the story. You are definitely a B5 Fan now!
Not redone graphics btw, just the team getting better and 90’s year on year computer improvements.
Wasn't everything done on Amiga Toastmasters like 8088 processors?
@@markgoing15 pilot/early seasons, they upgrade hardware to pcs later, and changed vfx house completely for season 4(?) Onwards iirc
Brent likes Sheridan because he fights for the users.
It's Bruce Boxleitner.
From Tron.
What do you mean you've never seen Tron? It's a classic!
Yes, answers! It is a really cool explanation for the surrender. I am glad you like Sheridan. Solid first episode for him. So excited for season 2. What am I saying, I have already seen it! Bring on the podcasts.
Oh man.... I am so envious of you. To rewatch this again for the first time would be a true blessing and pleasure. Enjoy. This is my favorite series of all time.
And so it begins ... Great to see your reaction to the changes. Yes, it has been hard to keep the keyboard shut when it comes to the change in command.
Yes, there were answers, and as usual, new questions.
JMS likes to shake the status quo some times.
When you were talking about Sinclair secretly being a Minbari, I think we (old fans) have been biting our tongues and enjoying this prediction. Well, not exactly a Minbari, but having a Minbari soul.
I count having the soul as him being Minbari, though of course, there are issues with that, but it is close enough to say it made Sinclair think and be more Minbari as well. So to say he is Minbari or part Minbari (Minbari soul) is as good a way to describe him as any.
Exactly Sinclair is minbari, soul. Just like you said!
The 3D graphics quality jump up S2 and it continues to get better as the show progresses. They used very early computer graphics software running on Amigas. Using 3D GFX meant they could do cool things like having the models respond to realistic space physics. Like where Starfury thrusters fire in the correct direction to rotate the ships while keeping their forward momentum. There was a huge amount of improvement year by year in GFX software around that time. So you can see the change in the show season by season.
You already know about Michael O;Hare's mental health issues. One of the things that still amazes me is that it was kept secret until his death. In this age where if an actor sneezes it gets out the fact JMS and the other actors kept it secret shows their character.
Sheridan's good luck speech getting interrupted really says a lot about the kind of luck they have at B5.
Also, him giving it to an empty room without being perturbed says a lot about his character. In a quick throwaway gag we learn that his ego is pretty durable, and he’s not full of himself. It’s really a clever way to tell us some important things about his character.
@@wackyvorlon Although the minor thing that bugs me about this is that if the primary C&C is offline, the Alternate C&C should be running. But that would require the other Lt. Commander previously mentioned on the station to ever actually appear on the show. And it wouldn't be as funny.
I already knew Bruce from other shows, so I thought it was great from day one.
As Sinclair is troubled and marked by his time in the war (and the battle of the line in particular), Sheridan is not proud of but is accepting of his actions during the war, as he stated. An interesting difference between them, though of course only one was abducted, tortured, released and examined with mistrust by his own people for years afterwards. That probably..affects someone.
Alas, as you now know, the mental difficulties O'Hare was having were far too much and he did not want to disrupt the show and was thus, trapdoored by JMS.
In retrospect, a character with missing memories who was tortured, subjected to further mental invasion by his own people and shown hallucinations and basically fucked around with, dealing with what we'd probably describe as PTSD (It took years for him to avoid having the urge to kill a minbari whenever he saw one, as he stated) being played by a guy suffering with paranoid delusions and hallucinations? Poor guy.
There is real good reasons for the change of commanders in the real world which I feel you will find justified.
While Soulhunter might not be people's favourite episode, especially first time through, in retrospect having it second episode of the first season is interesting. From the beginning we learn souls are real in this universe, and they are a big deal in Minbari society. Without nailing this in early, and subsequent stories where the soul or soul essence plays a part, the revelation in this episode would have so much less weight. However with that knowledge built up in season 1, it lands with a punch. Especially with the other side of the coin coming up in different episodes of Minbari not killing Minbari.
I think this revelation and the impact of it going forward was set up brilliantly across season 1 without giving to much away. On later viewings you can see the breadcrumbs being laid down.
You have no idea how hard it's been for all of us to keep our mouths shut about Tron...I mean Scarecrow, err, I mean Bruce Boxleitner when you guys kept guessing about the future of Sinclair. General Hague=Admiral Leyton
Just a note Hague was on B5 first. There is a line later on that will only make sense if you know that.
yesyesyesyesyes! I am so happy you are finally here. As you said, this is a action, and given the well-known dramatic structure, I don't think it's a spoiler to say it will be the first of many. The table is set, let the meal begin.
Zathras cannot wait until you meet Zathras!
So happy for you that you're finally here. ☺
Great reaction. And yes the first answer of so many questions. I was secretly smiling between your wrap-up show and your complains.
Back then my reaction was more like: They give us an answer? Now? On episode 1? I love this show! 😍
And Sheridan, I liked him from the start too because I knew the actor from Scarecrow and Mrs. King. But I wasn't sure about him be the right one. I wasn't sure about Sinclair either, he grew on me sometimes and sometimes he was meh.
And so it begins. I'm looking forward to it.
After a decade of TNG, Sheridan was the closest thing we had to James T Kirk: a handsome, emotionally accessible man of action with a penchant for speeches. He’s even a fan of Lincoln. Sheridan’s easy nature works well with Susan as you can see how quickly she opens up to him on a personal level compared to her almost exclusively professional relationship with Sinclair.
What happened to O’Hare was unfortunate and wasn’t his fault and we judged him harshly. I always felt he was a bit off and now we know why. Sadly, we’ll never really know how he would have been in Season 1 or beyond if his condition hadn’t worsened.
Either way, Sheridan is a breath of fresh air and a casting coup for the show as he was a well established actor with a built in cult SciFi fan base.
Extra note: as a reader of sci-fi magazines at the time like Starlog, I knew in the summer of 1995 that O’Hare was being replaced so it wasn’t a shock if you were following the news.
Final note: None of these effects are redone, they are all original. WB is too cheap. What they did do, if you’re watching HBO Max, is upscale the original effects to make them suitable for modern televisions. Aside from that, you’re seeing exactly what we saw back then. You’ll notice the FX are evolving and improving with every episode.
good reaction. this season is amazing. enjoy.
Great that we got through with some of the biggest spoilers out of the way.
So here is what happened to Sinclair.... behind the scenes that is, and it is a story that didn't come out until after Micheal O'Hare's passing:
Micheal O'hare was suffering from mental health issues and was finding it more and more difficult to keep a handle on it, so he left the show. JMS kept the matter confidential, and continued to pay Micheal so he could afford treatment until he died.
He was suffering from paranoid delusions that were involving the crew if I recall correctly. He left rather than let ot drag down the show of I am not mistaken. But it has been a while since I saw JMS talk about it so I could be mistaken.
As an addendum, he got married and got a kid.
Fun Fast: Not only did both Bruce Boxleitner as Capt. John Sheridan and Peter Jurasik as Londo was in Babylon 5 but the two was also in the 1982 Disney film TRON Bruce Boxleitner as Tron and Peter Jurasik as Crom.
And in Scarecrow and Mrs. King 😅
@@awagenk I just recently rewatched the episode of Scarecrow and Mrs King that Peter Jurasik was in.
Brent, welcome to the first season of Captain Smiling Golden Retriever Puppy. I'm sure you're liking of Capt. Sheridan will only grow as the season continues. Others have posted about Michael O'Hare's departure, but I can promise you Bruce Boxleitner performance will win you over. And you're not quite done with getting answers to question left hanging at the end of Season 1.
Captain is played by Bruce Boxleitner.
Probably his most famous roles, besides this, are in Tron (he played Tron) and in the show Scarecrow and Mrs King (he played the spy "Scarecrow").
As for answering your questions...
In a way you could be right.
JMS interacted with fans all the way through the show on Usenet and other online forums (this is pre Worldwide Web). So if some fans raised your point of not understanding the station layout, JMS could slip that in the show.
I really loved this reaction video. In the future it would be interesting to know how you would analyze / your thoughts regarding the season intros as well which is different in every season. 🤩
In any fictional story there's the risk that the world feels a little bit too much like everything works "by design", a little too contrived to be natural, as though everyone everywhere is always at the exact right place for the story to happen in the most exciting way. What I love most about Sheridan's arrival here is that it dispells this notion both in-universe and in the production. He's not a chosen one, he's not "meant" to be there, and neither the writers nor anyone on the station could entirely account for the possibility that he would be. Going forward, there is always going to be the question of "what would have happened if Sinclair was here?", and in my opinion that makes the future of the show twice as interesting.
Enjoyed the reaction. Not a lot to comment since the episode pretty much laid things out.
‘I wonder if he is also hand picked by the Minbari 😂.’ By the way, O’Hares wooden acting was a huge topic during Season 1. The fans had no idea about the issues with O’Hares mental health was causing problems on set.
Captain Sheridan is my favorite Captain!
I remember when this came first when I saw Agamemnon I was: What on earth was that!?! I was so mesmerized the new war ship. It looked completely different anything I had ever seen before or since in Scifi show. Second season... that has some best G'Kar and Londo moments... :D
The agamemnon revealed a vastly superior ship design to what we had seen from earth force in season 1 - however having seen 2010 I immediately saw it as a derivative of the leonov which it was, a cooler more advanced sinister upgrade from it. I love all the symbolism with the greek helmet and war spear.
@@Davegvg3576 Just a FYI, the "designer" of Aggy did use the Leonov for inspiration - specifically the rotating section
@@MrDdaland was that paul beigle bryant at foundation?
@@Davegvg3576 I've seen 2 people mentioned for the design, Steve Berg and Paul Bryant, so I'd say probably
The actor who played Sinclair, Michael O'Hare was suffering from schizophrenia and it became very difficult for him to continue, unknown only to J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of the show. O'Hare did not want to have the series stop because of him, so JMS agreed to keep his condition a secret, and he did until O'Hare passed away years later. It was not until then that we knew why he left the series. But JMS helped him as much as he could, both personally and financially.
Thanks for the edit -:
Hey ochavez, nice summary but can you please edit and remove the last line. It's a spoiler.
@@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures Done and done.
@@OMAROMAR79 You're a star. :)
Fun thing about the names: Note that Jeffrey Sinclair and John Sheridan both have the initials JS - matching the series creator/writer (and yes, he usually uses his middle name as well to make it JMS, but still). He intentionally chose the names that way, I guess he wanted to give something of himself to those lead roles. And as others already mentioned, it apparently was a mutual agreement between JMS and O'Hare to cast a different lead starting season 2. But Sinclair wasn't killed off, after all, we saw an older version of him in Babylon Squared, right?
Guess we now know why Bioware made Commander Shepards first name Jane...
Strangely, this was the very first episode of B5 I have ever seen.
I liked sinclair, I was sad he left, more so when I knew why. I didn't like sheridan right away, but 4 or 5 épisodes later, I did.
"Sinclair's gonna get married...and catherine's gonna be there." I'd hope so!
Guys, please get a moderator for the comments! You deserve to get to watch the show without people ruining it for you. Plus it's so satisfying to feel like you've seen things on your own...
Pretty sure they do have a moderator
Not a spoiler (anymore), but some background info JMS shared online for this season: So, the club we see starting at 14:48 is Earhart's, it's a lounge exclusively for EarthForce personnel and their guests. Basically it's the station's O-Club.
So you get answers and a new hint of things to come.
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski revealed after O'Hare's death that the actor had had severe mental illness.[43][44][45] During the filming of the first season of Babylon 5, O'Hare began having paranoid delusions, and halfway through, his hallucinations worsened. It became increasingly difficult for O'Hare to continue working, his behavior was becoming increasingly erratic, and he was often at odds with his colleagues. Straczynski offered to suspend production for several months to accommodate treatment; however O'Hare feared that such a hiatus would put the series at risk, and he didn't want to jeopardize others' jobs. Straczynski agreed to keep O'Hare's condition secret to protect his career, and O'Hare agreed to complete the first season, but would be written out of the second season so that he could seek treatment. His departure from the cast was announced without explanation, except that it was mutual and amicable.
We’ve heard the story. It’s amazing and sad. The fact O’Hare when out of his way to not jeopardize the show and the huge lengths JMS went to to care for him. Amazing. Also, very sad. One day, we’ll treat mental health the way we should.
Michael O'Hare's mental health had deteriorated by the end of season 1. JMS had to recast, behind the scenes JMS did a whole load to help Michael.
The Trek guy played an admiral on DS9.
The GCI is not remastered or touched up, what you see now is what we saw in the 90's. The team had spent the time between seasons working hard on how to create CGI (and most importantly, how to light it).
They essentially created the art of CGI on a budget (they used networked Amiga's). There are a few CGI shots in this season that got nominated for awards! (such as the Hugo award)
The reason Michael O'Hare was out is a really sad one and was revealed only 20 years later, as JMS promised to keep it secret until after his death. So, the recasting of the station's commander was the first time, JMS had to open the first of his backdoors in case that an important main actor left the show.
Now that we can discuss part of Michael O'Hare's struggles and how it resulted in him having to leave the show I think you'll now understand why fans are so protective of Michael.
He was suffering from schizophrenia, JMS noticed that his MH was declining partway through season 1 and offered to put filming on hold. Michael knew that could finish the show so insisted on carrying on even though he was struggling.
By the end of the season JMS knew Michael wasn't up to another season as he was suffering paranoid delusions, JMS went out of his way to help Michael during season 2 (such as help with bills & help getting MH support).
JMS said to Michael that he'd take news about his MH to his grave, Michael said "no, take it to my grave". Michael wanted JMS to speak about MH struggles after he'd passed.
JMS kept the secret until Michael passed away and sometime after his death he revealed all of this and more as per Michaels wishes
About as good a summation as you can expect. Only thing I would add- JMS met with Michael about halfway through the season about his issue, and Michael asked to see out the rest of the season so that it would not cost people their jobs. As JMS put it- "by the end of filming Michael was just barely holding on by his fingernails".
IMO that explains why episodes filmed later in the season (such as "Eyes") Michael seemed so "wooden" and borderline unwatchable
AFAIK the CGI was not re-done. It was very early CGI and a lot of that data was lost, and is incompatible with modern systems anyway. So to remake the CGI now, they'd have to do it all from scratch.
So you're telling me there's a chance!
Season 2 is the point where the show truly becomes great.
Sheridan is the GOAT :)
Good ups.
Lol. I figured you'd like this one
1 Robert Foxworth played the General. He later would play a part (Admiral Leyton) in DS9 BTW - he also sort of had a "Trek connection" as the star of a TV Movie/Failed pilot "The Questor Tapes" by Roddenberry and Gene Coons- he essentially played a early version of Data
2 "So, Michael O Hare is out. Or is it a plot point?". Yes
3 As noted, the Minbari have no love for Sheridan
4 "Good Luck Speech" I was in the Army 36 yrs. Had one officer give a short speech when he assumed company command, and the same exact speech yrs later when he took up the battalion.
5 "I said Sinclair was Minbari" ... Lol. You are in for some surprises yet, but you've got about 1/2 of it figured out
6 "Good luck speech " part 2- giving the speech to a empty room. Typically (at least in the US Armed services) there are times when things are shut down for maintenance, usually during the slowest times. On B5 the command section is shut down every 36-48 hrs or so. Personally, think it would have been better had JMS had added someone in the background, say with a mop.....
This comment is still way too spoliery!
@@TheMerovingienne Changed
I hope you enjoyed the new intro! 🙏
I believe they have been told not to watch the intro yet because it obviously spoils something. They can watch it for episode 3.
Bruce Boxleitner is just a great actor. JMS really managed to make the best of a bad situation.
And honestly from here on out the quality of the show just keeps climbing. There’s a number of characters we haven’t even seen yet who were portrayed by really excellent actors.
@@wackyvorlon and we all know each one of them will lead to conversations on their reaction discussions...
"Starkiller".
John Sheridan, my quite possibly favorite Captain in all Sci-Fi.
Keep in mind Minbari souls being reborn in each new generation and gradually being diminished as Leneer was talking about is all based on belief of Minbari people. Like any belief there is no scientific evidence to support it. Except for Soul Hunters who call them fools for believing in such nonsense as reincarnation of the souls they are desperate to collect and preserve.
For all we know, the minbari might have evidence. We’ve certainly never seen it though.
I understand your liking Sheridan more. I liked both Sinclair and Sheridan, but prefer Sheridan by a smidge. I think this has to do with 1) Sheridan being a more upbeat person. He's not weighed down by the trauma of the Earth Minbari war. He's also a more active character. He radiates energy. 2) Unlike in season 1, JMS didn't have the time to spend many episodes exploring Sheridan's character. Sinclair was supposed to be a mystery and part of a mystery. JMS intended to slowly reveal his story and he had 20+ episodes to develop his character. There isn't time for a slow reveal of who Sheridan is, there is plot to get to and we need to have a feel for him now. So the writing was structured to show his character and to make us like him. 3) JMS had a year under his belt. He had found his footing on writing the show. He had done all the necessary world building. He was simply a stronger writer than he was in season 1. 4) Boxleitner gave a more energetic performance than O'Hare. This may have been due to O'Hare's illness or a difference in acting approach or a combination of both. O'Hare had done a lot of stage acting, and that is different from TV acting. His style may have influenced his performance.
A reviewer on a different series said there are three things you need to do to make a character likeable. They have to 1) Make a joke, he makes a couple 2) Make a friend, in this case Ivanova, and 3) Make a plot point, in this case the conflict with the Minbari and the Trigati showing up. Basically Sheridan is portrayed by a good actor and has been given a good foundation to be liked by the audience.
I wouldn't say that JMS became a stronger writer in season 2, he just had a bigger influence on how the story progressed. 1st season a large portion of episodes were written by different people while JMS was busy as executive producer. 2nd season he took over writing more often with only a small number of episodes handled by others. By 3rd season he was the SOLE writer for the show until the final year, when other writers took over for some episodes.
Captain Tron
I know you hated Soul Hunter, but one of the best things about the show is the way it builds by layers. With Soul Hunter and Believers, it established in universe the belief in, and value of, the soul and especially for the Minbari.
Dukhat's soul is the one the Soul Hunter fought to get, and the Minbari fought like zealots to retain. It makes it even more heightened now it is established that the greater pool of souls was being diminished for reasons they didn't discover until the battle of the line... Though I guess it's a good job they didn't obliterate us so the souls would finally be reborn as Minbari! ;-)
I totally agree. If they had told us why the Minbari surrended at the start it would have been a plot point for convenience of the story but no impact. Instead with seeen, heard, experienced the consequences of how these races see the universe. Delenn's seemingly out of character reponse to the Soul Hunter is completely inkeeping with the unthinkable surrender in the war. One thing Believers made me realise is these are not just humans that look different, they think different. It doesn't matter if we believe it, it doesn't matter if it's scientically true, these are cultural tenets that are core to them and their decisions.
Oh and as why they didn't try and get their souls back by wiping us out, well, Minbari don't kill Minbari ;-). Pretty sure that'd cause it to have to go to a ten year committee to decide if that technically meant physical Minbari or those that had part of a Minbari soul ;-).
So... now that you've seen this one I can address something. Michael O'Hare bowed out of the series due to severe mental health struggles he was having.
Apparently they were so bad he was seeing and hearing things that weren't actually there.
JMS kept the secret of why he left until O'Hare passed because that was the promise he'd made.
Yes, you and about 40 others have posted this
I'm sure someone's already said it, but don't skip the intro!!! Each season has a different monologue and title sequence/music.
people have said to skip it until the third episode, so not to be spoiled by what is in it, but once that is done, it is a great intro
Totally agree. You need to watch at least once after episode 2 or 3. My favorite is season 3 introduction
@@hornorsilk2901 the hd remaster also fixed the intros, it's now safe to watch them for s2e1 & s2e2.
@@markgoing15 I go between 3 and 4, but mostly agree, it is 3.
I don't know where you are in your first watch of the show as you were mentioning wanting to know why the "Holy War" stop. There's a movie called "In the Beginning" that details a lot of that information.
This show has always been a podcast first, documenting our first watch of Babylon 5, and looking for the messages and morals in the series.
Around episode 9, we also being posting our reaction videos.
We’ve heard that. We’ll cover the movies after we finish the series.
Which is maybe why he kinda acts stiff... like a mimbari...
Just one suggestion: Watch at least one intro per season, unlike DS9 and others, they do change the intro every season (not so much for season 1/2 but certainly for 3 and later.
I believe they will, they're just not watching the intro for the first few episodes, as many of us have asked them to do - to avoid seeing potential spoilers.
He is tron
Sheridans introduction is kinda weird if you didn't watch the show when it was airing. The cast called him a "golden retriever" cause he was smiling in every scene, which can be kinda annoying if you focus too much on it.
Arguably I would say that the first half of season 2 is weaker than season 1, but oh boy does the highs beat out the lows
7:29 Maybe this is a minor nitpick however it’s always seemed to bother me that if she served under him in the past, how did she not know about his tradition?
Maybe she was assigned after he had already taken command since he said he gave it within 24 hours of his taking of a new command.
Bruce Boxleitner at the time was well known in the TV show "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," and in the movie "Tron." so casting Bruce on B5 gave it a wider potential audience. at the time Bruce was not an "A" lister. but was well known and liked by audiences. just his vocal tone you can hear the lighter side, or comedic side at times. not totally hard core drama acting all the time.
In Star Trek terms, Sinclair is Picard, and Sheridan is Sisko.
Though Sheridan doesn’t share Sisko’s anger problem.