B5: The Legend of the Rangers (1 Viewer)

[Joseph DeMartino]

The first new B5-universe TV movie in two years (and the pilot for a possible series), Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers debuts at 9 PM (ET/PT) on The Sci-Fi Channel tonight. Those who actually care about the outcome of the NFL play-off game (I don't have a team in the play-offs this year) tape it or catch the encores - tonight at 11 PM, Sunday at 5 PM.
The film features a group of Rangers (or Anla'shok, a 1,000 year old peace-keeping and covert intelligence force founded by the alien Minbari, but now serving the Interstellar Alliance and open to all speicies) on a dangerous mission. (Of course, what other kind is there in the world of TV movies? ) Andreas Katsulas has a guest role as G'Kar. No one else from the original series is featured, but if Sci-Fi picks Rangers up as a weekly show, other old favorites will doubtless appear, schedules and budgets permitting. (The film is set in 2265, about three years after the Alliance was founded, so Delenn is still Anla'shok Na or "Ranger One", head of the organization.)
You can read a review of the movie here: TV Guide
Regards,
Joe

 

[Terrell]

I agree Joseph. I'm gonna be catching this one on the Encore showing at 11PM. I liked the previous series, and since I've never been a fan of the Star Trek TV series, the Sci-Fi channel is my only channel that has some sci-fi shows I like on TV. Here's hoping it's good, and gets picked up.

 

[nolesrule]

Well, I gotta say that I thought it was great. A couple points were predictable, but it was certainly worthy of Babylon 5.

And the ending really had me excited.



As soon as they mentioned the Epsilon Jumpgate, I knew they were going to reveal the Babylon 5 station on a (new) television show for the first time in almost 3 years. But they sure dragged out the dialogue, which made me yell at the TV "Show the station already!"

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

I'm with you Joe. Especially...

When they cranked up the S5 theme music just before they panned over to the station. Pity they couldn't go aboard. We'll have to wait for the series.

I just hope all the advertising has paid off and that the ratings are what Sci-Fi was hoping for.

Regards,

Joe

 

[nolesrule]

I just hope all the advertising has paid off and that the ratings are what Sci-Fi was hoping for.

I hope so too.
And Joe, I saw your comment on the B5LR.com board. Time to give up Pat for Myriam.

Just wish I could get on the board now. Right before it crashed I posted the comment I made above but forgot a spoiler warning. I emailed them about it, but I hope they can get the post spoiler-warned or deleted (I can always post it agin with spoiler warnings this time).

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Time to give up Pat for Myriam

What can I tell you? There's something about those redheads. (Actually Myriam looks a bit like Pat in that picture on the main page at B5LR. Of course, Dylan looks a bit like Matt LeBlanc in Lost in Space in his picture, so I wasn't putting too much stock in that. )
The odd thing is I've only dated one redhead in my life - and that was a disaster. (I'm convinced that Fatal Attraction was based on this woman's memoirs, except that I'm single and she isn't dead. As far as I know. She's one of the reasons I left New York. )
Regards,
Joe

 

[nolesrule]

Yeah, I have a thing for redheads too. My wife's a brunette, but she oblidges with the red highlights.

I thought that Dylan reminded me of Robert Patrick a bit (and I don't watch X-Files).

 

[Terrell]

Okay, I thought it was great except for one thing, the part where she was destroying the mines and clearing the way. It looked cheesy. But hey, great show. I certainly hope it gets picked up.

 

[Arkady Kleiner]

"We live for the one, we die for the one"
Heard this 5 times too many, got really irritating, really fast.
The screaming while firing sequence was just cheesy, no excuse there. The VR-pod needs to go, or be silent. You get the impression that Sarah makes a physical exertion when she fires, which falls flat.
The dialog was great between the captain and Dulann, good with the rest of the cast. Though only decent between Sarah and the captain.
The story was nothing new or groundbreaking, but it would make a great pilot episode. The weekly show type intro was a dead giveaway on JMS's intentions for B5:LOTR.
Overall, I was prepared to be dissapointed, but came away pleasantly surprised.

 

[Frank Anderson]

Over all I enjoyed it except for one thing. Weapons Control Working in 3-D environment was fine, but actually showing her shooting blasts from her hands and feet? Having no type of control console in front of her? Just kicking and punching blasts. Nope that did not work for me. And yes, she was a hottie.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

The weekly show type intro was a dead giveaway on JMS's intentions for B5:LOTR.

Well, it isn't like this was a secret or anything. Sci-Fi has said, from the very first press release, the B5:LR was a pilot for a possible series. Now comes the endless wait for the ratings, and a final decision from Sci-Fi. But heck, we're used to that.
"We are Fivers.
We wait for the show.
We watch for the show."
Regards,
Joe

 

[Scott Kriefall]

I agree about the VR mine destroying sequence -- that was overdone and rather cheesy.

My other complaint is the introduction of another "ancient evil." Most of the 5 years of the B5 series was devoted to the Shadows, Vorlons, and the First Ones and how Earth fit into that. Now we find out that the Shadows were supposedly "nothing" compared to this new and even older enemy? This essentially trivializes nearly everything that happened in the first 5 years of the series, IMHO.

One question: How does this new series relate to the Crusade series, time-wise? I missed most of Crusade, unfortunately, so I'm unsure what happened. Did they find a cure, or is the alien disease still present on Earth at the time "The Legend of the Rangers" (and any new series) occurs?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

My other complaint is the introduction of another "ancient evil." ... This essentially trivializes nearly everything that happened in the first 5 years of the series, IMHO.

This is the criticism I don't get. Does everyone think that JMS doesn't know this? If you know the series well enough to see this as a problem, you also know it well enough to realize that JMS always sets up false expectations and then twists things in an unexpected way. He loves messing with the heads of the audience.
And yet, people keep falling for it. Even when the plot revolves around the whole question of whether or not you can pull off the same trick twice in a row, setting up someone's expectations and then fooling them. Even though G'Kar's last line is a reminder that, "No one here is exactly what he appears." Even though Martel's solution involves both doing exactly the same thing and not doing the same thing all at once - and involves misdirection and trickery. I think the man is reading the criticisms and laughing his butt off. "Ha! They fell for it again! And they didn't even get the joke! Now I've got them just where I want them. Bwahaahahanaha!"
Regards,
Joe

 

[Scott Kriefall]

This is the criticism I don't get. Does everyone think that JMS doesn't know this? ... JMS always sets up false expectations...

Yes, that possibility had occurred to me even though I didn't mention it in my earlier post. I perhaps should have prefaced my statements with "If this isn't a trick on JMS's part...".

Overall, I liked this movie and I do hope it becomes a new series. There's very little interesting sci-fi on TV now -- only Farscape, really -- that it'd be great to have another B5 series. And perhaps it'd even help to convince Warner to release more B5 DVDs...

 

[Rob T]

One question: How does this new series relate to the Crusade series, time-wise? I missed most of Crusade, unfortunately, so I'm unsure what happened. Did they find a cure, or is the alien disease still present on Earth at the time "The Legend of the Rangers" (and any new series) occurs?

it takes place about 2 years after Objects at Rest and the Telepath War has just ended so the Drakh plague has not infected Earth as yet, but in 2 and a half years, LOTR willbe in the time setting when Crusade took place and will resolve the plague problem.

 

[Patrick Cate]

I know I'll probably take some flack for my opinion on B5, but here goes:

I wish JMS would stop making any more B5 series period. Much like Galactica 1980 cheapened the original Battlestar Galactica series, I think all of these other B5 shows like Crusaders and LotR cheapen the original series. I also think they go directly against one of the things the original B5 series stood for. The original series was one story arc spread out across 5 seasons. It was a story that was supposed to have a beginning, middle, and an end. No more, no less. Instead of trying to continue making a B5 series, I wish JMS would put his efforts into make a completely new sci-fi story arc series that was as good as B5 was. Some B5 season DVD's wouldn't hurt either. As I said, in my opinion . . .

 

[todd s]

I think if LOTR is renewed as a series. You will see a conclusion to Crusade (ie-Similar to Millieniums ending on X-Files). Maybe someone has heard something more about this.

 

[Thomas D]

When I first saw The Gathering, I thought "Wow. This is going to be something special."

Legend of the Rangers' To Live and Die in Starlight just didn't have the same impact. Perhaps it's because the Babylon 5 universe isn't a new concept. Perhaps it's because the pilot movie looked like an average episode of an average science-fiction television series.

It reminded me of Space Rangers with a budget.

Re: The VR gunpod. I thought it was a neat concept, but it seemed rather silly in execution.

 

[nolesrule]

I wish JMS would stop making any more B5 series period. Much like Galactica 1980 cheapened the original Battlestar Galactica series, I think all of these other B5 shows like Crusaders and LotR cheapen the original series. I also think they go directly against one of the things the original B5 series stood for. The original series was one story arc spread out across 5 seasons. It was a story that was supposed to have a beginning, middle, and an end. No more, no less. Instead of trying to continue making a B5 series, I wish JMS would put his efforts into make a completely new sci-fi story arc series that was as good as B5 was. Some B5 season DVD's wouldn't hurt either. As I said, in my opinion . . .

Uh, this isn't a continuation of Babylon 5. It may be in the same Babylon 5 universe, but it is going to tell a different story.

As for something different, JMS is doing the series "Jeremiah" on Showtime. His comics "Rising Stars" and "Midnight Nation" are extremely well done. He wrote "Amazing Spider-Man" #36, Marvel's issue dealing with the WTC, and it brought tears to my eyes.

There's just a demand for stuff in the B5 universe. It doesn't have to be Baylon 5 though. If JMS has a story to tell in that universe, he should tell it.

 

[Mark Leiter]

I'm sad that I missed this show this past weekend. Hopefully theu will rebroadcast it again over the next few weeks. One thing I did notice was when peeps here talk about tis show they shorten the name to "LOTR".
Now just what are we talking about....
LOTR - Lord of the Rings
LOTR - Legend of the Rangers?????
i'm so confused..