Talk:Babylon 5: In the Beginning

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Watching order?

This article should mention the best order in which to watch In the Beginning (ItB) relative to the Babylon 5 TV series.

Newcomers to the series will inevitably be tempted to watch this before the series, which I consider a major mistake (see below).

I can think of 5 places where to watch this movie:

1. Watch it as the very first introduction to the Babylon 5 universe (even before the pilot The Gathering)

+ this is favored by the Lurker's Guide

+ can be used as a hook to introduce the Babylon 5 universe, specially since "The Gathering" is comparatively much weaker

- constitutes a MAJOR spoiler for the series: the mystery of the Earth-Minbari war, the characters of Delenn and Sinclair, Londo's role in the Shadow war...

2. Watch it at the end of season 5, between "Objects at Rest" and "Sleeping in Light"

+ no spoilers and a very effective way to end the Babylon 5 part of the series

- there are already too many other movies in that "spot" (River of Souls, Legend of the Raiders, A Call to Arms) that don't have much to do with it.

Hence I feel it would be pulling the viewer in too many different directions (who wants to jump from River of souls to ItB?)

3. Watch it after Crusade (and save "Sleeping in Light" for the very end)

+ this is the chronologically "true" place (Londo tells the story in 2278, after the events of Crusade)

- makes the viewer watch all of Babylon 5, all of Crusade before returning to the beginning!

- leaves viewers that would rather not watch Crusade (since it's incomplete) out cold

4. Watch it at the end of season 4, just before the final episode "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" (DFS).

+ ItB was originally aired on January 4, 1998 which is right between DFS (October 1997) and Season 5 (end of January 1998)

+ I place it just before DFS to get a better chronology: ItB looks at Babylon 5's past, DFS at its future so watching DFS first would be weird

+ removes the "clutter" at the end of season 5

- it does not exactly fit the ongoing story: during the episode before ("Rising Star"), Londo Mollari is just being considered for the title of Emperor, he is NOT Emperor yet!

- also during the beginning of season 5, Londo Mollari is still not Emperor! He will only be crowned Emperor during "The Fall of Centauri Prime (episode 5x19)

5. Watch it during season 3, between the episodes "War Without End I" and "War Without End II".

This would be my favored time to watch ItB. Rationale:

+ again removes the "clutter" at the end of season 5

+ can be conceived as a story told from within the time loop that occurs then (a prequel told by someone caught in the future before the story returns to the present? Whew!)

+ ItB is definitely part of the human/minbari soul cycle which ends with the episode "War Without End II"

- causes some spoilers for season 4, but it shouldn't be too bad (for instance, the events in "Atonement" - the soul hunter - is actually better seen after watching ItB)

But I think it's definitely a tricky question anyway!

Any diehard Babylon 5 fans out there, what do you think? 71.240.11.207 19:50, 21 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have just watched the complete Babylon 5 / Crusade cycle again and I agree that the best time to watch In The Beginning should be during season 3,
between the WWE episodes. Technically, the movie fits in seamlessly if you watch in this order:
- watch up to WWE1, included
- the teaser and the first act of WWE2
- ItB
- rest of WWE2 and continue the series

MCSmarties 16:27, 18 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Could you confirm this is your favourite watching order?

The Gathering
Signs and Portents
The Coming of Shadows
Point of No Return up to War without End I
In the Beginning
War without End II
No Surrender, No Retreat
Thirdspace
Wheel of Fire
The River of Souls
The Legend of the Rangers
A Call to Arms
Crusade
The Lost Tales: Voices in the Dark

Thank you
David Latapie (✒ | @) — www 11:48, 18 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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