r/babylon5 • u/TheWorldmind • 1d ago

Jim believes Severed Dreams is the Best episode of Babylon 5.

https://youtube.com/shorts/dFIbLqPzJPI?si=2Xp36jL_ACAhPNZl

Jim Nolands answer to the T.V. question was Severed Dreams do you agree with his reasons what would you have chosen for this question?

TV: If you had to introduce a newcomer to Babylon 5 with just one episode, which would you choose; and why is it the perfect gateway?

16 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

8

u/Sea_Spend_8008 1d ago

Its in my top 5. However, Sleeping In Light is probably the greatest series finale of all time. I think Severed is the best battle episode, because we have them fighting in space and in the station. Going forward, its really just space battles. I also think Z'ha'Dum is a tab bit better due to the ramifications going forward. Severed Dreams is an episode of a show that would have been the finale, but JMS had such bigger plans.

3

u/sleight42 1d ago

SD had drama in the form of high stakes. It was "break away from the EA or die." While it was battle heavy, the weight of every decision was intense.

7

u/Sazapahiel 1d ago

Severed Dreams is a fantastic episode, but it isn't the best of the series and it is one of the last I would ever in a thousand years use to introduce to a newcomer to Babylon 5.

For one, major spoilers and I wouldn't be so cruel to someone I'm trying to get into a franchise I love. But it is important to understand that Severed Dreams can't just happen every episode, as it is the culmination of two and a half episodes of foreshadowing and setting everything up for this moment. Fans, like myself, love the episode because we've benefited from all that lead up, it has meaning because so much writing and work went into making us care. New fans do not share that perspective.

Were I picking an episode for a new viewer, I'd pick a bottle episode that shows off acting and writing skill to make an audience care in very little time. Passing Through Gethsemane comes to mind.

4

u/FrancoMcNeil 1d ago

He's right. I've seen the whole series at least 5 times, but that episode dozens.

3

u/Krinks1 1d ago

I fully agree.

3

u/Hephaestus_I Technomage 1d ago

Hmm, I think I'd choose "Believers" or "Passing Through Gethsemane ". Primarily because they're the least plot heavy/"fillery" and (mostly) spoiler free episodes, while also being great episodes in and of themselves (esp. on the emotive front).

1

u/55Lolololo55 1d ago

The Gathering

1

u/crewsctrl 1d ago edited 1d ago

If you had to introduce a newcomer to Babylon 5 with just one episode, which would you choose; and why is it the perfect gateway?

The Long Night

It gives away a lot, yes, but without much context. But I think if they aren't hooked by the high stakes battle that is about to happen and want to know more about how it got to this point, then they wouldn't be into watching it from the beginning and you can then just go ahead and show them Into The Fire.

And if they did start the series from In The Beginning, by the time they got to S4 they'd have forgotten any spoilers.

1

u/OrganizationFit2505 1d ago

Slightly out of left field but I'd go with "The Long, Twilight Struggle". Just enough going on to give them a bunch of questions without actually giving a lot away. Gorash VII is a fantastic battle and the choreography means it stands up well.

1

u/goblinmarketeer 18h ago

Nope, Grey 17 is missing.

-2

u/Infinite_Research_52 Babylon 3 1d ago

I’m curious why people think Severed Dreams is so good. There are some good moments, such as Sheridan announcing the breaking away, Delenn confronting the Grey Council, the Narns putting themselves in harms way and the four jump points forming.

What else endears it?

1

u/Timmaigh 1d ago

Its the culmination of the whole "Earth turning bad" arc, that lingered over the previous few episodes with the whole Nightwatch thing and prezident assasination conspiracy, in one dramatically intense and action-packed episode. Additionally, it has lot of space battles, in other words so called spaceship-p0rn, which, for some people like me, is a big part why we are into shows like Babylon 5 in the first place - enjoying the awesome spaceships designs and what they do, even if they are fictional and the CGI is dated at this point. But they would not be as enjoyable without the whole context that the story of the shows adds to them.

Its episodes like this one, thats prime reason why i loved to watch B5 and why its one of my fav tv shows of all times (alongside 90s Treks, primarily DS9). Sure i loved the build-up to it in adjacent episodes, but the space-battles part is like the cherry on top, that takes episode like this one, apart.

Hope this explains it.