[TriLUG] Off Topic: Enterprise...

[Rev. Christian J Hedemark]

Scott writes:
> Babylon 5 was breathtakingly different with its storyline "arcs"; each
> episode had threads that resolved, but there was a background story that
> unfolded over a series of weeks and months.  Central characters left the
> show and new ones entered, and it actually made things more engaging.

You just summed up the best and worst parts about B5.

If you were able to catch every episode, it was a great space soap opera.

However, once I missed two eps in a row, I found I could no longer follow it
and stopped watching altogether.

I think the series that pulls this off the best is Farscape.  Brilliant show
if you've never seen it.  In case you haven't, the basic premise is that an
early 21st century human astronaut accidentally flies through a wormhole and
gets flung to unknown parts of the Universe, which is heavily populated with
a diverse array of alien life.  Unlike B5 and Trek, the aliens don't speak
English (they addressed the translation issue right off in the first
episode).  Yes their fix was cheap & puts translation in the background
(unlike the new Trek series where it can be a major hurdle to overcome).
But they addressed this.  They also address other important bodily functions
that are practical considerations in space.  For example, how do you brush
your teeth when you are thousands of light years from your bathroom?  Of
course these are minor elements of the show but it shows that the writers
consider things that the Trek & B5 writers forget about.

Reverend Christian J Hedemark II
Hillsborough, NC
http://yonderway.com
"Those who are willing to sacrifice essential liberties for a little order,
will lose both and deserve neither." - Benjamin Franklin