Michael
O'Hare
I think Babylon 5 is a spectacular science fiction program. I am simply astonished how well J. Mickael Straczynski has been able to keep this intricate story so well focussed over the years, and I will be VERY VERY unhappy when the 5-year plot runs its course in two years. The various starship designs and alien civilizations are unique and beautifully executed. The underlying technologies and scientific principles including its work-horse hyper- dimensional, jumpgates are intriguing and not as scientifically offensive as people constantly getting 'beamed' around.
I am constantly intrigued by the many different levels of stories going on simultaneously. As I would expect, the Babylon 5 universe contains many races with many different degrees of sophistication and political agenda. There are enigmatic Old Races who have had interstellar travel for millions of years. There are younger races such as Earth, who have only just entered this arena. There is a sense of tremendous HISTORY to this epocal story, with complex plots and surprising directions and turns. Races are represented as 'dimensional' with enigmatic philosophies and a rich internal culture. This is in distinction to 'other' science fiction series which offer the 'alien of the week' and NO continuity between one episode and the next...which is my all- time biggest complaint about science fiction on TV over the last 30 years. In Babylon 5, I actually get the feeling for the first time, that Earth and humans are not the focus of the story, with aliens cast as 'furniture'. In fact, humans are a minor part of the Babylon 5 epoc and the series could just as easily have been written with no humans involved. It's ratings would of course plummit!
As for the actors and actresses who make Babylon 5 come to life every week, what can I say, they are simply the best:
I have to say that my favorites are Bruce Boxleitner, Mira Furlan and Claudia Christian. They play their roles with great enthusiasm, and are very believable. Beyond the parts they play, I find myself especially taken by Mira Furlan's poignant letter which expressed her concern and anguish over her country's fall into an unspeakably cruel civil war. I also admire Michael O'Hare's support of many programs and causes.