Although I’ve not yet mentioned it here until now, my rewatch of Babylon 5 (instigated by the long-awaited/long-doubted release of the entire series on Blu-ray at long last) continues apace. Admit it, you all thought that the box set was another destined to be left on the shelf like so many others.
I’ll probably get into more detailed posts as I progress, but for now… For now, a curious thing that I thought I’d mention. I’ve watched all of Season One and am now six episodes into Season Two, and its kind of weird, but the second season is proving more troublesome than I’d expected, rather contrary to my expectations (and general fanbase opinion, which has it that Season One is a bit of a rocky ride and the show doesn’t hit its stride until Season Two). As it turns out, I really enjoyed the first season and its the opening episodes of the second that’s proving troublesome.
I think its how I’m doing this rewatch, going straight through all 110 episodes (well, that’s my intention, albeit its still early days yet). Season Two is distinctly NOT the ‘more of the same’ approach most returning series take. When originally broadcast, there was a natural break between the two seasons and in hindsight, I think that helped with regards the changes, key of which was the change in series lead. Series One headliner Michael O’Hare (playing B5 commander Jeffrey Sinclair) left the show during the hiatus, replaced by Bruce Boxleitner playing new commander John Sheridan. At the time, the reasons for O’Hare’s departure weren’t given, but following O’Hare’s untimely death in 2012 (aged just 60), series creator J. Michael Straczynski revealed that O’Hare had been suffering from mental health issues and had been struggling during production of the first season, instigating his departure.
Funny thing is, having obviously seen the show before, I knew what was coming, but I don’t think I was quite prepared for just how much of a change it was. Bruce Boxleitner is so very different to O’Hare in personality and approach, Boxleitner clearly very high-energy rather than the more internal, subdued O’Hare: Boxleitner would tone it down as the series progressed but in the opening few episodes of Season Two he is very gee-whiz, ‘Buck Rogers’ in style; no doubt some of it simply excitement at the new acting gig and trying to find his place in the well-established cast (as series lead, after all).
In hindsight, maybe it was also a requirement from JMS as a series adjustment; watching Season One again, I noticed how Michael O’Hare’s Jeffrey Sinclair reminded me of Martin Landau in Gerry Anderson’s Space: 1999. Landau was similarly miscast as series lead, more fitting as a bureaucrat than action hero/station commander, and while in some ways its exciting, casting against type, it would appear that while B5 was consciously a different beast to Star Trek, maybe JMS recognised he needed a bit more James T. Kirk than originally envisaged.
In any case, there’s several things changing between the two seasons, but the change in lead has proven surprisingly polarising for me. I guess I’ll settle into it in a few more episodes, just as Boxleitner himself settled into the show but all the same, I found it surprising this time around. I miss Michael O’Hare more than I expected; he was pretty great.
the ghost of 82 