Watching Babylon 5 in 2019

[DrNewGod]

So, been rewatching B5 (still in S1). Some of it has a real, relevant gut-punch.

Like multiple races doing stupid stuff because they're frightened, arrogant, or angry.

Like examples of Our Better Angels contending against Our Worst Reflexes.

Like stories of The Powerful looking to subjugate All Others

What do you see that JMS wrote 20+years ago that seems relevant today?

[Gray Lensman]

Personally, a corrupt president using xenophobia to tighten his grip on power.

[Scott Taylor]

To me, its about passing the torch and growth.

When the series starts, humans are new to space. When it ends, they are in charge of the space police force.

When the series starts, everyone in the galaxy is subject to the will of the first ones. By the end, everyone achieves independence (and all the good and bad it entails).

Generally the smaller story beats - Nightwatch, Mars, all the stuff with the Grey Council and the Centauri - are all about the growing pains for the individual races in the face of inevitable big changes to the galaxy itself.

The entire series can be encapsulated in the episode "Deconstruction of Falling Stars"

The lesson is that progress involves growing pains but its always worthwhile in the end.