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Jul 17, 2020 · 1. Babylon 5: The Gathering (22nd Feb 1993) 2. Babylon 5: Season 1-4 (26th Jan 1994-27th Oct 1997) 3. In The Beginning (film, 4th Jan 1998) 4. Babylon 5: Season 5 (21st Jan 1998) 5.
- Overview
- Viewing order table
- Frequently cited viewing orders
- 'Hybrid' viewing orders
- Distinctive viewing orders
- Detailed viewing order comparisons
- Page Changes
This page outlines the different viewing orders suggested over the years and compares them in detail.
Fortunately Babylon 5's original broadcast order doesn't significantly disrupt the viewing experience, so viewers looking for a hassle-free option can safely watch the show's five seasons in the original broadcast order, DVD order, or HBO Max/Tubi order without major issues and leave the ardent fans to sweat the details. Also the TV movies and spin-offs (apart from the pilot movie The Gathering) are not integral to the main story so they can safely be left until after the main show.
Crusade spin-off original broadcast order does
Added to this, the showrunner J. Michael Straczynski (jms) has confirmed he's happy to leave fans to discuss different viewing orders and he hasn't stated a preference:
The three most frequently cited viewing orders are detailed below - click the column headers to sort the table. More detailed comparisons of the different orders can be found in later sections.
Original Broadcast order
The order in which everything was originally broadcast in the US - this matches the order on the DVD boxsets and on most streaming platforms (see later for differences on HBO Max). Commentary: For the most part this order doesn't disrupt the viewing experience, however there are a handful of minor continuity issues which, based on comments from jms, seem to come from a small number of episodes having had their positions shifted for production reasons: •Delenn's agents use the triluminary in Legacies, but she doesn't receive it until three episodes later in Babylon Squared. •Talia says she doesn't want to be part of Psi Corps in Soul Mates, but her motivation to feel that way comes in the next episode •Sheridan discovers the truth about what happened to the Icarus in In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum, but when he hallucinates in the next episode (Knives), he still sees it exploding. •In Sic Transit Vir we see Drazi & Vree ships patrolling the station, but the Babylon 5 defense treaty isn't signed until the next episode (A Late Delivery from Avalon). •Londo & G'Kar leave the station for Centauri Prime in Strange Relations but then they appear on-station two episodes later in Day of the Dead. •The TV movie The River of Souls was broadcast two episodes earlier than it should be within the timeline of the show.
Lurker's Guide Master List
This order comes from the very popular fan site The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5, which was maintained during the show's original broadcast and collated jms' comments on Usenet and other online services. One of the outputs of the site was the "Master List": a re-ordering of the original broadcast order, taking into account comments from jms indicating when episodes had had their positions changed due to production issues (e.g. delays in finalising CGI). The Master List page claims (without citation) that jms had given his blessing to the adjustments for Season One and Two. Features: This order moves 7 episodes within the show's five seasons, based on comments from jms (described in more detail in later sections) addressing the continuity issues described in the previous section. It also inserts some of the TV movies within the run of the show, although not consistently - some are inserted chronologically but others are listed separately from the main show as spin-offs. Commentary: •The major point of debate is the placement of the prequel TV movie In the Beginning at the start of the viewing order. This is based on a post from jms suggesting it gives a stronger start for new viewers - it was originally broadcast at the start of the show's re-run by TNT. However because the movie deals with some plot elements which don't appear until later in Seasons One and Two, many prefer to preserve the experience had by original viewers and for it not to be watched first. •Additionally the order is not entirely consistent as it chose to ignore some comments from jms which indicate a change to the planned order (for example the placement of Mind War, four episodes in the second half of Season One and the position of Passing Through Gethsemane). Moreover one of the order's changes debatably creates a new continuity issue. •Some also prefer not to interrupt the flow of the final episodes of Season Five by inserting TV movies within them, as this order does.
Historical Database
During the run of the show Terry Jones (user b5historyman) began compiling the Babylon 5 Historical Database. This involved scouring each episode (and other B5 media) to pick out references to events past & future, as well as establishing dates for events within the show itself where possible - including a presentation of the episode order based on where they occurred chronologically. During Season Five, after being sent a copy of the chronology, Fiona Avery (Babylonian Productions' Reference Editor) asked to use the Database as an in-house document to support the production of the show, and later updates were made in collaboration with Babylonian Productions and jms. The chronology was published in The Official Babylon 5 Magazine, and again later in the book Across Time and Space. The latter also included a less in-depth chronology compiled independently by I. Marc Carlson (which placed the finales, TV movies & spinoffs in the same positions as the Historical Database, but makes no adjustment to the broadcast episode order within each season). In an introduction to the book, Fiona Avery said "both [timelines] have the authorization of J. Michael Straczynski". Note the episode order presented is an approximation of a "true" chronological viewing order, as some episodes include flashback/forward scenes within them. Features: This order repositions 14 episodes within the show's five seasons, based on evidence from the episodes and other media (described in more detail in later sections). Most significantly it moves the Season Four & Five finales outside their respective seasons, based on the chronological setting of their framing stories. The TV movies & spin-offs are inserted within the run of the show, again based on the time frame of their setting. Commentary: Although this gives the order in which events occurred 'historically' according to this authorized internal production document, whether this always presents the best viewing order depends on individual taste. •For example in Season Five, Day of the Dead is placed before Learning Curve by the historical analysis, but this has the effect of revealing the nature of Lochley's connection to Sheridan with an off-hand comment in Day of the Dead, which can then make the playing out of that as a mystery across Learning Curve & Strange Relations seem a bit redundant for some viewers. •Similarly for the Crusade episode Ruling from the Tomb, the historical analysis places it after Each Night I Dream of Home. This is due to dating cues within the episodes, but has the effect of Lochley & Gideon seeming to introduce themselves to one another despite having already met. •The Historical Database order maintains the original broadcast order for Sic Transit Vir and A Late Delivery from Avalon, which the Lurker's Guide switched based on jms' online comments. •For the TV movie Thirdspace, some viewers prefer the placement suggested by the Lurker's Guide instead of the more complex placement borne out by the historical analysis (it places the Minbar-based scenes of Moments of Transition before Thirdspace but the station-based scenes of Moments after Thirdspace.) •As with the Lurker's Guide Master List, some also prefer not to interrupt the flow of the final episodes of Season Five by inserting TV movies and Crusade within them, despite their chronological timing. Similarly with the Season Four finale (The Deconstruction of Falling Stars) some prefer the original placement (since parts of the episode follow directly from the previous one) rather than moving it out of position for chronological reasons.
In the years since the show's broadcast, some have chosen to pick different elements from the frequently cited orders. Some examples:
blackcoatcowboy's order: Posted on the b5tv.com forums in 2009, making the bold (but unattributed) claim that "this is how [jms] wants it to be viewed". The episode ordering within each season, the placement of Thirdspace, and the ordering for Crusade match the Lurker's Guide; whereas the Season Four & Five finales, and the remaining TV movies have been placed as per the Historical Database.
Alkibiades410's orders: Posted on the b5tv.com forums in 2016. Their "preferred continuity" order matches the same mix of Lurker's Guide & Historical Database order as suggested above by blackcoatcowboy, except that it places In the Beginning first and uses a different ordering for Crusade (discussed later). Their "chronological" order mostly matches the Historical Database order but instead opts for the Lurker's Guide placement for In the Beginning, Thirdspace and Day of the Dead.
In 2020 the Grey Sector blog suggested a viewing order placing In the Beginning in original broadcast order, Thirdspace as per the Lurker's Guide, and the remaining spin-offs after the main show in chronological order.
Ideal Intended order and Ideal Chronological order: Based on the above fan discussions, the Ideal Intended order is an enhanced version of the Lurker's Guide order which adds three personal preference decision points and uses an improved Crusade order. The Ideal Chronological order is an enhanced version of the Historical Database order which makes five changes across Seasons Three, Four, Five, and Crusade. These community created orders are located here.
Focused Story order: Some prefer to focus on "the story of the last of the Babylon stations" as the story told across the five seasons of the main show. This then considers the spin-offs separately - almost as 'short stories' set in the same world as the main 'novel' of the show - viewing them after the main show (in chronological order) to avoid breaking up the pacing of the main series. The exception is In the Beginning which connects directly to the overall story of the series and can sit well as a prologue (although as with the Lurker's Guide, a first-time viewer starting with In the Beginning is debatable - they may instead prefer to watch it chronologically at the end of the other TV movies to avoid any spoilers).
More recently there have been viewing orders suggested which take more radical approaches:
HBO Max: The streaming service HBO Max presented the episodes in original broadcast order for Seasons Three through Five. However for Season One four episodes are in different positions (including the two moved by the Lurker's Guide) - whether by accident or design, this order matches an online post from March 1994 by jms written after only the first eight episodes had aired, describing the planned schedule for the remainder of Season One. For Season Two, again four episodes are in different positions but here HBO Max seems to follow the episodes' internal production numbering (which in many cases matches the changes in the Lurker's Guide order). Unfortunately in the case of Divided Loyalties and The Long, Twilight Struggle the change creates a minor continuity issue. This order was also used when the series later appeared on the Tubi streaming service.
Modified Production order: As a part of a Kickstarter update for his upcoming book All Alone in the Night: The Making of Babylon 5, Jason Davis detailed his suggested viewing order based on the episodes' internal production order (with some adjustments for auctorial intent). This gives a very different order for Season One, while the changes for Seasons Two through Five are generally consistent with the Lurker's Guide Master List.
Character Arc order (Season One only): This order was created by user gs4291 in 2020, with the original aim of constructing a self-evident episode order for Season One without having to default to the original broadcast order (as most other re-orderings do). After finding internal story continuity only gave half the data points needed for a 'complete' ordering, they then also looked at how characters' interactions change over the course of the season. The final result moves 8 episodes when compared to the Lurker's Guide order, and is intended to not only set up and pay off plot developments in the most rewarding way, but also to give the most satisfying arc of character development to as many characters as possible. The detailed analysis behind the order can be found here.
TV movies & Spin-offs
While there is some debate around the ordering of episodes within each season (see later sections), the majority of the viewing order debate is around when to view the Season Four & Five finales and the Babylon 5 TV movies/spin-offs. This section compares the following orders: •Original Broadcast •Lurker's Guide •Historical Database •Focused Story order The Gathering Note 2: Since A Call to Arms is a backdoor pilot for Crusade it goes at the start of Crusade References
The Gathering & Season One
There's less of an obvious through-line tying the first season together since the story hadn't yet got to the point where each episode flowed directly into the next. As a result there's more space for fans to find details within the episodes which suggest alternative orders. This section compares the following orders: •Original Broadcast •Lurker's Guide •HBO Max •Historical Database •Character Arc order •Visual Evidence order •Modified Production order References
Season Two
The storytelling starts to become more serialized in Season Two and a number of significant turning points in the premise of the show mean there's much less ambiguity to episode ordering compared to Season One - the focus is more on correcting for post-production delays. This section compares the following orders: •Original Broadcast •Lurker's Guide •HBO Max (unfortunately in the case of Divided Loyalties and The Long, Twilight Struggle this order makes one line in Twilight not make sense. The Modified Production order follows this order, but with Loyalties and Struggle returned to their broadcast order) •Historical Database Episodes \tOriginal Broadcast \tLurker's Guide \tHBO Max \tHistorical Database Points of Departure\t1 \t1 \t1 \t1 Revelations\t2 \t2 \t2 \t2 The Geometry of Shadows\t3 \t3 \t3 \t3 A Distant Star\t4 \t4 \t4 \t4 The Long Dark\t5 \t5 \t5 \t8.5[2. 1] Spider in the Web\t6 \t6 \t6 \t6 Soul Mates\t7 \t7 \t7 \t7 A Race Through Dark Places\t8 \t6.5[2. 2]\t6.5[2. 3]\t6.5[2. 4] The Coming of Shadows\t9 \t9 \t9 \t9 GROPOS\t10 \t10 \t10 \t10 All Alone in the Night\t11 \t11 \t11 \t11 Acts of Sacrifice\t12 \t12 \t12 \t12 Hunter, Prey\t13 \t13 \t13 \t13 There All the Honor Lies\t14 \t14 \t14 \t14 And Now For a Word\t15 \t15 \t13.5[2. 5]\t15 In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum\t16 \t16 \t16 \t16 Knives\t17 \t15.5[2. 6]\t15.5[2. 3]\t13.5[2. 7] Confessions and Lamentations\t18 \t18 \t18 \t18\t19 \t19 \t19 \t19 The Long, Twilight Struggle\t20 \t20 \t18.5[2. 8]\t20 Comes the Inquisitor\t21 \t21 \t21 \t21 The Fall of Night\t22 \t22 \t22 \t22 References
Note: Before making significant changes to this page, please be sure to first discuss them on the talk page, to ensure the changes have a consensus with other Babylon 5 fans on Fandom.
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Babylon 5 is an American space opera media franchise created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label in association with Straczynski’s Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Television. After the successful airing of a pilot movie, Warner Bros. commissioned the series as part of the ...
Apr 29, 2024 · "Babylon 5," seasons 1 through 4 (January 26, 1994 to October 27, 1997) – TV series "Babylon 5: In the Beginning" (January 4, 1998) – TV movie "Babylon 5," season 5, episodes 1 – 17...
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Feb 25, 2021 · Published Feb 25, 2021. Babylon 5 paved the way for many series to follow, but despite its popularity, the show ended after five seasons. Hailed as one of the great hits of the early '90s, the science fiction television series Babylon 5, created by Michael Straczynski, was ambitious and intricate, weaving long-running story arcs and delivering ...
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“Babylon 5,” seasons 1-4 (January 26, 1994 to October 27, 1997) – TV series “Babylon 5: In the Beginning” (January 4, 1998) – TV movie “Babylon 5,” season 5, episodes 1-17 (January ...
All Seasons. Season 1 - Signs and Portents. Movies Pilots. SPECIAL 0x1 Babylon 5: The Gathering. February 22, 1993. Syndication. The Vorlon ambassador is nearly killed by an assassin shortly after arriving at the station, and Commander Sinclair is the prime suspect. Behind the Scenes/ Makings Of. SPECIAL 0x11 The Making of Babylon 5.
