Babylon 5: The Gathering
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| Director(s) | Richard Compton |
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| Distributor | Warner Home Video |
| Honors | |
| In spring 1993, a year before the Babylon 5 series was launched, the two-hour movie and series pilot "The Gathering" staked out the initial territory, introducing primary characters (some of whom would never appear again) and sketching the alliances and rifts in interplanetary diplomacy. The central story involves the attempted assassination of the newly arrived Vorlon, the mysterious Ambassador Kosh, at the hands of (perhaps) Commander Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O'Hare). This is the reedited cut released on video, a stronger, more engaging film than the… | |
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Amazon.com
In spring 1993, a year before the Babylon 5 series was launched, the two-hour movie and series pilot "The Gathering" staked out the initial territory, introducing primary characters (some of whom would never appear again) and sketching the alliances and rifts in interplanetary diplomacy. The central story involves the attempted assassination of the newly arrived Vorlon, the mysterious Ambassador Kosh, at the hands of (perhaps) Commander Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O'Hare). This is the reedited cut released on video, a stronger, more engaging film than the original, but still a broad first stab at characters that would be redefined through the course of the show's run.
"In the Beginning," produced between the fourth and fifth seasons, packs all the history alluded to in "The Gathering"--and more--into a prequel stuffed to the hatches with the epic doings of Earth, Minbar, Narn, and Centauri in the days before the Babylon stations were built. Infused with epic sweep and storytelling confidence by producer-writer Michael J. Straczynski and his cast and crew, it's an elegant, compelling addition to the Babylon 5 universe and a dramatic highlight of the series. It's not an ideal introduction, though, as it gives away the shadowy history slowly revealed through the first three seasons. --Sean Axmaker
Barnes and Noble
Barnes & Noble
Babylon 5 makes its long-awaited DVD debut with the two TV movies that carried the sci-fi series through its transition from syndication to cable TV. The first film here, The Gathering, began its life as the pilot for the series and aired in 1993, but not in the form included here. This version of The Gathering is a 1998 edit, recut to weave in a new subplot, tighten up some character drama, and serve as a pilot episode for the series relaunch on TNT. Minor tweaks aside, the two-hour movie introduces a handful of characters -- only a few of whom later returned -- and echoes its series contemporary, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, with its story of a neutral, nonpolitical space station that acts as a hub for four warring alien races in the year 2257. The second movie in this collection, In the Beginning, functions as the series prequel. Also aired in 1998 in connection with the TNT move, it served as a comprehensive introduction for new viewers and afforded revelatory payoffs for seasoned fans. The story fleshes out B5's previously shadowy history and the events leading to the space rivalries that fuel the series. In a sense, the movie is the pilot that The Gathering wasn't, offering glimpses at the histories of characters who became central as the series evolved, particularly Andreas Katsulas' G'Kar, Peter Jurasik's Londo Mollari, and Bruce Boxleitner's John Sheridan -- who did not even appear in the 1993 movie but was a main character throughout the show's run. Stuart Gazzo
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