DS9 or Babylon 5

Superman · Fleet Admiral Joined: 06 Dec 2003 Posts: 10220

Okay, which one did you prefer?

Please be honest. Even though this is a Trek forum, if you like Babylon 5 better then be honest and say so. Your opinion is valid.

Personally, I think the early seasons of Babylon 5 were better than early seasons of DS9. But overall, I thought DS9 was better. Babylon 5 came close but I think DS9 had the better stories and a little bit more empathy with the characters.

What do you think?

Starfleet #327 · Captain Joined: 27 Aug 2003 Posts: 526 Location: Australia

I am voting for DS9. I haven't seen Babylon 5, But I have seen much of DS9. My reason for voting for it is simply that it is Awesomely Awesome

Raven · Ensign, Junior Grade Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 42

i said DS9, i don't watch Babylon 5 and Star Trek rulz!

Lindley · **Sun May 02, 2004 1:02 pm**

It varies. Both are two of the best SF shows in existence; anyone who hasn't seen one of them is missing out, big time.

For a while, I preferred B5, and in fact I voted that way since I think it has a more epic storyline overall.

At the moment, however, I'm liking the Spike DS9 reruns better than my B5 DVDs. I think I've just overdosed on B5 recently, and have to give it some cool-off time. Same thing happened with DS9 about a year ago.

voyager rules! · **Thu May 06, 2004 1:31 am**

Ds9. I'm sorry but i don't watch and don't like Babylon 5

Oliver · **Thu May 06, 2004 1:36 am**

Well, as I joined a Star Trek forum and not a Babylon forum, I think the answer is quite simple: STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE!

Lindley · **Thu May 06, 2004 3:23 pm**

I'm willing to bet that anyone who doesn't at least respect B5----even if they don't like it----simply hasn't seen it properly.

Those who have actually watched it in order, as it was meant to be seen, and still don't like it are in the extreme minority.

Paul Marshall · **Thu May 06, 2004 3:44 pm**

I have only watched a few episodes of Babylon 5 and I do like what I see, although I have see more DS9 and have kind of "fallen in love" with the characters so I will have to vote for it instead.

Leo Wyatt · **Fri May 07, 2004 5:58 am**

I have to say DS9

robbiewebster · **Fri May 07, 2004 7:33 am**

i liked them both but ds9 was better

Superman · Fleet Admiral Joined: 06 Dec 2003 Posts: 10220

Well, it's nice to know that some people were true to themselves in voting for B5. I know it's a Trek forum but it's refreshing to know people can be impartial.

There is one site where this topic would have degenerated into a flame war. I'm not going to mention the name of the site (it's a big, big Trek site though-hint, hint) but if I had posted this poll on said Trek site, I'd have received replies such as 'B5 sucks!'

I will say this though. I think DS9 has the edge when it comes to stand-alone stories. I could be wrong but I don't think there are too many B5 episodes that stand alone well. B5 really is a show you need to watch from the beginning.

L'ursa · **Sat May 15, 2004 2:01 pm**

LOL if that big big Trek site you mentioned is the site I am thinking of, it consists of 70% dead accounts and 10% duals - so it's waaaaaaay smaller than STV, strictly speaking

I think whether DS9 or B5 is better is a very difficult question.
The first seasons of B5 were excellent. But then the stories became a bit too little down-to-earth, if you pardon the pun. It became all too mystical.
What really was excellent throughout the series though, was the development of the characters, esp. of Londo Mollari. He was never the perfect hero nor the perfect villain. He was always shown as a man who has good intentions for his people but can't keep things under control. Through teh whole series, his character is gradually being revealed, layer for layer, like when you peel an onion.
And that's the case with many of the other main characters as well. They are almost always shown as complex personalities rather than the usual 2-dimensional SciFi characters.

DS9 on the other hand, had a not so good start, story-wise, but became better after a few seasons (esp. after Worf joined). Only Dukat and Damar switch between both extremes, the other main characters are almost always either heros or villains. Yet, they feel more familiar to me than the people from B5. I think that is because life on DS9 resembles our life more than B5. All the high-tech they use is somehow related to what we use. Also, it's all being explained in detail. We also see much more of the crew's private lives than we do on B5. The characters feel more familiar after a shorter time. They become like friends. This makes me feel more at home on DS9.

So I'd say I am 5/9: an early Fiver and a late Niner

FlangBG · Lieutenant, Junior Grade Joined: 03 Apr 2004 Posts: 82

It's hard for me to say, DS9 started out slow, then got very good with Romulans, Klingons, and the Dominion/Cardassian alliance.

B5 slowed down after the EA civil war at the forth season, the fifth was more of a prologue for Crusade.

DS9 had the occupation withdrawal and ingoing and outgoing at the beginning, like the others. Hints of the Dominion came around. They collided with the Founders and then at the time of the 4th season, all h$ll began to break loose with the war.

Sometimes i feel as if B5 started out calm toward the 3rd, suddenly the end of the Shadow War, then accelerated quickly into the EA Civil war, there was then a gap with Byron, Then the fall of the Centauri Republic with the Drakh into Crusade.

I liked both, even though both had some small lagging, for the following reason mostly, Begin-Middle-End.
End Occupation-More Explore-Founders-Pah-Wraith
Station Creation-Shadow War-EA Civil-ISA Formation

Superman · Fleet Admiral Joined: 06 Dec 2003 Posts: 10220

Reading the interesting replies here makes me very, very happy.

Like I said, a certain Trek site (a big, big one) would not have had such heartfelt and honest opinions. When I was a member of said Trek site (for about two months before I gave up and quit), I had people attacking me merely for expressing an opinion.

If I had posted this topic on that site, the replies would probably have went like this;

"B5 sucks! You suck!"
"This is a Trek site! Don't mention B5, it sucks!"
"B5 is a load of crap!"

But no, here people were honest and gave reasons why they liked either Ds9 or B5 better. Thanks, people, for restoring my faith in humanity.

The moral of the tale is this-there are nice forums on the net amongst all the abusive warzones, you just have to look for them.

~Voyager Fanatic~ · Super Genius Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 1787

I voted for Deep Space Nine, i don't watch Babylon 5

Nyrogen · **Fri May 21, 2004 6:16 am**

I don't watch babylon so DS9 it is then

DemonClassY · **Wed Jul 14, 2004 1:48 am**

DS9 of course, I think that I would pick Star Trek over anything.

Defiant · **Wed Jul 14, 2004 4:45 am**

Youre going to get a very biased opinion in the DS9 lovers forum!

I voted DS9.

Sonic74205 · **Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:09 pm**

I'm starting to get into babylon 5

The other day i fully downloaded the first episode of babylon 5 Crusade. I'm trying to download the normal babylon 5 but it aint working.

All in all though i voted for DS9

gul Lemek III. · **Sun Jul 18, 2004 2:50 pm**

I voted for DS9 cause i'm not all that familiar with babylon, but I'd like to be.

kokori · Ensign Joined: 12 Mar 2002 Posts: 60

Ive watched babylon 5 and im not crazy about it, DS9 has my vote.

DeltasVoyager · **Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:21 am**

ds9 all the babylon was'nt great at all

The Delta Flyer · **Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:03 pm**

Founder · **Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:11 pm**

The Delta Flyer · **Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:29 pm**

Sorry I phrased it wrong; I just meant that there was less build-up in DS9 than B5.