The Best And Worst Episodes Of Babylon 5

SciFiNow strikes again. It wasn't all that long ago I offered up a Ten Of The Best list according to SciFiNow's website. The lists, both provided by SciFiNow, don't match. This once again proves the point that these lists are entirely subjective and provided by more than one writer or at the very least a writer that has had a change of heart.
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One salient point was fairly suggested by Author John Kenneth Muir over at the outstanding Reflections On Film/TV. At a bare minimum, SciFiNow covers the classics and will spend time on a classic every issue. That's saying alot when most science fiction magazines wouldn't touch subject matter pre-Transformers. While we may not always agree with their choices, at least it generates discussion, maybe debate and at the very least may give a new generation pause to check out something that was on the air when they weren't even a sparkle in their mother's eye or their mother was barely a sparkle in their mother's eye.

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This Best And Worst Episodes Of Babylon 5 list comes by way of SciFiNow Issue #3 and a segment dubbed Modern Classic. The best 5 portion of the list does not even mirror their own Ten Of The Best list. That's fine. It's just worth noting. This list further does not compute with my own well-considered Babylon 5 BIG 10 list.

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Without further adieu here are the two lists for your dissecting pleasure.

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The Worst:

1. Grail [Season One, Episode 15]

2. Gropos [Season Two, Episode 10]

3. Racing Mars [Season Four, Episode 10]

4. Atonement [Season Four, Episode 9]

5. The Very Long Night Of Londo Mollari [Season Five, Episode 2]

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Interesting enough, not a single one of these episodes made my BIG 10 list or my Close Calls. I may not agree with SciFiNow often, but I do believe these selections were fair. If I recall, Atonement was the best of these five Worst entries. Further, I completely understand the problems with The Very Long Night Of Londo Mollari. That episode felt forced and awkward as much as I understood what J. Michael Straczynski was trying to do in that Season Five episode. I just felt taken out of the drama a bit by that point, but then I felt that way about much of the forced Season Five. Having said that, the aforementioned episode should probably NOT rank among the Worst, nor should Atonement or Racing Mars.

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The Best:

1. Babylon Squared [Season One, Episode 20]

2. Divided Loyalties [Season Two, Episode 19]

3. Z'Ha'Dum [Season Three, Episode 22]

4. The Deconstruction Of Falling Stars [Season Four, Episode 22]

5. Sleeping In Light [Season Five, Episode 22]

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One thing is certain, while ambitious, there isn't a chance in hell The Deconstruction Of Falling Stars would make my Top 5 list. Further, Divided Loyalties is also not one I would place in a Top 10. Interesting to note, neither The Deconstruction Of Falling Stars nor Sleeping In Light [arguably deserving of a spot] landed in the earlier Babylon 5: Ten Of The Best entry. In fact, apart from the amazing Z'Ha'Dum, these select choices would not be in my Top 5. The little things in life do leave us scratching the old melons. As a fun aside, it's fascinating to see that which appeals to one person is entirely unappealing to another- life, politics, the opposite sex and even science fiction I suppose.