Not Exactly the Last, Best Season

I'm now six episodes into season 5 of Babylon 5 on DVD, which I think is roughly the point where I decided the first time that it had gotten boring and quit watching. I am enjoying it more this time, though. Yeah, the plot can't help but be kind of anticlimactic after the epic events of season 4, but it's got quite a lot of good character moments, especially from Londo and G'Kar, who don't get nearly enough screen time but are always marvelous when they do.

Unfortunately, if it's got good character moments, it's got less in the way of good characters than previous seasons. Yes, I miss Ivanova a lot, and can't help but lament seeing her replaced with Lockley, who rubs me entirely the wrong way. OK, sure, it took me a while to warm to Sinclair and to Sheridan, too, but I have the feeling it's going to take longer than the show's got left for me to warm to Lockley. (By the way, was it the original pilot where Londo's voiceover talks about Babylon 5 being under "its last commander?" Heh. JMS was pretty darned good with the continuity, but, boy, did that one turn out to be off.)

And even more annoying than Lockey is Byron, a pretentious prick who makes me want to reach for the fast-forward button every time he's on screen. (Oh, Lyta, Lyta, you can do so much better. I mean, OK, yeah, I guess he beats an abusive Vorlon, but only just.) Really, it's enough to make me want to root for Bester. At least he's unlikeable in that creepy-cool guy-you-love-to-hate kind of way.

But, anyway. I am definitely going to make it to the end of the series this time, if only because I'm tired of hearing about the final episode and its capacity to make a grown fan cry secondhand.