InfiniteJesterII

I must say, I am surprised by the largely negative response this episode has been getting on IMDB. When I first saw it, I thought, without a doubt in my mind, that it would have to be above 9 at least, but to my shock was barely above 7. Seeing all the negative reviews, I must respectfully inquire, what was so bad about it? The only criticism I have seen leveled at this masterpiece of television storytelling is, and I quote this directly from the headings of multiple reviews, "boring!" This rather harsh criticism does not underline any issues with the episode itself, and it only speaks, I believe, to a certain close-mindedness in said reviewers that prevents them from experiencing stories that are not just the Mandalorian and Grogu going on adventures, from appreciating nuance and artful storytelling, and that represents a desire in said viewer to only see what is expected, the status quo, and not something that veers from that format and does something truly unique.

This episode presents multiple fascinating notions to the viewer. Most intriguing to me is the very thin line between the New Republic and the Empire, each being establishments based upon suppressing the individual voice, instead embracing conformity and silencing any variations from their ideologies when they are inconvenient. The New Republic, by not allowing Empire technology and science to be utilized for good shows an interesting facet of this government that I don't think has been explored in detail before. The episode also has fascinating and masterfully executed character and world-building which, considering the short time they had to accomplish this, shows the brilliance of the writing. We are shown a new side of the Empire in which, contrary to what was shown previously in the saga, the people inhabiting it are not necessarily evil, but through no choice of their own are forced into working for them, or if they did work for the empire by choice, that they question their actions and have a conscience. The aforementioned themes, in conjunction with the tone of mind-numbing bureaucracy and characters who seek to rebel against systems of oppression, whether they be the Empire or, in this episode's case, the New Republic, bear a marked resemblance to the themes of Andor, which is in my opinion the best Star Wars show to date. Also, the character of Dr. Pershing, who was a favorite of mine in the previous Mandalorian seasons, gets a chance to develop in a way that his previously insignificant role could not allow.

Suffice it to say, I was thoroughly impressed with the writing, acting, and pacing of this episode and hope to see more Star Wars like this.

In the Beginning is a brilliant film. The story is told through the framing device of an aging Londo Mollari telling a story to some Centauri children, a story of the events that led up to the creation of the Babylon 5 station.

Wow, J. Michael Straczynski is a genius. The way he weaves together plot lines, foreshadows seasons in advance and then follows up in the most stunning way later, it's astonishing. I found the fact that everything was linked, the chain reaction of events that set everything in motion, and the show's characters' involvement in said events to be, simply, brilliant. It is a love letter to the Babylon 5 fans who invested themselves in the four seasons that had been made up to this point, telling them that their investment was well worth it. The sheer satisfaction of seeing those plots unfold is well worth it. This film left nothing hanging, and it shed light on everything that had happened in the series up to that point, pretty much.

In the Beginning succeeds where other prequels have failed; take for example the Star Wars prequel films; they sucked for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones was that you already knew what would happen -- you knew Anakin would become Vader, that Palpatine was Sidious, and everything that was supposed to be shocking wasn't. This movie, however, enlightens the viewer in regards to things they didn't know yet -- mysteries that had not been revealed, plots left unresolved -- in a way that is satisfying. It ties into the series perfectly, integrating flashbacks and events from the series into the plot of the movie in a seamless manner. This, in short, is how you make a prequel.

Now, to review this film from an objective view point, and not from that of a fan: the writing was excellent, per expectation for JMS. The dialogue was great; the president's speech before the battle of the line moved me almost to tears, as did humanity's response, how they all opted to fight for their people despite the looming defeat that would almost assuredly befall them. The acting, too, was phenomenal. Mira Furlan as Delenn, I think, stood out the most to me; you felt for her as her mentor was slaughtered by the humans and she made a decision she came to regret. You felt for her as she saw the result of her actions, the endless slaughter of the humans, brought on by her. The toll the war took on her soul was apparent here, and Furlan portrayed it brilliantly. Also, of course, Peter Jurasik kills it as Londo, as always, and, in particular, one scene stands out: he says to the mother of the children to whom he told the story that he would wish only to walk with her on a beach for five minutes, and how he has moved so high up, yet asks for so little. That scene perfectly captures what I would imagine the life of a leader to be; you've been appointed to the highest position imaginable, the pinnacle of jobs; you have wealth, power, and you can exert your influence in any imaginable way, yet you long for your old life; you long for a simpler time, for simpler things. Londo's character here is a moving portrait of a leader with all the power in the world and no choices.

Overall, In the Beginning is a nearly flawless film that sets into motion the events of the series in the best of ways. It was one of the best installments in the Babylon 5 universe, and the best prequel film of all time.