Reviews

Happy I’ve caught up with the shows and I can listen on my Monday commute. No false advertising here, the hosts are an encyclopedia of Star Trek knowledge and great at connecting their first watch to both Trek and, in an oddly fitting way, organization leadership dynamics. If I have one frustrating it’s how not-encyclopedic their knowledge is of other influences of this show like Tolkien and classic sci-fi novels and movies. Not making the connections between Clarke’s Rama or well … (to avoid spoilers) lots of things in the Lord of the Rings has me yelling at my phone on the regular. Guys. Z'ha'dum —— The Bridge Of Khazad-Dûm. So many connections. Loving every minute, even the frustrating parts.

Babylon 5 For the First Time - Not a Star Trek Podcast is fun and unique take on Babylon 5. Two Guys who love Star Trek who also have Star Trek Podcasts are watching Babylon 5 for the first time giving it critical eye and seeking out those beautiful Star Trek like messages. These guys are genuinely, funny honest, and introspective. They bring completely different mindset and perspectives to certain themes, story beats, and characters that a long time fans of Babylon 5 fans will be both enjoy and get angered by but they're honest and direct about their feelings. They don't pander to other's opinions but welcome all sides and are active and responsive to the fan community. There were many times where I have disagreed with their opinions but I've also thoroughly enjoyed having my own opinions challenged and my feelings for the series grow through their challenge. For anyone interested in a great companion piece to the series or just another amazing Podcast to listen to, I fully recommend you watch their YouTube channel or enjoy it on your podcast app of choice. Babylon5forTheFirstTime gets 5 Star"Furies" out of 5!

A good buddy of mine had never seen Babylon 5 and agreed to watch it, unspoiled, and I’d watch one of his shows. He had stops and starts, life got in the way, but he said he’d get back to it. He passed away unexpectedly a year ago, and this podcast gives me the cathartic opportunity to go on that journey. Thank you!

(My name is Tony and this is my first ever podcast review. I never know how Apple is going to present my name or AppleID). I started a new job a few months ago that brought with it a much longer commute. I figured it would be a good time to find some podcasts to start listening to. In my search for a good sci-if related one I somehow stumbled on this one about one of my favorite shows ever, Babylon 5. I listened to Jeff & Brent’s first episode last month and I was immediately hooked. It’s been an absolute joy catching up and reliving this wonderfully complex show thru them as they watch it for the first time. I appreciate that “this is not a Star Trek podcast” but the hosts use that franchise as a springboard to compare and contrast the themes and structures of Babylon 5 while respectfully acknowledging that it is its own unique thing. With each episode they critique they are finding the joy (and warts) of the show that I made a point to follow every week almost thirty years ago. They love to make predictions about what the next episode will be about and where the storyline is headed. Sometimes I shake my head and laugh at how wrong they are/will be. But other times I get almost as giddy as my friend who danced on stage with Claudia Christian at a sci-fi convention many cycles ago when the hosts come really close in their predictions. It’s a blast! Jeff and Brent, keep up the excellent work and thank you for giving me (and others like me) something fun and worthwhile to listen to on my Monday commute to and from work.

(My name is Tony and this is my first ever podcast review. My AppleID is a weird conglomeration of letters and numbers). I started a new job a few months ago that brought with it a much longer commute. I figured it would be a good time to find some podcasts to start listening to. In my search for a good sci-if related one I somehow stumbled on this one about one of my favorite shows ever, Babylon 5. I listened to Jeff & Brett’s first episode last month and I was immediately hooked. It’s been an absolute joy catching up and reliving this wonderfully complex show thru them as they watch it for the first time. I appreciate that “this is not a Star Trek podcast” but the hosts use that franchise as a springboard to compare and contrast the themes and structures of Babylon 5 while respectfully acknowledging that it is its own unique thing. With each episode they critique they are finding the joy (and warts) of the show that I made a point to follow every week almost thirty years ago. They love to make predictions about what the next episode will be about and where the storyline is headed. Sometimes I shake my head and laugh at how wrong they are/will be. But other times I get almost as giddy as my friend who danced on stage with Claudia Christian at a sci-fi convention many cycles ago when the hosts come really close in their predictions. It’s a blast! Jeff and Brett, keep up the excellent work and thank you for giving me (and others like me) something fun and worthwhile to listen to on my Monday commute to and from work.

It took me several episodes to warm to the hosts of this podcast, but eventually their enthusiasm and insight won me over. As a B5 fan who’s watched the show through at least 4 times, I’m loving the chance to vicariously watch it with fresh eyes. The predictions and theories on what’s coming up next are alternately hilariously off-kilter and breathtakingly accurate, and I particularly enjoy hearing them get to know the characters I’ve been in love with for years. Writing this when they’re about halfway through season 2, so a third of the way through the whole show. Very much looking to the remaining two-thirds!

I am so glad I found this podcast. Babylon 5 is a complex TV series that requires real attention, an appreciation of character development, and the ability to detect and understand nuance. Brent and Jeff are absolutely those people! The sound quality is incredible, absolutely the best of the other B5 podcasts out there, and these two really work well together. It is refreshing and exciting to hear real professionals doing their thing. This podcast lets me relive some of the greatest times of my life. I was just out of university when Babylon 5 started airing. Bright-eyed and naieve, B5 did more to prepare me for the real world than uni did. So, THANK YOU Brent and Jeff for letting me see this series, again, through the eyes of someone watching it for the first time. I HIGHLY recommend this podcast. Even if you haven't watched Babylon 5 before, their insights into this masterpiece are stunning!

I just binged all the episodes through now, so I have to give this podcast a 5 star review. Keep it Up! They just finished “All alone in the night” when I wrote this review. To the hosts: Keep in mind that even the ancillary characters are the heroes of their own stories, even if we don’t see them on B5. People like Bester or Neroon have their own motivations and stories, and we only see those when they intersect with the B5 plot: they aren’t there just to move the B5 plot along, but have their own interests and motivations as well. Just be glad you don’t have the season long waits, or the mid-season breaks, like those of us who watched in the first run put up with. Spoiler alert: Each season’s opening credits is a spoiler on its own. Season 3 big time, but please don’t skip it. Those of us who watched the first broadcast didn’t know what it meant until later, but we were rapt in anticipation due to that spoiler tease.

Jeff Akin and Brent Allen openly and honestly reflect on their own experience while watching the science fiction series Babylon 5 for the first time. I’ve been saying for years that Babylon 5 is the best TV series ever written, for a whole host of reasons. And by extension, this podcast by Jeff and Brent is the best Sci Fi oriented podcast I have ever seen. So why is that? Well two reasons. Jeff and Brent’s own conversation has evolved in just one and a half seasons. They may not even be aware of how they have changed - as individuals and together as people engaged in a shared experience. But that is what turns good science fiction into great science fiction. We, the viewers, are changed in a very fundamental way after experiencing it. We are forced to do a deep dive into explorations of human behavior whether it be how we deal with our fears - of the unknown, of those who are different from us - or how we behave in the face of human suffering - I encourage anyone that likes science fiction to tune in as Jeff and Brent discover what it means. To be part of the human race in times such as this. The second reason is that the podcast production is truly top notch. Well done!

I was late to Babylon 5, but really enjoyed it when I watched the series several years ago. (I should have watched it sooner.) I've enjoyed following along in real time as the hosts discover the ins and outs of the show. They have a good rapport and are really good at thoughtfully discerning and discussing the themes of B5. It's quickly become one of my favorite podcasts.

I've been following a DS9 re-binge podcast for the past few months, and as I caught up to current episodes, I needed to find something new - I went looking for something B5, and I couldn't have done better. As an old Trek and B5 fan, this is a real kick. Well produced and entertaining. I know B5 like the back of my hand, but following these two through their own journey of discovery is almost as good as watching it for the first time again myself.

I’m a B5 vet, but it’s been a blast re-watching B5 week-to-week with these guys, and experiencing it through their eyes. With their encyclopedic knowledge of Star Trek, they bring a great perspective on the show. It’s clear they are putting a ton of work into the show, watching episodes multiple times, taking detailed notes, etc. I’m also impressed by the willpower it must take to not skip ahead and bing the show.

This podcast has it all. Intergalactic discussion, thoughts on alien hairstyles, and a penalty buzzer. I grew up watching Babylon 5 and now I get to enjoy new perspectives as the hosts document their first time. I also get to laugh when predictions for future episodes are far from accurate while muttering under my breath “just you wait.” If you’re looking for a Babylon 5 journey, this podcast is it.

I’ve been a life-long Trekkie (I remember watching TOS with my Dad as a little girl in the ‘60s) who somehow missed Babylon 5. I am enjoying discovering this show right along with the podcasters. Great job!

Experience Babylon 5 through the eyes of two Star Trek podcaster’s who bring forth new insights and hilarious commentary as they journey through the series from some initial skepticism to appreciation. They stick to the “no spoilers” theme which makes this a true “first time experience.” If you liked B5, this is the chance to join them and revisit the series yourself. If you’re a hard core fan, you’ll find new things that you may have missed the first time as they focus deeply on the little things that tease out the B5 universe.

As a big B5 fan as well as a Star Trek fan, I am enjoying your ride. There is so much ahead for you on this journey, and listening to your comments reminds me of how I had to be dragged into the show by a friend and am eternally grateful for the gift he gave me. This was a show that received terrible marketing in the US, often placed at 4am on the network. I would set the VCR (yep, that old) to record it, and I missed 30 minutes of one episode because the network randomly changed the time. I was up every morning super early to watch it after that point to make sure I never missed a moment. I hope you get to that same point when each show is a roller coaster of good stuff that you can't wait until you see the next episode.

Started out feeling like two Trek bros were going to snigger at B5 while mispronouncing G’Kar, Lennier, and Ivanova’s names. But stick with them: the focus on comparing to Trek leads to some unique responses to some episodes, and near the end of S1 they’re appreciating B5 for itself. Plus hilarious guesses about the story arcs!

I’ve been a fan since the beginning…not “In the Beginning” but since Feb 1993 when the PTEN network released The Gathering (yes with the Stewart Copeland score). I have participated in, seen and heard many Babylon 5 blogs, vlogs and podcasts; many of which I have enjoyed. But what I really love about these guys is the JOY I hear in their delivery and the honesty in their critiques. There is an art to having fun with a review, but also being true to the critical analysis. So if you are a fan of Babylon 5, I urge you to give Jeff and Brent a chance. I think they will surprise you…even for old “First One” fans like myself. I’m jealous that they have so much ahead to enjoy and discuss.

Babylon 5 is my favorite scifi show of all time. Over the years I've seen it many times, experiencing the joy of watching a story well told and grinning at all the clues and foreshadowing the JMS laid along the way. But there is another way to expeirence Babylon 5; watching it for the first time. Not knowing what would happen; being surprised at the twists and turns, and ultimately being satisfied by a show that balanced character and plot in a way that no other show has done since. Brent and Jeff are watching Babylon 5 for thst first time, and as a veteran fan, going on this journey with them brings back all the fun memories from my first time watching the show. I'm looking forward to seeing what they think about the show and how that changes as the seasons go by. If you are a long-time fan, or a brand new fan looking for someone to share the experience with, check out Babylon 5 For the First Time.

Really enjoying this podcast. It’s fascinating to see their theories and ideas of the show change the more they watch it. I’m especially interested (and a bit afraid ) to see how they react to all of the changes that Season 2 brings. As both a heavy Trek fan and B5 fan, it’s wonderful to see more fans of one series branching out to see what the other series has to offer. Some is better, some not, but the enjoyment of both can really lead to some great understandings of what make great sci fi. Keep up the great work….you have a dedicated viewer here.

I am not much into podcasts, I am more of a YouTube guy that watches podcasts. There is only one podcast on Your that I can't wait for the next one to come out on YouTube and never miss a single thing they do. That is of course, Babylon 5 For the First Time- Not a Star Trek Podcast. Their study and disection of episodes are both thought provoking and accurate to a degree, and also wildly funny for how way off they are, and yet others they are so close to being correct but screwed up a few major points that I want to leave spoiler comments, but refrain. An attention grabbing podcast that all sci-fi fans should be listening to if not watching on YouTube.

Great analysis of the greatest show of all time. The guys do a great deep dive into every episode and bring up things I've never thought about before.

I’m so glad I found this podcast. I rewatch the series every year, so it’s refreshing to have a first timers point of view after all this time. As Big Star Trek Fans, I was worried they were simply going to compare the two shows all the time, but they give insightful opinions and theories that demonstrate they are invested in the show and have really come to embrace the differences as well as the similarities. Thank you guys for helping me relive when I watched Babylon 5 for the First Time!

I am a huge B5 fan. I watched it when it first aired, and have since rewatched it multiple times (I'm introducing it to my wife now. We're on season 4, no spoilers). So when an ad popped up on the Overcast app for B5 For the First Time and it said "Not a Star Trek podcast", I was intrigued, as I am also a Star Trek fan, but consider them vastly different. I started at Parliament of Dreams, but had to go back and listen to the rest. Jeff and Brent are highly entertaining. I love listening to their banter, I love their prediction game for the next episode, and I absolutely love their theorizing (right or wrong). I just finished listening to Chrysalis, and all the predictions and wondering where plot threads would go reminded me of watching it way back when, wondering where it was all going to go. I'm excited for them to jump into season 2 and beyond. Thanks, guys, and keep on chucklenuggeting!

This podcast is awesome! Babylon 5 is a show that changed my life. It changed the way that I perceive the world, media, religion just to name a few. I can’t wait to continue to see these guys experience the show… for the first time.

As a nearly lifelong Babylon 5 fan who also likes Star Trek *BUZZ*, I've really enjoyed this podcast. There are times when I am SCREAMING about how wrong (or right) you are with your predictions. Many times I yell out "Just wait!" I also can't tell you how tickled I get to see you experience it for the first time. listening to you fall in love with the characters is the highlight of my day. I'm nearly caught up and will hate having to wait a whole week between episodes. You summed it up great in Voice In The Wilderness Pt 2 though. "This isn't Star Trek. This is Babylon 5."

I followed Jeff here from his SFLA podcast and this has quickly become one of if not my favorite podcasts. Unfortunately I’m almost caught up, and will soon need to wait on new episodes. It’s entertaining to listen to what you get right and wrong, and I can’t wait for you to find out for yourselves!

One of the fun parts of watching new people watching Babylon 5 is seeing where they think it's going, whether they're right or wrong and especially when they get it right and wrong simultaneously. That happens frequently with these guys and it's great.

After several Star Trek Podcasts these two gents turn their eyes to the best alternative to Trek SF series of the 90’s. Their years of podcast experience gives the pair a smooth chemistry, excellent timing and advanced insight to SF tv tropes. Trek looms over their frame of reference but the 3 strikes gimmick (only 3 Trek mentions per person per show) adds an extra layer of fun when listening. If you’re new to B5 due to its availability on HBO max, this is a great companion podcast fir it.

In the beginning, it was easy to tell the hosts were Star Trek fans and not sure about Babylon 5, but were willing to give it a shot. Now, near the end of season one, it's pretty obvious they are Babylon 5 fans. They've pointed out aspects of the show I'd never noticed - and I've been a fan nearly 30 years. During that time, I've listened to several Babylon 5 podcasts but enjoyed this one the most. It's almost like I'm watching it for the first time, again.