As a Sci-Fi fan I’ve been a huge fan of shows like Battlestar Galactica, The Expanse, Terminator: TSCC, Star Trek, etc. I keep hearing Babylon 5 is awesome.
I was too young at the time to watch the series when it was on. But then as an older teen/ young adult I decided to give it a try. Everything was so cringe it was hard to get through 3 episodes. IMO the whole vibe was “safe…” maybe even a bit corny–not the intense, exciting, politically-tense space opera that I was told it was.
So maybe the beginning episodes are just world-building? What do other people think?
Don’t discount world-building and character development. There’s a scene in the penultimate episode of the series that seems simple, just two characters on a bare set, talking. Yet it hits so hard, because you know and care for them deeply after 5 seasons, you know their struggles, and you know what it means to them.
Though, not every show speaks to every person. I’d say stick it out until episode 8, “And the Sky Full of Stars,” and then stop if you’re not feeling it.
Also, remember that this show came out long before the streaming era. We couldn’t binge it, we got one episode per week. That left plenty of time in between to absorb the story and speculate about what was yet to come. There are a lot of levels, mysteries, and philosophical implications in there that might benefit from a slower watch.