Before the 1990s, TV science fiction was perpetually behind the eight ball with the general public. Whatever seemed profound and provocative to hardcore sci-fi fans was sometimes obscured by aesthetics or a perceived lack of believability. Sure, Captain Picard was inspirational on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but the coziness of that kind of space opera also sometimes felt more like fantasy than science fiction. Did people use the toilet in the future? Would they really dress like that?
Starting in 1993, the same year as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one space-based sci-fi show dared to do what was then the unthinkable. Instead of making its space heroes seem cool, slick, or collected, Babylon 5 took a more straightforward approach: what if these characters weren’t role models, but just regular people? All five seasons of this groundbreaking show have just returned to Amazon Prime Video, and if you’ve slept on Babylon 5 over the years, or it's been a while since you’ve watched, one reason to revisit it is its subtle yet essential groundedness.
