Yeah, and honestly I wish modern shows would do more of that, because that way you get the best of both worlds - the ongoing metaplot and also individual episodes that are focused on other things, so you can still have bottle episodes, holiday episodes, spotlight episodes on specific characters outside the dictates of the main plot, etc.
Agreed! I really did not watch enough television over the last quarter-century to tell when the shift occurred—I assume it had a lot to do with streaming and the ability to drop an entire season at once which made everything much more like a miniseries—but I like the tonal range available to the longer season and the more discursive format and I like how much more it feels like hanging out in a world rather than being told one specific story about it. Babylon 5 has some completely, randomly disposable episodes about which I remember nothing and it also has some completely, randomly transfixing episodes which aren't the hinges of the metaplot. Except in the sense of character development, "Dust to Dust" is not an especially plot-relevant episode! Half of it is a mystery of the week and the other half is pure vibes! But there's room for it in this style of show.
I remember noticing even in the earliest episodes that he's one of the people who most readily makes friends with the nonhumans on the station (he invites Delenn over to watch movies with him, even not really knowing her yet!).
I completely forgot about movie night with Delenn! Yes. And of course he's one of Londo's original friends on the station. I just realized this is one of the reasons that his dislike of Bester doesn't come across as bigotry, either. Garibaldi gets along with so many different sorts of people, alien or not, the telepathy isn't going to make a difference. The Psi Corps ethos and Bester's personality, however, are a bit of an impediment.
no subject
Agreed! I really did not watch enough television over the last quarter-century to tell when the shift occurred—I assume it had a lot to do with streaming and the ability to drop an entire season at once which made everything much more like a miniseries—but I like the tonal range available to the longer season and the more discursive format and I like how much more it feels like hanging out in a world rather than being told one specific story about it. Babylon 5 has some completely, randomly disposable episodes about which I remember nothing and it also has some completely, randomly transfixing episodes which aren't the hinges of the metaplot. Except in the sense of character development, "Dust to Dust" is not an especially plot-relevant episode! Half of it is a mystery of the week and the other half is pure vibes! But there's room for it in this style of show.
I remember noticing even in the earliest episodes that he's one of the people who most readily makes friends with the nonhumans on the station (he invites Delenn over to watch movies with him, even not really knowing her yet!).
I completely forgot about movie night with Delenn! Yes. And of course he's one of Londo's original friends on the station. I just realized this is one of the reasons that his dislike of Bester doesn't come across as bigotry, either. Garibaldi gets along with so many different sorts of people, alien or not, the telepathy isn't going to make a difference. The Psi Corps ethos and Bester's personality, however, are a bit of an impediment.