Jumpgate: The Babylon 5 Re-Watch Podcast

Hey Jumpgate fans. Andy here. There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out and say it: Jumpgate will be removed from our host Podomatic immediately. We will archive the complete show on the Jumpgate Google drive, for easy downloading later, while still keeping Season One up for anyone who hears of us. We had a lot of plans when the show wrapped, but unfortunately Life Itself had other ideas. Thank you all for being a part of a great era in our lives. And be good to each other... because if you don't, who will? You can find the archived episodes at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Rkxa61haX2jpfspvvJqyNPmbShu6NB_p

WARNING! THIS EPISODE IS TOTALLY NOT SAFE FOR WORK! We aren't joking! Seriously! This completely useless and unnecessary episode of Jumpgate has Andy, Jinny and Nick letting their hair down (as the Earthers say) and getting their spirits up... specifically, Cap'n Morgan's Spiced Rum, Black Russians and Gin and Tonics! Thus inebriated, they are unleashed upon what is considered to be this season's worst episode: Infection! So, to one and all, we say Skol! Slainte! Prost! Cheers, mate! See you all in 2015!

We've reached the end of season one last week, and this week we kick back and get all nostalgic and retrospective about each character on the show and their arc for the season. Where did they start? How did they change? Where did they end up at the end, and why? And HOW, for the love of all the Centauri gods, can we possibly top ourselves next season!? A HUMONGOUS THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FANS! THANKS FOR GIVING US A CHANCE! SEE YOU ALL IN 2015!!!

Working on a tip given by a dying informant, Garibaldi races against time to prevent the death of President Santiago, only to be betrayed by his second in command. Delenn embraces a prophecy and activates a machine that will bind her in a gigantic cocoon, to change into something amazing or die trying. G'kar leaves for his homeworld to research a mysterious ancient enemy after a major Narn outpost is destroyed by Londo's "associates". Oh, and Sinclair and Sakai are gettin' hitched! Season finale time? Oh, you betcha! Join us for wild speculation about Narn sexual prowess as we ask "Where does the *third* one go?" this week on Jumpgate!

Doctor Franklin investigates a woman using an alien machine to perform healing miracles in Downbelow. Talia Winters goes into the mind of a psychotic killer, sentenced to "brain wiping" for his crimes. Meanwhile, Londo and Lennier go on a wacky misadventure in the Dark Star. Join us for Centauri anatomy, Minbari-Fu, and beautiful exotic dancing Drazi, this week on Jumpgate!

A surge of tachyon emissions heralds the re-appearance of Babylon 4, which disappeared mysteriously years ago. Garibaldi oversees an evacuation of the half-crazed skeleton crew, while Sinclair and Babylon 4's commander interrogate a squirrelly little man named Zathras. We LIVE for the One! We would DIE for the One! This week on Jumpgate!

The conclusion of the two-parter! As Delenn, Mollari and Draal race against time to calm the Heart of the Machine, a mysterious alien race appears to claim it! Can a new caretaker reverse the impending destruction of Epsilon III, defeat the alien menace, and save Babylon 5 itself? Join us for AWESOME space battles and Varn: Unplugged! this week on Jumpgate!

Seismic disturbances on Epsilon III, the planet below B5, prompt an investigation from the station. Can Sinclair and Ivanova discover the source before the planet shakes itself apart? Join us for Garibaldi's budding career in magic, this week on Jumpgate!

A Minbari warship arrives at Babylon 5 bearing the body of their greatest military leader, but when the body goes missing it could threaten to start another Earth-Minbari war! Join us for Pak'ma'ra jokes that stink worse than their stomach contents, this time on Jumpgate!

Sinclair is once again targeted by his political enemies when Earthforce Colonel Ari Ben Zayn attempts to discredit every decision made by the Commander. Things get ugly when the Colonel reveals a longstanding grudge, and and forces Sinclair into a deadly endgame. Join us for Psi Corp Lite, a rousing bar brawl, and human symbols of sexual prowess, this week on Jumpgate!

Babylon 5 is visited by one who seeks the Holy Grail, while a man who suffers a curse desperately tries to save the station... by never leaving. Join us for new babies, speculations on faith, and a CGI NOPEtopus, this time on Jumpgate!

Garibaldi's friend, a fallen prizefighter, arrives on the station to reclaim his lost honor in the Mutai, while Ivanova sits Shiva for her father with an old family friend. Join us for Rocky references and crunchy fried treeworm, this week on Jumpgate!

Londo accepts delivery of an ancient Centauri artifact as the raiders press their assault on Babylon 5 in order to acquire it. Meanwhile, a mysterious man named Morden asks the ambassadors a very important question. Join us for historical bad-assery, a comprehensible Vorlon warning, and Schmooples! This week on Jumpgate!

An illegal dockworker's strike shuts down commerce on Babylon 5. As tensions mount, the Senate votes to invoke the Rush Act to empower Sinclair to break the strike by any means necessary. Join us for discussion of epic Centauri trolling and Spoo-On-A-Stick! This week on Jumpgate!

Garibaldi is implicated by an injured worker when an explosion rocks the Cobra bays a few hours before an important visit by Earth President Santiago. With time and leads running out, Garibaldi must struggle to find the real culprit, while on the lam from the President's head of security, a woman with whom he shares a troubled past. Join us for the stunning realization that Guile's Theme really DOES go with everything, this week on Jumpgate!

An alien family brings their terminally ill child to Babylon 5, but will not allow a lifesaving operation for religious reasons. Dr. Franklin's medical ethics slam full-force into Sinclair's edict of non-interference, with life-changing ramifications. Join us for a gloppit omlette and a rousing ethical debate this week on Jumpgate!

When a wanted War Criminal from the extinct Dilgar race arrives on the station, she reveals a secret that could throw the galaxy into chaos! Join us for chick fights and Jovian Sunspots in the Hour of Scampering, this time on Jumpgate!

Sinclair is kidnapped by a mysterious duo bent on extracting secrets deep inside the hole in his mind, locked away since the end of the Earth-Minbari War. Join us for gentle retrospectives about war, this week on Jumpgate!

When a racist underground group called Homeguard threatens the mission of Babylon 5 with increasing attacks on the station's alien population, it's up to Sinclair and Ivaonva to bring them to justice. Meanwhile, Londo plays cupid for a pair of young Centauri lovers at the behest of a Minbari poet. Join us for armor-piercing insights, space racists, and eating kittens, this time on Jumpgate!

When radically augmented telepath Jason Ironheart comes to Babylon 5, the Psi Corps isn't far behind! Can Talia and Sinclair protect him from capture and dissection? This episode marks the first appearance of fan-fave Al Bester, a psi-cop with a nerdy voice and a bad attitude. Join us as we talk about beings of pure energy and drink some Zima, this week on Jumpgate!

Sinclair invites all the major races on Babylon 5 to participate in a festival of religious celebrations to promote peace and understanding, but a deadly assassin is sent to the station to kill G'Kar! Join us as we discover mysterious red fruit, gods for all occasions, pain, fear, and death in this exciting episode of Jumpgate!

Dr. Steven Franklin's old mentor smuggles an unknown biological samples aboard Babylon 5, and asks his protege to help him assess their value. Before long, the samples infect his murderous assistant, unleashing a deadly biological monstrosity upon the station! Join us for Nietzsche quotes, raisin pie and a discussion of Klingon anatomy, this week on Jumpgate!

During an important negotiation with the Narn, Ambassador Mollari falls victim to a sexy slave girl, who steals his Purple Files, which have enough dirt on the great Centauri Families to bring down the Empire. Join us as we discuss cheap props, the new Nintendo Vir and ask "Where are the cheetos!?"

A mysterious alien is rescued from a wrecked ship that emerges from the Jumpgate. He is a Soul Hunter, a race feared by the rest of the galaxy, and told as bedtime stories to Minbari children. Awakened and loose on the station, Garibaldi and Sinclair must race to rescue Delenn from the Soul Hunter's clutches, before he harvests her soul from her living body! Join us as we talk about the Singularity, life after death and little tiny pickle grabbers, this week on Jumpgate!

When the Narn attack the peaceful agrarian colony of Raghesh 3, Londo becomes enraged and threatens to sink the entire sector into war! We digest the actual first televised episode, talk about Ivanova being naked, and the marvels of Spoo!

In which we discuss the Babylon 5 TV movie pilot, The Gathering. Some say it's the most boring work of the whole series. What do we say? Listen, and find out!

Welcome to Jumpgate, the new Babylon 5 Re-watch Podcast! It's been 20 years since breakthrough CGI and a few million tons of spinning metal captured our young fannish souls in a little glowing sphere and showed us that televised SF could be more than Trek. Babylon 5 set the stage for many of the fantastic things in this golden age of TV we are now priveleged to experience. Arc Stories? B5 did it first. Deep, flawed, complex characters? Over a dozen of them. They changed over time, fell in love, fell in battle, saved the galaxy, and changed the way we see episodic drama forever. Before it even began, USENET newsgroups carried it's standard, and shouted it's battle cry: No cute kids, no robots, EVER! As old-school B5 fans (and one Noob, along for the ride!) we are proud to bring you our insights, jokes, and even some misty nostalgia every other week. We're also doing something unusual for such an old show, which is bringing it to you as spoiler free as possible. Of course, there are tons of websites, wikipedia and a host of other resources that were simply unavailable on the nascent World Wide Web in 1994. But we'd like to think that those who haven't watched the series in it's entirety will appreciate the journey, and maybe discover something awesome for the first time. In this inaugural episode, we won't be discussing the show at all. Calm down, we'll get to it. But for now, this podcast is about reacquainting people with the "TV landscape" (for lack of a better term) in the late 80's and early 90's. Much like good food, we feel that context enhances the re-watch experience. It's easy to forget, especially if you lived through it, just how different it was 20 years ago, based on which series got green-lighted, much less got decent ratings. If you have a favorite SF show from the time, we probably mention it and comment upon it. From Captain Power to Quantum Leap, from Star Trek: The Next Generation to The X-Files, we gotcha covered! We hope you have as much fun listening as we did making it! Join us, then, as we go back to the Beginning... the Dawn of the Third Age of Mankind!