rjdjones It's Babylon 5, and I really don't want to be critical because after the slow start of the first 2 series I really enjoyed the Vorlon/Shadow war. I'm watching it again on FX at the moment and I still like it.But this - what was the point in this extra DVD? Apart from a lame attempt to get more cash from the franchise just exactly how does it contribute to the storyline? From the start we get Lochley, a priest and a 'possessed' character.But, wasn't the whole point of the Vorlon/Shadow war to show that the whole angel vs demon thing was based on two groups of powerful aliens pissing around with people's lives just to prove a point - order vs chaos ... "who are you?" vs "what do you want?" and letting thousands/millions of others die while manipulating things from the background. Great, thanks very much, now clear off.Then this story goes against all of that and says - actually no, there are real demons, and a god, and all that stuff with the Vorlons etc. was just irrelevant - we are good catholics really. Yeah, right.This felt like a pointless miniplay and instead of bringing a much wanted return to the universe of Babylon 5 and what happened next ... it just leaves a nasty aftertaste.I won't bother describing the second story because I was nodding off before it finished anyway, not tired, just very, very bored.If you are really that desperate to see B5 again, I'd recommend just rewatching the old DVDs.

KoshNaranek Most reviewers here seem to be expressing extreme disappointment with Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark. These reviewers EXPECTED Babylon 5 as if the show had never shut down in 1998. They expected something of that level, and that is the problem, EXPECTATIONS. Well folks, a lot of the stuff needed to make something like that (the sets, CGI, wardrobe and props, etc.) NO LONGER EXISTS at Warner Brothers. It is GONE (destroyed, lost or sold off, respectively). Combine that with JMS wanting only to do some small short stories in an anthology format, NOT long arcs right now, AND Warner Brothers OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE TIMIDITY (always in TEST-THE-WATERS mode) when it comes to allocating money to ANY new Babylon 5 project, especially a new material Direct-to-DVD venture, and this is what you get. Given all of the above, I do not think JMS and Co. did a bad job. Not great, but not bad either. However, what B5 needs is a huge shot in the arm, something to revitalize that universe, and this low budget DVD of two 36 minute B-stories, with Warner Brothers still not deciding whether there will be more, isn't it.And no, the G'Kar and Franklin tribute/mention does NOT cause a continuity problem.Spoiler for the B5 TV series below.....In 2271 (Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark (2007)), G'Kar and Dr. Franklin and Londo are alive. "Beyond the rim" has two meanings: 1. Death and the afterlife. 2. The Rim of Known Space - the limit of what has been explored thus far. Beyond that limit lies the unknown. JMS used this as a double entente, and gave a nod to Andreas Katsulas and Richard Biggs in the sense of meaning #1, and in the story used it in the sense of meaning #2 regarding G'Kar and Franklin going exploring. 2262 - G'Kar and Lyta leave B5, and go off on their adventures together. 2264 - G'Kar and Lyta come back. Lyta to see Garibaldi. 2264 - The Telepath War. Lyta and Lennier die. (Crusade Writer's Bible) 2265 - Legend of the Rangers To Live and Die in Starlight. G'Kar is there.2267 - Dr. Franklin is on quarantined Earth, due to the Drakh plague. Crusade begins.2268 - The cure to the Drakh plague is found in year 2 of Crusade.2271 - Would have been Crusade's 5th year. B5-TLT-Voices in the Dark DVD2278 - Londo & G'Kar die (In the Beginning).2281 - Dr. Franklin is on Minbar, for the last get together before John Sheridan dies in Sleeping in Light. So, the little tribute to Andreas and Rick doesn't ruin ANYTHING.And BTW, this is **NOT** the worst B5 ever. That dubious distinction belongs to the B5 Legend of the Rangers pilot "To Live and Die in Starlight" (a.k.a. TLaDiS). I gave the B5-TLT DVD 6 stars, and was being charitible in giving TLaDiS 2 stars.

creitz I am an avid B5 fan, and I have all 5 seasons on video, which I watch over and over again. I think that it is the best TV SF series ever, and contains some of the most original ideas and finest poetic writing on television. Unfortunately, it went downhill with the appearance of "Crusade" and "Legend of the Raiders," both of which were dismal efforts. At the time, I wondered what JMS was thinking. There were so many imaginative stories and so many creative writers that he could have used. Why did he have to do it all himself? He could have delegated some of the responsibility. Now along comes "The Lost Tales" and I thought "Oh boy! More B5" and I rushed out and bought my copy. What a disappointment! What a travesty! What drivel! The first episode is like a grade 5 production of "The Omen" and the second episode is pointless and trite. The acting is terrible, consisting of vacant stares into space; the script is pedantic and dull; the sets are non-existent (a couple of armchairs, a corridor or two, a blue screen backdrop and a drawing of a large hanger). How could Bruce Boxleitner and the rest demean their talents in this way? The potential is still there. If Warner Brothers is still prepared to finance and distribute further productions, JMS should hire some top-notch writers and a couple of talented directors to come up with a worthy successor to the original series. Tough as it is to face up to, I think that JMS is burnt-out, and he should stick to writing comic books.

chrisklecker If one were to approach Babylon 5 The Lost Tales without watching the original series or even any of the movies, they wouldn't be lost in the plot, but as a seasoned and loyal fan of this series I found The Lost Tales to be a monumental waste of time and almost close to an embarrassment.The opening sequence throws the butterflies in your stomach into a dizzying whirl. The characters fly onto the screen in what I felt to be the most inspired title sequence since Season 5 (funny how each season's title sequence gets better) and some of the greatest music from Christopher Franke since the series' finale. However, once we finally dock with the Babylon 5 station and gawk at the tremendous size of the docking bay we are suddenly confined to quarters. In the original series there was a sense of size to the station. Here the station feels like a two bedroom apartment. We were confronted with a chorus of fascinating characters. Here the characters are few and they are all cardboard cutouts. What was once a thriving station seemed as if we are now watching everything after hours.Then comes the dialogue. JMS again proves his writing abilities are a cut above the rest however I found both plot lines to be rather dull and soulless. The first episode about demonic possession contain an interesting philosophy, but was soon crushed by Lockley's solution to the riddle that was presented to her and the priest. A simpleton plot found within a simpleton station. This rather minimalist approach to B5 was further annunciated by the second plot line. Are the actors so old as to remove any energy from the series? One has to admit that a lot of life from B5 was ejected the minute Season 5 started, yet, after watching The Lost Tales, Season 5 seems about as energetic as the rest of the series.Granted JMS gave nods to all characters not present and even gave a rather nice nod to Biggs and Kastulas, to go on with a series about characters when you have only two main characters from the show seems like a rather pointless venture, especially when The Lost Tales moves laterally. The plot lines don't even bring up unanswered questions from the original series except for perhaps Prince Vitari, the late emperor's son from Season 4.The Lost Tales is a grand idea in need of a few Red Bulls. Perhaps Copeland should just start a whole new series rather than straight to DVD movies. Introduce a new cast. Come up with a 5 year arc, with a few of the unresolved arcs from the last series. However rather than start 10 years later, why not start 15 years? That is, concentrate on David Sheridan as the main character, even though he is supposed to be 15 at the time. It seems from the original series, resolutions start to happen at around this time. David's 16th birthday is arriving, Centauri is about to be liberated, the IA could be shown as struggling and about to be crushed by the Drak. The telepath war about to take full force. Complete isolation from Earth due to the Drak Plague as a nod to the unfinished Crusade. So much material can be gone through and so much more could be accomplished. At this junction, I would be more excited to hear about this sort of series than the next installment of Lost Tales.