Listen to Episode 12

Babylon 5 Season 3 Episode 19: Grey 17 is Missing

This Week’s Guest

David Christopher Bell is a podcaster, Zomboy and Babylon 5 un-enthusiast. You can hear him on the “Gamefully Unemployed” podcast network. Search for “Gamefully Unemployed” wherever you get your podcasts or check out their Patreon.

David Christopher Bell, Zomboy David Christopher Bell

Dre Is Stunting

I don’t know why Dre thought this was such a great idea. He decided to pair the notoriously worst episode of Bab 5 with the guest our target audience is most familiar with. I see where he was coming from. David Bell is known for covering bad movies and trash TV on his podcasts.

Every Friday, David and his podcast partner Tom host a movie night that will usually be some forgotten relic that could be described as teeee-rash. Plus, David has a fascination with horror that extends to slasher movies. The presence of Robert Englund sealed the deal for Dre and there was no turning back.

End of Year Reflections

This marks six months of podcasting with Dre. For a peek behind the curtain, this all started when Dre asked me to be a guest on the Nerd! podcast to discuss Youngblood. That was in February, and the rest of the year has been all about getting our own show off the ground.

My original idea was to simply produce a podcast and find Dre a proper co-host for the show. Turns out it’s a lot easier when you just do the recordings yourself… at least at our level. I still cannot express my thoughts properly in conversation, but I like to think that I’m improving over time. That’s the problem with being a musician. It exasperates my drive for self-improvement.

I spent a summer touring with one of the Second City improv groups as the music director - which is as close as you can get to performing an improv show without actually being in the cast. I had to be on stage for every performance the entire time.

To be fair, I was on the side of the stage. But I was also responding in the moment with both planned and improvised sound cues. I got used to underscoring a lot of the scenes with light piano. That definitely led to my liberal use of underscoring in podcast editing.

But that is a far cry from having to run a show as a co-host. There’s an art to interruptions and flow that you cannot be taught. When Dre and I were working on the draw of the show, it came down to us. Meaning that we will have to be the personalities that people come back to. After all, the nature of the show is that it will completely change every season. I’m already producing episodes for season 2 that will be…

  1. Much Shorter
  2. On a completely different non-tv topic
  3. Completely alienating to people expecting a Babylon 5 podcast

Therefore, I gotta get gud if I’m going to draw anyone back for an alternate season. The one big thing we have going is that we’re not trying to monetize this thing while still pushing for weekly releases. This gives us time to improve and not obsess over metrics we have little control over.

Real Connections

But the best thing I get out of doing this is connection with the guests. I work from home which makes for a very strong family life. The downside is that you don’t go out as much and don’t have random encounters. You have to force activities to get out. Podcasting is a way to interact with my friends and people I admire in a regular pattern. After all, our network of friends and family is the best thing we can all have - and podcasting is enriching that part of my life so much.

I’m so glad to have Karl Wolf back in my life as a casual friend. We recorded a Mad Bread reunion episode on an episode that will be released soon. My wife has a huge network of email professionals that served up our first wave of guests. Most of them I had never interacted with. After having them on as guests, we’re friends for life,

Most of all, I have made a true adult friend in Andres. We talk a lot now - and not just about the podcast. It’s very difficult to make those kinds of friendships when you’re past 40, but it helps to find common interests. Social media has completely lost any draw it used to have for me. I live in smaller text groups and chats that I can post to… knowing that when I post a joke, it will be taken as such. That takes trust between people and I’m glad to say I can say anything to Dre and know that it will be taken the expected way.

Mike’s Image Picks

I went a little overboard here. Almost as many images as my full-season goofs per episode on Sucka Punches, Captain Ratings and Hair. Oh well, ‘tis the season and all…

Earth establishing CGI shot looks like somthing I made from Quaker Oats canisters in second grade.

Painted Land Earth, looking way beyond the valley of the uncanny

This total Jabroni really establishes the episode quality

In the wrong show Establishing that everyone on Earth is a scam artist

Ivonava realizes Franklin has been on his religious sabbatical for weeks

Still on sabbatocal? Everyone on B5 knows, loves and respects the Walkabout

MJs movie dad from Space Jam helps out

Taken down for my fake son's debts Hiding out here from collection agents

MJs movie dad from Space Jam gets eviscerated

Taken down for my fake son's debts Wait, that was just a role, I'm not his real dad!

Milton the Mimbari makes another appearance

Youy took my stapler Did you take my stapler?

Garibaldi forgets that Earth has a famous triangle and goes for the Centauri reference. So odd that he wouldn’t just say “Bermuda Triangle” after using so many other Earth idioms from the 90’s.

This guy watchaes too many Cantauri broadcasts I seem smarter when I reference Alien culture

Garibaldi will never pass up the chance to bring up strip clubs around female co-workers

Always at it, Garihorni Whatta Class A Perv

Neroon figures highly in this week’s B-plot. More important than the A-Plot and completely trounced by the shittiness of Jeremiah.

I'm here to fight Not a Klingon, but has honor

The most interesting thing in the show is over in a flash. We all wish they got more into the defense puppet.

Puppets really suck The hero of the episode

Jeremiah rambles on about his hand in a poorly-made Freddy reference.

Have you ever really thought about fingers? Needs a very specific glove

The peaceful Mimbari also have a warrior class and a ritual for killing each other? Right…

that hair! Marcus, always ready to die
He's still here Same with this freak

G’Kar gets in full makeup for a brief shot with no dialog.

Here stands a true mench Andreas Katsulas, whatta team player

In proud B5 tradition, Garibaldi pulls a sucka move on Jeremiah.

Sucka Grab! Gotta track the true B5 Sucka Punches

Lennier runs the numbers on Denn-Shah bets

Taking bets Lennier, the pit boss

OK, Andreas was in two shots. Well worth 8 hours in the makeup chair.

He's Back G'Kar gets another shot in

In their only appearance besides the opening, Sheridan and Ivonava provide the comedy.

Funny Sheridan Best line of the show

The least intimidating rubber booger monster in the series is taken. down by. an impossible weapon, improvised McGyver-style by Garibaldi. Why not the gun they were talking about for an entire scene earlier? I don’t know, JMS really lost the thread here.

Zerg Nasty Booger
Zerg!!!!! Taken down with with an improvised impossible pipe shotgun

What Did We Learn?

David Christopher Bell can podcast about anything

Next Episode

For the next full episode, we cover Babylon 5: Season 3 Episode 22 “Za’Ha’Dum” with just Mike and Dre. Coming to you Sunday, January 11th.

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Cheers, all!