Who are you? What do you want? B5 S5
5x04 A View from the Gallery, really liked it. to have an ep from the point of view of a working crew was quite original. this and the premiere ep 5x01 No Compromises were the strongest from the 1st part of the season. Lochley made a strong impression on me in 5x01, she feared less well in her 2nd ep 5x04, though. unfortunately, these relatively strong eps were followed by a string of less remarkable/desirable/uneventful ones.
for a reason I cannot fully comprehend - other than some financial limitations imposed by TNT maybe? - the regular cast got considerably less screen time this season and the recurring characters too appeared in fewer eps than before, it would seem. it was a damn shame! most eps in the first half of the season featured sth like three characters out of eleven from this terrific ensemble.
5x11 Phoenix Rising, up to this point, the most satisfying episode, providing resolution to the telepaths storyline and exercising continuity from 4x22 The Deconstruction of Falling Stars in a brilliant manner - this is truly B5's strong point! alas, I was more that pleasantly surprised that the storyline with the telepaths proved not to be the main one for the season and ended much more quickly than I was afraid it would; I was dreading for it to become the next Garibaldi storyline from Season 4.
also, I never warmed up to Byron, so was kinda glad his character wasn't explored any further. he let the character of Lyta shine, for which I was more than glad. come to think of it, if CC hadn't left, Lyta would never have been given the spotlight - cause it was initially Ivanova who was to be romantically involved with Byron; so at least, there's that.
and also, on a shallow note, my 2nd ship (or is it 3rd counting Talia and Garibaldi as my 1st, Sheridan and Delenn as 2nd) Lyta and Zack, carried from this point on a renewed hope to yet be.
also, I loved Bester mentioning Asimov and his Laws of Robotics - that was genius! I seem to have grown to really like Bester this season more and more with each ep. he's so educated, it's impressive.
Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics:
5x12 The Ragged Edge was a step in a good direction. the storyline re-focused on the Centauri and the Narn and on personal relationships within the crew; this ep especially focused heavily on these three aspects.
5x13 The Corps Is Mother, The Corps Is Father, up to this point the most innovative ep this season!!! a deeply engaging story, almost like a short movie about Psi Corps with Bester as the main hero of the story, one you could easily identify with - who would've thought that possible only 3 seasons ago?! the closing scene however, put everything back into place...
5x14 Meditations On The Abyss, OMG! I think I would have welcomed a secret love affair between Delenn and Lennier!! - who knew?! loved their secret meeting. I've become more and more amused by my reactions to these later eps! LOL
Only a few days ago I stumbled upon yet another example of JMS' vision that exceeded my wildest expectations! I've been reading the archived msgs - posted by JMS in the early yrs of B5 development on Genie - on jmsnews.com. I've been reading them chronologically, one by one and so far not a bit was un-interesting! this following bit immediately caught my attention once I read it, with an I've heard this before! exclamation; and I looked up the accompanying quote, so here goes:
Date: 12/21/1992 11:20:00 AM
"[...] In other words...I come up with pertinent information by being asked a
lot of impertinent questions. Which is as it should be.
jms"
and from 5x14:
Lennier: "I fear I may have asked an indiscreet question"
Findell: "No, the Captain does not believe in indiscreet questions. He believes the only way to get pertinent information is to ask impertinent questions."
Lennier: "Then, I believe I may have finally found a home."
5x15 Darkness Ascending, what started as not the most engaging of storylines with Lennier in Ranger training had become a tantalizing story! with an exciting conclusion.
5x16 And All My Dreams Torn Asunder, Mollari made me a little bit proud and my heart swelled for G'Kar!
5x17 Movement Of Fire And Shadow, this ep gave me chills! it was scary and tragic! I was torn between a naive hope that future can be changed and broken by the gnawing certainty that it was all unavoidable and things would play out as we've already known they would back in season 3 when it was revealed to us. yet hope still clung to me and the sadness of it gave me the chills.
5x18 The Fall Of Centauri Prime, I never thought that possible that they could deliver another as strong an ep as 3x22 Z'ha'dum - not in this season! yet this was heart breaking and I broke down in despair. I'd also *never* would've thought Londo would do this of his own free will, would sacrifice himself of his own volition. I'd always assumed it would happen like it did with the Minister.
Londo: "Isn't it strange, G'kar? When we first met, I had no power and all the choices I could ever want; and now I have all the power I could ever want and no choices at all, ...no choice at all."
G'Kar: "Mollari, ...understand, that I can never forgive your people, for what they did to my world. My people can never forgive your people, but I... can forgive ...you."
A 5 yr saga that ends badly, that's a maddeningly true to life concept!
After 1x00 The Gathering, I wondered why it wasn't Sinclair's narration that began the series. After Season 3, I was reminded of that opening narration by sth I read and again wondered why would Mollari be so instrumental, so as to provide the introduction to the story. However, it becomes clear after 5x18.
He's essentially at the center of the story and embodies the journey undertaken by all the characters.
5x20 Objects In Motion, there goes my ship:( Lyta and Zack, such a bittersweet parting scene. but I must applaud them for having Lise and Number One back. both terrific actresses for their respective roles, most especially No. 1.
And yet again G'Kar wins for the biggest tear-jerker scene!
Sheridan: "You know, we've... we've had our differences, we've yelled at each other; I mean, there's been more than a few times when I wanted to deck you. But when he day is done, I've always had the greatest respect for you. I'll miss you."
G'Kar: "Unnecessary. You see, I... I believe that when we leave a place, part of it goes with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere in the station when it is quiet and just listen. After a while you will hear the echoes of all our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone, our voices will linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit that the part of me that is going, will very much miss the part of you that is staying."
Sheridan: "You take care of yourself out there, old friend. Maybe we'll meet up again down the road aways."
G'Kar: "Maybe so. Goodbye John."
Sheridan: "...Oh, you know what? That is the first time, that you have ever called me John!?"
G'Kar: "No, it isn't"
Sheridan: "Oh, yes it is"
G'Kar: "No, it isn't!"
Sheridan: "Yes it is!"
They both laugh
Sheridan: "Goodbye G'Kar."
5x21 Objects At Rest, loved the shot of the new B5 crew. and when it panned down back to Sheridan saluting, there were tears. although the ep quickly picked up pace for other new stories, surprising ones.
5x22 Sleeping In Light, no words. just tears. all 45 minutes of them. it was too much. for the entire ep, I couldn't believe JMS chose this for the last storyline and was willing to devote an entire ep to exploring what came with it. on the other hand, it felt only fitting. it was organic to the show and nth else would've given it the impact it needed and deserved; also, what happens in 5x22 couldn't be dealt with easily and lightly. it is the greatest compliment to the character of Sheridan to give him this sort of a farewell. also how it tied to the fate of B5 was deeply moving. anything less wouldn't have felt right. nevertheless, how it felt for me, almost like a personal pain, I believe I'll never forget.
"It was a good story." I can't wait to see it again. on a shallow note, I hope to put an order on Amazon as soon as the price drops again to $19.99.
JMS put it perfectly (and you can read it all here), I'll only quote:
I think a lot of people will cry.
But by the end of it, I think it will come around, and be all right...and mainly, that people will then look back at the whole story, through all these long years, and say, "It was a good story." And close the cover, and put it on the shelf with the other books that will be reread again down the years, and turn off the lights, and go to bed feeling that the time was well spent.
Which is the most any writer can ever ask for. To tell a tale worth telling To make people cry. To make people laugh. And even, once in a while, make them think about things, and see the world just a little differently than when they began.
jms
for a reason I cannot fully comprehend - other than some financial limitations imposed by TNT maybe? - the regular cast got considerably less screen time this season and the recurring characters too appeared in fewer eps than before, it would seem. it was a damn shame! most eps in the first half of the season featured sth like three characters out of eleven from this terrific ensemble.
5x11 Phoenix Rising, up to this point, the most satisfying episode, providing resolution to the telepaths storyline and exercising continuity from 4x22 The Deconstruction of Falling Stars in a brilliant manner - this is truly B5's strong point! alas, I was more that pleasantly surprised that the storyline with the telepaths proved not to be the main one for the season and ended much more quickly than I was afraid it would; I was dreading for it to become the next Garibaldi storyline from Season 4.
also, I never warmed up to Byron, so was kinda glad his character wasn't explored any further. he let the character of Lyta shine, for which I was more than glad. come to think of it, if CC hadn't left, Lyta would never have been given the spotlight - cause it was initially Ivanova who was to be romantically involved with Byron; so at least, there's that.
and also, on a shallow note, my 2nd ship (or is it 3rd counting Talia and Garibaldi as my 1st, Sheridan and Delenn as 2nd) Lyta and Zack, carried from this point on a renewed hope to yet be.
also, I loved Bester mentioning Asimov and his Laws of Robotics - that was genius! I seem to have grown to really like Bester this season more and more with each ep. he's so educated, it's impressive.
Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics:
- A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
"The First Law of Robotics" - A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
"The Second Law of Robotics" - A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
"The Third Law of Robotics" - A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
Later included among these laws, "The Zeroth Law of Robotics"
5x12 The Ragged Edge was a step in a good direction. the storyline re-focused on the Centauri and the Narn and on personal relationships within the crew; this ep especially focused heavily on these three aspects.
5x13 The Corps Is Mother, The Corps Is Father, up to this point the most innovative ep this season!!! a deeply engaging story, almost like a short movie about Psi Corps with Bester as the main hero of the story, one you could easily identify with - who would've thought that possible only 3 seasons ago?! the closing scene however, put everything back into place...
5x14 Meditations On The Abyss, OMG! I think I would have welcomed a secret love affair between Delenn and Lennier!! - who knew?! loved their secret meeting. I've become more and more amused by my reactions to these later eps! LOL
Only a few days ago I stumbled upon yet another example of JMS' vision that exceeded my wildest expectations! I've been reading the archived msgs - posted by JMS in the early yrs of B5 development on Genie - on jmsnews.com. I've been reading them chronologically, one by one and so far not a bit was un-interesting! this following bit immediately caught my attention once I read it, with an I've heard this before! exclamation; and I looked up the accompanying quote, so here goes:
Date: 12/21/1992 11:20:00 AM
"[...] In other words...I come up with pertinent information by being asked a
lot of impertinent questions. Which is as it should be.
jms"
and from 5x14:
Lennier: "I fear I may have asked an indiscreet question"
Findell: "No, the Captain does not believe in indiscreet questions. He believes the only way to get pertinent information is to ask impertinent questions."
Lennier: "Then, I believe I may have finally found a home."
5x15 Darkness Ascending, what started as not the most engaging of storylines with Lennier in Ranger training had become a tantalizing story! with an exciting conclusion.
5x16 And All My Dreams Torn Asunder, Mollari made me a little bit proud and my heart swelled for G'Kar!
5x17 Movement Of Fire And Shadow, this ep gave me chills! it was scary and tragic! I was torn between a naive hope that future can be changed and broken by the gnawing certainty that it was all unavoidable and things would play out as we've already known they would back in season 3 when it was revealed to us. yet hope still clung to me and the sadness of it gave me the chills.
5x18 The Fall Of Centauri Prime, I never thought that possible that they could deliver another as strong an ep as 3x22 Z'ha'dum - not in this season! yet this was heart breaking and I broke down in despair. I'd also *never* would've thought Londo would do this of his own free will, would sacrifice himself of his own volition. I'd always assumed it would happen like it did with the Minister.
Londo: "Isn't it strange, G'kar? When we first met, I had no power and all the choices I could ever want; and now I have all the power I could ever want and no choices at all, ...no choice at all."
G'Kar: "Mollari, ...understand, that I can never forgive your people, for what they did to my world. My people can never forgive your people, but I... can forgive ...you."
A 5 yr saga that ends badly, that's a maddeningly true to life concept!
After 1x00 The Gathering, I wondered why it wasn't Sinclair's narration that began the series. After Season 3, I was reminded of that opening narration by sth I read and again wondered why would Mollari be so instrumental, so as to provide the introduction to the story. However, it becomes clear after 5x18.
He's essentially at the center of the story and embodies the journey undertaken by all the characters.
5x20 Objects In Motion, there goes my ship:( Lyta and Zack, such a bittersweet parting scene. but I must applaud them for having Lise and Number One back. both terrific actresses for their respective roles, most especially No. 1.
And yet again G'Kar wins for the biggest tear-jerker scene!
Sheridan: "You know, we've... we've had our differences, we've yelled at each other; I mean, there's been more than a few times when I wanted to deck you. But when he day is done, I've always had the greatest respect for you. I'll miss you."
G'Kar: "Unnecessary. You see, I... I believe that when we leave a place, part of it goes with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere in the station when it is quiet and just listen. After a while you will hear the echoes of all our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone, our voices will linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit that the part of me that is going, will very much miss the part of you that is staying."
Sheridan: "You take care of yourself out there, old friend. Maybe we'll meet up again down the road aways."
G'Kar: "Maybe so. Goodbye John."
Sheridan: "...Oh, you know what? That is the first time, that you have ever called me John!?"
G'Kar: "No, it isn't"
Sheridan: "Oh, yes it is"
G'Kar: "No, it isn't!"
Sheridan: "Yes it is!"
They both laugh
Sheridan: "Goodbye G'Kar."
5x21 Objects At Rest, loved the shot of the new B5 crew. and when it panned down back to Sheridan saluting, there were tears. although the ep quickly picked up pace for other new stories, surprising ones.
5x22 Sleeping In Light, no words. just tears. all 45 minutes of them. it was too much. for the entire ep, I couldn't believe JMS chose this for the last storyline and was willing to devote an entire ep to exploring what came with it. on the other hand, it felt only fitting. it was organic to the show and nth else would've given it the impact it needed and deserved; also, what happens in 5x22 couldn't be dealt with easily and lightly. it is the greatest compliment to the character of Sheridan to give him this sort of a farewell. also how it tied to the fate of B5 was deeply moving. anything less wouldn't have felt right. nevertheless, how it felt for me, almost like a personal pain, I believe I'll never forget.
"It was a good story." I can't wait to see it again. on a shallow note, I hope to put an order on Amazon as soon as the price drops again to $19.99.
JMS put it perfectly (and you can read it all here), I'll only quote:
I think a lot of people will cry.
But by the end of it, I think it will come around, and be all right...and mainly, that people will then look back at the whole story, through all these long years, and say, "It was a good story." And close the cover, and put it on the shelf with the other books that will be reread again down the years, and turn off the lights, and go to bed feeling that the time was well spent.
Which is the most any writer can ever ask for. To tell a tale worth telling To make people cry. To make people laugh. And even, once in a while, make them think about things, and see the world just a little differently than when they began.
jms