B5 Rewatch: "Exogenesis" and "Messages from Earth"
Exogenesis
"Oh. This one," said I when I saw the opening with the bug. Yeah, Marcus gets some good character moments, and I'm definitely a fan of that (oh, Marcus), and I adore his and Franklin's growing friendship (I totally ship them as well, but mostly I like the friendship). However, the plot is kind of a retread of "A Voice in the Wilderness," except that unlike Draal, Duncan doesn't get to keep the magic powers that allow him to see the entire universe. (BTW, the thrusting of magic powers onto one seems to disproportionately affect men whose first name begins with "D." David Corwin should watch his back.) It's also a little too much like that episode of TNG where bugs invade everyone. And the subplot with Corwin mistaking Susan's intention makes me *facepalm* more than I laugh.
However. Good points! Like I said above, Marcus character development is high on the list. I love that he gets told he reads too much, and that he references both Shakespeare and Dickens (of course he does). I have this plotty comedic epic rattling around in my head where we follow Marcus around the station for a day while he has various adventures that mirror the structure of Ulysses (and, thus, the Odyssey). I think I would have to conflate Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom, though, because if Marcus is either of them, he's OBVIOUSLY Stephen, but the book is more about Bloom. (Although perhaps I could cast him as Bloom and Lennier as Stephen? Hmmm.) Susan, I suppose, maps to Molly in Marcus's mind, but definitely not in reality, so I'd have to find someone/thing else. I'm also a bit terrified of what the "Circe" chapter would look like in this iteration. (For those who haven't read it, it involves bondage, genderswap, and Bloom turning into a pig. It is also written in script format.) Marcus would of course spend much of the fic mentally commenting on how much like the book his day is going.
...Please don't let me write this. I would go crazy. And then I would inflict it on you, and you would go crazy. Don't let me do this.
Anyway, back to the episode. I loved every scene Marcus and Franklin had together. It's totally obvious that Richard Biggs and Jason Carter were terribly fond of each other.
So Marcus thinks that within Susan, "a key is yet unturned." Sadly, I think it does get turned when he dies--turned to "irrevocably bitter." :(
I find it hugely amusing that Garibaldi has kind of the same reaction to Marcus that Ivanova does--thinks he's a decent guy, but really freaking annoying at the same time.
I feel dense, but I still don't understand Marcus!math. Did he have getting one of the henchmen to knock himself out with the denn'bok in mind the whole time, even when he was talking with Stephen? That seemed more like an opportunistic thing, not a pre-planned one.
Messages from Earth
The nice thing about this season is that we never have to put up with stand-alones for more than an episode at the time. This episode is one of my favorites, and it's full of crunchy arcy goodness.
First, we check in with G'Kar, who is writing down what he's learned by being alone with himself. *cuddles* It's interesting that he tells Garibaldi all about not being able to hide from himself in a jail cell--like he thinks Michael needs to hear this as much as he needs to read the Book of G'Quan. I feel like this perhaps has implications for the post-Bester alcoholism arc in S5. (I also wonder if G'Kar picked Garibaldi to give the book to because Michael is an agnostic.) I really like their relationship throughout the series; it feels like a very organic growing friendship and trust.
Then we have badassery with the White Star versus the Shadow ship on Ganymede. Though before that, we learn that there was another one on Mars, and the Psi Corps was involved in its retrieval (naturally) before the Shadows took it away, all of which basically confirms what we knew earlier from scenes with Morden, Clark, the senator whose name I forget, and the unnamed Psi Cop. And apparently Garibaldi saw part of this operation! I had not remembered this line, and it puts a new spin on episodes past--did he see the Shadow ships? If so, why didn't he say anything when Keffer started talking about seeing them?
Speaking of keeping info secret, why hasn't Delenn told them before that the Shadow ships are controlled by living people? This seems pertinent. Oh, Delenn, you secretive little strategist.
bessemerprocess, Sheridan leaving the Rangers in Susan and Michael's charge reminded me of your AU idea where Sheridan dies early and they have to take over. OMG, I actually want to write this a lot now. (I'd have Delenn come back to give advice, though, because they're all pretty much dead without her.)
On to the mission itself. Here, I think, Delenn and Sheridan definitely demonstrate that they're in love with each other, partially through that lovely scene in the dormitory and also through body language on the bridge--they're always touching each other reassuringly.
But I think Delenn totally wanted to slap him when he wouldn't fire on the Agamemnon. I cheered when she basically said, "Enough of this nonsense," and took over. I loved how Lennier kept getting snippier and snippier throughout that whole scene, too. Hee! He dialed it back a little when Delenn suggested her crazy jumping idea, but "With all due respect for your innovative choice of strategy..." cracked me up. And then once it worked, Sheridan starts swaggering around all heroic, blathering about how they'll be back this way soon to finish it, etc., and Delenn is just standing there with this tight little smile on her face, while underneath, you can see her going, "You're gonna be doing it alone, pal. You're a suicidal MANIAC and I am having no part in it. Also, I believe I may have to rethink hitching my war strategy to your star, because you are obviously mentally incompetent." I about died.
In the final bit of plot-related stuff, we have the increasing HUACization of EarthGov, ending in martial law. Ouch. I do wonder about Night Watch leader dude saying they have no suspicions about Night Watch members--shouldn't crazy conspiracy theorists (which they ARE) naturally be paranoid about their own membership as well? Maybe he was just trying to placate Zack. (Who is so close to getting out of Night Watch! I think it's in the next episode, yes?)
Marcus and Susan are SO CUTE together at the end. :D Yeah, even if I hadn't been spoiled my first time through, that moment would've totally spelled the end for me. No pairing gets to be that cute and not have it all end in tears. And though unfortunately we don't get to see Marcus's organizational chart, that was no impediment to my own. (It's accurate to the end of S3, when I made it. This is the redrawn-in-pen copy, with attention actually paid to my handwriting, so hopefully it will be more readable than the last version.)
This entry was originally posted at http://icepixie.dreamwidth.org/713829.html. It has
comments over there.
"Oh. This one," said I when I saw the opening with the bug. Yeah, Marcus gets some good character moments, and I'm definitely a fan of that (oh, Marcus), and I adore his and Franklin's growing friendship (I totally ship them as well, but mostly I like the friendship). However, the plot is kind of a retread of "A Voice in the Wilderness," except that unlike Draal, Duncan doesn't get to keep the magic powers that allow him to see the entire universe. (BTW, the thrusting of magic powers onto one seems to disproportionately affect men whose first name begins with "D." David Corwin should watch his back.) It's also a little too much like that episode of TNG where bugs invade everyone. And the subplot with Corwin mistaking Susan's intention makes me *facepalm* more than I laugh.
However. Good points! Like I said above, Marcus character development is high on the list. I love that he gets told he reads too much, and that he references both Shakespeare and Dickens (of course he does). I have this plotty comedic epic rattling around in my head where we follow Marcus around the station for a day while he has various adventures that mirror the structure of Ulysses (and, thus, the Odyssey). I think I would have to conflate Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom, though, because if Marcus is either of them, he's OBVIOUSLY Stephen, but the book is more about Bloom. (Although perhaps I could cast him as Bloom and Lennier as Stephen? Hmmm.) Susan, I suppose, maps to Molly in Marcus's mind, but definitely not in reality, so I'd have to find someone/thing else. I'm also a bit terrified of what the "Circe" chapter would look like in this iteration. (For those who haven't read it, it involves bondage, genderswap, and Bloom turning into a pig. It is also written in script format.) Marcus would of course spend much of the fic mentally commenting on how much like the book his day is going.
...Please don't let me write this. I would go crazy. And then I would inflict it on you, and you would go crazy. Don't let me do this.
Anyway, back to the episode. I loved every scene Marcus and Franklin had together. It's totally obvious that Richard Biggs and Jason Carter were terribly fond of each other.
So Marcus thinks that within Susan, "a key is yet unturned." Sadly, I think it does get turned when he dies--turned to "irrevocably bitter." :(
I find it hugely amusing that Garibaldi has kind of the same reaction to Marcus that Ivanova does--thinks he's a decent guy, but really freaking annoying at the same time.
I feel dense, but I still don't understand Marcus!math. Did he have getting one of the henchmen to knock himself out with the denn'bok in mind the whole time, even when he was talking with Stephen? That seemed more like an opportunistic thing, not a pre-planned one.
Messages from Earth
The nice thing about this season is that we never have to put up with stand-alones for more than an episode at the time. This episode is one of my favorites, and it's full of crunchy arcy goodness.
First, we check in with G'Kar, who is writing down what he's learned by being alone with himself. *cuddles* It's interesting that he tells Garibaldi all about not being able to hide from himself in a jail cell--like he thinks Michael needs to hear this as much as he needs to read the Book of G'Quan. I feel like this perhaps has implications for the post-Bester alcoholism arc in S5. (I also wonder if G'Kar picked Garibaldi to give the book to because Michael is an agnostic.) I really like their relationship throughout the series; it feels like a very organic growing friendship and trust.
Then we have badassery with the White Star versus the Shadow ship on Ganymede. Though before that, we learn that there was another one on Mars, and the Psi Corps was involved in its retrieval (naturally) before the Shadows took it away, all of which basically confirms what we knew earlier from scenes with Morden, Clark, the senator whose name I forget, and the unnamed Psi Cop. And apparently Garibaldi saw part of this operation! I had not remembered this line, and it puts a new spin on episodes past--did he see the Shadow ships? If so, why didn't he say anything when Keffer started talking about seeing them?
Speaking of keeping info secret, why hasn't Delenn told them before that the Shadow ships are controlled by living people? This seems pertinent. Oh, Delenn, you secretive little strategist.
bessemerprocess, Sheridan leaving the Rangers in Susan and Michael's charge reminded me of your AU idea where Sheridan dies early and they have to take over. OMG, I actually want to write this a lot now. (I'd have Delenn come back to give advice, though, because they're all pretty much dead without her.)
On to the mission itself. Here, I think, Delenn and Sheridan definitely demonstrate that they're in love with each other, partially through that lovely scene in the dormitory and also through body language on the bridge--they're always touching each other reassuringly.
But I think Delenn totally wanted to slap him when he wouldn't fire on the Agamemnon. I cheered when she basically said, "Enough of this nonsense," and took over. I loved how Lennier kept getting snippier and snippier throughout that whole scene, too. Hee! He dialed it back a little when Delenn suggested her crazy jumping idea, but "With all due respect for your innovative choice of strategy..." cracked me up. And then once it worked, Sheridan starts swaggering around all heroic, blathering about how they'll be back this way soon to finish it, etc., and Delenn is just standing there with this tight little smile on her face, while underneath, you can see her going, "You're gonna be doing it alone, pal. You're a suicidal MANIAC and I am having no part in it. Also, I believe I may have to rethink hitching my war strategy to your star, because you are obviously mentally incompetent." I about died.
In the final bit of plot-related stuff, we have the increasing HUACization of EarthGov, ending in martial law. Ouch. I do wonder about Night Watch leader dude saying they have no suspicions about Night Watch members--shouldn't crazy conspiracy theorists (which they ARE) naturally be paranoid about their own membership as well? Maybe he was just trying to placate Zack. (Who is so close to getting out of Night Watch! I think it's in the next episode, yes?)
Marcus and Susan are SO CUTE together at the end. :D Yeah, even if I hadn't been spoiled my first time through, that moment would've totally spelled the end for me. No pairing gets to be that cute and not have it all end in tears. And though unfortunately we don't get to see Marcus's organizational chart, that was no impediment to my own. (It's accurate to the end of S3, when I made it. This is the redrawn-in-pen copy, with attention actually paid to my handwriting, so hopefully it will be more readable than the last version.)
This entry was originally posted at http://icepixie.dreamwidth.org/713829.html. It has
comments over there.