Babylon 5 - Impressions

[thalia_seawood]

Happy new year to everyone!

I've been enthusiastically watching Babylon 5 and am now up to episode 3.8.
Some impressions...

Comments

[selenak]

What's totally fascinating to me is that Babylon 5 was aired before 11th September 2001, but many issues it addresses are very relevant nowadays.

Tell me about it. JMS has some comments about that on the audio commentaries, but unfortunately, I wouldn't advise you to listen to those just yet because they're spoilery for the rest of the show.

In the Shadow of Z'Ha'dum is one of the all time best hours not just of B5 but of tv. Adore it to bits. It deservedly won a Hugo. And of course it's crucial for the overall story. I'll try to find the post I wrote about it upon rewatching, though I might have to give you an edited version, due to spoilers for later eps.

Vir: is Sam. He so is.

The relationship between Londo and Vir is lovely. There is so much love between them - and for once I'm not talking of the slashy kind. :-)

Nope, the slashy kind is what we have Londo and G'Kar for.*g* Vir-Londo is really more son-father, and yes, a beautiful thing to observe.

He should form a support group with "I know there's good in him." Padmé. :-))

LOL. Yes, he should.

I see Vir as Londo's conscience. So when Londo keeps Vir around that made me hopeful for Londo's redemption. And when he sent Vir away, I found it very worrying. Good to see that in "Dust to Dust", Londo clearly states that he misses Vir and wishes he could stay longer.

Vir believing in Londo when no one else did was a big part of what kept me believing as a first time watcher, too. More on this subject once you're in early s4.

Morden: is a normal human being, yes. However, I have issues with the novel your other commentator recommended and tend to go for tv only canon.

We also see that Sheridan's breaking point is Anna. As soon as there's the possibility that she might be still alive, he becomes extremely obsessed.

This was when I accepted Sheridan as a character.*g*

JMS and Joss: are currently both writing comics for Marvel, and last year there was a conference where they reportedly hugged each other (Joss: But we did not spoon) and called each other brother. Is all I'm saying.

Are female same sex couples conceived as less threatening by the general TV audience?

Probably. Re: Talia/Susan, I remember some people missed the implication altogether, so were stunned when Susan in a later episode said "I loved Talia". Regarding Talia's departure from the show, the actress left, pure and simple. So her arc was transferred to Lyta. The irony is that Lyta was actually the first telepath, she's in the pilot, but the network didn't like Pat Tallman, so JMS wrote Talia into the first season. When Andrea Thompson wanted out, he brought back Tallman as Lyta.

[thalia_seawood]

Only yesterday I saw "Voices of Authority" starring the political advisor who blithely talking away all problems by changing the vocabulary. Really creepy especially since this is a tactic used again and again in politics.

Reg. Morden: Will we learn if he's willing servant of the Shadows or if his personality was assimilated? (I suspect the first, but confirmation would be nice.)

Reg. Talia/Susan:
What bothered me was that their were discrepancies in the build up of their relationship, e.g. Talia goes to Susan after she's disillusioned with the Psy Corps. So I thought: This is were they get together.
Next we see them having breakfast and I felt my thoughts confirmed. Only during the course of breakfast all of a sudden it seems as if they are not a couple yet and "only" close friends.
Then Talia stays at Susan's place and obviously ends up in the same bed. (She reaches over during the night to see if Susan is beside her.) But there's no clear build up to this scene and no real resolution.
To me the pairing ultimately felt like sub-subtext. I know that I have seen non-canon pairings that had clearer subtext than those two. (E.g. a naked Picard waking up in bed next to Q and having a relaxed morning after talk. :-))

JMS does a great job in integrating actors' departures. I'm totally impressed by his ability to improvise and make any changes appear as if they were intended.

A show written by both Joss and JMS would be a thing of beauty. (It might be cool to be a millionar in order to sponsor them. :-))

[selenak]

Morden: by compare and contrast, we will.

I know that I have seen non-canon pairings that had clearer subtext than those two.

You have to consider when this was made, though. Admittedly after Ron Moore made us all happy with that Q/Picard scene in the episode "Tapestry", but before any same sex couple was text. So they were very discreet pioneers. But I agree that it should have been more explicit, even then.