JMS on CompuServe (Apr 03, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* 1/2
Brent Barrett
brent.barrett at 24stex.com
Wed Apr 3 21:49:25 EST 1996
[ Sorry, I was unable to do any archiving on the 2nd,
so those posts are included in this batch. -- BB ]
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE
RESPECTIVE MESSAGE AUTHORS AND CANNOT BE
REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED
PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
Note that JMS has expressed his public permission
that all of his messages may be reproduced freely.
I give permission for my summaries to be reposted in
any form, however I reserve all rights to them and
the right to revoke this permission at any time.
[ Summary: The B5 supporter on the ETV forum responds to another user and
asks, in a joking fashion, if JMS is really just one person. ]
#: 45663 S7/SF/Sci-Fi
01-Apr-96 23:17:13
Sb: #45596-Babylon 5 Welcome
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"He's only one guy, isn't he???"
We'll get back to you.
jms
[ Summary: Wants to know if Kosh can speak in "human" or "Narn" without the
use of his translator. The poster's name is "The Na'ka'leen Feeder." ]
#: 480241 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 12:05:00
Sb: #480076-#Universes: ST vs. B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
A talking na'ka'leen feeder can ask a question like this...?
jms
#: 480166 S2/Star Trek: General
02-Apr-96 07:49:36
Sb: #479727-#Paramount Buys B5?!
Fm: BILL HIRST
Ruskies all alike. One bad komment, und they knuke San Diego.
#: 480244 S2/Star Trek: General
02-Apr-96 12:05:08
Sb: #480166-Paramount Buys B5?!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well, we had to pick something you wouldn't miss....
jms
#: 480390 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 16:04:13
Sb: #Time on B5
Fm: FITZGERALDS
How long is a day on B5? On ST I noticed that its day was 24 hrs. Since
that's based on the earth's rotation and there are other worlds represented, I
always thought that that was very earthocentric. Does it take 24 hrs for B5 to
rotate?
Nora
#: 480421 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 17:52:14
Sb: #480390-#Time on B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, but it's kept to 24 hours on B5 in order to sync up with Earth back
home.
jms
#: 480406 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 17:02:58
Sb: #Barney vs. The Shadows
Fm: MICHAEL ZITAGLIO
Hello,
I was watching Barney with my daughter and was exposed to some
disturbing material. Barney and the gang were singing a Shadow song. I
thought it was nothing at first but the lyrics raised a flag in my head. For
instance, get a load of these lyrics:
NICE things come from shadows..
Sometimes these big scary Shadows are made by LITTLE things...
And they DONT have to be scary at all.
If we just UNDERSTAND what makes the Shadows,
We WONT be scared by ALL the Shadows at all.
Now, there are several interpretations of this. My view is that when Sheridan
and company are at the end of their tether and there is no hope in sight, Draal
will summon Barney and Baby Bob to irradicate the Shadows....just by being
disgustingly nice.
Tom Knudsen, however, believes that this is all a Psi Corps propanganda
initiative aimed at brainwashing children.... but who the hell knows??
In getting worried? Children arent even safe anymore!
Do you concur with these opinions?
Concerned and vigilant,
Mike
#: 480422 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 17:52:15
Sb: #480406-#Barney vs. The Shadows
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Actually, I'd say the song is just about right...mostly.
jms
[ Summary: The poster asks a very detailed technical question about CGI. ]
#: 480423 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
02-Apr-96 17:52:16
Sb: #480408-#B5 Effects
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
...urk...math...technospeak.....(thud)
That's a Ron question. Rendering not Zathras' skill.
jms
#: 480429 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 18:00:24
Sb: #480421-#Time on B5
Fm: FITZGERALDS
But that doesn't make sense. Isn't B5 a group effort of many worlds? Why
should Earth dominate? Don't tell me since the creator is earth-bound that's
the way it is. <BG>
Nora
#: 480458 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 19:16:02
Sb: #480429-Time on B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Nope. B5 is not "a group effort of many worlds." The Earth Alliance
funded the construction on all the Babylon stations, accepting a little extra
money from the Minbari and the Centauri toward the end to help finish B5. The
currency is regulated in terms of Earth credits, the laws in the Ombuds
courtroom are Earth laws (except as they encounter cultural laws between
members of the same species), it's Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5, and so on.
Is it fair? Probably not. But that's how Earth wants it, and Earth runs,
finances, oversees and built B5.
jms
[ Summary: Wants WB to have Bandai do the B5 models. ]
#: 480459 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 19:16:04
Sb: #480441-B5:New pricey toys
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well, all Bandai has to do is make WB an offer, and if the details work,
they'll do the models.
jms
[ Summary: Loves B5, loves JMS, . . . etc. ]
#: 480460 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
02-Apr-96 19:16:05
Sb: #480453-'Severed Dreams'
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks...the pleasure is entirely mine.
jms
[ Summary: Thinks the sound generated by the B5 screen saver when he
accesses a personnel file is a bug in the screen saver. ]
#: 480462 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 19:18:16
Sb: #480444-#B5 Entertainment CD
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The scritttttt sound is the same sound made by the identicard scanners
in the show; watch the start of Severed Dreams, you'll hear it there.
jms
[ Summary: Dittos the screen saver issue/non-problem. ]
#: 480463 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 19:18:18
Sb: #480449-B5 Entertainment CD
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Not a problem; see my other note on this.
jms
#: 480041 S5/Babylon 5: General
01-Apr-96 23:39:12
Sb: #Londo the puppet
Fm: JAMES R. KAPESIS
Adam Mojo at a convetion in Mississippi said that the character Londo was
originally going to be a puppet.
Is this true? If so, why did you want Londo to be played by a puppet?
#: 480573 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 22:05:10
Sb: #480041-Londo the puppet
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I've wracked my brain trying to remember if that's true or not, and I
honestly can't remember ever having a discussion about Londo being a puppet.
Prosthetics, yes, but not anything animatronic.
jms
#: 480042 S5/Babylon 5: General
01-Apr-96 23:41:12
Sb: #Minbari society
Fm: JAMES R. KAPESIS
Are you intending to explore further the possibility that Minbari civilization
is stagnated and their culture may be in need of a revitalization?
#: 480574 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 22:05:11
Sb: #480042-Minbari society
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It's a topic I'm open to exploring, yes.
jms
#: 480527 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 21:06:20
Sb: #479124-#Continuity
Fm: RICHARD E. COUTURE
Joe:
<<<No, I kinda have to keep it all in my head. Nobody knows the show more than
I do...>>>
Kind of brings up another question, along the same lines. Though nobody knows
the story better than you, do you run your scrips by others? IOW, do you make
sure that it will all make sense to others?
Rich
#: 480580 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 22:33:17
Sb: #480527-Continuity
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"do you run your scrips by others? IOW, do you make sure that it will all make
sense to others?"
You must understand several things. First, there's no one else on a
writing side to *run* things past here. There's just me. I *am* the writing
staff this season (which will probably not be quite the same next season, if I
can find the right people).
The other thing is that writing is really a solitary business. There's
the impression that in TV, stories get whomped around and mushed up by some
faceless committee. While this is true in some cases, it isn't true in all
cases. David Kelley's scripts are his scripts. Steve Bochco's scripts are his
scripts. My scripts are my scripts. If I don't know my craft well enough to
know whether or not it'll make sense to others, I should get out of the
business immediately.
As soon as I finish writing the script, alone, it goes right into
production.
jms
#: 480488 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 19:39:53
Sb: #Season 6, 7 ...
Fm: JOHN M. GRAHAM
I know you have said that Babylon 5 will run only 5 seasons, but I cannot see
how this can be possible? Without a season 6, to what will WB tack on the last
Eight or so episodes of season 5? Now as for season 7, the same reasoning
applys. In short, you'll just have to keep on doing B5 forever! -John
P.S. Are the upcoming 8 episodes all we're due to get until fall?
#: 480581 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 22:33:19
Sb: #480488-Season 6, 7 ...
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I don't know about the "after the eight" matter; it's possible that we
could get 2 more run in July, the rest, I dunno...could be sooner, could be
later. We won't know this for a while yet.
jms
[ Summary: Loved "Severed Dreams," but wants to know if that was Ta'Lon he
saw lying dead/dying on the station floor after the battle. ]
#: 480583 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
02-Apr-96 22:33:24
Sb: #480520-#<Severed Dreams, WOW>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks, and Ta'Lon is still alive and well.
It's a good episode, no mistake.
jms
#: 480590 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Apr-96 22:49:01
Sb: #Shadow strength
Fm: JAMES R. KAPESIS
Who is the strongest according to pure physical strength, a Shadow or a human?
#: 480641 S5/Babylon 5: General
03-Apr-96 01:58:22
Sb: #480590-Shadow strength
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
A shadow is *definitely* much stronger physically than a human.
jms
#: 480594 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
02-Apr-96 23:10:21
Sb: #>>Severed Dreams<<
Fm: TONI MULLER
I just watched "Severed Dreams" and it was TOTALLY INCREDIBLE (yes, I'm
shouting). All that time you spent setting things up is paying off in a big
way now.
Since the entire episode was excellent, it's hard to pick just a few scenes,
but here are a few I particularly liked:
Delenn's speech to the Grey Council and the council's splitting. Five out of
nine ain't bad. When will we find out to which castes they belong? Was the
council leader one of them?
Oh, and her words to the Minbari who was blocking her way - please tell Mira it
was a top-notch performance. I think the guy made the right decision by
stepping aside. I surely would have.
Also, Delenn's speech to the gathered Earth Alliance ships. Is it just my
imagination, or was her speech more "human," perhaps due to her time on B5 or
her transformation? It really was very well written, just what one would
expect from her. Delenn has been my favorite for quite some time, and now even
more so. What an incredible multi-faceted character.
G'Kar's stepping in and helping with the wounded Minbari, and Delenn's comment
about him being a different person.
The scenes of fighting between the EA forces from the pod and Garibaldi's
troops was very moving, much like the ending of GROPOS. Because of current
technology and relative peace I believe that to many in my generation (I'm 31),
war is far-off and impersonal. These scenes remind me that it is very
personal, that people die, that people kill. I had much the same feeling when
I watched the battle scene in Branagh's "Henry V." I almost cried during that
as well. And I ask myself, "Why do people let it come to this - that they must
kill each other to resolve their differences?" I must say that I was a little
concerned that we might lose Garibaldi due to the similarity of the breach
pod's opening of the hull and the scene in "Babylon Squared." I found myself
saying, "No, it can't be; JMS wouldn't do that," Then, "Wouldn't he?" And if
not Garibaldi, I feared that when the camera panned to the face of a dead Narn
that it would be our beloved Talon. Was I glad it wasn't. You have really
gotten us to care about these characters.
Bruce was amazing in this episode. He just gets better and better in the role.
Very believable. Very moving. I'm trying to think of a scene that stands out,
but they were all equally good.
I am amazed at how attached I got to the captains of the two EA ships after
seeing them only in this episode - a sign of a great production. I felt awful
when Hidoshi's ship exploded, though it was heartening that she took another
with her. Is she related to the Senator?
I'm sure there is much more to say, but others will say it better (they'll
probably say what I _did_ say better). My friend who tapes the show for us (we
can only get in on satellite) is getting as hooked as we are, and he only
started watching because we asked him to do the taping.
My only complaint, as usual, is that I have to wait a week between episodes.
:-)
Toni Muller
#: 480642 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
03-Apr-96 01:58:25
Sb: #480594-#>>Severed Dreams<<
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Toni: thanks. All of the characters shine in this one, Mira in
particular as Delenn. It's a nice contrast; her speech to the Grey Council is
an intense piece of work that goes on for a while; her declaration to the EA
ships is short, to the point, and absolutely deadly. The right tool for the
right job.
I'm utterly pleased and proud of the job we did here. Partly because
it's just so nifty on its own terms, and partly because it gives us a new level
to try and beat. Up until now, I've been looking to top "Coming of Shadows;"
now the goal is to top this one...and I think it's possible there may be one or
two even this season that'll do that, but tonally I think they're different
enough that it might end up as a tie.
I definitely wanted the close-in, hand-to-hand fighting to personalize
what's going on. It's also very logical strategically. You send in your
forces to disable or overwhelm C&C, distract them, slip in a cadre of troops to
a station that (you hope) didn't know you were coming...then they race to C&C
and seize control from inside, shooting anyone they have to en route. If
Sheridan et al hadn't known the ships were coming in, this could've gone very
differently. But once they were in, they were in close quarters, and you want
to get in closer if you're on the defensive side so that they can't use their
weapons without cutting down their own people. After that you have to hope you
can overwhelm the intruders with sheer force of numbers. It's an ugly, awful
way to win a fight, because it *guarantees* casualties...but what war doesn't?
Something to bear in mind when rewatching, btw...it was during this scene
that Jerry fell and broke his right arm and right wrist. And they still had
one last scene to film. He stuck it out and they rolled film, to get the shot
of him and Zack at the end of the fight. Next time you watch it, keep an eye
on the right arm as he releases the helmet...it bends in directions never
intended by evolution.
jms
[ Continued in next section -- BB ]
/*********************************************
* Brent Barrett brent.barrett at 24stex.com *
* Senior Software Engineer Automedia, Inc *
* http://www.ailink.com *
*********************************************/
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