JMS on CompuServe (Apr 08, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* 1/2
Brent Barrett
brent.barrett at 24stex.com
Mon Apr 8 20:22:04 EDT 1996
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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.
#: 482800 S5/Babylon 5: General
06-Apr-96 22:01:19
Sb: #482224-#<Minbari society>
Fm: ROWAN KAISER
>>Never piss Delenn off. That's all I'm going to say.<<
Yep. Did that look like A'Shan in the Grey Council ship too you, as well? If
it was, I'm surprised she was so polite<g>
Sin wreak-oar Mistie, Montie, PITAS, Emperor of SPAMM and Kidism Patroler
"I must warn you sir, that outside I have police dog Josephine, who is not only
armed, and trained to sniff out certain substances, but is also a junkie."
-Monty Python
#: 483119 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-Apr-96 13:50:47
Sb: #482800-<Minbari society>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
That wasn't Ashan, no.
jms
#: 482596 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
06-Apr-96 16:43:14
Sb: #<SD :-O >
Fm: ROWAN KAISER
Great ep, Joe! I think it's my thrird fav ever. Some points to address-
-Tension lost. Somebody said Delenn saved the day in a completely unrelated
thread, with no spoiler heading.
-Delenn earned the Kick-@$$ character of the week award, no surprise there
-The Minbari from TAtHL tried to stop Delenn. <snicker>
-Delenn saying that "the only Earth captain to survive an encounter with a
Minbari cruiser is right behind her" was . . . confusing. Did she mean on the
WS, or the Grey Council cruiser, or Minbar?
-Poor Narn. The Vorlons set them up for this. Good to see that Ta'Lon
survived.
-CF did an excellent job on the music, but layed it on real thick. My mom
commented on this, she didn't see DtD or PoNR, so she didn't know that they
were doing that for religion.
-Jerry's a real trooper. I loved how he held his hand in his pocket at the end
so we couldn't see his cast<g>
-Right, Joe. Sheridan said "Roanoke", when the Churchill had already rammed
it. Heat of the moment. Sure.
-Was Sandra Hidoshi related to Sinclair's Senator contact in season 1?
-Oh, yeah, and it looks like Phil will have to drop the "FREE MARS" from his
sig.<g>
Sin wreak-oar Mistie, Montie, PITAS, Emperor of SPAMM and Kidism Patroler
"I must warn you sir, that outside I have police dog Josephine, who is not only
armed, and trained to sniff out certain substances, but is also a junkie."
-Monty Python
#: 483120 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 13:50:49
Sb: #482596-<SD :-O >
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Several corrections to your note:
1) That was not Ta'Lon in the episode. He didn't appear anywhere in this
episode.
2) Jerry didn't hide his broken arm in the pocket because it wasn't
broken at that time. That scene was shot previous to the earlier scene (we
shoot out of sequence, like all shows).
3) It's Sandra Hiroshi, not Hidoshi, so no relation to the senator.
jms
#: 483027 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 10:15:53
Sb: #<JMS-Severed Dreams>
Fm: GOPHER
Wow! I'm still shaking... A couple of questions:
1) This is the third time we've seen a wedding-like scene with Sheridan and
Delenn: The episode with all the cultural events and the fruit eating, the
episode with Jack the ripper, and now this episode at the end. Is this
intentional?
2) Is what was going on on earth in real history about 1100 years ago relevent?
3) You have always said this isn't simply good vs. bad, and it clearly isn't,
but at least can we settle on the fact that the Shadows are "bad" or at least
completely and utterly selfish?
4) How did Delenn so easily break the staff (or will we learn this later)?
Thanks! You are amazing!
/Mark - mpiet at cais.com
(You have my permission to repost this in any digest you want, anywhere.)
#: 483128 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:15:46
Sb: #483027-#<JMS-Severed Dreams>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well I wouldn't consider the story with Mr. sebastian to be a wedding
like scene (unless you go to some different sorts of weddings than I've ever
been to), and the fruit scene (with Sinclair, not Sheridan) was primarily a
rebirth ceremony, so again, I think the "pattern" is perceptual.
"...can we settle on the fact that the shadows are "bad" or at least
completely and utterly selfish?"
You're putting human motivations on an *extremely* alien culture, which
may have its own reasons for doing what it's doing. (Actually, *everyone* has
their reasons for doing what they're doing, even the Nazis used the argument of
Lebensraum, living space, to justify their actions.) So I won't say we can
settle on this, no.
Thanks....
jms
[ Summary: Loved "Severed Dreams" and asks a bunch of questions,
only one of which JMS answers. ]
#: 483129 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:15:48
Sb: #483028-#<<Severed Dreams>>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks.
Re: Marcus...yes, he was away from the station when all hell broke loose;
we find him returning in the very next episode.
jms
#: 482862 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
06-Apr-96 23:18:49
Sb: #482266-#<Severed Dreams>
Fm: JOE SALEMI [ZD NET]
Speaking of FX, I just rewatched SD and noticed two flying-saucer-like ships in
the very first scene of B5. Don't recall ever seeing anything exactly like
them before. Are they new? Whose are they?
#: 483130 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:15:49
Sb: #482862-#<Severed Dreams>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Those are the Vree; we saw them in season one, in Deathwalker.
jms
#: 483042 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 10:46:17
Sb: #<Severed Dreams>
Fm: REBECCA ESCHLIMAN
Just wanted to add my admiration to the multitudes of others, since I finally
got to see it.
It had the same heart-soaring impact on me that seeing "Les Miserables" did.
"Will you give all you can give so that our battle may advance? Some will fall
and some will live; will you stand up and take the chance?"
Once thing I appreciated was the contrast between the adrenaline-rush scenes
and the more contemplative moments. The power of Delenn's Grey Council scene
followed by the quieter power of Sheridan's call to his dad made each more
moving by their juxtaposition. I liked the fact that even in the cramped
format of an hour, you took the time to linger on facial expressions: Ivanova's
tortured eyes, Corwin's almost filial trust, Major Ryan's ruefulness. It
reminded me that music is not just notes, but the silences in between, even in
the 1812 Overture.
I also liked the use of light: Sheridan and Ivanova framed by the diamond of
light in C&C, Sheridan becoming a "being of light" to make the secession
announcement (was that one of Kosh's lessons?), the various staccato lights in
battle, the flicker of dying power-light when Delenn broke the Grey Council.
All in all, this is one that needs to be viewed multiple times, just to be sure
one catches all the nuances. Congratulations to all involved on a remarkable
achievement.
- rje - Using Virtual Access
#: 483131 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:15:52
Sb: #483042-#<Severed Dreams>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks. Yeah, the older I get, the more I realize there are things you
can do with silence you can't do with words, though I still love the form of
the speech. There was a lot of counterpoint in this episode, a tool I'm still
playing with as a writer; eventually I'll figure out how to really use it
properly. (Though there's an interesting scene up later this season using
another kind of ironic counterpoint which I think works pretty well.)
jms
[ Summary: Wants to know how many computers they melted doing the effects
for "Severed Dreams." ]
#: 483132 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:15:54
Sb: #482864-#<Severed Dreams, WOW>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
All of them....
jms
[ Summary: Loves "Severed Dreams" and makes several observations, including
that "Bruce [Boxleitner] *is* John [Sheridan]." ]
#: 483133 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:15:57
Sb: #482957-#<Severed Dreams, WOW>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks. I agree, Bruce has definitely made the role his own. It's a
slow and difficult process for any actor, but he's done very well at it.
jms
[ Summary: Wonders about the size of a Minbari cruiser crew. ]
#: 483134 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:15:58
Sb: #483002->>Severed Dreams<<
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I'd have to check my figures, which are at the office, and I'm at home,
but I *think* we've got about 600 crew and support on a Minbari cruiser.
jms
#: 482979 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 07:18:24
Sb: #<Ceremonies Question>
Fm: JAMES R. KAPESIS
In "Ceremonies of Light and Dark" why did G'Kar not accept Delenn's invitation
to the Rebirth Ceremony? G'Kar been trying for awhile to become part of the
army of light, why would he turn down a chance to get closer to Delenn?
#: 483135 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:16:02
Sb: #482979-<Ceremonies Question>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Because he saw the actual co-running of security, and their duties, more
important...that is physical, and concrete, and he feels is his surest way to
win a seat in the new council. Actions, not ceremonies. He's very direct that
way. (Which is pretty much what he said at the time.)
jms
#: 482981 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 07:21:45
Sb: #<Ceremonies-Delenn>
Fm: JAMES R. KAPESIS
In "Ceremonies of Light and DarK" Lennier says that Delenn is destined for
another, is this part of the prophesy?
#: 483136 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:16:03
Sb: #482981-<Ceremonies-Delenn>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It is now.
jms
#: 483068 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 12:22:37
Sb: #<SD: Praise & Questions>
Fm: ALEXIS HOLIZKI
**Warning: the following has not been spellchecked. Proceed at your own risk**
Wow. I still like MfE a bit better, but SD is definitely one of the top five
eps ever made. The CGI was superb, especially during the battle -- it gave a
real sense of the three dimensions a space battle would be fought in, which is
a real contrast to those *other* SF shows. <G> The music was great, as always,
and Mira's performance was excellent. I loved the way Delenn's personality
shifted when she saw Sheridan. I hope you'll be doing something with their
relationship soon.
I have a few questions, though:
a) Will those Minbari warships be staying with Babylon 5?
b) Was that Minbari that Delenn talked to beofre meeting with the Grey Council
the same one as in "There All the Honour Lies"?
Alexis
Kidism Patrol, Dominion Chapter
Sailor Moon Activist
#: 483137 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:16:05
Sb: #483068-<SD: Praise & Questions>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, the Minbari wasn't Ashan, no. And yes, the Minbari war cruisers will
be staying for a while...but they know they can't rely on Minbari protectino
forever. They have to take control of the situation.
jms
[ Summary: Wonders if "the casting director and/or JMS is on an anti
type-casting crusade" because of the ability of so many actors who're
very well known for other roles to thrive on B5. ]
#: 483145 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:33:21
Sb: #483087-#<Severed Dreams, WOW>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"JMS is on an anti-typcasting crusade."
That's actually true, in a lot of ways. My sense is that here we have
many actors who created enduring works because they were good at what they did;
they're *good actors*. But because they were so good at it, they got typecast
as only able to play that. How many people snickered, wrongly, when they heard
Walter was going to be Bester? "Chekhov in the Psi Corps," was the usual
lament.
Until they *saw* him. And saw what he could do.
To work against the typecasting is simply payment on a debt to those who
created enduring characters. And I'll continue to do it wherever and whenever
I can. (Look for Robert England in an upcoming episode playing a very
different sort of character than he's played elsewhere lately.)
jms
#: 483094 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 13:23:53
Sb: #<SD - MAJOR error>
Fm: ROWAN KAISER
Noticed a big error while watching SD last night.
1. Delenn hears about the Grey Council
2. Alexander jumps in, all communication cut.
3. Delenn leaves.
4. Delenn breaks council, Sheridan declares independence.
5. BOOM!
6. Delenn saves the day.
How would Delenn know about B5 declaring independence, and know that they
needed help? She didn't get anything from Sheridan, because he was so
surprised.
Sin wreak-oar Mistie, Montie, PITAS, Emperor of SPAMM and Kidism Patroler
"Well, I think that we should attack the lower classes, er, first with bombs,
and rockets destroying their homes,"
-Monty Python
#: 483146 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-Apr-96 14:33:23
Sb: #483094-<SD - MAJOR error>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Real simple. Lennier was still on-station. All she had to do was check
in with him en route and find out. Also, she went to the council for the
purpose of getting military support because she knew heavy stuff was coming
down, in one form or another. Knowing that "the humans are fighting one
another" as she said to the council, it's evident that if they didn't come to
B5 that day, they'd come shortly thereafter.
So no, not a major error at all.
jms
[ Continued in next section -- BB ]
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* Senior Software Engineer Automedia, Inc *
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