JMS on CompuServe (Apr 29, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* 1/2
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Mon Apr 29 20:09:17 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.
[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #496928-Last Prisioner
Sb: #497044-Communicators
Sb: #496982->>Late Delivery<<
Sb: #496921-#<Avalon and 3d age>
Sb: #496953-<Death of Ducat>
Sb: #496973-#<Ship of Tears>
Sb: #497075-#<...Avalon>
Sb: #496881-#Babylon 5 !!@***!!@*%^**
Sb: #497179-<Avalon and 3d age>
Sb: #497209-Hour 25
Sb: #497218-<Ship of Tears>
Sb: #497228-Ship of Tears-spoilers
[ Summary: The poster read that JMS knows the explanation of the final
episode of "The Prisoner" and asks if he can share it. ]
#: 497138 S2/Star Trek: General
28-Apr-96 15:43:26
Sb: #496928-Last Prisioner
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
But that would spoil all the fun, which is the interpretation we all
bring to the story....
jms
[ Summary: Asks what is used to keep the links attached to the back of the
hand (in the B5 universe, not in real-life). Also asks about laser
discs. ]
#: 497140 S5/Babylon 5: General
28-Apr-96 15:43:28
Sb: #497044-Communicators
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
My thought is that it's a molecular compound that naturally adheres to
the epidermis.
No word on disks yet; when there's something to announce, you won't have
to ask about it, I'll be blasting it all over the place.
jms
[ Summary: Enjoyed "A Late Delivery from Avalon" and expressed that his wife,
an English major, "sends her compliments on your research into the
Arthurian legend and filling this episode with it credibily." ]
#: 497141 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 15:43:32
Sb: #496982->>Late Delivery<<
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks on both counts....
jms
[ Summary: Someone who enjoyed "A Late Delivery from Avalon" asks JMS
if any of his work "has ever been inspired by a visit to a particular
place, say, some place mysterious like ancient ruins or some historical
site or some place of great beauty?" ]
#: 497142 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 15:43:33
Sb: #496921-#<Avalon and 3d age>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Not the work per se in terms of being influenced, but the attitude that
goes into the work, yes. I've stood at Stonehenge at dawn, the place more or
less empty, walked along the circular stones at Avebury, and stood in the deep
cavernous center of a pre-bronze age burial mound in Ireland...when you do
these things, you begin to understand what *time* is, and how we in this
country don't really know what that is yet. It can affect how you perceive a
lot of things, and in the end, that always feeds back into the writing.
jms
#: 496953 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 08:13:45
Sb: #<Death of Ducat>
Fm: JOHN GRAVES
Dear JMS,
In "A Late Delivery from Avalon", it appears that the ship of the Mimbari
leader is destroyed, presumably with Ducat(sp?) on board. Yet in both "Severed
Dreams" and "Soul Hunter", references are made to Delen being present at
Ducat's death. How was she able to have his "blood on my hands" if the ship was
destroyed?
Thanks and keep up the good work!
John Graves
Arcata,Ca.
#: 497143 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 15:43:34
Sb: #496953-<Death of Ducat>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Franklin's line in Avalon indicates that a couple of ships were destroyed
*and* Dukhat was killed. You basically had one big convoy meeting another; the
ship on which Dukhat was present was badly damaged but not destroyed. Dukhat
and a number of others on board were killed.
jms
#: 496973 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 09:19:44
Sb: #<Ship of Tears>
Fm: DAVID CERRETA
Well, Joe.
*THAT* was one fine episode. I'm still floored by it. Let me catch my breath.
Okay. Now it begins, eh? The roller coaster ride has picked up speed. You
know what makes it even scarier. Unlike a casual viewer who doesn't
necessarily know. generally, what lies ahead, I do, from reading your comments
and posts. To think that by the end of the season (whenever that might be),
this whole story is going to be turned on its ear is almost unbearable. It's
like knowing there's a sharp turn up ahead, but the lights have been turned out
and we don't know exactly which way or when it will happened.
Walter Koenig did a super job as our favorite PsiCop, Al Bester. His
performance conveyed perfectly the Bester we know, one who has his own agenda,
one who only reveals enough to accomplish his objectives and one who never
makes a move without knowing where he'll be 12 steps in advance. But we also
got to see a new Bester, caring and emotional, dare we say, almost out of
control, willing to risk now to gain later. His disdain for the mundanes was
very convincing. Homo superior, indeed. His discussion about breeding for
telepaths almost sounded like what is done for lab mice so they eventually all
have the same genes. I'm sure if he could speed up the process, he would. He,
of all people, should be very aware of the dangers of interbreeding.
Of course, the emotional heart of the episode was the revelation between Delenn
and G'kar. Both Mira and Andreas were superb in conveying both characters'
pain. Both also showed a weariness that comes from fighting wars and battles
almost endlessly.
And the big kicker of course was the end. The Shadows have begun to operate
openly, probably in part due to the actions of Sheridan et al, in their
interception of the *weapons* shipment. We also learn about a weakness that
the Shadows may have and I'm sure it will be useful, but I seriously doubt it
is the answer to all their problems.
One finally observation/question. Just how big are the Medlabs? Is it like a
modern hospital with 250 beds and so on? After all, B5 is a city. People get
sick, some need long term care. Assuming that most of the critically injured
are shipped home, they still have to recover enough to survive the trip. So
when we see Medlabs, are we seeing the equivalent of a critical care unit? I
know due to budget limitations you won't show how big the labs are, but I'm
trying to get a feel for it.
Ah, yes, before I forget: The Humor. Even with an episode of this seriousness
we have such great lines as:"Get the hell out of my chair!" and the classic
"You got it in one, Mr. Garibaldi!"
I suspect the mail will become a torrent on this one, so before it hits, once
again, a job well done. Oh yes, one more thing. A friend of mine, a big ST
and X-Files fan was talking to me about the article in EW about the decline in
the ratings for the two Trek shows. Immediately, she asks, "What have you
heard about Babylon 5? Is it renewed? I hope it is because it's getting
really, really good." I told her that the decision would be made soon, but
that she could help by writing our local affiliate. I asked her, a big Trek
fan, what her favorite SF shows were nowadays. Answer: B5 and X-Files. And
unsolicted she said DS9 was better than Voyager, which she doesn't like at all.
Apparently, she is like many others who think that they killed the golden goose
when they canned STTNG. I bring this all up not to bash Trek, which I still
watch and enjoy, but to point out a sea change shift in attitude among those
who, like Peter Sellers in Being There, like to watch. Here's praying that
renewal is on the horizon. I think the end of Season 3 and Seasons 4 and 5
will be your biggest seasons yet.
Best, Dave
#: 497144 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 15:43:38
Sb: #496973-#<Ship of Tears>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks. That's great to hear. (Yours is the first reaction I've seen to
the ep.)
There are a number of medlabs, which are broken into various areas; each
has a larger wing attached to it, which we've seen on occasion, such as when
the young girl in "Legacies" is in the infirmary in bed, same with Shon in
"Believers." They each have a pretty fair capacity for patients.
Beyond that...thanks again. This is a particularly good episode, I
think, a real turning point in the show. (And I'm pleased that this is one ep
where I've more or less managed to keep advance info down to a minimum.)
Everyone did a great job.
jms
#: 497075 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 14:12:39
Sb: #<...Avalon>
Fm: REBECCA ESCHLIMAN
I really enjoyed the almost elegaic tone of "...Avalon." The whole Arthurian
legend was like a cathedral bell that was echoed back upon itself in several
directions. The idea of the Round Table, both as an estimable ideal of itself,
but also as a unifying principle for beleaguered individuals was nicely
reflected both in David's dealing with his sense of responsibility and Marcus'
training under the Minbari, not to mention the whole new direction B5 must
carve out for itself, which must necessarily involve cooperation and the
rightful use of might. But then to have the comic obverse of that included
(counterpoint again, I suppose?) with the whole post office fiasco (or what
happens when the round table gets bogged down by the ossifications of
bureaucracy) made for another episode where mood turns out to be a chord,
rather than just a single note.
A few random musings:
Marcus' reference to the Minbari's teaching of terror was an eldritch reminder
of "Inquisitor." Perhaps the Minbari have picked that technique up from the
Vorlons, which may be an additional reason why Delenn was willing to undergo
her trail.
The idea of might in the service of right seems to be a point between "the
candle and the star" that unifies the Minbari and the Narn. The Minbari seem
to know the principle already, the Narn need to learn it, and it is a human
legend that gives the Narn a focus in this possible unification. Arthur/David
seems to give a shape and direction to the emotional force of G'kar's spiritual
conversion.
I liked the way G'kar himself ended with "an agreeable thump" after
appreciating his Lurker adversaries' "agreeable thumps."
Delenn now seems to be the only one who could possibly have been cast as the
Lady of the Lake. Her transformation stands as a symbol of the healing that
David needs to see. This transformation may have been intended for a single,
as yet unrevealed grand purpose, but it also seems to serve a cluster of
smaller, less epic purposes as well.
Arthur is most needed here and now. Here and now being 1996, as well as 2260
works for me.
I wonder how long it will be before "I take great comfort in the general
hostility and unfairness of the universe" starts showing up in sigs? Marcus
became an instant favorite with me for his wonderfully chaotic responses to
tense situations and his gallantry-expressed-as-humor (and the man knows how to
quote!).
Thank you for the episode as a whole, but also for giving a gifted actor like
Michael York a role of such dignity and depth.
Have fun at Marcon.
- rje -
Every complex question has a simple answer, and it's wrong.
#: 497145 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 15:43:41
Sb: #497075-#<...Avalon>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks. I'd say more, but you kinda covered it all, and quite nicely.
jms
[ Summary: A new poster makes a sort-of appology for some degrading B5
comments that included a questionable word or two. Yes, she posts in
ALL CAPS. ]
#: 497206 S5/Babylon 5: General
28-Apr-96 18:40:23
Sb: #496881-#Babylon 5 !!@***!!@*%^**
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"BUT THEN AGAIN I WILL NEVER EVER WATCH IT"
Ah...an open mind is a wonderful thing to behold.
jms
#: 497179 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 16:56:33
Sb: #497142-#<Avalon and 3d age>
Fm: REBECCA ESCHLIMAN
<< .when you do
these things, you begin to understand what *time* is, and how we in this
country don't really know what that is yet. It can affect how you perceive a
lot of things, and in the end, that always feeds back into the writing.
>>
I was fortunate enough to do six months of foreign study in Caen during
college years. I found an intoxication in being surrounded by more history
than I had even known. Our way to the university led through William the
Conqueror's castle. There was a Romanesque church on one side that had
suffered shifting from WWII bombings, so that the tower did a zigzag, as well
as the columned corridors. The street I lived on was "Sixth of June". As
part of our foreign study, we were given special tours of Mont St. Michel and
the Renaissance chateaux of the Loire Valley. Besides the wonder of the
experience itself, it gifted me with a curiousity about what life might have
been like where I live (which happens to be on the current site of the
Bullskin Trace) at various points of history. I like to imagine a video-cam
with a date-setting that returns a vision of the country looked like, and how
any given family lived for whatever date the special video-cam was set. What
might this special video-cam see in your current environs?
- rje -
...but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born.
#: 497207 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 18:44:34
Sb: #497179-<Avalon and 3d age>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"What might this special video-cam see in your current environs?"
A monitor, a keyboard, and an obsessive-compulsive.
jms
[ Summary: Someone affiliated with the talk-show "Hour 25" thanks JMS
for calling in when Walter Koenig was the guest and asks if JMS would
like to appear as a guest on a show with which he used to be involved. ]
#: 497268 S5/Babylon 5: General
28-Apr-96 22:12:13
Sb: #497209-Hour 25
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks; maybe it's something that could be done after the two-parter.
We'll see....
jms
#: 497218 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 19:26:11
Sb: #497144-#<Ship of Tears>
Fm: DANIEL M. UPTON
I want to add my kudos to what will soon be an avalanche of praise for this
episode. I especially want to thank you for not doing the TeeVee thing by
having G'Kar either overreact by ignoring the growth he has experienced due to
his encounter with "G'Lan" and fly off the handel with Delenn or under react by
not showing the enormous pain that Delenn's revelation would have brought him.
Thanks also for not doing the TeeVee thing with Bester and have him turn out to
have been a misunderstood good guy who is now totally on board the conspiracy
of light. It is much more realistic to have him be a scumbag with his own
agenda who's interest just happens to align with our hero's -- for the moment.
Also the new command center looks good. Which brings up a question. Who built
it? The Rangers or technicians on the B5 payroll? Also, how much have the
former Earth Force personel stationed on B5 been told about the Shadows and the
coming war?
Dan^^^^
danupton at blueridge.net
#: 497269 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 22:12:14
Sb: #497218-<Ship of Tears>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks. Yes, everybody's agendas remain the same...but for the moment,
they are on the same alignment. As soon as it's over, as Ivanova says, he'll
turn on them, no mistake. Enlightened self-interest, nothing more.
The new command center was cobbled from what's on the station, with some
additional Minbari funding. And yes, by now, pretty much the whole crew knows
what's at stake with the shadows. And now that they're not hiding anymore, the
whole *thing* is out in the open.
jms
#: 497228 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 20:17:27
Sb: #Ship of Tears-spoilers
Fm: JAMES R. KAPESIS
Was the alien that committed suicide and put acid all on his body the same
species as we saw in the dream sequence operating on the woman?
#: 497270 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
28-Apr-96 22:12:15
Sb: #497228-Ship of Tears-spoilers
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yep. Same species.
jms
[ Continued in next section -- BB ]
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