ATTN JMS another compliment (possible *Spoilers*)

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: ATTN JMS another compliment (possible *Spoilers*)
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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s  1: Nov 29, 1996: Dave Nott <davenott at ix.netcom.com>
*  2: Nov 30, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com

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From: Dave Nott <davenott at ix.netcom.com>
Lines: 79

I've been watching Babylon 5 since about the middle of season 1
and would like to pay you my compliments.  B5 is perhaps the 
most original, refreshing and meaningful program on television.
I've discussed this with friends and we're generally in agreement
that B5 is so good we have generally lost interest in Star Trek
(among other programs).  B5 has a vision and consistency that
one would expect to find in written science fiction, but not
television, until now.  It has long been my belief that the
number of SF films/TV shows that are as good as written SF can be
counted on the fingers of one hand, with many fingers left over,
but B5 is one I can cheerfully add to the fist, er, list.

Possible spoilers follow!





























One of the developments my friends and I have found most striking
is the change in the relationship the younger races have with the
Vorlons.  Yes, we did get a hint about this--in the Lurker's
Guide you were quoted as saying that all of the cards would be
on the table by the end of season 3.  So they were, but they
seemed like jokers at the time.  Anna Sheridan's comments about
the Vorlons, in light of what the Shadows did to her, provoked
this response on my part: "Sheeyeah, RIGHT, and monkeys might 
fly outta my butt!"  But by the end of the episode "The Summoning,"
the paradigm shift has become inescapable.  Previously, the situation
between the Vorlons and us could be summed up as "we're going to
need the help of the younger races in the next round of this ancient
war."  It may even have been true while the original Kosh was alive.

Now, however, the situation is different (or just our understanding of it is).

A war is brewing between 2 ancient foes, and which side we're on is
irrelevant, because we may not even be qualified to participate in the
war due to our relative youth.  It's as if we're the indigenous
population in a 18th century British colony, some French ships come
in to do battle, and while they're lobbing shells all over the place,
the only thing we can do is DUCK!   Actually, it is worse than that,
the younger races may not matter even that much.  Furthermore, we
can no longer be certain which side, IF ANY, is "on the side of the
angels."  Even though Vorlons resemble angels.  I imagine it will hit
Delenn the hardest...she was convinced she had already chosen the correct
side.

What I like most about B5, I guess, is this: Shit happens.  Shit happens
to us, not the guest aliens of the week.  Shit STAYS happened.  As this
is how it works in the real world, B5 is very believable.







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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com
Lines: 14

"What I like most about B5, I guess, is this: Shit happens.  Shit happens
to us, not the guest aliens of the week.  Shit STAYS happened."

That's a great last line...I may refer to that in future, thanks.


 jms







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