JMS on CompuServe (Dec 21, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

[Brent Barrett]

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 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #628595-Glass Hand question
    Sb: #628644-The "Triangle"
    Sb: #628645-Dr. Kyle
    Sb: #628726-#From jms re: yr 4/5


 [ Summary: Asks if there wasn't a dispute with the Outer Limits people 
   about who owned the rights to Harlan Ellison's story "Demon with a
   Glass Hand." ]

 #: 628745 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Dec-96  13:50:16
Sb: #628595-Glass Hand question
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       No, there was never any problem with the rights; they belong to Harlan,
lock, stock and barrel, under Writers Guild rules concerning separation of
rights.  The dispute was between Outer Limits creators Joe Stefano and Leslie
Stevens over who owned the *series*.  But that didn't affect us one way or
another.

                                                                       jms


 [ Summary: Asks why, if the "triangle" on Delenn's forehead was a Shadow
   sensor, did it appear on the forehead of the other Satai in "And the Sky
   Full of Stars," when there were no Shadows present. ]

 #: 628746 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Dec-96  13:50:16
Sb: #628644-The "Triangle"
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       Well, it has other functions as well, obviously.

                                                                       jms


 [ Summary: Asks if JMS didn't actually mean that Dr. Kyle had been assigned
   to President Santiago. ]

 #: 628747 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    20-Dec-96  13:50:17
Sb: #628645-Dr. Kyle
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       Yes.

                                                                       jms



 #: 628726 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Dec-96  12:36:09
Sb: #627844-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: KEVIN P. KENNEY

Thank you for the information.  Since I seem to be the type to look gift horses
in the mouth, the following concern arose, though...

It looks like year 5, if it happens, gets shortchanged,  sorta like a novel's
main action being completed 100 pages before the end.  I assume its too early
for you to have considered strengthening a thread or adding one to give the
entire season a purpose (aka arc).  It sounds like that TV Zone article was
right in saying the (major) arcs would end in season 4 (no matter what).  I
realize minor/character arcs would carry over, but it looks like season 5 would
end up having the tone expected for CRUSADE.  This is exasperated by my
expectation that you won't get the renewal notice in Feb/March, but 24 business
hours before the drop-dead date, as in the previous 3 years, thus not allowing
you the time to slip any of the major arc episodes back into year 5.

Comments?

Apologies again for being a wet blanket,
Thank you for being there,
KpK


 #: 628749 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Dec-96  13:50:23
Sb: #628726-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       No, it doesn't get shortchanged.  There's an *awful* lot there, and
again, this show has always proceeded in waves...the Londo/Cartagia thing
didn't start until year 4, and that's turned out to be one of the favorite
threads for many people.  Similarly, there are a bunch of elements that would
come up late 4 and early 5 of similar or greater intensity.  If we get 5, they
go there; if we don't, they go in the sequel.  Nobody gets shorted. It isn't
like I've got a limited number of pages in my head...the B5 basic arc is worked
out for 100 years into the future and 1,000 years into the past.  I think
that's plenty to get me through.

       The other error is in deciding that the shadow war is the major arc or
the thrust of the story.  It isn't.  It wasn't even *there* the first season,
and didn't start cooking until midway through season 2.

       By comparison, one could finish volume 4 of a history of Europe just
after the First World War, *written at the time*, and say, "Well, so the war's
over, what're you gonna put in volume 5, we now have peace in Europe." Well,
there's always something interesting just around the corner....

                                                                       jms


[END]

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