JMS on CompuServe (Jun 26, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Wed Jun 26 16:49:48 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: #529478-#Shadows are Beautiful!
Sb: #529479-#<Another Death?>
Sb: #529785-What of Earth?
Sb: #529577-sci fi shows
Sb: #529647-Shadows are Beautiful!
Sb: #529622-#Ahem... regarding Bears
Sb: #529695-<Another Death?>
Sb: #529887-Series Renewal
Sb: #529884-#Marcus Cole/Jason Carter
#: 529478 S5/Babylon 5: General
25-Jun-96 10:31:18
Sb: #528686-#Shadows are Beautiful!
Fm: VLOBB
Joe, I have too been suspecting for a time that there is certainly more to the
Shadows thatn you have been showing us. So I feel I have to ask this
question...
Defining 10 as 'kills because (s)he enjoys doing it, and revels in the
deaths/pain of others' and 1 as 'kills because it is necessery to do so for
survival/etc', where would the Shadows rate? (They have killed, so I leave out
any part of the scale which would be 'does not kill', etc.)
How was the Chicago Comicon, BTW?
Simon Pallett - RMES Minister of Moral Order and Decency - Official KP UK
Member
(Otherwise Known as Vlobb)
#: 529540 S5/Babylon 5: General
25-Jun-96 12:56:48
Sb: #529478-#Shadows are Beautiful!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
On the 1-10 scale you suggest, and using those specific criteria to make
a decision, I'd rate the shadows right around E or F.
jms
#: 529479 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
25-Jun-96 10:31:35
Sb: #<Another Death?>
Fm: VLOBB
Joe,
RE: Some of the comments that have been stated in this thread, I feel that I
just have to ask you this question...(I know, I've said that twice today...)
Do the future events depeticted in War Without End have to come to pass, or
has the future now been changed by the very fact that Sheridan knows something
of it?
If so, do all the characters that were alive in the future scenes in War
Without End necesserally have to be alive in that future now? (I think that
anybody reading this message can see what I'm getting at...)
Simon Pallett - RMES Minister of Moral Order and Decency - Official KP UK
Member
(Otherwise Known as Vlobb)
#: 529541 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
25-Jun-96 12:56:50
Sb: #529479-#<Another Death?>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Sheridan, by taking the actions he took to keep history on track, has
now pretty much assured that the events we see *will* happen.
jms
#: 529785 S5/Babylon 5: General
25-Jun-96 20:35:43
Sb: #528674-#What of Earth?
Fm: ALAN KATZ
One of the many things that makes your show so interesting is your involving
more than just military and diplomatic issues into the story lines. Your
integration of religion -- in fact, your recognition of religion -- is rare in
either Science Fiction media OR literature (Orson Scott Card is an exception,
there). You episode in the first season where the different members of the
Council share their religious culture had to be a first. And the "reception"
line of Earth's infinite belief systems is one of the most memorable television
moments of the decade.
You also recognize the role of the media more than most shows (And Now for a
Word ...). And, of course, you deal with more political situations than any
show since The Senator back in the 70's.
And you have done far more economics than most. The whole concept of Down
Below is an economic statement. The labor dispute in the first season is
another. So I am not complaining -- in fact, I'm applauding what you've done.
I just hope you can find the time (both creatively and in the confines of
hour-long episodes) to intertwine the economic and the political (and other)
threads you've set out so well. As long as your breaking so much new ground in
television, what's another acre or two? (Easy for me to say ... I only have to
watch and enjoy. You're giving birth to a universe.)
Again, thanks for a great show.
Alan
#: 529876 S5/Babylon 5: General
26-Jun-96 00:33:45
Sb: #529785-What of Earth?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks. It's primarily an effort to integrate the real world into the
series. So much of SF on television tends to take place in a vacuum. The
leader of the Federation is always the leader of the Federation, we rarely hear
about squabbling, elections, economic problems, dissident groups breaking
away...and when we do it's usually a misunderstanding or basically good people
with a different agenda that can be quickly resolved.
I think that integrating all of those elements lends an atmosphere of
verisimilitude to the story, making it all the more *real*.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if the BBC show "Neverwhere" will be in syndication or on
a network when it eventually airs in the States. Also, wonders if JMS
has seen the new NBC show "Dark Skies." ]
#: 529877 S5/Babylon 5: General
26-Jun-96 00:33:49
Sb: #529577-sci fi shows
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"Neverwhere" will probably show up either on PBS or Bravo, since it comes
off the BBC.
I've seen the "Dark Skies" pilot...it's kind of a hodge podge of stuff.
Parts are very effective, some aspects stretch credulity...but a pilot can be a
poor indicator of the series, so I'll definitely give it a shot when the
regular show begins.
jms
#: 529647 S5/Babylon 5: General
25-Jun-96 15:17:24
Sb: #528686-#Shadows are Beautiful!
Fm: NEVILLE WHITE
Joe,
Seeing as we are talking a little about the motivations of the Shadows, and
thinking back to The Coming of Shadows, I seem to remember that when Morden was
going around asking everyone what they wanted, kosh met him (plus "friends")
and warned them against talking to the humans, saying "they are not for you",
and evidently having a bit of a fight.
Did Kosh not know that the Earth government had been cuddling up with the
Shadows for perhaps up to five years? Did Morden not approach the Earth
Alliance on B5 because of Kosh's intervention, or because they already had a
nice relationship with Earth thank you very much?
And it's interesting that although Morden was offering "what they wanted" to
the various major races, the implication in Kosh's statement seems to be that
it might result in "obtaining possession" (for want of a better phrase) of
those peoples.
OTOH, Kosh's translator unit wouldn't win any "plain english" awards, so I
don't like to read too much into it!
Cheers!
Neville White (UK)
#: 529878 S5/Babylon 5: General
26-Jun-96 00:33:51
Sb: #529647-Shadows are Beautiful!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Exactly, the already had a source on Earth.
jms
[ Summary: A poster informs JMS that Peter David claimed that there was
no man in a bear suit following him around DragonCon. ]
#: 529879 S5/Babylon 5: General
26-Jun-96 00:33:53
Sb: #529622-#Ahem... regarding Bears
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It was supposed to have been arranged by some of the folks at Comic Con
in Chicago. When I got there, I asked if this had been taken care of (they
said they knew the right people, and I'd reimburse for the cost involved). They
said it was all going to go off as planned. If it didn't...then I'm hugely
annoyed.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if it's still possible for Sheridan to take actions that
will alter the future, such as going to Z'Ha'Dum against Delenn's
advice. ]
#: 529880 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-Jun-96 00:33:56
Sb: #529695-<Another Death?>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Many things are possible.
But that future will happen.
jms
[ Summary: A poster asks if the casting director for season four will
be the same one used in season three. ]
#: 530053 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-Jun-96 11:55:19
Sb: #529887-Series Renewal
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, it's the same casting director.
jms
[ Summary: A poster writes that the character of Marcus simply doesn't
work for him and that Marcus should be killed off. ]
#: 530064 S5/Babylon 5: General
26-Jun-96 12:06:18
Sb: #529884-#Marcus Cole/Jason Carter
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Y'know, every time a character gets introduced on this show, there's
always somebody who yells about killing him off. I've been told by folks on
the nets, variously, to kill Londo ("Who's the jerk in the Bozo hair? He's a
joke, he's ruining the show, space him!"), Vir ("Flounder in space? Give me a
break, he's nothing, throw him out an airlock!"), Lennier and others, including
Sheridan ("He smiles too much, what's the deal, Smilin' Jack," which was a
setup for his fall). Many people screamed to kill Sinclair during the first
season...and then were the first ones wanting him back a year later.
And in each case, they went on to become some of our most popular
characters.
Patience is a virtue. We get to know people over time. See their
strengths and weaknesses over time. There's a lot more to Marcus than meets
the eye...and many people *do* like Marcus' character quite a lot.
The sad thing to me is to see folks who, if they don't instantly spark
to someone, say "Kill him!!!" Which seems to me rather cruel and intolerant
for just not sparking to someone. I wonder if they have friends, or if they
meet someone and instantly don't take to them, do they wait in an alley and
blow their brains out...or give them time to grow...or at least take a
wait-and-see attitude. I sometimes wonder about a society that breeds the
notion that if you don't like a character, let's *kill* them. Not, "let's not
feature him," not "write him out," but KILL him. There's something rather
disturbing in that.
But...if Marcus doesn't work for you, he doesn't work for you. He does
work for others. And he works for me.
I think you're outnumbered.
jms
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