JMS on CompuServe (Mar 28, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Brent Barrett
brent.barrett at 24stex.com
Thu Mar 28 13:31:42 EST 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.
[ Note from Brent: Before you ask, no I cannot forward
your questions to JMS. He has asked that questions
not originating from CIS accounts not be posted to
CIS. He encourages all of us to wait for the
moderated USENET group, to which he plans to
subscribe. ]
#: 476893 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
27-Mar-96 10:29:16
Sb: #476755-#Unresolved plot lines
Fm: PHILIP HORNSEY
>> Others said, "What happened to that alien ship that blew up the Raiders in
"Signs?" They were just thrown in there to shake things up, and then they
dropped it, I hate it when shows do that. It's a cheat." Oh, you mean the
SHADOW VESSEL that has now formed the main core of year three and a lot of year
two?
I DID THAT!!!
In my own defense, I was not here yet, had no idea that there really *was* and
arc and was so defensive from umpteen years of ST that I just couldn't *bear*
to have it happen again.
Phil^^^^
FREE MARS!
#: 476944 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
27-Mar-96 12:28:49
Sb: #476893-#Unresolved plot lines
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
My point exactly.
And most folks who had the reaction you admitted, did so for the same
reason. In some ways, we get gigged for the mistakes of others, and have to
prove we won't do things that way.
And don't drag the bear into this discussion.
jms
#: 476895 S5/Babylon 5: General
27-Mar-96 10:29:22
Sb: #476746-#Lost Threads?
Fm: PHILIP HORNSEY
Regarding changes that have been made, if Pat had not become available, and if
AT had not chosen to leave, would Talia have been Control and then come back
later with an altered personality, or was the Control thing a trapdoor (set up
from the beginning with the mirrors and such) that you *could* spring *only if
you needed to*?
Phil^^^^
FREE MARS!
#: 476945 S5/Babylon 5: General
27-Mar-96 12:28:50
Sb: #476895-#Lost Threads?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I'm busy enough on the threads that are happening...if I get into all
the threads that might happen I think my head will explode....
jms
[ Summary: Thanks JMS for a show with such great suspense. The poster says
that he's frustrated "by the fact that it will take five years to tell
the complete story." ]
#: 477240 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
27-Mar-96 20:39:43
Sb: #476957-Unresolved plot lines
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks. It's just as much fun for me. To the waiting...I try, where I
can, to resolve any question raised within the course of the coming year,
rather than trying to stretch it out much beyond that. One question gets
answered, another question looms. There've been a few exceptions, but overall
I think we've pretty well stuck with that model.
jms
[ Summary: Basically wants to know how long the typical member stays on the
Grey Council. ]
#: 477241 S5/Babylon 5: General
27-Mar-96 20:39:45
Sb: #477011-Grey Council
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Membership in the Grey Council is usually for life; a person can choose
to leave but only under truly extraordinary circumstances (kind of like being
appointed to the Supreme Court). In Delenn's case, though, remember that she
didn't quit, she was booted out.
jms
#: 477021 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
27-Mar-96 15:17:40
Sb: #476944-#Unresolved plot lines
Fm: PHILIP HORNSEY
>>And most folks who had the reaction you admitted, did so for the same reason.
In some ways, we get gigged for the mistakes of others, and have to prove we
won't do things that way.
I quit doubting you after that incident (and when I found out that there *was*
a you to have faith in). Fact is that you don't make many mistakes, and we
don't have the same discussions here that we do on the S;A&B forum (for
example). There we are constantly having to bitch and moan about the fact that
they just *ignore* obvious flaws in their premise (the hotshot pilots who saved
Earth are also Ground Pounders, they send 5 LT's to do recon and the team right
over the ridge is made up of 4 PFC's and a LT, etc. etc.)
B5 is nice because we just don't have that aggravation. When you find yourself
asking the question "Why the hell did Sheridan do this?" one of the answers is
*NOT* "the writers screwed up the scene."
What I just don't understand is why that kind of continuity seems so hard to
achieve. *WE* notice all the screwups, it would seem to me that a guy *paid* to
live and breathe a show would be *at least* a competant as the fans. It seems
to me to be a matter of having respect for your customers. Some people do and
some don't.
>> And don't drag the bear into this discussion.
I will now resist the urge, unbearable thought it may be, to paws, and begin a
series of miserable puns...
Phil^^^^
FREE MARS!
#: 477242 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
27-Mar-96 20:39:46
Sb: #477021-Unresolved plot lines
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
One reason for the continuity is because you don't have a lot of
different chefs in the kitchen. The more you divide up the direction of the
show and parcel it out, the more contradictions are going to emerge. Also, by
virtue of having the whole story forwards and backwards in my head, when a
question gets asked about a production element, I just sorta mentally
fast-forward or backward, see how it fits in, and can say yes, no or give a
correction. Often on shows you've got people going and coming in the command
chair, and they may not always know the background as well as they might.
jms
#: 477027 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
27-Mar-96 15:22:35
Sb: #San Diego
Fm: MICHAEL ZITAGLIO
Hi Joe,
I just read a little of your "V" story. So,....What is it with you and San
Diego anyway? You nuked it twice! Did you lose you luggage there or
something?
Mike
#: 477244 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
27-Mar-96 20:39:49
Sb: #477027-San Diego
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I used to live in San Diego, first from 1971-1972, then from 1974 until
1981. It's my way of sort of nodding at my old stomping grounds.
jms
[ Summary: Wants to know if the creature from "Knives" isn't a Vorlon. ]
#: 477245 S5/Babylon 5: General
27-Mar-96 20:39:52
Sb: #477054-Knives creature
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Correct, the critter in "Knives" was most *definitely* not a Vorlon.
jms
[ Summary: The poster thinks JMS was flaming the user who posted the list
of "unresolved" threads when JMS responded with the example of the
Shadow ship. ]
#: 477246 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
27-Mar-96 20:39:53
Sb: #477102-Unresolved plot lines
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I don't think I flamed anyone...certainly I don't think the person to
whom I was responding felt particularly flamed. When I set out to flame, there
ain't a whole lot of ambiguity about it. I was stating the background to the
situation firmly, and indicating the frustration brought about by *the
question*, not the person.
I did not consider the original question a flame in my direction, nor
did I consider my response a flame in the other direction. If I stated the
issue strongly, it's likely because I know that any time I leave a message, it
generally gets cross-posted to a zillion other systems, so in a way it becomes
"talking to the room," so the wider audience will know the full background of
the situation...thus helping to avoid having to go into the situation in great
detail multiple times.
If the person to whom I was "speaking" feels flamed, he should let me
know and I will apologize, as that was not my intent. If not, then it's a moot
question.
jms
[ Summary: The poster comments that he has recently watched all of his
tapes on an every-other-day basis and appreciates the subtle foreshadowing
in episodes. Also notes that Ivanova has gone from a snide, snappy person
to a fairly mellow person. ]
#: 477247 S5/Babylon 5: General
27-Mar-96 20:39:57
Sb: #477122-Foreshadowing on B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, you've caught them exactly.
With Ivanova, I've tried to construct a small emotional arc, in that
when she arrived, she was the new kid, she was a bit uncomfortable with the
job, and responded by being very formal, very businesslike, a bit on the snide
side. As she's gotten more comfortable with the job, and the people around
her, she's relaxed a bit around her co-workers...but if somebody crosses her,
as Bester tends to do, she lets fly with some pretty sharp lines.
jms
[ Summary: Saw a release of a new set of B5 ships for 191.00. ]
#: 477342 S5/Babylon 5: General
27-Mar-96 23:46:09
Sb: #477234-B5:New pricey toys
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I don't know what this refers to; the only B5 ships currently being done
are the Micromachines, which are only about $10 per set of four. If you're
referring to any kind of models, they're unlicensed, pirated stuff.
jms
#: 477237 S5/Babylon 5: General
27-Mar-96 20:36:52
Sb: #JMS is from the Future!
Fm: JAMES R. KAPESIS
I had a dream last night that JMS is really from the future and his show
Babylon 5 is a warning to us all about what will happen. Sometime soon an
alien race will come to Earth saying they are related to us. Don't believe
them and don't make an alliance with them! In the future they will join with
the Shadows and try to destroy us all.
Heed the words of JMS or we are all Doomed!
#: 477344 S5/Babylon 5: General
27-Mar-96 23:58:37
Sb: #477237-JMS is from the Future!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, indeed, you've sussed it out. I *am* from the future.
Unfortunately, I'm only from 15 seconds into the future, so it doesn't do me a
bit of good, except being able to more accurately cut out commercials while
taping "The Simpsons."
jms
[ NOTE: Someone e-mailed me asking me for a copy of a message on CIS that
JMS referred to in a post and I never included in the digest (because he
didn't reply to it :-). Here's the core portion of that message, which
itself was a re-post from AOL. ]
Subj: Check this out!
Date: 96-03-22 21:10:11 EST
From: RedQueen5
Well, here it is, the results of the VQT Viewer Survey from February 12-25,
1996. I posted the entire list so that there can be no confusion.
Highest Quality Shows Qualitative
Rating (1-10)
1. Law & Order........................................8.90
2. ER.................................................8.80
3. Homicide...........................................8.80
4. NYPD Blue..........................................8.70
5. Party of Five......................................8.50
6. Murder One.........................................8.30
7. The X-Files........................................8.30
8. Grace Under Fire...................................8.10
9. Frasier............................................8.0
10. Friends............................................7.7
11. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman..........................7.70
12. Chicago Hope.......................................7.70
13. Touched by an Angel................................7.70
14. Seinfeld...........................................7.60
15. Mad About You......................................7.60
16. Babylon 5..........................................7.60
17. Highlander.........................................7.60
18. Murphy Brown.......................................7.50
19. Star Trek: Voyager.................................7.50
20. Picket Fences......................................7.50
21. Nowhere Man........................................7.50
22. New York Undercover................................7.50
23. Strange Luck.......................................7.40
24. Cybill.............................................7.30
25. Lois & Clark.......................................7.20
26. Star Trek: DS9.....................................7.20
27. The Simpsons.......................................7.20
28. Space: Above and Beyond ...........................7.10
29. Due South..........................................7.00
30. Roseanne...........................................6.70
31. Dave's World.......................................6.70
32. Home Improvement...................................6.70
33. Almost Perfect.....................................6.60
34. The Nanny..........................................6.50
35. Ellen..............................................6.50
/*********************************************
* Brent Barrett brent.barrett at 24stex.com *
* Senior Software Engineer Automedia, Inc *
* http://www.ailink.com *
*********************************************/
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