JMS on AOL: 05/14/96 to 05/20/96
Kevin P. Mooney
kpmooney at shell.girn.net
Tue May 21 13:50:07 EDT 1996
The following is a compilation of the posts of JMS on AOL. If you have
comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at <kpmooney at acsu.buffalo.edu>
WARNING: Possible spoilers may lurk below.
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Subj: Re:JMS: Re; Interludes
Date: 96-05-14 03:49:32 EDT
From: Jms at B5
You'll see the new Vorlon within the first few new episodes, whenever they
air.
jms
Subj: Re:Advancing the relationshi
Date: 96-05-14 03:50:43 EDT
From: Jms at B5
I think they're still testing how they feel toward one another; if theydon'
feel what they think they might feel, it's all a moot point and not
worth
their pursuit; if indeed there's something there, they have to decide that,
then look at the other aspects.
jms
Subj: Re:I&E ?- ATTN JMS
Date: 96-05-14 03:51:51 EDT
From: Jms at B5
I never said we'd see Lyta in I&E, so I can't answer that. As for how this
affects her relationship with the new ambassador...isn't it better to see it
than have me just answer it?
jms
Subj: Re:SERIOUS Delenn problems!!
Date: 96-05-14 03:52:36 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Delenn's been holding back. More than she should. There will be a price.
jms
Subj: Re:Warners & Paramount
Date: 96-05-14 03:53:10 EDT
From: Jms at B5
You would sooner get a mongoose and a python setting up house together in a
cottage by the sea.
jms
Subj: Re:Interludes...
Date: 96-05-15 03:09:44 EDT
From: Jms at B5
When they shot the scene itself...no, not a lot of emotion in the Kosh
sequence in his quarters, because it was all very technical, bits and pieces.
But in the hallway scene with Sheridan, and the later scene with Delenn and
the others...yes, very much so.
It was *extremely* difficult to write. As a writer, the only way to evoke a
feeling in your audience is to feel it yourself and communicate that honestly
in the text. It was just awful.
jms
Subj: Re:delenn's clothes
Date: 96-05-15 03:11:20 EDT
From: Jms at B5
There hasn't been much occasion to drag out the little black number in a
while. But yes, she has new clothes along the way...the green dress she
wears in "War" for instance, and over the course of seasons, she's gotten new
clothes quite often, moreso than just about anyone else, really.
jms
Subj: Re:Everything
Date: 96-05-15 03:13:24 EDT
From: Jms at B5
There will be models...in the fullness of time.
As to sitting back and looking at the show...right now, I'm still way too
close to it to do that. When I look at any of the episodes, all I see are
the flaws. The things that could've been better. Stuff nobody else notices,
but I know it's there. In time, I'll be able to look at them objectively,
but not this soon.
jms
Subj: Re:Direct Marketing Concern
Date: 96-05-15 03:15:12 EDT
From: Jms at B5
I already answered your question posted here in email. To repeat what I said
then....
The fan club will be selling only a very few items, most of it designated as
fan club stuff (i.e., "Babylon 5 Fan Club" t-shirts or posters), on a limited
scale. It won't be producing nearly enough to cause even a blip in the
direct marketplace arena.
jms
Subj: Re:Wordsmith-WWE-I
Date: 96-05-15 03:17:43 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Actually, both those questions are answered in the next installment, so I'll
let that answer for me.
Yeah, I lov language, the way it can snake around behind you and turn into
something else when you're not looking. The alchemy of metaphor and the
well-chosen allusion. Banging words together is half the fun.
jms
Subj: Re:ATTN: JMS -- Hootch?
Date: 96-05-16 03:06:14 EDT
From: Jms at B5
It takes a lot of alcohol to have an effect on them...but they enjoy it when
they do. Meanwhile, in moderate amounts, it just makes them happy.
jms
Subj: Re:Old shows
Date: 96-05-16 03:06:40 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Tapes will eventually be available. No reruns of first season for now.
jms
Subj: Re:JMS: parents and children
Date: 96-05-16 03:07:11 EDT
From: Jms at B5
"where are all the moms?"
Good note, and good catch. I'll have to get into this more.
jms
Subj: Re:Dr.Who- Opinions JMS?
Date: 96-05-16 03:08:31 EDT
From: Jms at B5
I rather enjoyed it; some of the story needed a bit of work, and the woman
doctor was annoying at times, but I think they got a *great* actor for the
doctor, and pilots are always uneven. I hope they go forward; I'll watch.
jms
Subj: Re:Great war
Date: 96-05-16 03:09:09 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Yes, the shadow war was never meant to consume the entire emphasis of the
show.
jms
Subj: Re:Second B5 CD
Date: 96-05-17 03:59:00 EDT
From: Jms at B5
I've heard, on tape, the first 15 minutes of the new CD, and it's great.
Figure about July or so, to give Chris time to get it down just the way he
wants it.
jms
Subj: Re:Small critique of WWE par
Date: 96-05-17 04:00:01 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Yep, it was misspelled, and it wasn't misspelled in the script. When I saw
that on the final tape, it was too late to correct it for this airing. It'll
be corrected later. (Somebody wasn't being careful when they did the
captioning.)
jms
Subj: Re:WWE spoiler question
Date: 96-05-18 04:20:40 EDT
From: Jms at B5
I'd rather let part 2 get into what exactly happened to Centauri Prime....
jms
Subj: Re:JMS: Ivanova and The 3rd
Date: 96-05-18 04:21:45 EDT
From: Jms at B5
{What happened to the "Third age of Mankind" in the opening narration?
Is its lack of any importance?}
No, that'll likely show up again in year four....
jms
Subj: Re:the Whamy Kiss
Date: 96-05-18 04:22:35 EDT
From: Jms at B5
There's always hope...as you'll see in part two.
jms
Subj: Re:A Question...
Date: 96-05-18 04:23:21 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Usually you only get the main war council and the support staff who monitor
the progress of the war; the ambassadors were called in on Sheridan's hunch
that now the vorlons would get involved.
jms
Subj: Re:Over the top?
Date: 96-05-18 04:25:21 EDT
From: Jms at B5
No, I don't laugh about it...it's always an interesting, sometimes
fascinating process. If there were any consistent error I've seen, it's the
tendency to focus on the little tiny things, and thus miss the big things
I've just wheeled onto the stage in full view. If you're going to do this
show right, you have to play fair; so the person standing way in the
background of a scene, just passing by, an extra, isn't likely to be very
important, for instance...but people seem to leap after that one. I
sometimes get cute in my foreshadowing, but I try not to be obscure.
jms
Subj: Re:Mira on SciFi Buzz
Date: 96-05-18 04:25:52 EDT
From: Jms at B5
The clip they showed was from "Grey 17 Is Missing."
jms
Subj: Re:Two Questions
Date: 96-05-19 04:19:14 EDT
From: Jms at B5
"1. In the unthinkable, will you wrap up the storyline this season, or is
that too late?"
After the conclusion of this season, there are basically 3 major movements
remaining in the symphony (for lack of a better description). They fit
comfortably in 2 seasons, leaving room to do the usual routine of starting
each season with 4-5 standalones, and layering in other standalones along the
way, some non-arc personal stories, and so on.
If they came to me, put a gun to my head and said, "Okay, year four is it,
wrap it up," yes, it could be done. You just yank out the standalones and
interstitial stuff I put between major movements, and shove the three pieces
together. It's not what I'd *prefer*, obviously, but it could be done.
jms
Subj: Re:Real JMS please stand up?
Date: 96-05-19 04:21:20 EDT
From: Jms at B5
"Sitting here reading the spoilers, questions, comments and answers with my
husband. He doesn't believe its you answering these comments. I, on the
other hand, never thought about it."
If the message has my initials on it, assuming it's not an imposter like the
jerk who wandered into an IRC the other day...it's me, and ONLY me. You'll
note the writing style is always the same in every message, and elsewhere.
I'd never entrust this to an assistant or anything similar, because I'd get
the rap if something incorrect were said..and nobody else knows the show as I
do.
It's me.
Whether that's good or bad remains to be seen.
jms
Subj: Re: Just another compliment:
Date: 96-05-19 04:24:47 EDT
From: Jms at B5
"One would find it hard to believe that episodes like "Severed Dreams",
"I&E","A Late Delvery From Avalon" and of course, WWE could be written by the
same guy. The pace, dialog, everything are adapted so well for each
episode."
Suddenly I'm having an identity crisis....
I like to try different styles for different moods. I also like to vary the
tone of the show; one will be more comedic, as with Sic Transit Vir, others
much darker, like Ship of Tears. I enjoy trying new things, risking a bit,
failing on occasion, but learning in the process.
"You previsouly said that after B5 you would get "back" to writing. What in
Gods name are you doing now? If this isn't writing, I sure as heck don't now
what is."
Actually, the theory would be to get back into writing novels and plays,
assuming B5 runs its full course.
jms
Subj: Re:Blown Away by WWEI
Date: 96-05-19 04:25:33 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Thanks...I think you'll approve of part 2 as well.
Thanks again.
jms
Subj: Re:Renewed?
Date: 96-05-19 04:26:27 EDT
From: Jms at B5
We should get word on renewal in a couple weeks, give or take.
jms
Subj: Re:foreshadowing
Date: 96-05-20 04:49:53 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Some folks catch double-meanings when they're there...some don't...some find
double meanings when they're *not* there. Art is a participatory sport.
jms
Subj: Re:1 big question
Date: 96-05-20 04:50:22 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Vorlon/Shadow tech is more or less at the same level; the Vorlons had the
benefit of surprise.
jms
Subj: Re:Offhand lines...
Date: 96-05-20 04:52:02 EDT
From: Jms at B5
"In WWE(1)I noticed a larger than usual group of offhand lines (ethel
&.../wait in car.../cool-you know what I'm talking about). Was this
scripted? Or was someone just ad libbing?"
There's almost NO ad-libbing allowed on the show. You can't change a word
unless someone comes to my office and approves it, and it can't change the
meaning. (I.e., the actor is having a hard time saying "shibboleth" or
something.) Everything said in this show is scripted, offhand comments
included.
jms
Subj: Re:WWE/I
Date: 96-05-20 04:52:32 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Incidental voices of just a line or two, for a one-time or so character,
don't often get credited under SAG rules.
jms
Subj: Re:"Are You Alright?"
Date: 96-05-20 04:53:02 EDT
From: Jms at B5
It's a lot of different things, including what's coming in part two.
jms
Subj: Re:The Second Letter
Date: 96-05-20 04:53:27 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Wait and see.
jms
Subj: Re:B-5 fan Club
Date: 96-05-20 04:54:42 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Stuff will start going out soon. For one thing, we're getting a crush of
memberships, and rather than keep sending out dribs and drabs, we're trying
to do stuff all at once to make it simpler for mailing, copying, printing and
the like. The first newsletter is finished, and should be going out shortly,
and the poster is being somewhat redesigned 'cause I wasn't quite happy with
what we had, it could be improved, and that's what we're doing.
jms
Subj: Re:Congratulations from the
Date: 96-05-20 04:56:00 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Thanks, I appreciate that....
jms
Subj: Re:To JMS - telepaths abound
Date: 96-05-20 04:57:17 EDT
From: Jms at B5
This question will be dealt with by the season's end.
jms
Subj: Re:WWE-1
Date: 96-05-20 04:58:01 EDT
From: Jms at B5
I've begun to point to the question of "why," and thus having pointed to it,
intend to answer it, by season's end.
jms
Subj: Re:Oh, Lucy, I'm Home....
Date: 96-05-20 04:58:17 EDT
From: Jms at B5
Justine: thanks....
jms
Subj: Re:Speaking of pawns...
Date: 96-05-20 19:25:07 EDT
From: Jms at B5
The shadows looked for Morden's opinion; he's an advisor, in a sense, on
lower-species politics.
jms
Subj: Re:JMS: The Scar?
Date: 96-05-20 19:25:54 EDT
From: Jms at B5
He got the scar while doing his training of rangers on Minbar.
jms
Subj: Re:Interludes...
Date: 96-05-15 03:09:44 EDT
From: Jms at B5
When they shot the scene itself...no, not a lot of emotion in the Kosh
sequence in his quarters, because it was all very technical, bits and pieces.
But in the hallway scene with Sheridan, and the later scene with Delenn and
the others...yes, very much so.
It was *extremely* difficult to write. As a writer, the only way to evoke a
feeling in your audience is to feel it yourself and communicate that honestly
in the text. It was just awful.
jms
----
End Compilation
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