JMS on CompuServe (May 27, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* 2/2
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Tue May 28 00:01:47 EDT 1996
[ Continued from previous section -- BB ]
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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: #512720-#<WWE 1&2>
Sb: #512728-#<Sinclair/Sheridan?>
Sb: #512782-How many Centauri......
Sb: #512935-#The *other* story...?
Sb: #512844-#Sinclair's Scar & More
Sb: #512930-<WWE2>
Sb: #512901-#<WWE2>
Sb: #512766-<War...Part 2>
Sb: #512894-<WWE2>Bets&other stuff
Sb: #512964-<War w/o End II>
#: 512720 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 13:39:08
Sb: #<WWE 1&2>
Fm: ELYSE M. GRASSO
Joe !!
Ye gods and little fishes, that story is one H**L of an achievement!
It's just as well you weren't able to completely sync the story of Zathras
capture with Babylon Squared... The Tibetans and Navaho agree that if a perfect
work of art is created, the universe will come to an end, and I want to see the
rest of this story. <g>
I'll have more comments when I've had time to digest it a bit more. At this
point I'm just to awestruck to be coherent.
Elyse
#: 512953 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 19:52:36
Sb: #512720-#<WWE 1&2>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks, and thanks again a second time for giving me a GREAT reason for,
er, *deliberately* making those little mistakes...yes, that's right, I had to
think about not causing the end of the universe, after all...writer have great
responsibility, yes, thinking great thoughts, Zathras knows what he is
doing...are you going to finish those fries?
jms
[ Summary: Asks if JMS had always intended for a Sheridan-like character to
come in and replace Sinclair, or if Valen was originally supposed to be
someone else going back 1,000 years. ]
#: 512954 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 19:52:39
Sb: #512728-#<Sinclair/Sheridan?>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I believe it was G'Kar who commented on the notion that he was both
reassured and frightened by the knowledge that there were mysteries out there
that could never be adequately explained, and that they shouldn't be, in order
that there might still be mystery in the universe.
File this reply under that heading.
jms
[ Summary: Asks about the origin of the "How many Centuari does it take
to change a lightbulb" joke. ]
#: 513007 S5/Babylon 5: General
26-May-96 21:09:56
Sb: #512782-How many Centauri......
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Actually, variations on that joke were told at a number of conventions;
it's the obvious one to go for, given that for a while the "how many X does it
take to change a lightbulb?" question was racing all around the nets. There
were literally hundreds of them; of which, this or a variation on it was the
most common one floating around...so I let it go in as a nod to the nets.
jms
#: 512935 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 19:25:21
Sb: #The *other* story...?
Fm: BRENT BARRETT
Howdy, Joe.
You've said a few times that there was *one* possible side-story in the B5
universe that you would consider doing. Is it the Valen/Zathras story or is it
the David/Future story or is it something else entirely? Or is this something
you'd rather not answer yet? :-)
Thanks.
-- Brent (whishing he'd taped the 1st & most of 2nd seasons!) Barrett
#: 513008 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 21:09:57
Sb: #512935-#The *other* story...?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Rather not answer yet.
jms
#: 512844 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 17:10:38
Sb: #511099-#Sinclair's Scar & More
Fm: THE JAWA / JAWA #2
He was scarred in RANGER TRAINING????
Joe, here's a rundown of what you did to Sinclair since Season One:
1) Had him tortured by the Minbari
2) Had him tortured by his own mind because he couldn't remember the
Minbari
3) Gave him a girlfriend, then sent her away when he was finally going
to be happily married
4) Had him shot at, nearly choked, and otherwise almost assasinated
5) Ravaged his home planet with uprisings
6) Scarred him in training
7) Aged him about 70 years (and, I'm assuming, painfully)
8) Sent him into oblivion alone with no way to get home
What did you have against him????
The Jawa
Kidism Patrol
Jawa #2's Stupendous Sandcrawler-Scouring Sidewalk
Sale!!
#: 513010 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 21:10:00
Sb: #512844-#Sinclair's Scar & More
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The secret of writing: get your character up a tree and throw rocks at
him.
I throw big rocks.
jms
#: 512930 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 19:21:55
Sb: #512749-#<WWE2>
Fm: <DAVID L. GOLD>
>> but the person writing the caption got it wrong.<<
Kinda curious here, but since the show is closed captioned - would those lines
have been included in the closed captioning? And if it was, did *they* get the
spelling right?
#: 513011 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 21:10:01
Sb: #512930-<WWE2>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, doubt they were captioned.
jms
#: 512901 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 18:29:27
Sb: #510947-#<WWE2>
Fm: RAY PELZER
> What happens with the future of Londo and G'Kar...is what you see.
And as for the little "keepers", are they a going-away present from the
Shadows, or are they ANOTHER item with which we must concern ourselves?
In all, Joe, this is and has been a MOST impressive tale. You have a LOT to
be proud of, and it all keeps getting better.
Now, if only you'd been able to convince the schmucks...er...suits to run some
of the last five episodes in July as you'd planned back in February.
#: 513012 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 21:10:03
Sb: #512901-#<WWE2>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
You needn't concern yourself with the keeper...for a while yet.
jms
#: 512766 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 15:09:34
Sb: #<War...Part 2>
Fm: REBECCA ESCHLIMAN
After sweeping up the dust of overfired neurons expended keeping up with the
spacesuit and timeflash shell game, there may be enough left to comment on
other things.
I cannot watch the scenes with Londo without a feeling of great grief, but it's
an uplifting grief, the same sort one feels in the last scene of "Man from La
Mancha." But I was truly spooked by Vir's expression and even more spooked by
the conviction that he was under the control of one of those scrofulous,
parasitic Shadowspawn. I can't help but think that he had made some really
unfortunate choices to end up Emperor, and that is tragic, given his 2260 sense
of integrity.
The two words the ring in the air long after the episode is over are
"Confinement" and "Innocence."
Although Sheridan and Delenn are literally confined, there are numerous others
who experience confinement and make choices which define the extent of
confinement that they suffer, whether physically or psychologically. Londo in
2277 is most woefully and horribly confined but makes the heroic choice to end
both his own confinement and his prisoners'. Sinclair is confined by his
knowledge of the Track1 future but makes the choice to let it enlarge his soul
(and he winds up very literally confined by his own Chrysalis). And, when you
stop to think about it, living on B5 and travelling in spaceships is of itself
confining, but, again, it's what the inhabitants choose to do about that
confinement that determines Light, Dark or Grey.
Delenn's comments to Sheridan about the innocence in his eyes long lost was
eerily pertinent. By the very fact that Sheridan sees something of a possible
future reduces his innocence. I wonder whether or not Londo will see echoes of
his own dream in Sheridan's eyes from now on. Londo seems to be taking steps
to re-enter a state of innocence (death is pretty tabula rasa innocence, albeit
permanent) by removing the Shadowstain on his soul. And 2277 Vir certainly
seems to have lost his defining innocence. Zathras seems to be a naturally
delightful innocent, uncorrupted for all his knowledge (I like the way he
seemed to walk in a more upright fashion after making the choices to further
the cause of Light and return with Sinclair to the beginning).
I also liked the first view of Sinclair/Valen to the then Minbari as the
original, literal Triluminary -- two luminous beings attending the One who will
illumine.
The entirety of "War..." will undoubted continue to ring in my mind like a
carillon until they finally release the 5 orphan episodes.
Just in case there was any doubt, well done.
..but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born.
#: 513013 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 21:10:05
Sb: #512766-<War...Part 2>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Good analysis, as usual. The thematic elements are often overlooked.
jms
#: 512894 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 18:20:24
Sb: #<WWE2>Bets&other stuff
Fm: ALEXIS HOLIZKI
**Warning: the following has not been spellchecked. Proceed at your own risk**
Would you mind settling a bet for me? My mother thinks that Londo has his
"keeper" in 2260 -- I've tried to tell her that we've seen him drunk lots of
times without it appearing, but she won't listen. Since she's willing to stake
$5 on this, and I'm desperatleing need of cash, I figured who better to ask
than the Great Maker himself...?
Some other WWE-related stuff that I suppose I'll just include here, rather than
starting another thread:
*Extend my congratulations to whoever edited the clips of WWE1. He or she
managed to reduce the most complicated television program I've ever watched
into two or three mintues, without even resorting to voiceovers. Nice job.
*The scene with Sheridan and Delenn in the cell is by far my favorite. The
lighting was really a nice touch.
*That triluminary Sinclair used looked different from Delenn's, but it could be
that my copy of Chrysalis just isn't very good. I'm going to have to go back
with the slow motion feature on my VCR and copy the details off it --I think
I'll make one for my plastics project in industrial arts. <G>
I could go on, but I'll stop for now. I'm sure you've had praise pouring in
ofr this ep as it is.
Alexis
Kidism Patrol, Dominion Chapter
N.A.G./Sigh Corps/SPAMM Policewomyn
#: 513014 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 21:10:06
Sb: #512894-<WWE2>Bets&other stuff
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It's the exact same chrysalis device in both episodes.
And you win the bet.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if we know enough information at this point to identify the
"man in the middle" from Sheridan's dream. ]
#: 513078 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
26-May-96 23:24:51
Sb: #512964-<War w/o End II>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, you don't have all the info yet. But you will by the season's end.
jms
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