JMS on CompuServe (Nov 01, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Fri Nov 1 15:46:44 EST 1996
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The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #602617-<Z'Ha'Dum x2>
Sb: #602628-<<Za'ha'dume
Sb: #602686-<Shadow Dance - Nits>
Sb: #602733-#<Z'Ha'Dum - Praise>
#: 602617 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
31-Oct-96 18:43:08
Sb: #<Z'Ha'Dum x2>
Fm: RAE AUGENSTEIN
After seeing "Z'Ha'Dum" last night (and again this morning -- yes, I was late
for work <g>) I just had to go back and watch "In the Shadow of Z'Ha'Dum."
Those two make good viewing companions.
ItSoZHD was the first episode where I really, really liked Sheridan. He is
just *super* in that ep, and Bruce does a great job of being really really
intense. I remember the first time I saw that ep I was out of town and just so
happened to channel surf to it around midnight. I was just so stunned by what
Kosh and Delenn told John about the fate of the Icarus. I just sat there in the
dark hotel room holding my pillow all scrunched up in my chest... I could
hardly breathe. :-)
A note for ya if you decide to retcon the Anna Sheridan thing: in ItSoZHD John
passes Morden a picture of Anna, and when he flips it over we can see Beth
Toussiant's face.
You've done it again with your season finale. "Chrysalis" and "Fall of Night"
are two of my very favorite episodes, and this one ranks right up there with
them both. I can watch those episodes again and again and again and love them
just as much each time.
Rae ^^^^
Visit my Babylon 5 Episode Guide at:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Rae_
#: 602680 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
31-Oct-96 20:43:42
Sb: #602617-<Z'Ha'Dum x2>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks...and yeah, we'll try to deal with the retcon if we can.
jms
#: 602628 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
31-Oct-96 18:56:26
Sb: #<<Za'ha'dume
Fm: AL LIPSCOMB
Lets see if I have read any of this right.
1) The Shadows were hit hard by the blast. So hard that the ships surrounding
B5 have to leave without firing a shot (the ships may not have Shadows on
board, just the core). Good job on covering the issue with the great machine,
with communication jammed and those ships so close any attack (unless surgical
in nature) from the planet would endanger the station.
2) If the Shadows feel that another will arise if Sheridan is killed the grab
of Mr. Garabaldi would be an attempt at stopping the most logical replacement.
3) The Shadow belief that "if anything Vorlon touches their world they will
die", seems to have been on target. The White Star did touch the dome before
the detonation.
4) The fall into the pit by a man with part of a Vorlon inside. It would seem
that Kosh (or whats left of him) wants to stay around. I guess there are many
ways for Sheridan to survive the fall, I wonder if the fact that Vorlon can fly
will play into this.
5) Why were the Shadows and the Vorlon left behind by the first ones?
Punishment? A desire by the two races to prove a point? Something in their
nature that made them want to stay?
BTW the process of evolution would not care if a race survived by winning a war
or avoiding it. Then again evolution cannot care as it has no mind.........
#: 602681 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
31-Oct-96 20:43:44
Sb: #602628-<<Za'ha'dume
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well, most of that is on track....
jms
#: 602686 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
31-Oct-96 21:09:30
Sb: #602480-#<Shadow Dance - Nits>
Fm: REBECCA ESCHLIMAN
<< I just sometimes put a little too much out there, I think. >>
I'm going to make an assumption here, but you put a little too much (of
yourself) out there for your own comfort?
As far as storytelling, which is why we're here, can you put too much out there
of pain, joy, fear, yearning, resentment, relief, etc.? Stripped of those
elements, doesn't the story become antiseptic and liable to lead to
indifference in the viewer/reader?
-rje-
I can almost feel the rustling-in of some kind of enchantment already.
#: 602724 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
31-Oct-96 23:11:58
Sb: #602686-<Shadow Dance - Nits>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yeah, it's primarily a personal comfort issue. It's kinda like standing
naked in front of ten million of your best friends....
jms
#: 602733 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
01-Nov-96 00:12:38
Sb: #<Z'Ha'Dum - Praise>
Fm: COLIN GLASSEY
Joe,
Well, all I can say is that this is a perfect episode. Great dialog between
Sheridan and Delenn, really great scene between Sheridan and Girabaldi, very
good scene with Sheridan and the Shadow Trio. And, what a superb special
effects shot near the end with Sheridan at the edge.
After visiting the Lurker's Guide I don't see any obvious comment about the
Shadow's motivation and the relation to other ideas that have been floating
about. As I listened to Morden and "the middle man" I was struck by the
similarities to the moral world order created by Michael Moorcock in his great
fantasies from the 1960's. Specifically in "Stormbringer" a number of
characters describe the conflict that exists between "Law" and "Chaos". Law is
not purely good and Chaos is not purely evil. Elric is the balance point, the
character with enough power to set the world's direction down one path or
another.
Later, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson used Moorcock's world view when they were
creating Dungeons and Dragons. They needed a universal morality to fit all
their monsters and characters within. However, they added the additional
dimensions of "Good" and "Evil" to the "Law - Chaos" dimension. This actually
made the system less complex (and less "real") because Moorcock had hit upon a
fairly profound truth, namely that you can tell fairly easily if a system is
"lawful" or "chaotic" but you can't easily tell whether a system is "good" or
not. This wisdom of this vision is not hard to see when you think about the
Nazi party in Germany.
I think your addition of "evolution" is a unique twist to the idea. Moorcock's
vision was essentially static (like most fantasy, there is no long term change,
only cycles). By contrast, the Shadows talk about "progress" and
"development", so their chaos has a larger purpose that is "beneficial" by most
standards. This is a characteristic of Science Fiction, SF deals with
progress, fantasy tends to deny it (not that this is bad, it is just an
important difference between the two).
BTW: The Shadow's characterize the Vorlons as "parental guardians". Frankely,
considering the power and knowledge of the Vorlons, I would argue their
behavior is fairly close to immoral and uncaring. They were willing to sit
quitely and let the Dilgar commit genocide, and they also did nothing to help
the Markab, who are all now dead (and likely due to the Shadows). If the
Vorlons are parents, they are some of the most uninvolved parents I've ever
seen. Still, I'd choose them over the Shadows in a second.
Thanks for creating such a wonderful, awe-inspiring experiance.
Colin Glassey
#: 602741 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
01-Nov-96 00:43:52
Sb: #602733-#<Z'Ha'Dum - Praise>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks...it's some of the best work we've ever done.
jms
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