JMS on CompuServe (Nov 30, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Sat Nov 30 17:10:06 EST 1996
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #618338-BACK TO RERUNS BUT WOW
Sb: #618499-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
Sb: #618365-#<404: Falling>
Sb: #618310-#<404: Falling>
Sb: #618555-JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Sb: #618601-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
Sb: #618574-#New FX - no problems!
#: 618338 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 07:58:31
Sb: #618293-#BACK TO RERUNS BUT WOW
Fm: RANDY UPSHAW
>> Now next time maybe you'll believe me.<<
Ok I,m sorry .
When will se get back to new eps.
Thanks
Randy
#: 618501 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 15:29:21
Sb: #618338-BACK TO RERUNS BUT WOW
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
They'll be in February...and I was just having some fun, don't take it
too seriously.
jms
#: 618499 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 15:21:32
Sb: #<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: MICHAEL R. BREHMER
Joe:
Congratulations on another terrific episode. After watching "Falling"
twice and then running through a couple of previous episodes on tape, there are
several things that I would just like to get off my chest and into a post.
1. Vorlons motives. It would appear that Sheridans going to Zhadum opened
another door (as Kosh2 states). This action then appears to be the direct
trigger for the Vorlons current rampage, but the question is motive. There
seem to be two possibilities. Sheridans action in blasting the Shadows capital
city has shown the Vorlons that it is possible to defeat the Shadows and that
now is the time to attack. However, given the highly advanced state of Vorlon
technology, Sheridans action seems a bit limited and the Vorlons themselves
could have probably done the same thing and more if they had wanted to.
Therefore, a second possibility may be more likely; i.e., the Vorlons are now
desparate. They must attack and defeat the Shadows immediately before engaging
a possible future greater enemy, the AoL which may now have help from Lorien.
2. Vorlon attack strategy. If the Vorlons are now hell-bent to destroy the
Shadows, why nibble around the periphery and not blow-up Zhadum first?
Assuming that Shadow and Vorlon technology is roughly equivalent, I guess that
the Shadows have something equivalent to the "planet buster" which could hold
off the Vorlons which we havent seen yet.
3. Shadows v. Vorlons. If we assume that Justins description of Shadow
(advancement of the fittest) and Vorlon (parental) methods for "rearing" the
younger races is correct, there is a huge gap between the stated Vorlon method
and the Vorlons current rampage. "Parents" usually do not go a mad ethnic
cleansing campaigne (which is the closest analogy I can come up with concerning
current Vorlon actions). If the Vorlon "parenta" approach has been used for so
many eons, why start destroying everything in their path now? There appears to
be some factionalalism within the Vorlon empire. Perhaps Kosh1 was of the
"Traditionalist party" and Kosh2 is of the "War party." In any case, current
Vorlon tactics are something that would be expected of the Shadows and their
motives.
4. Centauri defenses. Morden must know that that the Centauri are no match
for the Vorlons; so why ask them to send up their ships as a defense shield?
If I were the Shadows, I would get off Centauri Prime and fast.
5. Factionalism. Every major species depicted so far in B5, except one, is
not monolithic. The Mimbari has three formalized major divisions. The Narn
has disagreed on methods and the Centauri are certainly factionalized. Humans,
as always, are splintered all over the place. With the "Falling" episode, it
would appear that the Vorlons have at least some internal disagreement. That
leaves the Shadows who still appear monolithic. I wonder if there is a "Peace
party" among the Shadows?
6. Earth/B5. One can assume that the Vorlons know that the Shadows has
influence on Earth through the Psi Corps, though they do "apparently" do not
have a military base there. The Vorlons are about seven days away from
Centauri Prime. That would put them not too far away from Earth. Is Earth a
Vorlon target? B5 is accepting refugees from the worlds the Vorlons have
destroyed. Is B5 a Vorlon target?
7. AoL in "lose-lose" position. Sheridans attacks on the Shadows, especially
his actions on Zhadum, are certainly unfriendly actions to the Shadows.
Sheridan taking out the Vorlon ambassador should not exactly endear him to the
Vorlon empire. Therefore, we have two highly advanced races a bit torked off
at the puny AoL. Somehow, the phrases "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" and
"The Ranger isnt going to like this, Yogi" come to mind. How can the AoL stand
up to both the Vorlons and the Shadows?
Joe, its going to be fun to see how it all comes out.
Mike Brehmer
"The enemy is anybody whos going to get you killed, no matter which side hes
on." -- Joseph Heller
#: 618502 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 15:29:23
Sb: #618499-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Excellent questions to which I, alas, can only reply, "wait and see."
jms
[ NOTE: The following message was in reply to another user -- Brent ]
#: 618365 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 09:18:48
Sb: #618345-#<404: Falling>
Fm: BRENT BARRETT
"Will we ever see Kosh again?"
Dead is dead in B5, or so Joe keeps telling us. I doubt we'll see him again.
But he went out well (both times), and had a very long life. Don't be sad. :-)
"What will John do?"
Be The One, of course.
-- Brent
#: 618569 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 17:36:21
Sb: #618365-#<404: Falling>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yep, all trace of Kosh is gone. He/it will never be seen again, in any
form, exempting flashbacks, of which none are currently planned.
jms
#: 618310 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 05:19:29
Sb: #618262-#<404: Falling>
Fm: NEIL BLEVINS
>I don't think anything that Londo said to Cartagia said would have mattered. <
Very possibly, although I wish Londo had tried. :)
- Neil
#: 618570 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 17:36:22
Sb: #618310-#<404: Falling>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yeah...would've been nice if Londo had at least tried to do something
about the eye that did not see Cartagia's splendor....
jms
#: 618555 S5/Babylon 5: General
29-Nov-96 17:12:06
Sb: #JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Fm: ALAN L. RAVITCH
[Reply to message #614024, which is no longer available]
Joe, My local station's PD sez he's been informed by WB that this year is it.
I work a lot with this guy and he doesn't do anything but shoot straight.
What's up?
:-) Alan
#: 618571 S5/Babylon 5: General
29-Nov-96 17:40:09
Sb: #618555-JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Nothing has yet been decided; different arms of WB are telling different
people different things...this has been the situation from the first season to
today.
jms
#: 618601 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 18:53:48
Sb: #618502-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: MICHAEL R. BREHMER
But Joe, February is so, so far away and I can't wait. <g> How about a little
hint as an early Christmas present? <bg> A single 'bon mot' from The Great
Maker for those who thirst for knowledge (and a few spoilers)? <vbg>
In a more serious vein, you've stated that your characters talk to you and, in
fact, you have a hard time shutting Londo up. In writing your scripts, do you
have a conversation with each character and he/she tells you what's happening;
or do you see the action the character is in from their point of view; or do
you see the action much as the camera sees it from a third person point of
view, but focusing on that character?
Mike Brehmer
"Variables won't, constants aren't" -- Osborn's Law
#: 618603 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 19:01:49
Sb: #618601-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I see the episode in my mind the same way it's seen by viewers. I watch
it from the camera's point of view. It's just once in a while, as I'm watching
it, that one of the characters will lean into camera, bang on the side of it,
and say "Listen, shmuck, you're not doing this right."
jms
#: 618574 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 17:59:03
Sb: #618526-#New FX - no problems!
Fm: NEIL BLEVINS
>can you explain what "new effects people" mean? is b5 using a different fx
production house? any reasons why?<
B5 was using Foundation Images to do their effects, but due to various reasons,
they are no longer doing the effects. So JMS has set up a new company along
with various other key Bab5 people to do the 4th season. We were afraid the
quality might go down, but after seeing this ep, it's obvious the high level of
quality is still there.
- Neil
#: 618658 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
29-Nov-96 21:56:21
Sb: #618574-#New FX - no problems!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
What kinda bugged me was that, after having made the change, there were a
number of people -- presumably associated with Foundation -- who were running
around the nets and saying that the efx were going to be terrible, or there
wouldn't BE any efx...trying to poison the well. But as always, we never do
anything unless we think it'll be an improvement, and the new season shows
that.
jms
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