JMS on CompuServe (Jun 14, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
bbarrett at speedlink.com
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Sun Jun 15 01:42:05 EDT 1997
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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
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Note that JMS has expressed his public permission
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I give permission for my summaries to be reposted in
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #676687-#Face of the Enemy
Sb: #676745-#The age of a Minbari
Sb: #676915-Season 5
Sb: #676903-The age of a Minbari
Sb: #677196-#The age of a Minbari
Sb: #677282-Face of the Enemy
Sb: #677194-#Face of the Enemy
Sb: #677230-#<FotE> Holy $#%!
Sb: #677235-#<Face of the Enemy>
#: 676687 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
12-Jun-97 03:24:26
Sb: #676651-#Face of the Enemy
Fm: ROSEANN M. CAPUTO
Joe,
Definitely. It's pretty evident from this side of the screen everything that
was put into it. It does show.
I've seen you mention that you have/do read comics. Started when I was younger
and never really stopped myself. Have you read "The Sandman" and if so, what
do you think?
Roseann
#: 676796 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
12-Jun-97 13:38:13
Sb: #676687-#Face of the Enemy
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I loved "The Sandman," though I haven't read it lately (haven't read
much of anything lately). Gaiman's a tremendous talent, and I will always go
out of my way to find his stuff.
jms
#: 676745 S5/Babylon 5: General
12-Jun-97 09:20:14
Sb: #676654-#The age of a Minbari
Fm: TOM KNUDSEN
Joe,
<Which, btw, is also what Delenn referred to in season one, when she
was lost and in fear of death, and she looked to Sinclair with reverence and
said, "I knew you would come for me.">
Just how far back DID Delenn know that Jeff Sinclair was Valen?? I
didn't think she really knew until he went back in WWE Pt. II. From what
you're saying, and from what we've seen, Delenn knew, or at least strongly
suspected this, right from the beginning.
Why do I think you're going to say that we'll find out in the TV
movie?<G>
Tom
#: 676797 S5/Babylon 5: General
12-Jun-97 13:38:14
Sb: #676745-#The age of a Minbari
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
You'll find out in the TV movie.
And there's some measure of difference between what she *knew* and what
she *suspected*.
jms
#: 676915 S5/Babylon 5: General
12-Jun-97 19:54:16
Sb: #673358-#Season 5
Fm: JOHN M. GRAHAM
Message text written by J. Michael Straczynski
> The prequel is aired first, but produced second, because B5 didn't exist
during the prequel time period, so rather than tear and and rebuild sets, we're
doing Thirdspace first. <
If you are going to tear down the sets, what are you going to film Season 5 on
(Suits willing)?
-John
#: 676945 S5/Babylon 5: General
13-Jun-97 00:25:52
Sb: #676915-Season 5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
By "tear down" I simply mean move off the stages so we can move the other
sets in; we don't destroy them, just fold-n-hold.
jms
#: 676903 S5/Babylon 5: General
12-Jun-97 19:20:01
Sb: #676797-#The age of a Minbari
Fm: TOM KNUDSEN
Joe,
<You'll find out in the TV movie.>
Why youuuuu........I oughta.......ahhhhhhh.......go to your room.<G>
<And there's some measure of difference between what she *knew* and what
she *suspected*.>
OK. Thanks. That's what I think I was really getting at anyway. I'll
just have to wait to see how much was knowlege and how much was suspicion.
One quick question, if you can. The letter that Sinclair/Valen sent to
Delenn from the past......did she get it just before the events of WWE, or did
she have it for some time before that?
Tom
#: 676946 S5/Babylon 5: General
13-Jun-97 00:25:53
Sb: #676903-The age of a Minbari
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, she got the letter at the time of WWE. Remember, though, that she
was at the Battle of the Line when Sinclair was scanned and found to contain a
Minbari soul...so that would be the basic start of it.
jms
#: 677196 S5/Babylon 5: General
13-Jun-97 19:54:33
Sb: #676946-#The age of a Minbari
Fm: TOM KNUDSEN
Joe,
<No, she got the letter at the time of WWE. Remember, though, that she
was at the Battle of the Line when Sinclair was scanned and found to contain a
Minbari soul...so that would be the basic start of it.>
Thanks. I didn't THINK Delenn figured out just what the Triluminary
was scanning for until Atonement. However, I'm sure the brightness of the
Triluminary when it scanned Sinclair as compared to what it did for her must
have made her start thinking VERY seriously.
Tom^^^^
#: 677384 S5/Babylon 5: General
14-Jun-97 16:46:15
Sb: #677196-#The age of a Minbari
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
You'll get some more on this in the prequel.
jms
#: 677282 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
14-Jun-97 06:22:32
Sb: #676651-#Face of the Enemy
Fm: SHANE S. SHELLENBARGER
Joe,
What can I say, you've done it again. Excellent and exciting direction
for the characters. As always, B5 is the highlight of the week. Laurie and I
are looking forward to your participation at WesterCon and the S.D.C.C. Be
Seeing You,
Shane
#: 677385 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
14-Jun-97 16:46:16
Sb: #677282-Face of the Enemy
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks...it's a hoot.
jms
#: 677194 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
13-Jun-97 19:31:02
Sb: #Face of the Enemy
Fm: MERYL YOURISH
Joe,
That was one of the most powerful episodes I've ever seen on TV. It was
certainly the most powerful episode of the entire series. I hardly even know
what to say.
The images--the thought of the real Michael Garibaldi, screaming to get out of
the trap in his own mind. Sheridan's beating so reminiscent of the beating the
Narns gave to Refa--and the fear that you'd have John beaten nearly to death as
well. The strobe lighting, the music, the look of blankness and pain combined
on Garibaldi's face--unbelievable acting, direction, writing, camera work--the
scene came together to perfection. Literal perfection. I didn't want it to end.
(Well, except for poor John getting the you-know-what beat out of him, I wanted
>that< to end!)
And to finally _know_ what really happened to Mr. Garibaldi, and to shudder at
the horror and deviousness. I have always hated Bester, but the hate has
turned to loathing. I don't know what Sheridan has planned for those
telepaths, but I suspect that Mr. Bester is going to be screaming every bit as
much as Garibaldi was when the truth came out.
Set 'em up, knock 'em down, I believe you said a couple of weeks ago. Joe, you
are one cruel SOB. Remind me never to be a character in one of your stories.
I can't wait to see how this plays out.
Meryl
#: 677386 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
14-Jun-97 16:46:18
Sb: #677194-#Face of the Enemy
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks...I agree that it's probably one of the best we've done. I've now
watched it at least a dozen times in finished form, and it still works for me.
jms
#: 677230 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
14-Jun-97 00:21:30
Sb: #<FotE> Holy $#%!
Fm: BURHAAN AHMAD
I just saw Face of the Enemy. All I can say is, when Garibaldi screamed at the
end, I wanted to scream right along with him.
And the visual techniques with intercutting of the still photos... disturbing,
jarring and brilliant. Funny thing is, I've sometimes wished you guys would
try something like that, but I never expected to see it happen.
In the hands of the right person, a still camera (especially black-and-white)
can burn right through the surface of the subject and expose the soul
underneath. It was such a small addition to the over all episode, but it made
the ep so much more human.
Kudos.
#: 677387 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
14-Jun-97 16:46:20
Sb: #677230-#<FotE> Holy $#%!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks. One thing I've been doing with the latter part of season 4 is
to experiment a little more, try different things. I feel that we need to push
visually to try new things, the sort of visual techniques you don't see much in
SF-TV, which for the most part is fairly prosaic as these things go. And to
push the writing, to try some things that may succeed, or may fail, but you
learn something either way. In its way, next week's ep is just as
experimental, but in a very different direction.
Mike Vejar definitely did a great job with this episode.
jms
[ Summary: Enjoyed "The Face of the Enemy." (See below for more.) ]
#: 677388 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
14-Jun-97 16:46:24
Sb: #677235-#<Face of the Enemy>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Re: your kind words about the episode...thank you.
"On a completely different and impertinent tack, I am curious to know if you
feel any impact from being perhaps the most visible atheist since Ms. O'Hair?"
Not really. I think that a large sector of the religious community is
still trying to figure me out...because yes, I'm an open, avowed atheist, but
I've done stories about religion and spirituality that -- if the mail from
priests and rabbis and ministers and even a few folks from other, non-western
religions is to be believed -- are more fair and respectful than just about
anyone else in TV is doing, even according to last week's Christian Science
Monitor.
They openly ask, "How is it that an atheist is able to get stories of
great faith on the air when nobody else will do it?" To which I generally have
started replying, "Only Nixon could go to China."
I think that if I were using my show as a bludgeon to convey my own
personal beliefs, or lack thereof, as an atheist, that would be a whole
different kettle of fish. But I don't. I have an obligation as a writer
before anything and everything else...that means that if I create a character
who is religious, I must treat that character with respect and, just as
importantly, *authenticity*. I must, in short, be *fair*.
Where this works to my benefit is that if I, as an atheist, do an episode
showing a religious character in a positive light, the mail comes in thanking
me for being fair to points of view I don't agree with. Then, when I do a show
implying Ivanova and Talia were briefly lovers, or when you have Marcus and
Franklin undercover as a married couple, they start to go to the keyboards to
complain...then remember what they said about fairness to other points of view.
As a result, even with all the very subversive and challenging shows
we've done in four years, and even being an open atheist, I can count the
harrassing religious fringe-mail on one hand. (Thinks for a moment...okay,
maybe two hands, but that's all.) As long as I stay honest with the writing,
I'll be okay. The moment I start to use it as propaganda, they'll be all over
me...and rightly so.
BTW, on the issue of Madalyn O'Hair...or O'Hare, I can never remember
which it is...interesting thing is, I worked for her magazine for a while,
doing a couple of columns and articles. At the time, I did so because I felt
(and still to some extent feel) that atheists are easy targets in society. You
will never see an avowed atheist in the White House or Congress, whatever it
may say in the constitution about this being a secular government with
separation of church and state. When then-Vice President Bush could say, at a
press conference at an airport in Chicago, "Well, I don't really see how an
atheist can be a patriot, this is after all one nation under God," then you see
how bad things can get.
But in working for her magazine, I gradually figured out that she wasn't
oriented toward equal respect on both sides, for atheism and religion, which is
where I am...she was anti-religion and looking to sabotage that element of
society, which I do not condone. It's simply wrong. I've always said, the day
they try to shut down the churches, I'll be the first one on the firing line to
fight back...I just hope that the other side will join me when they try to shut
down the libraries. Which, finally, is why I resigned from her magazine. I'm
pro-tolerance, and don't have time for bigots of any stripe.
jms
[END]
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