"endgame" (*spoiler*)

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: "Baldwin, Donna" <DBALDWIN at electricinsurance.com>
Date: 2 Oct 1997 09:47:02 -0400
Lines: 66


"*spoiler for episode 'Endgame'*"
^L
























^L
Question/Msg/Plea to JMS
Was it alwasy part of the orig story arc for Ranger Marcus Cole to die?  Why 
must he? You have created one of the most fascinating and charismatic 
characters since Spock!  and your choice of Jason Carter to bring him to 
life was perfect.  He (Marcus) is  witty, charming, exuberant,  irreverant, 
dedicated, loyal, dangerous, mischevious not to mention darn right 
appealing.  (I love the lit quotes).  You said once you enjoyed writing for 
him, why kill him off?  Death is soooo permanent - this delightful character 
can never be seen again.  Besides - its a terrible thing to do to Susan - 
adding to the list of people lost to her & this one a direct result of her 
being alive - she's alive because he's dead!  I know it makes a great scene 
 - but - Garibaldi's defection wasn't 'real' -  but Bester's programming, 
 granted he (Bester)  had a good reason - however - a more powerful 
statement w/have been a real defection.  Franklin saved Garibaldi using that 
alien machine w/o killing hilself - Marcus s/be able to stabilize Susan w/o 
dying.  If Susan needs a revelation couldn't it have been done w/o Marcus 
dying?  Couldn't someone 'help' Marcus using that alien machine ?  He really 
deserved to win the girl in the end or at least have the chance for her to 
say 'your a nice guy but not my type'  or something.  He could then continue 
his adventures as a ranger - a little sadder - a .little wiser (someone once 
said 'sometimes having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting') but not bowed 
 - he's too much of a romantic for that.  Sorry for the length and thank you 
for letting me get this off my chest - I'm not sure I'll forgive you just 
yet - I really enjoyed the character and am rather upset we'll never see him 
again - except in re-runs, no new adventures, revelations about who he is 
(sigh) - not sure why he caused such a strong reaction.  Whatever the reason 
 - I don't think I'm the only one who finds this dashing, romantic  ranger 
has become one of their favorite B5 characters.  Again - thank you for 
listening to my 'ravings' and please forgive me but I'm not sure that 
'Endgame' will be an episode I could watch and enjoy as much as I have 
enjoyed all the others - the episode that follows that and speaks of his 
death may also be one I may be unable to watch (reverse phys?  - if I don't 
watch it didn't happen!?)  If your fertile imagination and massive 
creativilty could manage to 'save' Marcus for his many fans -  I and all the 
others w/be eternally in your debt!  It w/be enough to know that he was 
alive & well somewhere in the B5 universe fighting the darkness  (and avail 
for any future stories/shows?)  -  thank you again for listening.  Strive 
for the Light! 

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 2 Oct 1997 21:07:35 -0400
Lines: 11

You're right in terms of what Garibaldi did and didn't do, and we've avoided
 the ultimate repercussions in other places for other things (he said vaguely,
 not wanting to post spoilers)...but you can only do that so far, and if you go
 further you start cheating.  You also remove the dramatic impact of the
 actions of your characters if they do not have consequences.  In this case, it
 ties very much into this character's background...and would, in another
 universe in which CC decided to stay, have spun out into some rather
 interesting developments.


 jms
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