JMS on CompuServe (Jun 04, 1998) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

bbarrett at johndelenn.com bbarrett at johndelenn.com
Thu Jun 4 22:01:32 EDT 1998


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 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #34960-Babylon Project: Crusade
    Sb: #34988-UK B5 Screening Now Free
    Sb: #34951-UK B5 Screening Now Free
    Sb: #34983-<Darkness Ascending>
    Sb: #34980-#<Darkness Ascending>
    Sb: #35051-<Darkness Ascending>
    Sb: #35075-<Darkness Ascending>


 #: 34960 S2/Bab 5: General
    03-Jun-98  18:46:08
Sb: #34722-#Babylon Project: Crusade
Fm: RICK COREY

>> and we're in serious preproduction now on Crusade (casting, design work, 
other stuff). <<

Congratulations.  One man  *can*  make a difference, and what is built and 
loved  *does*  endure.

Thanks for creating B5 - I gave up trying to gush adequately during fourth 
season.  It's beyond great - it's actually thoughtful.

Appreciative treatment by TNT, a follow-on series, two episodes on a tape and 
maybe a movie?  Be still, my heart!  I hope it even finally starts making 
serious money for you and all the loyal crew.

What is this?  Excellence on television - being  *rewarded*?   What's the 
world coming to?


 RMES Minister of the Cathode Ray


 #: 34986 S2/Bab 5: General
    04-Jun-98  00:57:05
Sb: #34960-Babylon Project: Crusade
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Thanks...yeah, I can't figure it out either.

                                                                    jms


 #: 34988 S3/Bab 5:International
    04-Jun-98  01:32:05
Sb: #34775-#UK B5 Screening Now Free
Fm: GERARD J KEATING (IRELAN

Joe,

>> Well, WB has just confirmed the following: the Wolf con organizers have 
been taken out of the loop; <<

so that means they were in the loop at some point, and WB knew about it...

Gerard J Keating (Ireland) 09:33 on 04-Jun-98 using OzWIN II ver 2.20 (á20)


 #: 34996 S3/Bab 5:International
    04-Jun-98  03:29:14
Sb: #34988-UK B5 Screening Now Free
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

"so that means they were in the loop at some point, and WB knew about it..."

      That's certainly the party line, being spouted on the Wolf web site, and 
repeated by you almost verbatim.

      But nobody ever said Wolf wasn't in the loop...obviously they were in 
contact with various people at WB in the first place or the screening couldn't 
have been planned in ANY event, at cost or otherwise.  So this new comeback is 
utterly silly and absolutely meaningless.

      The question at hand is how well they were handling the loop.

      Obviously some folks are trying to save face any way they can, 
regardless of whether the latest statement actually makes sense or not.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: Asks for information on the free showing of "In the Beginning"
   in England. ]

 #: 34987 S3/Bab 5:International
    04-Jun-98  00:57:05
Sb: #34951-UK B5 Screening Now Free
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      That I don't know...I can guess that the folks who had signed up to pay 
for them will get them by default, but I don't know that for a fact.  (I try 
to stick to what I actually know to be true on these things.)

                                                                    jms


 #: 34983 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
    03-Jun-98  23:00:09
Sb: #34980-#<Darkness Ascending>
Fm: CARL CANTARELLA

>>And what the *hell* was going on with Lyta and Garibaldi's dream? Was she 
just in the dream, or was she actually involved in some fashion? And, either 
way, what does it mean?<<
	
	Well, there's no way to tell yet, but there was a bit of linkage, 
don't know whether you caught it or not though: in Garibaldi's dream Lyta 
states that she was testing her limits, then in the world of reality she tells 
G'Kar just before leaving his quarters that she's recently discovered that she 
doesn't have a pleasure threshold. So I'd have to say that there's something 
definitely going on with her, and interestingly enough she does seem to have a 
sexual interest in G'Kar all of a sudden, though don't ask me why. That one 
sure has come from way out in left field somewhere.


 #: 34995 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
    04-Jun-98  03:16:10
Sb: #34983-<Darkness Ascending>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      I wouldn't say she has any sexual interest in G'Kar...she had her 
pleasure threshold expanded with Byron just recently, and as for her parting 
comment, I think it came more under the category of "you ain't getting it, but 
since you were still wondering..."  A friendly plink.

                                                                    jms


 #: 34980 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
    03-Jun-98  20:42:08
Sb: #<Darkness Ascending>
Fm: MARTIN ROTH

OK, so is anyone going to try to pass *this* one off as non-arc "filler"? <g>

I think we all could see most of the events of this episode coming from a mile 
away (except perhaps the Lyta-G'kar thread) but it *still* produced a *WHAM*. 
That's classic JMS technique.

A couple of things are running through my head on this one:

I keep wondering when Londo is finally going to start putting 2 plus 2 
together. He *knows* there's some odd stuff going on back home. He's seen some 
strange unknown (to him, at least) aliens actually in the Palace on Centauri 
Prime. He knows that evidence is about to be presented linking the Centauri to 
the attacks on the Alliance members. You'd think the Royal Court asking about 
the other races shipping schedules would be a dead giveaway on that one - what 
legitimate reason could they *possibly* have for asking about that?

And what the *hell* was going on with Lyta and Garibaldi's dream? Was she just 
in the dream, or was she actually involved in some fashion? And, either way, 
what does it mean?


-- Marty     
   PPG Director of Information
   Co-Chair, PPG Executive Council
   (Just because I'm a know-it-all doesn't mean I actually know everything...)


 #: 34994 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
    04-Jun-98  03:16:09
Sb: #34980-#<Darkness Ascending>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

"OK, so is anyone going to try to pass *this* one off as non-arc "filler"?"

      Exactly.  See, that's where I get nuts about some of the other comments.  
A number of folks said last week's was just filler...but last week we saw the 
process by which Lennier was sent to White Star 27, what he was looking for, 
and why...we were introduced to the captain, the mission...and now this week 
it pays off.  It seems like the *result* is considered arc, and the set-up is 
considered "filler."

      Similarly, Lyta's actions in this episode (and those that are going to 
follow) are a direct result of the whole Byron thread, which is going to 
spiral further in some interesting directions.  Some said the Byron stuff was 
just filler...but it was there to move Lyta into a whole new direction that 
will have a substantial effect on the show and her character (and at least one 
other).

      It seems to me that repeatedly, people dismiss something new in the mix 
as filler or non-arc...when in fact it's ABSOLUTE arc stuff once you've seen 
the whole thing.  (Except for those who only seem to feel that results are 
arc, not setups, which is as nutty a view as I've ever heard.)

                                                                    jms


 #: 35051 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
    04-Jun-98  10:15:05
Sb: #34994-#<Darkness Ascending>
Fm: TOM KNUDSEN

Joe,

	< Exactly.  See, that's where I get nuts about some of the other 
comments.>

	I understand where you're coming from Joe, but let me just make one 
point.  And I'm making this point as someone who has the patience to sit and 
wait to see how each episode fits into the whole.  You are the ONLY one here 
who can see the whole forest.  All of us fans only get to see each tree as we 
come up on them.  In other words, we don't have the perspective you do.  
	We only get to see an episode once a week.  Consequently, that's the 
episode we get to talk about that week.  That has a tendency to make us count 
the WHAM episodes as "more arc" than the setup episodes.  Don't worry though, 
eventually you'll be vindicated as people see how everything fits.  However, 
if you didn't do the "filler"/setup episodes you'd get gigged for that too.  
And if you did THAT, you'd still be getting gigged for it after the series was 
over.....probably forever.
	This way is MUCH better.......you only have to get frustrated for a 
few more months.<G>

						Tom<*>

 #: 35081 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
    04-Jun-98  12:38:13
Sb: #35051-<Darkness Ascending>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      I know...if I do a bunch of arc episodes in a row, certain people say 
it's "obviously rushed."  If I take a more leisurely pace to develop certain 
characters and themes, the same folks say it's "wandering, lost its way."

      The show is what the show is, and what the show is, is what I wanted to 
write.

                                                                    jms


 #: 35075 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
    04-Jun-98  12:14:03
Sb: #34994-#<Darkness Ascending>
Fm: JEFF PETERMAN

PMJI.  I have noticed that you sign your responses "JMS", that your CompuServe 
name is "J. Michael Straczynski", and that some people here refer to you as 
"Joe".  My assumption from the CompuServe name is that you prefer to go by you 
middle name (Michael).  Please let us no so that we may correspond with 
appropriate politeness.  After all, when you have done so much to make us 
happy, we should do our best to return the favour!

	Jeff

 #: 35082 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
    04-Jun-98  12:38:13
Sb: #35075-<Darkness Ascending>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      I go by Joe.  Call me Joe.  Joe is fine.  Joe is simpler to spell, 
quicker to type, friendlier on-screen, one syllable.  Michael is two 
syllables, and I don't respond to it.

      Straczynski, pronounced just right and with the proper force behind it, 
can actually strike a cow dead at twenty paces.

                                                                    jms


[END]

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