JMS on CompuServe (Jun 19, 1998) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* (2/3)
bbarrett at johndelenn.com
bbarrett at johndelenn.com
Fri Jun 19 03:58:55 EDT 1998
[ Continued from previous section -- BB ]
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The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #35953-Director's Viewpoint
Sb: #36091-Director's Viewpoint
Sb: #35841-#<Latest Ep 6/10/98>
Sb: #35948-#<Latest Ep 6/10/98>
Sb: #36010-#<Latest Ep 6/10/98>
Sb: #36256-#<Darkness> glitch
Sb: #36509-<Darkness> glitch
Sb: #36458-#<Darkness> Lyta/G'kar
Sb: #36549-Garibaldi's Song
Sb: #36693-#Where's the WHAM?????
Sb: #36586-#Where's the WHAM?????
Sb: #36710-#<Movements... HOLY COW>
Sb: #36644-#<<Movements>>
#: 35953 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
11-Jun-98 20:25:11
Sb: #35883-#Director's Viewpoint
Fm: REBECCA ESCHLIMAN
jms --
<< so I wrote exactly the show that I wanted to write. >>
There was one moment in "Dreams/Asunder" that was one of those
visual/verbal puns that are heartbreakingly unfunny but terrifingly to
the point -- Sheridan and Delenn are absolutely waiting for the "other
shoe to drop."
-rje-
Never look a gifted horse in the mouth.
#: 35960 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
11-Jun-98 22:49:08
Sb: #35953-Director's Viewpoint
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yeah, that was a visual pun written into the script, the other shoe
dropping...but also reflecting that kind of low energy thing in the morning,
when you put one slipper on, and you just *don't* want to leave...and you just
let the energy drain away, and the slipper falls from your hand...which also
overlaps the gavel dropping, as scripted.
I took a great deal of care in blocking out every shot in that one, as
opposed to some other cases, as with Mike Vejar, where I wrote, in "The Face
of the Enemy," "They pull down Sheridan like a pack of wolves bringing down a
lion" knowing that he would then take that and turn it into art. And he did.
jms
#: 36091 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
13-Jun-98 10:47:14
Sb: #35883-#Director's Viewpoint
Fm: MARTE BRENGLE
Since I come from an alcoholic family I got rather emotionally involved in
Garibaldi's latest predicament. His behavior is very true to life. Alas.
--M--
#: 36140 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
13-Jun-98 23:38:10
Sb: #36091-Director's Viewpoint
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I come from a similar background. Hence the truthfulness in some of
this.
jms
[ Summary: Thinks Sheridan is responsible for this war going as far as it
did, because he should've remembered Londo's words from "War Without
End" that spoke of the allies of the Shadows coming to Centauri Prime.]
#: 35958 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
11-Jun-98 22:43:00
Sb: #35841-#<Latest Ep 6/10/98>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well, do bear in mind that the events in "War" were 17 years after the
fact, so the shadow allies could have come at any time; Sheridan didn't fully
understand what a keeper was, and also bear in mind that there is no reason to
suspect anything in this situation. People can indeed start wars without
having keepers on them, you know. We do it all the time. He would have to
have some overwhelming proof...and even then, if he says anything to Londo, he
might risk changing the timeline, and that would have potentially disasterous
consequences.
jms
#: 35948 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
11-Jun-98 20:14:12
Sb: #35897-#<Latest Ep 6/10/98>
Fm: SCHMULENSON
There wasn't much of a choice since we already know G'Kar and Londo will end
up together. I just want to know what happened to the Telapath war and of
course Caroline.
Phyl
#: 35967 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
12-Jun-98 02:11:09
Sb: #35948-#<Latest Ep 6/10/98>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The fifth season ends in 2262.
The telepath war: 2264/5.
Crusade: 2267.
jms
#: 36010 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
12-Jun-98 11:31:03
Sb: #35967-#<Latest Ep 6/10/98>
Fm: PHILIP HORNSEY
A timeline, cool.
>> The fifth season ends in 2262.
I thought it ended in 2282 or are you not including SiL?
>> The telepath war: 2264/5.
Would it be your preference to show this in a (theatrical?) movie? We will all
agree that any ascent on your part will not constitute a promise of any kind
to actually do anything.
>> Crusade: 2267
So, we will know the outcome of the Telepath War? Will this be a big deal in
Crusade? Will it preclude Bester appearing in Crusade?
Phil^^^^
FREE MARS!
#: 36023 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
12-Jun-98 15:23:07
Sb: #36010-#<Latest Ep 6/10/98>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, we will know...some things...about how the telepath war ended. It's
certainly moved a number of the pieces around.
jms
[ Summary: Asks who is responsible for catching little glitches in an
episode, such as an actor placing their hands in a different place in
two different takes of a shot. ]
#: 36426 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
16-Jun-98 13:11:03
Sb: #36256-#<Darkness> glitch
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Such things are tracked by the dialogue/continuity editor on-set, but
they can also occur when you trim up a scene a bit.
jms
#: 36509 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
17-Jun-98 08:27:04
Sb: #36426-#<Darkness> glitch
Fm: PHILIP HORNSEY
>> Such things are tracked by the dialogue/continuity editor on-set, but they
can also occur when you trim up a scene a bit.
A question on fit and finish of your product. I have recently begun watching
Sliders again (after hearing the writers had gotten a little more control) and
have noticed some differences in things like continuity. Example:
In the last episode, the ending was obviously written to clearly show that the
bad guys had just succeeded in wiping themselves out on a global basis, but
the effect shown to the viewers was *extremely* ambiguous. Basically you see a
weapon discharge and about six or eight individuals die. The EFX was poor to
awful and the effect was to make even the casual viewer do a double take in
the next scene when our heros essentially declare world wide victory.
This problem would be visible to the most casual observer. How in the hell do
things like that get on broadcast? I understand money constraints, but a
couple more words of explanation would have fixed the whole problem (as Dr.
Who proved SF fans will endure cruddy EFX if story is good).
Are their tiers of editors? Do these guys have a journeyman while B5 got a
master? I understand that they have essentially the same budget as you (in the
neighborhood of a million an ep give or take), so what's the deal?
Now I know you can't comment on a set you've never worked on, but perhaps you
can share insights on what you have seen in other places that might be going
on here.
Phil^^^^
FREE MARS!
#: 36723 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
18-Jun-98 13:43:00
Sb: #36509-<Darkness> glitch
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Not knowing the situation, it would be inappropriate for me to comment.
jms
[ Summary: Thinks that Lyta may have scanned G'Kar and known that his
"condition" for their deal was a lie. ]
#: 36484 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
16-Jun-98 23:40:12
Sb: #36458-#<Darkness> Lyta/G'kar
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Except, of course, that Lyta has no reason to think that G'Kar is lying,
and she considers him a friend or at least a potential ally, and that alone
would mitigate against the need for any scan. She doesn't go around scanning
everybody she talks to.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if the song sung by Garibaldi was intentionally taken
from the movie "Jaws." ]
#: 36642 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
17-Jun-98 23:02:06
Sb: #36549-Garibaldi's Song
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, it's a song that's been around for a long time, and been used in
many places.
jms
[ Summary: (See below.) ]
#: 36733 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
18-Jun-98 14:32:03
Sb: #36693-#Where's the WHAM?????
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"Actually, it's possible that this is all just a coincidence of timing. After
all, JMS didn't write these episodes knowing when the breaks in the season
would take place. On the other hand, I hate coincidence and this is one hell
of a big one..."
Funny thing about that. When I wrote this, this was the first part of a
very tight two parter (well, actually, it's part 4 of a five parter; if you
watch them straight through, one dovetails right smack into the next, it's one
really huge episode). Anyway, for the fifth one, the next one to air, I
decided to do a recap in the teaser, a "Previously on Babylon 5..."
compilation. Hadn't done it with the others, but just decided to do it with
this one, since it picks up seconds after the other.
Later, after putting it together, in a phone call with TNT, they told me
about the decision to put in a break after this episode. "So you may want to
consider putting a recap into the teaser, since this is a two-parter and it's
been a long time and that's something you didnt' anticipate."
"Well, actually...I already did that."
A long pause. "How did you know?"
"I didn't."
Scared 'em real good with that one.
jms
[ Summary: "I certainly hope that all the whining, sniveling crybabies
that have been yapping about the lack of WHAM this season are
sitting there in front of their glass teats, slack-jawed and drooling
in shock!" ]
#: 36643 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
17-Jun-98 23:02:07
Sb: #36586-#Where's the WHAM?????
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well, it's kinda what I've been saying all along...the bigger the
planned wham, the longer the quiet ramp-up. And, again, the arc was there
when it didn't seem to be: this whole thing started when the raids started to
take place, which goes back quite a ways. And Lyta would not be in this
position, not this assertive with her abilities, had she not gone through the
fire (literally and figuratively) with Byron, whose fate more or less kicked
her out of her shell. The old Lyta would never have just up and gone to the
Drazi homeworld on her own; but the money, needed to follow her and Byron's
dream, propelled her.
It was ALL there, more or less in plain view.
And without it, without all that careful and deliberate setup, this
episode (and especially those that follow) would never have played as well, if
at all.
jms
#: 36710 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
18-Jun-98 11:20:04
Sb: #36616-#<Movements... HOLY COW>
Fm: KIRK DARLING
>> Does anyone really believe the Defense Minister isn't in on it? Or is he
suffering from Centauri Blindness, too? <<
the defense minister and other senior planners *must* be aware that half the
fleet isn't manned by centauri, and they're surely aware now that the regent
has left the planet vulnerable to devastation.
and i guess we now know why the attacking centauri vessels wouldn't have
noticed lennier exchanging a little breathing--since they weren't really using
it thmselves.
-Kirk Darling
#: 36734 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
18-Jun-98 14:32:03
Sb: #36710-#<Movements... HOLY COW>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"and i guess we now know why the attacking centauri vessels wouldn't have
noticed lennier exchanging a little breathing--since they weren't really using
it thmselves."
Ding!
jms
#: 36644 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
17-Jun-98 23:16:04
Sb: #<<Movements>>
Fm: RICK SHARON
Joe,
Why you low down, no account, twisted, sick, demented, SOB. Dad blam it, ya
done it to us again, to your characters AGAIN!!!
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
I hate it when you do that to them / us (well, not really).
(and I meant the opening in a teasing/complimentary way, I'm just very
frustruated/wound up with this episode and you because of it; blame my
irritability on the deep Lousiville Slugger imprint upside my head):
Yeah, we knew the rug was beginning to move from the past few episodes, but
geez, this episode the rug whoooshed right out from under us. (that loud
thump was my butt smacking the pavement). The characters we care so much
about ... and you do that to them? or are going to do to them <maybe, next
episodes>? (esp. re: the final cliffhanger/seconds) <sigh>
Many of the characters / races / innocents (well, ok, maybe not so innocent)
in iminent peril, nasty cliffhangers, some "did it really happen or was it
only a dream/premonition"; you really left us "hanging" on this episode on a
lot of fronts. And Sheridan's "aha" re: motives, I suspected something to
that effect early in the episode but not the way you did it. Good job.
I'm not going to spoil it for those that haven't seen it but,
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
It's going to be a long long long summer. Maybe not to the degree of "Oh
#$%&^#*$*^" cliff-hanger-ness of the "Zhahadum" episode's summer, but close
enough. Another screaming at the TV type of episode.
Thank you Joe for creating characters we care so much about and tearing us
apart so much by the trials you put them through. Ouch. The Roller coaster
just started over another hill.
Kudos to you, the actors, production staff, effects, post production, etc.
for pulling off another great one.
P.S.
Hey, after all the sweet talking I did to you at the start of this note,
when do the fall episode (full) previews begin? Huh? Huh? huh? can-ya can-ya
can-ya? (hey, I had to try).
Regards,
Rick Sharon
#: 36646 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
17-Jun-98 23:56:10
Sb: #36644-#<<Movements>>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks...it's a cool one, exceeded only by those yet to come.
jms
[ Continued in next section -- BB ]
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