OB5EG - Meet John Sheridan

[Jeremy]

# 4a.) OB5EG - Meet John Sheridan Part 1
# 4b.) OB5EG - Meet John Sheridan Part 2

And if you haven't seen the links to Chuck's other Opinionated Babylon 5 Episode Guides (in video review format) elsewhere:
# 1a.) OB5EG - Passing Through Gethsemane
# 1b.) OB5EG - Gethsemane Follow-Up: Death of Personality
# 2.) OB5EG - Signs And Portents
# 3.) OB5EG - Chrysalis

These are pretty interesting reviews, with Chuck's normal illuminating commentary, and sum up the various characters and motivations for the coming story arcs.

[Setzer]

I liked his commentary on the Blackstar incident so much. If only he could have entered the show and delivered it to the Minbari in person.

[Bright]

I couldn't quite tell whether his rant about Sheridan's treatment was directed at the characters, or whether it was a criticism of the writing of the Minbari. I'm guessing the former, but...

Anyway, this was cool and all, but I'm pretty damn excited about the review for The Coming of Shadows.

[OmegaChief]

It feels as though it was directed at the Minbari as characters rather then the writing.

Thier hypocracy and shattering the illusions they drew over the shame of being an enlightened elder race is pretty much what the Minbari arcs are about.

[Stofsk]

Man it's like going down memory lane watching these videos; aside from a rewatch of 'Severed Dreams' last year I haven't seen B5 in years.

That said, Chuck is still just doing recaps here, with a few exceptions (like criticising the Minbari for their hypocrisy and being a bunch of cocks).

[Jeremy]

Across various franchises the fanatic Alien civilization theme runs amok, and I can only boggle at the implications when these are one note cultures. Some examples from Star Trek are the Melkotians, the Vulcans, the Kaelons, the Kreetassans, and the Tak Tak. The use of science fiction prose to encourage contemplation of individual and societal character defects by the audience is the most likely reason.

I think these writers unknowingly channel Shroom's Commislamofascist fantasies. Sorry Shroom, you may wish to sue Paramount for theft and mind rape.

Stofsk, I can't imagine what it must be like for you to go back that far. That really underlines the idea of how long ago the B5 franchise died.

[FSTargetDrone]

Stofsk, I can't imagine what it must be like for you to go back that far. That really underlines the idea of how long ago the B5 franchise died.

Heh, just last week I started watching B5 via Netflix. At the time of its original airing, I think I saw a half-dozen shows of the first season and for various reasons (college, mostly) I never really got into it. Now, I'm about 20 episodes into the 3rd season after blasting through the first 2. So far, it's generally getting better and better. It's quite incredible how good the show looks, considering the time. The effects are dated, of course, but they look good for what they are.

[Stofsk]

Stofsk, I can't imagine what it must be like for you to go back that far. That really underlines the idea of how long ago the B5 franchise died.

Yeah. I haven't really watched it since I got the DVDs.

It's also unfortunate the franchise is more or less dead. Though on the other hand, after watching one of the Lost Tales minimovies, maybe it's for the best.

Heh, just last week I started watching B5 via Netflix. At the time of its original airing, I think I saw a half-dozen shows of the first season and for various reasons (college, mostly) I never really got into it. Now, I'm about 20 episodes into the 3rd season after blasting through the first 2. So far, it's generally getting better and better. It's quite incredible how good the show looks, considering the time. The effects are dated, of course, but they look good for what they are.

I don't know, the show looks really dated in a way not even TNG or DS9 does. I think this has more to do with the production values though - the special effects are dated, but that's easier to overlook (although something about them stands out in comparison to TNG or DS9). The sets, lightning and costuming really jump out and go 'lol we didn't have much money when we were making this show'.

The show's still awesome, but I just can't help but notice this stuff.

[CaptJodan]

I'm not completely sure about the reasoning behind giving so many B5 episodes such a pass-over. Most episodes (though definitely not all) clearly have enough material to work with to dissect and analyze (if Voy and Enterprise do, then...). Then there's the background material that Chuck often interjects into reviews, most of which can easily be found on places like Lurkers Guide, so he could provide some context on why certain choices for an episode were made.

I realize Chuck said that this wasn't an exhaustive review and doesn't reflect whether an episode was good or bad and that he wants to get to Coming of Shadows, but I'm not sure if we'll see a full review of these episodes. I certainly feel most episodes have enough material to pick through, good or bad, to make a full review out of, not simply just a summary. The Passing Through Gethsemane review was good as it looked at the complex issue the episode brought up. While not all episodes have such issues attached, I can certainly see Chuck having plenty of material for whether Peter David's episode worked or not, or talking about this being where Keffer's obsession with what he saw starts.

Even the title of this didn't really flow through the entire review. We talked a lot more about the Minbari than what, as a character, Sheridan was and turned into. Could have discussed his inability to stop smiling through most of the first few episodes, his general qualities as a leader, whatever. I don't know, I was just left somewhat unsatisfied by the review. It felt a lot more like a Red Dwarf review, which I don't think is really in the same league here.

I did like Chuck's observations about Keffer. Never liked that character. And his musings about the Minbari were appropriate. And I still look forward to the next installment.

[Stofsk]

I am p. sure I heard somewhere that JMS was told to put in a 'hotshot fighter pilot' sort of character, and he resented it so he made Keffer not only really boring but also someone who gets killed off at the end of the season.

[Vendetta]

I am p. sure I heard somewhere that JMS was told to put in a 'hotshot fighter pilot' sort of character, and he resented it so he made Keffer not only really boring but also someone who gets killed off at the end of the season.

It's on the Lurker's Guide. Keffer was a character mandated by the studio, as were other things like the product placement from Kawasaki. As soon as the studio agreed not to send any more such notes at the end of S2 the first thing JMS did was kill off Keffer.

[Vympel]

Frankly I've always found that a dickish move on JMS part. I wonder if he gave any consideration whatsoever to the actor who played him (Robert Rusler, a main villain in WC4).

[Stofsk]

Frankly I've always found that a dickish move on JMS part.

Yeah JMS can be quite a dick. Remember when he killed off General Haig because Robert Foxworthy was double booked but DS9 paid more?

Of course it turned out to be way the fuck better that way. It was quite dramatic for Sheridan and co. and for us the audience to hear that news.

I wonder if he gave any consideration whatsoever to the actor who played him (Robert Rusler, a main villain in WC4).

truly an oscar worthy performance

It's funny how he didn't kill off Byron before he ended up ruining season five...

[Marcus Aurelius]

It's funny how he didn't kill off Byron before he ended up ruining season five...

Season 5 is okay, if you mentally divide it to part 1 with Byron and part 2 after Byron, and then proceed to forget everything about part 1... There's nothing wrong with the episodes that came after that and even though they are not quite up to the best quality B5 had to offer in Seasons 3 and 4, they are still above the average of the whole show.

[Vendetta]

It's funny how he didn't kill off Byron before he ended up ruining season five...

Stretching out the telepath arc, and therefore inflicting more Byron on the airwaves, was one of the results of the studio mucking about at the end of Season 4.

If the series had proceeded as planned, Season 4 would have ended at Intersections in Real Time and the 4-5 remaining Earth Civil War episodes would have formed the opening of Season 5, with the Centauri war taking up about the same time it ended up doing.

Of course, Byron was an insufferably smug cock, so no matter how short his part in the story was it would still have been too long.

[Stofsk]

Marcus, I agree, I was exaggerating because holy shit Byron is insufferable. And Vendetta, I know that, too. You left out though that JMS actually had a more detailed plan for season five after season four had ended, but he actually lost the detailed list of notes he had when he was at a hotel IIRC. That was the other part of the reason why season five sucked.

The fall of Centauri Prime arc was good though. And the telepath arc was let down considerably by casting that wanker as Byron, but it was good idea though. The one loose end JMS never tied up (at least on screen) was the telepath war, and I kinda wish there had been a sixth season of B5 - or better yet, a miniseries that went into that story. That would have been a hell of a lot better than getting 'River of Souls' and even 'Thirdspace'.

[Marcus Aurelius]

The fall of Centauri Prime arc was good though. And the telepath arc was let down considerably by casting that wanker as Byron, but it was good idea though. The one loose end JMS never tied up (at least on screen) was the telepath war, and I kinda wish there had been a sixth season of B5 - or better yet, a miniseries that went into that story. That would have been a hell of a lot better than getting 'River of Souls' and even 'Thirdspace'.

Yes, those TV movies were waste of money. Don't even mention The Legend of the Rangers... Although that does not mean the planned series would have been bad as well; after all, The Gathering wasn't very impressive, either.

[Skylon]

Frankly I've always found that a dickish move on JMS part.

Yeah JMS can be quite a dick. Remember when he killed off General Haig because Robert Foxworthy was double booked but DS9 paid more?

Of course it turned out to be way the fuck better that way. It was quite dramatic for Sheridan and co. and for us the audience to hear that news.

I'm not sure what else JMS was supposed to do there. The actor couldn't film the episode since he was on DS9, they were ready to shoot...you either recast him, or kill him. The guy who played Major Ryan was hired in a hurry, and his lines were Gen. Haig's, just modified on set (to include the stuff about Haig dying).

Not sure I'd call it dickish.

Besides, as you say, it upped the stakes for the episode.