February 1, 2002
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I’ve been watching about a zillion episodes of Babylon 5 all evening.
You know what? Babylon 5 rules more than Roy Orbison. The highlight of the evening: The two-parter where they steal Babylon 4. Zathras!
I was talking to MarcoPolo about Bab5, and he said he wanted to be G’Kar’s attache, to be near greatness and watch it unfold. I think I’d want to be Zathras, to be stupid and wise, and run the big machine that alters time, know everything and say things like, “Zathras live sad life, but Zatharas likely die sad death. So there is symmetry.”
G’Kar’s story arc is quite tasty though. Watching tonight, I kept thinking about how rarely we see a character develop so much in any storytelling form, much less on a science fiction TV show. Here’s a guy who watches his people get destroyed twice, the second time sacrificed for the greater good so that an important secret can be maintained, always getting the short end of the stick when it comes time to help out the ‘lesser’ races, tortured in a jail for a year… the show literally beats enlightenment into him over the course of five seasons. While he’s in prison, his journal is published, and he develops a following, which turns into something like a messianic cult. The reluctant zen master warrior. “Do you think wisdom is in this book? Here, put your face closer to the book so that you may see it better. Closer… Closer…” THWAK!
Comments (9)
Damn, I had stayed away from Babylon#s because it was the one sci-fi show I wasn’t already hooked on. Now I’ll have to watch. Do you watch Lexx or Farscape?….RedDwarf? When I grow up, I want to be Christine Kochanski.
i admit it. i strayed. i used to watch B55, but things happen and i forgot about it. i started watching on SciFi about a month ago … Man. That is such a good goddamn show. The episode from a million years in the future this past Tuesday followed by Christmas Carol-esque episode with Londo coming to terms with his errors of omission (that *far* surpass both the concept and the genre).
And Lara … if you grow up to be Kochanski, i’ll grow dreds and start eating chicken vindaloo for you!
(btw, B5 should be restarting within a week or two – they’re almost to the end of the series now…)
WOO HOO! Because it IS all about Lister, you know?
Is B-5 rentable? On DVD? I have no TV, and never watched when I could.
-m
Babylon 5 is an incredible show. To think that JMS had that 5-year story planned out ahead of time just boggles my mind. Even more incredible was his ability to deal with unexpected curve balls that were thrown at him, like Michael O’Hare leaving and possibly having to end the show after only 4 seasons instead of 5. I love the way that something that would happen in season 1 (or the pilot even) would come back into play in later seasons. Just amazing storytelling. I long for that show to come out on DVD.
My favorite character was always Michael Garibaldi. I think I could identify with him in many ways, and that was why I liked him so much. We both thumb our noses at authority and say what’s on our mind without thinking about the consequences. And, he was just a bad ass.
I’ve been reading the Babylon5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages paperback trilogy by Jeanne Cavelos. It is fantastic. It tells the story of Galen (from Crusade; I was heartbroken to know that show was going to die after only 13 episodes.) amongst the broader story of the Techno-Mages leaving known space to hide before the Shadow war. Another good B5 paperback trilogy is Legions of Fire, the Centauri trilogy by Peter David. It tells the story of Londo’s time as emperor after the B5 series ended. It’s a fantastic story too. I highly recommend both trilogies!
anole: All of B5 is available on VHS… EXCEPT SEASON THREE! Those bastards! The ‘In The Beginning’ movie and the pilot are available on DVD. But that’s like reading the last chapter of a book first, ironically enough.
I’m not into it enough to read the paperbacks, cbg.
Damn. I would love to watch B-5 reruns. Oh, well… Guess I’ll have to go out and get Sex And The City episodes on DVD instead.
B5 was over all a very good series that had moments of true brilliance but I was rather disappointed by the story ark and all the dropped threads — Evil shadows reduced to ” can we go play with the other races on the other side, pretty please??” I understand that part of that was driven by fear of cancelation but part also from JMS painting himself into a philosophical box.
Hard to say what character I’d want to be; I really enjoyed Londo but sure wouldn’t want to be him. I thought G’Kar had a BIG existance; and I’d like to be more the matter of fact, no nonsense Sheridan than I am; but in truth I live more like Garabaldi (does this mean I’m destined to marry a beautiful rich widow — I’ve lost track of my old flame; maybe she married well).
“While he’s in prison, his journal is published, and he develops a following, which turns into something like a messianic cult. ”
– Could also describe Hitler. (there would be an interesting plot twist)
K
Zathras know big words like symmetry, but not understand grammar.
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