• The new B5TV.COM is here. We've replaced our 16 year old software with flashy new XenForo install. Registration is open again. Password resets will work again. More info here.

What's your rewatching thoughts?

I've always liked those "bad episodes" since it's more B5 (even if they're abysmal) :)

However, strangely enough I don't feel the same about the Crusade serie.
 
Okay, here's another example of a B5 logic gap:

In "Midnight on the Firing Line" Londo attempts unsuccessfully to convince the Council to intervene on behalf of the Centauri on Ragesh III. But then G'Kar turns the tables on him by arguing that they were "invited". It is only by chance that Sinclair discovers evidence on the raider ships that contradicts G'Kar's story. Sinclair threatens to bring this evidence to the Council unless G'Kar agrees to have the Narn withdraw, which they do.

But wait a second...Londo has VIDEO EVIDENCE of the Narn attack. The ships are clearly identifiable as Narn, the footage depicts explosions and audio of Ragesh colonists crying out "we're under attack!" So why didn't Londo bring this evidence to the Council to begin with?
 
Okay, here's another example of a B5 logic gap:

In "Midnight on the Firing Line" Londo attempts unsuccessfully to convince the Council to intervene on behalf of the Centauri on Ragesh III. But then G'Kar turns the tables on him by arguing that they were "invited". It is only by chance that Sinclair discovers evidence on the raider ships that contradicts G'Kar's story. Sinclair threatens to bring this evidence to the Council unless G'Kar agrees to have the Narn withdraw, which they do.

But wait a second...Londo has VIDEO EVIDENCE of the Narn attack. The ships are clearly identifiable as Narn, the footage depicts explosions and audio of Ragesh colonists crying out "we're under attack!" So why didn't Londo bring this evidence to the Council to begin with?

Hahah, I'd forgotten about that!

Oh JMS
 
Good point... but the Narns also have video footage of the "invitation," provided by Carn, and Londo already threw out the accusation that the footage was faked. G'kar could have turned it back on him, I suppose. The physical presence of a Narn on the Raider ship would be a little less hard to dodge.
 
I've always liked those "bad episodes" since it's more B5 (even if they're abysmal) :)

However, strangely enough I don't feel the same about the Crusade serie.

I do (feel that way about the Crusade series), but don't about the Rangers pilot movie :p or Lost Tales (at least the first episode). Crusade and B5 feel good to me, like it's still the good ol' days, happier times. ;) The other day when I received my Psi Corps. pin, it definitely felt like the good ol' days.
 
Good point... but the Narns also have video footage of the "invitation," provided by Carn, and Londo already threw out the accusation that the footage was faked. G'kar could have turned it back on him, I suppose. The physical presence of a Narn on the Raider ship would be a little less hard to dodge.

I don't think the Narn's presence on the Raider ship has any implications for the Ragesh III incident (only the recorded transmissions he had in his possession).

Had Londo presented the video evidence, perhaps G'Kar would have dismissed it as a fake. But at least it would have left Londo in a stronger position. As it stands, G'Kar's claim is left unanswered.
 
True. And if we asked him about it, jms would probably say, "Wow. Never noticed that."

Only real flaw I've ever heard of in "Midnight," and it's gone fourteen years (almost exactly -- first aired on Jan 26th!) without anyone ever bringing it to my attention. So all in all, fairly deftly done.
 
Sixteen years! I remember watching when that ep was first shown in '94. It was played opposite the Super Bowl, and I remember thinking it was probably doomed, which was too bad because it was a strong start. Glad I was so wrong about that. 'Midnight' also had one of the early uses of their composite effects, where they show the cylindrical station interior. I was watching on a tiny 13 inch tv, so I wasn't sure what I was looking at. I think they stopped those interior shots sometime during season 3 because they didn't look right. I always thought it was one of the more ambitious uses of their FX, they should have kept doing it. We learn by doing, and all that.

Raw Shark

“A man who is good at excuses is usually good at nothing else.”
Ben Franklin
 
Sixteen years! I remember watching when that ep was first shown in '94. It was played opposite the Super Bowl, ....

You're kidding! Opposite the Super Bowl? Well, for B5 that's fitting, sort of like FOX airing their fourth and last episode of Wonderfalls across from new episodes of C.S.I., The Apprentice, and Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital miniseries. :rolleyes:

I never knew B5 existed until some fellow engineers recommended B5 to me in the fall of 1996. I watched "Shadow Dancing" and that's all it took. Been with B5 ever since.
 
Yep, opposite the Super Bowl, in Colorado, anyway. I tend to forget it was a syndicated program then. That is, before it became a big network colossus on TNT. For 'Midnight' I was flipping back and forth between it and the game.

Been watching some more of the Season 2 episodes. I really like the way they depicted life on the station in some of them. 'Hunter/Prey' is one I don't really get tired of.

Raw Shark

"There are always ample warnings, there are always subtle signs..."
Axl Rose, Coma
 
watched 'shadow dancing' last night......

Why the hell did the shadow fleet come out of hyperspace so far away from their target ?
 
watched 'shadow dancing' last night......

Why the hell did the shadow fleet come out of hyperspace so far away from their target ?

I always wondered about that myself. Maybe it was an attempt to instill more fear into the helpless alien races that had been hurded into that sector of space ? Knowing they could not escape, except for maybe a few of the ships that had jump capabilities. Still it never felt right to me from the moment I first saw that episode.
 
Because if they'd come out of hyperspace too close to the system, Lord Vader would have strangled them.
 
watched 'shadow dancing' last night......

Why the hell did the shadow fleet come out of hyperspace so far away from their target ?

Straight from the horse's mouth (via JMS Speaks on the Lurker's Guide): " Why didn't the Shadows emerge right next to their targets?
So they could drive any other ships toward the center, into the killing zone. If they come in into the center, everybody splits in every possible direction, and that makes running 'em all down harder.

If the shadows were to materialize in the midst of the refugee ships, they'd just scatter in every direction. The purpose is to wipe out all those ships quickly and efficiently...so you start at the outer fringe, drive everyone inward, and then wipe them all out. To jump into the middle of them makes it very hard to do this...it's like herding kittens. "
 
But that doesnt make any sense in a three dimensional universe. The shadows were flying in one direction only. Since the refugees were not backed into a corner (they're in space and its BIG!!)they would have been able to easily escape.

gripe 2..

When Sheridan is talking to Justin at Z'ha'dum, Morden has his PPG. When Sheridan shoots at the shadow creature when it enters the room he would have had to turn his back to morden - who would have been able to shoot him easily.

What gives?
 
But that doesnt make any sense in a three dimensional universe. The shadows were flying in one direction only. Since the refugees were not backed into a corner (they're in space and its BIG!!)they would have been able to easily escape.
It's not as if the Shadows could know the exact locations of all of the ships. Better to come out of hyperspace at a distance and spread out globally.

gripe 2..

When Sheridan is talking to Justin at Z'ha'dum, Morden has his PPG. When Sheridan shoots at the shadow creature when it enters the room he would have had to turn his back to morden - who would have been able to shoot him easily.

What gives?
They didn't want him dead, they wanted him converted. That's why 'Anna' was still trying to persuade him as he was up on the parapet and cornered.

Jan
 
But that doesnt make any sense in a three dimensional universe. The shadows were flying in one direction only. Since the refugees were not backed into a corner (they're in space and its BIG!!)they would have been able to easily escape.

I'm guessing this could be a mistake in how the visuals were shown to us. They were constructed in a way that appears to us that they only move in one direction.

As for escaping, the shadow vessels are, IIRC, faster than less-advanced ships, and refugee ships probably don't have the capability to make their own jump points.

Or, perhaps the initial shadow vessels only showed up on one side to force the refugee ships into going the opposite direction, and then other shadow vessels would have emerged from that opposite direction. Perhaps we never saw this step since their plans went to hell once those pesky Vorlons showed up, and all the shadow vessels immediately started going in one direction toward the Vorlons.
 
Perhaps they just needed to stay between their targets and the jumpgate, though no gate was shown on screen. If they guard the gate, then few of those ships would be going anywhere, they'd be sitting ducks. Except for the ones with jump engines, which are generally just the big warships. Also, they wouldn't need to get all their targets, the objective was to kill a few boatloads of refugees and crush their opponents' morale. If some get away, they can still achieve their objective, scare the hell out of people all over the galaxy.

As for the PPG, Sheridan might have had an unloaded one on him in plain sight, or one with a dead energy cap, knowing that it would be taken from him.

I have to say, I'm a little bummed that JMS is going to do a Superman comic. Does anyone else on here read his comics? I just don't think there's that much to work with in Superman. It's just a simple concept, which has been beaten to death. I still want more B5 comics, with all the wonderful complexity he could work with in that universe (again, I know). I just think he's going in the wrong direction with this. I still might read it though.

Raw Shark

"Be careful, Ambassador. Not every dream I've heard lately ends well for you."
Sinclair
 

Latest posts

Members online

No members online now.
Back
Top