Conflict Between Rangers and B5?

I watched Legend of the Rangers yesterday and noted a possible conflict with the B5 series. In the selection of the crew Captain Martel says that the Narn and Drazi had been added to the Rangers since their worlds had recently joined the Alliance, implying that those two worlds joined quite some time after the others. ("Legend of the Rangers" occurs about 3 years after "Objects at Rest.") Yet, in "The Paragon of Animals" all the worlds joined at the same time. The Narn through G'Kar's representation signed the treaty and presumedly the Drazi did later in the day, because in "Learning Curve" a Drazi is one of the recruits from the "outer worlds." Am I correct in thinking there is a slight mistake in the Martel comment?

QMCO5

Hmm. I'll have to rewatch those but you might be right. I too was under the impression that the Narn joined at the beginning. To rewatch LOTR I'm going to have to hook up my VCR again! ARG! Maybe tonight.

"Recently" is a relative term for members of an organization that's over 1,000 years old. Two or three years ago is not exactly an eternity. For people who remember Vietnam and the Cold War September 11th 2001 is a compartively "recent" event, while for a 16 or 20 year old it might seem like ancient history already. But it was practically yesterday to anyone who also remembers where they were on December 7, 1941. (BTW, a similar objection was made with the newscaster's reference to the "recent" Telepath Crisis at the start of A Call to Arms, which was set in late 2266, at least a year, possibly closer to two, after the end of the Teep War.)

I don't remember the exact dialogue, but I seem to recall the event that was specifically identified as recent was the arrival of the first Narn and Drazi recruits, not the races joining the Alliance.

Either way I don't see this as some kind of giant contradiction of the original series. If you're looking for one of those, allow me to nominate "The Hand" - another apparently super-powered and ancient race that was hiding off in some corner of the universe that nobody knew about during the Shadow-Vorlon War. (Although, knowing how JMS tends to operate, I never believed that The Hand were going to turn out to be what they were made to seem in the pilot.)

Regards,

Joe

I believe the reference to "recently" was to the worlds that joined the Alliance, which had only been created three years previously, rather that to when representatives joined the Rangers.

Concur on the comment re: The Hand.

QMC05

I don't remember the exact dialogue, but I seem to recall the event that was specifically identified as recent was the arrival of the first Narn and Drazi recruits, not the races joining the Alliance.

Either way I don't see this as some kind of giant contradiction of the original series. If you're looking for one of those, allow me to nominate "The Hand" - another apparently super-powered and ancient race that was hiding off in some corner of the universe that nobody knew about during the Shadow-Vorlon War. (Although, knowing how JMS tends to operate, I never believed that The Hand were going to turn out to be what they were made to seem in the pilot.)

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From the script:

DAVID: The Narn and the Drazi are the most recent members of the Alliance and these are the first recruits they've sent in. They've been waiting for a ship nearly as long as I have.

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So you've got "most recent members of the Alliance". Possibly there were some consequences to the Narn and Drazi attacking Centauri Prime without authorization? Probation or provisional membership might have been part of it.

The next part is that Na'Feel and Tirk were the first recruits sent to the Rangers *and* that they'd been waiting a long time for assignment. Since we don't know how long David waited, we can't know how long the Na'Feel and Tirk waited.

Jan

I would assume they mean the human-minbari alliance was the reference point for these characters -- from their perspective, the alliance was merely an expansion to this alliance, not a conversion from the league of non-aligned worlds.

Well, yeah. But I like the idea that their membership was temporarily suspended or some such for bombing Centauri Prime without permission. I hope that Sheridan had that much power and guts.

If not, it does fit into the rash of injustices that were tolerated after the new alliance. For example the organized crime side of the resistance movement gaining influence in the Mars government.

Compared to the aftermath of World War II in some countries, though, Earth dealt with the situation rather peacefully.

If not, it does fit into the rash of injustices that were tolerated after the new alliance. For example the organized crime side of the resistance movement gaining influence in the Mars government.

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Organized crime? I don't remember seeing anything like that. Obviously the resistance broke laws but remember that Number 1 wasn't behind the bombing at the Red Planet Hotel, that was authorized by an Earth leader.

Jan

If not, it does fit into the rash of injustices that were tolerated after the new alliance. For example the organized crime side of the resistance movement gaining influence in the Mars government.

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Organized crime? I don't remember seeing anything like that. Obviously the resistance broke laws but remember that Number 1 wasn't behind the bombing at the Red Planet Hotel, that was authorized by an Earth leader.

Jan

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I think it's safe to assume that Number One got her hands dirty for her cause, even if she's not as bad as some.

DS9 dealt with this nicely with Kira, a former terrorist put in a position of official power.

In real life, it is reminiscent of Sinn Fein, as well as the origins of the Israel.

Number 1 wasn't the worst one, I think. The Mars "resistance" started with criminals and biggots, mostly, and maybe a few crackpot ideologues (academics maybe). When Clarks rule became bad, more decent people joined. I don't remember exactly where I have this from, but it might be in the references to the food riots etc.

Of course organized crime were some of the first ones to support the resistance, because without a central power, they were able to operate more freely.

I thought the "Mars Food Riots" happened well before Clarke became President.

Well I never said she was the "worst one." They made a point of showing us that she is ethically superior and more careful than others in the resistance, making her a "good guy."

I thought the "Mars Food Riots" happened well before Clarke became President.

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That was my point. Before Clarke, I'd probably be against the Free Mars movement too.

The Mars Food Riots were at the end of the Earth-Minbari War. The Earth fleet had been badly damaged and the Earthers were not in a mood to help an entire planet that had gone AWOL.