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A glance backward

Thinking on this, however raises an interesting question in my mind: why did Dukhat suggest a jaunt to Z'ha'dum in "In the Beginning"? Was it done at the suggestion of Kosh, or in defiance of Kosh? What would the Gray Council have found, if they'd made it all the way there? How would that have changed things?

Or -- most deviously -- perhaps Kosh instigated the trip to Z'ha'dum in the full knowledge that the Council would never reach it, instead running afoul of the Humans? What did Valen tell the Vorlons about the Earth-Minbari War?

This is a very interesting question. If I remember correctly there was also the indication that the Warrior caste was afraid of a real enemy like the Shadows and preferred an easier war against a weaker enemy like the humans.
 
I haven't read through every word of every reply, however concerning the Earth Alliances position amongst the league and the advisory council of the big five. The Earth Alliance is a member of the big five and thus consequently the B5 advisory council not simply because they instigated and constructed the stations of the babylon project, but also because they have the largest navy, whilst not the most advanced by a LONG way, and arguably the vorlon star navy could be larger, nobody really knows afterall the only person to make it out of vorlon space alive was lyta, and she was of course sworn to secrecy. I can't remember which episode the E-A having the largest navy was mentioned, it was season 2 or 3 though. One more thing, and it is way, way off topic but i may as well get it out in this post too. I heard that even with the current production JMS is still trying to get Crusade remade, it could be old news, oddly for a show that i absolutely worship i really haven't gotten into the net community.
 
I heard that even with the current production JMS is still trying to get Crusade remade, it could be old news, oddly for a show that i absolutely worship i really haven't gotten into the net community.

Where did you hear that, Ranger1?

Jan
 
Ranger1, you have "Minbar" misspelled in your sig quote... I figured that with a name like "Ranger1," you'd really want to spell that correctly. :)
 
Ranger1, you have "Minbar" misspelled in your sig quote... I figured that with a name like "Ranger1," you'd really want to spell that correctly. :)

i copied that direct from imdb.com, i didn't even notice it, i only copied that because i couldn't remember the EXACT wording, and yet somehow a mistake still creeps in. i will change it immediately.

i heard it off a dude on another forum about 6 months back, supposedly everyone is willing to sign on to go back and re-shoot from episode 1 if it ever gets picked up, apparently the british sci-fi channel wanted to buy it, they could afford to but they crunched the numbers and discovered they would have a shortfall of around £3 Million, (anything upto $6 Million) in the first season alone, and so were forced to drop it. I truly hope it one day does get picked up by some channel in some country, because it is my honest belief that in the same way B5 is better than DS9, crusade would have a million times better than voyager.
 
All I can tell you is that JMS hasn't said anything like that online or at the last 2 conventions he appeared at. His posts are archived at JMSNews.com . In fact, at the convention in June, he was asked about any plans for Crusade, even in novels and he said no. As for the other actors...possible I suppose, except that somebody would have had to contact them and I don't honestly think that's likely. In any case, Daniel Dae Kim is already pretty booked up with 'Lost' and has been for a while.

I wonder if there might have been confusion with the US Sci-Fi channel wanting to pick it up back in the day. As I recall, they were interested but not able to come up with the money. At that time, the actors were still free and interested but nothing's been said about reviving Crusade for ages now.

Jan
 
The Crusade rumor sounds like some troll trying to stir the pot so he can laugh at all the Crusade faithful leaping to the bait. Wouldn't be the first time.

The series was planned as a 5 to 7 year arc, between 110 and 154 episodes. 13 got made before it was cancelled nearly 7 years ago and the cast scattered to the 4 winds. Of those 13 episodes only about 7 were up to JMS's own standards. At this point I think if there were an offer to tell the Crusade story in series form, JMS is as likely to write the exisiting episodes off as a footnote and start over from scratch. If some of the actors could be available for the new version and would still work 7 years on, fine. If not, I don't think he'd be concerned about recasting if he had to do a reboot anyway. Crusade is a very different kettle of fish than B5, for many reasons.

Regards,

Joe
 
I miss the Crusade characters, especially Galen. I definately prefer Crusade to what I saw in B5:LotR. It would be great to see a relaunch but I would be happy with any series taking place in the B5 universe!
 
Since it's the week of reviving ancient threads, I thought I'd haul one of my own out of the grave.

I got sick today and so, beyond huddling under a blanket and drinking lots of water, all I've done is watch Season 1 eps. I've noticed a few more interesting things I hadn't picked up on.

In "Survivors," Garibaldi gets stripped of his security privileges -- security clearance, PPG, and link. He's on his own. Later on, of course, when he resigns as chief of security, he keeps backup copies of all three things. He's learned that he should never be cut off from those advantages again. After Kemmer sealed his quarters, he probably doesn't even keep his backup stuff in his room.

Another thing about Kemmer -- she's always wearing full-dress. Adds to her stiff and formal behavior. Of course Garibaldi's line about keeping the president safe is a hint.

Whenever I watch season 1 I keep an eye on Garibaldi's aide, see what he's up to. It just occurred to me that he never gets named until season 2, after we know he's a bad guy... it's like JMS was subtly telling us, "You don't know who this guy really is."

Senator Hidoshi is a decent guy, appreciative of Sinclair's handling of the situation, but later on he's quoted as saying B5 is "too big a horse for anyone to ride," as if he feels Sinclair didn't get the job done. He also uses Bester's phrase about needing to know. That latter one is quite a stretch -- it's not an uncommon phrase -- but it might just be a hint that Hidoshi has been talking with Bester.

We see three conversations between Morden and ambassadors. In the case of G'Kar and Londo, both of them have recently had encounters that get them thinking about their worlds: G'Kar, with Londo about the famine on Narn, and Londo with Lord Kiro about "where they lost it all." These two reveal what they want -- which is related to their world's ambitions -- whereas Delenn does not. On the contrary, Delenn sets up the fact that Morden doesn't want to talk to Kosh, because he talks to the others but seems extremely reluctant to talk with the Vorlon.

Morden seems a little disappointed/surprised when G'Kar says that beyond wiping out the Centauri and protecting Narn, nothing matters. No doubt the Shadows had been following the Narn aggression lately and thought they could make use of it.

Morden says that his meetings with G'Kar and Londo were authorized by people in their governments. Did he also seek similar authorization from the Minbari government? If so, who signed off? (One of the warrior caste, perhaps?) I really doubt he knew that Delenn was high enough that she had the authority to make her own decisions on who to see or not.

Morden (or more precisely, his leg) is just visible taking a seat as Reno arrives with the Eye. With good ears -- or with the Shadows listening for him -- Morden probably heard the whole deal.

B5 security is a little inept when the story demands it, but they're light-years better than Centauri security, or at least Lord Kiro's security. Of course Lord Kiro isn't taking any of it too seriously. (Note also he's the only one not alarmed by Ladira's public prophecy in the arrival area.)
 
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Senator Hidoshi is a decent guy, appreciative of Sinclair's handling of the situation, but later on he's quoted as saying B5 is "too big a horse for anyone to ride," as if he feels Sinclair didn't get the job done. He also uses Bester's phrase about needing to know. That latter one is quite a stretch -- it's not an uncommon phrase -- but it might just be a hint that Hidoshi has been talking with Bester.

i always had the feeling that the senators respect for the commander came from the idea that they were similar, Hidoshi never struck me as a born politico, but rather someone who fell into it, much like Sinclair himself.
 
Interesting idea; did you base it on anything, or is it just an impression?

I don't know if there's anything direct about Hidoshi himself, but he does say in "By Any Means Necessary" that his grandfather was a dock worker, and that he was pleased by how Sinclair was able to find a solution to the strike that benefited the dock workers of B5.
 
Yeah, I knew that, but for all we know Hidoshi's father was president of the EA.

Another thing I forgot to mention: Fredi Olster, who played Lady Ladira in "Signs and Portents," has truly huge eyes. I recalled JMS's frequent comment about Pat Tallman's large eyes: "the eyes of a telepath," he calls them. Clearly he was thinking the same thing when casting Ladira.
 
Interesting idea; did you base it on anything, or is it just an impression?

in my eyes at least he never seemed to act like a man "born" to the position but as a man who had ended up there by some freak accident and felt he should try to do some good while it lasted.
 
We see three conversations between Morden and ambassadors. In the case of G'Kar and Londo, both of them have recently had encounters that get them thinking about their worlds: G'Kar, with Londo about the famine on Narn, and Londo with Lord Kiro about "where they lost it all." These two reveal what they want -- which is related to their world's ambitions -- whereas Delenn does not. On the contrary, Delenn sets up the fact that Morden doesn't want to talk to Kosh, because he talks to the others but seems extremely reluctant to talk with the Vorlon.

"Signs And Portents" is one of the episodes that I can rewatch again and again and I never get tired of it.I wonder why Morden visited Delenn at all knowing that the Minbari defeated the Shadows 1000 years ago.Maybe the Shadows wanted to see if there is a Minbari with a high position for them to use in the future.
The other interesting thing is the triangle on Delenn's forehead.Is it some kind of a warning that the Shadows are nearby programmed in Sinclair/Valen's DNA and inherited by his descendants.
 
in my eyes at least he never seemed to act like a man "born" to the position but as a man who had ended up there by some freak accident and felt he should try to do some good while it lasted.

Okay, I can see that...

I wonder why Morden visited Delenn at all knowing that the Minbari defeated the Shadows 1000 years ago.Maybe the Shadows wanted to see if there is a Minbari with a high position for them to use in the future.

Remember that quite recently (at that point) some Minbari had been sheltering a notorious war criminal just because she made good/terrifying weapons. This was not common knowledge, I suppose, but if there really was a connection between the Dilgar and the Shadows as many suspect, then the Shadows would have known a few Minbari were not pure and incorruptible. Warrior Caste in particular.

The other interesting thing is the triangle on Delenn's forehead.Is it some kind of a warning that the Shadows are nearby programmed in Sinclair/Valen's DNA and inherited by his descendants.

The triangle is a Gray Council thing. The mystery is why it showed up -- to everyone's surprise, Delenn included -- when Morden was there. It's supposed to be an emblem of rank, not a Shadow alarm.
 
Remember that quite recently (at that point) some Minbari had been sheltering a notorious war criminal just because she made good/terrifying weapons. This was not common knowledge, I suppose, but if there really was a connection between the Dilgar and the Shadows as many suspect, then the Shadows would have known a few Minbari were not pure and incorruptible. Warrior Caste in particular.

Yes considering that a member of the Warrior Caste tried to destabilise Human-Vorlon relations in "The Gathering", which would be very helpful for the Shadows in the coming war.
 
The triangle is a Gray Council thing. The mystery is why it showed up -- to everyone's surprise, Delenn included -- when Morden was there. It's supposed to be an emblem of rank, not a Shadow alarm.

I think it was somehow triggered deliberately by Morden/The Shadows. A form of intimidation that said "I know who you are and what you are".

I don't doubt that there were Minbari who were in cahoots with the Shadows. The point is made at the beginning of season 4 that ther reason everyone was in danger when the Shadows and Vorlons changed tactics, was because every planet had been touched by the machinations of both of them. So even if the vorlons didn't wipe out a planet... the Shadows would eventually take them outfor the same reason.
 
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