2nd viewing of Rangers, I have ALL THE ANSWERS.... - Page 2

StarForBram · June 5th 02, 14:36

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Originally posted by Recoil:
Yea dude, the timing/age thing just doesnt work out. David Sheridan is playing with coloring books when this movie takes place. He's like 3 or 4 at the time.<hr></blockquote>

We should all know by now that time is something that can be easily messed with in sci-fi shows. Or have we forgotten the capabilities of the great machine???

channe · June 5th 02, 14:41

It could be that G'Kar just recognizes something within David Martel that could be used for a higher purpose. That's what I understood; that G'Kar knew he, or someone else, could use David Martel later on in his career.

That's when Martel would "prove him right."

Joseph DeMartino · June 5th 02, 17:07

JMS is, in fact, nortorious for "re-using" character names. You could as well prove by the same reasoning that Sarah Cantrell is related to Sarah Chambers from Crusade. JMS just seems to like using certain names - perhaps friends or relatives he likes to give a nod in his work. "David" is certainly one of them - witness Jeffery DAVID Sinclair, David Sheridan The Elder and John's son David.

But the timing problem is insuperable. If David Martel is 25 years old in 2264 (the year of the pilot film) he was born in 2239 - probably around the time John Sheridan graduates from the Academy. He isn't famous, there's no reason to hide a child's identity or put him with foster parents. His mother could have raised him, Sheridan could have married her, there are all sorts of alternatives. The simple answer, of course, is there was no child.

Sheridan was married to Lochley right out of the academy, then they broke up without having children. He was involved with Anna Sheridan before the war, then married her immediately afterwards. They had no children. Sheridan doesn't strike me as the promiscuous type, so I doubt he had any casual flings that could have produced a child that he had no knowledge of. And he must have known about the child according to your hypothesis, because the kid bears his father's name.

Sheridan's actual child, his son David Sheridan, is born in late 2262 or early 2263. The pilot film takes place in 2264. You do the math.

Time travel is not an option. It is not "easy" in the B5 universe. JMS deliberately made it difficult to ensure that there was one and only one instance of time-travel in the entire series - the hijacking of Babylon 4. He didn't want it to turn into the kind of story crutch that it has become in the Trek universe.

I don't think there is a shred of evidence that David Martel has any connection with John Sheridan, other than having been brought to his attention (in the pilot) to make a meeting between the two more plausible in the eventual series. JMS chose G'Kar as the guest character for the pilot because the character is more "available" during the period the series is set than any of the other regulars, and because he is a sort of minister-without-portfolio who can meddle in anything that interests him. Everybody else has a regular job and defined responsibilities at this point in the story. Besides, JMS likes writing for G'Kar, and likes working with Andreas. Since he envisioned the pilot guest star as a semi-regular in a Rangers series, appearing in as many as half the shows each season, he needed a character that could realistically be seen hanging out with Liandra's crew that often. This wouldn't work with Sheridan, Delenn, Franklin or even Garibaldi.

I don't think there's any mystery here. Or any secret, coded meanings. I don't understand all the interest in David Sheridan anyway. The IA is not a hereditary monarchy, and neither is the government of Minbar. Most of the population of Earth has, even in our time, gotten over the notion that "bloodlines" mean anything in Human life and society. Why this insistance that David Martel must be secretly "Son of Sheridan"? Can't he be an interesting character on his own. Did everyone assume that Jean-Luc Picard must be some bastard descendant of James T. Kirk? [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Regards,

Joe

Loadhan · June 5th 02, 18:55

<blockquote>Quote:<hr> Did everyone assume that Jean-Luc Picard must be some bastard descendant of James T. Kirk? [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] <hr></blockquote>
Well that would not be too far fetched ... if Picard wasn't fully Human that is. ... I mean, did anyone ever wonder just how many bastard half-human / half-alien children Kirk had? I'm surprised he had time to have one with a Human all the times he was out chasing some alien skirt and tail (probably literally at times).

Kirk probably single-handedly caused a population boom in the Federation between the time of TOS and TNG. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Morden · June 5th 02, 19:09

Actually, it is quite possible for Martel to be Sheridan's son. Personally, I don't believe it, but everyone says the age thing is way off. BUT it doesn't have to be.

That horny Sheridan had 3 wives. So Martel could be the son of Sheridan and Anna or Sheridan and Lochely.
However, like I said, it seems unlikely.

Kribu · June 5th 02, 19:12

And being a completely unimaginative fellow, he'd name all his sons David? [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Morden · June 5th 02, 19:21

Maybe he didn't even know about him. His marriage with Lochley only lasted a week, and so after the honeymoon when he ran, she might not have told him about their son. Through some freak coincidence she named him David.

Like I said though, I don't believe it.

June 5th 02, 19:23

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Originally posted by Kribu:
And being a completely unimaginative fellow, he'd name all his sons David? [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]<hr></blockquote> Quite a good question. I suspect he would not.

A_M_Swallow · June 5th 02, 21:19

Looking at the pictures of Martell's face the people it reminds me of are Lochley and Ivanova. If not a son he could be a nephew of one of them.

Alternatively, all 3 have the same acting teacher.

B5_Obsessed · June 5th 02, 21:20

Joe D Said:
Why this insistance that David Martel must be secretly "Son of Sheridan"? Can't he be an interesting character on his own. Did everyone assume that Jean-Luc Picard must be some bastard descendant of James T. Kirk?

Nah, Kirk's bastard son was named David.... ummm...
David Marcus.

Ack! There's a familiar pair of names!