I was just about to say......Damn, yet another B5 loss.
Babylon 5
- Thread starter Kail
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RIP, Mira. You brought to life one of the best characters in scifi. You brought a kind of courage, wisdom, and grace that few could achieve. You will be missed, but not for long... because like you said, "We are all star stuff. The universe made manifest, trying to understand itself." We'll all meet up again as we become part of the universe when we pass.
(On a personal note, her explanations of a life beyond is probably the closest I have ever heard said in words what I feel to be true. Her words have stayed with me my whole life. I am happy I got to meet her at DragonCon years ago.)
(On a personal note, her explanations of a life beyond is probably the closest I have ever heard said in words what I feel to be true. Her words have stayed with me my whole life. I am happy I got to meet her at DragonCon years ago.)
Just read about Mira Furlan. Damn, this really sucks. Loved her in Babylon 5 and Lost. She was just a special kind of actress, you could tell from every scene she was in. And now she's gone way too soon. May she rest in peace.
RIP Mira. :/
Also, thank you for the reminder she was in Lost. I didn't immediately remember that.
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Looking at the ages of the Cast, Claudia Christian is the Youngest, by 5 years, of the cast, 29 when the show started. Bill Mumy is actually a Year OLDER than Mira.. Strange.
A little more information on cause of death in this BBC article.
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55763658
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55763658
What was said by her (as Delenn) on the show, I will quote:
I hope to see you there too. Ms. Furlan.
I know, right? When JMS said "sheer randomness of what happened", he wasn't kidding! A woman who survived as much as she did, *lived* as much as she did, taken down by a mosquito. I only hope that she squished it!
That guy from the black list died if west Nile too.. Sheesh.
The West Nile virus is endemic in the US, it's the most common disease transmitted by mosquitoes there, according to the CDC, humans have caught it in the following states:
Alabama Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Source: CDC
Yep - Clark Middleton...only 63.
Considering what the guy went though as a member of the Psi-Corps (and having to carry out the will of Bester in destroying a ship full of other telepaths), I'd say that what he was doing was a great thing, but he just wasn't able to carry it out as he wanted to, so what sadly happened, sadly happened.
Byron had good ideas and a worthy goal, but when he found out the Vorlon secret, he went about it totally wrong. He had to know everyone would start hunting them. Plus, he severely underestimated the anger of some of his followers at the attack of one his people.
The best thing he could have done was just bide his time until he gets a ship, and they all go off to parts unknown, finding a world they call theirs.
The best thing he could have done was just bide his time until he gets a ship, and they all go off to parts unknown, finding a world they call theirs.
You're absolutely right. Thing is, people just aren't rational when they suddenly have every cherished illusion stripped from them. If he'd waited, he'd've cooled down and things wouldn't have spiraled out of control. But being suddenly forced to understand that his illusion that telepaths were better than mundanes, and worse, that they'd simply been created to be cannon fodder threw him for a loop and he went off half-cocked.
I wish the Ghost of Byron had come back and smacked Lyta and the other teeps upside their respective heads. I don't think he ever wanted to be a martyr, and either Lyta knew that and disrespected his memory, or Lyta didn't know that, in which case she really wasn't paying much attention, especially for a telepath.
Byron made his own mistakes as well, as noted above, but I got the sense that he, at least, generally meant well. His followers, though...
On a different note, I rewatched "In the Beginning" last night in memory of Mira. The story holds up well, and some of the effects are still pretty respectable, but I do wish we could get a Blu ray release, ideally with the opportunity to redo some of the more dated-looking effects work (yes, yes, blasphemy...).
And when I say "effects work", I don't mean trying to pass Claudia Christian off as a teenager(?).
Byron made his own mistakes as well, as noted above, but I got the sense that he, at least, generally meant well. His followers, though...
On a different note, I rewatched "In the Beginning" last night in memory of Mira. The story holds up well, and some of the effects are still pretty respectable, but I do wish we could get a Blu ray release, ideally with the opportunity to redo some of the more dated-looking effects work (yes, yes, blasphemy...).
And when I say "effects work", I don't mean trying to pass Claudia Christian off as a teenager(?).
I think the most telling aspect of Byron's character is when he said "we could have been normal..."
For all the rhetoric about what a wonderful thing their gift was, deep down he still saw himself and those he claimed as kin as something shameful. Afflicted. Abnormal.
Also remember that Byron wasn't just raised by the corps, he was a P12 that was raised by the corps. Those people are like a cult within a cult. Indeed, a lot of what Byron's group did is barely different than how it's like within Psi Corp itself (down to the weird communal rituals), just with less overt authoritarianism and a slightly altered narrative.
For all the rhetoric about what a wonderful thing their gift was, deep down he still saw himself and those he claimed as kin as something shameful. Afflicted. Abnormal.
Also remember that Byron wasn't just raised by the corps, he was a P12 that was raised by the corps. Those people are like a cult within a cult. Indeed, a lot of what Byron's group did is barely different than how it's like within Psi Corp itself (down to the weird communal rituals), just with less overt authoritarianism and a slightly altered narrative.
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Being born a psychic in B5 is just.. Crap. Well for humans.
You either go into a .. Well Nazi type of group or put on meds that put you in depression ... Or run. .. Not the best of choices.
And if your a P10 or better your life is completely screwed.
And what Byron was probably thinking.. Got delt this shitty hand at birth, then more crap layered on.. Then oh find out your made by the vorlons for giggles. ..
No wonder he went loopy.
You either go into a .. Well Nazi type of group or put on meds that put you in depression ... Or run. .. Not the best of choices.
And if your a P10 or better your life is completely screwed.
And what Byron was probably thinking.. Got delt this shitty hand at birth, then more crap layered on.. Then oh find out your made by the vorlons for giggles. ..
No wonder he went loopy.
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