Babylon 5 - I'm finally going to do it

[Mr Light]

Wow. I really did not care for "Rumors". I definitely thought it was one of the weakest eps of the season. And the "woo hoo" bit I found a little bit insulting to all the characters involved... particularly poor Lennier who has to watch the woman he loves being orally pleased by the man who stole her away from him! ... Also, I found the Minbari Civil War to be a completely uninvolving exercise. Aside from one crappy matte shot of some people running down a street we didn't SEE this war happen at all! I understand this is because of the Season Four Crunch but jeez. Not to mention I don't find the Minbari particularly interesting on their own, particularly once you rob them of their Season 1-2 mystery.

 

[tomalak301]

Wow. I really did not care for "Rumors". I definitely thought it was one of the weakest eps of the season. And the "woo hoo" bit I found a little bit insulting to all the characters involved... particularly poor Lennier who has to watch the woman he loves being orally pleased by the man who stole her away from him! ... Also, I found the Minbari Civil War to be a completely uninvolving exercise. Aside from one crappy matte shot of some people running down a street we didn't SEE this war happen at all! I understand this is because of the Season Four Crunch but jeez. Not to mention I don't find the Minbari particularly interesting on their own, particularly once you rob them of their Season 1-2 mystery.

I was talking about Sheridan's reaction when the league worlds asked for the White Star protection. It might have been Yeah, but the reaction was still the same. I'm actually wondering if we're talking about the same episode. Rumors was the one where Sheridan had to convince the league of non-aligned worlds to ask for protection from the raiders. Racing Mars was the one with the rituals, and in that episode I mentioned I was started to not like what Delenn was becoming, or Sheridan for that matter.

No Surrender, No Retreat

Another great episode. I've got to say after the next few episodes when the War ended, and when Delenn and Sheridan went seperate ways, this season has taken quite a turn. So many powerful moments, such as every scene with G'Kar and Londo (Londo trying to reach out an olive branch) and Sheridan and Ivanova understanding the repurcussions of what they were planning. The battle at Proxima III was great, as most battle scenes tend to be (Even though I think I liked the one in Line of Communication better) and B5 has some new allies to liberate Earth.

 

[Mr Light]

Ah, I'm confusing my inter-war episodes Yeah "No Surrender" is a four star episode. It was my first full-episode-battle episode so it always holds a special place in my heart. The Londo/G'Kar scene is incredibly powerful. Of course it also proves how the Clark War was an exercise in futility and lame duck drama since the White Stars are invincible against Earthforce. Makes ya miss the Shadows even more!

 

[tomalak301]

The Exercise of Vital Power

So Edgars (I guess it was the same guy who talked to Garibaldi when he was in that isolation room in Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi) is fighting the same war Sheridan is only he's trying to do it quietly. I don't know why, but he kinda reminds me of Bill Gates. Owner of one of Earth's largest corporations, very rich, and somewhat powerful. Only Gates isn't trying to take out the president so maybe the comparison is a little on the daft side. Still, he wants Sheridan out of the way and that should make things interesting when the next time John and Garibaldi meet. As for the telepaths, what did Sheridan tell Franklin. It seemed like Franklin had a Garibaldi moment there.

So I'm asking questions. I really want to see the next episode to continue the story becuase this one was good, but will probably be forgotten down the road.

 

[Lindley]

I don't think there was ever any question that the White Stars could take Earthforce militarily. The difficulty is in doing so in a way that undermines Clarke rather than giving him a rallying cry against "those damned aliens."

 

[tomalak301]

The Face of the Enemy

So that's what happened to Mr. Garibaldi. What a way to end that storyline. I've often heard that Bester was considered a villain in the B5 universe. I wouldn't have believed it before. Adversary, yes, but villain? I'm not sure he ever did anything so villainous. Well that was until now. Taking Garibaldi and using him in a pawn to uncover a conspiracy to make the telepaths in to a slave race. Man that's cruel. It had to be done yes, but cruel anyway. I wonder what will happen to Mike now. He's pretty much gotten on everyone's bad side, and Ivanova's reaction when she heard was really a holy crap moment.

That scene in the bar when Sheridan got turned over was very disturbing. The darkness, the use of the flashing lights, the music. That's one of the better scenes in terms of tone and atmosphere this series has done. Don't get me wrong, there's been a lot great moments and scenes, and this one goes up there with the best of them. What an episode. Absolutely brilliant.

 

[tomalak301]

Intersections in Real Time

I really got into this series today. It's coming to the point where I almost feel addicted because I really want to know what happens next. This episode was really interesting, and quite creepy. It only takes place in one room, and it's just John and the Interrogator the whole time, with a Drazi/Delenn sighting. Even before reading the lurkers guide, I got a very strong 1984 vibe, especially when the interrogator was talking about what the truth is. And then the ending where room 17 starts the same thing all over again.

Unfortunately it's not my favorite episode of the season. It's good, but maybe I just like the bigger story, and not two guys in a room for the entire hour. Both actors did well, but after watching so many episodes of B5 today, this one felt really small in comparison. I think in the long run it will play a lot better once I understand the story. Until then, it was just good.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Wow, you are moving fast!

The next three episodes are a definite highpoint, IMO...

 

[RoJoHen]

Oh man, you're right in the middle of my favorite part of the series. I am jealous.

 

[Jim Steele]

Glad to hear it. Just know going in that this is more of an intellectual story than a purely entertaining program. Don't look for amazing action or Star Wars-y sequences...

Having said that, it does include its fair share of awesome ship-on-ship action.

 

[Mr Light]

"Face of the Enemy" was a four star episode to be sure. Every scene was just amazing. I absolutely love the Sheridan captured music video. I think that was the scene that inspired me to put "music videos" into my own TV show and I do it like 2-4 times a season. That scene where Bester says "Or I could leave you as you are now, trapped in a prison of meat and flesh and bone... forever". Great line and delivery.

 

[Jan]

The Face of the Enemy

So that's what happened to Mr. Garibaldi. What a way to end that storyline. I've often heard that Bester was considered a villain in the B5 universe. I wouldn't have believed it before. Adversary, yes, but villain? I'm not sure he ever did anything so villainous. Well that was until now. Taking Garibaldi and using him in a pawn to uncover a conspiracy to make the telepaths in to a slave race. Man that's cruel. It had to be done yes, but cruel anyway. I wonder what will happen to Mike now. He's pretty much gotten on everyone's bad side, and Ivanova's reaction when she heard was really a holy crap moment. [/qyote]
Bester is evil in that he'll do whatever he thinks will protect 'his people', regardless of any moral considerations. What's even more chilling is that it was really a shot in the dark. Bester had no idea of any threat from Edgars when he had Garibaldi manipulated.

That scene in the bar when Sheridan got turned over was very disturbing. The darkness, the use of the flashing lights, the music. That's one of the better scenes in terms of tone and atmosphere this series has done. Don't get me wrong, there's been a lot great moments and scenes, and this one goes up there with the best of them. What an episode. Absolutely brilliant.

That scene was the perfect confluence of directing and music and camera work. Fun trivia: The expensive cameral lens that they were supposed to use for that scene wasn't available so the Dir. of Photography cleaned out a munchie bowl from craft services and shot through that to achieve the distorted effect.

Jan

 

[CorporalClegg]

Intersections in Real Time

I really got into this series today. It's coming to the point where I almost feel addicted because I really want to know what happens next. This episode was really interesting, and quite creepy. It only takes place in one room, and it's just John and the Interrogator the whole time, with a Drazi/Delenn sighting. Even before reading the lurkers guide, I got a very strong 1984 vibe, especially when the interrogator was talking about what the truth is. And then the ending where room 17 starts the same thing all over again.

Unfortunately it's not my favorite episode of the season. It's good, but maybe I just like the bigger story, and not two guys in a room for the entire hour. Both actors did well, but after watching so many episodes of B5 today, this one felt really small in comparison. I think in the long run it will play a lot better once I understand the story. Until then, it was just good.

I never liked this episode. People tend to rave about it, but I just see it as some dude I care nothing about prattling on some incessant babble for an hour. I think its the perfect example of JMS's tendency to sometimes over write--It's a lot like "Inquisitor" in that matter.

 

[Reverend]

I don't know about anyone else but I have trouble watching "Rumors, Bargains & Lies". Not because I don't like it or anything, I just keep expecting the head Religious Caste Minbari to stark talking about his little tank.

Of course it also proves how the Clark War was an exercise in futility and lame duck drama since the White Stars are invincible against Earthforce.

So that White Star that got shot up and crashed into an Earth destroyer was what exactly? A bit under the weather? Also if memory serves, half the earth ships either surrendered without a fight or ran off, so it was hardly a knock-down, drag-out fight.

 

[Harvey]

I was talking about "The Illusion of Truth."

I am just 0-2 today. My bad. Apologies.

I see you've made it to The Face of the Enemy, tomalok301. That's my favorite hour of the series, or close to it.

 

[Mr Light]

Earthforce could only temporarily "stun" a White Star and that time they were lucky enough that it crashed into a EA Destroyer (earning it yet another kill in the process). Lucky timing. It's just like the Minbari War, they can never actually win an engagement they can only kamikaze them and maybe take them out. In either case, there's no legitimate threat to our characters or their cause. They're playing this game on god mode.

 

[tomalak301]

I was talking about "The Illusion of Truth."

I am just 0-2 today. My bad. Apologies.

I see you've made it to The Face of the Enemy, tomalok301. That's my favorite hour of the series, or close to it.

I wouldn't say it's my favorite (Severed Dreams and The Long Twilight Struggle are one and two) but third favorite, probably. That thing was gripping from start to finish.

 

[Harvey]

What really grabs me about 'The Face of the Enemy' is the aggressive editing and music. The director, Mike Vejar, uses still frames in three key sequences (and in three different ways) to mark their importance. And in all three of these sequences, the use of still frames doesn't enter into excess. At the crime scene, they are a pastiche of crime shows, and hammer home the brutality of the violence. In the scene with Garibaldi and Bester, they hammer home the memories that are coming back to Garibaldi in sudden, disorienting fragments. And in the scene where Sheridan is captured (of which I also very much love Franke's use of diagetic music that transforms over the course of the scene, likely a nod to a similar scene in The Terminator) the still frames hammer home the extent of brutal violence needed to take down the lion that is Sheridan.

Ooh, I do love it.

 

[tomalak301]

I loved the use of still frames. It wasn't overused, and it didn't look corny but like you said, it nailed the point home and did so really really well. That, the music, and the editing, and just how it advanced the storyline really made this episode so great. B5 has done so many unique things I don't know what would happen next. The use of still frames, the use of gospel music inter-cutting with someone who is about to meet his end, all just really awesome stuff.

 

[Trubinator]

I think you'll appreciate Endgame. Also eagerly anticipating your response to the Deconstruction of Falling Stars. That one always divides the fanbase...