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Most Painfully brilliant moments in SF...

In Tom Godwin's story "The Cold Equations" -well, if you read it you know.

:techman:

Good choice. I read that in a collection from the public library when I was about thirteen, upon Googling probably The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929–1964. Stunning.
 
In Tom Godwin's story "The Cold Equations" -well, if you read it you know.
I like how the title is a spoiler. I'm not sure if I heard of it before, or if I just figured it out. :p Anyway, that's what you get for not having wiggle room on your delta-V.
 
^Well, when it was published the title wasn't much of a spoiler. These days though, with the science fiction audiences being more experienced in these types of stories, yeah.
 
The life and death of Londo Mollari.

Some may think Babylon 5 was only about politics and battles of epic power on a galactic scale... but really at it's core, Babylon 5 is the tale of a man who when we first meet him has no power yet all the choices he could ever want... and at the end has all the power he could 've ever wanted, yet no real choices left to him at all... Save one.

"To surrender himself to his greatest fear knowing it would destroy him."

Probably one of the best character arcs I've ever seen, and still to this day it gets me every time I watch B5 just how tragically epic a tale it is at it's core.

All of those moments with Londo were great, not just the end. Some favorites:

Something my father said. He was old, very old at the time. I went into his room, and he was sitting alone in the dark, crying. So I asked him what was wrong, and he said, "My shoes are too tight, but it doesn't matter, because I have forgotten how to dance." I never understood what that meant until now. My shoes are too tight, and I have forgotten how to dance.

Really early on, but man, oh, man, painful, but brilliant. I think we've all had those moments where we realize we've gotten old and turned into our parents and realize our past is behind us.

Of course, everything with him and Adira:
We Centauri live our lives for appearances, position, status, title. These are the things by which we define ourselves. But when I look beneath the mask I am forced to wear, I see only emptiness. And then I think of you, and then I say…to Hell with appearances.

And Londo and Morden:
All right. Fine! You really want to know what I want? You really want to know the truth? I want my people to reclaim their rightful place in the galaxy. I want to see the Centauri stretch forth their hand again, and command the stars! I-I want a rebirth of glory, a renaissance of power. I want to stop running through my life like a man late for an appointment, afraid to– to look back, or to look forward. I want us to be what we used to BE! I want…I want it all back, the way that it was! Does that answer your question?

I could go on, but really, don't those three quotes sum up Londo and show how painfully brilliant his character was written?
 
Londo has got to be on my top five favourite sci-fy characters list. He a G'Kar are the two characters that make B5.
 
The best superhero scene is Peter Parker with his emo haircut strutting down the street being an asshole to everyone he meets.

No matter how your mind denies it, your heart knows the truth.
 
I cannot believe no one suggested the multiple brilliant moments in 2001 Space Odessey.

1. Smashing of the bones that turn into weapons after the object appears on earth.

2. HAL malfunctions

3. "Oh my God it's full of stars."


etc.
 
Alfred and Bruce. Another painful, but brilliant duo. I always get the sense that Alfred expects more from Bruce, but can't come outright and say so. So he goes along and does what he can.

Alfred gives Bruce the kick in the butt he needs.

Alfred has to explain to Bruce that some people are just plain evil. Bruce is such a control freak that he can't understand the Joker. It's a hard truth and I don't think Bruce fully gets it in this scene, but I think, by the end, he understands.

The end of The Dark Knight Painful, Brilliant. AMAZING!
 
Londo has got to be on my top five favourite sci-fy characters list. He a G'Kar are the two characters that make B5.

I was going to say the Londo scene that came to my mind after reading the thread was the one during the bombing of Narn... when he's standing at the window on the Centauri ship, watching it lob mass drivers down onto the planet.

Amazing scene, for a TV show. Admittedly, it's not that great-looking now, but given the CGI standards of the day... *zoinks*

Cheers,
-CM-
 
The end of the Buffyverse gone wrong in "The Wish". I had only started watching the show that season, but everything about that scene made me a committed fan.
 
I was going to say the Londo scene that came to my mind after reading the thread was the one during the bombing of Narn... when he's standing at the window on the Centauri ship, watching it lob mass drivers down onto the planet.

Amazing scene, for a TV show. Admittedly, it's not that great-looking now, but given the CGI standards of the day... *zoinks*

Cheers,
-CM-

Watching that scene on the In The Beginning/The Gathering combo DVD is what got me to blind buy the B5 S1 set. It is a brilliant piece of Television, writing and acting, any genre. Brilliant.
 
On the B5 line of thought - Londo's monlogue about the resiliance of humans from In The Beginning. Very emotional and touching. Great piece of writing and acting.
 
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