A Niner Watches Babylon 5 (NO spoilers, please)
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His characters have very little in common with Greek myth (in either case); and in JMS's case far more informed by Tolkein (Tolkein himself owes a little more to the Kalevala, Beowulf, Arthur and the like.) The closest to Greek mythology JMS has is of course Londo,
who is more informed by Greek tragedy than Greek myth, and more by Dr. Faust than Greek tragedy.
Sheridan is Aragorn, not Orpheus or Jesus. The story of him going to Z'ha'dum only follows the broad beat notes of the Greek myth, Sheridan's personality - particularly initially - has a Strider vibe. He is not a beautiful sexualised artist of sweet music destined to be killed in an erotic frenzy; and Sheridan loses his wife because she is already lost, not because he could not bear to agree to the terms by which she leaves Hades - and he destroys Z'ha'dum with sci-fi heroics rather than soothes it with his lyre. Stories such as the Iliad also, say, have far more moral ambiguity than the Shadow War - Sheridan and Garibaldi would never get upset as to which one of them gets to own a rapeable slavegirl; nor would President Clarke be shown to have the humanity of King Priam begging for his son's corpse. The great big cosmic war of Good and Evil... this is far much a Tolkein thing, and it is also a JMS thing, and Z'ha'dum is not Hades, it is not the deserts of Israel, IT IS MORDOR.
There's a fine line between having archetypal similarities and just plain direct similarities. The Hero With a Thousand Faces need not always be Luke Skywalker, as it were. JMS has basically the latter -
There's nothing archetypal in similarity between his Rangers and Tolkein's Rangers, they are Tolkein's rangers.
Other observations:
"A Call to Arms" has basically a Dungeons & Dragons style plot, with the thief, the mage, and the quest. If one is unfamiliar with that the story may not make a whole lot of sense. "Thirdspace" is Lovecraft - and indeed the Shadows are indebted to Lovecraft - while the Vorlons and the evolution of beings into a higher state which they shepherd is clearly a page from "Childhood's End" - making the Vorlons angels is basically an inversion of making the Overlords demons.
That happens far more often than he seems to believe. There's a little bit of Lensman in Babylon 5 as well, of course.
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Joe actually described this somewhere in one of the script books. I can't remember the quote off hand, but he was talking about how he wanted to use a particular scene from a movie in one of his projects but hadn't found a place to put it yet. Tarantino writes in a similar way, adapting scenes from movies here and there to make a new whole, and the end result is quite good IMO. But it's not about taking a story one-for-one; it's a multiplexing of stories and life experiences into a new creature. If a certain story speaks to you, you can write it in a new way that isn't "borrowing" but it still cuts in to the very same themes. There is an explicit list of literary/television/movie influences that Joe wanted to use for B5 in one of his earliest Babylon 5 documents that is pretty interesting to think about, but a couple of them are definite spoilers for some later plots:
Casablanca, Dune, Lord of the Rings, The Prisoner, Gone with the Wind, Civil War, [the Kennedy Assassination], Foundation, Lensman
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Points of Departure (***)
Hmm, not the grandiose start I was hoping for after Chrysalis, but what could JMS do? His lead actor left at a pivotal moment in the series and he had to introduce a new station commander and try to get us all to accept him in 42 minutes, all this after hinting in Babylon Squared that Sinclair was going to be a big deal in the future of this show. So while this episode didn't explain what is going on with Delenn, and we still don't know where G'Kar went, and we don't know the political ramifications of the Earth President being assassinated, and nothing new happened with Garibaldi... I can't blame this episode for dropping all that stuff to introduce Sheridan.
As for Sheridan, I like him, he has let me with a much more positive impression that Sinclair did after his first episode. I guess part of the problem with Sinclair is that I knew he would be leaving, and the episodes that focused on him tended to deal with the mystery of the Battle of the Line rather than exploring him as a person, so I never clicked with him. Sheridan on the other hand doesn't feel like a mystery, he feels like a character front and centre, and while he discusses his actions during the war, and this episode's plot focuses on that era of his life, it doesn't feel like this is all there is to him. And I like that he's more... bitter than Sinclair when it comes to the Minbari. Sinclair seemed to get along with everyone, it seems like Sheridan is going to bring a bit more conflict to the show.
However, I could be very wrong about this, I've only known the guy for a few minutes.
The one piece of the overall plot that did move along was the revelation of what "really" happened at the Battle of the Line, and boy was I underwhelmed by that. I was expecting something Earth-shattering, the revelation that humans have in them something I don't believe in wasn't what I was hoping for. Anything that validates Soul Hunter as an episode in a bad thing in my book. I just don't buy that the Minbari insisted on making Sinclair the commander of Babylon 5 because he was the first human the Grey Council encountered, I have to believe that there is something more to it than that.
I'm a bit rusty, I nearly forgot the Scott Bakula counter!
Scott Bakula: 17
Hmm, not the grandiose start I was hoping for after Chrysalis, but what could JMS do? His lead actor left at a pivotal moment in the series and he had to introduce a new station commander and try to get us all to accept him in 42 minutes, all this after hinting in Babylon Squared that Sinclair was going to be a big deal in the future of this show. So while this episode didn't explain what is going on with Delenn, and we still don't know where G'Kar went, and we don't know the political ramifications of the Earth President being assassinated, and nothing new happened with Garibaldi... I can't blame this episode for dropping all that stuff to introduce Sheridan.
As for Sheridan, I like him, he has let me with a much more positive impression that Sinclair did after his first episode. I guess part of the problem with Sinclair is that I knew he would be leaving, and the episodes that focused on him tended to deal with the mystery of the Battle of the Line rather than exploring him as a person, so I never clicked with him. Sheridan on the other hand doesn't feel like a mystery, he feels like a character front and centre, and while he discusses his actions during the war, and this episode's plot focuses on that era of his life, it doesn't feel like this is all there is to him. And I like that he's more... bitter than Sinclair when it comes to the Minbari. Sinclair seemed to get along with everyone, it seems like Sheridan is going to bring a bit more conflict to the show.
However, I could be very wrong about this, I've only known the guy for a few minutes.
The one piece of the overall plot that did move along was the revelation of what "really" happened at the Battle of the Line, and boy was I underwhelmed by that. I was expecting something Earth-shattering, the revelation that humans have in them something I don't believe in wasn't what I was hoping for. Anything that validates Soul Hunter as an episode in a bad thing in my book. I just don't buy that the Minbari insisted on making Sinclair the commander of Babylon 5 because he was the first human the Grey Council encountered, I have to believe that there is something more to it than that.
I'm a bit rusty, I nearly forgot the Scott Bakula counter!
Scott Bakula: 17
What was the Minbari Mantra throughout the series? No Minbari ever tells the whole truth?
And more to the point, there is a much more scientific explanation to be deduced later on. I don't believe in souls either, but once you get the whole story, it'll make sense.
At this stage, the point is that this is what the Grey Council believed. To the Minbari, souls are very real and absolutely CENTRAL to their beliefs that informs their view of the entire universe (you'll hear about that later) so it's something they take VERY seriously, even if most humans think it's utterly ludicrous.
None of the other castes were told what Lennier revealed precisely because none of the castes were liable to accept or even believe it and doing so would cause immense turmoil.
None of the other castes were told what Lennier revealed precisely because none of the castes were liable to accept or even believe it and doing so would cause immense turmoil.
In the comic that shows what Sinclair was up to concurrently with this episode, he's informed of what happened, as well. Later, talking with President Clark privately, Clark pretty much says, "Yeah, we thought it was a bunch of bullshit, but it got them to stop killing us, so we weren't exactly going to argue."
One thing I didn't like about "Points of Departure" is to the extent John Sheridan was a very unsubtly reworked version of Jeffrey Sinclair. Granted, it wasn't the first time JMS had to scramble to replace an actor with a very similar character - there were no less than four instances of that in the first season alone; and suspiciously both first officers had a thing for bending the rules to plant fresh coffee. But Sinclair wasn't a guy who appeared in the pilot or an episode or two, he was the lead character of the show for a whole year.
And what do we get? Well, Jeffrey Sinclair, the lead character in a show by Joe Straczynski, is replaced by John Sheridan. Sinclair has a history with Garibaldi, Sheridan has a history with Ivanova. Sinclair was a hero of the last stand of the Minbari War, Sheridan won the only successful battle of that war. And so on - he even looks like a younger, fresher-faced Sinclair.
A minority opinion perhaps, but there wasn't really a point in the series where I ever came around to accepting Sheridan as a replacement for Sinclair, and I wasn't even a big fan of Sinclair to begin with.
The other thing was something JMS of course could not avoid; Lennier dropping the Battle of the Line plot abruptly, ignominiously and with reams of dialogue. With Sinclair exiting stage left it no longer really has the significance it once did.
And what do we get? Well, Jeffrey Sinclair, the lead character in a show by Joe Straczynski, is replaced by John Sheridan. Sinclair has a history with Garibaldi, Sheridan has a history with Ivanova. Sinclair was a hero of the last stand of the Minbari War, Sheridan won the only successful battle of that war. And so on - he even looks like a younger, fresher-faced Sinclair.
A minority opinion perhaps, but there wasn't really a point in the series where I ever came around to accepting Sheridan as a replacement for Sinclair, and I wasn't even a big fan of Sinclair to begin with.
The other thing was something JMS of course could not avoid; Lennier dropping the Battle of the Line plot abruptly, ignominiously and with reams of dialogue. With Sinclair exiting stage left it no longer really has the significance it once did.
Revelations (***½)
After watching this episode it really reinforces how Points of Departure put everything on hold in order to introduce Sheridan because all four plots from Chrysalis (G'Kar searching for something, Delenn in her cocoon, Garibaldi in a coma and the assassination of the Earth President) come into play here. All these plots are interesting on some level but none of them are all that shocking, at least not for me. G'Kar coming to the realisation that there's another race, an evil one that threatens them all, is important but it's not a huge revelation for me because I've known about the Shadows for years. I don't know what they are or why they're returning, but this episode didn't delve into any of that.
Then there's the revelation that President Clark may have been complicit in the death of President Santiago as some sort of power grab by the Psi Corps, but even that wasn't a surprise. They made a point in Chrysalis to mention that VP Clark left the Presidential tour for health reasons, so that raised a red flag right there, and we were warned back in season 1 that the Psi Corps want political control. The final revelation, that Delenn has become half-human, or something, also wasn't shocking because I've seen pictures of her looking like that for a long time. I was hoping for a bit more than her changing appearance, although there will probably be more to it than that in the future.
One thing I really enjoyed about this episode was the Sheridan plot about mourning his wife two years after her death, it was one of those moments where I clicked with the character and, godsdamnit, I felt a little emotional.
I really enjoyed this plot... right up until the point where his sister gives him a recording of his wife that says everything he has wanted to hear for two years. 
It was a complete Get Out of Jail Free card and it nearly ruined all the good stuff that came before. Life doesn't let us off the hook like that two years after losing someone we care about, no, life prefers to rip our heads off and defecate down our throats.
By the way, I received an email from my ex of two years yesterday. She wants to know if we can be friends again. Isn't that nice?
Gods, I hate my life sometimes.
Scott Bakula: 19
After watching this episode it really reinforces how Points of Departure put everything on hold in order to introduce Sheridan because all four plots from Chrysalis (G'Kar searching for something, Delenn in her cocoon, Garibaldi in a coma and the assassination of the Earth President) come into play here. All these plots are interesting on some level but none of them are all that shocking, at least not for me. G'Kar coming to the realisation that there's another race, an evil one that threatens them all, is important but it's not a huge revelation for me because I've known about the Shadows for years. I don't know what they are or why they're returning, but this episode didn't delve into any of that.
Then there's the revelation that President Clark may have been complicit in the death of President Santiago as some sort of power grab by the Psi Corps, but even that wasn't a surprise. They made a point in Chrysalis to mention that VP Clark left the Presidential tour for health reasons, so that raised a red flag right there, and we were warned back in season 1 that the Psi Corps want political control. The final revelation, that Delenn has become half-human, or something, also wasn't shocking because I've seen pictures of her looking like that for a long time. I was hoping for a bit more than her changing appearance, although there will probably be more to it than that in the future.
One thing I really enjoyed about this episode was the Sheridan plot about mourning his wife two years after her death, it was one of those moments where I clicked with the character and, godsdamnit, I felt a little emotional.
I really enjoyed this plot... right up until the point where his sister gives him a recording of his wife that says everything he has wanted to hear for two years. It was a complete Get Out of Jail Free card and it nearly ruined all the good stuff that came before. Life doesn't let us off the hook like that two years after losing someone we care about, no, life prefers to rip our heads off and defecate down our throats.By the way, I received an email from my ex of two years yesterday. She wants to know if we can be friends again. Isn't that nice?
Gods, I hate my life sometimes.
Scott Bakula: 19
I do, on the other hand. And one thing I enjoyed about Babylon 5 is that not only did it take faith and it being an important, powerful force seriously, but the idea that we are more than bodies seriously as well.
And that it didn't feel the need to come up with some technobabble "explanation" for everything. There are mysteries.
That's it.
I wouldn't say "most". I'd say the view on the matter of souls among humans varied greatly, depending on who you talk to. Kinda like how it is, here and now in our present times.
I did, because all those things you mention are surface things. When it came down to the meat of the characters, especially as we got to know Sheridan and the details of both his background and who he was, he was quite different from Sinclair.
The only real similarities, besides their "hero" statuses from the war was that they both had no problem bucking the authorities if they thought it was the right thing and/or suited the mission.
Other than that, their personalities and interpersonal styles, totally different. Further, how the Minbari and Earth regarded them, polar opposites.
BTW, the idea of both of them having a friend in the staff of B5 is a little much to pick on. The military is a small world and you WILL run into people you know, again and again. Further, you will run into people who know well the people you know.
Happens to me all the time.
Revelations (***½)
After watching this episode it really reinforces how Points of Departure put everything on hold in order to introduce Sheridan because all four plots from Chrysalis (G'Kar searching for something, Delenn in her cocoon, Garibaldi in a coma and the assassination of the Earth President) come into play here. All these plots are interesting on some level but none of them are all that shocking, at least not for me. G'Kar coming to the realisation that there's another race, an evil one that threatens them all, is important but it's not a huge revelation for me because I've known about the Shadows for years. I don't know what they are or why they're returning, but this episode didn't delve into any of that.
Then there's the revelation that President Clark may have been complicit in the death of President Santiago as some sort of power grab by the Psi Corps, but even that wasn't a surprise. They made a point in Chrysalis to mention that VP Clark left the Presidential tour for health reasons, so that raised a red flag right there, and we were warned back in season 1 that the Psi Corps want political control. The final revelation, that Delenn has become half-human, or something, also wasn't shocking because I've seen pictures of her looking like that for a long time. I was hoping for a bit more than her changing appearance, although there will probably be more to it than that in the future.
One thing I really enjoyed about this episode was the Sheridan plot about mourning his wife two years after her death, it was one of those moments where I clicked with the character and, godsdamnit, I felt a little emotional.
By the way, I received an email from my ex of two years yesterday. She wants to know if we can be friends again. Isn't that nice?
Gods, I hate my life sometimes.
Scott Bakula: 19
I'd say, based on my own life, life does a little of both. But you need both to grow. As for Sheridan...keep watching.
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Basically because first I didn't want to venture into spoiler territory,
like his relationship with Delenn, which is also picking off where Sinclair left off, or his role in the conspiracy against EarthGov, which is building off the tensions Sinclair had with them in the first season, Catherine Sakai - who replaced Caroline - is replaced by Anna Sheridan, and on and on and on.
although in fairness Marcus Cole is also Sinclair. He's where Sinclair's literary bent was shunted off to.
Which as inversions go isn't much of one, because given Sinclair's close relationship with Delenn there will still walls between them as the Battle of the Line plot made clear,
and he winds up basically having the same level of standing with the Minbari Sinclair had been leaning in; close to Delenn and the religious caste and all that jazz.
By itself, of course not. But when it's a piece of a larger puzzle? Then yeah, it's a fair target. JMS was losing this long history relationship Sinclair and Garibaldi had, and giving Sheridan the same relationship with the same character was just gosh darn it too obvious, which left Franklin and Ivanova.
Sorry, Kegg, I'm afraid you're reaching *way* too far for a criticism here. Captain Happy resembling the ever-dour Sinclair?!? I don't think so! They're both tall. That's really about the extent of it.
In a memo describing the character (written May 1, 1994 - two and a half months before writing "Points") JMS described the new captain as
JMS in Script Book Three said:
You'll be happy to know the placeholder name that JMS gave the new Captain, though: John Strider. However, the link to Lord of the Rings is small.
Jan
Surely you jest. Must I rather tendentiously evoke the little J.S. thing again? JMS is pretty consistent in B5 with replacing characters with reworked versions of the same character, with varying degrees of success, and Sinclair to Sheridan is just one of the most prominent examples.
That's not the same thing as saying Sheridan is the same character as Sinclair. As observed, he's been reworked. He has less of Sinclair's intellectual bent, but even that in part is necessary to explain the logic of him being selected for the job given the great importance the Minbari placed on Sinclair's selection in the first season (the implication being there were dozens of top brass guys eager to get the post - so why are they all passed over again? Well, uh, hero of the war, snub it to the Minbari!)
Even the fact he was Santiago's second pick wants to connect him to the late president in some way, who of course was responsible for appointing Sinclair.
I knew that already, actually.
Matthew Gideon and David Martel may beg to differ on that point.
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