B5 is my number one show but LOST is better written when it comes to mystery and hint and revelation.
I don't watch lost, so don't really have a comparison. I was trying to think of times Farscape had big reveals and really couldn't.
Babylon 5 - I'm finally going to do it
- Thread starter tomalak301
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I don't watch lost, so don't really have a comparison. I was trying to think of times Farscape had big reveals and really couldn't.
I think the difference between Lost & B5, at least in terms of mystery and progressive revelations is that B5 always played fair and pealed away the plot twists in layers, Lost feels more like a protracted chain yanking session. Rather than answering one question and asking another, it tends to just heap on more and more questions until (personally) I loose all track (Lost, you might say) and begin to not even care what's going on.
The island could be a giant psychic turtle by this point, I couldn't really care less.
The island could be a giant psychic turtle by this point, I couldn't really care less.
Not quite right, as far as I see it. It's been my observation that rather than organically move from answer to more questions to more answers (like B5) Lost tends to ask questions then give a bunch of answers to questions nobody asked while the fundamental mysteries are used to tease like carrot on a stick.
I'm not saying Lost is outright obscure, in the realms of 'The Prisoner' or 'Twin Peaks' but it doesn't play fair. Of course I suppose it should be pointed out that B5, while it had it's mysteries it didn't hinge everything on them like those other shows.
Which was my problem with Lost's seasons 2 and 3, and part of 4. I tuned out for that period when the show felt so damned repetitive.
I'm sorry for bringing this back up again and again, but I'm still on my second watch-through, working on Season 5, and don't really want to start a new thread about it, and don't want to post spoilers in TheGodBen's thread. I promise, once I'm done with Sleeping in Light again, I'll probably let this thread die, unless I finally get around to watching Legend of the Rangers again and maybe even buy the 5 movies.
Anyway, I'm on Season 5 again, and some quick thoughts, again on the second run through.
-I still don't mind Byron. I'm probably the only one here to say that given his unpopularity (Is there a thread in the last year specifically on this topic by the way?) but I didn't mind him. Sure, I think JMS wrote him too much as a comparison to Ghandi, but in a way that whole Telepath/Human thing was that way. Of course given what has happened before, I do think this whole thing with the Telepaths is the weakest plot point of the series, but given what it does for Crusade (God I wish that show got more time to develop because I liked it) and Daniel Dae Kim's character, I have come to appreciate it some more.
-How many styles of hair did Lochley have anyway. One moment she has the hair in a bunny/janeway style (Strange Relations), the next it's that ugly look of the long pony tale (A View from the Gallery), than it's short hair, than it's the more regular look probably later on. Still though, she had like 5 or 6 different hair styles in one season. That must be some kind of record.
-Still think Secrets of the Soul might be one of the worst episodes B5 has. Byron and Lyta having sex? Not my idea of a good time. As for the Hyach, didn't they do a storyline like that in season 2?
-Looking forward to Day of the Dead again. I've heard so many comments about it and can't wait to see it again.
-Am I the only one who doesn't really like Shariden and Delenn together? I mean they make for a cute couple and all, but it almost ruined both characters. I think Delenn said it well in the season 4 episode (I think it was the one before No Surrender No Retreat) that he makes tougher decisions without her there. Seeing the both of them cuddle all the time now is not fun.
-I miss Ivanova, but if what I hear was correct that she would have been the one in the relationship with Byron, I think I can live with her not being there. Still wonder what it would have been like if she was.
-G'Kar as Londo's Bodyguard. The scene in Strange Relations between him and Delenn was fantastic.
-Boy it seemed a lot longer than I thought to get Garibaldi to the bottle again. The season is almost half over and they really did cover so much in so little time.
Anyway, I'm on Season 5 again, and some quick thoughts, again on the second run through.
-I still don't mind Byron. I'm probably the only one here to say that given his unpopularity (Is there a thread in the last year specifically on this topic by the way?) but I didn't mind him. Sure, I think JMS wrote him too much as a comparison to Ghandi, but in a way that whole Telepath/Human thing was that way. Of course given what has happened before, I do think this whole thing with the Telepaths is the weakest plot point of the series, but given what it does for Crusade (God I wish that show got more time to develop because I liked it) and Daniel Dae Kim's character, I have come to appreciate it some more.
-How many styles of hair did Lochley have anyway. One moment she has the hair in a bunny/janeway style (Strange Relations), the next it's that ugly look of the long pony tale (A View from the Gallery), than it's short hair, than it's the more regular look probably later on. Still though, she had like 5 or 6 different hair styles in one season. That must be some kind of record.
-Still think Secrets of the Soul might be one of the worst episodes B5 has. Byron and Lyta having sex? Not my idea of a good time. As for the Hyach, didn't they do a storyline like that in season 2?
-Looking forward to Day of the Dead again. I've heard so many comments about it and can't wait to see it again.
-Am I the only one who doesn't really like Shariden and Delenn together? I mean they make for a cute couple and all, but it almost ruined both characters. I think Delenn said it well in the season 4 episode (I think it was the one before No Surrender No Retreat) that he makes tougher decisions without her there. Seeing the both of them cuddle all the time now is not fun.
-I miss Ivanova, but if what I hear was correct that she would have been the one in the relationship with Byron, I think I can live with her not being there. Still wonder what it would have been like if she was.
-G'Kar as Londo's Bodyguard. The scene in Strange Relations between him and Delenn was fantastic.
-Boy it seemed a lot longer than I thought to get Garibaldi to the bottle again. The season is almost half over and they really did cover so much in so little time.
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I may have not hated Byron quite so much if he did not come off as a poor man's Marcus to me.
I loved Marcus. He and Kosh were my favorites. I was highly bitter over Marcus' demise.
Plus, Lyta always seemed so saavy. I thought she was sucked in entirely too easily.
I loved Marcus. He and Kosh were my favorites. I was highly bitter over Marcus' demise.
Plus, Lyta always seemed so saavy. I thought she was sucked in entirely too easily.
I don't see the connection between Byron and Marcus. As for Lyta, didn't like her character in Season 5.
Byron and Marcus are both fey, idealistic handsome guys with flowing hair and upper-crust British accents. I wouldn't be surprised of the Byron actor had been one of the runners-up for the Marcus role, to be honest.
I hated that "Gallery" one. It was like pseudo-Ivanova or something. Lochley was better when she wasn't being a poor woman's Susan.
Particularly Delenn, I'd say. It's a bit of a nudge to me for "Sleeping in Light" to point out until recently she was the head of the Rangers, becuase her main job in season five was Sheridan's woman.
Once a powerful, influential leader of the Grey Council and now almost nothing more than the significant other to the ISA President.
I hated that "Gallery" one. It was like pseudo-Ivanova or something. Lochley was better when she wasn't being a poor woman's Susan.
No, but I was always more of a Sinclair/Delenn shipper anyway.
Particularly Delenn, I'd say. It's a bit of a nudge to me for "Sleeping in Light" to point out until recently she was the head of the Rangers, becuase her main job in season five was Sheridan's woman.
Once a powerful, influential leader of the Grey Council and now almost nothing more than the significant other to the ISA President.
"Upper crust"? Hardly. Middle class perhaps, but I digress. Aside from both being English and having long hair, they had NOTHING of substance in common.
For the record, I can't say Byron was my favourite character by any stretch of the imagination but he never really bothered me as much as he seams to bother others.
RE: Lochley's hair. I think Tracy did address that one on the DVDs. In a nutshell Lochley had just got called in from off duty so she reasoned that she wouldn't have time to do her hair properly, nor would she care with an impending assault, so she just tied it back in a pony tail. Aftwards she realised how severe it made her look, so it never appeared again.
That's why I opted for the vaguest sounding term. Maybe it's their mannerisms, but they seemed a trifle classical.
Byron's not big on substance. He's Marcus doing the Jesus routine, that's sort of it.
Wasn't she still head of the rangers (as well as Minbari Ambassador) during season 5? And she succeeded Sheridan as ISA President...
Regardless, I think both Sheridan and Delenn made a decent transition into being statesmen.
That was my point. It took "Sleeping in Light" to remind me she had this job at all. She could have just been the First Lady for all that would have effected any given S5 screenplay.
True, though this role became sort of nebulous as far as B5 is concerned after they broke away from Earth. Is Lochley the new Earth Ambassador, for example?
There was a "Janice Drake" mentioned as the Earth Ambassador in the official guide (which was written before they did deconstruction) so perhaps when Claudia "left" and they had to make up Lochley and move what would have been Ivanova's romance over to Lyta, there just wasn't any room left and so the character was dropped...that is if she was going to be a character at all.
As it stands I think Lochley served much the same role as Sinclair and Sheridan before her as the EA rep, complete with senate oversight.
What I scratch my head at in Season 5 is why people like Corwin and Zack stayed in the AoL uniforms. Granted Zack wasn't in Earthforce proper prior to that point, just a station employee, but Corwin was a full Lieutenant and still referred to as such.
As for Delenn, she's always worn many hats (Satai, Ambassador, Entil'zha, Anla'shok Na, ISA advisory board and Vice President) but the reason we rarely get to see her doing any of these jobs probably had a lot with watching someone sit around all day with Lannier doing paperwork and making StellarCom call makes for very poor drama.
The reality is that from the get-go, she's the real power behind the throne and backbone of the Alliance. It just so happens that Dukhat trained her not to use power and authority like a blunt instrument.
As it stands I think Lochley served much the same role as Sinclair and Sheridan before her as the EA rep, complete with senate oversight.
What I scratch my head at in Season 5 is why people like Corwin and Zack stayed in the AoL uniforms. Granted Zack wasn't in Earthforce proper prior to that point, just a station employee, but Corwin was a full Lieutenant and still referred to as such.
As for Delenn, she's always worn many hats (Satai, Ambassador, Entil'zha, Anla'shok Na, ISA advisory board and Vice President) but the reason we rarely get to see her doing any of these jobs probably had a lot with watching someone sit around all day with Lannier doing paperwork and making StellarCom call makes for very poor drama.
The reality is that from the get-go, she's the real power behind the throne and backbone of the Alliance. It just so happens that Dukhat trained her not to use power and authority like a blunt instrument.
I'm disappointed she never appeared in the series. I'm really disappointed that, if you look closely, you can see Sheridan is sitting behind the "Earth Alliance" nameplate throughout council scenes in season 5. That just doesn't make any damn sense.
I suppose it's possible she was on the station, but was never in any of the council sessions we saw.
Seams a bit unlikely, but then not every single former League world always had an Ambassador in the chamber. We never saw any Balosians outside of the Dark Star, the Ishka disappeared after season one, the Abbai rarely cropped up in later seasons, the Onteen, Grome and Hurr Ambassadors were only really seen during the Shadow War as I recall and there was this one Ambassador the 'The War Prayer' that was from a race that I've been unable to identify or even spot anywhere else.
Plus of course none of the meetings we saw were directly related to Earth interests. Still, either way it strains credibility a little.
Seams a bit unlikely, but then not every single former League world always had an Ambassador in the chamber. We never saw any Balosians outside of the Dark Star, the Ishka disappeared after season one, the Abbai rarely cropped up in later seasons, the Onteen, Grome and Hurr Ambassadors were only really seen during the Shadow War as I recall and there was this one Ambassador the 'The War Prayer' that was from a race that I've been unable to identify or even spot anywhere else.
Plus of course none of the meetings we saw were directly related to Earth interests. Still, either way it strains credibility a little.
More than a little, I'd say. There's some wiggle-room with the League, since they represent numerous alien races which we know little about. Perhaps the body alternates members? But with the humans, one of the founding members of Babylon 5, a representative of some sort should be there at all times.
Then again, the fact that the humans didn't really have an ambassador, but were instead represented by the station commander, always struck me as a little strange. A contrivance to keep the regulars at the center of the action, or has JMS explained this at some point?
Then again, the fact that the humans didn't really have an ambassador, but were instead represented by the station commander, always struck me as a little strange. A contrivance to keep the regulars at the center of the action, or has JMS explained this at some point?
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