Babylon 5

[DonIago]

Three episodes into S5 and my new-to-the-series viewing partner has already commented on the homogenous appearance of the telepaths.

I'm not sure what JMS was aiming for with that, but I do think it's pretty unfortunate.

On repeated viewings it only becomes more clear how much Byron is manipulating Lyta from the outset. While I do think he ultimately has or develops feelings for her, it definitely feels like he has ulterior motives at least at the beginning.

 

[Forbin]

Damn psychic hippies.

 

[DonIago]

Well...I mean, yes, I think it's a major problem that they're all painted with the same brush.

In "Paragon of Animals" he gives Lyta grief for being the mundanes' lapdog, apparently never mind that in the process she was helping to save the galaxy. And while I think the command crew could have done better with her, I seriously doubt they ever considered her simply an asset to be used and tossed aside.

What we needed was a telepath who embraced neither the Byronic ideals nor the idiots who ended up taking hostages later.

 

[LJones41]

I'm not sure what JMS was aiming for with that, but I do think it's pretty unfortunate.

My only problem with the rogue telepaths in S5 was JMS's portrayal of them as "flower children". I thought that was a bit too much. Fortunately, their story arc got better by the middle of the season.

 

[Jan]

Three episodes into S5 and my new-to-the-series viewing partner has already commented on the homogenous appearance of the telepaths.

I'm not sure what JMS was aiming for with that, but I do think it's pretty unfortunate.

Differentiating from the super-clean-cut regular Corps, I'd imagine. Remember the propaganda vid?

On repeated viewings it only becomes more clear how much Byron is manipulating Lyta from the outset. While I do think he ultimately has or develops feelings for her, it definitely feels like he has ulterior motives at least at the beginning.

What ulterior motives could there have been in his manipulating a powerless blip? <curious>

 

[DonIago]

If the goal was differentiation, perhaps there could have been some room for a middle ground.

...are you suggesting Byron thought Lyta was a powerless blip? Why would he think that?

 

[Jan]

...are you suggesting Byron thought Lyta was a powerless blip? Why would he think that?

Why would he think she was anything other than a powerless (in the political sense and compared to his own P12) blip?

 

[DrCorby]

The family started a rewatch a little over a month ago. 3rd-4th time through for my wife & me (luckily, we caught B5 when it first premiered, just after we were married, plus various TNT/SciFi reruns, plus tapes & DVDs, since), but 1st time for our teenaged daughters. (Well, sort of. For various reasons, they hadn't watched much of B5 proper before, but they have large chunks of Crusade and Legend of the Rangers practically memorized. But they're not actually very "spoiled" on the events of B5 that weren't directly addressed in those series.) They are really getting into it, and we're flying through the boxed sets. Already about a third of of the way through season 3.

Watching it in concentrated doses, I'm really catching a lot more details and set-ups for coming events. It just hangs together so well. We're all enjoying it very much, and it's especially fun to watch as a family. I glanced over at my youngest daughter during the big Kosh reveal at the end of season 2, and saw the realization of what he is bloom on her face. Priceless. They're both taking to Ivanova's and Marcus' quips far too enthusiastically. Maybe I should worry...

My wife and I try not to spoil anything coming up, but we can't help but enthuse over upcoming key episodes.

Us: "Oooo, Sic Transit Vir is coming up!" "Yes!!" Nods and significant eye contact.
Daughters: "We really hate it when you do that."
Us (Kosh voice): "Good"

 

[The Nth Doctor]

For the first time since leaving Netflix in 2011, B5 will be available for free streaming on mobile devices starting tomorrow.

From Variety:

I just discovered this myself thanks to The A.V. Club. I haven't watched the show in years, but I figured I would pick a random episode to see how the service worked and it's pretty good.

Okay, I lied. I watched "Severed Dreams."

 

[DonIago]

Why would he think she was anything other than a powerless (in the political sense and compared to his own P12) blip?

I'm under the impression that other teeps were able to figure out that Lyta wasn't just a powerless blip without making much of an effort to do so, but I must admit I'm not exactly sure why I thought that.

But given Byron's goals, even a powerless blip would be potentially "useful" to his cause.

To be sure, I didn't especially mind his goals as long as he and the other teeps weren't going all Magneto about it.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I just discovered this myself thanks to The A.V. Club. I haven't watched the show in years, but I figured I would pick a random episode to see how the service worked and it's pretty good.

Okay, I lied. I watched "Severed Dreams."

Well, if you're going to pick a "random episode"...

Oh and I meant to say, The Box was on this week's NCIS. He played an Admiral who gets a bad case of ransom-ware.

 

[Forbin]

The only good thing about the Byron storyline, in combination with Claudia's unfortunate absence, was that it got Pat Tallman a lot of screen time. And some naked time. I love Pat.

Which reminds me of her comment about her nude scene. She asked jms, "Joe, why did you wait till I just had a baby and my boobs are huge to give me a nude scene?"

 

[DonIago]

I did like that it gave Lyta more to do...I just didn't like the character's arc. I'm not saying I don't understand it, just that I don't like it.

 

[Forbin]

It gave Pat problems too. She once said that the cast started treating her like Lyta off camera in season 5. Not speaking to her at meals, not inviting her to get-togethers... I believe she straightened them out soon enough.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The biggest problem with Byron and his telepaths was that they lived in the station sewers yet all had perfect hair.

 

[Gov Kodos]

The biggest problem with Byron and his telepaths was that they lived in the station sewers yet all had perfect hair.

They're the werewolves of Brown Sector.

 

[Jan]

The biggest problem with Byron and his telepaths was that they lived in the station sewers yet all had perfect hair.

I'm never sure where people get the impression the colony was supposed to be destitute. They were fairly poor, yes, but even in B5's time I doubt that interstellar travel is so cheap that beggers can hop a transport at will. There was never any indication that they couldn't afford soap and water. Or food. They had to live in the low-rent district but they lived communally by choice.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

I'm never sure where people get the impression the colony was supposed to be destitute. They were fairly poor, yes, but even in B5's time I doubt that interstellar travel is so cheap that beggers can hop a transport at will. There was never any indication that they couldn't afford soap and water. Or food. They had to live in the low-rent district but they lived communally by choice.

There was also the whole hiding out from the Psi-corps thing...

 

[Jan]

There was also the whole hiding out from the Psi-corps thing...

True. And another good reason to stay in an unobtrusive area of the station. But still nothing to say they didn't have access to shampoo.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

The biggest problem with Byron and his telepaths was that they lived in the station sewers yet all had perfect hair.

It's a psychic illusion they placed in everyone's minds, their actual appearance was unsightly so they thought they would illicit more sympathy if they were still beautiful