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So, this 'Babylon 5' thing better be good...

There's no mysterious tentacle behind President Clark, lol :D What episode would this have been in ? 2X2 "Revelations"?
Really? I'm sure I saw something. I think it was that episode, I'll have to get the DVD out later on and check
 
btw what happened to Na'Toth, maybe I missed something?
From what I understand, JMS didn't like the new actress in Season 2, so she stopped being around. However, Na'Toth does eventually pop up again.

I thought it was a more straightforward make-up allergy problem; the actress cast as G'Kar's original aide, Co-dath, quit after one episode because she couldn't stand the make-up; the actress originally cast as Na'Toth walked out on her first day in the make-up chair when she freaked out with claustrophobia; and then the actress who actually played Na'Toth said at the end of season one that she couldn't carry on under all that make-up.
So rather than recast again, Na'Toth was quietly forgotten... and there can't have been too much ill feeling, as the actress did get a guest role as a human mid-way through season two (but there was, reportedly, a falling out later on).
 
As I recall, the main Na'Toth actress left after S1 for better roles elsewhere, where her face would actually be visible ;), and they hired a new actress who decided to play the role "quiet" despite repeatedly being told otherwise (that she had to be a big presence to go toe-to-toe with G'Kar), so after a couple appearances they just dropped her. Later they'll say Na'Toth was on Narn when it went boom and is presumed dead.
 
Ok I checked the episode. It is 2.02 "Revelations" I was talking about, about 30 mins in. Actually I think it may just be a reflection of Sheridan's arm on the screen. It does look like there's something on Clark's left shoulder for a second though :)
 
As I recall, the main Na'Toth actress left after S1 for better roles elsewhere, where her face would actually be visible ;), and they hired a new actress who decided to play the role "quiet" despite repeatedly being told otherwise (that she had to be a big presence to go toe-to-toe with G'Kar), so after a couple appearances they just dropped her. Later they'll say Na'Toth was on Narn when it went boom and is presumed dead.

Major edit after prompting my 15 year old memories with a glance at wikipedia and lurkers' guide!

G'Kar's original aide was Ko'Dath, played by Mary Woronov, who was credited on the opening titles, but realized after one episode that she couldn't cope with the make-up for a full season.
Susan Kellerman was cast as the replacement character Na'toth, but didn't complete her first day on set due to problems with the make-up; Julie Caitlin Brown took over the role, but asked to leave after one season because of problems with the make-up, and difficulties in getting other acting roles (Na'Toth only appeared in six or so episodes a year, so she needed other work, but clips of her as Na'Toth didn't win over casting agents when going for non-make-up roles).
Mary Kay Adams was cast to take over the part of Na'Toth in season two, but chose to play it in a 'passive-aggressive' style that J Michael Straczynski disliked, so the character was faded out after a couple of episodes.
 
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Yeah, there was definitely the same Na'Toth for all of Season 1. The Season 2 Na'Toth was lame and went away as a result.
 
Ok I checked the episode. It is 2.02 "Revelations" I was talking about, about 30 mins in. Actually I think it may just be a reflection of Sheridan's arm on the screen. It does look like there's something on Clark's left shoulder for a second though :)

You know, that would be incredibly awesome if it were there and no one had noticed it in all this time. (It would fit pretty well with some later stuff.)
 
Yeah, go have a look yourselves, you call yourself fans! ;)


Just watched Point of No Return & Severed Dreams tonight. Excellent, excellent stuff, maybe the best episodes thus far.
Nice to see Zack Allan got his priorities right. The battle reminded me a bit of a cross between DS9: Way of the Warrior and BSG: Exodus pt.2 (with the ramming and all), and that's not a criticism or anything, just funny how a lot of stuff remind you of others things in SciFi (whether made after or before)
I'd guessed the Minbari would show up to save the day, but Delenn's arrival was still uber cool

And I guess this is why they change uniforms later on, I'd seen pictures of later episodes and wondered if it was just some costume change (ala the constant Starfleet changes, ala DS9)
 
Severed Dreams is almost universally regarded as one of the series' best episodes. Many, including myself, feel it is actually THE best episode. There are quite a few others that come close, imho.

I love the sleight of hand they pull on the viewer in Point of No Return. :lol:
 
I'd guessed the Minbari would show up to save the day, but Delenn's arrival was still uber cool
"Only one Human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else!"

God, that is so fracking awesome! :techman: :techman:
 
Heh. I don't think anything has ever invoked quite the same emotional response as the first time I heard it.

I was like crying and cheering at the same time--not to mention completely covered in goosebumps. :lol:
 
Oh man, you really have so much more awesome stuff to encounter. I can't wait to see what your reaction to the series finale will be!
 
May as well update this again, I just finished Season 4 last night.
So yeah, excellent show. The rest of Season 3 and early Season 4 was terrific, it's hard to pick out specfifc episodes as they've all blended together, but I thought the best stuff was all the Londo/G'Kar/Cartagia scenes on Narn.

After the Shadow War ended I felt the season kind of sagged a bit in the middle with a few duff, meandering episodes, but rapidly picked up by the end of Moments of Transition when the battle to reclaim Earth began.
Intersections in Real Time was a pretty outstanding episode, an excellent performance from Bruce Boxleitner, and I raced through the last few episodes, all gripping eps coming to a great climax in Endgame
The Deconstruction of Falling Stars was an odd but interesting episode. I liked the ending of how humans eventually become like the Vorlons, but some of the other parts were kinda depressing with what happens to Humanity.

So I'll watch In The Beginning probably tomorrow, looking forward to that. Then onto Season 5, and I can see what all the fuss is about :)
 
I didn't really like "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" the first time I saw it, but I liked it a lot more when I rewatched it. Probably just because it was such an odd episode that I wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
 
Just watched In The Beginning, hmm, it was good but I'm just left feeling who exactly is more retarded- the Humans or the Minbari?

So the Minbari have been around for a long time, they're an old race, and they've come up with brilliant idea of greeting new races with their gunports open and weapons locked on them. Yes because I imagine that always ends well.
That's like the real life equivalent being you greeting new people you meet with a double barrelled shotgun pointed right in their face. Genius.
Do that enough times and what do they think is gonna happen?

Then you have the humans, notably the human captain of the ship making First Contact. You know absolutely nothing about this new species, yes they've got their weapons out but you were bloody spying on them. And it's fucking simple- DO NOT FIRE UNLESS FIRED UPON! Jesus, where did they find that guy?
 
The novelization at least went into the fact that the EF captain was a political appointe with a lot of clout who was a redneck racist asshole, so he was acting in character when he went off his nut alas.
 
Well, I've been thinking about Netflixing B5 from the start, but never got around to doing it. I never watched the show when it was on.

I found seasons 1&2 on Hulu and I'm trying to race through season 1. I'm watching selected S1 episodes, Midnight on the Firing Line, Mind War, Signs and Portents, A Voice in the Wilderness and Babylon Squared.

I'm just too lazy to watch all of Season 1 before things start to take off and get good. :lol:


ETA: And I got the viewing guide from the Lurker's Guide. :techman:
 
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I'm just too lazy to watch all of Season 1 before things start to take off and get good. :lol:

Then you're cheating yourself out of a large part of what makes it so good.

B5 isn't just about the wars and explosions, it's about being able to see the process of how things happen. In the first season or so you start to hear about the things going on back on earth and about this danger approaching from the Rim until those things build up to being threats and end up causing conflict.

B5 is a show that rewards paying close attention from the beginning so I'm afraid you'll probably see a good show but you'll probably end up wondering why so many of us think so highly of it.

Jan
 
Nah, don't worry about the season one episodes you're missing. If you like the series enough when it is in full form, you'll enjoy those episodes more when you watch things a second time around. The series really does award full attention, but it also can be pretty painful in the beginning, so it's best to approach the first season on your own terms.
 
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