It could also be chalked up to Richard Compton's poor editorial choices as well.
Watching Babylon 5 for the first time... *Spoilers, duh*
- Thread starter Quinton O'Connor
- Start date
It could also be chalked up to Richard Compton's poor editorial choices as well.
Heads up, greens and purples -- I watched four episodes earlier. Reviews incoming as soon as I make the time to write them.
You see, you see, what happened was, what happened was, I watched the one episode and someone showed up, so I kept watching 'til the next, then a city exploded, so I kept watching 'til the next, and...
You see, you see, what happened was, what happened was, I watched the one episode and someone showed up, so I kept watching 'til the next, then a city exploded, so I kept watching 'til the next, and...
Yeah... pretty much.
Remember what I said about four episodes? Make that five. So here goes nothing... *cracks knuckles*
"Shadow Dancing"
J. Michael Straczynski seems a master of understanding when it comes to a very simple rule that I and many I'm friends with agree upon -- explosion after explosion without some semblance of the 'human element' attached to them is a waste of time. And I have to think this was going through his head when he penned "Shadow Dancing", because while the cinematography to the big, sweeping battle scene was appropriately epic, and while the stakes behind said big, sweeping battle scene were appropriately high, it was the inclusion of the bleeding, suffering Stephen Franklin that really sold this hour for me.
For every Shadow ship destroyed, two vessels belonging to the so-called Army of Light were crushed 'neath their spidery heels, eh? Talk about pyrrhic victories. Still, it was a riveting fight with a rather interesting take on viewscreens. I was happy to see the iconic leaders of our side uniting to do some real damage.
But man, as I've expressed in the past, Franklin is another of my favorite characters and seeing him in that state just burned. I like how the guy he saved ran off out of fright, even if by extension it means I want to punch him in the face a little bit. Okay, a lot. Still, I like it because it's so damn realistic. Not everyone out there has the courage to risk turning themselves into the law, even if a man is dying before them. It's a painful truth but it's the truth.
Franklin's finding of himself in such a literal way reminded me of Battlestar Galactica's 'head' characters and for a brief flash in time I felt dread. (I liked them in that show but I'd hate to see them here.) Then I realized just as the jaded doctor pointed out, he was hallucinating. I'm a big fan of how this whole thread turned out, and in some ways it overshadowed (alright, I'm sorry) the conflict in space. I also felt it quite strange and more than just a tad disquieting to recall as Franklin spoke of finding life and wanting to live that his actor has been dead for several years. On the one, obvious hand, death is lying in wait for all of us. Yet on another, less wise gut reaction of a hand, I wanted to reach through the screen and comfort a person whose death would not be long off.
I know, it's a terrible, 'unspeakable' thing to bring up and I apologize. But it happened to me and I felt bad about something beyond my control and I just thought I'd bring it up. Heh.
Now, how 'bout that last scene? Apart from a joke I could be making about how Delenn should have used her vision of the future to save Sheridan's poor snowglobe, I'm still pretty blown away. Hello, Anna.
"Zha'dum"
I can't help but notice over there in the Hurt/Heal thread that this episode, alongside "Severed Dreams", has maintained a thin lead over the competition for a long time. I can certainly see why, and I definitely loved it, but let me preface by stating that it is not a new level of unbeatable in my book. So if you're keeping score at home, I still think "Severed" is better -- this was a slower build-up of an hour than I'd anticipated and it was really only during the back half that I was floored.
That said, I reiterate that I loved this episode.
Okay, so is the Shadows' true name actually ten thousand letters long? I can't tell if Anna was exaggerating. I think more than anything else in "Zha'dum", this frightens me to the core. Any race of beings capable of taking the time to speak such an impossibly long word and still make time to kill you is worthy of our fear.
Boy, does "Zha'dum" explain a lot of things that have been on the tip of my mind, though. One such instance would have to be the large number of telepaths walking about in the 23rd Century. Now, I would have been willing to accept that as soon as they were brought to the official forefront of society they'd start cropping up more often, but still, it always felt like there were too many of them running around. That the Vorlons might be responsible for this is something I'm totally willing to get behind and makes the already-grey race all the darker.
The arrival of 'Justin' to explain things sort of smacked me in the face as one of the few times a reminder of the show's relatively low budget actually bothered me, though. I do find it fitting that the Shadows would use a human face to approach Sheridan upon his arrival but there's something about the whole thing that bothered me a bit. Here's this plaid-wearing man in a set from Murder, She Wrote offering tea after for over a year I've waited to see the alien depths of the one and only Zha'dum; it's a minor quibble but a quibble nonetheless.
The emotional heart of this story is just as poignant as any series-spanning explanation, though, as although I always find news to point out how not romantic I am, I'm still a fairly devoted Sheridan/Delenn enthusiast. There's something altogether captivating about the great irony behind them; that he should be known as [Luke] Starkiller, murdering all those Minbari, and that he should fall for one. Er, half of one. Er, whatever. So seeing the cookie crumble between them hurt, and I wanted to throw Anna Sheridan out an airlock for deluding Sheridan until the game played out and I realized he was using her, knowledgeable that she wasn't truly the woman from his past.
Oh, hi, Morden. Bye, Garibaldi. Boom, Sheridan. Nuke 'em all! Send 'em back to the stone age like them-there Centauri! This time I can pretty much get behind it!
A real wringer of a second half, although I'd be tempted to reduce half a star (if I were ranking episodes, that is) for the stock scream Anna Sheridan totally didn't make that came from out of nowhere and didn't sound like her at all when the ship hurled through the glass.
I hope John comes back in a white robe. Those Babylonian hobbits are going to need all the help they can get since the fellowship is failing.
I'm going to go ahead and hit submit now, since otherwise this post will grow excruciatingly long.
Remember what I said about four episodes? Make that five. So here goes nothing... *cracks knuckles*
"Shadow Dancing"
J. Michael Straczynski seems a master of understanding when it comes to a very simple rule that I and many I'm friends with agree upon -- explosion after explosion without some semblance of the 'human element' attached to them is a waste of time. And I have to think this was going through his head when he penned "Shadow Dancing", because while the cinematography to the big, sweeping battle scene was appropriately epic, and while the stakes behind said big, sweeping battle scene were appropriately high, it was the inclusion of the bleeding, suffering Stephen Franklin that really sold this hour for me.
For every Shadow ship destroyed, two vessels belonging to the so-called Army of Light were crushed 'neath their spidery heels, eh? Talk about pyrrhic victories. Still, it was a riveting fight with a rather interesting take on viewscreens. I was happy to see the iconic leaders of our side uniting to do some real damage.
But man, as I've expressed in the past, Franklin is another of my favorite characters and seeing him in that state just burned. I like how the guy he saved ran off out of fright, even if by extension it means I want to punch him in the face a little bit. Okay, a lot. Still, I like it because it's so damn realistic. Not everyone out there has the courage to risk turning themselves into the law, even if a man is dying before them. It's a painful truth but it's the truth.
Franklin's finding of himself in such a literal way reminded me of Battlestar Galactica's 'head' characters and for a brief flash in time I felt dread. (I liked them in that show but I'd hate to see them here.) Then I realized just as the jaded doctor pointed out, he was hallucinating. I'm a big fan of how this whole thread turned out, and in some ways it overshadowed (alright, I'm sorry) the conflict in space. I also felt it quite strange and more than just a tad disquieting to recall as Franklin spoke of finding life and wanting to live that his actor has been dead for several years. On the one, obvious hand, death is lying in wait for all of us. Yet on another, less wise gut reaction of a hand, I wanted to reach through the screen and comfort a person whose death would not be long off.
I know, it's a terrible, 'unspeakable' thing to bring up and I apologize. But it happened to me and I felt bad about something beyond my control and I just thought I'd bring it up. Heh.
Now, how 'bout that last scene? Apart from a joke I could be making about how Delenn should have used her vision of the future to save Sheridan's poor snowglobe, I'm still pretty blown away. Hello, Anna.
"Zha'dum"
I can't help but notice over there in the Hurt/Heal thread that this episode, alongside "Severed Dreams", has maintained a thin lead over the competition for a long time. I can certainly see why, and I definitely loved it, but let me preface by stating that it is not a new level of unbeatable in my book. So if you're keeping score at home, I still think "Severed" is better -- this was a slower build-up of an hour than I'd anticipated and it was really only during the back half that I was floored.
That said, I reiterate that I loved this episode.
Okay, so is the Shadows' true name actually ten thousand letters long? I can't tell if Anna was exaggerating. I think more than anything else in "Zha'dum", this frightens me to the core. Any race of beings capable of taking the time to speak such an impossibly long word and still make time to kill you is worthy of our fear.
Boy, does "Zha'dum" explain a lot of things that have been on the tip of my mind, though. One such instance would have to be the large number of telepaths walking about in the 23rd Century. Now, I would have been willing to accept that as soon as they were brought to the official forefront of society they'd start cropping up more often, but still, it always felt like there were too many of them running around. That the Vorlons might be responsible for this is something I'm totally willing to get behind and makes the already-grey race all the darker.
The arrival of 'Justin' to explain things sort of smacked me in the face as one of the few times a reminder of the show's relatively low budget actually bothered me, though. I do find it fitting that the Shadows would use a human face to approach Sheridan upon his arrival but there's something about the whole thing that bothered me a bit. Here's this plaid-wearing man in a set from Murder, She Wrote offering tea after for over a year I've waited to see the alien depths of the one and only Zha'dum; it's a minor quibble but a quibble nonetheless.
The emotional heart of this story is just as poignant as any series-spanning explanation, though, as although I always find news to point out how not romantic I am, I'm still a fairly devoted Sheridan/Delenn enthusiast. There's something altogether captivating about the great irony behind them; that he should be known as [Luke] Starkiller, murdering all those Minbari, and that he should fall for one. Er, half of one. Er, whatever. So seeing the cookie crumble between them hurt, and I wanted to throw Anna Sheridan out an airlock for deluding Sheridan until the game played out and I realized he was using her, knowledgeable that she wasn't truly the woman from his past.
Oh, hi, Morden. Bye, Garibaldi. Boom, Sheridan. Nuke 'em all! Send 'em back to the stone age like them-there Centauri! This time I can pretty much get behind it!
A real wringer of a second half, although I'd be tempted to reduce half a star (if I were ranking episodes, that is) for the stock scream Anna Sheridan totally didn't make that came from out of nowhere and didn't sound like her at all when the ship hurled through the glass.
I hope John comes back in a white robe. Those Babylonian hobbits are going to need all the help they can get since the fellowship is failing.
I'm going to go ahead and hit submit now, since otherwise this post will grow excruciatingly long.
[Majel Roddenberry voice]
Previously, on Babylon 5...
Explosions! Blood! Interpersonal angst! More explosions! More blood! Tea with Justin! Even more explosions! Garibaldi's Excellent Adventure! Jump, now! Weird stock screaming!
And now for the continuation.
[/Majel Roddenberry voice]
"The Hour of the Wolf"
Is that what the period of time between three and four in the morning is called? Really? I'm just a little surprised it's so goddamn epic considering I'm awake during that time somewhat often. Man, I need to start celebrating. "Make a note in your cell phone, Jeff! It's the HOUR OF THE WOLF soon! Make sure you set an alarm so you don't miss it! It's gonna be great!"
Or not, in Ivanova's case. Have I mentioned how much I like Ivanova lately? I don't think I've had the opportunity to, so allow me a moment's excursion. I like Ivanova a lot, just as I like several other characters a lot, but she's still near the top of my list. Seeing her like that, vodka story et al, really saddens the ol' heart.
I half-expected her to make a pass at Lyta, all things considered.
No, I didn't steal that from TheGodBen. I thought it before reading his review, fair and square! Great minds and all!
By the way, quick word on the new credits: I love them. I think they're just as good as season three's and it's nice to hear the original theme playing again. I could do without all the action shots to the left of the faces for many of the characters, but it was the nineties, what can you do?
I'm digging all this dirt on the Shadows and Vorlons. I like hearing the whole story, even if I'd be infinitely more tempted to side with the latter over the whole thing. Playing god like this just rubs me the wrong way in general, though, and if I were offered a deal from both sides I'd decline both times and kick every one of them off my turf. I can see where they're coming from but the younger races should be given the chance to go it alone. Every one of the major races has been seen in favorable lights, less than favorable lights and in-between already, and I think that's a very basic truth to the show's galaxy and likely our own. There's always good, there's always bad, and it should be allowed to run its course.
Man, Cartagia's nuts. He's like late-DS9 Dukat but nuts. He's like Id from Xenogears but nuts. He's like almond joy but he feels like a nut. Best of all, I remember him vaguely from when my grandmother watched the series; he's one of those things that left quite an impression with my young and fragile mind. So it's the completion of another aspect of the series I've been waiting for all this time -- 'when does that batshit insane guy show up, anyway?'
Vir had liposuction over the past week, too. I applaud the effort to keep oneself healthy but that's not the right way to go about it, Vir, especially not at a time like this. I mean, if it were a case of the actor shedding all the pounds during the show's hiatus I'd be happy for him, but we all know only a week has passed since 3x22 so I'm going to go with that and insist he had lipo. And that's just very selfish with everything that's happening lately, and I'm disappointed.
Sheridan's still out there, which doesn't surprise me much since I know he's a regular for several seasons; all the girls got together -- Ivanova, Delenn, Lyta and even Lennier -- to look for him but failed because Sauron finally revealed his smug smirk, G'Kar has found a new deity worthy of song and syndication and Zack finally looks in the credits as he actually appears on the show. All in all, a thrilling hour.
"Whatever Happened To Mr. Garibaldi?"
That's a sound question but let me ask you this -- why is this episode not knocking out the opposition left and right in the Hurt/Heal thread? What's the matter with some people? Whatever happened to decency, to civility? I happened to think this episode was so good it almost replaced "Severed Dreams" as my favorite, popular opinion be damned! Whatever happened to truth and justice!?
This wasn't just a good episode. This was a super-duper episode. This had 'send this in during sweeps month' written all over it. What the hell is not to like? Let's go over the highlights, shall we?
Marcus saving G'Kar, chiding him for 'pikal envy' and watching G'Kar get too pikally excited and prematurely fire, and no, there's not a drop of smut to be found in all this;
And Emperor Cartagia being crazy, 'obtaining' G'Kar for Londo in such a giddy manner;
Jovial Virini suggesting his head would be taken off at the slightest mistake and Londo living a life of madness;
On Zha'dum, Sheridan taking Dagobah lessons from the tick-tockingly intriguing Lorien;
Right back to Centauri Prime, Londo's unforgettable speech to G'Kar concerning what will be done to him, a deal then brokered between the two and G'Kar seeing the 'light';
Whatever did happen to Mr. Garibaldi, anyway? Fat chance we'll find out now, but fantastic cross-shot directing as the camera jumps about during his perilous cries, and is that a Psi Corps soldier before him?
If there were any further doubt this episode is fantastic, look no further than the scene in which Delenn begins to come to terms with the 'death' of her love; major win goes to Mira Furlan for her portrayal;
Not to forget a moment I almost stood and cheered, when the grieving woman takes her pain and shoves it, opting to fly as she prepares the Rangers for their assault.
I liked this episode.
"The Summoning"
"Lady Yuna!" Sorry, wrong summoning.
Wow, a lot is going on right now. For all the talk of 'lately' and 'the way things have been going around here lately' throughout the third season, I'm really feeling the beat now. The pacing here in "The Summoning" is nail-bitingly good, the product of a show seasoned in its stature and comfortable with its premise.
If even half of season four is this good, season three might have to run for its money to keep up. And since season three already happened, well, barring another episode of Sinclair's Intervention airing on Discovery Health, I just don't see it happening.
I'm really starting to feel bad for Lyta. Her previous boss was a hell of a lot nicer. This guy is just a dick. There, I said it. He's a dick. That's all he is to me right now. He's so immeasurably rude, even by Vorlon standards. That is to say, he's probably the same as most Vorlons but since Kosh is the only real comparison here, I'm sticking with what I said even though I'm probably wrong. I can't imagine Pat Tallman's husband being cooped up inside the suit makes it any more comfortable for the woman to get treated like garbage all the time in these scenes.
I mean, at least let her keep a book or something.
Perhaps the most memorable scene in "The Summoning" is the one in which Londo and Vir are, er, summoned to Cartagia's playhouse to watch G'Kar forced to swallow his pride on, Jesus Mercy, the thirty-ninth of forty possible lashes from that pain device. My heart goes out to G'Kar like it rarely does for fictional characters, to extents I have not experienced often. Almost equally, as a guy who's acted a little here and there, my envy goes out to the late, great Andreas Katsulas for being given the opportunity to play such a timeless role.
Marcus is a virgin, huh? Somehow I'm both not at all surprised and at the same time totally shocked. He's so dashing, he's so charming, he's got a pike for every occasion and a long, well-used one at that -- really, there's no smut to be found here, move along -- but he's so devoted to a cause and it seems so like him to be waiting for the right woman.
Wake the hell up, Susan, this guy is good for you. Oh, well, I mean, wake the hell up after you're done foaming at the mouth over the -- dear god, look at the size of that ship.
Loved seeing the Drazi dissenter uprooted from his throne and the looks on everyone's faces when he returned, especially Delenn's. "I'm sorry, I... thought you were dead..." "I was. I'm better now." Classic.
In all this talk of Lyta in distress, Delenn's plans in crisis, Sheridan's triumphant return, the pure 'OMG' moment of the Vorlon fleet moving with the apparent help of Governor Tarkin at their disposal... there's a lack of momentum behind Garibaldi's return by comparison, and that's a bit of a shame, but I've learned to trust Babylon 5 to reveal its secrets at the best possible time. And it was nice to see Zack get out for a change, too.
Previously, on Babylon 5...
Explosions! Blood! Interpersonal angst! More explosions! More blood! Tea with Justin! Even more explosions! Garibaldi's Excellent Adventure! Jump, now! Weird stock screaming!
And now for the continuation.
[/Majel Roddenberry voice]
"The Hour of the Wolf"
Is that what the period of time between three and four in the morning is called? Really? I'm just a little surprised it's so goddamn epic considering I'm awake during that time somewhat often. Man, I need to start celebrating. "Make a note in your cell phone, Jeff! It's the HOUR OF THE WOLF soon! Make sure you set an alarm so you don't miss it! It's gonna be great!"
Or not, in Ivanova's case. Have I mentioned how much I like Ivanova lately? I don't think I've had the opportunity to, so allow me a moment's excursion. I like Ivanova a lot, just as I like several other characters a lot, but she's still near the top of my list. Seeing her like that, vodka story et al, really saddens the ol' heart.
I half-expected her to make a pass at Lyta, all things considered.
No, I didn't steal that from TheGodBen. I thought it before reading his review, fair and square! Great minds and all!
By the way, quick word on the new credits: I love them. I think they're just as good as season three's and it's nice to hear the original theme playing again. I could do without all the action shots to the left of the faces for many of the characters, but it was the nineties, what can you do?
I'm digging all this dirt on the Shadows and Vorlons. I like hearing the whole story, even if I'd be infinitely more tempted to side with the latter over the whole thing. Playing god like this just rubs me the wrong way in general, though, and if I were offered a deal from both sides I'd decline both times and kick every one of them off my turf. I can see where they're coming from but the younger races should be given the chance to go it alone. Every one of the major races has been seen in favorable lights, less than favorable lights and in-between already, and I think that's a very basic truth to the show's galaxy and likely our own. There's always good, there's always bad, and it should be allowed to run its course.
Man, Cartagia's nuts. He's like late-DS9 Dukat but nuts. He's like Id from Xenogears but nuts. He's like almond joy but he feels like a nut. Best of all, I remember him vaguely from when my grandmother watched the series; he's one of those things that left quite an impression with my young and fragile mind. So it's the completion of another aspect of the series I've been waiting for all this time -- 'when does that batshit insane guy show up, anyway?'
Vir had liposuction over the past week, too. I applaud the effort to keep oneself healthy but that's not the right way to go about it, Vir, especially not at a time like this. I mean, if it were a case of the actor shedding all the pounds during the show's hiatus I'd be happy for him, but we all know only a week has passed since 3x22 so I'm going to go with that and insist he had lipo. And that's just very selfish with everything that's happening lately, and I'm disappointed.
Sheridan's still out there, which doesn't surprise me much since I know he's a regular for several seasons; all the girls got together -- Ivanova, Delenn, Lyta and even Lennier -- to look for him but failed because Sauron finally revealed his smug smirk, G'Kar has found a new deity worthy of song and syndication and Zack finally looks in the credits as he actually appears on the show. All in all, a thrilling hour.
"Whatever Happened To Mr. Garibaldi?"
That's a sound question but let me ask you this -- why is this episode not knocking out the opposition left and right in the Hurt/Heal thread? What's the matter with some people? Whatever happened to decency, to civility? I happened to think this episode was so good it almost replaced "Severed Dreams" as my favorite, popular opinion be damned! Whatever happened to truth and justice!?
This wasn't just a good episode. This was a super-duper episode. This had 'send this in during sweeps month' written all over it. What the hell is not to like? Let's go over the highlights, shall we?
Marcus saving G'Kar, chiding him for 'pikal envy' and watching G'Kar get too pikally excited and prematurely fire, and no, there's not a drop of smut to be found in all this;
And Emperor Cartagia being crazy, 'obtaining' G'Kar for Londo in such a giddy manner;
Jovial Virini suggesting his head would be taken off at the slightest mistake and Londo living a life of madness;
On Zha'dum, Sheridan taking Dagobah lessons from the tick-tockingly intriguing Lorien;
Right back to Centauri Prime, Londo's unforgettable speech to G'Kar concerning what will be done to him, a deal then brokered between the two and G'Kar seeing the 'light';
Whatever did happen to Mr. Garibaldi, anyway? Fat chance we'll find out now, but fantastic cross-shot directing as the camera jumps about during his perilous cries, and is that a Psi Corps soldier before him?
If there were any further doubt this episode is fantastic, look no further than the scene in which Delenn begins to come to terms with the 'death' of her love; major win goes to Mira Furlan for her portrayal;
Not to forget a moment I almost stood and cheered, when the grieving woman takes her pain and shoves it, opting to fly as she prepares the Rangers for their assault.
I liked this episode.
"The Summoning"
"Lady Yuna!" Sorry, wrong summoning.
Wow, a lot is going on right now. For all the talk of 'lately' and 'the way things have been going around here lately' throughout the third season, I'm really feeling the beat now. The pacing here in "The Summoning" is nail-bitingly good, the product of a show seasoned in its stature and comfortable with its premise.
If even half of season four is this good, season three might have to run for its money to keep up. And since season three already happened, well, barring another episode of Sinclair's Intervention airing on Discovery Health, I just don't see it happening.
I'm really starting to feel bad for Lyta. Her previous boss was a hell of a lot nicer. This guy is just a dick. There, I said it. He's a dick. That's all he is to me right now. He's so immeasurably rude, even by Vorlon standards. That is to say, he's probably the same as most Vorlons but since Kosh is the only real comparison here, I'm sticking with what I said even though I'm probably wrong. I can't imagine Pat Tallman's husband being cooped up inside the suit makes it any more comfortable for the woman to get treated like garbage all the time in these scenes.
I mean, at least let her keep a book or something.
Perhaps the most memorable scene in "The Summoning" is the one in which Londo and Vir are, er, summoned to Cartagia's playhouse to watch G'Kar forced to swallow his pride on, Jesus Mercy, the thirty-ninth of forty possible lashes from that pain device. My heart goes out to G'Kar like it rarely does for fictional characters, to extents I have not experienced often. Almost equally, as a guy who's acted a little here and there, my envy goes out to the late, great Andreas Katsulas for being given the opportunity to play such a timeless role.
Marcus is a virgin, huh? Somehow I'm both not at all surprised and at the same time totally shocked. He's so dashing, he's so charming, he's got a pike for every occasion and a long, well-used one at that -- really, there's no smut to be found here, move along -- but he's so devoted to a cause and it seems so like him to be waiting for the right woman.
Wake the hell up, Susan, this guy is good for you. Oh, well, I mean, wake the hell up after you're done foaming at the mouth over the -- dear god, look at the size of that ship.
Loved seeing the Drazi dissenter uprooted from his throne and the looks on everyone's faces when he returned, especially Delenn's. "I'm sorry, I... thought you were dead..." "I was. I'm better now." Classic.
In all this talk of Lyta in distress, Delenn's plans in crisis, Sheridan's triumphant return, the pure 'OMG' moment of the Vorlon fleet moving with the apparent help of Governor Tarkin at their disposal... there's a lack of momentum behind Garibaldi's return by comparison, and that's a bit of a shame, but I've learned to trust Babylon 5 to reveal its secrets at the best possible time. And it was nice to see Zack get out for a change, too.
I wish I'd moved beyond elementary school when "Zha'dum" originally aired so I could have dropped my jaw, too, but man, I'm right there with you now.
Yeah, I was... yeah.
As someone who started the show in mid-S4 and was spoiled on everything before hand, "Z'ha'dum" is not an amazing episode for me, because it's just a bunch of exposition I already knew before hand. No shocking revelations for me, unfortunately.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING!!!
The Summoning - one of my favourite ever lines from the show....
And I adore the final scene of Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi? - the music is just beautiful.
Oh yeah, it really was.
As someone who started the show in mid-S4 and was spoiled on everything before hand, "Z'ha'dum" is not an amazing episode for me, because it's just a bunch of exposition I already knew before hand. No shocking revelations for me, unfortunately.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING!!!
I know. I saw you in there, fighting the good fight. Well let me state that henceforth, until the fall of night, you have my allegiance in saving the episode.
Which means, like, until later today, probably.
I'm a little bit drunk at the moment so hopefully I don't screw up too many things. Words. Whatever.
Hell, bad vodka will sadden anyone's heart!
Now that gives me some ideas!
Well, these days you get only a 30 second shot of the main title and that's it. I'm not sure which one is better.
It's not so black and white, is it? And it's all good!
Once again IIRC I found Lorien to be a very... um... warm character. Just like Yoda.
I'm thinking Kosh was propably just too attached to the young ones and way too humane for the lack of a better word. This is what the Vorlons truly are.
About Sheridan... I guess I can quote the terrorist from Team America: "I like you. You have balls. I like balls."
Hell, bad vodka will sadden anyone's heart!
Now that gives me some ideas!
Well, these days you get only a 30 second shot of the main title and that's it. I'm not sure which one is better.
It's not so black and white, is it? And it's all good!
Once again IIRC I found Lorien to be a very... um... warm character. Just like Yoda.
I'm thinking Kosh was propably just too attached to the young ones and way too humane for the lack of a better word. This is what the Vorlons truly are.
About Sheridan... I guess I can quote the terrorist from Team America: "I like you. You have balls. I like balls."
Worry not, Aeon, I got the gist of everything! Every thing! Every word! Whatever.
I think you're right about Kosh. When he first stepped foot on Babylon 5 I never would have imagined my saying this, but he's definitely the warmth his race could use more of, isn't he?
I think you're right about Kosh. When he first stepped foot on Babylon 5 I never would have imagined my saying this, but he's definitely the warmth his race could use more of, isn't he?
I can't nor won't argue with that. Also the cue that plays when Sheridan is on the ledge and Anna is closing in on him... pure awesomeness!
Well, my wording suggests an absolution I didn't mean to imply. What I meant to imply was doubt based on the way it sounded, although deep down inside, I'll always know it's the actress.
It's just the implementation of it. It sounds more like something out of one of my PlayStation-era Japanese roleplaying games than an actual scream. I would have preferred it weren't fiddled-around with. It was, wasn't it? It sounds like they did something post-production that just makes it rather corny.
Yeah, it's not something I felt entirely comfortable even typing up, but I felt it needed to be said...
Good! Though I rarely make typos when I'm drunk. Some stubborn finnish gene in my body I suppose.
But yeah, Kosh was much more warmer and caring than Ulkesh. I guess you could say that he was like Obi-Wan.
I think I counted a grand total of one typo in your post, though there may have been a few more. I'm usually really good about spotting them. I'm also damned good at avoiding them while drunk, myself. Some stubborn Irish gene, I suppose!
Speaking of Ulkesh... I just watched "Falling Toward Apotheosis".
But you don't get another review yet because I have a busy day ahead of me and I can make the time for one more episode if I scramble... and scramble I will, because things are getting mighty heavy!
It's just the implementation of it. It sounds more like something out of one of my PlayStation-era Japanese roleplaying games than an actual scream. I would have preferred it weren't fiddled-around with. It was, wasn't it? It sounds like they did something post-production that just makes it rather corny.
It's been a while since I watched it but you may be right. My memory tells me that there may be a slight echo of the 'shadow ship scream' (for lack of a better term) added to it. Or it could be the music. JMS often played with the music to make it enhance what was being seen or heard.
Jan
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