Babylon 5 - Impressions
Jan. 14th, 2007 07:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thalia_seawoodAm still enthusiastically watching Babylon 5 and am now up to season 4, episode 11.
My husband has also been infected by the Babylon 5 virus and has watched (nearly) all episodes with me since the middle of season 3. He's usually not the type of person to be overly sympathetic to characters who make major mistakes - he insists on calling Anakin "Little Darth" :-) - so it's a major credit to the show that not once has he said anything bad about Londo. In fact, I get the feeling that he really likes this character, although his favorite is Delenn.
For me the highlights of the show are any scenes with Londo, G'Kar and Vir. I specifically love the interaction between Londo & G'Kar and Londo & Vir. Their scenes are absolutely outstanding!
I'm convinced that Londo strongly identifies with Vir: He seems to see in him an uncorrupted version of himself and as such wants to protect his innocence.
Vir slowly growing up is fascinating to observe. E.g. when Londo calls him his friend, you can see that this does wonder to his self-esteem. This is one of few scenes where Vir suddenly stands up straight - and you realise that he's actually taller than Londo.
G'Kar gets a lot of Jesus imagery in his story arch: Cartagia (apparently modelled on the Roman emperors Nero and Caligula) washes his hands, there are the 40 lashes and a scene where G'Kar is ridiculed. And of course his chains are strongly reminiscent of the cross.
Anna Sheridan: I'm happy to see that she did appear again on the show. I have to admit though that I was a bit disappointed by how this plot point was resolved. I just would have found it way more fascinating if the Shadows had had better reasons for their actions (genocide for evolutionary purposes doesn't cut it for me at all) and that Anna had joined them of her own free will.
Mr Morden: By the end, I felt sorry for him. It seems that the Shadows brainwashed a few selected humans. Since it's mentioned that Anna resisted their influence strongly at first, it seems that the Shadows picked the most strong-minded and ethical people to be their brainwashed spokespersons. So it's entirely possible that Morden used to be a decent human being once that simply became a vessel for the Shadows. So I was sorry for what the Shadows did to him.
Sheridan coming back from the dead: Hmmmmm. On the one hand, I'm glad to have him back. On the other hand, I felt that the price he paid is a bit on the cheap side. Yes, apparently he has only 20 more years to live, but then knowing that you do have 20 years ahead of you is a big gift.
Overall, I thought the introduction of Lorien a bit too much of a deus-ex-machina plot resolution.
What does get my interest, however, is the question: When Sheridan traveled 17 years to the future, did he see a future where he went to Z'ha'dum or a future where he didn't go?
Right now, it seems as if Sheridan is set analog to the Messiah - at least by his followers - whereas Garibaldi gets to play the part of Judas. Not that Garibaldi really is himself at this point. There are strong hints that he was brainwashed by the Psycorps and that Bester knows about it all or is even behind it.
Sinclair and Valen: Brilliant idea! I had strong suspicions as soon as Sinclair received a 900 year letters addressed to himself and I love turning out right. :-))
Delenn: The scenes during the Dreaming are very intense and her pain and rage after Dukhat's death are very powerfully portrayed. Having her responsible for the Earth-Minbari war actually gives her stronger parallels to Londo. They both have a lot of blood on their hands. The big difference is, of course, that Londo chose his actions in cold blood - well, until the death of Adira. Still it's fascinating that in the world of Babylon 5, the lines between black and white are never clearly drawn.
My husband has also been infected by the Babylon 5 virus and has watched (nearly) all episodes with me since the middle of season 3. He's usually not the type of person to be overly sympathetic to characters who make major mistakes - he insists on calling Anakin "Little Darth" :-) - so it's a major credit to the show that not once has he said anything bad about Londo. In fact, I get the feeling that he really likes this character, although his favorite is Delenn.
For me the highlights of the show are any scenes with Londo, G'Kar and Vir. I specifically love the interaction between Londo & G'Kar and Londo & Vir. Their scenes are absolutely outstanding!
I'm convinced that Londo strongly identifies with Vir: He seems to see in him an uncorrupted version of himself and as such wants to protect his innocence.
Vir slowly growing up is fascinating to observe. E.g. when Londo calls him his friend, you can see that this does wonder to his self-esteem. This is one of few scenes where Vir suddenly stands up straight - and you realise that he's actually taller than Londo.
G'Kar gets a lot of Jesus imagery in his story arch: Cartagia (apparently modelled on the Roman emperors Nero and Caligula) washes his hands, there are the 40 lashes and a scene where G'Kar is ridiculed. And of course his chains are strongly reminiscent of the cross.
Anna Sheridan: I'm happy to see that she did appear again on the show. I have to admit though that I was a bit disappointed by how this plot point was resolved. I just would have found it way more fascinating if the Shadows had had better reasons for their actions (genocide for evolutionary purposes doesn't cut it for me at all) and that Anna had joined them of her own free will.
Mr Morden: By the end, I felt sorry for him. It seems that the Shadows brainwashed a few selected humans. Since it's mentioned that Anna resisted their influence strongly at first, it seems that the Shadows picked the most strong-minded and ethical people to be their brainwashed spokespersons. So it's entirely possible that Morden used to be a decent human being once that simply became a vessel for the Shadows. So I was sorry for what the Shadows did to him.
Sheridan coming back from the dead: Hmmmmm. On the one hand, I'm glad to have him back. On the other hand, I felt that the price he paid is a bit on the cheap side. Yes, apparently he has only 20 more years to live, but then knowing that you do have 20 years ahead of you is a big gift.
Overall, I thought the introduction of Lorien a bit too much of a deus-ex-machina plot resolution.
What does get my interest, however, is the question: When Sheridan traveled 17 years to the future, did he see a future where he went to Z'ha'dum or a future where he didn't go?
Right now, it seems as if Sheridan is set analog to the Messiah - at least by his followers - whereas Garibaldi gets to play the part of Judas. Not that Garibaldi really is himself at this point. There are strong hints that he was brainwashed by the Psycorps and that Bester knows about it all or is even behind it.
Sinclair and Valen: Brilliant idea! I had strong suspicions as soon as Sinclair received a 900 year letters addressed to himself and I love turning out right. :-))
Delenn: The scenes during the Dreaming are very intense and her pain and rage after Dukhat's death are very powerfully portrayed. Having her responsible for the Earth-Minbari war actually gives her stronger parallels to Londo. They both have a lot of blood on their hands. The big difference is, of course, that Londo chose his actions in cold blood - well, until the death of Adira. Still it's fascinating that in the world of Babylon 5, the lines between black and white are never clearly drawn.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-14 08:28 pm (UTC)I agree with you here (on a lot of your other points too, but this is one I've seldom seen addressed). It's almost like JMS got himself in a bit too deep and needed some help getting out.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-26 09:50 pm (UTC)Exactly. Only... you sort of forgive him for Lorien, because the rest of the story he tells is still so very good. :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-01-14 10:20 pm (UTC)Morden: actually, no. I never had the impression that Morden, as opposed to Anna, didn't choose to serve the Shadows - I saw him as the equivalent to Lyta, the convinced follower, though Lyta of course gets disillusioned by the Vorlons. What I liked about the Shadows and Vorlons resolution was that in the end, this was as far from Sauron and the Elves as you can get - the Vorlons were as wrong as the Shadows, and the solution was to cling to neither party. Back to Morden: the show gives us an on screen reason in season 5 to believe he wasn't forced into service.
Having her responsible for the Earth-Minbari war actually gives her stronger parallels to Londo. They both have a lot of blood on their hands. The big difference is, of course, that Londo chose his actions in cold blood - well, until the death of Adira. Still it's fascinating that in the world of Babylon 5, the lines between black and white are never clearly drawn.
Yes, and consider: the Earth/Minbari war took five years. And right until the end, until Sinclair got picked and turned out to be Valen, it was intended to end in the utter and complete genocide of the human race. Not "just" slavery, as with the Narn, but complete genocide. And Delenn was a member of the ruling body of the Minbari throughout. Anyway, re: Delenn and Londo, can't resist pimping a little something of mine about their parallels: Mercy.
And the Londo & G'Kar, and Londo & Vir scenes in what I'd call the Centauri Prime arc are stunning, aren't they? More pimping for stuff you can read now:
Knowing Love, about Vir at the point you are now.
In the Pale Moonlight: Londo and Cartagia.
Negotiations: Londo and G'Kar arrange Refa's death in season 3.
Miracles: Londo and Vir reconcile after Refa's death.