Being a B5 fan and looking forward to the release of this DVD, I obviously had a huge amount of anticipation as the release day drew nearer.
Then on the 31st the bombshell comes.
No Australia encoded release!
WTF...
Come on.
But thankfully I am a resourceful fellow and have been able to acquire a copy that works in region 4 DVD players.
Anyway onto the tale... so to speak.
I may shock when I say I found the first story somewhat better than the second, simply for the fact it was the flip side of the coin.
It was the absolute that states "there is no room judgement, for that is the Lords work".
For me it goes to show a lot towards JMS and his journalist teachings about bringing both sides of a story to the table.
Also being a very deeply thought man he would realise that what we think can be, sometimes has absolutely no bearing on what is.
So this episode to me shows his belief in showing people the whole picture. Not just the parts he and others find comfortable.
Oh and yes, the heavy dialog. Loved it! Let me say again. Loved it.
So rich and so full of real hard hitting questions.
I found the character of Asmodeus to be exceptional. There were times when I believed him to be possessed.
Thanks in part to the actors ability to do a pretty good Hannibal Lector voice and his ability to delivery those lines with a sense of true elevated "evil" if I can use the term.
The way it drew pleasure from tormenting those around it and trying to make them feel they themselves had been forsaken, coupled with the real sense that this thing cared nothing for the worldly power symbols that are usually sort, made the character believable.
And of cause some cool special effects.
The second episode, for me, seemed to be more of a lead-in than a standalone story such as the first.
Some good CGI and the hint of a very cool battle scene.
Some good dialogue and some heartfelt moments. The goodbye to G'Kar and Steven.
The very real response from Bruce, not John, when asked what it was like coming back to B5 after ten years.
The episode seems to be more geared towards the story of, if I remember correctly, of how this prince helps save David from the control of the keeper. Correct me if I am wrong.
Also towards what you may one day see, a battle between the Centauri Empire and the Earth Alliance.
I would not be surprised if the Captain came riding in on wings of fire for that!
Basically I see it two ways.
One.
John and Delen get through to this kid and no war. Somewhere along the way he frees David from the keeper.
Two.
The prince frees David is on the path to salvation and is somehow driven back to his dreams of raining fire on cities.
Not too farfetched given Londo's tragic spiral into such events. Also given that this kid’s dad thought himself a god. Gives you some idea to the possibilities that this kid is just too unstable and will eventually go this way as well.
I am going to leave QS (quantum space) alone.
It will either be a joke for that episode, just so JMS could stick it to the press.
Or he will justify it with that old Vorlon adage of never forgetting that which you already know.
Meaning, it was already there, it’s just they didn't tell anyone.
Just my view.
