Babylon 5 and The Theory of an Ever Changing Environment

[Looney]

Don't you hate it when you have a long post written about something from a certain episode and then you realize that you are an idiot and you are in fact writing something about a different episode. I was totally think about something and I went to the MIDNIGHT ON THE FIRING LINE discussion to write down my thoughts. I was about eight sentences in before I realized I was thinking about THE GATHERING and writing those thoughts down in the MIDNIGHT ON THE FIRING LINE THREAD.

Since you asked my thoughts weren't that episode specific. I was thinking about what some might consider continuity errors and / or flubs in Babylon 5. I have mentioned in the past (and possibly even started threads on other boards) that I think one of the truly great aspects of how JMS wrote B5 is that it has a built in explanation for these issues. I call the theory I use BABYLON 5 AND THE THEORY OF AN EVER CHANGING ENVIRONMENT (I literally made up that title as I was typing it, but not the theory.) So the theory is thus, if something changed from THE GATHERING to MIDNIGHT ON THE FIRING LINE - like say those PPG rifles, then my theory explanation is B5 was issued new PPG Rifle. JMS wrote it right into the show, upgraded PPGs, upgraded Cobra Bays, new Starfury squadrons, new Starfuries, new Medlabs, and so on and so on. So the theory is that you can sometimes explain what appears to be a continuity error by realizing technology on Babylon 5 is ever changing. So when Links have security features that work one way in a certain episode that seems to have not been the case in another episode one can chalk it up to upgraded Links.

Okay I hope that makes sense. So what I was thinking about from THE GATHERING and mistakenly came to start writing about in THE MIDNIGHT ON THE FIRING LINE thread was the scan that trapped the Dust dealer. That is one of those items I try to fit into the theory that just doesn't want to work. Yes I know there are more than a few items like that when we transition from THE GATHERING to MIDNIGHT ON THE FIRING LINE, but I want it to fit. That one just doesn't because what kind of upgrade would it be if the scanners picked up Dust and the new scanners did not. I think one just needs to rethink that situation and decide that it was a faulty container that undid the Dust dealer. The scan picked up the Dust because he didn't use an anti-scanner case to conceal the drug. The Dust that did make it on to the station throughout the series was smuggled in with proper cases for concealing it from scanners.

SO the reason I started this thread is so that we might discuss other continuity issues and see if they can be fit into BABYLON 5 AND THE THEORY OF AN EVER CHANGING ENVIRONMENT. Can you think of some continuity that seems to not fit, but might be explained with this theory?

 

[Kraig]

Or the dust was smuggled into the station by PSI Corps undercover agents as part of an experiment to create new telepaths from mundanes. When the scanner goes off the security personnel are blocked from seeing the alarm and instead in their mind they see everything is OK. Once the Agents turn the dust over to the dealers who aren't teeps, they are then discovered.

 

[Looney]

Or the dust was smuggled into the station by PSI Corps undercover agents as part of an experiment to create new telepaths from mundanes. When the scanner goes off the security personnel are blocked from seeing the alarm and instead in their mind they see everything is OK. Once the Agents turn the dust over to the dealers who aren't teeps, they are then discovered.

See this raises a interesting point I would have liked to have been a part of the show. I mean it is very elaborate but it would have been awesome to learn at some point that what Kraig just mentioned was actually happening. Undercover Corps agents manipulating events would have made for an interesting plot line. :thumbsup:

 

[Looney]

WOW!!!!! Very surprised there haven't been more comments about this. Is everyone asleep or did this topic just utterly fail to inspire anyone to say anything?

(DON'T ANSWER THAT!!!!!) :guffaw: :guffaw: :guffaw:

 

[Triple F]

Don’t know if this fits the criteria of this idea, but one of the biggest changes between the gathering and the series was the Centauri.

In the pilot G’Kar was blackmailing Londo by threatening to reveal his family had committed some war crime against the Narn. Londo didn’t want this released to other Centauri as the honour of his house would have been adversely effected if it got out. . . . But by the time we get to the series, being viewed as vicious and cruel to the Narn during the occupation is seen as almost a virtue within Centauri culture. . . . . Something to be proud of.

 

[Looney]

Interesting example. I've always taken that there was no change in this regard. I assumed the "war crime" G'Kar was referring to was something Centauri would have frowned upon, not necessarily because it was just vicious or cruel. The Centauri might celebrate mistreatment of the Narn to a certain degress, but maybe they had a certain level of taste or type of mistreatment that was off limits or taboo. Putting my personal take on it aside, I DEFINITELY agree that this could fit because it is logical to assume that if there were a change it might have happened that Centauri culture once deemed this behavior as taboo, but by the time MIDNIGHT ON THE FIRING LINE came around societal norms had changed. :thumbsup:

 

[Karajorma]

In the pilot G’Kar was blackmailing Londo by threatening to reveal his family had committed some war crime against the Narn. Londo didn’t want this released to other Centauri as the honour of his house would have been adversely effected if it got out. . . . But by the time we get to the series, being viewed as vicious and cruel to the Narn during the occupation is seen as almost a virtue within Centauri culture. . . . . Something to be proud of.

I tend to just simply say they were war crimes of a sexual nature. I can see that definitely still being something the Centauri would have a problem with.

 

[Looney]

I tend to just simply say they were war crimes of a sexual nature. I can see that definitely still being something the Centauri would have a problem with.

We have a BINGO!!!!! :guffaw:

That was one of the possibilities I was thinking of. OR maybe the Mollaris didn't do ENOUGH war crime-ing for their level of stature in the Republic. :guffaw:

BUT in all honesty Triple F's example and my imagination as it relates to this thread create a more interesting concept for me when thinking of changing norms in Centuari society. What wasn't acceptable to the populous of The Republic is perfectly acceptable this year as their society churns since the decline of The Republic.