Crusade: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

[Hulabomb]

In all fairness, JMS gave full and fair warning about the hiring of Chen, a known experimental artist, and that doing so was intended to give Crusade a very exotic and alien feel and separate it artistically from B5. Of course, even knowing this may not have been sufficient preparation to actually hear Chen in action. I found his music very interesting to listen to but must also concede that in terms of drama, it rarely served the action taking place on the screen. Whereas Franke could squeeze a tear out of you with his choral arrangements, Chen's music was often cold and clinical.

True, true. Music is what it is.

 

[KoshN]

In all fairness, JMS gave full and fair warning about the hiring of Chen, a known experimental artist, and that doing so was intended to give Crusade a very exotic and alien feel and separate it artistically from B5.

I think that Chen's music succeeded in giving Crusade a very exotic and alien feel, separating Crusade from B5, and yet Crusade was still, obviously very much at home in the B5 universe. It didn't feel "false" ...like the trappings of the B5 universe but written by somebody who was unfamiliar with or out of practice writing for the B5 universe, like the Rangers pilot felt to me.

Of course, even knowing this may not have been sufficient preparation to actually hear Chen in action.

It is, if you're open to it and are the least bit flexible. It took me a small amount of time to adapt to it.

I found his music very interesting to listen to but must also concede that in terms of drama, it rarely served the action taking place on the screen. Whereas Franke could squeeze a tear out of you with his choral arrangements, Chen's music was often cold and clinical.

...where it needed to be cold and clinical, to emphasize the exotic and alien feel.

 

[UrKungFuNoGood]

Re: Crusader: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

It seems to me that the captain having a long term pet, has no place on a serious show like Crusade. It worked on the one Trek movie, where Christopher Lloyd's Klingon character (the captain) had a pet that looked like a Komodo dragon, but that was a one shot deal, not a lasting "part." Captain Gideon was obviously a perfectly fine character being portrayed by a very good actor, and clearly did not need a pet on the show.

The things (or pets) a character on a show keeps personally should serve to tell us something about the character. IMO, the chess board and the windmill in Gideon's quarters said a lot about him. A dog, cat or gerbil would send an incorrect message to the viewers.

Jan

Unfortunately the chess position is impossible. I just recently discovered B5 and am finding that I am actually enjoying my way through Crusade. Until "The Well of Forever" where we see Gideon sitting beside a chess board and he proceeds to make a move for white.
That position is impossible to reach in logical play. Sure, you could spend twenty moves getting to it through play so weak that only a pair of beginners could create it. But I'm not sure that's what we're supposed to believe about his character. Because a man as smart as him should be able to see ahead at least the other player's next move with some accuracy.
I was surprised that someone like JMS wouldn't take the time to look up a famous position. Or at the very least a legitimate position.
It's the only truly disappointing thing I've found so far in the whole B5 universe LOL
I even had to register here to search and see if anyone else caught it.
I don't suppose you'd be surprised how often this happens. I've only once seen a proper chess position in movies or TV.
Even a show like The Mentalist which I really like... It's almost as if they want to intentionally infuriate chess players. It's the by far the worst offender on record.
For some reason I expected more from this show...

[EDIT] I agree about the music... Absolutely terrible. Seems a trend in the movies and Crusade. B5 itself wan't so bad.
So
The Good: Almost everything /fanboy
The bad: The chess scene
The Ugly: That damn music from hell

 

[KoshN]

Re: Crusader: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Regarding the chess position, they undoubtedly don't think that anybody would pause the video to examine it. I used to play and I didn't bother. It was just background.

 

[Jan]

Re: Crusader: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Unfortunately the chess position is impossible. I just recently discovered B5 and am finding that I am actually enjoying my way through Crusade. Until "The Well of Forever" where we see Gideon sitting beside a chess board and he proceeds to make a move for white.
That position is impossible to reach in logical play. Sure, you could spend twenty moves getting to it through play so weak that only a pair of beginners could create it. But I'm not sure that's what we're supposed to believe about his character. Because a man as smart as him should be able to see ahead at least the other player's next move with some accuracy.
I was surprised that someone like JMS wouldn't take the time to look up a famous position. Or at the very least a legitimate position.
It's the only truly disappointing thing I've found so far in the whole B5 universe LOL
I even had to register here to search and see if anyone else caught it.
I don't suppose you'd be surprised how often this happens. I've only once seen a proper chess position in movies or TV.
Even a show like The Mentalist which I really like... It's almost as if they want to intentionally infuriate chess players. It's the by far the worst offender on record.
For some reason I expected more from this show...

I think you're expecting too much, though I understand where you're coming from; I'm the same way when TV shows have scenes in hotels - I pick them to pieces because that's my industry. I took a quick look at the script and didn't find any reference to a chess set so it's likely that the decision to have it was made in a production meeting and when it was set up, the consideration on the part of the set dressers was to make the board look interesting. Unless JMS was actually on the set that day, he wouldn't have had any input into the set-up of the board.

Jan