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EpDis: A View From The Gallery
- Thread starter vacantlook
- Start date
GKarsEye
Regular
Just re-watched the series and I skipped this episode except for the Londo/G'Kar scene.
Mac and Bo are just corny, silly characters. I like the idea of the show, and I'm a huge defender of the other odd-format episodes like Intersections in Real Time and the two ISN ones, because they add to the world of the show and are effective emotionally.
"Gallery" tries so hard to tell us that we should love these characters that it's off-putting and stupid. Part of this goes to JMS' usual inability to write obvious, broad comedy, his one big writing weakness.
And overall it's rough that episodes that aren't important to the overall story like this, Day of the Dead and The Corps is Mother are all in the last season of the show. Yes, I know, PTEN, etc, but it still just plays oddly.
For point of reference, I also skipped TKO, Grail, the Garibaldi half of Grey 17, River of Souls and A Call To Arms. Still a pretty great track record. Now I'm re-visiting DS9 and skipping a lot more, but the good stuff is still great. The 90s were the golden age of TV sci-fi.
Mac and Bo are just corny, silly characters. I like the idea of the show, and I'm a huge defender of the other odd-format episodes like Intersections in Real Time and the two ISN ones, because they add to the world of the show and are effective emotionally.
"Gallery" tries so hard to tell us that we should love these characters that it's off-putting and stupid. Part of this goes to JMS' usual inability to write obvious, broad comedy, his one big writing weakness.
And overall it's rough that episodes that aren't important to the overall story like this, Day of the Dead and The Corps is Mother are all in the last season of the show. Yes, I know, PTEN, etc, but it still just plays oddly.
For point of reference, I also skipped TKO, Grail, the Garibaldi half of Grey 17, River of Souls and A Call To Arms. Still a pretty great track record. Now I'm re-visiting DS9 and skipping a lot more, but the good stuff is still great. The 90s were the golden age of TV sci-fi.
Don't agree with that assessment. I love his comedy writing. See: most episodes he wrote for The Real Ghostbusters (Xmas Marks the Spot has one of my favorites when Peter uses a View Finder to trick Scrooge into thinking he has powers); one particular scene at the end of Midnight Nation involving the head bad guy when things don't go his way; and lots of funny stuff in Babylon 5 as well (the banquet scene in Parliament of Dreams sticks out in my head). I'd describe his humor as quirky, but inability? No.
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AnlaShokGrey
Regular
I think I'd have to agree with Joe. Quirky: yes. Uneven: yes. But I would not agree that JMS has an inability to write broad comedy. (One example of humor I can't stand is Ivanova's sex dance with the Lumati; one example of humor I love is the fasten/zip conversation.)
vacantlook
Super Moderator
I would say that jms is an intelligent dude, so any of most of his successful funny is intelligence-based. Most of the funny that fails is stuff done in a more slap-stick manner.
GKarsEye
Regular
Writing, performing or producing "low" comedy like slapstick is harder than it looks, and is a skill like any other.
I was just trying to think of what other genre shows have really good humor and all I could come up with was Firefly and maybe a handful of moments from the early season of Buffy (and yes I realize they're both Whedon), but that's pretty much it. Original Trek had delightful character moments and I guess that's one of the reasons it'll always be the best. The sequel shows... oof, lame. Oh look, Data has a cat lol.. ugh.
Funniest B5 moment: "Can you hear me?!" "I hear you!" See that.. that's the thing he does so good. Tragi-comic, related to the story, performed by the greatest character actors on TV ever ever (not named William Shatner). Yeah, that's the stuff.
Not stupid Mac and Bo.
Lennier's Tears
Regular
Haha, I love that this episode has 9 pages of discussion, while some episodes have barely a half page in almost 10 years!
I have to say I'm not a fan of A View From the Gallery. As I recall, I thought it was entertaining enough when I first saw it, but now .... It might be my least favorite episode of all. Ask me again when I get to the singing telepaths, though ... :-|
It isn't the format that bothers me. I think it's a great idea to show the world through the eyes of some bit characters. I just REALLY don't like the execution. It's all a bit corny, and very "wink wink nudge nudge", full of meta jokes. I can appreciate a good meta joke or reference here and there, but I feel like I'm being beaten over the head with them in this episode. That ridiculous scene where Mac and Bo discuss the equipment they are using ... I see it's already been discussed, and I have to agree with the people who said it's ridiculous. A poor choice for a meta joke. It makes NO sense that these people wouldn't know what they were supposed to be doing with whatever tool that was. Then the references to Ivanova's departure. I'm assuming that "the White Stars look like plucked chickens" is a reference to something or another, as well.
I agree with those of you who said that the Franklin bit is pretty good. It's interesting that Franklin's father, having had that experience, is still so hard on his son for wanting to save alien lives as well as human lives.
I can live with the mystery aliens coming out of nowhere, a major incident never being mentioned again, and all that. What really stretches my credulity is that these random maintenance guys run into pretty much every major character on the show, and have a conversation with many of them.
No, this one is not for me ... I think perhaps on my next viewing I will skip it altogether. I've never done that with any episode, except perhaps the pilot. Many non-arc episode still have some small amount of arc story in them. This one definitely doesn't, so it's not like I'll miss anything.
I have to say I'm not a fan of A View From the Gallery. As I recall, I thought it was entertaining enough when I first saw it, but now .... It might be my least favorite episode of all. Ask me again when I get to the singing telepaths, though ... :-|
It isn't the format that bothers me. I think it's a great idea to show the world through the eyes of some bit characters. I just REALLY don't like the execution. It's all a bit corny, and very "wink wink nudge nudge", full of meta jokes. I can appreciate a good meta joke or reference here and there, but I feel like I'm being beaten over the head with them in this episode. That ridiculous scene where Mac and Bo discuss the equipment they are using ... I see it's already been discussed, and I have to agree with the people who said it's ridiculous. A poor choice for a meta joke. It makes NO sense that these people wouldn't know what they were supposed to be doing with whatever tool that was. Then the references to Ivanova's departure. I'm assuming that "the White Stars look like plucked chickens" is a reference to something or another, as well.
I agree with those of you who said that the Franklin bit is pretty good. It's interesting that Franklin's father, having had that experience, is still so hard on his son for wanting to save alien lives as well as human lives.
I can live with the mystery aliens coming out of nowhere, a major incident never being mentioned again, and all that. What really stretches my credulity is that these random maintenance guys run into pretty much every major character on the show, and have a conversation with many of them.
No, this one is not for me ... I think perhaps on my next viewing I will skip it altogether. I've never done that with any episode, except perhaps the pilot. Many non-arc episode still have some small amount of arc story in them. This one definitely doesn't, so it's not like I'll miss anything.
hypatia
Regular
I had to look up what a Meta Joke was.
I suppose it is clumsy in its execution, to some extent. It certainly wasn't a budget-buster, I always assumed it was a character-based "filler" episode. But I admit, I liked it, especially Delen's part in it.
I liked Mac and Bo, but I know they really got on some people's nerves.
I suppose it is clumsy in its execution, to some extent. It certainly wasn't a budget-buster, I always assumed it was a character-based "filler" episode. But I admit, I liked it, especially Delen's part in it.
I liked Mac and Bo, but I know they really got on some people's nerves.
Talvitar
Member
I did not expect this episode to inspire 9 pages of comments
Basically, I think the episode had a really nice premise. I enjoyed watching (what passes as) a normal day on B5 through the eyes of "the worker caste". Of course they had to meet Sheridan & others - I think it was the whole point: how the 'powers that be' are seen by the regular people.
When I read these 9 pages of pros & cons of the attackers, I could see the merits on both sides' arguments. I think the problem for many was just that for the most part, B5 was uncannily meticulous in drawing loooooooooooong arcs. Cause and effect of the highest quality. This was one of the episodes where there's no foreshadowing of any kind (and yes, I noticed the "Is it them?" etc.) and I can see why that might bother some, and why it might even be deemed a bit unworthy of the general style of B5.
Mack and Bo were nice enough. I guess this was supposed to be a bit of a slapstick episode. However, I just didn't think much of their dialogue that funny... and that's a problem. Tastes like chicken came up way too often. And if the "what is this used for" was supposed to be funny/ironic/whatever, I don't see how. These were the kind of professionals entrusted with fixing CNC tech, and medlab hightech - and what, they were sweeping floors with something they don't know the purpose of (nor seem very interested in understanding)?
As usual, Londo & G'Kar save any episode. I was actually a bit moved watching their scene, them bickering, yes, like an old married couple. 4 episodes of near-murdereous feelings, and this is where they ended up. Just made me happy
All in all, I quite liked this episode but I think it could've been much better. Nothing wrong with the performance of the actors but the comedy writing was lacking.
Basically, I think the episode had a really nice premise. I enjoyed watching (what passes as) a normal day on B5 through the eyes of "the worker caste". Of course they had to meet Sheridan & others - I think it was the whole point: how the 'powers that be' are seen by the regular people.
When I read these 9 pages of pros & cons of the attackers, I could see the merits on both sides' arguments. I think the problem for many was just that for the most part, B5 was uncannily meticulous in drawing loooooooooooong arcs. Cause and effect of the highest quality. This was one of the episodes where there's no foreshadowing of any kind (and yes, I noticed the "Is it them?" etc.) and I can see why that might bother some, and why it might even be deemed a bit unworthy of the general style of B5.
Mack and Bo were nice enough. I guess this was supposed to be a bit of a slapstick episode. However, I just didn't think much of their dialogue that funny... and that's a problem. Tastes like chicken came up way too often. And if the "what is this used for" was supposed to be funny/ironic/whatever, I don't see how. These were the kind of professionals entrusted with fixing CNC tech, and medlab hightech - and what, they were sweeping floors with something they don't know the purpose of (nor seem very interested in understanding)?
As usual, Londo & G'Kar save any episode. I was actually a bit moved watching their scene, them bickering, yes, like an old married couple. 4 episodes of near-murdereous feelings, and this is where they ended up. Just made me happy
All in all, I quite liked this episode but I think it could've been much better. Nothing wrong with the performance of the actors but the comedy writing was lacking.
