If you could change B5 without changing it....

[Karajorma]

So here's a thought I had. If you could change something about B5 without actually changing the story, what would you change?



One of the things I'd definitely have liked to have seen was a little more of the Markab. Confessions and Lamentations is one of my favourite S2 episodes but it's only when I rewatched the show recently that I realised we don't actually see much of the Markab before that episode. We could see Markab religion in Parliament of Dreams and have them play a bigger role in Deathwalker. Maybe make it so that we knew the name of the Markab ambassador and know a little bit about him.



It would make things a whole lot more shocking when JMS wiped out the whole species.

 

[Jan]

It would make things a whole lot more shocking when JMS wiped out the whole species.

I thought it was pretty shocking as it was (due largely to Mira Furlan's acting) but I see your point.

This could be fun. Here's the first one that pops into my mind:

I'd have liked to see more of Vir becoming 'Abrahamo Lincolni'. The Centauri trilogy did a great job in showing us how Vir could become a great emperor but it seemed that it was his experience on Minbar that began that path.

 

[jumptheshark]

For me there are two things

1) More fun with the technomags
2) The planet down below--I think they could have explored more and used that device better

 

[Looney]

This will overwhelm my brain!

If I am forced to pick ONE thing then I would have to say more of everything. :devil:

:guffaw: :guffaw: :guffaw:

But seriously, there are soooo many things I would want to see more of and learn more about. I definitely agree that the Markab could have used a little more attention just from the stand point that they are really rarely noticed and mentioned. As Confessions and Lamentations progresses a newbie might not even recall having seen them in other episodes, so it doesn't carry as much dramatic weight. The subject matter does, but the emotional investment of the audience would be much heavier if we had seen more of them, even in background shots - not that they never show up, just that they could be a little more established.

But there are tons of things like the Markab I could go on about. As I always say, I love the little details JMS uses and I think there could be/should be more of them.

I will think on this and see if I can get really specific and pick one like the Markab, but no one should hold their breath.

 

[KoshFan]

2) The planet down below--I think they could have explored more and used that device better

Oh, heck yes. Also I'd de-emphasize the planet's defenses. That beam weapon was just overkill, JMS knew it, and had to spend the rest of the show carefully working around it and explaining why they couldn't use it this time. Far more sensible would have been an "information-tech" approach: the Great Machine could have overridden the attackers' computers or something. Less dramatic, but also less damaging to the story.

I'd have liked to see more of Vir becoming 'Abrahamo Lincolni'. The Centauri trilogy did a great job in showing us how Vir could become a great emperor but it seemed that it was his experience on Minbar that began that path.

This ties in with one of mine: a little more (but only a little, because it would be less marvelous if seen too often) about Vir and Lennir's friendship. How did that even get started? And where might it have gone?

I'd make the Gray Sector mystery more of a thing... and fix its ending.

Another episode or two actually showing the Narn-Centauri War. It lasted half the season but it was only directly shown in three episodes.

And I'd probably smooth out the hurry-up-and-wait of the end of S4 and beginning of 5, since it all got scrambled by nearly getting cancelled.

 

[Springer]

Echoing what people have said about Confessions and Lamentations, I'd have loved to have seen more exploration of the different cultures in the League of Non-Aligned worlds. I guess the Drazi got two episodes (Geometry of Shadows and The Ragged Edge), the Markab got Confessions... the Hyach got Secrets of the Soul and the Brakiri got a little bit of background in Day of the Dead, but I always thought there was plenty more there that could have been mined for storylines, rather than the League Ambassadors increasingly acting like and being treated like idiots.

 

[Looney]

Echoing what people have said about Confessions and Lamentations, I'd have loved to have seen more exploration of the different cultures in the League of Non-Aligned worlds. I guess the Drazi got two episodes (Geometry of Shadows and The Ragged Edge), the Markab got Confessions... the Hyach got Secrets of the Soul and the Brakiri got a little bit of background in Day of the Dead, but I always thought there was plenty more there that could have been mined for storylines, rather than the League Ambassadors increasingly acting like and being treated like idiots.

DEFINITELY!!!!! This is what I am saying about longer episodes. With longer episodes we could have had A, B, C, D, and E plot threads going. In those plot threads we could have had stories that just involved information about those other races and what they were doing.

Side Note: This idea brings up a notion of a detractor of A View From The Gallery, 5.4, for me. I LOVE the concept of that episode. I think a primary reason JMS did that episode the way it was done is that he wanted it to have a touch of comedy. Well I think that is great, but I think it could have also been great to have an entire episode like that with one of the League Ambassadors. Have a major event happening from their perspective and see what they do to deal with it, adding comedy if necessary. I don't know, but I definitely agree that the show could have used more details about the other League races.

 

[KoshFan]

Now that's a good idea, Looney -- an entirely alien-perspective ep on, say, some human matter.

 

[Karajorma]

That would have made for a great episode. The Gaim might have been a great idea since they were probably the most alien of the League worlds.

Oh, heck yes. Also I'd de-emphasize the planet's defenses. That beam weapon was just overkill, JMS knew it, and had to spend the rest of the show carefully working around it and explaining why they couldn't use it this time. Far more sensible would have been an "information-tech" approach: the Great Machine could have overridden the attackers' computers or something. Less dramatic, but also less damaging to the story.

Yeah, that would have been a better approach. Or at least had them enter the atmosphere and then get shot down. They could have then simply said that the machine didn't have any weapons which could reach B5 but had stuff that was deadly if you got too close.

 

[Springer]

Side Note: This idea brings up a notion of a detractor of A View From The Gallery, 5.4, for me. I LOVE the concept of that episode. I think a primary reason JMS did that episode the way it was done is that he wanted it to have a touch of comedy. Well I think that is great, but I think it could have also been great to have an entire episode like that with one of the League Ambassadors. Have a major event happening from their perspective and see what they do to deal with it, adding comedy if necessary. I don't know, but I definitely agree that the show could have used more details about the other League races.

I love that idea! And it would have been a nice way to reward one of the background actors like Kim Strauss or Jonathan Chapman.

 

[Looney]

That would have made for a great episode. The Gaim might have been a great idea since they were probably the most alien of the League worlds.

Yes, definitely the Gaim would be an excellent choice. Of course the perfect choice for the fans would be "The Kosh Perspective." :thumbsup: I say that, but I don't think JMS would have ever revealed too much about the Vorlons, so a race like the Gaim would be a more logical choice.

I love that idea! And it would have been a nice way to reward one of the background actors like Kim Strauss or Jonathan Chapman.

Yes those actors deserved more of a reward. And they got credits in many episodes they were in. Others did not. I mean Bill Blair has 69 episodes listed on his IMDB page, but most of those are "Uncredited". And after being in all of those episodes I think he only has, maybe, two speaking parts. I could be wrong. It might just be one with one word.