Plot revisions throughout the 5-year arc

[Malakian82]

Joseph DeMartino posted something in another thread, that gave me a idea for an interessting topic:

The triluminary does look like a bit of broken Earth technology, and I think that was JMS's original notion for the device. But after Sinclair left that idea no longer fit with the revised story, so it was quietly dropped like many other plot elements that disappeared for one reason or another during the course of the show. (Delenn's "magic" rings from the pilot, Bureau 13, Talia's mentor Abby, Kosh's VCR recording of Talia's thoughts, etc.)

As we all know (and JMS has commented on time and time again), the storyline of B5 had to be rewritten a couple of times. The reasons for these changes and the content of the rewrite are discussed in numerous thrads on this forum.

Would'nt it be fun to try to make a list of all changes? (with possible some discussion to the extend where someone is right)

I'll start.

---
ACTUAL STORYLINE: Sheridan's wife presumably dies in an explosion on board of her research vessel, while in fact she found z'hadum and was captured by the shadows.

ORIGINAL STORYLINE: Sinclair and Sheridan have 1 thing in common: their wives who have jobs that entaill they go off to explore the galaxy. So If Michael O'hare stayed on, it would have been Catherine who goes off to z'hadum.
---

Okay that one was easy.
Who will help me to further the list?

 

[Londos6]

I know I read somewhere (don't remember where) that JMS had built in a "back door" for just about every character, "just in case" it was needed. Of course that was a smart thing to do. Actors want to move on, contracts are made to be broken, and so on.

The other very obvious one is that Talia Winters gets most of Lyta's story line. She has already been given extra powers (telekinesis) by Jason Ironheart, was able to help a group of telepaths (underground railroad) fool Bester into thinking he had seen something that never happened due to being "touched" by Ironheart, and Kosh has made the VCR recording to be used for some future purpose.

However the the Byron part of Lyta's story line would have gone to Ivanova, in a slightly different form.

 

[Zathras]

There is an important plot point that was lost, but that not many people really know about...

The Season 2 episode "Comes The Inquisitor" was originally written to feature another character in place of Sebastian/Jack the Ripper. It seems that JMS had originally planned to send the Vorlons' greatest captured historical figure - ELLA FITZGERALD.

The episode would also have featured a mind-blowing cameo by none other than DARTH VADER.

Picture it...ELLA and DARTH meet in the Zocalo, have a few drinks, talk about music and all the far-away places they've been, and (after a few too many drinks) get Captain Sheridan to marry them in the Zen garden.

Just then, the drama increases as fighting breaks out around the station. But it all comes to an abrupt end when the happy couple steps out into the Zocalo and the DARK LORD announces his marriage and introduces his new wife...ELLA VADER!

Then they all have a good laugh and go home.

 

[RW7427]

Booooo!!!!

 

[Londos6]

Booooo!!!!

Agreed!

 

[MartinRoth]

and the DARK LORD announces his marriage and introduces his new wife...ELLA VADER!

You left out an important part of this. In the early Season 3 episode "Convictions", the sequence with Londo and G'kar stuck together in an elevator was supposed to have been....

Er, no. Perhaps it's better not to go there...

 

[Enlightened_GKar]

The Psi Corps plotline was meant to take over for the Bureau 13 plot.

In an early draft, I had heard that JMS intended to have Neroon become Delenn's replacement after he killed her in "Grey 17 Is Missing." This obviously never came to pass, but JMS undoubtedly made so many drafts and sketches the revisions are endless.

 

[Nancy]

I had heard that JMS intended to have Neroon become Delenn's replacement after he killed her in "Grey 17 Is Missing."

So Sheridan was supposed to fall in love and marry Neroon? Interesting.

 

[RW7427]

Eeewww!!

 

[Zathras]

In an early draft, I had heard that JMS intended to have Neroon become Delenn's replacement after he killed her in "Grey 17 Is Missing." This obviously never came to pass, but JMS undoubtedly made so many drafts and sketches the revisions are endless.

Every character on the show had an "out" in case there was a work or actor conflict and someone had to leave. Maybe that was the "out" for Delenn if Mira Furlan ever had to leave the show. Delenn is killed, but Neroon (so moved by her faith) takes up the mantle of the religious caste and serves in her place. Since Neroon is introduced in Season 1, I guess the plan would have worked even if Mira had left after season 1 or 2. But by the time Neroon was killed in Season 4, Mira was surely committed to finishing out all 5 seasons.

 

[FlipperPA]

Neroon is the coolest backup plan I've ever heard of. Whether it was intended or not!

-Tim

 

[Jade Jaguar]

Well, originally, Delenn's character WAS supposed to have a sex change in Chrysalis, but I don't think Neroon would make a very convincing female...