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Rewatching. Thus, I'm obligated to make a thread.
- Thread starter Wulf
- Start date
Looney
Regular
"Screaming Into The Void For The Fun of It" is my middle name.
And just to go back to BELIEVERS and point something else out that is awesome about it for a second. Ignoring either side of the argument, I absolutely think it broke ground in the whole Franklin / Sinclair dynamic. I feel in many other series of the time you would have seen them both caught in the struggle of what is right. Here we get Franklin getting cocky after he thinks he's been proven right and Sinclair slamming him down. VERY critical moment in the development and reveal of both characters. (But yes, I agree that in the grand scheme of things there is just character building and world building that is a very slow burn.)
OH how I love SIGNS AND PORTENTS.
Does everyone agree it is the first truly magnificent episode of Season One?
And just to go back to BELIEVERS and point something else out that is awesome about it for a second. Ignoring either side of the argument, I absolutely think it broke ground in the whole Franklin / Sinclair dynamic. I feel in many other series of the time you would have seen them both caught in the struggle of what is right. Here we get Franklin getting cocky after he thinks he's been proven right and Sinclair slamming him down. VERY critical moment in the development and reveal of both characters. (But yes, I agree that in the grand scheme of things there is just character building and world building that is a very slow burn.)
OH how I love SIGNS AND PORTENTS.
Does everyone agree it is the first truly magnificent episode of Season One?
Ubik
Regular
It occurred to me that a literal reading of what I'm writing would come off as quite harsh, and your post could have been worked from either interpretation.
All good then
I am totally with you, in that I LOVE the show, but i can also have a damn good laugh at it when its warranted. And there are plenty of unintentional comedy gold moments, from over acting / scenery chewing, to terrible dialogue and/or delivery. Gotta enjoy every aspect. These review have been cracking me up. Keep it up.
Ubik
Regular
YES. S1 is kinda fascinating, because on a first watch it's very easy to lay a lot of scorn on it. But, the second time around you spot all these little easter eggs and bits of foreshadowing that are kinda beautiful.
This is kinda inspiring me to maybe do a re-watch, it's been a few years I think. Maybe I can find a friend to do a watch party over skype.
Jan
Regular
While it never got to the level of Ari Ben Zayne, thank the Maker, you've got to admit that there were quite a few of the regular cast who chewed scenery up one wall and down the other. I've long said that the reason O'Hare came across as 'wooden' to some is because he was subtle while being almost entirely surrounded by scenery chewers. Excellent actors, yes, but scenery chewers nevertheless.
I'm definitely on the S&P lovetrain.
Not to besmirch everything up to this point, but everything else had pieces of "that leads to something good". This is really the first episode where I would say things get good instead of just laying some good framework for the future.
1x14
TKO
People in the future are terrible at drug deals. I mean c'mon guys, handshake and palm it off. And Garibaldi's equally bad at arresting them. "I sure hope nobody stabs me in the back I'm about to turn to them."
Hey, a dashing stranger saves him. That's convenient.
Oh god. I remember the title of TKO. Is it as terrible as my subconscious tells me, or do I have it confused with that Voyager episode with the Rock? Or Rocky? Or Bloodsport? Or every generic fight movie where somebody's too stubborn to succumb to their massive brain damage so somebody grudgingly looks upon their bloodied face with respect?
...No disrespect to Bloodsport. Screw that brick in particular, vD, it deserved it.
Ivanova's been talking to some Rabbi for a few minutes but I honestly tuned out. Bloodsport reminiscing was more important. I should rewind that....
I'm uncultured and don't know what Shivah is when it's not either a Final Fantasy summon or an Indian goddess, so the impact of the scene escapes me but I get what it's going for. Religion's a recurring theme of the show but I don't think I ever particularly cared for it.
Yada yada, "Don't enter the fight, only the manliest of manly men could do it, and me implying you're too fragile is the best way to convince you."
Another adrenaline riddled rabbi-scene.
Oh god, and another one. This is a lot.
The guys sparring in the background seem to be having fun. Not the best camera angles to make the hits seem real, but they're energetic enough. Looks like they lacked direction as the one guy in the threeway is just kinda standing there.
"Stroke off". Well, that's direct.
I agree with Ivanova here. If she's not displaying erratic behaviour and it's been months since the death, everybody should back off. She's dealing how she wants to and it's nobody else's business.
Alien with no nose and mouth in the audience of this first fight would've been terrible to act as. Wonder if they did anything special to improve his ability to breathe.
I bet these fights would last longer if they trained for a single session on how to block a hit. The guy was just a punching bag.
Centauri-extra during this exchange is doing some quality "lean slightly closer to the guy talking, squint, and nod" acting. Oh yeah. He's nodding the shit out of that squint.
"Earth Liner White Star"
Oi, isn't the White Star the name of the important thingy later with the see-saw beds and a Ranger infestation? I'm going to imagine that it's this passenger liner super upgraded. There. That's now canon.
Hey, Walker Smith blocked a kick, is that even legal?! His "NotGetKickedInTheFace Style" shall surely succeed where previous guy's "SkullBlock Style" failed.
"He's the best I've ever seen!" C'mon, Gyor knocked out a guy that was probably paid a sandwich to throw the fight, don't get overly grandiose here.
Alright, now to see who's the greatest fighter in universal history!
Aw, C'mon Smith, use your secret block style! You know that faces aren't his fists' weakness! I mean, blocking's like punching, except you punch his incoming arm with the side of yours.
Hey, now Gyor's forgotten how to block.
...I feel that intermingling an underground fighting plotline with a somber emotional plotline may not have been the best choice. "PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE, HACK THE GROIN, respectfully hug Ivanova, sorry for your loss, we share your pain, PUNCH HIM IN THE THROAAAAAAAT"
This choreography is amazing.
"Ok, your turn."
"Now your turn."
"K, now you punch me."
"Ok, I've got next."
Oh, oh, oh. Bloodied face? Check. Grudging respect? Check!
ADRIAAAAAAAN?
Woops, wrong movie.
Smith! Smith! Smith!
"The best I've ever seen."
...I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up the fact that not a single person got TKO'd in this episode though. The most blatant case of false advertising since The NeverEnding Story.
TKO
People in the future are terrible at drug deals. I mean c'mon guys, handshake and palm it off. And Garibaldi's equally bad at arresting them. "I sure hope nobody stabs me in the back I'm about to turn to them."
Hey, a dashing stranger saves him. That's convenient.
Oh god. I remember the title of TKO. Is it as terrible as my subconscious tells me, or do I have it confused with that Voyager episode with the Rock? Or Rocky? Or Bloodsport? Or every generic fight movie where somebody's too stubborn to succumb to their massive brain damage so somebody grudgingly looks upon their bloodied face with respect?
...No disrespect to Bloodsport. Screw that brick in particular, vD, it deserved it.
Ivanova's been talking to some Rabbi for a few minutes but I honestly tuned out. Bloodsport reminiscing was more important. I should rewind that....
I'm uncultured and don't know what Shivah is when it's not either a Final Fantasy summon or an Indian goddess, so the impact of the scene escapes me but I get what it's going for. Religion's a recurring theme of the show but I don't think I ever particularly cared for it.
Yada yada, "Don't enter the fight, only the manliest of manly men could do it, and me implying you're too fragile is the best way to convince you."
Another adrenaline riddled rabbi-scene.
Oh god, and another one. This is a lot.
The guys sparring in the background seem to be having fun. Not the best camera angles to make the hits seem real, but they're energetic enough. Looks like they lacked direction as the one guy in the threeway is just kinda standing there.
"Stroke off". Well, that's direct.
I agree with Ivanova here. If she's not displaying erratic behaviour and it's been months since the death, everybody should back off. She's dealing how she wants to and it's nobody else's business.
Alien with no nose and mouth in the audience of this first fight would've been terrible to act as. Wonder if they did anything special to improve his ability to breathe.
I bet these fights would last longer if they trained for a single session on how to block a hit. The guy was just a punching bag.
Centauri-extra during this exchange is doing some quality "lean slightly closer to the guy talking, squint, and nod" acting. Oh yeah. He's nodding the shit out of that squint.
Rabbi scenes are boring said:
"Earth Liner White Star"
Oi, isn't the White Star the name of the important thingy later with the see-saw beds and a Ranger infestation? I'm going to imagine that it's this passenger liner super upgraded. There. That's now canon.
Hey, Walker Smith blocked a kick, is that even legal?! His "NotGetKickedInTheFace Style" shall surely succeed where previous guy's "SkullBlock Style" failed.
"He's the best I've ever seen!" C'mon, Gyor knocked out a guy that was probably paid a sandwich to throw the fight, don't get overly grandiose here.
Another Scene with a rabbi said:
Alright, now to see who's the greatest fighter in universal history!
Aw, C'mon Smith, use your secret block style! You know that faces aren't his fists' weakness! I mean, blocking's like punching, except you punch his incoming arm with the side of yours.
Hey, now Gyor's forgotten how to block.
...I feel that intermingling an underground fighting plotline with a somber emotional plotline may not have been the best choice. "PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE, HACK THE GROIN, respectfully hug Ivanova, sorry for your loss, we share your pain, PUNCH HIM IN THE THROAAAAAAAT"
This choreography is amazing.
"Ok, your turn."
"Now your turn."
"K, now you punch me."
"Ok, I've got next."
Oh, oh, oh. Bloodied face? Check. Grudging respect? Check!
ADRIAAAAAAAN?
Woops, wrong movie.
Smith! Smith! Smith!
"The best I've ever seen."
...I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up the fact that not a single person got TKO'd in this episode though. The most blatant case of false advertising since The NeverEnding Story.
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1x15
Grail
Hey, it's the guy from the show with the brother Darryl and the other brother Darryl! Neat.
First TKO, now Grail? That's a lot to bite off in one sitting. Does Grail go anywhere? I remember it being an eye roller.
TKO was the sort of not-good that I could go along with, smile, joke, but still engage with on a certain level. Grail.... Man, I'm not ever sure I care enough to throw silly comments at it.
...Ugh. Yeah, let's just bear down and get through this one in silence.
Grail
Hey, it's the guy from the show with the brother Darryl and the other brother Darryl! Neat.
First TKO, now Grail? That's a lot to bite off in one sitting. Does Grail go anywhere? I remember it being an eye roller.
TKO was the sort of not-good that I could go along with, smile, joke, but still engage with on a certain level. Grail.... Man, I'm not ever sure I care enough to throw silly comments at it.
...Ugh. Yeah, let's just bear down and get through this one in silence.
babylonfan
Regular
Speaking of season 1, has anyone ever noticed the mistake in the opening credits?
At the end of the narration, when the camera zooms in on C&C, the image has been mirrored. You can tell by the door in the background and by the leather part of the uniform jackets.
I wonder why they did that?
At the end of the narration, when the camera zooms in on C&C, the image has been mirrored. You can tell by the door in the background and by the leather part of the uniform jackets.
I wonder why they did that?
1x16
Eyes
Hey, M Night Shaal Mayan is returning. Neat. Slipped in amongst the G-Man's super manly talk about motorcycles 'n stuff.
Baby Lonfan is totally right. They mirrored the image when they zoom into CC during the intro. Intro, Garibaldi's chest badge thingimajigawhatsits is on his right side. Scene immediately after intro, it's on his left side. It makes no sense. Nothing in the scene seems to make any difference when mirrored.
Gentlemen, gentlelasses, you know your duties. Disect this piece of trivia for how it could possibly impact lore. I suspect that it's a result of Vorlon influence stemming from 2148. Prove me wrong.
Suspicious guy is from "Legrange 2"? What a weird name for a place. Wouldn't there be tons of legrange points in every system, anywhere you care about orbiting bodies?
So, looks like we're in for some "lets distrust the main characters" conspiracy crap. I guess it fully fits into the universe and storyline, they're just never exciting.
"Transferring will take 1.4 hours". Goddamnit Garry Baldie, spring for the fancy crystals, not the discount crystals. There's no reasonable excuse for a data transfer that minimal to take that long.
Ivanova's sssssslllllooooooowwwwwwwlllllllyyyyy walking through her mind. I wish I weren't dead inside so I could give a crap about the emotional buildup here of CC hiding her own psychic powers or suspicions thereof.
NotBillyZane is overstepping his authority, Sinclair is quoting regs at him, NBZ isn't pleased, etc.
Sinclair's relieved of command, which seems like a totally rational course of action for vague accusations with no official backing.
yada. yada. ya. da.
Sinclair powers activate, form of: Pompous speech!
It's super effective!
And in the meantime, Will Robinson has finished Garibaldi's bike. This was an unsatisfying B plot. And A plot.
But seriously, why did they mirror the zoom-in shot for the intro?
Why?
Eyes
Hey, M Night Shaal Mayan is returning. Neat. Slipped in amongst the G-Man's super manly talk about motorcycles 'n stuff.
Baby Lonfan is totally right. They mirrored the image when they zoom into CC during the intro. Intro, Garibaldi's chest badge thingimajigawhatsits is on his right side. Scene immediately after intro, it's on his left side. It makes no sense. Nothing in the scene seems to make any difference when mirrored.
Gentlemen, gentlelasses, you know your duties. Disect this piece of trivia for how it could possibly impact lore. I suspect that it's a result of Vorlon influence stemming from 2148. Prove me wrong.
Suspicious guy is from "Legrange 2"? What a weird name for a place. Wouldn't there be tons of legrange points in every system, anywhere you care about orbiting bodies?
So, looks like we're in for some "lets distrust the main characters" conspiracy crap. I guess it fully fits into the universe and storyline, they're just never exciting.
"Transferring will take 1.4 hours". Goddamnit Garry Baldie, spring for the fancy crystals, not the discount crystals. There's no reasonable excuse for a data transfer that minimal to take that long.
Ivanova's sssssslllllooooooowwwwwwwlllllllyyyyy walking through her mind. I wish I weren't dead inside so I could give a crap about the emotional buildup here of CC hiding her own psychic powers or suspicions thereof.
NotBillyZane is overstepping his authority, Sinclair is quoting regs at him, NBZ isn't pleased, etc.
Sinclair's relieved of command, which seems like a totally rational course of action for vague accusations with no official backing.
yada. yada. ya. da.
Sinclair powers activate, form of: Pompous speech!
It's super effective!
And in the meantime, Will Robinson has finished Garibaldi's bike. This was an unsatisfying B plot. And A plot.
But seriously, why did they mirror the zoom-in shot for the intro?
Why?
Ubik
Regular
Looney
Regular
WOH! WOH! WOH!
You better not be stealing my idea Ubik. It was Looney's idea to start a Patreon to raise money so he could be a part of JMS' Patreon. Not this Usurper!
:guffaw: :guffaw: :guffaw: :guffaw: :guffaw:
1x17
"She's coming in with her gunports open!"
Alright, I haven't seen the show in a bit, but wouldn't this be "Dealing With Minbari 101"? If you get excited about their gunports being open, they wipe your species off the face of the universe. Seriously, read the memo new guy. This exposition can't be the first time that the Minbari are explaining the very thing that TRIGGERED THE DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND.
I'm pretty sure they're calling this corpse a member of the "Shy Elite". He sounds bashful.
Uh, Doctor Franklin, stop stroking the girl's hair. It's creepy.
"Build a wall, in your mind!" Future politician here.
...
Alright..... At this point my episode got interrupted. I finished watching it and the next one curled up in bed, notelessly.
Thus, I deprive you of my stream of consciousness of those episodes.
...There is a hole in your mind now. You're welcome.
Cramming the guy in the machine episode wasn't bad. Mars rebellion, super fancy tech, compelling stuff.
Tune in next time.
...Or subscribe to my OnlyFans for my erotic episode commentary. 18+ only, or anybody with access to their parents' credit card that can keep their mouths shut.
"She's coming in with her gunports open!"
Alright, I haven't seen the show in a bit, but wouldn't this be "Dealing With Minbari 101"? If you get excited about their gunports being open, they wipe your species off the face of the universe. Seriously, read the memo new guy. This exposition can't be the first time that the Minbari are explaining the very thing that TRIGGERED THE DESTRUCTION OF MANKIND.
I'm pretty sure they're calling this corpse a member of the "Shy Elite". He sounds bashful.
Uh, Doctor Franklin, stop stroking the girl's hair. It's creepy.
"Build a wall, in your mind!" Future politician here.
...
Alright..... At this point my episode got interrupted. I finished watching it and the next one curled up in bed, notelessly.
Thus, I deprive you of my stream of consciousness of those episodes.
...There is a hole in your mind now. You're welcome.
Cramming the guy in the machine episode wasn't bad. Mars rebellion, super fancy tech, compelling stuff.
Tune in next time.
...Or subscribe to my OnlyFans for my erotic episode commentary. 18+ only, or anybody with access to their parents' credit card that can keep their mouths shut.
1x19
A voice in the Wilderness - Part 2
https://snipboard.io/iwMznW.jpg
https://snipboard.io/jXBi68.jpg
Fairly standard, new tech = Flex your keegal muscles to express dominance over it plotline. Sinclair thinks we can hug this one out instead.
Garibaldi's assaulting people again. In public. Because they used their words.
"But we don't have a jamming device!" Ivanova isn't exactly the sharpest crayon in the box at this moment.
So, Jinxo left, and now the station's in mortal peril. Damnit Jinxo!
Evacuation's going to take 5 days. We'd better wait a few days to decide whether we should start on that.
"Garibaldi, when we screw this up and everybody dies, save Ivanova while sacrificing yourself, as I assume you have nothing to live for."
Yada yada, touch it and it'll blow, well, guess we'll touch it, yada yada.
"Just like Phallus 12". Londo's had some fun in his younger days.
For slow moving, large, heavy ships, there's a whole lot of missed shots happening.
And the episode resolves. My reduced amount of commentary shouldn't be taken as displeasure. It was enjoyable enough with no major weirdness or anything to trip me up enough to be worth commenting on. I can't really remember where this planet becomes relevant in the future (beyond it involving the one), so I don't have much commentary there either.
Carrying on.
A voice in the Wilderness - Part 2
https://snipboard.io/iwMznW.jpg
https://snipboard.io/jXBi68.jpg
Fairly standard, new tech = Flex your keegal muscles to express dominance over it plotline. Sinclair thinks we can hug this one out instead.
Garibaldi's assaulting people again. In public. Because they used their words.
"But we don't have a jamming device!" Ivanova isn't exactly the sharpest crayon in the box at this moment.
So, Jinxo left, and now the station's in mortal peril. Damnit Jinxo!
Evacuation's going to take 5 days. We'd better wait a few days to decide whether we should start on that.
"Garibaldi, when we screw this up and everybody dies, save Ivanova while sacrificing yourself, as I assume you have nothing to live for."
Yada yada, touch it and it'll blow, well, guess we'll touch it, yada yada.
"Just like Phallus 12". Londo's had some fun in his younger days.
For slow moving, large, heavy ships, there's a whole lot of missed shots happening.
And the episode resolves. My reduced amount of commentary shouldn't be taken as displeasure. It was enjoyable enough with no major weirdness or anything to trip me up enough to be worth commenting on. I can't really remember where this planet becomes relevant in the future (beyond it involving the one), so I don't have much commentary there either.
Carrying on.
Looney
Regular
HAHAHAHAHA :guffaw:
I would laugh at this comment, but I don't think it is a joke.
1x20
Babylon Squared
"That just can't be!" Hey, maybe they should train their cannon fodder to scream out exactly what is about to kill them. It would give the next cannon fodder a better chance.
I'm no militician though, so what do i know?
I am a scientician though, so i know that the second you've got yourself tachyons, you've gor yourself a time traveler infestation. They should get that looked at before somebody travels back in time and saves baby Hitler.
Heh.
B4. Be... four.
In a time travel episode.
Man, people are really fond of repeating their sentences before the time tentacles rip through their orifices. Disclaimer: i just made up time tentacles. They are not based in fact, but have yet to be disproven.
Investigating this time flux is 100% fatal so far, better send in a full squadron instead of just a few Canary-class ships from Fodder Wing.
Delenn is being super weird here. I think she's meeting her drug dealer.
Fasten and zip. If you zip and fasten then it can slightly unzip while you fasten and you're repeating your work. Not even worth considering as an alternative.
Setai Delenn of the Gray Council, counceling it up setailike and grayish. Supreme Leader Delenn, but instead of a dark lord, we would have a dark queeeeen!
...ok, wrong franchise. But she's still not doing it.
Man, those guys are just plowing into that flux. Not even a quick "hey, flight leader, did your eyes explode at the threshold" before they're all through. This is the sort of thing that ends up in a class action lawsuit when they all check their sperm counts later.
Arbitrary gunfight time! Judo chop! Critical hit!
Garibaldi sounded annoyed when the time traveler asked the year. As if it's not the most obvious question.
Poor Zathras. No one listens to Zathras.
Damn Sinclair, touching himself in public like that.... truly shocking.
Delenn has a lot of great things to say about us. She must be unaware of reality tv.
...Old Delenn was on B4 with Oldclair? I dont recall that.
She does like her fancy triangles.
Babylon Squared
"That just can't be!" Hey, maybe they should train their cannon fodder to scream out exactly what is about to kill them. It would give the next cannon fodder a better chance.
I'm no militician though, so what do i know?
I am a scientician though, so i know that the second you've got yourself tachyons, you've gor yourself a time traveler infestation. They should get that looked at before somebody travels back in time and saves baby Hitler.
Heh.
B4. Be... four.
In a time travel episode.
Man, people are really fond of repeating their sentences before the time tentacles rip through their orifices. Disclaimer: i just made up time tentacles. They are not based in fact, but have yet to be disproven.
Investigating this time flux is 100% fatal so far, better send in a full squadron instead of just a few Canary-class ships from Fodder Wing.
Delenn is being super weird here. I think she's meeting her drug dealer.
Fasten and zip. If you zip and fasten then it can slightly unzip while you fasten and you're repeating your work. Not even worth considering as an alternative.
Setai Delenn of the Gray Council, counceling it up setailike and grayish. Supreme Leader Delenn, but instead of a dark lord, we would have a dark queeeeen!
...ok, wrong franchise. But she's still not doing it.
Man, those guys are just plowing into that flux. Not even a quick "hey, flight leader, did your eyes explode at the threshold" before they're all through. This is the sort of thing that ends up in a class action lawsuit when they all check their sperm counts later.
Arbitrary gunfight time! Judo chop! Critical hit!
Garibaldi sounded annoyed when the time traveler asked the year. As if it's not the most obvious question.
Poor Zathras. No one listens to Zathras.
Damn Sinclair, touching himself in public like that.... truly shocking.
Delenn has a lot of great things to say about us. She must be unaware of reality tv.
...Old Delenn was on B4 with Oldclair? I dont recall that.
She does like her fancy triangles.
