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Season 2: Things are picking up...

M

Mondo Londo

Regular
The last two episodes on SciFi have brought us Dwight Schultz (a.k.a Howlin' Mad Murdoch, a.k.a. Lt. Reginald Barkley) and his fight with a non-corporeal being -- as well as exposure to a super-secret organization on Earth, and something called "control."

We also learn Sheridan loves to uncover conspiracies...

Do you think that non-corporeal being is self-aware?



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"What's up, Drakh?"

Michael Garibaldi
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> Do you think that non-corporeal being is self-aware?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


If you are referring to the Soldier of Darkness, it DID reprogram the ship's navigation computer to take it to Z'Ha'Dum.

That would require at least a modicum of self awareness.
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Yes, I like cats too.
Shall we exchange Recipes?
 
Ah yes, but Season 2 has some real gems. Coming of the Shadows is arguably the best episode of the whole darn series. There are some filler episode, but there aren't any bad filler episodes like there are in Season 1. That's my $.02.

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[This message has been edited by adampasz (edited October 11, 2001).]
 
I'm always amazed at the number of B5 fans who label any episode where nothing gets blown up and nobody gets punched out or shot at as a "filler episode".

The Explosions are the Filler.
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Yes, I like cats too.
Shall we exchange Recipes?
 
Season 2 was perhaps not brilliant throughout but it had two of the best episodes in the whole series (IMHO, of course):

The Coming of Shadows and The Long, Twilight Struggle.

I haven't been so captivated, so moved by anything else on TV for a very long time.

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"It's animal magnetism. What can I say?"
- G'Kar, A Tragedy of Telepaths
Visit Kribu's Lounge - now completely ad-free!
 
I liked season 2. Although I agree with Kribu in saying that it wasn't spectacular, but there were several episodes in season 2 that I would consider as favorites including Soul Mates, The Coming of Shadows, Acts of Sacrifice, In the Sadow of Za'hadum, and The Fall of Night. I did find season 2 to be entertaining, and that is part of the reason why I like B5 so much. I rarely get bored with it.
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RW, the salad bar king. Visit my salad bar forum at www.b5rangers.net
 
Aw, that was kinda harsh, bakana. Has nothing to do with a lack of action or explosions.

filler episode = An episode that does not significantly advance the overall story arc are develop the characters.

Some examples: "TKO", "By any Means Necessary", "Grey 17 is Missing" and even the Thirdspace Movie.

A filler episode is not by default bad. "A View from the Gallery" I would clasify as a filler episode, but nevertheless I enjoy it. (...probably because it has lots of explosions! :p)

Perhaps stand-alone episode would have been a less derogatory term to use, but not all stand-alone episodes are necessarily filler because a stand-alone episode might set up events in a future episode.

I would say B5 is about 20% filler episodes, 40% stand-alone episodes, and 40% story-arc episodes.

By contrast, X-files is about 50% filler, and Star Trek (any series) is 90% filler!

Please note, these are just rough estimates...
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[This message has been edited by adampasz (edited October 12, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by adampasz (edited October 12, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by adampasz (edited October 12, 2001).]
 
I just went back to the Lurker's Guide to check out the episode list. On the whole I thought Season 2 was pretty good when I saw it the first time. However, there are two or three episodes I don't watch any more.

Maybe in 3 years I'll watch the whole series over. I don't think any of the standalone episodes are quite as good as those that carry the story line. For one thing, neither Londo or G'kar appear in many of them except for a passing scene.
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I liked season two because it introduced a new commanding oficer on B5.Londo get more involved in shadows which setups season three beautifully
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"When it is time, come to this place, call our name, we will be here" -Walkers of Sigma957
 
I thought "A View from the Gallery" was Brilliant. A story treatment that has, so far as I know, NEVER been done on television before. Certainly not American TV.

Ignore the "Stars", focus on two of the "faces in the crowd" and let us see the action from Their POV.

The only other show that comes close was the MASH episode that was filmed "through a wounded soldier's eyes". Even that fell short since the wounded soldier spent most of the episode looking at Hawkeye.

It bothers a lot of people Because it uses the "Stars" as Extras, people just Passing Through.



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Yes, I like cats too.
Shall we exchange Recipes?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by adampasz:
filler episode = An episode that does not significantly advance the overall story arc are develop the characters.

Some examples: "TKO", "By any Means Necessary", "Grey 17 is Missing" and even the Thirdspace Movie. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Lots of spoilers on the way, folks, so shield your delicate peepers.

"TKO": Foreshadows Garibaldi being shot in the back. Reveals how Ivanova's family issues shape her life, and her desire to change that. Shows that the racial tension and corporate corruption hinted in earlier eps extends even into sports and entertainment.

"By Any Means Necessary": Brings labor issues into the B5 universe. Shows the extent of the political hardliners in Earthgov, foreshadowing Clark, Knightwatch, and

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>B5's break with the Earth Alliance. </font></td></tr></table>

Also begins the major role reversals between G'Kar and Londo.

"Grey 17 Is Missing: Shows caste tensions between the Minbari are rising, foreshadowing

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> the Minbari Civil War. </font></td></tr></table>

Jeremiah's fanatical group provides a basis for the later propaganda attacks on B5.

"Thirdspace": Hints at the scale of IPX operations and their later role in "Crusade." Delves into the darker side of the Vorlons' legacy. Foreshadows Lyta's alienation from the rest of the B5 crew. Spells out how head-over-heels Zack Allen is for her, and lays out groundwork for the resolution he eventually comes to about it.

Seems like an awful lot of stuff going on in there for just filler.

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Joe Medina (neargrai@aol.com)

"...that which are, we are"
 
Good reply, Darquin. Maybe we should call them "filler inner" eps.
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You're speaking treason! Olivia De Havilland as Maid Marian
Fluently! Errol Flynn as Robin Hood
You're talking treason! Olivia De Havilland as Arabella Bishop
I trust I'm not obscure. Errol Flynn as Dr. Peter Blood

Palindromes of the month: Lager, sir, is regal. Do geese see god?
 
I remember JMS saying he couldn't understand how people could consider the result arc but the process filler. Not a direct quote mind you but you get the gist.

It probably has to do with the fact that you only realize much of the foreshadowing etc is what it is after the fact.

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"Yeah, we could start our own game where people throw ducks at balloons and nothing's the way it seems."-Homer
 
I liked a View From the Gallery too, one of my favorites. The standlone episodes aren't "bad" they just don't excite me in the same way. For instance, Exogenesis has an excellent scene between Marcus and the Doctor, but I don't particularly like the episode. I've never liked Infection because I was so disappointed in David MacCallum's lackluster performance.
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i must say i liked a view from the gallery. It was very well made. There was a star trek ng episode like this where it's seen from the eyes of jr officers. It doesn't compare to b5 and makes you truly appreciate how well b5 is made and written.

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LOL Sure, I'll buy that.

Grant you, I'm not saying those are all necessarily great eps. Most of the ones named have a relatively sluggish pace, so I'm not surprised they're hardly ever on anyone's list of B5 raves. I'm just reluctant to peg anything as devoid of content simply because it doesn't hit me right.

Case in point: "War Prayer." I've liked D.C. Fontana's work ever since Classic Trek. And there are some important pieces of arc info, character development, and foreshadowing going on in that one. It even has actors I think are way cool. But something about the direction or the acting just falls flat. So I don't watch that one very much, if ever. But its contribution to the series as a whole remains.

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Joe Medina (neargrai@aol.com)

"...that which are, we are"
 
Anyway, back to Season Two:

On SciFi, we've now seen:

Sheridan tell knock-knock jokes;
another example how Franklin follows his own conscience before all;
proof that Bester can be beaten at his own game;
Talia lose her faith in the Psi Corps;
Talia pay Susan a late night visit;
etc.


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"What's up, Drakh?"

Michael Garibaldi
 
I enjoyed watching the beginning of John and Delenn's relationship once again. The way that their relationship evolved over time really drew me to the series. It was not an instant relationship in the just add water sense. They took time to get to know one another.

Refa gets nastier every time I see him.

Let us not forget what is really important. As each episode of season two moves by. We draw closer and closer to the introduction of Marcus in season three.

On a semi-related note, did anyone notice the Ranger outfit worn during our first official ranger sighting. To me, it seemed to more closely resemble the attire worn by Lennier and other Minbari Rangers than the clothing worn by Marcus and other Human Rangers. Perhaps Sinclair and the tailors had yet to make modifications? I liked his outfit. However, did it not strike you as odd that no one on the staff thought his was dressed funny?
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Frizzell

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"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in a confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

"Good in theory...
Lousy in practice...
It implies that I am expendable. I am many things. I am bright, personable, charismatic and not a bad dancer but expendable? No."
 
Perhaps capes came back in style some time around that time period. After all if bellbottoms can make a comeback(thankfully that fad seems to be over) than anything can.

Besides with Pak'ma'rah and Vorlons scampering around human ecentricities probably get noticed less.

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"Yeah, we could start our own game where people throw ducks at balloons and nothing's the way it seems."-Homer
 
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