Ivanova and B5:TLT

[moreorless]

I always thought that Anna was meant to be Sakai in Z'ha'dum. I mean, how much more powerful would her appearance be if she was someone we KNEW, instead of someone we knew ABOUT?

Actually I'm not sure it would have been as effective. With Sheridan they were able to make the loss of his wife the central theme to the character where as in Sinclairs case its his connection to the Minbari.

[SpanishFan]

I always thought that Anna was meant to be Sakai in Z'ha'dum. I mean, how much more powerful would her appearance be if she was someone we KNEW, instead of someone we knew ABOUT?

That said, the story we would have had with Sakai and the story we had with Anna are not the same because, as Joe said, JMS doesn't work that way and the chronology doesn't fit. It's one of those cases were JMS got to the same point by a different road.
But I guess we'll know for sure in a few months with volume 15.

[AmyG]

Isn't the official story "it was a mutual decision"? Which, while making Joe technically correct, would make us have to call his statement a 'weasel.'

[Joe Nazzaro]

Michael O'Hare decided to leave? That sounds like a bit of revisionist history to me.

[vacantlook]

So, Joe, do you think that with whatever original Sheridan character jms was planning (had Sinclair stayed around), that what we actually got of Anna Sheridan would have been divided between her and Catherine in that Anna still would have been part of the group that woke the Shadows up but Catherine would have been captured by Shadows while she was away exploring and shoved into a Shadow vessel only to be pulled out when they realized who she was in relation to Sinclair and then she would have been sent after Sinclair to draw him to Z'ha'dum?

[therichieboy]

The Shadows are already up and about in S1 (see "Signs and Portents") and at that time Catherine Sakai hadn't been anywhere near Z'ha'dum.

Good point.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear JMS didn't have to change things too much- that would be kind of dissatisfying.

I remember reading an interview after season 1 aired in the UK- I think it was with JMS. He mentioned something about Sakai developing a terminal disease at some stage down the line. Has anyone else heard this?

[Joseph DeMartino]

Catherine Sakai's character was, as far as I know, the root for Anna Sheridan and all her roaming around bumping into First Ones in season 1 was a foreshadow of Za'ha Dum.

People keep saying that, but JMS has always denied it and the evidence is against it. The Shadows are already up and about in S1 (see "Signs and Portents") and at that time Catherine Sakai hadn't been anywhere near Z'ha'dum.

Sinclair's storyline was not simply lifted in one piece and dropped on Sheridan. JMS almost never worked that way and he didn't in this case. In fact, the dead wife storyline was originally created for a Sheridan-like character who was to have joined the series in season two in addition to Sinclair. With the Shadow war on the horizon JMS realized that for dramatic purposes, he needed Sinclair to have a personal tie to that part of the story along with the already-established connection to the Minarbi part of the tale. But when he tried to create one they all felt too contrived, he was putting too much weight on one character's shoulders. So he decided to bring in someone else to deal with the Shadow War, while Sinclair retreated to more of an advisory and mentor role. In a sense the new character would play Aragorn to Sinclair's Frodo - one the military and political leader, the other the Quest Hero. When Michael O'Hare decided to leave, JMS refined the character - originally called Capt. John Strider not to put too fine a point on it - and made him a replacement for Sinclair rather than his compliment. This also allowed him to move the conclusion of Sinclair's story up the the middle of season three instead of leaving it for the end of S5.

She disappeared after supposedly "seeing a Vorlon." as did the Doctor and Lyta Alexandar.

I don't recall that Laurel ever saw Kosh. AFAIK only Lyta and Dr. Kyle did. JMS has said she went off on a classfied mission to the Rim, a story he'd like to tell someday. If I had to guess, I'd say it had something to do with the EarthForce black project to reverse engineer Shadow technology - the one that ultimately destroyed Matthew Gideon's ship Cerberus. But that's just a guess on my part.

Regards,

Joe

[therichieboy]

It might originally have been a way to get Catherine to Z'ha'dum but what actually happened to her....is in the novels (sorry, I tried) and a bit of it in the comics. Check out "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" by Katherine Drennan.

Jan

Oops. I haven't read a B5 novel in years. I am reading J G Ballard's new one- fantastic. Not that that's relevent.

[BabylonRebel]

I enjoyed Michael O'Hare as well, but what about his girlfriend Catherine Sakai? She vanished without a trace.

I'd also love to find out what happened to Lt. Commander Laurel Takashima. She disappeared after supposedly "seeing a Vorlon." as did the Doctor and Lyta Alexandar. Lyta came back "Changed." I wonder what happened to the other two?

Of course now several of you are going to tell me to read one of the novels and find out.

Well, the last we hear of Laurel is that she was reassigned somewhere out on the rim - perhaps as Executive Officer/Captain of a ship like the EAS Cortez.

[Jan]

It might originally have been a way to get Catherine to Z'ha'dum but what actually happened to her....is in the novels (sorry, I tried) and a bit of it in the comics. Check out "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" by Katherine Drennan.

Jan

[therichieboy]

I enjoyed Michael O'Hare as well, but what about his girlfriend Catherine Sakai? She vanished without a trace.

Catherine Sakai's character was, as far as I know, the root for Anna Sheridan and all her roaming around bumping into First Ones in season 1 was a foreshadow of Za'ha Dum.

It would be interesting if The Lost Tales could link the two characters somehow completing the connection.

[Jan]

Well, okay...I'll skip telling you to read the novels.

I'm afraid we might only find out what happened to Dr. Kyle in dialogue, though. Johnny Sekka passed away a couple of months ago.

Jan

[Alfred Taylor]

Other Lost Characters from season one

Are any of the Lost Tales going to be set before War Without End? If so is there any chance of Michael O'Hare returning? Sinclair was just about my favourite SF lead character and I'd love to see more focus on his journey post Chrysalis. Michael O'Hare was also brilliant in the role.

I enjoyed Michael O'Hare as well, but what about his girlfriend Catherine Sakai? She vanished without a trace.

I'd also love to find out what happened to Lt. Commander Laurel Takashima. She disappeared after supposedly "seeing a Vorlon." as did the Doctor and Lyta Alexandar. Lyta came back "Changed." I wonder what happened to the other two?

Of course now several of you are going to tell me to read one of the novels and find out.

[FuryPilot]

Nobody seems to know for sure but the feeling seems to be that Michael O'Hare has retired from acting. His website has been down for quite some time and he did decide against being involved with the DVD commentary.

I do not find any mention of him after his appearance on Law & Order in 2000. Sounds like a kind of retirement to me.

Hope he's happy in whatever he's doing?

FP

[Jan]

Nobody seems to know for sure but the feeling seems to be that Michael O'Hare has retired from acting. His website has been down for quite some time and he did decide against being involved with the DVD commentary.

I loved his acting in WWE. He/Sinclair seemed much more relaxed.

Jan