Group Watch: Points of Departure

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Alright...season break over, let's do some speed catching up here.

Garibaldi's in a coma...Delenn's in a cocoon (which JMS reused in ASM :P), Sinclair's been transfered! Oh no! What's going to happen next?!

Good thing I've watched the show four times. The introduction of Sheridan is an interesting one as he comes from his ship command. Sheridan is very different than Sinclair, at first being very aloof, almost seeming forgetful and non-attentive toward details.

A rogue Minbari ship shows up pissed off that Sheridan's in command, it seems like JMS really wanted to slap in our face "THINGS ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT WITH THIS CAPTAIN!!!"

Honestly, watching right after Crysalis, this is a very non-impactful episode for me. Sheridan shows up...and I'm finding upon watching the show over a few times that I'm liking Sinclair more and more and Sheridan a little less until later on in the show. My frist actual watch through after the dvds came out I had never really seen season 1 so I had a disdain for Sinclair, being used to Sheridan, but that's changed.

I think this episode unveils that fighter pilot guy who was thrown in via WB notes as well to have a macho-hero on the show. His scenes really do feel like they come out of nowhere.

Thoughts?

[Babylon5fan07]

I partly understand what your saying regarding Sheridan because until the episode that really changes the whole story arc forever (The Coming of Shadows--season 2 title)the episodes aren't exactly memorable in the sense that there is a whole lot going on. Although Geometry of Shadows to me is very pivotal and of course A Race Through Dark Places deals with Bester and Soul Mates is somewhat a good episode explaining Londo's wives. However, on the other side of the coin where Sinclair is more laid back and has kind of a laid back personality you see Sheridan is more in your face and wants the job done more to the point.

As far as the episode goes..Seeing Sheridan the first time played by Bruce Boxleitner is refreshing in a small sense...we are still trying to figure out what's going on with Deleen? Garibaldi still in a coma and of course Garibaldi's first is still walking around without anyone a thought knowing it was him. Oviously please skip the opening credits until episode #2 Revelations because there is a spoiler. Yes Keffer is somewhat anti-climatic but we all know by the end of the 3rd season he does make a difference in revealing the enemy. JMS didn't want a hero fighter pilot but I think the critics and fans did so that's why he was here for the 2nd season until Jeff Conway starts to take over the extra actor that makes a huge difference in the show!

Always,
Alex

[Garibaldi's Hair]

JMS didn't want a hero fighter pilot but I think the critics and fans did so that's why he was here for the 2nd season until Jeff Conway starts to take over the extra actor that makes a huge difference in the show!

Actually, it was WB that wanted the hero fighter pilot character and JMS said that he always planned to kill him off at the earliest appropriate opportunity. His demise is in no way connected to Jeff Conaway's increasing role in the show from S3 onwards.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Actually, it was WB that wanted the hero fighter pilot character and JMS said that he always planned to kill him off at the earliest appropriate opportunity. His demise is in no way connected to Jeff Conaway's increasing role in the show from S3 onwards.

Yup, I remember hearing that as well. As the show progressed a lot of people who were in the background took certain forefronts. The fighter pilot character I notice is really really just thrown in there in a very non-JMS way. It seemed like a complete protest on his part. He has zero depth, zero backstory...he's just all of a sudden there. Really funny.

[RMcD]

Yup, I remember hearing that as well. As the show progressed a lot of people who were in the background took certain forefronts. The fighter pilot character I notice is really really just thrown in there in a very non-JMS way. It seemed like a complete protest on his part. He has zero depth, zero backstory...he's just all of a sudden there. Really funny.

And yet.. then we get almost the same thing happening again in Crusade, with Trace Miller. Never could figure that out. Was he imposed by TNT? Granted there was an attempt to make him interesting with the revelation that he was a former priest. Even so, I liked Keffer, and thought it was a little callous of JMS not to tell him that his character was being written out during filming of his final episode.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

And yet.. then we get almost the same thing happening again in Crusade, with Trace Miller. Never could figure that out. Was he imposed by TNT? Granted there was an attempt to make him interesting with the revelation that he was a former priest. Even so, I liked Keffer, and thought it was a little callous of JMS not to tell him that his character was being written out during filming of his final episode.

TNT messed with Crusade like none other. JMS, as we know was very very frustrated with that whole situation. I'm sure the specifics of what was and wasn't imposed by TNT will be included in Crusade Scriptbook: Volume 3 lol.

[Garibaldi's Hair]

Don't quote me on this ... ... but I'm sure I remember some comment from JMS that TNT wanted a hero pilot figure in there as well. Hence his first appearance was in War Zone (the new premier ep) and he doesn't appear in any of the first 5 (pre-hiatus) episodes produced.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Don't quote me on this ... ... but I'm sure I remember some comment from JMS that TNT wanted a hero pilot figure in there as well. Hence his first appearance was in War Zone (the new premier ep) and he doesn't appear in any of the first 5 (pre-hiatus) episodes produced.

*Waits for Jan's ruling on this one.*

[Jan]

*Waits for Jan's ruling on this one.*

Sure, drag me into it... In a quick look, I couldn't find anything in JMS's posts about Trace except that TNT had requested he be referred to by name earlier in an episode.

That doesn't mean a whole lot, though. Remember that we had NO clue at all that there was trouble with TNT until a memo with some of the more egregious notes surfaced on AICN. Looking at a Treatment that I have for 'A Call to Arms' (then called 'Eve of Destruction'), it's obvious that there had already been discussion about characters and whether or not there'd be any B5 guest stars.

With luck we'll get a lot more detail when the Crusade books come out.

Jan