Group Watch: A Day In The Strife

[SmileOfTheShadow]

The main plot of this one was almost like a star trek episode...alien probe with tons of information showing up. At first it makes me think of "The Inner Light" which happens to be my *favorite* TNG episode, but, JMS of course has other plans and makes his alien probe episode very distinctive. Nice twist at the end as well.

We see *again* G'Kar's leadership being questioned. The Narn don't really have much faith do they? Well, in this episode, it turns out they do at the end. It's nice to see people solidly behind G'Kar. Really good development.

Londo also decides to send off his only beacon of light to Minbar, delving further into darkness. I feel worse and worse from him with each episode.

The first three episodes of this season are very very good, but pretty light on the action. Just building up the anticipation. Something's coming. It's dangerous. Get on with it already!

Really well designed arc for this season. Of course it only gets better since JMS takes over *all* of the writing starting now.

I also feel like these last few episodes have all been pretty straight forward. And I've noticed the same thing since there's been a little bit less response in the group watch threads. Interesting. Well, I'm sure Gethsemane will provoke some discussion if nothing else.

[Garibaldi's Hair]

I imagine the first eps of every season were designed to be accessible to new people discovering the show for the first time, hence they would be generally the more straightforward, standalone ones.

[moreorless]

Another very good guest performance with Stephen Macht as Na'Far. Typical JMS writting in that story aswell as you sense theres a grain of truth in his arguement for G'Kar to return to Narn.

[Hal_10000]

The Beginning

Of each season except four tends to start a little slow for new viewers. That's more the case here because in a few eps we'll get to Voices of Authority and Messages from Earth that will blow the lid off.

There are lot of nice Sheridan-Ivanova and Ivanova-Corwin moments here as well:

Ivanova: Always finding good in every situation, Captain?
Sheridan: Absolutely. If I didn't, I might end up like you.
Ivanova: Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Did anybody else hear that?
[Corwin shakes his head]

Ivanova: If I live through this job, without completely losing my mind, it'll be a miracle of biblical proportions.
Corwin: Well, there goes my faith in the almighty.

She can be so much fun sometimes.

And any episode with Ta'Lon is in my good books!

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Of each season except four tends to start a little slow for new viewers. That's more the case here because in a few eps we'll get to Voices of Authority and Messages from Earth that will blow the lid off.

There are lot of nice Sheridan-Ivanova and Ivanova-Corwin moments here as well:

Ivanova: Always finding good in every situation, Captain?
Sheridan: Absolutely. If I didn't, I might end up like you.
Ivanova: Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Did anybody else hear that?
[Corwin shakes his head]

Ivanova: If I live through this job, without completely losing my mind, it'll be a miracle of biblical proportions.
Corwin: Well, there goes my faith in the almighty.

She can be so much fun sometimes.

And any episode with Ta'Lon is in my good books!

Yes, and I also noticed as the series progresses JMS must have noticed that people really like thos Ivanova quips...because she seems to make them more and more often.

[RMcD]

This episode is well named because it has a crazy number of plotlines. I think I count two main plots and four subplots (the alien probe, the challenge to G'Kar's position, the Transport Association protest, the return of Ta'Lon, Garibaldi challenging Franklin over his stim addiction and Londo arranging for Vir to go to Minbar).

Early on, I can remember having a lot of trouble watching B5 because of the parallel plotlines. I literally couldn't understand how a show on TV could have more than one plotline going on simultaneously without them being directly connected, and it confused the hell out of me. I know B5 certainly didn't invent this concept, but I can't actually recall anything that I had personally watched prior to B5 that did it, which may explain my reaction to it.

It's funny that after introducing both the White Star and Marcus Cole in Matters of Honor, both are absent (and completely unmentioned) for the following three episodes.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

It's funny that after introducing both the White Star and Marcus Cole in Matters of Honor, both are absent (and completely unmentioned) for the following three episodes.

Yes..which is very funny that Deep Space Nine became:

Worf...and...the cast of Deep Space 9 starring in....Star Trek: USS Defiant!

[babylonlurker]

The main plot of this one was almost like a star trek episode...alien probe with tons of information showing up. At first it makes me think of "The Inner Light" which happens to be my *favorite* TNG episode, but, JMS of course has other plans and makes his alien probe episode very distinctive. Nice twist at the end as well.

Inner light was brilliant TNG. I, too liked the twist at the end - very JMS-like.
Otherwise not a spectacular episode, but still quite good