Random questions about B5

[JoeD80]

On the Sense8 thought, I had the same thought somewhere around the forums here. And the characters do appear to be set up early as on the same team but maybe cracks will form as we go into season two setting up a telepath/sense8 crisis.
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For the Gut Reactions script, some of the season five notecards in the artifiacts book were used for this script, e.g. the Centuari who comes in to replace Londo. I always wonder why that script wasn't in the Other Voices books; it was an official script even if it didn't get produced.

[Jan]

You should have it now! Enjoy.

Jan

[flobo]

Thanks for the offer, that's nice

[Jan]

That's the one, there were two names for that cancelled story but i couldn't remember the first one.

Nothing in the script books but I have the script that was sent out to the department heads. I wrote a synopsis if you want to PM me an email address, I'm happy to send it to you.

Jan

[flobo]

Oh, I'm sure! As you read, you've probably noticed that JMS always finds a way to explore an idea!

He does indeed .

Not that I recall. The only one I'm familiar with was 'Gut Reactions' by Peter David and Bill Mumy.

That's the one, there were two names for that cancelled story but i couldn't remember the first one.

[Jan]

I thought immediately about Sense8 while reading that, it's not exactly that, but there are definitively thematic connections.

Oh, I'm sure! As you read, you've probably noticed that JMS always finds a way to explore an idea!

Also, a completely disconnected question. In JMS' notes on season 5, there is a mention of the cancelled season 5 episode "Dying to be heard".
Is the outline somewhere in the books ?

Not that I recall. The only one I'm familiar with was 'Gut Reactions' by Peter David and Bill Mumy.

Jan

[flobo]

Reading though the script books, i'm having a few more thought.

In a volume i can't remember, JMS said it'd be interesting to make a show about the origins of telepaths and the psi-corp.
In his notes about Byron in volume 5, he again speak about his ideas about a shows about telepaths and the way they could work as a hive mind.
He then says it could be a B5 spinoff or a totally different show.

I thought immediately about Sense8 while reading that, it's not exactly that, but there are definitively thematic connections.


Also, a completely disconnected question. In JMS' notes on season 5, there is a mention of the cancelled season 5 episode "Dying to be heard".
Is the outline somewhere in the books ?

[Jan]

In the DVD commentaries JMS drew a connection to Valen and Sheridan both disappearing.

Just sayin'...

[Satai with Punsch]

I've always figured Valen was in suspended animation on the Vorlon homeworld.

Had never thought of that before, but it is a good idea. Though "Valen" in this case might be any leader figure who reorganizes society, brings happiness and kittens for all, and so on ... as they do.

[JasonDavis]

I've always figured Valen was in suspended animation on the Vorlon homeworld.

We know he left Minbar. The Minbari believed he would one day return. The Vorlons abducted other "chosen ones" over the years. It would make sense that the Vorlons would preserve him for some future manipulation of the Minbari.

Depending on how much Valen confided in Kosh about his origins, Kosh itself might have seen to the preservation of Valen, not knowing that he originated in the 23rd century as Sinclair. I'm sure Kosh figured it all out pretty quickly upon meeting Sinclair in 2257, but its hesitancy to act openly against the Shadows may have been tied to uncertainty regarding the logistics of getting Sinclair to the past. I've always thought it was very telling that Kosh finally acted openly (and suicidally) just as the rift in Sector 14 was expanded and Sinclair received the letter from Valen.

[Jan]

Adding the fact that he implied he might see marcus again in his letter, i wonder if JMS ever toyed with the idea of a possible Sinclair/Valen return to the present era.

No telling what might have gone through JMS' mind! But when it comes to the opening narrations, remember that what was saw was a documentary so we have to allow for the all-seeing eye of hindsight.

[flobo]

You're probably right.

I'm probably thinking way too much about it since i've started rewatching and reading those books, but there's another little thing with Sinclair.

In B5, the story is told by the main characters in the far future. (Londo in the pilot "i was there, at the down of the third age...", Sinclair in S1 "it was the dawn of the third age of mankind", Sheridan in S2, Ivanova in S3,... ).

Sinclair left to become Valen in the middle of season 3, quite a while before the third age / end of the war and never knew it.

Adding the fact that he implied he might see marcus again in his letter, i wonder if JMS ever toyed with the idea of a possible Sinclair/Valen return to the present era.

[Jan]

Y
I've always figured that the Valen part was worked out when Michael O Hare couldn't return, as a way to exit the character but maybe it was thought about sooner that i thought, in late season 1.

By then it was obvious that Michael wouldn't be able to come back, I think. But as for a 'version' of the arc, I'm thinking that if it existed anywhere it was jotted down notes rather than anything as formal as the memo in Volume 15. At least, IMO.

Jan

[flobo]

Yes, i did, another very interesting read.

Just made me think about something else.

JMS implies than Sinclair was going to steal B4 from 20 years into the future in one version of the arc.

Meaning there is a version of the arc in which Sinclair stays on and still become Valen.

I've always figured that the Valen part was worked out when Michael O Hare couldn't return, as a way to exit the character but maybe it was thought about sooner that i thought, in late season 1.

[Jan]

Still amazing how so many things in season 1 could be reinterpreted slightly in a different way after the Sinclair removal changed the arc so that it still makes sense.

Yeah, JMS has a mind like (as I think he's said) a bucket full of snakes. Have you read the 'Babylon Squared' introduction yet? That one was twisty!