Random questions about B5

[mattius]

Sorry if this question has been asked before - I haven't seen it addressed on this thread yet.

Season two, Last episode episode 'The Fall Of Night'.
Kosh rescues Sheridan, he leaves his encounter suit, revealing publicly for the first time what he is under his encounter suit: a winged, angelic being of light. bringing Sheridan safely to the ground.

Every race present saw a different deity but Londo. The Vorlons had created telepaths in each of these races and the Centauri have many deities.
Did Londo see only Sharidan?
Had londo been corrupted by the shadows already, or is it that he just lacked faith?

HI. londo had been corupted since the end of season one by the shadows and although the vorlons created the telepaths in the universe the shadows also used "teeps" as cpus for there ships. just summizing now but it could be that the centuri were a race influenced by the shadows before they were defeated in the war last

[Marsden]

in referal to the chinese actor question. there were a few well at least a few asian actors. sheridens girlfriend before he went to minbar. she was in the episode were gkar warns her about not going to sigma 947 (something like that) to scout for quantium 40. president santiago's advisor to b5 was asian i think japanese and thats all i know of off the top of my head

Yes, you are correct, there were plenty of Asian people, but they seemed to be mostly Japanese, like Senator Hidoshi or Sinclair's fiancee Kathrine, or even Laurel in the pilot. There were some Indian people and Middle Eastern as well, which are all consider Asian although that discription doesn't always apply to those groups. Also, the Security guard I was refering to seems to be named Mitch Anson, that's not really very defining. I was being silly about him being Korean, sorry.

Also, I wasn't asking about actors but characters, Julia Nickson who played Kathrine is of Chinese ancestory born in Singapore but the character's last name is Sakai which is Japanese, for example.

I just thought it was a little strange that there didn't seem to be anyone in space from the most populous country on Earth. One thing I want to say about B5 is it seems to be a truly "integrated" show, I never felt they were throwing someone on there as a token human of a certain ethnicity or race, and they also showed a lot more of different cultures than other shows that supposedly are diverse.

So I'm not being critical, I remember JMS posted or stated somewhere he didn't like to keep coming up with a lot of names, but that might be for the aliens, he said it about naming one of the Minbari, Coplann, I think, I just think it's a minor oversight, if it in fact is, maybe there were others that I missed. Plus, it's harmless discussion, I really like B5, to put it mildly, it does so many things right it's almost impossible to find any problem.

[mattius]

totally agree with you marsden. the shows characters allways have a purpose and are not just through in for "ethnical value". this is great because it doesnt regard other races other than white causican as a special case that need to be incorporated and it doesnt look at the colour or were there from which is in essence true equality.this is good for me as i dont have to sit through a show that has a british person in it listening to the usual clichÚs of britian

i think perhaps the reason why jms didnt have chinese people in it because he didnt find any chinese actors that suited any of his characters. as for chinese characters i think it was because china at that point wasnt as globally powerful as it is now (real life).in general i think that jms deals with cultural differences so perfectly in b5, one scene that i love is were vir is reminising about londo (when vir is emperor) and recalls the story about the when londo is brought to tears hearing the song of the pak ma ra.

and as for the show again totally agree. there isnt a single episode that i dont like. it is by far my favourate science fiction show

[phazedout]

and as for the show again totally agree. there isnt a single episode that i dont like. it is by far my favourate science fiction show

you like both [i]tko[/] and infection??

*offers him a ppg so he can quietly go shoot himself*

[WorkerCaste]

And "Exogenisis"????

[Marsden]

you like both [i]tko[/] and infection??

*offers him a ppg so he can quietly go shoot himself*

I like both of those episodes, quite a bit. One features one of the best character moments in sf tv history and the other is shows more culture than just about any sf tv ever.

Don't hand someone a gun before you know where they're going to point it.

[phazedout]

I said I'd give yo a gun, not that it was loaded...
Phaze
on the "you know this cough is really starting to get upon my nerves, any hope you guys can vibe it out of me a la Sean in the 4400" ID

[Mahr]

Has it ever been stated what the naranek 'title' means?
I've always interpreted it as 'ambassador' or 'voice' (as in voice of the vorlongs), but that's just random guessing.

Further, has it ever been elaborated on how few the 'few of us left' vorlons really were?

[JoeD80]

Has it ever been stated what the naranek 'title' means?

Nope. Joe just said "it's less a name and more of a description" but never elaborated on just what it described.

Further, has it ever been elaborated on how few the 'few of us left' vorlons really were?

I think this refers to there being very few of the First Ones in general being around; not that the Vorlons themselves only had a few.

[Marsden]

I think the Vorlons may also be depleted from the "Thirdspace" debacle, they lost a lot of their people to that one. And I get the impression that to the Vorlons it was recent even though to us it would have been long ago. (A million years might just be a "generation" ago by Vorlon standards)

[Marsden]

Well, time for one of my strange questions. The White Stars had a Vorlon technology, a capability to learn and react to damage. Ok. Then do you think Sheridan had Delta squadron go "beat up" all the fresh new White Stars so they would learn from it? Just sayin'

[Marsden]

I have a Thirdspace question. Lurker's guide says:

This story took place after the Shadow War, but before the declaration of war against Earth. That puts it between "Into the Fire" and "Moments of Transition."
Other clues allow it to be placed more precisely. It took place after "The Illusion of Truth" because that was the last time Zack wore his Earth Alliance uniform. Just after Zack was fitted with his new uniform in "Atonement," Delenn greeted Callenn and told him she'd be ready to leave for Minbar in one day, less than the amount of time elapsed in this story (Sheridan remarked to Trent that she'd had five days to examine the artifact.) It couldn't have taken place after "Atonement" since Dr. Franklin left in that episode before Delenn returned; the two of them weren't on the station at the same time again until after the declaration of war.

That puts "Thirdspace" between the first and second scenes of "Atonement" (a slight inconsistency since Callenn's ship can be seen to arrive in the opening shot, before Zack's fitting) unless Zack's visit to the Minbari tailors wasn't the first time he wore the uniform. If his visit was just an adjustment, possibly a result of being in fistfights in "Thirdspace," the story takes place between "The Illusion of Truth" and "Atonement."

Did JMS ever pin this down, or did he just leave it as is?

[Garibaldi's Hair]

Did JMS ever pin this down, or did he just leave it as is?

<Kosh>Yes</Kosh>

[WorkerCaste]

I'm rewatching the series and just watched "Rumors, Lies and Bragains" and from the very first time I saw this, I had a question. I've got my opinion on the answer, but I was wondering what others though.

After the warrior attacks Neroon, Delenn addresses the Religious caste members telling them that they are her rock, and that she knows something like the attack on Neroon would never happen among their caste. Later Lennier tells them that Delenn doesn't live in the same world as they do.

So, the question occurred to me, how much do they think they are speaking the truth, and how correct are they? I see 3 basic possibilities:

1) Delenn absolutely believed what she was saying, and Lennier was correct that she was living in another world.

2) Delenn knew the members of her caste had the same sort of doubts and was manipulating them by showing she thought the best of them in hopes they would rise to the occasion. Then, Lennier was blinded by his love for Delenn and believed what he said, not understanding what she was doing.

3) They both understood that the doubts existed, and both were using the opportunity to influence them to a better outcome.

Personally, I think it's number 2. What do you guys think? Is there another option I missed?

[Jan]

1) Delenn absolutely believed what she was saying, and Lennier was correct that she was living in another world.

2) Delenn knew the members of her caste had the same sort of doubts and was manipulating them by showing she thought the best of them in hopes they would rise to the occasion. Then, Lennier was blinded by his love for Delenn and believed what he said, not understanding what she was doing.

3) They both understood that the doubts existed, and both were using the opportunity to influence them to a better outcome.

Personally, I think it's number 2. What do you guys think? Is there another option I missed?

I'm going to go with option 3. While Lennier is deeply in love with Delenn, as her attache', a lot of his job would entail the kind of misdirection that would be necessary on a day-to-day basis in Minbari society.

Which isn't to say that I think Delenn would have discussed it with Lennier, I don't. She was playing things very close to the vest right then and he might have gotten wind of her plans if she'd talked to him too much.

Jan