Infection and Shadow Technology

[Delenn_of_Mir]

I am really enjoying my third go-through of B5 and I'm finding that I appreciate and enjoy the series more the more of it that I see.

I just finished Infection, and I actually enjoyed it quite a lot!!! I liked the message of how we are all imperfect, and I loved the foreshadowing of things to come for Earth.

It also hit me that the organic artifacts seemed similar to what Anna Sheridan found in the B5 novel "The Shadow Within". I know they were different, and the Ikarrans took credit for their creation, but I wonder if they actually got them from the Shadows?

That type of weapon which caused all kinds of chaos and destuction would appear to be right up their ally.

Anyway, I just love this show soooo much, and it's exciting to rewatch and see things that I never noticed before.

[WorkerCaste]

At the risk of repeating myself, (actually, the risk is 100% since I know I've posted this before) Infection was the first episode to really make me think the series was going to be something different. That only happened in the last few miutes, though. Up until that point the episode was pretty much another "guy in a rubber suit loose on the station/ship/base." Well enough done, but nothing special. Then in the last few minutes it questions whether the lead has a death wish and points out a weakness in humanity and foreshadows bad things. That just totally upgraded the episode for me.

[Jan]

It also hit me that the organic artifacts seemed similar to what Anna Sheridan found in the B5 novel "The Shadow Within". I know they were different, and the Ikarrans took credit for their creation, but I wonder if they actually got them from the Shadows?

Yep. We don't know how but probably the Shadows provided the organic tech through the Ikarran equivalent of some government 'black ops' set-up. But it was definitely Shadow tech as JMS confirmed in the very first of the script books:

Laying the foundation for shadowtech meant introducing the concept of organic technology into the series, especially the kind of machine that bonds with a life form, allowing it to serve the intent of the machine while directing its actions tactically. If you look closely at the Ikarran armor, itÆs a black carapace with a spider-like interface that absorbs a living being into its matrix and has tremendous firepower...leaving no question, once youÆve seen the rest of the series, that this is leftover Shadow-tech.

I definitely relate to the joy of finding new things in each re-watch. B5 is one of the few shows that reward watching again so well.

Jan

[Delenn_of_Mir]

Yep. We don't know how but probably the Shadows provided the organic tech through the Ikarran equivalent of some government 'black ops' set-up. But it was definitely Shadow tech as JMS confirmed in the very first of the script books: I definitely relate to the joy of finding new things in each re-watch. B5 is one of the few shows that reward watching again so well. Jan

Thank You, Jan

I haven't read any of the script books yet. I'm sure they must contain a wealth of fun information though.

[Marsden]

Wow. I never put that together, now it seems so obvious. Again, a relatively minor so called throwaway episode, not that I've ever felt that way--I've always complained at it being on so many worst episode lists for the last 5 minutes alone, but it has more layers and details that tie together. And the similarity to the "mouse" Anna Sheridan worked on is also interesting. I really wish those Lost Tales didn't go away.

[Delenn_of_Mir]

The shadow within is one of my favorite B5 novels, and I loved the Lost Tales too. A Lost Tales tv series would have been really fun, or even, dare I say it, as an animated series?

[Marsden]

If were talking a "Pixar" quality animation, I be for it completely, even if it's the form the feature takes. Really. But I'm being silly, I don't think there's every going to be a B5 feature. I really loved that book, and I've just finished the first technomage book and I plan to start reading the 2nd in about 10 min.