Trap door for Delenn?

[Delenn_of_Mir]

I asked this on imdb cos I hadn't posted on there in ages and I know Jan posts on there sometimes, but I feel a responsibility to keep the B5 section of this site active, other than the silly quotes thread, since most people are busy on the sense8 board. I don't want B5 to feel unloved. "giggles"

So anywho, we know Joe had back doors/trap doors written for each character and I was just wondering if somewhere he wrote down what those were for Delenn?

Her character was pretty central to the story, as far as helping heal the rift between the two races and forming the new government, and I always felt like the birth of David was necessary to fix the soul imbalance.

But if Mira had decided the makeup was too much for her and had left I wonder how JMS would have fixed that? Would Neroon or Lennier undergone a sex change, plus turning human, would a new female minbari be introduced to do that?

It's really funny to think of Sheridan marrying Lennier instead of Delenn, what with Lennier trying to kill Sheridan and all in the real show. "giggles muchly"

And if you're aware of any backdoors for other characters that weren't needed, feel free to share them in this thread.

[Jan]

No, JMS has never said anything about the trap door for Delenn. But one expects it would be along the lines of what she said to Sebastian:

If I fall, another will take my place. And another. And another.

The whole merging of Minbari and Human souls could have been transferred to anybody, I'd think?

[Delenn_of_Mir]

Thanks Jan.

I'm really glad she didn't leave since she's my fav. I was just wondering if Joe had ever said what he'd do without her, and he didn't, so question answered.

Do you know if he actually had a secret plan, back in the day that he's probably forgotten now? Or was it just, deal with each departure as it happens?

[Jan]

Do you know if he actually had a secret plan, back in the day that he's probably forgotten now? Or was it just, deal with each departure as it happens?

Naturally there'd be no way of really knowing without climbing into his head and looking around - something I think even Bester would quail at! He was probably prepared in a general way in case any of them left but I doubt he had anything detailed since much would depend on *when* the change would happen.

My feeling after having read the B5 script books is that he had certain beats in the story planned out for each character that he really wanted to have happen in order for the story to go the way he wanted. He was probably prepared in a general way in case any of them left but I doubt he had anything detailed since much would depend on *when* the change would happen.

For an instance we already know about, look at Talia/Lyta. Talia's powers had been boosted by Ironheart. When Thompson left and Tallman came back, JMS had her powers boosted by the Vorlons.

But I think it's important to remember that while JMS moved threads from one character to another sometimes, those characters don't actually have the same story. Many fans thought that if O'Hare hadn't left, Catherine Sakai would have had the 'Anna Sheridan' story. But we know from the outline in Volume 15 of the script books that Sakai's fate was completely different. Still, something would have happened to her that would have made Sinclair available for Delenn to marry.

So for purposes of speculation, we'd have to look at what the really important beats for Delenn were and how (or whether) they could be done by somebody else. Was it breaking the Grey Council? Neroon was actually in place to be able to do that once Delenn refused the leadership. Was it bringing Minbari and Human souls back together? For that, we'd have to know when the idea of taking B4 back in time happned - because as far as we can tell (iirc), it was supposed to go to the future until JMS had the idea of Sinclair becoming Valen.

See what I mean? Peering into the mind of JMS would be pretty daunting.

[Dan Dassow]

Peering into the mind of JMS would be pretty daunting.

It's probably a good thing that "Being John Malkovich" is a flight of fancy. If "Being John Malkovich" is an exploration of the bizarre, "Being JMS" would likely involved wheels within wheels within wheels within wheels convoluted by a universe of mirrors, dark matter, gravitational lenses and black holes.

[Delenn_of_Mir]

I don't have anything to add, but I'm supposed to be the last post in every thread, and Dan was the last post. Unacceptable!

If I was in B5verse, I'd live on the station as a secret telepath and work in security. That would be really cool. I'd arrest more bad guys than anyone else and be Garibaldi's number two after the azhat shot him in the back. And I'd get to spy on Delenn whenever she was on station.

Heck, I'd spy on everyone since I'd be a telepath. it would be so fun!!!!!!!!

[Looney]

I think living on the station would be fun until someone tried to blow it up. Then I'd realize that I live in a giant tin can that has a big flashing target on it and get out.

[Ubik]

Everytime I see this thread's title I think it's some kind of perverse discussion on Delenn's sexual exploits.

[Jan]

Everytime I see this thread's title I think it's some kind of perverse discussion on Delenn's sexual exploits.

Why...whatever do you mean??? ::whistles innocently::

Yeah, I've wondered about that particular Minbari ritual, too. Changed!

I got da Power!!

Jan

[Looney]

[Ubik]

Hahahaha... glad people here have a sense of humour!

*did someone update the thread title!?

[Delenn_of_Mir]

I don't really get the difference between trapdoor and trap door, other than the distance involved between getting in and getting out.

[Jan]

I don't really get the difference between trapdoor and trap door, other than the distance involved between getting in and getting out.

I changed it from 'back door' (a common euphemism for anal sex) to 'trap door'. For someone like me with the emotional maturity (sometimes) of a 12-year-old, 'back door' made me wonder about certain Minbari rites for growing closer.

My inner child has a dirty mind...

[Ubik]

I changed it from 'back door' (a common euphemism for anal sex) to 'trap door'. For someone like me with the emotional maturity (sometimes) of a 12-year-old, 'back door' made me wonder about certain Minbari rites for growing closer.

My inner child has a dirty mind...

I think my inner child is equally smutty.

[Looney]

I changed it from 'back door' (a common euphemism for anal sex) to 'trap door'. For someone like me with the emotional maturity (sometimes) of a 12-year-old, 'back door' made me wonder about certain Minbari rites for growing closer.

My inner child has a dirty mind...

Unfortunately for me my inner child is the one with the clean mind.