Katie lets Bryon have it

[Ubik]

It's interesting. I never felt like the intent was for Byron to be liked by the audience. I always felt like he was there to exemplify a cult of personality, and that he was supposed to make your skin crawl. Maybe at first, you should see some of the charm his followers feel, but as the story line went on, I saw him as a warning to not fall prey to someone who, for example, was charming, who told you things you wanted to hear, who told you others were to blame for your lot in life, who would tell you that you were better than all those others, and who would tell you that they had a plan to bring you to your rightful place.

Hmmm. Did I just stray off topic???

Nah, I think it's very relevant to the character and audience perception. Didn't JMS spend some time in a commune / heavily faith based environment. I seem to remember something from one of the script book intros (could be mis-remembering this though).

[WorkerCaste]

It's interesting. I never felt like the intent was for Byron to be liked by the audience. I always felt like he was there to exemplify a cult of personality, and that he was supposed to make your skin crawl. Maybe at first, you should see some of the charm his followers feel, but as the story line went on, I saw him as a warning to not fall prey to someone who, for example, was charming, who told you things you wanted to hear, who told you others were to blame for your lot in life, who would tell you that you were better than all those others, and who would tell you that they had a plan to bring you to your rightful place.

Hmmm. Did I just stray off topic???

[Ubik]

I think there's a difference between "Bryon: The way JMS intended", and "Bryon: The way he was actually perceived".

I understand what JMS was trying to do with Bryon. JMS wanted to make Bryon a charismatic, activist, pacifist - sort of like the Martin Luther King of telepaths. The problem is, in addition to that, Bryon came across as an arrogant snooty bastard. However, that's understandable given Bryon's history as a former Psi Cop.

Still, I think we were supposed to feel like Bryon's death was a great tragedy. But my reaction at the time was, "YES! That arrogant snooty bastard is off the show!!!"

The singing telepaths... oh god... that should have been left on the cutting room floor.

[alpha128]

I've always been puzzled by people's reaction to Byron. I don't think he's one of the great characters, mind, but I really don't understand the unreasoning hatred.

Actually, if you view Katie watches Babylon 5, part 19, you'll see her hatred of Byron is not unreasoning at all. Katie says, "I was thinking about, while I was watching ("Strange Relations"), my different reactions to Bryon and Bester. I thought it was funny I hate Bryon and love Bester. But wait, Bester's a bad guy and I also hate Bester. But I think the distinction is that we're supposed to like Bryon, and I don't. While with Bester you're supposed to dislike him and I do. So that synergy of me actually reacting in the correct way to the character makes me like him."

One of the best scenes, and certainly the most telling for Byron was his cry after discovering the Vorlon meddling with telepaths: "We could have been normal! We could have had lives!" Every rationalization he'd so carefully built up about the telepath superiority came crashing down and destroyed his world view.

That's a good point. I think that the other problem with Bryon is that his arc just goes on for too long. So by the time that scene happens, viewer fatigue has already set in and the scene doesn't have the impact that it should.

[Jan]

I've always been puzzled by people's reaction to Byron. I don't think he's one of the great characters, mind, but I really don't understand the unreasoning hatred.

One of the best scenes, and certainly the most telling for Byron was his cry after discovering the Vorlon meddling with telepaths: "We could have been normal! We could have had lives!" Every rationalization he'd so carefully built up about the telepath superiority came crashing down and destroyed his world view.

[alpha128]

Byron's not that bad. He started out as Bester's protege, saw some terrible things, ran away and has tried his best to protect his family and do what he thinks is right. He wasn't perfect, and his plans weren't the best, but still he tried, and he was nice to Lyta.

I think there's a difference between "Bryon: The way JMS intended", and "Bryon: The way he was actually perceived".

I understand what JMS was trying to do with Bryon. JMS wanted to make Bryon a charismatic, activist, pacifist - sort of like the Martin Luther King of telepaths. The problem is, in addition to that, Bryon came across as an arrogant snooty bastard. However, that's understandable given Bryon's history as a former Psi Cop.

Still, I think we were supposed to feel like Bryon's death was a great tragedy. But my reaction at the time was, "YES! That arrogant snooty bastard is off the show!!!"

[Delenn_of_Mir]

Byron's not that bad. He started out as Bester's protege, saw some terrible things, ran away and has tried his best to protect his family and do what he thinks is right. He wasn't perfect, and his plans weren't the best, but still he tried, and he was nice to Lyta.

[alpha128]

As I mentioned in another thread, I recently discovered a Youtube video series entitled Katie watches Babylon 5.

At this writing I've gotten as far Katie watches Babylon 5, part 18. At the 12:11 mark Katie reaches The Paragon of Animals and proceeds to let Bryon have it. It's funny because of her wording and funny because it's true. Hilarious stuff!

Among her choice quotes:
"I do not like Bryon... He just pisses me off."

"He's just a fucking prick, I hate him."

"You're not better than anyone else. You're just some dip with stupid hair."

"So fucking Bryon goes and quotes (Hamlet) and I'm like, 'Wow, I hate you!'"

"Fucking Bryon... so I have a lot of anger about this stupid hair idiot."

And then in her comments about A View from the Gallery, Katie adds:

"I still don't like him. But he was in this less, so I didn't really have time to work up my deep hatred of his stupid face."