Alternate Minbari War Explanation

[Kevin]

I have heard that in the original Series Treatment, formally published and sold at thestation.com, included an alternate reason for why the Minbari surrendered at the Battle of the Line that was never used. Since it's not pretty much impossible to get a copy of the Treatment or the Series Bible, I was curious if someone who might have the treatment could fill me in on this alternate cause. Thanks!

[Ausir]

Sinclair's Duck of course!

[Jan]

Well, there's this from the Treatment:

(At one point in our stories, the reason will be given: that one of the prophets of the Minbari, a deeply spiritual people, told the rulers that the Earth Alliance was destined to bring all five federations into a new age of peace--and that should the Earth Alliance lose the war, the galaxy would eventually be plunged into a larger war that could last a hundred years, if not more, as a result of the lack of Earth's diplomatic input. The advice was accepted, and not the Minbari see themselves in the role of quiet teachers, helping Mankind along in its progress wherever it can, though always doing so in secret.)

The Writer's Bible says pretty much what we know to have been what happened.

It looks like a little of the 'mentoring' the Minbari were to do slid over onto the Vorlons but I'm not sure that's an alternate reason.

Jan

[Joseph DeMartino]

It looks like a little of the 'mentoring' the Minbari were to do slid over onto the Vorlons but I'm not sure that's an alternate reason.

Well there's no mention of the transmigration of souls, or the pivotol role Sinclair plaid, so it sounds like an alternate version to me. Does the treatment bear a compostion date? I wonder how old it is. Maybe it dates back to the time when the pitch materials still said that the Vorlons constantly jockied for position within their empire, frequently used assassination as a means to advance themselves and in which Kosh was joined on the station by his mate.

There were many changes and detours on the road from concept to pilot, and then from pilot to series.

Regards,

Joe

[Jan]

Does the treatment bear a compostion date? I wonder how old it is. Maybe it dates back to the time when the pitch materials still said that the Vorlons constantly jockied for position within their empire, frequently used assassination as a means to advance themselves and in which Kosh was joined on the station by his mate.

Yes, that's exactly right. The Treatment is marked: Second Draft - September 1, 1988 and there are substantial differences in character and race details.

It's fun reading and makes one smile when people ask what JMS originally intended about __(fitb)___ because the broad strokes are in the treatment and much refined in the Writer's Bible (May 20, 1993), but there were still details that slid from one character to another or even from race to race.

Jan

[Joseph DeMartino]

It's fun reading and makes one smile when people ask what JMS originally intended

Truly. You need to know which "originally" they're talking about. 1988? 1990? 1993? 10 o'clock on a Tuesday morning, or 11:30 that same night when he suddenly got a much better idea about how to do something? The notion that there was ever anything that he regarded as a carved-in-stone "original plan" is faintly ludicrous. I think he had a general outline in his head when he sat down to write the first episode of S1, but even as he did it he knew that he would almost certainly have to make changes and left himself open to that.

He doesn't even mind contradicting himself in small ways. When it came time to actually tell the story of the Minbari war on film, he worked out the destruction of the Black Star in the way that worked best dramatically for that story and for the way Sheridan's character developed between S1 and S4 - even though what was portrayed no longer matched two descriptions of the event given in the series.

Regards,

Joe

[Jan]

Truly. You need to know which "originally" they're talking about. 1988? 1990? 1993? 10 o'clock on a Tuesday morning, or 11:30 that same night when he suddenly got a much better idea about how to do something?

Nicely phrased, Joe. I'll have to remember that one.

When it came time to actually tell the story of the Minbari war on film, he worked out the destruction of the Black Star in the way that worked best dramatically for that story and for the way Sheridan's character developed between S1 and S4 - even though what was portrayed no longer matched two descriptions of the event given in the series.

Can you refresh my memory about that? I knew that the Minbari were upset at 'Starkiller' being appointed to run the Station but I don't remember an actual description. Was it something to do with the distress call?

Jan

[Hazard]

I believe they said that he mined an asteriod belt and sent out a "fake" distress call.

[Anders]

I just looked at the scene from In The Beginning where Sheridan takes out the Minbari ship(s), and I am now watching Episode 1 of Season 2. To me the explanation Sheridan gives to Ivanova in the episode is quite similar to what happened in the movie. Did I miss something?

[Joseph DeMartino]

In one of the episodes where the Black Star incident is described it is specifically stated that Sheridan mined the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. In the film it is not clear where the asteroid belt is supposed to be, but the implication is that the Minbari did not enter the Sol system until The Battle of the Line. Since Sheridan's victory takes long before that, it seems it the battle shown in the film had to take place somewhere else.

In the S2 descriptions Sheridan is depicted as mining the asteroids with nukes, then sending out a fake distress signal as a matter of deliberate strategy. The picture painted is of Capt. Sheridan in his own undamaged ship luring the Minbari into an ambush. That's very different than Commander Sheridan in a charge of a crippled ship only because its captain has been killed mining two asteroids and chosing the timing of a real distress call in order to escape certain death.

In the S2 episodes it is stated that several Minbari vessels were destroyed in the action. In the movie we only see the Drala Fi itself destroyed.

Regards,

Joe

[Anders]

It was described in episode one of season two, that's about it I think. I can't remember it being mentioned any other place.

"the Black Star incident is described it is specifically stated that Sheridan mined the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter"

Is it clearly stated that the Minbari never entered our solar system with any ships at all? Couldn't they have entered with one or two ships to scout the situation or to take out some of the outer defences?

Several Minbari ships could have gotten destroyed, but it was only one big Minbari ship, the Drala Fi. It might have had some minor ships around it, or close to it, also hit by the explosion. We do not see these ships in the movie, but that does not make it impossible.

When it comes to how Sheridan mined the asteroids, and took out the ship. I think we are down to minor details here. Obivously what happened, was what happened in the movie. People see situations differently, and will remember them differently. In season two, Sheridan remembered back. What he decides to tell from the situation, may not be 100% what happened.

In the situation myself, it seemed to me like Sheridan had control of the ship, and mining the asteroids was not a last chance, but a real shot at taking the Minbari ship out.

[Vir]

Originally posted by Anders

In the situation myself, it seemed to me like Sheridan had control of the ship, and mining the asteroids was not a last chance, but a real shot at taking the Minbari ship out.

In the film it absolutely was a last chance. They were critically damaged, the captain dead. Only two nukes left. As far as they were concearned, they were about to die.The Black Star was moving in for the kill. Sherriden's plan is more a last ditch attempt to survive, rather than trying to specifically destroy the DraliFi. Sherriden even takes a last loving look at the picture of his wife as a sort of goodbye. I seem to remember him asking the bridge crew, hoping for any better ideas as this was such a drastic last attempt.

[Anders]

That's still minor details, or a matter of human perception. I think the story was well put together, even with regards to what was said in the series.

[iamsheridan]

Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino
(snip)
.
.
.
In the S2 descriptions Sheridan is depicted as mining the asteroids with nukes, then sending out a fake distress signal as a matter of deliberate strategy. The picture painted is of Capt. Sheridan in his own undamaged ship luring the Minbari into an ambush. That's very different than Commander Sheridan in a charge of a crippled ship only because its captain has been killed mining two asteroids and chosing the timing of a real distress call in order to escape certain death.

(snip)

Maybe the Minbari, or at least the more fanatic ones, saw it as a fake distress call. It would not be too far fetched that they didn't see (or didn't want to see) that the distress call was a genuine one, even if the truth was "out there" after the war.

Regards,
//iamsheridan