Script Book #2 - SPOILERS

[Jan]

For when we actually get the books.

Jan

[Joansie]

As usual you on top of things.

[Jan]

It's here! I got it! It came today! Just a quick recap...

-There may be typos but they're much less noticeable this time. The rights information has been corrected and gray has returned to being grey as originally written.

-once again the footnotes are sidesplitting. I've got a touch of bronchitis and ended up with more than a few laughter-induced coughing jags. Laughter had better be the best medicine, JMS!

-Some of the stories in the forward were ones JMS had touched on before but goes into more detail here.

-JMS gives full credit (as usual) to the dedication and ingenuity of the crew and admits ho having annoyed John Flinn for 3 years by accident.

-You'll find out how it was that Zathras came by his odd way of speaking and how Ed Wasser had 'always been there'.

-If this book has a theme it's about 'the process' of how the show became the show. The memo section particularly illustrates that as it talks about the props and lighting and effects.

-The premises in development. You'll see the ones that happened. And some that didn't. And some that combined a couple of things and became a new premis. If you're interested at all in 'what might have been', you'll like this a lot.

Did I miss anything glaring, other folks who've gotten the books?

Jan

[Jan]

Doesn't anybody else have it yet?

Jan

[DeMonk]

Not yet

Doesn't anybody else have it yet?Jan

It has not arrived in Brussels yet.
Hope manages!

[Joansie]

I don't have my #2 yet but it is supose to be on it's way. I expect it will arrive early next week. When my calender arrived there were no extra to pay but the mugs are going to cost me an extra $13.00. The government has to have it's share I guess. Hopefully I won't have any extra this time on the #2 volumn.

[Satai Delenn]

Mine arrived on wednesday.

[Nacho]

Mine, on the UPS site, shows "Out for Delivery". Should get it about 6:00 pm. The darn thing stood in a warehouse in Albuquerque for over 24 hours .. guess they staged it there waiting because I didn't have 2 day shipping.

But, I go on vacation early tomorrow for a week, and can't take it with me, so it'll be awhile until I can get through it.

[vacantlook]

My Volume 2 arrived yesterday evening. According to the tracking information, I would have gotten it on Wednesday; however there was some kind of miscellaneous "emergency situation" with the local UPS people that caused it to be delayed a day.

I haven't yet read any of it, though.

[FuryPilot]

Mine arrived yesterday, but as it is a Christmas gift I am not supposed to read it for a few weeks...

[Jan]

Oboy...I was just rereading the intro to 'Babylon Squared' and realized just how intricately JMS really planned this out to cover all contingencies. Apparently in one iteration of the arc, they could have actually been taking B5 to the future depending on what might have happened in real life to affect the series. In B-Squared, he planned ahead with alternate scenes for WWE for the same reason.

So while JMS did plan things in incredible detail, nothing was cast in stone.

Jan

[Andrew_Swallow]

This makes sense. You only need two space stations if they are both needed at the same time or one replaces the other. Babylon 3 could have fought the Shadow War and then be sent back to fight the previous war.

[alex_t]

Important moments not seen in the TV version:
1. JMS describes "insect-like" ship barely seen in the background of scene where Babylon 5 is destroyed (in "Signs and Portents").
2. Also he mentions insectoid noices appearing during Sinclair's flashforward to attack on Babylon 5 where probably Garibaldi and Ivanova will die? (in "Babylon Squared").

Two more proofs that originally JMS planned for Babylon 5 to be destroyed by shadows... now the question is was that because Shadows won the war, or it was last-minute attack and Shadows would still loose in the end.

Damn! I want "Babylon 5" to be reshot again with original story!

[Jan]

Important moments not seen in the TV version:
1. JMS describes "insect-like" ship barely seen in the background of scene where Babylon 5 is destroyed (in "Signs and Portents").

It says 'beetle-shaped' craft and I can't think of any Shadow vessels that fit that description. I think they were supposed to be an early version of the honor guard ships we saw in Sleeping in Light.

My reaction when I saw that scene the second time I watched the series? "Holy shit, he showed what actually happened to B5 in SiL in the first half of the first season!" because it's exactly what happens then. The shuttle departs just as the Station begins exploding. But, of course, we thought it would be a bad thing, not a funeral pyre.

Watching the show for the second time really is a different experience from the first.

Damn! I want "Babylon 5" to be reshot again with original story!

Ah, but which original story? It'll sure be interesting to see that memo he sent to WB because it's already clear that when he's said all these years that he had contingencies and trap doors available, he really meant it. When he suggested thinking of taking B4 forward in time, I got a headache. Time travel does that to me.

Jan

[The_One]

Mine arrived in jolly old England this morning - hoorah!

Firstly, I'm glad they picked an appropriate size box this time - it actually fits tightly round the book, as opposed to Vol. 1 which was in a ridiculous box. Their "fix" for the customs label is:

- Get a pen
- Scribble out where it says "ceramics" etc..
- Write "Book"

Very high tech!

Anyway, I've started reading the introduction, and so far so good! Already looking forward to Volume 3