Script Book #11 - SPOILERS

[cornholio1980]

Has anybody gone to look at the extended scenes on the Season 5 DVD to see Sheridan pick up the paper that JMS wrote the message on? I did. After doing that, it's unbelievable that he cut that scene.

I always wondered about that too. He at least could have inserted it into the DVD-release, kinda like a director's cut (since on DVD you're not bound to a certain running time). And while I cannot really come up with a scene he could have cut instead, thats the one scene I truly miss. It definitely should have been there, it's so beautiful and meaningful and powerful emotional - all without any words...

About the Script Book: I really looked forward to this one and read the introductions the same evening it arrived. I never did this before, usually reading one per evening, kinda to keep up the tension. But I couldn't bring myself to it this time. It was very interesting so read the whole story about the claudia situation, and I loved the extensive introdution to Sleeping in Light. Haven't read the scripts yet, but will do so soon - at least Sleeping in Light.

[Jan]

He pointed out a picture of B4 there and mentioned that they were told to put thrusters on the station so the station could move. He said this was needed for Valen's Shadow war which was one of the possibilities for a spinoff or sequel. That's the way I remember it.

I do remember that B4 had thrusters. It had to in order to be moved to wherever it was needed for the Minbari to find it. Never heard about there being any talk of a sequel regarding it. I've generally agreed that the idea of even a movie that wouldn't include any human characters at all wouldn't fly but I can see where it might have been discussed.

Jan

[nottenst]

Valen's war against the Shadows was considered for a possible sequel? I don't remember that. Can you give more detail?

Jan

I don't know if it was written down anywhere, but during the run I was talking with Mojo (the SFX guy) at a convention. I had some SF magazine which had a feature on B5 and I gave it to him at his request. He pointed out a picture of B4 there and mentioned that they were told to put thrusters on the station so the station could move. He said this was needed for Valen's Shadow war which was one of the possibilities for a spinoff or sequel. That's the way I remember it.

Neil

[Jan]

At one time that was considered to be a possible sequel to B5. I'm 99% sure we'll never see it on video, but I'd love to see it.

Valen's war against the Shadows was considered for a possible sequel? I don't remember that. Can you give more detail?

Jan

[nottenst]

Likewise Valen's shadow war. We can see the impact of it on the B5 universe, and we know enough about it to have an idea of how the war went, and what happened. We would not really gain anything from just seeing it played out in front of us.

We would gain seeing a really interesting story. Besides seeing Valen develop more in front of us, I'm sure we would see loads of other interesting characters. At one time that was considered to be a possible sequel to B5. I'm 99% sure we'll never see it on video, but I'd love to see it.

Neil

[Jan]

Yes, I see that now. You know, I think it works better with Garibaldi doing the voiceover. It has just the right touch.

I agree. I think that it gives it a nice balance having Garibaldi do the opening voiceover and Ivanova doing the ending one.

Jan

[KoshN]

Oops! I seem to have missed a cue. Soorryy!

Page 51.

Found it. Oh, so it remains a mystery (what he wrote). Bruce probably didn't notice.

In the script it says Ivanova instead of Garibaldi for the voiceover but the words are the same.

Yes, I see that now. You know, I think it works better with Garibaldi doing the voiceover. It has just the right touch.

Did you find the extended scenes okay?

Oh, yes. Thank you. I'd forgotten about those deleted scenes.

[Jan]

Is it possible that I've never seen these? Are they an easter egg?

Not at all. Fifth Season DVDs > Disk Six > Special Features > Additional and extended scenes from Sleeping in Light (fifth item). There are three: Commander Sick in Bed, Sheridan's Last Look (which is where Sheridan picks up and throws away the paper that JMS talks about secretly writing on) and General Ivanova.

Jan

[AmyG]

Did you find the extended scenes okay?

Is it possible that I've never seen these? Are they an easter egg?

Amy (who uses "opine" frequently, being a rather opinionated person)

[Jan]

Oops! I seem to have missed a cue. Soorryy!

1. Where does JMS talk about it in Vol.11? What page no.?

Page 51.

2. In the scriptbook, where's Garibaldi's voiceover (...which I thought was great.) at the beginning of SiL?

In the script it says Ivanova instead of Garibaldi for the voiceover but the words are the same.

Did you find the extended scenes okay?

Jan

[KoshN]

1. Where does JMS talk about it in Vol.11? What page no.?

2. In the scriptbook, where's Garibaldi's voiceover (...which I thought was great.) at the beginning of SiL?

Jan, you there?

[Garibaldi's Hair]

There should always be more that we don't get to see ... for one simple reason. Backstory.

Everything we see up on screen in an episode, TVM, big screen outing, DVD, whatever has its roots in something else. Something brought those characters and situations to where they were at the beginning of what we see on screen

If the writer has done his job properly, he knows what that something is, how it has brought us to this point, and what impact it has had on the characters. This will then be reflected in how the story moves forward.

If you then show that backstory then there should be a backstory behind the backstory ... dealing with how you got to the original point of the original backstory. And so on.

If the writer ever gets to the point where everything has been shown, I can almost guarantee that the last few things will be the least satisfying in terms of drama and mystery, because it will be clear that WYSIWYG, there is nothing underlying what we now see it is all just being laid out for us.

For me, I don't want to see the Vorlon homeworld, because the Vorlons' impact on the story can be plainly seen. It doesn't matter that we haven't seen where they lived.

Likewise Valen's shadow war. We can see the impact of it on the B5 universe, and we know enough about it to have an idea of how the war went, and what happened. We would not really gain anything from just seeing it played out in front of us.

And if JMS chooses not to tell us something ... well, it is his universe after all. He has earned the right.

[Night Marshal]

Speaking of the old newspaper, am I the only that gets supremely annoyed when JMS says "and nobody will ever know" about anything? Maybe it's just my extreme curiosity, but I hate not knowing.

in the almost ten years since b5 left us I have more or less give in to the fact that we as fan are never going to see the whole of the b5 universe as jms sees it. Some of that is because he keeps alot in his back pocket for things like the lost tales and that movie that could always be just one meeting with wb way. But more than that I think B5 is only huge space of thought and imagintion that it simply to much to put down into writing let alone make a tv show about all it. Part of me is happy with this thought part of me is sad, the not knowing will always be part of b5 and jms.

[KoshN]

Nope, not bloopers. Same disk, though, I think. There's a few extended scenes: Ivanaova assigning her aide to latrine duty, Commander Nils falling out of bed when notified that Sheridan's arrived, Sheridan walking down a corridor and picking up that paper that JMS talks about in Volume 11.

1. Where does JMS talk about it in Vol.11? What page no.?

2. In the scriptbook, where's Garibaldi's voiceover (...which I thought was great.) at the beginning of SiL?

[Jan]

Why not, if you don't mind my asking. I've always thought it was a pretty cool word.

Jan