Script Book Vol 10. - Alternate Season 5 outline

[Ubik]

Candlelight wrote:
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Seriously though, remind me again what this was (mentioned in Volumn 10):

- Never-before-seen lengthy memo to TNT for an ALTERNATE VERSION OF SEASON FIVE

How far did it differ from what we got?

BABYLON 5: RANGERS premise wrote:
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Think of the Rangers as Knights of the Round Table to build the dream of Camelot, a place where Might is used for Right. Or think of them as the Texas Rangers of the old west, the only source of law and order on the very edge of the frontier.

This one would have featured Sheridan, Delenn, G'Kar, Marcus, Franklin and Mathras (Zathras' twin brother-called that because JMS didn't want to deal with explaining the Zathrii to studio execs).

Jan -

ETA: Okay, now I've actually looked at the question and I'll answer the part about season 5.

A Techno-Mage would come back to see if the coast is clear for the others to come back as well as to help Sheridan. Ivanova divides her time between the Station and a new Warlock class destroyer she'll be commanding. Someone claiming to be Sheridan's and Delenn's son arrives, purportedly from the future. A new force arrives that targets the Rangers. Franklin's asked to help run the Station by Ivanova. G'Kar would become a trusted confidante to Ivanova.

Jan

So, I stumbled upon this old thread on The Trek BBS. Full disclosure, I STILL haven’t read my Vol. 10 of the black script books acquired almost two years ago. They’re all sitting in a very pretty pile for when I get the time to really sit down and dig in. However, this thread really made me do a double take. I vaguely remember reading about it, but that alternate S5 sounds pretty superb to me. I know this is very much in the ‘ohhh let’s speculate what could have been’ territory, but sometimes I think that’s all we’ve got left when it comes to B5.

In any case, this is fascinating and sends my mind racing… Must break about Vol 10 and give it a proper read.

[JasonDavis]

The material involving Sheridan and Delenn's son survived the longest of all the "alternate season 5" material. When Straczynski re-wrote his index cards for season five (after the Blackpool hotel staff threw them out), he included that storyline in three mid-season episodes (pretty much where "The Ragged Edge" and "The Corps Is Mother, the Corps is Father" ended up, neither of which were in the notes). You can see these notes in Artifacts from Beyond the Rim.

It would have been interesting to see a second incident of time travel in the B5 universe. Given that Draal sealed the rift in Sector 14, I've often wondered what mechanism Straczynski would have used to bring "David Sheridan" to 2262.

The techno-mage material would have been similar to Galen's role in Crusade, but he'd have been based on Babylon 5 instead of the Excalibur.

[Ubik]

The material involving Sheridan and Delenn's son survived the longest of all the "alternate season 5" material. When Straczynski re-wrote his index cards for season five (after the Blackpool hotel staff threw them out), he included that storyline in three mid-season episodes (pretty much where "The Ragged Edge" and "The Corps Is Mother, the Corps is Father" ended up, neither of which were in the notes). You can see these notes in Artifacts from Beyond the Rim.

It would have been interesting to see a second incident of time travel in the B5 universe. Given that Draal sealed the rift in Sector 14, I've often wondered what mechanism Straczynski would have used to bring "David Sheridan" to 2262.

The techno-mage material would have been similar to Galen's role in Crusade, but he'd have been based on Babylon 5 instead of the Excalibur.

Ahhh yes! That's where I read about it recently - I got the Artifacts book a few months back. Thanks for expanding on that Jason!

I always felt it was a shame we never got to see the material involving David, it was one of the things alluded to a number of times, more than enough to make it worthwhile.

[Ubik]

I did finally break the shrink wrap on my Volume 10 script book yesterday and read the synopsis on the alternate Season 5. I can't help but think that it sounds far more interesting than the Season 5 we got. I know Claudia leaving and the whole Liverpool incident really shook things up, but I do wish more of this arc had been preserved. I’m not out to bash Season 5 (I really enjoy some of it), but the ideas for this material just looked very dense and interesting from a storytelling perspective. Far more so than the existing stuff… This is where a reboot *could* be interesting, exploring those avenues not taken.

I also really enjoyed reading about ‘Intersections in real time’, and the process behind trimming the episode, which took it back to the ‘pure’ interrogation scenes staged like a theatre production.

The stuff about Rangers / Crusade was also insightful. Although I must admit that a 'rangers' show in any form doesn't exactly get my blood pumping.

[KoshN]

This one would have featured Sheridan, Delenn, G'Kar, Marcus, Franklin and Mathras (Zathras' twin brother-called that because JMS didn't want to deal with explaining the Zathrii to studio execs).

MISSED OPPORTUNITY! If JMS had explained the Zathrii, it might have exploded the TNT execs heads (ala "Scanners") and that would've solved all of Babylon 5's and Crusade's problems.

[Jan]

Been a while since I read it - is the episode with David included?

Jan

[JasonDavis]

Yeah, the is-he-or-isn't-he David Sheridan from the future plot is in the alternative season five outline.

The paragraph in that document that's always intrigued me--mainly because it names no names--is:

"One who opposes Sheridan will eventually come to serve him; one who serves him will eventually come to oppose him."

[Jan]

"One who opposes Sheridan will eventually come to serve him; one who serves him will eventually come to oppose him."

Not sure about the oppose-to serve but if I were to speculate, given what we know about Ivanova's potential arc, I'd guess that she'd be the one slated for serve-to-oppose.

Jan

[JasonDavis]

Yeah, probably.

I couldn't really think of anyone who firmly opposed Sheridan that could come to serve him. At least, no one in the regular cast.

[JoeD80]

Garibaldi? I was thinking it would be more of the Ivanova/Garibaldi rift starting to show near the end of season four - maybe she wouldn't completely forgive him for Bester's control and they would end up on opposite sides. There was a bit in the season five arc about Garibaldi's betrayal being something he didn't want to do but still based on his true feelings.

[Ubik]

Yeah, probably.

I couldn't really think of anyone who firmly opposed Sheridan that could come to serve him. At least, no one in the regular cast.

I second the Garibaldi suggestion. I think it was hinted at pretty heavily in the description of the proposed S5 in the script book. In fact, I'm sure JMS mentions Garibaldi, and that the brainwashing was an exaggeration of existing traits / beliefs. I'll check tonight.

It would have tracked well with fans, and I could see it working a treat. It's also very much in keeping with JMS long form story arcs.