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Welcome to Show #254!
Tim relates some Watchmen prequel rumors, and Summer starts spreading the news about the original Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future series finally coming out on DVD.
Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer discuss the unproduced Crusade script for “Tried and True”, which can be found in the “Crusade: Other Voices, Vol 2” scriptbook.
This would have been a remarkable Dureena performance, and comparisons can be drawn between this draft and what we saw in Season 4’s “Intersections in Real Time”, especially given the “one room play” stage-like setting in both stories.
Also, folks preparing to review and discuss the comics and novels with us (or for us), get ready… your turn will be coming up soon!
Discussion: Tim and Summer relate some geeky anecdotes, even further cementing the high scores on their geek cards.
Lurker’s Guide 2.0: Summer is expanding the documentation to be covered at Lurker’s Guide 2.0, the major change being converting the episode guide into a full Wiki with cross-referenced topics, tidbits and everything you’d want in a Wiki. She’s also still searching for pictures of rare collectibles, photos of magazine covers and toys, and all sorts of other B5 goodies that didn’t get included in the original guide during the years after Crusade. Let her know if you want to lend a hand.
More Parody/Filk Songs Wanted: If you know of any more B5-related fan songs out there, definitely let us know, so we can let other B5 fans know where to buy them! And if those CDs are out of print, let’s brainstorm on ways to get those songs back out there for fans!
Babylon Podcast Social Communities:
Twitter: @babylonpodcast
Babylon 5 Information Gathering: If you know of a dead or abandoned B5 related website that may be in need of a new home, let Summer know! Maybe we can mirror it here or house it on a sister site.
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Promo: Dragon Page “Cover to Cover”
I would say that there was going to be a B plot. I wasn’t really thrilled with this script as a stage play. What worked with Intersections with Real Time was there was an utter sense of hopelessness as well as great acting by Bruce. You don’t get that from the script, but again its a script. I also think the stakes just are not there with this as it was with Sheridan. If Sheridan breaks, the entire thing could fall apart. If Dureena fails, she is an outcast who is hunted which is what her Monday thru Friday job. She also gets to go back the most fortified ship out there. Not seeing the giant stakes.
I also didn’t like blowing up the White Star. I understand its a raise the stakes move, but pissing off the Rangers. I don’t care how big you think you are, we have seen the Rangers do to gangs. In part, the same tactics, the Guild uses, the Rangers probably invented. It just felt wrong. I am sure it would be ok, but this feels like it should a down the road episode where we have something invested in Dureena like we did with Sheridan.
Correct. Which is why Dureena is justified in her concern over the destruction of the White Star ship. If you’re involved in illegal activity, the last thing you want to do is get the attention of the cops.
I would suggest a topic or even a poll question about what fans of B5 thought of when it was learned that JMS’ “new” B5 project was actually a re-boot of the original series? I for one HATE reboots of well done shows that lasted at least 3 or more seasons. I never watched the new BSG when I heard how it was changed from the original because I had no desire in watching a thinly-veiled political statement from the showrunner compared to making a series that approximated the original in tone and story direction with updates only to the way a story is told and SFX.
I would have rather learned that JMS was rebooting Crusade or doing a different story, but still within the B5 Universe than knowing that he was going to do the reboot himself. Some fans call JMS ‘The Great Maker’, but I think that is going too far and he has done bad work in the past. I could understand if this was the only offer he had on his plate, but with all the other things he is involved with, he certainly doesn’t seem to need to do a re-hash of his best work.
Maybe it is just my sense of integrity that is being rubbed the wrong way by redoing B5 while Crusade is allowed to sit with no talk of rebooting/restarting it. If all WB wanted was a B5 re-boot, then I think JMS should have said no and pushed other B5 related stories.
I definitely think if this topic needs to be explored on this podcast.
What makes anybody think that WB asked JMS to choose what to write? There were certain things JMS could ask for – budget, season committment and creative control, and those were given. But there’s no indication that they came to him and gave him a choice in what they were ordering.
“But there’s no indication that they came to him and gave him a choice in what they were ordering.”
Exactly why I thought JMS should have said no at the start of the talks unless he has TOTAL artistic control.
I thought I might take this lull to comment on some observations I have been developing relating to Green Drazi / Purple Drazi.
We all know about the hoards thrown out of work, and to some lesser extent of the growing minions who have exhausted their emergency 99-week limit, but are still not getting the time of day from the Scrooges in HR departments, and the growing general pain and suffering among the people.
Then we see such pitiful displays as what CONgress has been up to and, worse; see in the Scroogepublican debates that, in spite of the problems for which we need leadership that is part of the solution: Their main concern is, “Ohhhh… We gust goooootta find some who can beat Obaaaahhhmaaaa!”
It drew me to a thought that would have made Ivanova’s assignment so much simpler.
Say a savvy passer-by had come into the room and said to Ivanova ONE WORD that would have made her see the futility of what she was doing, and send her marching directly to Sheridan’s office with a short report pointing out the situation was un-resolvable and recommending that it instead be contained to a part of the station where collateral damage could be kept to a minimum.
JMS, you magnificent sneak: I’ve solved your riddle!
Green Drazi / Purple Drazi is…
POLITICS.