Stargate SG-1: Continuum

A team that will be sorely missed in the world of science ficiton. Here they are together in their final run for Stargate SG-1.



The wonderful partnership of O'Neill and Carter - friends with potential. SG-1 wormholes its way to watch the execution of the last of the remaining System Lords, Baal, in Stargate SG-1, Continuum. The symbiote will be executed before our favorite, fearless military team. The team here consists of Cameron Mitchell, Samantha Carter, Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Teal'c and Vala. It is good to see the six together in one frame as it was a rare thing throughout Season Nine and Ten of the SG-1 series. Baal makes the suggestion he may not be the last. You'll recall, there were many clones made of Baal as seen in Insiders [Stargate SG-1, Season Ten, Episode 4]. The execution begins and Mitchell is very much looking forward to the extraction.



Flashback to the Atlantic Ocean 1939 on an ocean freighter where in the cargo hold a stargate activates blowing out and burning a round hole clear through the ship's hull. Enter Baal and some of his Jaffa minions. Baal leaves a bomb behind on the boat before waltzing back through the stargate intended to destroy the stargate. The surviving captain of the ship manages to throw the bomb through the gaping hole where it explodes in the water.

"Have you ever tried to find a bathroom in a pyramid?" Yes, Richard Dean Anderson is back as the always flippant, but beloved Jack O'Neill.



Suddenly, Teal'c and Vala disappear out of the blue. A number of the good guys begin to disappear as well. O'Neill is stabbed by Baal as he tries to grab him for answers. Mitchell quickly fills Baal full of lead - dead. People begin vanishing and as O'Neill slides away he tells Mitchell, Jackson and Carter to get out of dodge. They run and flee through the stargate as the city slowly disappears behind them landing on the aforementioned ocean freighter now frozen deep within the Arctic ice.

Carter, Mitchell and Jackson are quickly headed for trouble freezing to death and decide making a break for it is their only hope. They blow a hole in the ice and climb to the surface. Much was made of the filming of this movie in the frigid temperatures by Browder and company and there is indeed an air of authenticity to the look and temperate feel of the location shooting. Daniel's leg is frostbitten and he is unable to move. Carter and Mitchell venture off to find help. In the end, Carter and Mitchell find unexpected help on the surface in the form of Jack O'Neill. This is, of course, an O'Neill they have yet to meet at this point. There is an impressive sequence with the surfacing of a submarine through the ice cap. Still, I felt it should have been a little more dramatic given the effort and time placed into this unique and special on location moment.

Unfortunately, for me, we have one of these alternate timeline stories going. Part of me is not a big fan of these threads. They get tiresome to me. Alternate realities, alternate timelines, alternate realities within alternate realities within alternate timelines, blah blah blah. A good science fiction story doesn't have to be built around an alternate timeline, though some are. Don't get me wrong it can work just fine, but I felt I was a bit alternate timeline fatigued at this point. I had seen plenty of them in Stargate SG-1 and I've lost interest in Lost. So at this point I wasn't loving the general plotline. As I mentioned, as a result of the alternate time angle, Jack clearly didn't know Carter, Mitchell or Jackson. They were strangers to him.



Jackson, minus a leg, Carter and Mitchell do their damndest to explain where they are from, when they are from and the threats posed to Earth. Yes, I think we've seen elements of this before through the ten season run of Stargate SG-1. It just wasn't feeling all that fresh. If I was in the room when it was being pitched I would have said, 'no freakin' way! NO alternate timelines!' Still, I did like the split screen. I thought it was effective and interesting. It challenged my pathetic ability to concentrate on more than one thing at a time otherwise known as multi-tasking.



Some of the lighting was also not impressive in some sequences. Some scenes were solid and some of the spectacle was definitely there for a straight-to-DVD film. Anyway, with little convincing to O'Neill, and then Landry, it is decided our displaced trio would be entered into a relocation program complete with a new identity. O'Neill and Landry certainly recognize Carter who is apparently an astronaut who is presumed dead. Jackson is nutty as a fruitcake in their timeline and they aren't buying any of his stories, despite picking up the energy signature of the stargate on satellite. It was that very stargate that got them into their current predicament, still alternate timeline O'Neill and Landry are suspect. The friends are relocated to different sections of the country and are required to not make contact with one another.

Mitchell drives a classic, yellow Ford Mustang classic! Shhweet! Jackson contacts himself to let himself know everything he wrote about the pyramids is sooo true. A Goa'uld spaceship is spotted by Carter. It makes the news and our heroes contact one another for the first time. Because everyone knows, our friends just cannot keep apart. They are like brothers and sisters as comrades-in-arms. They simply cannot stay quiet.

An imminent invasion of Earth is upon them. As the Baal fleet approaches, Teal'c is one of the Jaffa serving Baal. We are also treated to the surprising return of Peter Williams as Apophis for a brief moment, before he is summarily executed by Baal. I must say I've always been a big Cliff Simon fan. The actor is brilliant as one of SG-1's arch nemesis. He is simply a pleasure to watch in the series and this is all I base my opinion on of the actor. We also find Vala is by Baal's side as a Goa'uld.

Don Davis appears as General Hammond. I had forgotten he filmed his part for Continuum before passing away and it was a huge, pleasant surprise to see him despite not registering the fact he was very much apart of the credit roll. He was always a treasure on that series. I love the man. I love when Carter, like myself, is excited to see Hammond and he doesn't know who they are. Such a sock to the gut for her. Most SG-1 fans were pretty pleased to see him here despite the bit role.

The President calls Mitchell, Carter and Jackson. They are called to his office. The government needs their help. William Devane as the President is always a hoot. He's a natural as President of The United States. Does he actually play anything else? Our fearless trio have their mission and off they go, but will they make it in time?

It was amusing to see all of the familiar Goa'uld faces on board Lord Baal's vessel including: Vince Crestejo as Yu and Steve Bacic as Camulus to name a few. The ships are entering Earth airspace. Baal calls the President and must end the call when Vala/Quetesh [with her Goa'uld symbiote] sticks a sword through his belly. Teal'c reports to Baal [now with the sword through his gut] that the Earthlings have found the stargate. Quetesh makes an effort to kill Teal'c. Teal'c runs for it and rings away from the vessel to one of the fleet ships.

Quetesh gives orders to the to Goa'uld System Lords to waste Earth and orders Teal'c's death, once again a hero to the Jaffa. Quetesh plans on exiting to Praxia. Teal'c knows the only way to finish this fight is to stop Quetesh. He knows of another stargate.

The bombardment of Earth begins. The air force fighters take airborne. With the gate destroyed in the Antarctic it is determined the Russians have another gate. Mitchell and company are enroute. Firefights ensue with the Goa'uld. The Russians assist in taking them out.

In a hangar, our trio reaches the Russian stargate. An Al'Kesh lands on the roof and a forcefield goes up around the hanger. It is Teal'c to the rescue. Teal'c doesn't know his friends of course in this timeline. He rings in to use the stargate as well. He's there to avenge Baal's death, the final task of the Jaffa for a master. An attack commences on their location as a standstill persists. With weapons drawn they are lowered with the intention of working together. They all get through the gate in a nick of time.

Teal'c wants to know why he shouldn't kill Mitchell, but Mitchell tells Teal'c he is a good man. Jackson explains how Baal changed things up and made Teal'c his first prime and Vala/ Quetesh his queen to control them. They begin working quickly before Quetesh arrives.

She arrives and the battle begins. As the Jaffa ring down they are eliminated while Sam works diligently on the time device. The body count begins to pile up. Jackson is shot and killed by a staff weapon. Carter, too, is shot in the back. The gate is activated and Mitchell jumps through while Teal'c is killed as well. Vala arrives and Teal'c blows them up as his final act of dying a free Jaffa.

Flashback to the ocean liner in 1939 where Mitchell, heavily made-up, is the ship's captain [something referred to the Grandfather paradox]. That's a pretty cool moment. This time they are prepared for the boarding party. Baal is killed with a single shot to the head. History will not repeat itself. You'll recall the tagline to the film. Mitchell saves the day.
It's hard to believe these wee little Goa'uld were a problem for over ten years. Go figure.
Returning to the extraction of Baal, the System Lord is removed and killed. Baal is now de-balled and Vala is right there to pick up the pieces. She is a sex fiend. I like her! The anti-climax of it all is pretty funny. All is well and Jack O'Neill is buying lunch no less. It's a bit much to see Richard Dean Anderson always as the funny man. I liked it in the series because it was a mix of the comedic with the serious. The older actor he is, he gets saddled with the humor card in excess. He's much less the action man and more the comedic foil at this point. I know our dear actors get older and become less the action stars [i.e. Star Trek, the original actors], but Richard Dean Anderson isn't that old. He's still cool damn it!



Sam is such the geek. You have to love her. Continuum was a bit disappointing. I'm not sure I liked it even as much as The Ark Of Truth. I was a little surprised by that. It's a bit of a glorified episode of Stargate SG-1 without being quite as good as some of those. Oh well, I always have the series and the fond memories. I suspect I will return to them some day right here. I think I shall catalogue all of my favorite Jack O'Neill moments beginning with this final film.

Continuum: B-

B5 S5 Ep 12: The Ragged Edge

Bald and Naked is Beautiful! Daffy Duck thinks so too.

Sheridan arrives at the League meeting and no one is there. A boycott is in full effect as the races are displeased that Babylon 5 and the alliance are unable to protect their respective ships in the shipping lanes from attack.

Tensions rise as we enter Babylon 5, Season Five, Episode 12, The Ragged Edge.

G'Kar and Londo have returned to Babylon 5 after a one month absence to Centuari Prime. G'Kar is greeted with overwhelming support. Londo makes good fun of his popularity too. His razor sharp dialogue is worth a look here. I hate when some of the best scenes occur during the credit roll, but what can you do.

Garibaldi awakens to a Bab Com message from Zack. He had a fairly difficult night's sleep. That happens when you dance at length with the old demon bottle. Garibaldi is clearly off the wagon as some old friends are creeping back into his life. A meeting is held between the key players on the station. It is determined a human survived one of the attacks escaping via a lifepod in the shipping lanes. It is believed he made it to the Drazi homeworld. The group needs the human survivor to testify regarding what he saw. Garibaldi has contacts there and agrees to go to the Drazi homeworld to find this man. Sheridan wants Franklin to assist. Garibaldi insists it's a solo mission. His guy will not meet with him if he learns Franklin is along for the ride. Franklin is annoyed a touch. Nevertheless, Sheridan complies agreeing with Garibaldi concerning his take on the situation.
*

Marshall Teague returns as Ta'Lon. G'Kar learns his Book of G'Kar has been "liberated" by Ta'Lon and his people and brought back to Narn for safekeeping should anything happen to him. He discovers there may be as many as 600,000 copies in print on homeworld and that it may outsell the Book of G'Quan [this of course is one of G'Kar's personal favorites and the source for much of his own wisdom and inspiration]. G'Kar is now officially a religious icon. It is amusing to see the growth of G'Kar's character from ambassador, to rebel gun runner, to citizen and now to religious figure and cult hero. At first, G'Kar was displeased by the violation of his writing privacy. He is definitely overwhelmed by the news, but quietly honored by the move. It turns out the book has been a red, hot seller and speaks to the reason for G'Kar's sudden rise in popularity on the station.

Franklin confronts Garibaldi regarding why he wouldn't want him along on his mission. Now, I really didn't find it all that suspicious that Garibaldi didn't want Franklin along for the trip. Apparently Franklin was picking up on Garibaldi's personal drinking habit and avoidance of him. Garibaldi plays it so straight I just couldn't see how Franklin could see through his charade. Honestly. Franklin tells him he is always around to talk if there is a problem hinting to Franklin's superhuman ability to read between even the smallest of lines. He's a near telepath!

Classic line: G'Kar suggests checking out his book, the Book of G'Kar. Londo replies, "Well as Mr. Garibaldi says, I think I'll wait for the movie." Londo and G'Kar's antagonistic friendship is a trip and one of the highlights of Season Five.

We are about to learn more about the Drazi than we have to date within this entry as Garibaldi arrives in space dock. I've always found it a bit surprising we have heard very little about this race which has played a significant peripheral role within the series. Garibaldi meets up with his old friend in his temporary quarters. They are old friends going back to Europa.

The Drazi have narrow streets to prevent invaders or armies from getting down their roads. The race was originally an outdoor race. They used to have servants/ slaves which might explain their sometimes elitist, entitled attitude. I always find geographical history fascinating and how that plays into the psychology of a people. It's quite interesting.

Garibaldi's friend makes arrangements to coordinate with the surviving pilot. The old friends essentially get blitzed together and Garibaldi is out cold. As his friend exits Garibaldi's room he is shot and killed by a blue PPG blast. When he snaps out of it a precision signal light appears on Garibaldi's shirt emitted from the park below. As Garibaldi enters he encounters a Drazi over his friend's body and a fight ensues. Garibaldi uses the oldest trick in the book with a shoulder flip of the Drazi straight over the side of the balcony. See ya! Unfortunately as it turns out, that Drazi is very much alive. Later, Garibaldi carelessly makes a run at the cloaked men/aliens guarding the prisoner and is quickly dispatched by too many fists of fury to overcome. What the hell kind of attack plan was that? It certainly was less than wise. When Garibaldi gets to his feet he finds the surviving human pilot is dead. Garibaldi is on the run and contacts Delenn for a White Star pick up. He needs help. Delenn requests White Star 26.

Back on the station, Franklin receives an urgent incoming message from Earthdome. The Narn are holding vigil outside of G'Kar's quarters. A NEW cult is forming apparently. God please, no more cults!!! G'Kar tells Ta'Lon he has no interest in leading. Ta'Lon believes these are new days and new ways of leading are needed. "It is about unlearning hatred and unlearning fear," declares Ta'Lon. Ta'Lon is a warrior and knows the spiritual hand of G'Kar is needed. Please, no fawning or pawing please. Ta'Lon feels they both have their own unique "burdens to bear." Amen, don't we all.

Garibaldi is rescued. Sheridan doesn't understand why Garibaldi didn't hear the scuffle back on the Drazi homeworld. It seems a bit out of character for a gumshoe who doesn't miss much. Garibaldi's lies begin. First it was a cold, now it's he was tired and konked out. He refuses to acknowledge his booze problem. A cocktail of trouble is brewing for our dear man Garibaldi all over.

Londo enters the meeting and asks Garibaldi, in his battered state, what happened to him. Garibaldi serves up one of his classic retorts, whatever you do "don't ask for a raise." Londo sees Garibaldi spinning something in his hand. Garibaldi is unfamiliar with the piece he picked up on the Draz homeworld. Londo tells him it is a button to a Centauri palace guard. Londo inquires where he got it. He replies [somehow I should think untruthfully] he picked it up in the Zocalo. Garibaldi is protecting what he knows I suspect. It is unclear why at this point.

A follow-up meeting indicates Garibaldi did pick it up on the Drazi homeworld and that the Centauri are somehow involved potentially. Delenn suggests Londo cannot be trusted, but does not believe he is involved. G'Kar tells the group, "tell him nothing." G'Kar's take is out of protection for his new friend. G'Kar shares his story regarding their visit to Centauri Prime and the forces at work there. G'Kar is definitely looking out for Londo's best interest. Londo is scheduled to return to Centauri in approximately 4-6 weeks. This explains Garibaldi's caution with Londo.

Franklin records in his journal. He is dealing with tough decisions and it appears he is planning on departing the station.

G'Kar begins his Book of G'Kar teachings to his brethren. He emphasizes embracing diversity. The Narn questions G'Kar's teachings in the beginning of his book regarding his belief that the Centauri cannot be trusted. He is exasperated as he tries to explain these teachings are dynamic and constantly changing. His followers believe the book is holy and every word must be true. G'Kar tells one of his Narn brothers to place his face in the book. And for their first lesson the book is shut- right on the Narn's face! WOW! That's a harsh lesson.

Franklin approaches Sheridan with his news. He will be leaving the station to work for Earthdome. Sheridan is dismayed. Sheridan doesn't mix words. He is not at all pleased with his decision to take up the head of Xenobiology for Earthdome. Sheridan tells him how much he values his friendship, but relents out of respect on his choice to leave. The final shot is of Garibaldi sleeping off yet another alcohol-induced sleep, while Franklin attempts to reach him with his news. His affection for the Looney Tunes knows no bounds. "ehhh, What's up doc?" Garibaldi apparently won't be finding out just yet.

Overall, there are some plot points that move Straczynski's story along, but on the whole the entry was fairly snooze-worthy. Ebbity, ebbity, ebbity, that's all folks!

The Ragged Edge: C-

Babylon 5 Companion Book: No Surrender, No Retreat

Book Four: No Surrender, No Retreat

Script To Screen: Straczynski talks extensively about his own personal writing process. I couldn’t help but think about the amazing final quarter of Season Four with this quote. Straczynski refers to Season Four when he says, “There were several episodes this past season where I wrote the script in three days without any notes or outlines because I’d been thinking about it for four years.” If the final five episodes are those of which he speaks they really flow and they just rocked. It is fascinating to hear that from someone, a visionary, who really had something fully formulated mentally and just needed to transfer it to a physical reality. Prosthetic make-up designer John Vulich makes some great points regarding their plan for G’Kar with this comment. “The show’s quite tricky…it’s easy to do a monster, but it’s harder to do something that could be perceived as a monster, but later on you realize he’s really your friend.” This really came across in the look of the character throughout the series. Babylon 5's Fourth Season: This section really delves into what many visitors here have mentioned was the cloud of potential cancellation that hung heavy around the heads of all involved in Season Four. As a result much was being produced and sometimes resolved with urgency as each episode moved the story swiftly forward towards a conclusion. Straczynski delves into the breakdown of how Season Four was to play out versus how it did play out. Intersections In Real Time was the intended cliffhanger, but many of these stories had to be moved up to make the necessary room to bring closure to Straczynski's many threads and ideas. There is a great discussion regarding the hastening of the story due to impending time constraints. It's interesting because as I watched Season Four many of these points are in evidence throughout the twenty-two episodes. Some moments are quite notable, while others were probably pulled off rather neatly. The evidence isn't glaringly bad in most cases, just noticeably quicker than Straczynski had operated in the three previous seasons. The wrap-up of the Shadow War in six quick episodes is a case in point that is analyzed here.

Straczynski spends some time covering what some perceive as the abrupt ending to the Shadow War. There is some interesting perspective here. He talks of the two key questions posed by the Vorlons ands Shadows, “Who Are You?” and “What Do You Want?” respectively. He indicates the the heart of the problem is that “they don’t know the answers anymore.” Bruce Boxleitner puts it best this way, “I think it’s time to get it on. It got more relentless as we went.” It’s true. It was like a freight train running at that point and coming to a head worked on the whole wrapping it up in the first third of Season Four.

I never thought much about it at the time, but I can certainly see where some might have felt odd about it at the time. I remember thinking it was a bad idea. “Perhaps it is a leap of logic to believe that G’Kar would have left Babylon 5 to search for Garibaldi.” I love the analysis of G’Kar and Londo’s relationship as G’Kar is beaten, tortured and chained to the wall. G’Kar “should be at his weakest. Instead he displays a resilience and pride that outshines Londo, who should be in a position of strength. When Londo walks into the cell, however, he seems almost afraid of the Narn in front of him, knowing he must ask his enemy for help and that if he refuses, it will mean death and destruction for the Centauri.” How’s that for irony?

Straczynski covers the strengths and weaknesses throughout Season Four. He notes Lines Of Communication was “simplistic and… less engaging.” He adds that the Drakh emissary “still looks like a monster of the week.” I think the criticism is a bit harsh, but it's his show. I actually enjoyed that entry and thought the emissary looked half-way decent with the vibration effect in play.

All in all much of the analysis is great here, but it’s all laid out in front of the viewer to find on their own. Sheridan’s change is a great example. It’s something that is gradual and begs the question why and you can certainly answer the question by thinking about the transpiring events. As Straczynski points out, coming back from the dead can certainly change your outlook on things. It’s definitely part of the fun of Babylon 5 to actually apply thought and analysis and dig a little deeper than most science fictions stories allow. It’s like that sauce commercial for Prego- “It’s in there.”

Here are some of the episode highlights.

Whatever Happened To Mr. Garibaldi?: Jason Carter discusses his utter awe of the abilities of Andreas Katsulas, his acting prowess and ability to transcend the mask and make-up. “I think it’s an incredible thing that he does, considering he is completely concealed by the make-up…. His powerful humanity crosses through that, and he is so expressive behind that mask. He is absolutely alive and G’Kar exists.” I know I made mention of that while watching Babylon 5 and it's a no-brainer, but I thought Carter articulated that well. Later, referring to the scenes in the Centauri prison between Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsulas, we are given some terrific analysis on the character’s respective positions. Jurasik notes those scenes to be some of his favorite and they were easily mine as well for the first half of Season Four. This is a great bit analyzing the sequence when Londo goes to G’Kar for aid. “Even though G’Kar is locked in a prison cell and chained to the wall, it is Londo who appears to be in the weaker position. He seems almost frightened of asking G’Kar for this favor, although the Narn cannot possibly pose a physical threat to him.” They make mention of the light flooding the room and G’Kar’s face when the door to the cell is opened and I recall G’Kar basking in that glow and the spiritual strength and impact of that moment myself.

The Summoning: Katsulas recalls the electro-whip sequence and the effort it took to be in that place over and over for that scream. “I was really drained, and I was so happy that I was off a few episodes after that, just psychologically. I needed to get out of that, that place you go to in that dark prison.” I also enjoyed Boxleitner’s reflections on his character which really say a lot about the vibe of the character throughout Season Four. “There’s a dark side to this Mr. Good Guy.” There’s a great analogy by Straczynski as well equating the journey of his hero to that of Mad Max in the first two films by George Miller. I love those films! He indicates Miller went wrong with the third installment by straying from the nebulous, ambiguous path established for his hero in the first two films by falling on formula. Very interesting segment. A very valid criticism of that third film though there were aspects of it that I enjoyed.

Finally, I had considered the Judas analogy of Garibaldi’s betrayal of Sheridan, which is articulated quite nicely here. Joe Straczynski discusses the parallels to Western Christianity and other belief systems with Garibaldi [Judas] or Sheridan [Jesus] and Lorien [God]. That does make sense and is clever in its setup to be sure.

Falling Toward Apotheosis: It was fascinating to hear Patricia Tallman talk of the plan to kill the evil Kosh in this entry. I hadn’t looked at it this way. “The Shadows go out and kill the first Kosh, and then here we are coming along to kill the second one, which doesn’t make us any better than the Shadows. I really had some problems with that ethically.” Straczynski goes on to discuss the sticky moral implications. We also get that age old question regarding World War II and Hiroshima that so many love to debate. It looks as though Straczynski regards history with the kind of logic he projects on his own show. “We bombed Hiroshima, which is a terrible thing, but did we lose fewer people than if we attempted an invasion of the Japanese mainland? It’s a very difficult choice and it is both defensible and vulnerable, which are the kind of arguments that I like with this show. You can make the case that it was wrong, but if they hadn’t done it, what would have been the consequences?” In the sentence of that quote he could have been talking of World War II, but he is referring to the aggression against the Vorlon. If action wasn’t taken, the war would never have come to an end. He speaks of the Shadow War not Hiroshima, but he could have been. It's unfortunate that reinventing history has become a popular past time for many. It reminds me of The Deconstruction Of Falling Stars exactly.

The Long Night: A great crossroads for G’Kar and Londo takes place here in Season Four. “If someone had told Londo in the first season that G’Kar would be the one to save his people, he probably would not have believed it. If that same someone had said that it would be Londo who asked G’Kar to save his people, he would have almost certainly considered that person to be mad.” Now that’s genuine hope and change for you. G’Kar is spiritually enlightened, but Londo too would eventually come around. Actor Peter Jurasik defends the same indicating underneath it all Londo truly does have heart [or two]. Londo repents and looks for vindication throughout Season Four. It’s one of my favorite things about Season Four. The chapter talks extensively of the theatrical scene between Vir and Londo following the assassination of Cartagia by Vir and all of the emotional and moral implications for Vir that followed that along with Londo’s reaction. I agree that it is one of the most moving sequences in the season and I believe I clipped that when I covered this episode. I loved it. It is powerful stuff. Straczynski apparently comes from a theatrical background and there is no question that shines through for the entire series and how sequences are staged and filmed. One final area touched upon is the heroic nature of G’Kar. He was always my favorite character throughout the show and I sensed something special about him along the way, but he shines in Season Four for many reasons. “G’Kar is certainly as much of a hero as anyone else in the show. In some ways, this story is as much G’Kar’s story as anyone else’s, and he goes through as many changes as anyone else goes through,” Straczynski confides. “He endures almost as much- if not more in some ways- as Sheridan does. And also, like Sheridan, for the good of his people and not for any personal glory.”

Into The Fire: For those of us who were not particularly thrilled with the way Straczynski closed out the Shadow War much is covered regarding 'why?' in this segment. I thought it played out long enough as a whole personally and the time seemed right. In fact, if I didn’t express that opinion originally, and I can't recall [I sound like I'm on a witness stand], I do think in retrospect it was a good point to end the proceedings here. I really liked the remainder of Season Four as it played out. I like how Straczynski refers to those fans who strictly enjoy the pyrotechnics as “propellerheads.” That’s funny. I’m a bigger fan of the more intimate drama between characters for sure. I have always said I would have enjoyed a battle or two on foot and hand-to-hand. I would have liked that, but you know the scenes I loved along the way. I don't think I ever clipped a propellerhead sequence. They just aren't necessary or half as juicy as the character drama. This is a great point by Straczynski. “I was growing concerned that more and more people were thinking that the whole shows was about the Shadow War, which is not the case. That was not even there in the first season, didn’t even get cooking until midway through the second season, and they thought this is the entirety of the show, and it never was.” I can certainly see where people might have been despondent over the end of the war. It had been such a powerful force in the show from Season Two to Season Four there was certainly a sense it had engulfed the series so to speak. It was like this great all-consuming shadow. We have terrible memories and Season One seemed like a distant one at that. Straczynski points to the various stages of the war in Babylon 5 and the inevitable peace process. It was evident it had run its course and had to come to a head otherwise it was going to grow stale. I like the reference to Epsilon 3 as a “decoy.” It certainly felt like that though it did play a part in the Babylon 4 thread, which this book points out. Despite my desire for a shoot ‘em up episode Straczynski is quick to point out it was about “philosophies” or competing belief systems. He was never much impressed with giving the audience what it “expects.” I think that was clear.

Epiphanies: Much is discussed here about the Garibaldi character. The whole idea of whether he was acting by choice or being pushed in a given direction by the programming applied by Bester is in question. It’s purposefully ambiguous. I always thought that worked really well because I was left really uncomfortable regarding what was going on with Garibaldi. It wasn’t neat in any way. Straczynski was very successful in what he was going for with this character. I wanted to puke. Patricia Tallman makes some great observations about her character here as well. Much of her feeling on the direction of her character is how I was feeling as it unraveled. “She puts herself on the line for them, and nobody ever gives anything back. It’s so sad. She has a scene with Zack where she says, ‘Why doesn’t anyone just ask me out for dinner, go have a beer in the Zocalo? You want me to fry my mentor, but you don’t want to have a pizza with me. Nobody brings me flowers.’ It continues and continues this way. I never thought it was going to go like that.” Neither did I and it is once again a testament to Straczynski’s gameplan and one that is fairly true to a reality based on logic about people. Are people really that predictable?

The Illusion Of Truth: Mira Furlan gives a fairly extensive opinion on how this episode was handled as someone who came from war torn Yugolsavia and dealt with media propaganda. It’s funny, but I’ve never seen a more propaganda-driven media or agenda-driven media. I believe US outlets are headed in a similiar direction. News is no longer reported, but rather agenda and political bias. It's an interesting evolution and quite disturbing. Journalistically neutral reporting in the classic sense is less and less evident. It's quite sad. Furlan knows first hand and felt “the media and journalists were heavily responsible for the war” in her former country. It’s a terrific case in point on how things change. The media is a powerful instrument and voice when they get behind something they want to support, but can be destructive to the people they serve the information. This episode is a terrific illustration of that power and negligent misuse. Whether the news is reported with a left-wing or right-wing slant it is manipulative and it is not true journalism. The character of Dr. Indiri is a great example. He comments on the status of Babylon 5 without all of the variables, without all of the facts and without any real empirical evidence. Our own reporters often give their opinions without a foundation for them, but they do have their agenda driving their reporting and they get their marching orders from above more than ever or they are hired to fill their agendas accordingly more than ever. Even Garibaldi hurts the station and his old friends with his words, but there is no desire to understand what influences or factors are in play that have affected this interviewee. Yet, given who Garibaldi is his words carry great weight.

Atonement: Straczynski makes a great point about the impurity of races via the Minbari. As pure as they’d like to be, Delenn represents impurity as a descendant of Valen, which of course introduced human DNA. He makes the point without being preachy. It’s an interesting portion of the chapter.

Lines Of Communication: I remember this episode being a real turning point for me regarding my perception of Delenn. I remember writing about how much I enjoyed her character here. It was a notable turning point for the character. It seemed a conscious decision to make her leaner and tougher based upon what I read here. Mira Furlan’s comments really cement that vibe I was experiencing at the time as well and I don’t think it was a desire solely by a female audience either. “I think the female audience craves to see a strong woman who is presented in a good way, a positive way…. To see Delenn being this little lamb, this tiny little lost girl, got on their nerves, and I can completely understand that.” It got on my testosterone-driven nerves as well. So Straczynski clearly made a conscious decision to make her tougher and less sweet. I know Comes The Inquisitor might speak volumes about her character, but there was a big stride forward for her here.

It was funny to learn here of Straczynski’s decision to blur the Drakh emissary as well. He indicates he was “burned” by the Infection monster and the creature from Grey 17 Is Missing referring to those debacles as the “obvious guy in the rubber suit.” Well, it definitely worked here on the Drakh emissary. I remember thinking the emissary was a Drakh until you all pointed out the error of my ways. As far as emissaries go, this is one of the scariest I must say. It was all very much by design and it really works here.

It was interesting to learn here how annoyed Billy Mumy was by the actor who played Forell. It's not often you get to here actors talk smack about other actors. He doesn’t mention the character by name, but he is definitely referring to the guest actor who played Forell opposite the actor who played the Drakh emissary whom Mumy spoke glowingly. Mumy rips the guest actor [Forell] a new one and I imagine he would have a good handle and a right to comment as a veteran actor in the biz. It’s not personal. It’s all business as Mumy points out. Perhaps Lennier was staring Forell down out of anger with genuine sincerity in that entry. He may not have been acting afterall. Like the episode, this was an interesting installment.

Conflicts Of Interest: The installment here deals with the inner Garibaldi conflict and I think what Straczynski was driving for was spot on target. “Well, where is he in all this? He’s not a bad guy, but he’s not acting like one of our good guys, so what the hell is going on here?” I remember feeling precisely that way. I was screwed up!

Rumors, Bargains And Lies: I hadn’t really put this in perspective. Here we have a bit of art imitating life. Mira Furlan was an actress in the former Yugoslavia when war began to break between Croats, Serbs and Muslims. Here, in the series, Delenn tries to quell civil war and civil unrest by returning to Minbar. That was lost on me at the time actually, but it makes complete sense and I did know Furlan was from Yugoslavia. Anyway, an interesting parallel for Furlan to perform as someone so openly exposed to that kind of hatred.

Straczynski makes a comment about Sheridan that really speaks to his behavior throughout Season Four. It was never completely obvious, more subtle, but certainly establishes the underlying truth of the situation for this man. “The whole Z’Ha’Dum thing was a transformational experience for him and there’s many ways of showing that.” I thought it presented itself rather nicely throughout the season without yelling or screaming to us “Look at me, look at how I’ve changed.” Sheridan underwent change of his own, much like Garibaldi, and both of these men that were close friends were transforming before our very eyes. It was all rather uncomfortable along the way, but logically so.

Moments Of Transition: I hadn’t really noted the parallel at the time, but this commentary shed a little more light on it for me. I like the idea that change was required at the end of the Shadow War. The Grey Council, too, could no longer remain static. Things had changed and so with that change the Grey Council needed to adapt by making the Worker Caste the dominant party within the council. “The Grey Council was formed as a barrier, or a form of defense, against the Shadows, and when that threat was gone, they needed to redefine themselves. They had defined themselves in that context for so long that they had lost the point of it. In a way, it’s a parallel to the Shadow War itself, where you have these two sides who are carrying on their own agenda through a third party, which would be us. With Minbar, in trying to be prepared for combat, it had become its own worst enemy. The Warrior and Religious Castes are like the Shadows and the Vorlons, with the Worker Caste caught in the middle. As we told those other two sides to go away because we’re going to make our own way, the Grey Council had to take a similar direction.”

No Surrender, No Retreat: There is some discussion here concerning the difficulty making the White Star interior set interesting. I would agree. I didn’t think they were always successful in making it so.

Director Mike Vejar discusses a critical scene in the entry between Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik as G’Kar and Londo respectively. It’s a powerful sequence and they cover it extensively right down to camera angles to help convey the mood of the characters and where they were in their journey. They really break down the scene and how they wanted it to work. That was a brilliant scene and it was handled skillfully. G’Kar reluctantly agrees to work with Londo if you recall and it was gradual for him to get there, but at the same time G’Kar is internally a believer in the mission for peace, which helps propel him past bitterness, hatred or revenge. He had so moved beyond that as a character and he was placing that on display in the raw.

The Face Of The Enemy: The sequence concerning Sheridan’s takedown is covered extensively here. It’s an interesting read to a really spectacular visual sequence in the series. “That to me, is what hell is like,” comments Jerry Doyle. “If there is a heaven and a hell, hell is the place you go to after you watch the video of your life in front of all of your friends and family and they show you every missed step, everything you did wrong in life, on this giant video in front of everyone.” Great comments. Jerry Doyle closes with how he responded after learning Bester had controlled his motives. “The only thing I could do was slam my head against the wall and let it go. That, to me, was the trumpet call to action. Okay, now that I’ve found out what happened, you fucked with me, now I’ve got some stuff to do.” Perfect.

Intersections In Real Time: There is a great deal of interview time here with actor Raye Birk who played interrogator William. It’s interesting. Birk was extremely proud of the finished product and he should be. It is one of Babylon 5’s finest moments. Bruce Boxleitner speaks of the humor found in the classic corned beef sandwich scene. He actually had to eat four sandwiches and has not had one since as of the book’s writing. Straczynski indicates he put a lot of time, energy and research into the torture sequences of the episode. Much of the input was based upon stories from World War II, his degrees from school and so on. Straczynski points to the various instances of physical duress or torture applied throughout Babylon 5 for character purposes. Straczynski played Sheridan’s part as someone who does NOT break. All of the elements from this entry add up to a classic. I thought this was an interesting point by Straczynski. “I’d always wanted to do a two-character one-room episode, and every time I came up to doing it, I kind of chickened out at the last minute and put in some B-story stuff.” “The Inquisitor was that way…and I chickened out at the last minute.” You know, I remember thinking how Comes The Inquisitor could have been as good as this, but that the other threads were distracting. I recall feeling that way and it was intriguing to see Straczynski reaffirm those thoughts here.

Between The Darkness And The Light: Joe Straczynski had actually considered killing Ivanova, but decided against it. It left me thinking. I imagine Marcus would have been unsuccesful in taking his life instead. Perhaps someone’s intervention in those final moments might have saved him. Of course, he would still be with us as a result. It’s an interesting ‘What if?’ scenario.

Rising Star: Straczynski discusses his indecision right up until the point of no return regarding the death of Marcus. There were essentially two takes, one with Marcus dying and one of him being placed into cryonic suspension. “I wasn’t sure myself what I wanted to do.” He adds, “I just didn’t want to kill off the character. I was very fond of Marcus, and I was giving myself room to cut in either direction.” Straczynski was concerned he might cheat his audience by saving Ivanova and then turning around and saving Marcus undercutting the power of the moment or the scene. In the end he feels he made the right choice and I agree. He most definitely would have extracted the power of Marcus’ sacrifice from the series.

The Deconstruction Of Falling Stars: It is made clear here that this entry was originally intended to be the first episode of Season Five, but was utilized as the season ender. Sleeping In Light was delayed and set to be the proper closing to the series for Season Five once TNT picked the series up for a full fifth season.

My affair with Babylon 5 is nearly complete. I have one more Del Rey companion book to read following my completion of Season Five. The books are aclearly a labor of love penned with thorough detail by writer Jane Killick. They are a terrific read for any self-respecting Babylon 5 aficionado. A must for any sci-fi library.

B5 S5 Ep11: Phoenix Rising

No really, you first. I insist.

We kind of pick up where we left off at the end of Season Five, Episode 10, A Tragedy Of Telepaths. Bester appears to be at the heart of the entry. I know why Season Five has been problematic for me. You may recollect some time ago during one of the entries I mentioned something to the effect of not really enjoying the whole telepath/ Psi Corps thread. With this being a large part or bulk of Season Five thus far I have been fairly disengaged from the material. The plot thread of Byron and the teeps [sound like a pop group] just isn't doing it for me. It's a bit like dating someone that you really don't want to be with all that much, but you stay with them anyway and in the end you know it's going to end badly. It's just not an exciting thread for me. Therein lies the problem with me for this season. With that being said, I persist with my long Babylon 5 strolls.
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Bester is rallying the troops in preparation to take down Byron and company. Bloodhound units are tracking down rogue telepaths. Some rogues are trapping the hunters and they are eliminated like the hunted they are to send a message back to Bester. Bester rationalizes Psi Corps as necessary to at once control telepaths and protect normals alike. He has such a big heart and such noble goals. Every race needs to control the telepaths. He makes it sound good to Lochley as the deft politician that he is. As the elevator doors open Bester and Lochley are treated to the sight of one of Bester's own pinned dead to the wall with the words "FREE BYRON!" scrolled above. Silly. So here we go with Babylon 5, Season Five, Episode 11, Phoenix Rising, and the crazy antics of those unruly, at large, telepaths.
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Byron pleads with Sheridan to remove Psi Corps from the station. Bester tells Sheridan that Byron never keeps a promise. They obviously know one another. Lyta would like to know what Bester meant. My re-evaluation continues on Tracey Scoggins. She may be more wooden to me than Michael O'Hare. I like him more. There is something about this season to be sure that just isn't settling in. Sheridan's role is definitely lessened. There is far too much damn Byron. Byron - you my friend are no Marcus replacement!
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Bester goes to his quarters and Garibaldi is waiting there for him with a PPG. He is a smug bastard, but Koenig is a high point in the season amidst a rather bland group of teeps. This is a nice follow-up to the Garibaldi/ Bester storyline.

So why not plant a bomb and allow that to do the dirty work on Bester? Well, I suppose the Asimov covers it. Isaac Asimov [1920-1992] was a Russian writer of science fiction. I, Robot [1950] is one of his most famous to me.
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Lyta pursues Byron on his connection to Bester. It turns out Byron grew up in the Psi Corps as a P-12. He was Bester's protege. He essentially shadowed Bester's activities. Byron learned just how vicious and unmerciful Bester could be. His actions were that of a dark man. Byron was forced to kill mundanes once at Bester's request and very much against his own will. He wanted no part of it. He left Psi Corps and never looked back.
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I suspect Jeff Doyle is a man of fairly good height.

Elsewhere we have a little hand-to-hand combat action happening on the station between Psi Corps and the rogue teeps. It's about damn time! It is brief though. I always wanted some one on one action with those Shadows thing-a-ma-bobs. We almost got it with Season Three, Episode 22, Z'Ha'Dum. So, the violence leads to medlab where Garibaldi is speaking with Franklin about neuroblocks. The rogues enter and Garibaldi gets the tar kicked out of him but goes down fighting. Our teep friends now have hostages and Garibaldi and Franklin are first in line to be executed. Demands for reparations and a homeworld heighten.

Byron asks Lyta for help in order to reach medlab. Franklin tries to intervene and one of the teeps takes a shot at his head. He ducks [see photo]. Boy that was close! Now there's a moment in medlab where Garibaldi is tossed into a computer monitor and a TV screen with snow on it. I immediately recalled the scene where he was murdered in Season Four, Episode 22, The Deconstruction Of Falling Stars. I believe Garibaldi was killed referencing the Telepath War. Are we in the middle of THE Telepath War? I don't mean to sound clueless, but I was just thinking it was going to be bigger for some reason. This certainly makes sense despite feeling more like Telepath Skirmish. The teeps utilize Peter who was wounded back in Season Five, Episode 7, Secrets Of The Soul, to keep security at bay. He flips his head around alot to get objects to fly. Still, he is weak and Franklin tries to stop them, which draws their initial PPG ire.

Lochley: "And if Garibaldi is killed?"

Bester: "Zack gets his room."

The question is posed regarding negotiation with the teeps as being tantamount to negotiating with terrorists. It's a notable analogies like this that make science fiction so great.

Lyta and Byron use their psychic capabilities to find a way into medlab. As I'm watching this I'm thinking, who out there actually ranks Season Five among the very best of the series? Seriously. It's not that good. It's really not. It's sorely lacking.

One of the more interesting moments is the scene with a bloodied Garibaldi that transports us back to Season Four finale. The thing is this. Garibaldi never died. Byron steps in and shoots one of his fellow rogue telepaths. He is clearly troubled by his action and having had to make the choice he makes, but Garibaldi never died.

Meanwhile Sheridan reflects on the longevity of Garibaldi's career on the station. He is the longest serving crew member. It was funny to hear him mention how he joined with Sinclair. It all seems like ancient history at this point, so very long ago in a galaxy far, far away. Of course with Sinclair being Valen now it is a bit like that. I've been writing about Babylon 5 now going over a year of my life.

Byron reports back in to Lochley and Sheridan. He is making every effort to bring this whole thing under control. Byron simply demands Psi Corps is out of the picture. This is a demand that is certainly easier said than done knowing Bester. Still this is what Sheridan and Lochley promise. Bester is none too pleased jurisdiction is usurped by Sheridan and Lochley, but he has lost official control of the situation.

Ah, the pawing and fawning of the cult of weirdo. Good grief.

The telepaths reconvene in Brown Sector for more singing and pawing and fawning over one another. It is a truly strange, little cult of lovers. It's so bizarre it makes me want to hurl over its sheer goofiness. Bester has other plans and is unmolested by their unique molestations toward one another. He touches a metal wall and reaches out to Byron via the mind. Bester reaches out to Byron. He's never going to cave to Bester. Bester tells him, "don't go off with strangers Byron. Don't talk to strangers." I always wondered what Rick Springfield was singing about in his tune Don't Talk To Strangers. Now I know. Kidding. That song pre-dates Babylon 5 anyway. I know I should be ashamed. Don't hate me. You were young once too.

Corps Is Mother, Corps Is Father. Bester plays the family teep card with Byron regarding the corps. Bester is not getting what he wants and he is planning a full on assault to get the teeps back in his fold.

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Way too much vino there fella.

As the transfer of teeps proceeds, Bester and his people show and the situation quickly dissolves into gunfire. Now the weird thing is Byron flips an internal switch and suddenly he can't fight for his principles any longer. He indicates it's just too late and too much blood has been spilled. The whole out is a bit of a crock, a bit of a jolt, because he'd been sticking by his principles without wavering once and all of a sudden he throws everything right out the window and it's like huh? 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis?'

Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye!

Byron tells Lyta to walk away. WHO IS BYRON? The poet of course. So we get loads of Byron poetry as he bids farewell to his willow Lyta. Good Lord. Byron points his PPG at a chemical spill and the whole group ignites into a suicidal ball of flame. It was all entirely predictable and you knew he was going to use that spill to go out in a blaze of glory. They end it as the cult they always were. About the only thing missing was a comet and some Nike sneakers. No tears here I'm afraid.

Sheridan approaches Bester to see if he's satisfied now. Bester appears mildly shattered by the final result of the showdown or is it merely a classic Bester performance. I suspect Bester sees the mundanes as the enemy and the teeps should be united for a common purpose. So will Byron be the martyr?

In the end it turns out Lyta has all of Byron's memories. REMEMBER BYRON a sign reads and she now touches each of the teeps to carry on the calling of Byron's heart. She whispers REMEMBER BYRON to each teep as they pass and it's like she's giving communion out at church. Keerrraaazzzy! Byron's mission will live on through Lyta. More pawing to come.

Garibaldi is back in his quarters and it turns out Psi Corps' headquarters was bombed and the words REMEMBER BYRON are left as a message. There are certainly teep factions about that are dividing any hope for a common cause. They aren't much for slogans really. Keep it simple stupid as they say. FREE BYRON. REMEMBER BYRON. I'm thinking they kinda, like, loved Byron. It does appear a martyr he will be. Anyway, Garibaldi has a drink and the fact he is feeling very vulnerable and out of control thanks to Bester may be devolving into a situation with his old demons once again. It's not easy staying on that wagon I'm sure. Ding Dong the Byron's gone! Now we can get down to business.

Phoenix Rising: C

Tragedy

Final Fantasy Meets Michael Jackson's Thriller

If you haven't heard Michael Jackson passed away Thursday, June 25th shortly after the passing of Farah Fawcett. Yes, it's true. I'm kidding of course about that part of not knowing. The whole thing has been on par with the passing of Princess Diana.

I am beginning to think we may be in a cycle of Michael Jackson music videos and documentaries 24/7 for the next week at least. I can't seem to find a channel that isn't covering the life of Michael Jackson. I liked Michael Jackson's music. I won't lie. I would have to register Off The Wall and Thriller as classics. I don't care for much else, but if my kids weren't sure of who Michael Jackson was they know now. He is on every station and they are getting a steady diet of all of his creativity as well as some rather unflattering portraits of the man and his fall from grace. To quote Spock, in a word, "fascinating."
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Anyway, his is another life cut short. His musical influence was clearly felt by many. The Amazon Bestsellers list is comprised of wall to wall Michael Jackson merchandise. Strange, the impact a death can have on so many. Where were all these fans of his music before he died?

In the spirit of it all, I recalled seeing an Easter Egg from the Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within [2001] DVD. So, I took it upon myself to dig it up for you. The film itself is solid science fiction, albeit not perfect, but I thought you'd get a kick out of this Michael Jackson tribute via Square Soft's take on the classic Thriller.

Charlie's Angels Were Detectives, But Seriously Who Really Cares!

I never followed Charlie's Angels all that carefully. I remember trying to watch whenever I could simply because the boys in my neighborhood liked the babes. Did you know they were detectives? Of course, but we really didn't care. We liked to see them in action. They were hot!

Farah Fawcett passed away on Thursday and since Michael Jackson died later that day no one cares about Farah anymore. I suspect coverage on her and her life would have been more closely covered had the passing of bizarro Jackson not happened. The media seized upon it as only the media can in all its shallow, disgusting splendor. Farah was simply tossed aside like yesterday's news and it hadn't even been half a day. I suspect those close to Fawcett may be thankful for that singular callous act of media inattention for once.

To be honest I wasn't a huge Farah fan on Charlie's Angels. The guys always picked their favorite babes as if they had any chance at all with them. Still, ownership of your pin-up girl was part of the coming-of-age process and a rite of passage. I was always a brunette guy and for some reason had a thing for the raspy Kate Jackson. Jaclyn Smith was my next favorite. I always appreciated Farah more as I got older. She was a pretty lady. She was a natural beauty [as far as I know; not like Jackson]. Anyway, sad to see her go. You know how I feel about seeing these people in our lives sort of disappear from the radar forver [Jackson included]. It makes us that much older and all the more mortal.