Hello everyone...been busy with life so not been here much. I've recently started going through my B5 DVD collection and got to season 3...and remembered something that has always bugged me. In the intro sequence there's a scene of B5 and 2 starfuries fighting with one being shot and blown up...which episode is that from? I've watched every one but can't remember seeing this...anyone got any clues please?
Many thanks! Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
It's not from an episode, it was rendered specifically for the intro.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I always wondered about that. I mean, I knew that it wasn't from an episode, but more why they telegraphed the whole independence thing from the beginning of the season. I remember watching the show for the first time and seeing that (not knowing the upcoming storyline), and thinking that the upcoming civil war was kind of obvious.
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
B5 showed you exactly how both Londo and G'Kar die right there in the very first episode. That show wasn't about last second, out of the blue surprise twists (read: make it up as they went along) but about a planned arc. Still, even when they went ahead and showed you what's coming, it was always slightly out of context. The Londo G'Kar bit is a prime example since, if you took it at face value the first time round, you'd naturally assume that their mutual hatred finally got the better of them. The truth however, turned out to be the exact opposite.
Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :
Ah so it was specific to the intro...interesting since everything else is from season two episodes seen or those to be shown in season three...but it's nice to know now. Thank you.
And yes, I do like their planning of plots and character's futures/ends. Made it different to other series out there.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
quote:Originally posted by Reverend: B5 showed you exactly how both Londo and G'Kar die right there in the very first episode. That show wasn't about last second, out of the blue surprise twists (read: make it up as they went along) but about a planned arc.
Only on some things- Sheridan's coming back from the dead and the whole Lorien character seemed obviously last-minute...the whole end to the Shadow war thing seemed very tacked-on (as there was real doubts about a fouth season at the time, IIRC).
I think JMS had to compress a lot of things due to budgetary and studio problems.
Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :
Yes I have heard that the season 5 we got was never actually planned but completely extra due to the network saying "OK, you've got a season 5 now", so JMS had to cram 5 years of story into 4 years, then was kinda left hanging...
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
A common misconception, but that's not how it went down. The network they were with (Pten I think?) decided season 4 would be the last one so yes, there was a little story compression to make sure things would be wrapped up to some degree of satisfaction but not nearly as much compression as some people make out. The original plan would have been to have the season play out more or less as it did, but have one or so more episodes on the Minbar & Earth civil wars with the season ending with "Intersections in Real Time".
The rest of the Earth civil war would be wrapped up a few episodes later then it's onto the ISA empire building with Ivanova taking over from Sheridan falling in love with Byron only to get her heart broken again when he skrags himself. The only other difference would have been that with the first two or three used to finish off the Civil war, the Telepath colony plot line wouldn't have been so stretched out over half the season. The latter half of the season would have gone pretty much as is.
Of course when TNT swooped in at the last minute, JMS didn't want to deliver 'Sleeping in Light' - which had already been filmed as part of season 4 - and instead made up 'Deconstruction of Falling Stars' more or less on the spot which was then filmed as the first production episode of Season 4 while SiL was saved for last.
As for Sheridan's death, resurrection and the conclusion to the Shadow War, neither were "tacked on" and were planned well ahead of time. It may not have been telegraphed very loudly, but that's not the same thing as making it up at the last minute. There have to be some surprises after all. Oh and of course Sheridan's death WAS foreshadowed twice as early as season 2. First with the cryptic dreams on-board the Stribe ship and rather blatantly when Delenn & Kosh warn him about Morden "If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die" then there's future Delenn's warning in 'War Without End': "Do not go to Z'ha'dum", the timeflash of Anna and of course the Z-minus countdown at the end of Season 3.
As far as ending the Shadow War the way they did, I fail to see how it could have been done any other way. Between them the Vorlons & the Shadows had the fire-power to wipe everyone else off the face of the galaxy, so beating them by force of arms just wasn't possible.
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I've recently started going through my B5 DVD collection and got to season 3...and remembered something that has always bugged me. In the intro sequence there's a scene of B5 and 2 starfuries fighting with one being shot and blown up...which episode is that from? I've watched every one but can't remember seeing this...anyone got any clues please?![[Smile]](smile.gif)