![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
It was the year of fire... the year of destruction... the year we took back what was ours.
I've been watching my Babylon 5 S4 DVDs. I picked them up on Tuesday, the day they were released.
HMV Clerk: There must be a cult.
Hal: Hmm?
HMV Clerk: [inane Hollywood movie] and [insipid Hollywood movie] were both released today, but we've sold more copies of this than anything else.
Hal: There's a cult.
I think this is my favourite season, mainly for Londo and G'Kar. G'Kar has an amazing character arc -- he's learned so much, suffered so much, come so far. The Boy and I watch open-mouthed, periodically murmuring "He's so great" and "Oh, G'Kar!" The scenes on Centauri Prime, and then on Narn -- oh my god.
Actually, one of the best bits is in the ep (2nd, I think, or perhaps 3rd) Whatever Happened to Mr Garibaldi?. G'Kar has gone off to look for Garibaldi. He's on some skeezy planet or moon or station, getting into a bit of trouble, and lo! there is Marcus, helping him out. Marcus has good banter with just about anybody, but so does G'Kar and so listening to them talk to each other was vastly entertaining. And, actually, very slashy. It doesn't hurt that Marcus is very, very hot this season. G'Kar, of course, has always been hot. (I seem to have a thing for reptilian aliens and demons. And, G'Kar, of course, has a canon predeliction for rishathra.)
I may have mentioned this before, but I'm much more into the John/Delenn relationship this time around. I don't think he's worthy of her, but hell, if she wants him, I'm not going to be the one to tell her no. She's scary.
There are a lot of moments to feel sorry for Lennier, though. He serves her so devotedly, and never asks for anything, just suffers in silence. The Boy did point out that perhaps all he needs to do is wait Sheridan out. Twenty-five, thirty years down the road -- Lennier could be in then. (Or is there canon that she's always alone or dies soon after? I forget.)
It seems like there are several Tolkien references, though I don't know that they're intentional. Besides "if you go to Z'ha'dum you will die"/"if you pass the doors of Moria [Khazad-dûm], beware", there are all those elf-like First Ones, sailing beyond the rim, where the younger races cannot go. Not to mention the First of the First Ones is called Lorien. And John/Delenn reminds me a lot of Aragron/Arwen, especially with his shortened lifespan.
I've never written any serious fic for this show. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
mommybird once said to me, "B5's characters have sex lives and religious lives and consciences -- they don't need anything fanfic would give them."
So true.
Sheridan: You have a face people trust.
Ivanova: I'd rather have a face people fear.
no subject
B5 *is* LotR. Just, with spaceships. You hadn't noticed before.
G'Kar/Marcus? I could go there. Right after Marcus/Neroon.
I agree with you about Delenn. Totally.
I am so envious.
no subject
I remember that! Hmm, and maybe Marcus/Lennier.
no subject
The season it unraveled.
This is not to take away from the brilliance that is season 4, especially G'kar and Londo, or the tension or the events of the war. It was all beautifully and unforgettably done.
But. This was the year JMS had to unravel his tapestry. He didn't have a choice - there was a better than good chance the series would be canceled then, and he wouldn't have a chance to complete his five year arc as planned, but he needed to give us, his loyal fans, an ending of some sort. So he unraveled the complex cloth he was weaving and put it together a little simpler, just so he'd have time to finish the big plot.
And then he was picked up, and he had to take the left over yarns and do something for the fifth season, and the fifth season had its moments, too, but it was even simpler - plotlines that could have been developed in the background of season four had to come out full blown here.
no subject
no subject
"B5's characters have sex lives and religious lives and consciences -- they don't need anything fanfic would give them."
Except for Winters/Ivanova. There's a lot of untold story for those two. Honest.
JMS was such a huge fanboy himself. So yes, there's beaucoup LotR in B5. I mean, Rangers! There's probably fan essays out there discussing it to detailed death.
no subject
Oh, me too. I keep remembering scene after wrenching scene. And I agree about Susan and Talia -- so sad that that was cut short.
no subject
no subject
no subject
I have tons to say on the subject of B5 S4 but I need to get my DVDs first. Anyway, hold that thought, except for, WORD.
And Lennier's my BOY.
no subject
no subject
I beg to differ about G'Kar and Marcus. Mainly because Londo/G'Kar=TheirLoveIsSoCAnon.*g* (Even JMS says so! And slashed the two in a prank script.)
Yes, the Londo and G'Kar arc throughout the show is just the best thing ever. But I beg to differ about fanfic as well. Have a look at the first Centauri and Narn archive (http://centauridelegation.homestead.com/).
LotR parallels: absolutely. And I always thought that Vir is Sam.
no subject
no subject
no subject
I have nothing intelligent to say at the moment, just, neat post, thank you. Watch out for those Z'ha'dum/Khazad-dum type places, eh?
and what wizardry allowed you to post the caret over the u in the latter phrase?
no subject
I just used the character code for it. û makes û. You either have to have a chart to know which code to use or an HTML editor that will translate them for you. I'm not sure if LJ will automatically translate them. Let's test: รป (it looked fine in the preview, at least)
There are lots of codes -- not all work in all browsers. You can make a little heart ♥ with ♥ but not everyone will see it correctly.