tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post5030559639027741661..comments2024-03-27T08:49:38.786-03:00Comments on Siskoid's Blog of Geekery: Babylon 5 #43: The Long, Twilight StruggleSiskoidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-84693372397823696922014-08-23T21:06:21.629-03:002014-08-23T21:06:21.629-03:00I quite like Schuck. I dunno, I think that bombast...I quite like Schuck. I dunno, I think that bombastic can work on B5 in ways that it doesn't work in Trek. I also think that William Forward is awesome as Refa, for instance (and "Ink on a page!" in reference to their interstallar treaties is a terrifyingly well-done response.)<br /><br />I can't think, but was G'Kar ever said to be a memeber of the Kha'Ri before this episode? Delenn being a ruling member of her races government was a Big Reveal in season 1, but I don't recall anything similar for G'Kar.<br /><br />Even today, on my 5th or 6th rewatch of the final council scene, I don't think I breathed for the entire duration. The whole thing is epic, and held together by Jurasik's breathtaking display as a Londo Mollari being exactly what his people want him to be.<br /><br />This is also the episode that will forever be known as "the one where a Centauri does an awesome jumping spin-kick". If it wasn't already in my top 5, that would put it there.LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-39675472629557291112014-08-19T11:20:56.125-03:002014-08-19T11:20:56.125-03:00Seriously though, that shot of Londo... For a show...Seriously though, that shot of Londo... For a show that's all about the talking (and talking and talking and talking), his expression there just sells, well, everything.<br /><br />Also, dun dun DAAAAAA... dun dun DAAAAA! Hello, music that will be used for season 3 titles! Oh, how I love you so much.LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-79016703430928724502014-08-19T11:07:43.138-03:002014-08-19T11:07:43.138-03:00I'd guess Tim Choate wasn't available, but...I'd guess Tim Choate wasn't available, but he still wanted to remind viewers of that plot thread somehow.Ryan Lohnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-75450024796982368212014-08-19T10:23:36.274-03:002014-08-19T10:23:36.274-03:00Schuck was great as the bombastic Klingon Ambassad...Schuck was great as the bombastic Klingon Ambassador (also in VI), but not here.<br /><br />When Zathras came up, what was needed was a visual. I ended up going "is that supposed to mean something to me?" then failed to follow up as the episodes are so dense, I invariably let go of details that don't make any of my points, willing to pick them back up when they become more relevant. I guess the whole Zathras this will, later on. Here, it's just a reference waiting to explode into more explicit detail.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-63793527225231215362014-08-19T10:11:47.495-03:002014-08-19T10:11:47.495-03:00A sign of the state of CGI at the time: the reason...A sign of the state of CGI at the time: the reason Londo stands so stock-still while watching the bombardment is because that was the only way they could easily composite him into the scene. His looking away at the end is actually Peter Jurasik letting his head drop after holding that pose for so long.<br /><br />The in-universe explanation for Draal's new actor works pretty well. Unfortunately, John Schuck himself doesn't so much. He's primarily a stage actor, and that need to play to the back row shows in every single second he's onscreen. And he also provides another link to Star Trek as he played a Klingon a few times, most memorably in the fourth film ("Behold the quintessential devil in these matters, James T. Kirk, renegade and terrorist!")<br /><br />One thing I'm surprised you didn't mention is the awesomely sly reveal of where Zathras came from, though I do wonder how many people caught it at the time with a year between the episodes and a lot more stuff to keep track of than anyone expected of TV back then.<br /><br />Also worth noting is Londo's cough as he lays out the treaty terms. It's another bit that looks like an accident, but was actually scripted that way, as foreshadowing for his state as seen in the dream of his death from The Coming of Shadows.Ryan Lohnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-25465245257002548362014-08-19T09:12:54.322-03:002014-08-19T09:12:54.322-03:00The scene where Londo orders G'Kar out of the ...The scene where Londo orders G'Kar out of the council room is possibly the most painful, emotionally devastating moment in the entire series. Seeing G'Kar broken and humiliated like that, and Londo at his most villainous; it's the absolute nadir of their story arc.<br /><br />Luckily it's also the turning point in their story arc.Doug Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05651720537097952075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-64276128458204728692014-08-19T08:12:25.819-03:002014-08-19T08:12:25.819-03:00Just gotta get it off my chest: I can't stand ...Just gotta get it off my chest: I can't stand the Rangers. D&D characters in space (strike one) whose humanly-impossible training (strike two) makes them effectively superhuman (strike three) ... no thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com