tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post8235567632677470472..comments2024-03-27T08:49:38.786-03:00Comments on Siskoid's Blog of Geekery: Babylon 5 #102: The Ragged EdgeSiskoidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-54371290860644514732021-09-22T08:03:59.341-03:002021-09-22T08:03:59.341-03:00I was not a fan of the Garibaldi-drinking subplot....<i>I was not a fan of the Garibaldi-drinking subplot. Compared to Franklin's similar addiction storyline, I thought it had too many contrivances</i><br /><br /><br />This comment makes no sense to me. Garibaldi's alcoholism had too many contrivances, but not Franklin's stim addiction? Considering that Garibaldi's alcoholism was first exposed back in Season One, did many believe that it had completely disappeared after one episode? It's obvious that JMS had introduced it four years earlier, with plans to revisit Garibaldi's condition a few seasons later. Back in Season One, it took being framed of attempted assassination for Garibaldi to fall off the wagon . . . within one episode. Yet, his return to alcoholism was stretched out longer in Season Five. More importantly, I believe Garibaldi's discovery that he couldn't punish Bester for literally taking control of himself back in Season Four (something that is really appalling for a controlling personality like Garibaldi) was a very plausible excuse for him to resume drinking. Is it that many fans were upset that Garibaldi's alcoholism had resumed in the worst possible way?The Rush Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667282586023023623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-12196966856562628872014-10-30T18:16:58.948-03:002014-10-30T18:16:58.948-03:00I've seen it now. I rememeber a complaint at t...I've seen it now. I rememeber a complaint at the time that Garibaldi shouldn't have fallen asleep, since alcoholics are usually really good at handling their booze. As he'd just started drinking again though, it's fine. Even him going by himself was fine, but why did Sheridan want to send Franklin, other than to force Garibaldi to refuse? The only reason Franklin went on the covert missions to Mars in season 4 was because they wanted someone on the command staff to represent them, and they were at war with Earth and had limited resources. Now, they're running the galaxy, and the best person Sheridan could think was a doctor who has plenty of other work to be going on with. (This is actually a situation where Marcus would have been useful, if he weren't bedeaded.) As I've said before, season 5 suffers from having a smaller cast despite them being in charge of exponentially more.LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-80447271484990406282014-10-17T14:41:18.307-03:002014-10-17T14:41:18.307-03:00Actually, it's a reference to Brian's Song...Actually, it's a reference to Brian's Song.Ryan Lohnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-54510944371498619842014-10-17T13:43:02.871-03:002014-10-17T13:43:02.871-03:00On a cross, while Eric Idle hung next to him singi...On a cross, while Eric Idle hung next to him singing "Always look on the bright side of life"?<br /><br />I don't have any problems with how alcoholism is portrayed in the show (at least, I don't recall. I can't quite keep up my enthusiasm for season 5 so I'm a few episodes behind. I'll see when I get there.) It's more the plot mechanics. As I said, Franklin's worked for the overal plot, wheras Garibaldi's don't. But season 5 does seem to suffer from tiny cast syndrome anyway.LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-63331828328292111732014-10-17T12:53:20.010-03:002014-10-17T12:53:20.010-03:00The episode's title doesn't actually refer...The episode's title doesn't actually refer to any of the plot elements, but JMS' state of mind while writing it, having gotten only a single break from writing the show in three years, and now also trying to get a whole spinoff off the ground (which would turn out to not really be worth it anyway).<br /><br />His family has a long history of alcoholism, and so he was quite pleased when Jerry Doyle saw this storyline begin and asked him if they could truly go all the way with it, and show the condition just as bad as it really is, something you can't just get over after a week or two. Of course, that was the idea anyway.<br /><br />Another bit of reality subtext is that G'Kar's discomfort with his newfound worship is based on JMS' own to seeing fans at conventions bow to him and call him the Great Maker. He'd often have to go online afterward and find someone insulting him to even it out (luckily, the Trek boards were always a reliable source of it).<br /><br />Here's a tortured reference for you: People don't remember Brian for how he lived, but how he died. How he did die.Ryan Lohnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-72469005181418555002014-10-17T11:21:32.816-03:002014-10-17T11:21:32.816-03:00WELEASE BYWON!WELEASE BYWON!Madeleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-47253551283853078952014-10-17T07:55:15.564-03:002014-10-17T07:55:15.564-03:00I was not a fan of the Garibaldi-drinking subplot....I was not a fan of the Garibaldi-drinking subplot. Compared to Franklin's similar addiction storyline, I thought it had too many contrivances. Garibaldi's relies on him being the only person in the entire universe doing his job. They never made out that Franklin was the only doctor in Medlab, it was just the stims/his personality that made him try and do too much. That doesn't apply to Garibaldi. The part where his friend was killed because Michael was drunk-sleeping? He could have just been regular-sleeping. <br /><br />Franklin's addiction basically allowed him to do his job, but forced him to take on too much until he made a mistake. Garibaldi's STOPS him doing his job, and as the Interstellar Alliance seems to run it's entire security division around one person, the whole thing just seems ludicrous.<br /><br />Remember Bastion! (It's a great game and pretty cheap on XBox Live.)LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.com