Hunter Green
02-22-2009, 09:28 PM
Guide page: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/112.html
Takes place in middle season 4, after the Shadow War and before the war of liberation, maybe around Lines of Communication (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/077.html) or so. It aired during the big gap between And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/104.html) and The Fall of Centauri Prime (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/106.html).
When I think about the episode as a whole, it seems kind of weak, like it doesn't hold together. But when I think of the individual parts, it seems solid. The ideas are interesting, the execution is good (a few bad effects but otherwise good), the acting mostly solid, the visuals striking, the stakes adequately high. But somehow it doesn't add up. It looks better on paper than in the end result, but I can't fault the execution. Or if it is the execution, what they did wrong is somewhere below my threshhold of awareness.
Good to see maintbots finally getting their time in the sun. Too bad they didn't get more, though. I was hoping they'd get to be part of the final conflict too.
JMS's fascination with archaeology comes up a lot in B5, from Infection (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/004.html), to the prominent role of the Icarus and IPX. Of course, we'll be seeing far, far more of that fascination later.
Zack think telepath pretty. Zack want have date with telepath. Zack spill soul to telepath. Zack not know telepath out of her mind. Zack have pathos. Poor Zack.
Also, poor us, because if Zack had picked a different day, maybe we would never have had to meet Byron!
Wonder if Lyta ever saw it in Zack's mind later, though. She never did have reason to scan him, did she?
For as much as we make fun of Zack and of the actor, I think he did good work in this episode.
JMS sure likes awkward elevator scenes.
Those of us who remember season one will find the appearance of Deuce oddly amusing and yet oddly out of place. The role is so unrelated to what we saw Deuce do before, apart from one throwaway line about him being "a survivor", that it almost seems like his part in this would have been better placed on someone else. Anyway, he's no Amis. But it was still nice to see that tiny nod to continuity (and one which those who didn't see or remember him back in Jinxo's time wouldn't miss).
JMS acknowledged the influence of H.P. Lovecraft, and good thing too, as the story (especially towards the end) just screams Lovecraft.
My god, it's full of stars!
I have to say I really liked the cyan color scheme of the gate's energy fields.
Lyta's glowing eyes effect is pretty corny. Doesn't always follow her movements, and just seems too much.
Sheridan's escape sequence was a little hard to follow. Some odd choices for "virtual" camera angles, and I'm not entirely sure what actually happened in the details, just the gist.
The kung fu theater on the station also showed the budget limitations -- a few sets extended way too far. And there are criticisms about that a lot since season one which usually I don't see, or only see if I force myself to watch for them, but this time I saw it.
But these minor technical weaknesses just don't add up to much. Whatever's not quite right about this, it's not an odd camera angle or a clumsy climactic battle, it's more systemic.
See you next week for the next movie.
Takes place in middle season 4, after the Shadow War and before the war of liberation, maybe around Lines of Communication (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/077.html) or so. It aired during the big gap between And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/104.html) and The Fall of Centauri Prime (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/106.html).
When I think about the episode as a whole, it seems kind of weak, like it doesn't hold together. But when I think of the individual parts, it seems solid. The ideas are interesting, the execution is good (a few bad effects but otherwise good), the acting mostly solid, the visuals striking, the stakes adequately high. But somehow it doesn't add up. It looks better on paper than in the end result, but I can't fault the execution. Or if it is the execution, what they did wrong is somewhere below my threshhold of awareness.
Good to see maintbots finally getting their time in the sun. Too bad they didn't get more, though. I was hoping they'd get to be part of the final conflict too.
JMS's fascination with archaeology comes up a lot in B5, from Infection (http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/004.html), to the prominent role of the Icarus and IPX. Of course, we'll be seeing far, far more of that fascination later.
Zack think telepath pretty. Zack want have date with telepath. Zack spill soul to telepath. Zack not know telepath out of her mind. Zack have pathos. Poor Zack.
Also, poor us, because if Zack had picked a different day, maybe we would never have had to meet Byron!
Wonder if Lyta ever saw it in Zack's mind later, though. She never did have reason to scan him, did she?
For as much as we make fun of Zack and of the actor, I think he did good work in this episode.
JMS sure likes awkward elevator scenes.
Those of us who remember season one will find the appearance of Deuce oddly amusing and yet oddly out of place. The role is so unrelated to what we saw Deuce do before, apart from one throwaway line about him being "a survivor", that it almost seems like his part in this would have been better placed on someone else. Anyway, he's no Amis. But it was still nice to see that tiny nod to continuity (and one which those who didn't see or remember him back in Jinxo's time wouldn't miss).
JMS acknowledged the influence of H.P. Lovecraft, and good thing too, as the story (especially towards the end) just screams Lovecraft.
My god, it's full of stars!
I have to say I really liked the cyan color scheme of the gate's energy fields.
Lyta's glowing eyes effect is pretty corny. Doesn't always follow her movements, and just seems too much.
Sheridan's escape sequence was a little hard to follow. Some odd choices for "virtual" camera angles, and I'm not entirely sure what actually happened in the details, just the gist.
The kung fu theater on the station also showed the budget limitations -- a few sets extended way too far. And there are criticisms about that a lot since season one which usually I don't see, or only see if I force myself to watch for them, but this time I saw it.
But these minor technical weaknesses just don't add up to much. Whatever's not quite right about this, it's not an odd camera angle or a clumsy climactic battle, it's more systemic.
See you next week for the next movie.