More fanfic (Sci-Fi variety this time), and links

[selenak]

Was there a New Yars rsolution ever so badly kept? My Babylon 5 story about Bester and Talia, by now beta-read and hopefully free of typos, is up here. Meanwhile, my other favourite space station jumped up and down (err, not really) and told me I was to listen to those Ferengi muses again, which resulted in this:

Five Senses Challenge Story

And I'm still waiting to hear from honorh about the Buffy story, she said ominously.

In other news, Masquerade reviews the third season of Highlander, newly out on DVD, I take it. Ah, my first online fandom - those were the days. (Waves to kathyh and honorh.) And I've finally time to read penknife's newest X-Men story, which, since it's by penknife, is bound to be utterly fabulous.

In between all of this, I rewatched In the Beginning, the first of the three B5 TV movies.

I dimly recall they were produced to attract new viewers, but that rationale never could have worked - by itself In the Beginning, which is the best of the three, isn't a movie at all, it's a collection of poignant scenes. Viewers with no knowledge of the show must have been completely puzzled. For example, that scene between Ivanova and her brother with the earring is touching if you know who Ivanova is, but as she (and her brother) appear nowhere else, a new viewer would be stupified. And then, if you take this as a movie, you have the problem of no character development for most of the mvie's personell. Sheridan enters a young heroic officer, and exits the same way. Franklin does his demonstration of humanism even in wartime, but we see nothing leading up to it, nor do we really get an aftermath. The only one who does change is Delenn, and here a question remains: if she had fallen out of war fervour and been shocked into an attempt at reconciliation that early in the war, why did she make just this one attempt during two long years?

But all is forgiven because of the G'Kar cameo (and note that Andreas Katsulas, at that point simultanously playing fourth season G'Kar on the show, really does convey by his body language and way of speaking this is the G'Kar we met in season 1, a younger, brasher, and far less empathic man) and the Londo scenes. Londo kills me in this film. Gentle, witty and humourous with the children (makes you wonder what Londo would have been like as a father), sad and wistful with Senna (for not-readers of David's novels - the young woman looking after the children), and in every second haunted by the horror his life and the life of the Centauri has become. In my life, I had four wives, and I cared for all of them. But I loved Centauri Prime. And: ...to walk with you for on a beach, for five minutes. The way Peter Jurasik delivers this... I stand by my claim: Londo Mollari is the most heartbreaking character on TV ever.

Comments

Actually...

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

n other news, Masquerade reviews the third season of Highlander, newly out on DVD, I take it. Ah, my first online fandom - those were the days.

It's not new on DVD. I bought it recently, hence the review, but I bought it used on Amazon, which means it's been out for a while. When I saw there were already used copies, I was like, "WTF?" because I bought the season 2 DVD set new and I only reviewed it (http://www.livejournal.com/users/masqthephlsphr/25453.html) back in August.

At any rate, chomping at the bit for Season 4!

[penknife.livejournal.com]

*g* Thanks for the vote of confidence, but, you know, for all you know I could be on crack this time.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

By now I've read it. You're not on crack.*g* More comments in your lj.

[deborah-judge.livejournal.com]

if she had fallen out of war fervour and been shocked into an attempt at reconciliation that early in the war, why did she make just this one attempt during two long years?

I find that question endlessly fascinating, and I think it says a lot about Minbari culture and Delenn's personality. She can't act unless she is destined to act - Minbari were allied with the Vorlons, and thair 'Who are you.' She was the one who made the decision to go to war. That was what she was. Therefore, she did not see any other capacity for action within herself. The only way she can act differently is by changing into someone else - which, in the end, is what she does.

ItB struck me as more of a fanfic than anything else. Or maybe a collection of fanfics.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Somewhat OT: Delenn is available at theatrical_muse now; as the best Minbari expert I know, you'd be perfect to play her. (The Lennier muse is already taken.)

Re:

[deborah-judge.livejournal.com]

Who took Lennier? Anything interesting going up?

Delenn doesn't tempt me somehow. Maybe because I have no interest in J/D shipping. And I certainly don't think I can handle Theatrical Muse now, as lovely as it sounds. When my muse comes back (and I need to take a break from dissertation writing) I'd really love to write Branmer. That was my biggest disappointment about ItB, that Branmer wasn't in it.

Re:

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Alas the Lennier muse isn't very active, just active enough (so far) not to be taken down. I don't know who took him. But you can look him up at _lennier.

[soundingsea.livejournal.com]

I like In the Beginning, but I agree - it can't be shown as an intro to B5. It lacks emotional resonance if you don't know the characters, and it totally lacks context. It also spoils a major plot point for Season 1 and flattens Sinclair's whole arc, so it really needs to be seen in Season 4 when it first came out.

[hobsonphile.livejournal.com]

(makes you wonder what Londo would have been like as a father)

Great Maker, someone has to communicate this idea to ruuger. Because now that you've asked this question, I really, really want to know! *whimper*

Actually, if we think about his relationship with Vir, which was very father-son in nature, I think we'll have part of our answer.

Re:

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yes, the relationship with Vir is very much a father-son relationship, but they don't meet until Vir is an adult. Raising a child is something different. Judging by what we see in In the Beginning, he could have been good with small children.

Then there's the question of who would have been the mother - the Nameless Dancing Girl, Timov, Daggair or Mariel? Because each mother would also have a decisive effect on what it would have been like to raise this child.