Thirty Days of TV: Day Fourteen

[selenak]

Day 14 - Favorite male character

Londo Mollari, of the show Babylon 5

Since I've written an an entire essay about the reasons why, allow me to quote from it: Throughout the show, he takes turns as comic relief, villain, antihero and finally tragic hero. And sometimes all at the same time. (...) Londo Mollari, ready to go over dead bodies to fulfil his ambition and yet capable of enormous self-sacrifice - offering his own life for others without hesitation -, witty ("arrogance and stupidity in the same package; how very efficient of you") and bombastic ("you make me feel alive, you fountain of passion"), who dooms and saves his planet, who redeems himself not through dying a heroic death but through living in torture, a complete traditionalist (even when he's planning to assassinate the Emperor, it's important to him to show up completely dressed when Cartagia calls him, as anything else would be disrespect to the imperial position) who comes to be closer to his former greatest enemy than he ever was to any of his own people, save Vir, who is incapable of sitting still for longer than five minutes without talking, yelling or laughing and then ends up brooding endlessly and alone in the prison of his own body, remains, to me, the most fascinating character I saw on tv.




Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
Day 05 - A show you hate
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show


Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death.

Comments

[rembrandtswife]

I love Londo, too. I may love G'Kar just a little more, perhaps because I've always been deeply involved with religion and thus find G'Kar's journey from bellicose nationalist to sage, healer, even Christ-figure a bit more compelling.

[amatara]

Can I just say how happy it makes me that you seem to be in a bit of a B5 mood these days? :) And, of course, I love your essay and your thoughts on what makes Londo so irresistible as a character - you say it so much more fittingly than I ever could.

[selenak]

Oh, G'Kar's story is so amazing and I love him very much, too. Just the reverse from your situation - the Londo love is only that little bit more, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of G'Kar adoration in me as well!

[selenak]

Well, one can't do a meme about one's great tv experiences and NOT be in a B5 mood. :) (Also, someone is posting a great WIP in the fandom. :)

[amatara]

Why, yes, I've been having B5 on my mind too. :) Incidentally, I don't know if you've been keeping an eye on the B5 fandom on tumblr, but yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the series premiere and there was a veritable flood of B5 posts! I'm not that active on tumblr myself, but I have kind of fallen in love with the B5 fandom there and yesterday was just fantastic to watch.

And I'm so happy to have you as a reader and commenter - it's going to be a long haul before I get to the finish line (the way I've plotted the story out now, I'm going to need at least 10 more chapters to develop and then wrap up all the plotlines I have in mind, which sounds intimidating enough I try not to think about it if I can) and it's lovely feedback like yours that makes all the difference in keeping the fire burning! Yes, one should write for one's own enjoyment first of all, but it's nice to know others are reading and enjoying as well, so thank you for that. :)