Matt G's B5 Rewatch

[Matt G]

1. Garribaldi with the Mars-haters...I know how you feel mate!

2. Had a laugh trying to explain what was happening with the great machine to Mum first time I watched this.

3. "The pilot must be a madman". Of course I'm reading a fanfic set during the Dilger was that includes a young Londo Mollari as a pilot for his house fleet taking on the Narns so I had to flashback to that.

4. Trouble between Earthforce and B5 already...hmmm...

Certainly much better than the first part.

[maneth]

One of the things that I really like about the show is that events have long setup times.

[Matt G]

1. Bear in mind that I watched "War without End" before this so it was a wierd ep to watch first time round.

2. Completely forgot about the Minbari angle to this...surprised the Grey Council thought it was worth taking her off B5...

3. Trying to remember who exactly was in the spacesuit was interesting.

4. Would Krantz have known of Sinclair as a Line veteran?

5. B4 and 5 look similar enough that it can't have been hard to tell them apart.



Certainly had a freaky feel to it.

[maneth]

I can imagine that B5 gets odd occasionally if you watch it in the wrong order.

[min min light]

I tried to watch the episodes and movies in order, but it got really confusing and I gave up. Maybe next time.

By the way Maneth, I am really enjoying Andromeda - thanks again for your help!

[maneth]

You're welcome min, glad you're enjoying it.

The first time I saw Sinclair in that suit I nearly freaked. But I did enjoy the whole storyline.

[Matt G]

In terms or it being a creepy ep...well that's not even part of watching it out of order! It's just...let's face it coming into this Babylon 4 was the show's big mystery and now it's revealed with a whole load of X-Files type stuff!

[maneth]

The next one is pretty good too. Even though it's basically a filler episode, the alien healing device will be crucial to future developments.

[Matt G]

Yeah, I took a few days out from the Rewatch for various reasons, partly due to being out of town, partly due to catching up on more current stuff. Anyway...time to finish S1 before my next big trip.

1. The laugh with rewatching B5 S1 is trying to match the various plot threads with each episode...this certainly proved an interesting combo.

2. Garribaldi wanted pain...think he got it...

3. The mindwipe is an interesting concept...first time round...my attitude was that it's much better than the death penalty...nowadays I'm not so sure...

4. Certainly saw a different side to Lennier in this one...

Solid enough filler...

[min min light]

I thought the mind wipe was horrifying.

[maneth]

Me too. And it doesn't always work properly (cf. Passing Through Gethsemane in season 3). To be honest, on rewatches I find the alien healing device much more interesting. Come to think of it, the same was true when I first watched it, simply because I had a huge crush on Dr. Franklin at the time.

[min min light]

Between the two of those punishments I think that the healing device is actually more humane.

[Raw_Deal]

I thought the mind wipe was horrifying.

I agree.

Between the two of those punishments I think that the healing device is actually more humane.

Well, I don't know if i'd say it's more humane, but at least with that device there is no pretense - no trying to disguise it as something that it isn't.

The mind wipe IS a death sentence for the person going through it, the fact that the physical body stays intact is meaningless.

[min min light]

I agree.



Well, I don't know if i'd say it's more humane, but at least with that device there is no pretense - no trying to disguise it as something that it isn't.

Exactly, it's not some phony "really we're doing you a favor" kind of a punishment, it is almost literally eye-for-an-eye.

And I think it's more humane because if your crimes are such that you have to die for them, that's literally what happens, you aren't forced to continue existing as someone else while everyone congratulates themselves on how kind they were to spare you. "Yeah, we don't kill people anymore - we just remove every last scrap of everything that made them who they were and then put them to work in a monastery."

[Raw_Deal]

Exactly, it's not some phony "really we're doing you a favor" kind of a punishment, it is almost literally eye-for-an-eye.

And I think it's more humane because if your crimes are such that you have to die for them, that's literally what happens, you aren't forced to continue existing as someone else while everyone congratulates themselves on how kind they were to spare you. "Yeah, we don't kill people anymore - we just remove every last scrap of everything that made them who they were and then put them to work in a monastery."

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean.