Rewatch: "Babylon Squared"

[ruuger]

Zatras. Zathras. Zathras. Zatras. Zathras. Zathras. A figure in a blue space suit?
Bonus reading:

Analysis on Lurker's Guide
Discussion at B5_revisited

Comments

[alexcat.livejournal.com]

Zathras indeed. Looking back, this is one of the best shows in the arc and Zathras was the best character in the entire series in many ways. His devotion and sacrifice were greater than we would understand for a very, very long time.

Socks and practical jokes. The socks and underwear scene certainly said more about Garibaldi than Sinclair... I think!

One thing I noticed that I never did the first time around is Susan saying that next time, she was going and leaving Garibaldi behind.

I might comment some more tomorrow when I'm not so tired and blargy.

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I love that bit about Susan going next time. Foreshadowing!

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

It was very interesting to see all the flashes of what the future would have been in the original plan - and interesting to see the introduction of Lise, who does not seem any more likable for seeing the episode again. I'm not sure why, but I guess it seems like her insistence of Garabaldi staying seems very selfish and it seems from all her episodes like she is very much focused on her own interests.

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I am one of the few pro-Lise people in the universe, aren't I?

[jedi_of_urth]

I have no problem with Lise, a couple of niggles in s4 maybe, but mostly she's ok by me.

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I love this episode and especially in conjunction with its twin WWE-- which we'll get to soon enough. Both written at the same time with ins and outs and planned vagueness and plot points that could flip from one scenario to another to cover all exigencies. Really well done.

Here are two things from the scriptbooks:

"The first scene in which we see Zathras goes to great lengths to avoid being specific in the timeline because of the need...to layer in alternate possibilities in the event of unforeseen changes...
...in one iteration of the five-year arc, depending on what actors we did or didn't have, what changes might or might not have afflicted the series...our characters were indeed taking the station forward in time..meaning that Valen would have come back from a point of origin about twenty years later in our storyline rather than three years down the line. If you read the script with the notion that they were going forward not backward in time, the scenes take on a very different meaning."

Also a deleted scene I rather liked:

Delenn in her ship heading back to the station.

Computer: Destination?
Delenn (thoughtfully): Home. The only home I have, it would seem.
Computer: Specify. Destination?
Delenn: Babylon 5

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

Okay, so, first I have to admit that I find Zathras really irritating.

:ducks tomatoes:

I get his character, and he's important. But I still wince when he's on screen.

That being said, I love this episode. I love the beginnings of the mytharc. And it is interesting to think about what might have been if say Sinclair had stayed around or all the things that might have been different.