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jackI just watched the first episode of B5. B5 had good episodes and less good episodes, it by no means got everything right, and wasn't as easy to enjoy on TV as it is when you can watch it intensively. However, I'm going to mention again just how awesome it is :)
Most especially in terms of year-long arcs. The first episode does a great job of introducing things, essentially none of which are left hanging, but all of which are good introductions into later things:
* Centurii/Narn tensions
* Talia/Ivanova tension
* Earthgov politics
* Earth/Mars tensions
* Londo's dream about G'Kar.
In particular, it was fascinating to watch Talia and Ivanova get on each others' nerves, knowing how close they'll become. There's no hint of attraction, as far as I could see, although it would certainly be possible.
But the stellar award goes to Londo's dream. That's resolved in season four (or maybe three, I forget). I don't know for sure JMS had in mind what was going to happen, but I think he had *something* in mind. How long range planning is that?! And there are many other forshadowings introduced in season 1 too.
And yet, the dream isn't a big mystery -- it feels resolved within the confines of the episode that the Londo/G'Kar vendetta continues, without any specific need to know the specifics of what happens later. But then the series finally DOES close that loop. Indeed, later in the series, there's a prophecy of the destruction of B5, finally fulfilled in the very last episode, when humanity has evolved beyond it and it's demolished. At the time, I thought prophecying the destruction was a cheap shot to make things exciting, like so many stories introducing a mystery to seem subtle and exciting, but with no resolution in mind. But in retrospect, I apologise, if I knew B5 then as I know it now, I would have expected to to join up with something (the shadow destruction averted by time-travel, or the eventual demolition).
B5 was hardly the first epic to have a satisfying over-arching plot, but it remains a classic. I may be too down on modern sci-fi epics (I really want to see the rest of Heroes), but I ask myself (based on purely second hand accounts), when you watch the first episode of some other things again, after seeing four seasons, do you think you'll be saying "My God! Now I understand it!" or "Ooh, creepy. Hm, what bullshit-justification did they bolt on later for this one?"
Most especially in terms of year-long arcs. The first episode does a great job of introducing things, essentially none of which are left hanging, but all of which are good introductions into later things:
* Centurii/Narn tensions
* Talia/Ivanova tension
* Earthgov politics
* Earth/Mars tensions
* Londo's dream about G'Kar.
In particular, it was fascinating to watch Talia and Ivanova get on each others' nerves, knowing how close they'll become. There's no hint of attraction, as far as I could see, although it would certainly be possible.
But the stellar award goes to Londo's dream. That's resolved in season four (or maybe three, I forget). I don't know for sure JMS had in mind what was going to happen, but I think he had *something* in mind. How long range planning is that?! And there are many other forshadowings introduced in season 1 too.
And yet, the dream isn't a big mystery -- it feels resolved within the confines of the episode that the Londo/G'Kar vendetta continues, without any specific need to know the specifics of what happens later. But then the series finally DOES close that loop. Indeed, later in the series, there's a prophecy of the destruction of B5, finally fulfilled in the very last episode, when humanity has evolved beyond it and it's demolished. At the time, I thought prophecying the destruction was a cheap shot to make things exciting, like so many stories introducing a mystery to seem subtle and exciting, but with no resolution in mind. But in retrospect, I apologise, if I knew B5 then as I know it now, I would have expected to to join up with something (the shadow destruction averted by time-travel, or the eventual demolition).
B5 was hardly the first epic to have a satisfying over-arching plot, but it remains a classic. I may be too down on modern sci-fi epics (I really want to see the rest of Heroes), but I ask myself (based on purely second hand accounts), when you watch the first episode of some other things again, after seeing four seasons, do you think you'll be saying "My God! Now I understand it!" or "Ooh, creepy. Hm, what bullshit-justification did they bolt on later for this one?"
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Date: 2008-11-18 12:56 am (UTC)Shiny icon
Date: 2008-11-18 01:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-18 02:29 am (UTC)