in a vain attempt to catch up....

[rivendellrose]

Let's see. I haven't actually posted episode commentaries since "Atonement" (episode 75), and we just watched... the eighth episode of Season 5, "Day of the Dead." Which... is not actually listed on the Lurker's Guide episode list (weird), but you can get to it by skipping forward from "Secrets of the Soul," which we skipped because neither of us could tolerate the thought of another episode all about He Whose Hair is Improbably Shiny (And Annoying).

I'm not sure what the hell to do about this gap I've got going, so I think I'm just going to Pretend It Didn't Happen, and mention stuff that came up before as I hit it. Sound good? Good.



No Compromises

This title is a joke, right? Right? I know they didn't realize they were getting renewed until late, I've heard all the "oh, I lost my notes at a con and then I got the Martian Death Flu" excuses from JMS, but... really? This episode makes large swathes of Season 1 look like pure genius. And I say that as a person who habitually cringes and apologizes my way through Season 1, despite an abiding passion for certain moments strewn throughout it.

Lochley shows up, Garibaldi starts immediately acting like a paranoid bastard who can't comprehend the idea that a strange woman (you can't tell me he would act like this if the new captain were a man!) can take command of B5 without having something up her sleeve, and then a Ranger is killed by a bunch of nutjobs who want to take out Sheridan. G'Kar tries to save the day by acting like the world's most stereotypical charmingly neurotic writer, but cannot quite succeed on the basis that the writing is so shit that even he can't save it. Mira Furlan apparently is so appalled by the writing that she starts acting as if she's in a vaudeville stage comedy. And Bruce Boxleitner's nice natural-colored goatee and hair have vanished, because apparently in the 23rd century no one has realized that grey looks distinguished on men.

Only worthwhile exchange of the whole episoode:

G'Kar: You want to be president?
Sheridan: Yes.
G'Kar: Put your hand on the book and say 'I do.'
Sheridan: *Does so*
G'Kar: Fine, done, let's eat.

♥

(Unfortunately, if you are curious about where Mira's Godawful Reaction Take of Vaudeville is, it is right here. Her reaction take to that line? Made me want to go vomit. Please, someone, save this poor woman from the horrible writing. It is clearly doing bad things to her mind.)


The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari

A rather good episode that is still written quite a lot as though it was meant to have been in the first season. I love the bits with G'Kar and Londo (particularly the bit where G'Kar is playing the part of Cartagia in Londo's mind), and of course I'm happy to have an episode with a B plot all about Lennier, but... meh. I seem to have built the episode up to rather more epic proportions in my mind, and I was disappointed to discover that a few things I remembered were not quite as cool as I'd recalled them being.

I had also forgotten that Lennier evinces interest in alcohol in this episode. I know he's just asking Vir what the drink is, and the word "temple" (ha) seems to immediately set him back on track, but... god, there was a moment there where I had to smother a desire to shout "don't even think about it!" at the screen. *Shudders* Although that would explain... certain things that happen later, if he were to have decided to experiment occasionally.


The Paragon of Animals

Argh argh argh telepaths. They don't want to work! Even though they said they would! They'd rather sit around in Down Below doing each others' hair and looking angsty!

The Boy says they look like vampires (presumably meaning Anne Rice type vampires). I agree with him. The resemblance of Byron to Louis from "Interview With the Vampire" might explain a lot about my hatred of him. Also, this time around I am more than usually convinced that he's being written as a straight-shot replacement of Marcus, right down to quoting random Shakespeare and so on all the time. The difference: Marcus was witty. Marcus was clever. Marcus had a sense of humor about himself, and while he totally had a martyr complex, he was not annoying about it. Also? Marcus was played by an actor who has more settings than "angst" and "melodrama."

Out of curiosity... I have developed a theory that Robin Atkins-Whatever (you're right - I could look it up on the Guide page. I just don't want to.) probably auditioned for Marcus. Anybody know if I'm right? It seems like the sort of thing that would happen. And before anybody points out that he played a Minbari in the earlier seasons, yes, I know, and if I remember right, I hated that Minbari, too.


A View from the Galley

This has the dubious distinction of being The Boy's least favorite episode so far. He insists that he would probably have liked the first season episodes we skipped ("Infection" and "TKO") better, because at least then they had an excuse. My primary comment is that I never did much like Harlan Ellison.

I also seem to recall liking this episode better the first time I saw it. Pity.

However, the whole "BOY, DELENN AND THE CAPTAIN SURE ARE IN LOVE!" and "GEE WHIZ, I REALLY LIKE CAPTAIN LOCHLEY, DON'T YOU?!" and "GOSH, DELENN SURE IS PRETTY!!!" shit still pisses me the fuck off. The only time they call out the blatantly obvious where I don't want to smack JMS and Ellison on the heads with a rolled-up newspaper was on the totally apt "How long do you think they've been married" bit. Because... well... yes. And also because on the first transmission of this episode, there were probably people in the audience who hadn't caught on to that one, yet.


Learning Curve

Look, everybody. It's an episode all about the Minbari that I don't like.

It wasn't as bad as I remembered. Even the mora'dum wasn't as appalling, embarrassing, and hideously wrong as I'd recalled.

And it does come with one line that I adore with a blinding passion.

Zack, explaining the chain of command to one of his underlings:

"Delenn told Sheridan, Sheridan told the captain, she told me, and now I'm telling you."

Yup. Good to know that no one is under any mistaken impressions that Sheridan's actually in charge around here. ♥


Strange Relations

In which Bester becomes my personal hero. Seriously. If he'd been able to take Byron away in this episode, I would have kissed that smarmy little bastard. As it is, he only roughed him up, and I still wanted to snuggle him. And I think The Boy was about ready to buy him a beer.

And, cementing what is now B5 tradition for me, I shouted obscenities and covered my ears through the telepaths' little candlelight sing-a-long.


I'll add more to this later. Lunch time is over, and I must get back to work.

Comments

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

So I immediately opened up No Compromises because I had no memory of a vaudevillian reaction shot and...it's not that bad? I mean, she's definitely doing some stage-y stuff there, but it could have been worse.

SHERIDAN'S ORANGE GOATEE, ARGH.

I pretty much was over Garibaldi in S5, and his reaction to Lochley assuming command cemented it.

"Delenn told Sheridan, Sheridan told the captain, she told me, and now I'm telling you." Yup. Good to know that no one is under any mistaken impressions that Sheridan's actually in charge around here. ♥

I think I may have actually swooned when Zack said that line.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

It definitely could have been worse, you're right. It was just that on top of everything else in that episode, to have her suddenly lapsing was just a little too much for me to handle. :P

I admit, when you and... I think it was lizbee? were going on about the orange goatee, I was like "bwuh?" But then watching on our nice big TV reminded me that I watched all of S5 last time on a TV that had chronic color issues. So, yeah. ORANGE, wtf.

I squealed. And giggled. A lot. I don't like Zack, but that made me very, very happy. ♥

[velvet-midnight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd forgotten how much I really dislike season 5. Except The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari. I love that one.

Mira Furlan apparently is so appalled by the writing that she starts acting as if she's in a vaudeville stage comedy. And Bruce Boxleitner's nice natural-colored goatee and hair have vanished, because apparently in the 23rd century no one has realized that grey looks distinguished on men.
Not gonna lie, I laughed at the first one, then cringed with a sadface. And the second is oh-so-true.

I remember liking Byron. But, of course, the last time I sat down and seriously watched season 5 was when I was just barely double-digits, so I think it was the long-haired, romantic figure thing and probably the Byron (is supposed to) = Marcus thing that got me.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I think I'd kind of forgotten, too. I mean, I remembered hating parts of it, but as we went through S2-4, I started getting very "MY SHOW!!!!♥" and forgetting how utterly crap it can be at times. Times, you know, after S1. :P

I may possibly be overreacting a little to Mira's overacting. (That sounds funny.) But... argh. That moment right there is just so "Someone told me to be HAPPY and SURPRISED!" that it kind of makes my teeth hurt.

I remember liking Byron. But, of course, the last time I sat down and seriously watched season 5 was when I was just barely double-digits

I empathize. And it makes sense, and you're not the only person I know who likes him, by far. I just... argh argh argh, he makes me want to rip out my hair (or, for preference, his), particularly because of how very Not Marcus he is. In fact, I admit, one of the things I frequently yell at him whenever he's on-screen is "YOU ARE NOT MARCUS. GO AWAY!" :P

[netgirl-y2k.livejournal.com]

Oh, God. The orange goatee. I'd repressed the orange goatee. And I hadn't thought about it that way before, but you're so right about Byron, he's Marcus without the sense of irony, or humour, or charm or basically any of the things that made me like Marcus.

Although I do like that it's cheerful common knowledge that Delenn is secretly controlling the universe.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Argh, sorry, I replied to the wrong comment somehow, there. Sorry for the deletion.

he's Marcus without the sense of irony, or humour, or charm or basically any of the things that made me like Marcus

EXACTLY. It's so horrible. It's like JMS was all "NO, you can't have Marcus anymore! I'm taking him away! Here, have a shitty Marcus replacement that I carved out of mashed potatoes and PURE ANGST, instead!" Which... no thank you!

Me too. ♥ It makes me very, very happy.

[nhpw.livejournal.com]

I like the goatee. Mostly. I like it better later in the season, and definitely better in "A Call to Arms" when it's gray, but... I like it OK the rest of the time.

While it's not my favorite, I like Season 5. Mostly.

And now I will go hide in the corner and do penance, or something.

(I do hate Byron, though. If that helps. That helps, right?)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

What really tweaks me is that I like the beard, too! I really really like it, and I think it looks lovely on him! But this faux-auburn dye job they've got going on him (on his head and his beard) early in S5? No. Not working for me.

Lol. Don't do that! I want to like all of it, and I really do love some parts. I just... oh, it hurts to see how much the quality of the writing suffers in this season, compared to 3 and 4. And then there are glorious moments like "Day of the Dead," which I adore, and it just reminds me of how awesome it all might have been if they'd had some more time. I still love the show, and I'm still dragging my way through the bits here at the beginning because I remember them really bearing fruit later on, but... damn. It's sad sometimes, at least to my mind.

(God, Byron. ARRRRGH.)

[nhpw.livejournal.com]

I loved, loved, loved Day of the Dead. Loved.

Funny. JMS didn't write it. And I love it. Hmmm. *pause* *shrug*

But then after that ep, things seem to pick up a bit. Things are better. Byron burns in hell -- er, dies. Centauri stuff is kinda cool. More space porn. Etc. It's like, that week of DOTD, JMS said, "Somebody else fucking write something. My brain is fried. I need to take a bubble bath and figure out how to get this train back on track." Which was the right move.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I do ♥ Neil Gaiman dearly, so it doesn't surprise me that Day of the Dead was one of my favorites from S5. Besides - it's got Lennier, and Dodger, and G'Kar camping out on the floor in C&C, and Corwin practicing hat tricks, and Penn and Teller, and Lochley actually gets to have a personality and a back-story other than "was married to John for 3 months" for a few minutes, and what's not to love?

Totally agreed that JMS stepping away was exactly what the show needed. I really respect the guy for what he did with the arc and all, but... damn, some of the things he does regarding plot really do make me want to shake him sometimes, you know? Especially Byron.

Admittedly, I have a few other bits later in the season that make me go "GAH!!" for various reasons (...I am a Lennier fan, for one...), but for the most part, yeah, 2nd half of the season, worlds fricking better. At least that's how I remember it. The whole of S5 is admittedly a bit of a blur to me - the first time I saw it, I marathoned it with a friend, so my memories all tend to blur. The Boy's been asking how long until Byron dies, and I'm like "...sometime this season? I don't remember... but I remember it's a good thing."

[icepixie]

"View from the Gallery" is way, way up there on my list of most-hated episodes. It may in fact be number one. Everything about it makes me want to throw things. I want to teach a class on screenwriting JUST SO I CAN USE IT as an example of when someone decides to tell rather than show.

I think I might just skip S5 in my rewatch. Or just do the last five or six episodes. BLECH.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

It really is one of the most egregious examples of telling that I've ever seen on TV. I mean, seriously? If we don't care about John and Delenn's relationship by now, it's too late. If we don't love Delenn (or at least see why someone would love her), it's way too damned late. And if we don't care about Lochley... well, frankly, having a pair of idiots we'll never see again say they like her sure as shit isn't going to change that.

Oh, and Byron butchering Hamlet? The bastard would be strangled in his own stupid hair if he came into a room with me, I swear. HATE THAT SCENE.

I'm a completist, as is The Boy, so we're only skipping one so far... but I do not blame you the teensiest little bit.