Well, well well…my stuffed monkey was feeling left out so we invited him down to watch with us (replacement for a dog, hopefully temporary because he doesn’t DO much other than look cute and I look foolish walking him)
Death Walker..first of all I love the fish head aliens and now that Robin Curtis played their ambassador..I love them even more! I really, really like Robin, we did “Hexed” together in the early 90′s and every time I run into her at a con or something, she is as funny and sweet as always, a real, normal, nice person AND an actress to boot! What are the chances 
(there are too few of us out there, trust me)
(there are too few of us out there, trust me) In any event Sarah Douglas was wickedly good as the Death Walker and the episode had that horribly delicious twist at the end (Twilight Zone like) where she revealed that the serum which will make you immortal has a component that you can only get from…yes…LIVING PEOPLE!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! So we will become murderers just like her long dead race of Nazi- like evil doers! That was a fun episode!
It’s interesting to see the sets from a decade+away..in some shots they look good but others they look exactly like what they were: plywood, plastic and paint
The Believers brought up a heated discussion of the Jehovah Witness’s practice of not allowing life saving surgeries (which I am sure it was intended to do) which led to a discussion of Michael Jackson being a Jehovah Witness and “does plastic surgery count?” etc. etc. It was a very heavy episode and Richard Biggs was, as always, solidly excellent..he was truly a fine actor. In Survivors, Garibaldi is framed and Jerry Doyle once again shows that HE should have been Bruce Willis!…he is comfortable and likable on screen and the episode had more bad guys, a guest lead gal with a huge chip on her shoulder, the resurfacing of Garibaldi’s alcoholism and some really, really cheesy “Willy Wonka in the tunnel” effects during the low gravity-subway-people movers scenes….you know what I mean? Those scenes in that train like thing look exactly like the scene in the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where the families take the river boat through the tunnel and end up in a crazy psychedelic scene! The same visual effects! Well, that’s the way I remember it in any event.
Once again I was reminded of fun times. I told David about sitting in the cockpit of the Star Fury (which was just a cockpit, the rest is CGI) when the Northridge earthquake hit…everyone went running, screaming out of the studio and left me dangling in the cockpit, strapped in and helpless in my Michelin man space suit and horrible helmet. (Those helmets would fog up all the time so they installed a little fan inside that the actor would have to turn on and off between takes so that the sound department wouldn’t pick up the sound of the fan, so you had to remember your techno babble lines and the fan and be in a suit you couldn’t move nor think in) I was a little ticked off that no one thought to save me so when they all came back to set after the quake mellowed out, I gave it to them!
I hope the show starts to lighten up a little….these dark episodes get us riled up before bed!
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Delicious
"Does plastic surgery count?" So funny! Still whiping my laughing tears…I hope that the dark episodes weren't too exciting for "Bubbles"…
Bubbles handles darkness far better than I do Eric, I end up having to read Bill Bryson and listen to ABBA after a viewing of a particularly heavy episode, whilst lil' ol' Bubbles curls up with Edgar Allen Poe and listens to ACDC…he's wants more blood, more action and more darkness!
sigh…..I need to get a real pet, don't you think?
xx cc
A real pet doesn't make a big difference. I had the same problem with my dog. Rember the Gremlins? Be careful that Bubbles doesn't mutate into a mohawk hairstyle "Bad Gremlin". Isn't there a warning message on the DVD like "Watching B5 can harm your pets"? But there is an antidote: "Mamma mia!"
today's New York Times has a arts blog about The Twilight Zone and a clip of Bill Mumy. One time for christmas I got a cookbook and started laughing hysterically. "It's a cookbook". They didn't get it. Sigh. PS: Stray cats are much cheaper than Hooters Girls.–CaptLarry, still at Camp Runamuck.
I'm working through season 4 now and some of those are really dark… I've discovered that it's better to watch them at midday, because it's really hard to fall asleep after some of the heavier ones.
I have to say that B5 is *still* the most thought-provoking and moving sci-fi there has ever been.
I think it's the story arcs that hold it all together; sure you get the odd moving episode of Star Trek etc. but without the continuity JMS put into B5, it doesn't keep the tempo. Particularly Season 4, as Shay said. The war, the bereavements, the political intrigue, the personal knock-ons; such a great show.
And, with my recent re-watching of the shows, I once again feel the sadness, that more series or tales cannot be because Andreas, Richard and others wouldn't be there to share them. The game that was in the works would have been amazing, but, sadly politics with WB meant it wasn't to be.
When you're done watching your own amazing performance in Season 4 Claudia, you'll be needing some kleenex. They truly do get better with every viewing….
p.s. don't watch them late at night, even Bubbles will have nightmares…..
I'll be back at them this weekend…I'm looking forward to season 4, a lot of people have been telling me it's great even though all I recall is being the Voice of the Resistance!
xx
Deathwalker is one of the best episodes of season 1. I also love the twist at the end. In your first B5 post, you mentioned the cheesy CGI. Trust me, those ships that you see poised outside the station in Deathwalker look much better in future seasons.
Unfortunately, Believers is one of my least favorite episodes of the series, but to *no* fault of you or the other actors. In fact, Richard Biggs' performance is excellent. I just didn't like the story much.
Speaking of least favorite episodes, you'll probably be getting to TKO (episode 14) soon. That's generally regarded as one of the worst episodes by most people, including JMS himself, if I remember correctly (or, maybe I'm thinking of Grail, ep 15). It's *got* to be because of the martial arts plot. But, I actually think more highly of the episode because I always focus on Ivanova's subplot of finally performing shiva for her father. You did a great job in that. Very moving. You salvage that episode. I look forward to your comments about it.
Because of all this "worst episode" talk, let me just reiterate, Babylon 5, *overall* = best TV show of all time.
"…even though all I recall is being the Voice of the Resistance!"
What? How can you not remember the "right hand of vengeance" speech??!!!
Best. Fighting. Talk. Ever.
Andy
Heya Claudia. Was a fan of the show when it was on the air and decided this summer to re-watch the series again. I'm a big fan your work on the show.
Anyway, I just finished watching "Sleeping in Light." It's stunning how many tears that ep produces in me. I've seen it maybe 6 times over the years. I know the dialog by heart and it still puts me away every time.
So, I guess I'm saying that you've made a grown man cry. I hope you're happy.
xx claudia
Mark
I have all the DVDs and watch through them as background during exercises. Borrowed a few other shows as a break.
I must say though it is your voice that calls me back.
Start today watching episodes from the second season. with a friend, who wants to know more about this series. And he`ll likes to watch it now.
Maybe, if he likes it, I will show him some dark episodes from the first season later ^^.
found you`re blog yesterday. very interesting.
greetings from germany
Jehovas Witnesses disallow blood transfusions, not livesaving surgery – and Michael Jackson quit them in the late 1980s.
thanks for the info, my bad
I just wanted to say thank you. I've enjoyed B5 ever since it came out. We've watched it beginning to end several times since then and it still doesn't get old. In fact, the fantastic writing and acting has created characters that have become old friends. Thank you for being part of that family, for giving so much of yourself to it.
~Dea
i would like too know what you think about my proposal for Babylon 5 Future
on http://babylon5continuum.blogspot.com/