Let's talk about Garibaldi. The following is a cut and paste from a comment on the season 4 episode "Racing Mars," a newsletter for which Simon published the day before I finally got to WWE1. Without the "Racing Mars" newsletter I don't think I'd have this observation:
In WWE1 pay attention to Garibaldi out in sector 14 when ordered to return to Babylon 5 and not come aboard the White Star. Garibaldi is NOT happy in that moment and obeying the order under protest. Jerry Doyle makes it absolutely clear Garibaldi is repressing saying the sort of thing one shouldn't say to their commanding officer.
Now we cut forward to Garibaldi getting Sinclair's message. Again, Garibaldi isn't a happy man.
What does this have to do with "Racing Mars" This is the episode where Garibaldi resigns... Now, a lot of that is framed as Garibaldi's distaste for the "Cult of Sheridan," but (as future episodes will reveal) that's not all of it.
Quick flashback to Garibaldi and Sheridan's first meeting in season 2. Garibaldi says to Sheridan, "I don't know you," and to someone else, "I dunno if I can even TRUST this guy!" Over the next season and a half or so Garibaldi works with Sheridan, and then we hit WWE1, in which Sinclair -- Garibaldi's BEST FRIEND -- and Sheridan -- the commanding officer Garibaldi had to work hard to trust -- betray him with a lie of omission. Yes, in Sinclair's mind it's for Garibaldi's own good, and Sheridan went along as a favor to Sinclair, but wasn't thrilled about it, but, to Michael Garibaldi that was a major, MAJOR breach of trust.
It's the thin end of the wedge which will be exploited by Bester in his reprogramming of Garibaldi.
I dunno how much of this was JMS planning ahead vs it just worked out that way and happened to fit the plan, but since JMS WAS plotting ahead, we'll say "nice seeding."
Otherwise, there's lots more to discuss with this episode, but I think it can wait for part 2.
Yeah, this is a good point and it all tracks really well. Garibaldi's arc with Sheridan does go all the way back to the start of season 2, but I don't know if I'd ever quite pulled that thread tight. I'd only ever really tracked it from after he gets kidnapped at the end of season 3. But, really, all of the manipulation he goes through in season 4 probably ONLY works because of the reassigning of Sinclair in season 2, and the betrayal you've noted here. All of it is chipping away at Garibaldi's understanding of where he fits in the universe. Until, eventually...he doesn't.
HI! Six and a half months late to the party! We're back!
Yeah, of course at the time this was a massively exciting episode. Sinclair! Minbar! A new Vorlon! Babylon 4! Time loops! Zathras! Dead Ivanova! Emperor Londo! Who needs a B-plot when this episode is 100% entertaining exposition, setup for part 2, and foreshadowing future seasons!
It's still a hell of a ride, but I've seen the series enough times now, and been exposed to enough behind the scenes material where the welds definitely show.
The good: Michael O' Hare is on fire. At this point his mental health issues were under control, and Sinclair is energized in a way we've rarely seen him.
Despite the wonderful performance of O' Hare, MVP goes to Mira Furlan. According to JMS an earlier draft of the script had Draal in it. However, John Shuck wasn't available, and I suppose JMS didn't want to recast again (it might have been funny to re-cast Draal as a younger and younger actor every time he showed up?), meaning poor Delenn is stuck with all the Exposition of Doom!
Overall the episode is pacy and thrilling. Mike Vejar has a few sequences where he works his magic with the camera, but...
The bad: Even Vejar can't make this episode feel as Vejar as a Vejar episode usually does. He's hampered by a huge amount of scenes in front of greenscreen, which means he's stuck with a static camera, and can't play his usual games with random out of focus foreground stuff to add depth and contrast to the frame. Sure, there's some very nice lighting with Delenn in her dark room putting her hand in front of a candle without casting shadow on her face, a few of Vejar's signature circle dollies where he can bring a BG character into frame while holding on the FG, and, perhaps the most Impactful character moment in the episode -- Delenn taking Sheridan's hand as Sinclair sees and smiles -- in done with a beautiful complex camera move, shallow DoF and multiple rack focus. Vejar gets the reaction shots so we can cut to Sinclair, Delenn, Marcus, etc having meaningful looks when needed. On the other hand there the bit where Sheridan sits in the command chair of the White Star with everyone else in a flat line behind him. (He also, arguably, lets Claudia go over the top in her alt-future distress call, although, to be for, Ivanova is having a really bad day... Even JMS in archived posts of his on the Lurker's Guide alternately says Claudia was OTT then defends her performance as justified to others, meaning even the show runner couldn't make up his mind on how well Claudia hit that scene...)
I believe WWE2 has a lot less compositing and Vejar will be back on form here. This episode just doesn't quite hit the level of visual splendor Vejar usually brings to where you can tell it's a Vejar episode by the end of the first scene (because, again, the first scene is all virtual sets with static cameras).
It's a jam packed script, full of wall to wall plotting, meaning all significant character scenes are withe Garibaldi (and we'll come back to him in the SPOILERS post), and one smile from Sinclair. It's ALSO an episode with structural issues.
On first watch I always found the ending to be a bit abrupt. "You go this way, you go that way, we go over yon. Ready? Go!" *TO BE CONTINUED* and always felt the episode ending SHOULD have been Sheridan appearing in the future with Londo saying "[you're] just in time to die."
Well, now-defunct B5 books re-published JMS' episode commentaries from their script books, and I picked up that set (and a copy for Simon), and, from this episode on will be the first time I read the JMS commentary, then watch the episode (then hit the Lurker's Guide)...
From the JMS commentary we learn a lot: As stated, Draal was supposed to be in this episode. No dice. The script also had a scene with Sinclair training Rangers, a scene with Sinclair and Ivanova meeting before the scene in the War Room, and several other bits and bobs which were cut for pacing and impact reasons. JMS just felt the episode hit harder with our first glimpse of Sinclair being mysterious and hooded, that meeting Ivanova earlier took away from the impact of the War Room entrance, that certain humor lines weren't working...
And, yes, the episode originally ended with Londo saying to Sheridan "...just in time to die..."
That entire last act in WWE1 was pulled from the Teaser of WWE2. That's why it feels like an oddly rushed ending -- that material is SUPPOSED to be propelling us forward into part 2 after the recap montage.
The welds show.
Still a vastly significant episode and a fun ride. After writing the SPOILER comments, on to part 2!
Two of Zathras, even! Zathrasi? Zathrai? Zathruses? Or maybe just Zathras ?
That feels right, actually. Anyway.
SPOILERS
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Let's talk about Garibaldi. The following is a cut and paste from a comment on the season 4 episode "Racing Mars," a newsletter for which Simon published the day before I finally got to WWE1. Without the "Racing Mars" newsletter I don't think I'd have this observation:
In WWE1 pay attention to Garibaldi out in sector 14 when ordered to return to Babylon 5 and not come aboard the White Star. Garibaldi is NOT happy in that moment and obeying the order under protest. Jerry Doyle makes it absolutely clear Garibaldi is repressing saying the sort of thing one shouldn't say to their commanding officer.
Now we cut forward to Garibaldi getting Sinclair's message. Again, Garibaldi isn't a happy man.
What does this have to do with "Racing Mars" This is the episode where Garibaldi resigns... Now, a lot of that is framed as Garibaldi's distaste for the "Cult of Sheridan," but (as future episodes will reveal) that's not all of it.
Quick flashback to Garibaldi and Sheridan's first meeting in season 2. Garibaldi says to Sheridan, "I don't know you," and to someone else, "I dunno if I can even TRUST this guy!" Over the next season and a half or so Garibaldi works with Sheridan, and then we hit WWE1, in which Sinclair -- Garibaldi's BEST FRIEND -- and Sheridan -- the commanding officer Garibaldi had to work hard to trust -- betray him with a lie of omission. Yes, in Sinclair's mind it's for Garibaldi's own good, and Sheridan went along as a favor to Sinclair, but wasn't thrilled about it, but, to Michael Garibaldi that was a major, MAJOR breach of trust.
It's the thin end of the wedge which will be exploited by Bester in his reprogramming of Garibaldi.
I dunno how much of this was JMS planning ahead vs it just worked out that way and happened to fit the plan, but since JMS WAS plotting ahead, we'll say "nice seeding."
Otherwise, there's lots more to discuss with this episode, but I think it can wait for part 2.
Yeah, this is a good point and it all tracks really well. Garibaldi's arc with Sheridan does go all the way back to the start of season 2, but I don't know if I'd ever quite pulled that thread tight. I'd only ever really tracked it from after he gets kidnapped at the end of season 3. But, really, all of the manipulation he goes through in season 4 probably ONLY works because of the reassigning of Sinclair in season 2, and the betrayal you've noted here. All of it is chipping away at Garibaldi's understanding of where he fits in the universe. Until, eventually...he doesn't.
Yup, and to repeat, I wouldn't have made the connection here if you hadn't just posted on Racing Mars.
NON SPOILER STUFF.
HI! Six and a half months late to the party! We're back!
Yeah, of course at the time this was a massively exciting episode. Sinclair! Minbar! A new Vorlon! Babylon 4! Time loops! Zathras! Dead Ivanova! Emperor Londo! Who needs a B-plot when this episode is 100% entertaining exposition, setup for part 2, and foreshadowing future seasons!
It's still a hell of a ride, but I've seen the series enough times now, and been exposed to enough behind the scenes material where the welds definitely show.
The good: Michael O' Hare is on fire. At this point his mental health issues were under control, and Sinclair is energized in a way we've rarely seen him.
Despite the wonderful performance of O' Hare, MVP goes to Mira Furlan. According to JMS an earlier draft of the script had Draal in it. However, John Shuck wasn't available, and I suppose JMS didn't want to recast again (it might have been funny to re-cast Draal as a younger and younger actor every time he showed up?), meaning poor Delenn is stuck with all the Exposition of Doom!
Overall the episode is pacy and thrilling. Mike Vejar has a few sequences where he works his magic with the camera, but...
The bad: Even Vejar can't make this episode feel as Vejar as a Vejar episode usually does. He's hampered by a huge amount of scenes in front of greenscreen, which means he's stuck with a static camera, and can't play his usual games with random out of focus foreground stuff to add depth and contrast to the frame. Sure, there's some very nice lighting with Delenn in her dark room putting her hand in front of a candle without casting shadow on her face, a few of Vejar's signature circle dollies where he can bring a BG character into frame while holding on the FG, and, perhaps the most Impactful character moment in the episode -- Delenn taking Sheridan's hand as Sinclair sees and smiles -- in done with a beautiful complex camera move, shallow DoF and multiple rack focus. Vejar gets the reaction shots so we can cut to Sinclair, Delenn, Marcus, etc having meaningful looks when needed. On the other hand there the bit where Sheridan sits in the command chair of the White Star with everyone else in a flat line behind him. (He also, arguably, lets Claudia go over the top in her alt-future distress call, although, to be for, Ivanova is having a really bad day... Even JMS in archived posts of his on the Lurker's Guide alternately says Claudia was OTT then defends her performance as justified to others, meaning even the show runner couldn't make up his mind on how well Claudia hit that scene...)
I believe WWE2 has a lot less compositing and Vejar will be back on form here. This episode just doesn't quite hit the level of visual splendor Vejar usually brings to where you can tell it's a Vejar episode by the end of the first scene (because, again, the first scene is all virtual sets with static cameras).
It's a jam packed script, full of wall to wall plotting, meaning all significant character scenes are withe Garibaldi (and we'll come back to him in the SPOILERS post), and one smile from Sinclair. It's ALSO an episode with structural issues.
On first watch I always found the ending to be a bit abrupt. "You go this way, you go that way, we go over yon. Ready? Go!" *TO BE CONTINUED* and always felt the episode ending SHOULD have been Sheridan appearing in the future with Londo saying "[you're] just in time to die."
Well, now-defunct B5 books re-published JMS' episode commentaries from their script books, and I picked up that set (and a copy for Simon), and, from this episode on will be the first time I read the JMS commentary, then watch the episode (then hit the Lurker's Guide)...
From the JMS commentary we learn a lot: As stated, Draal was supposed to be in this episode. No dice. The script also had a scene with Sinclair training Rangers, a scene with Sinclair and Ivanova meeting before the scene in the War Room, and several other bits and bobs which were cut for pacing and impact reasons. JMS just felt the episode hit harder with our first glimpse of Sinclair being mysterious and hooded, that meeting Ivanova earlier took away from the impact of the War Room entrance, that certain humor lines weren't working...
And, yes, the episode originally ended with Londo saying to Sheridan "...just in time to die..."
That entire last act in WWE1 was pulled from the Teaser of WWE2. That's why it feels like an oddly rushed ending -- that material is SUPPOSED to be propelling us forward into part 2 after the recap montage.
The welds show.
Still a vastly significant episode and a fun ride. After writing the SPOILER comments, on to part 2!
It was nice to see Zathras, but he's no Zathras.