Babylon 5: Heretical Opinions

[lesbiassparrow]

Or are they? I am not in the fandom at all so I don't know, perhaps they're what everyone says. I've been rewatching it and I'm about halfway through the third season.

1. Zathros = least favourite character on anything ever. If he talks about himself in the third person one more time I will throw shoes at the screen. He is the most annoying thing about the time travel episodes and makes me hate them deeply and utterly.

2. Season One is not very good. I don't hate it or anything, but Commander Sinclair bores the pants off me. Also it has some dreadful writing of the sort that looks like it was done at top speed on the backs of napkins in bars. Sinclair also brings out the worst acting in others. I am a bit astonished it didn't get cancelled at the time.

3. I rather wish that there was a TV series where democracy works and doesn't turn out to be always hi-jacked by fascists. It would be nice.

But John and Delenn are excellent. They're the quite wonderful and only get better as it goes along. And this time watching it all the way through and not skipping episodes means that I can follow the time travel stuff.

ETA: As for the Guardian list of top 5 Doctor Who companions, I'm not really surprised at who made it as it is rather tilted towards the more recent companions or those who've had a role on the more recent episodes. I think Sarah Jane got a boost (not that I disagree with her position) because she reappeared on new Who as much as the fact that she is quite smashingly amazing. I am glad that Tegan didn't make the bottom 5, though, as I have mad love for her and her endless attempts to get to back to Heathrow. But why no Jamie? He was quite, quite wonderful and wore a skirt better than anyone. And because I really think Mary Tamm is the most gorgeous person ever on Who and a great actress as well I wish Romana I had made the list, but then I guess that's the result of being one of the older companions.

I am sad that Grace made the bottom five because I rather liked her, but I guess she gets caught up in the backwash of loathing for the TV movie. Also she killed the Doctor which strikes me as a bold introductory move.

I am going to come right out here and confess that I don't actually really like Ace very much, though I think that has to do a lot with my problematic feelings of the last years of Old Who, which is when I threw in the towel. If it helps, I don't dislike her as much as I did when I was watching it, when she drove me up the wall on a regular basis. Again, though I think that had to do with me getting unhappier and unhappier with Who as much as with the character.

BUT MOST SHOCKING OF ALL IS THE UTTER AND BLATANT DISREGARD OF THE TARDIS AS COMPANION AND THE DOCTOR'S ONE TRUE LOVE.

Comments

[calapine.livejournal.com]

1 - hurrah!

2 - That be an unpopular opinion with me, but the three people I was watching B5 with last year took CRUEL DELIGHT in mocking Sinclair every time he breathed. Hmph.

3 - BSG, meybe?

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Yay for Zathros hate, though I feel a bit bad about hating him as he clearly is oppressed.

I am apologize for the Sinclair dislike, but I cannot help myself. I do rather wish they had an alien possession episode with him so he could do the Kirk overacting thing.

But in BSG the point of democracy seems to be that people will always vote for the least appropriate candidate and they need to be shown the error of their ways. I've rather given up on the show though, so maybe that is not so now.

[calapine.livejournal.com]

But no election stealing! Even though they could have. That's a...triumph for democracy. Um...yes, Sinclair! I rather like his rather ham-fisted woodeness. I find it strangely likeable. Also he blinks with meaning.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

His pauses are also deeply significant. He has pausing down to a fine art.

[lilly-rose.livejournal.com]

Re: The Guardian list. I was wondering that myself, if it wasn't written by/influenced by those more disposed towards the new series? Because, honestly? No way should Rose be on that list. No way.

I clicked on the "worst" list fully expecting to see Tegan's name there. I whooped out loud when it wasn't there. She's really quite good, it's just that the medium wasn't quite ready for what they were trying to do with her.

[calapine.livejournal.com]

Rose'll be high on most people's list for yonks though, simply because she's so recent and she's the first companion for many a fan.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

You never forget your first...Um. This also explains my deep and abiding love for Tegan, who doesn't get enough respect.

[calapine.livejournal.com]

Mm, I think the reason I like Tegan despite cringing terribly at a lot of her early stuff is because she was the first companion I saw, and the first impression I got of her was a self-assured, cheerful young woman who mocked the Doctor. Oh, Five Doctors, how you fibbed at me.

[peeeeeeet.livejournal.com]

I LOVE ZATHRAS AND ACE WAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

Zathras and Ace should team up and travel through time solving mysteries.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I think Ace would axe Zathras and steal his furs... Or at least wonder about using explosives on him. :)

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

I'm not with you on Zathras, but Sinclair is SUCH a bore and Michael O'Hare was completely miscast as a leading man. I noticed when he came back for War Without End I kinda liked him/the character, but I don't know how they thought that guy could carry a show.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I can see that what they wanted was gravity but it just becomes torturous after a while, though he has the fine art of pausing before important statements down to a tee.

[aikakone.livejournal.com]

Zathras. *twitches at misspelling* He didn't really get enough screen time for me to get annoyed at him.

As for Sinclair, I became a fan during season one, and I didn't mind him. I watched B5 after DS9, and I had to get used to a TV show that had story arcs vs. so many stand alone episodes and general Trek style of doing things.

Maybe democracy doesn't work on TV because it doesn't work for real. *shock face* I don't have anything against democracy. It just seems the thing to say. I'm so avant garde, don't you know. Being the classicist you are, by the way, wouldn't democracy automatically mean the men of the ruling class?

John and Delenn are great. I shipped them as a couple before I understood the concept of doing that. I just *liked* them together.

No real comments on Dr. Who. I'm one of those who has only seen CE's Doctor and Rose. That's right... I haven't seen the cute Scottish guy what-his-name. Tennant. Yeah, him. No, poor me. *much lamenting and general woefulness*

[peeeeeeet.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the cute Scottish guy what-his-name

Sylvester McCoy.

::runs::

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

McCoy had those sweet Paddington pullovers which made him irresistible.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the misspelling. I haven't really seen much beyond this point before so I am very hoping that he doesn't reappear.

I'm so avant garde, don't you know.

Hee! I'm with Churchill that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the other forms.

John and Delenn are quite excellent and it is good that I have a notion of how they turn out so I know that I won't end up horribly disappointed.

[chelseagirl47.livejournal.com]

We are rewatching B5 as well because my husband has been depressed and I thought it might cheer him up as it is his Favorite Thing of All Time. He spends so much time telling me of JMS's genius in having hints for Things to Come all throughout that I miss half the dialogue. So he is annoying me more than Zathras is, but at least it is cheering him up.

I think O'Hare is primarily a stage actor? The small screen is clearly not his metier.

We just got the second ep of season 2 and I think John was crushing on Delenn from the first moment he sees her. There's just something about his twinkly smile and he's just had the Weight of Guilt About Anna lifted from his shoulders. Plus, you know, hair. Although in those early eps they had no idea how to style her hair around the headbone.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Although in those early eps they had no idea how to style her hair around the headbone.

The actress had to go through some awful hairstyles (though I do like the episode when she is in despair about how to deal with it and has to go to Susan for advice.)

[scarfman]

I rather wish that there was a TV series where democracy works and doesn't turn out to be always hi-jacked by fascists. It would be nice.

There's this little show I like called Star Trek.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

There's this little show I like called Star Trek.

That's an excellent point. But then aren't there those moments when they all get tired from the politicing at home as well? (Or maybe I have bad memories from the Enterprise and finding out that the Vulcans were apparently rather nasty people.)

[scarfman]

I was referring to the first series only.

[sassachusetts.livejournal.com]

Not sure about the first, but the second one might be fandom heresy. Personally, I think Sinclair is dull as anything, but I still prefer boredom to most of Sheridan's speechifying.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I sort of have a weak spot for Sheridan's speeches. It makes no sense really but maybe I am just so into the whole John/Delenn stuff at the moment I am forgiving him everything.

[sassachusetts.livejournal.com]

I mixed up "first" and "second" up there. Sigh. This sort of thing has been happening to me all week.

You know, it's not that the speeches themselves are all terrible, it's that there are seven thousand of them. Dial it down already, buddy! Go make out with your wife!

[oltha_heri.livejournal.com]

passer mortuus est meae puellae
Oh my god, Catullus love. Seriously though I'm here form who_daily and I saw the B5 reference so I came and then I started writing this comment and I saw your username, and just YAY. Oh dear, those two poems rival the napkin thief poem.

I rather wish that there was a TV series where democracy works and doesn't turn out to be always hi-jacked by fascists. It would be nice.
But there wouldn't be a plot. Besides all sci-fi drama must at least try to have some political statement they want to make.

And as for the Guardian stuff, they don't even have Romana on there, you leave off everyone else I think is fantastic and put Romana on and I would have less to bitch about, 'cause Romana just is you know amazing, and definitely agree with you about Mary Tamm being just fantastic, looking and being. As the Guardian gave so much credit to New School they should have the TARDIS there, if they were focused on old school less so, btu their love of new school says the TARDIS needs to be on the list now thankyouverymuch.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Catullus: he was rather mad and I often imagine he was a bit wearing...but that poetry! I love the napkin one as well; clearly not the man to steal from! (Including girls).

I was a bit surprised about Romana not being on because she was there in both incarnations for so long, but then they do just tilt it so far to the recent stuff I can see why. Poor Tardis: she just can't get no respect. And then the Doctor kicks her! Pah!