Jeff has decided he doesn’t want to see The Gathering (I told him some of your comments and advice), so we’re going to go straight into Season 2; I’m going to watch The Gathering on my own.
So I put away the first season’s boxed set and excitedly took out the second season’s box…and immediately noticed the cast change on the cover. Ah well, so much for avoiding spoilers even before we begin to watch the season.
So my first question (which I -don’t- want anyone to answer): Where the heck is Londo? And G’Kar? And it’s clear that Sinclair doesn’t play much of a role in this season. And Delenn has hair!! Is becoming human part of her change? Don’t answer that.
But on the brighter side, thanks to Leslie Ambedian for sending me the following:
She told me that JMS is the fellow behind the poster. Thanks also to Leslie for mentioning my blog in the Babylon Five LJ community, by the way. I had wondered about the traffic spike. 
Hey, and Sherman Dorn wrote a song about me! 
Sherman kindly gave me permission to post the lyrics here:
“Don’t answer that!”
Babylon Five Virgin
Words and music by Sherman Dorn, 2008
She’s decided Sinclair’s a boring commander,
but Susan’s got spine, a past, and a bite.
Delenn’s like a monk, but she really wants a gander
at Kosh. Does his suit obscure a hideous sight?
Chorus:
She’s a Babylon Five virgin
She’s refusing to rush for the story starts slow.
She’s in love with Mollari, his hair and his fat.
And she’s wond’ring of Michael, she just wants to know –
Don’t answer that!
The acting is wooden with stylized scripts,
But her friends all assure her that it’s worth every cent.
The story’s more than okay, and the episodes hint
at a mystery or three for every ego that’s bent.
She’s a Babylon Five virgin
She’s refusing to rush and watching it slow.
She’s in love with Mollari, his bluster and fat.
But maybe G’kar… she just wants to know –
Don’t answer that!
He’s got a hole in his mind, she mourned the father she loved.
She’s inside her coccoon, he doesn’t know what he should fear,
He crawled inside of his bottle, she was saved from above.
And that’s just the first year!
She’s a Babylon Five virgin
She’s refusing to rush, taking it slow.
She’s in love with Mollari, his flair and his fat.
And she’s asking of Morden, he just wants to know –
Don’t answer that!
Thanks, Sherman. I’m looking forward to hearing it!
Next episode: Season TWO, episode 23, Points Of Departure
[For those who comment below: As the title of my blog indicates, I'm watching B5 for the very first time so PLEASE refrain from posting plot/character spoilers/hints about upcoming episodes, or including links to pages with spoilers (unless you warn readers that they contain spoilers). More info about spoilers here. Thanks so much! - Debbie]
13 comments ↓
Some of the questions will be answered at the beginning of the first Season 2 episode. Others… will have to wait a bit.
Perhaps for the other seasons, ask someone to wrap the covers in brown paper?
I so warned you -not- to look at the DVD box covers ;).
Though I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that if I recall most of the box covers only feature four or five characters per season, far fewer characters than are actually in the season, so you are over-reacting to the warning :). Maybe just a little.
Sorry, I forgot what the dvd cover looked like. Pretty much all the B5 packaging gets spoilery. Including episode descriptions, dvd menus, the dvd images themselves…. Yeah I really hate the DVD releases. This is saying nothing of how half the episodes were not properly letter boxed and instead released as the original TV broadcast with black bars blocking out parts the top and bottom of the picture. If you ever find yourself thinking “gee I wonder why a show with otherwise great cinematography would frame a close up with the actor’s chin and forehead cut off?” The answer is that they didn’t. Bah.
Hmmm… I had been told that it was only a broadcast repeat season (on the SciFi channel, I believe) that had been improperly letterboxed by clipping off the top and bottom of the 4:3 version. I saw that season - ick.
But if you are saying that some of that garbage made it to the DVDs - well, I haven’t seen the DVDs so I can’t dispute it. But I had been told they had been fixed. Maybe it’s a Region difference, one Region OK and another not?
Rachel: Thanks for the suggestion, I figure the spoilage-factor is limited, as A. has pointed out.
Allison: You did warn me, but I hadn’t realized that this wouldn’t just apply to the box cover but also the DVD cover — there’s no way that either Jeff or I would be able to get the DVDs out and NOT see a spoiler image.
I also hadn’t realized that they’d put a spoiler image like Delenn AFTER her transformation on the box of the next season! I guess they’re automatically assuming that anyone buying the DVDs has already seen all the shows. But maybe you’re right, and I’m over-reacting to coming across this kind of spoiler.
Debbie, as you start to watch the second season, look at how many extras/beings fill the space station. It really helps to give the feeling that it can be crowded/well used/active. As a storyteller, does this help fill out the story? This also occured in the first season, where it seemed like more crowd scenes happened in the earlier episodes than in the later episodes, which were more small set of character centered.
Deb: Nah, I don’t blame you for reacting to the Delenn photo. That’s a pretty huge development. I don’t recall feeling spoiled by the season 2 cover, but I already knew some of the show’s developments when I watched for the first time (like Delenn). The boxes spoiled me more in the way that I would be terrified certain characters were going to die and then, hey, there they are on the season 5 DVD cover and I’d know I could stop worrying about that :-/. Until season 5, at least :). You’re smart, at least, to only look at the DVD box cover as you get to that season.
Debbie, If you can keep up the pace of 4 episodes per weekend you should be up to S2,E8 in these next two weekends. Then when you are taking a break for FKO you will need to make that “Don’t Tell Me!” badge, T-shirt or whatever to wear for the week-end.
Hvideo, you are correct that the fake letter boxing started with the Sci-Fi channel airings of B5. The DVDs did convert more episodes to genuine letter box, but not all episodes. There are still a good number of episodes which are not truly letterbox and it pains me deep within my soul. Also I think all the effects shots on the DVDs are cropped as to the best of my knowledge the effects shots were never made for letter box (movies are a possible exception).
I know someone who has digitized all his B5 episodes which he taped off TV. I may get them from him soon….
PS to my last comment. I am referring to the region 1 dvds, I do not know if there is a difference for other regions. It’s possible UK region 2 DVDs have letterboxing on all episodes as I think part of the problem was that the show was originally filmed with PAL. Something like that. I’ve never gotten a satisfactory answer about this.
Heh. Good filk by Sherman. Caused me to instafilk for a moment…
(TTTO “Don’t Answer Me” by The Alan Parsons Project)
Don’t answer her;
Don’t give her spoilers—
She wants to see.
Don’t answer her;
She’s asking questions
Rhe-tor-ic’lly…
She just wants to find out on her own;
Doesn’t want the good surprises blown.
Hmm…I just might have to write the rest of that one… (evil grin)
Yeucch. I didn’t watch the SciFi run. I didn’t want to start a second time through until I could do it right — the whole shebang. Since I haven’t had the appropriate Tuit, I’ve not seen the DVDs.
I just assumed it would be as good as the broadcast I saw, if not better.
I’ve already gotten rid of the VHS tapes.
Waaah!