{"id":41072,"date":"2014-02-10T22:04:30","date_gmt":"2014-02-11T05:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/02\/10\/b5-rewatch-s2e04-a-distant-star.html"},"modified":"2014-05-30T08:44:23","modified_gmt":"2014-05-30T14:44:23","slug":"b5-rewatch-s2e04-a-distant-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/02\/10\/b5-rewatch-s2e04-a-distant-star.html","title":{"rendered":"B5 Rewatch: 2×04 "A Distant Star""},"content":{"rendered":"
The first non-JMS episode of the season, it’s not quite as WHAMful as what’s come before, but D.C. Fontana creates a middling-decent character-builder and plot-advancer.The A and B plots are both centered on the arrival at B5 of the Cortez,<\/i> an Earth exploration ship that basically goes on long-range mapping expeditions of the Rim and builds star gates there for survey ships to follow along behind (http:\/\/goo.gl\/iFcGST<\/a>). The Cortez<\/i> is commanded by Sheridan’s old mentor (http:\/\/goo.gl\/AbEn3Y<\/a>), who has the poor manners\u00a0to keep clucking sadly over Sheridan now being trapped in desk job — which makes for an A-plot existential angst in Sheridan as to what he’s doing with his life (and a rather sappy Saganesque monologue about “star stuff” from Delenn – http:\/\/youtu.be\/zkhx3dGKz3k<\/a>). Sheridan doesn’t see himself as a diplomat or bureaucrat or politician — which makes his future story arc particularly interesting. \u00a0That internal conflict gets resolved (too quickly) over the course of the episode, but it’s nice to at least see a little self-doubt in Our Hero.<\/p>\n

The B-plot sees the Cortez<\/i> lost in hyperspace after leaving B5, and a desperate effort to help her find her way home. \u00a0This would be sort of standard space adventure stuff, except that it gets laced together with the repeated appearances of Shadow ships in hyperspace, too, which lends both tragedy and hmmmmm<\/i>-factor to the proceedings. \u00a0This is the high point of Starfury pilot Keffer’s work in the season, until his final appearance.<\/p>\n

The C-plot is on Delenn, who’s dealing with changes of her own – including a delegate from the Minbari on the station who are unsure that she still qualifies as one of their race. Her story line parallels Sheridan’s doubts in the A-plot, except her hair is still a work in coiffure progress.<\/p>\n

Finally, the D-plot is the comic relief item, where Dr Franklin decides that Garibaldi needs to go on a diet to help his recovery, Sheridan should probably go on a diet, too, to lose weight (too many oranges, John), and Ivanova needs to\u00a0go on a bulking up diet as she recovers from her broken ankle. \u00a0Mild hilarity ensues, enhanced by Garibaldi’s effort to smuggle the ingredients for his birthday dish, bagna cauda<\/i> (http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bagna_c%C3%A0uda<\/a>) on board. I remembered the scenes as a lot funnier than they were on rewatch (Babylon 5 – Franklin’s diet for crew<\/a>).<\/p>\n

There’s some workmanlike character development for Sheridan and Delenn in this ep (as well as some of their first rapprochement). We get a bit of arc development with spooky stuff going on at the Rim and in hyperspace. Overall the acting and characterization are okay, if uninspired (and not helped by awkward direction in places). Ivanova gets some decent if non-memorable lines. Garibaldi gets to shine a fair amount, in that ingratiating \/ con artist way he has. Franklin comes off as officious and overly fussy; I can see Dr. McCoy doing the same thing to his charges, which is not the way we really want to have Franklin be. Unfortunately, the weakest actor\/character is the guest star Russ Tamblyn, playing Sheridan’s old mentor and captain of the Cortez.<\/i> His line delivery (or direction, or the editing) are always just the slightest bit off, and he comes across as no older than Sheridan does. At least he has a kick-ass exploration ship with its own theme music.<\/p>\n

Overall, a decent episode but not a great one. Still, there are certainly worse ways to have spent an hour.<\/p>\n

Most Dramatic Moment:<\/b> Keffer figures out how to help the Cortez<\/i> find its way home after his own ship is disabled and his fate sealed.
\nMost Amusing Moment:<\/b> The three dieters swap their prescribed dishes, only to swap them back as Franklin wanders past. (http:\/\/youtu.be\/U_K2MtvpK20?t=3m5s<\/a>)
\nMost Arc-ish Moment:<\/b> There’s something living in hyperspace, just like that Universe Today<\/i> article back in an early Season 1 episode suggested (http:\/\/goo.gl\/lNgWRB<\/a>) …<\/p>\n

Overall Rating:<\/b> \u00a03.0 \/ 5<\/p>\n

Lurker\u2019s Guide: http:\/\/www.midwinter.com\/lurk\/countries\/us\/guide\/026.html<\/a>
\nBabylon Project: http:\/\/babylon5.wikia.com\/wiki\/A_Distant_Star<\/a>
\nIMDB: http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0517616\/<\/a>
\nAV Club: hhttp:\/\/www.avclub.com\/review\/babylon-5-the-geometry-of-shadowsa-distant-star-93440<\/a> (includes the next episode)
\nNoise2Signal: http:\/\/noise2sig.nl\/2011\/10\/02\/babylon-5-a-distant-star\/<\/a><\/p>\n

#babylon5<\/a> #b5<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

View this post on Google+<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first non-JMS episode of the season, it’s not quite as WHAMful as what’s come before, but D.C. Fontana creates a middling-decent character-builder and plot-advancer.The A and B plots are both centered on the arrival at B5 of the Cortez, an Earth exploration ship that basically goes on long-range mapping expeditions of the Rim and … Continue reading “B5 Rewatch: 2×04 "A Distant Star"”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[106,362],"tags":[503,429],"class_list":["post-41072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plusposts","category-media-tv-babylon-5","tag-b5","tag-babylon5"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":43026,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/06\/15\/b5-rewatch-3x01-matters-of-honor.html","url_meta":{"origin":41072,"position":0},"title":"B5 Rewatch: 3×01 "Matters of Honor"","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 15-Jun-14 11:57am","format":false,"excerpt":"After the repeated excellent eps that wrapped Season 2, S.3 opens up on a solid but less spectacular note, recapping the recent past while teeing things up for the season. That exposition occasionally drives the plot rather than the other way around, but overall it does the job.A-plot: \u00a0An Earth\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41445,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/03\/18\/b5-rewatch-s2e11-all-alone-in-the-night.html","url_meta":{"origin":41072,"position":1},"title":"B5 Rewatch: S2E11 "All Alone in the Night"","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 18-Mar-14 6:08am","format":false,"excerpt":"This one feels like it should be a huge WHAM! episode, but it sort of slogs its way along, hitting mostly right notes but never coming together the way it should. There are some key bits that definitely raise the heart-rate, but for the most part it's simply a better-than-average\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43621,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/07\/16\/b5-rewatch-3x08-messages-from-earth.html","url_meta":{"origin":41072,"position":2},"title":"B5 Rewatch: 3×08 "Messages from Earth"","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 16-Jul-14 11:53pm","format":false,"excerpt":"So far, the B5 team have just been quiet conspirators regarding the problems back on Earth. Now they find themselves having to take action ... A-Plot: \u00a0Our Heroes learn (http:\/\/goo.gl\/jOqLHz) that an abandoned Shadow vessel was found on Mars (http:\/\/goo.gl\/urQGxN) several years back, and that Earth Gov and Psi Corps\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43675,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/07\/18\/b5-rewatch-3x09-point-of-no-return.html","url_meta":{"origin":41072,"position":3},"title":"B5 Rewatch: 3×09 "Point of No Return"","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 18-Jul-14 6:47pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Martial Law spreads to B5, as Londo seeks an escape from his fate.A-Plot: This is the biggie. With martial law declared back on Earth, and a message passed on from General Hague to Sheridan that they are on their own (http:\/\/goo.gl\/kJXCsB), orders come through (http:\/\/goo.gl\/zh4p8M) from the Political Office that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/martiallaw5B15D.JPG.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":42088,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/b5-rewatch-2x18-confessions-lamentations.html","url_meta":{"origin":41072,"position":4},"title":"B5 Rewatch: 2×18 "Confessions & Lamentations"","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 19-May-14 9:09pm","format":false,"excerpt":"It's funny (or at least odd) that of all the episodes of this show -- with deaths both personal and impersonal, ships and planets torn apart in destruction, individuals murdered or killed -- this one is the most personally upsetting. \u00a0Even with its flaws, its intensity always punches me in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/960%5B1%5D.jpg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":41820,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/04\/27\/b5-rewatch-2x14-there-all-the-honor-lies.html","url_meta":{"origin":41072,"position":5},"title":"B5 Rewatch: 2×14 "There All the Honor Lies"","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 27-Apr-14 1:44pm","format":false,"excerpt":"The second Peter David-written episode, and one of the last non-JMS-written eps ever, this could be considered a one-off (there's little here that's an essential part of the arc), but it does a lot of stuff well, and fits in so nicely to the overall story that it's hard to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/B5%2B2x14%2BThere%2BAll%2Bthe%2BHonor%2BLies%2B-%2BLondo%2Bdoll%2B.jpg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41072"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42288,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41072\/revisions\/42288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}