helsinkibaby | Entries tagged with babylon 5

Because ruuger just posted and reminded me what happened ten years ago today...

Franklin: I realised I always defined myself in terms of what I wasn't. I wasn't a good soldier like my father, I wasn't a job, I wasn't a good prospect for marriage or kids. Always what I wasn't, never what I was. But when you do that, you miss the moments. And the moments are all we've got. When I thought I was going to die, even after everything that's happened, I realised I didn't want to let go. I was willing to do it all over again, and this time I could appreciate the moments. I can't go back, but I can appreciate what I have right now, and I can define myself by what I am, rather than what I'm not.

Sheridan: And what are you?

Franklin: IAlive. Everything else is negotiable.

RIP Richard Biggs

Crossposts: http://helsinkibaby.livejournal.com/529020.html

29 What movie, book, or TV episode makes you cry without fail? (Or get wibbly, if you're not a crier.)

As jaqofspades reminded me when I read her entry, the last thing I looked at that made me sob was the Farewell Finn episode of Glee because of the circumstances and the performances and Romy Rosemont who absolutely deserves an Emmy for the scene she did.

However, my bulletproof answer, the one that I can't think of without hurting even all these years later, is the Babylon 5 finale, Sleeping in Light -- it aired over here over New Year's and I was away and looked at the last three episodes in a row on my own, thank goodness, because by the end I was just hysterical. The goodbye scene between Sheridan and Delenn had me full on ugly crying (and I'd cried already) and the last speech by Ivanova...

An expedition to Coriana space found Sheridan's ship a few days later, but they never found him. All the airlocks were sealed, but there was no trace of him inside. Some of the Minbari believe he'll come back some day, but I never saw him again in my lifetime.

Babylon 5 was the last of the Babylon stations. There would never be another. It changed the future, and it changed us.

It taught us that we had to create the future, or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have to care for each other – because if we don't, who will? And that strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely of places.

Mostly, though, I think it gave us hope that there can always be new beginnings, even for people like us.

As for Delenn.... Every morning for as long as she lived, Delenn got up before dawn and watched the sun come up.

BRB, bawling.

30 We started the month with something funny. Send us off with something else that tickles your funny bone!

From the sublime to the ridiculous...

Brendan O'Carroll is a very well known Irish comedian whose series Mrs Brown's Boys has done really well on the BBC. He plays Agnes Brown, the stereotypical Irish mammy and I cry laughing at most of the episodes. The scene where Agnes accidentally takes some LSD and ends up running around the house impersonating a horse while dressed as Wonder Woman -- I was in pain from laughing so hard.

Crossposts: http://helsinkibaby.livejournal.com/516109.html

Article about JMS at Phoenix ComiCon, includes the audio where he talks about Michael O'Hare

I am speechless. I am never speechless.

Except when I am.

Crossposts: http://helsinkibaby.livejournal.com/488479.html

Seen on LJ and Facebook and boosting the signal FWIW...quote taken from the FB
Babylon 5 page and via LJ on Universe Today.

This is a special update. I just read this at Babylon 5 on Facebook. It would seem that JMS has finally broken his silence on Michael O'Hare and I felt this was worth sharing. I am quoting the facebook page, not JMS himself:

I'm lucky enough to be at the big Babylon 5 20th anniversary celebration at the Phoenix Comicon this weekend. One of the many B5 related panels was a special one that JMS requested and asked all the fans to attend. He didn't say why, but said we would be helping him keep a many years promise.

The first part of the panel was...stupid. A mod who wasn't a fan asked JMS a few generic questions and then let fans ask questions (that wasn't stupid, just the first guy) for a while.

For the second half of the panel, JMS shooed to 'moderator' off and talked about Rick Biggs, Andreas Katsulas, Jeff Connaway and Michael O'Hare. It was a true tribute to their courage and grace in ways that inspired him. Rick's love of life, Jeff's courage at beginning his career again with B5 and Andreas' courage and grace at facing terminal cancer. Then he told us about Michael O'Hare.

Toward the last third of season one, both JMS and Michael realized that Michael had a problem of increasingly delusional episodes, typified by paranoia. This can be helped with medication but that takes time and there really wasnt time while the show was shooting. JMS was even willing to shut down production for Michael to be able to get the help he needed but Michael didn't want to be responsible for the show shutting down and asked JMS to let him try to complete shooting. JMS did, and admired Michael was he struggled every day.

After shooting was done, they all knew that Michael couldn't carry on so JMS let him know that when the time came, Michael could come back to complete Sinclair's arc. Thanks to friends, JMS knew when Michael was able to come back and perform in "War Without End". Afterward, JMS promised Michael that he'd 'keep the secret to his grave' but Michael asked him to keep the secret to *his* (Michael's) grave instead. And so...JMS told the story of Michael's struggle today. And he told us how there were times when the fans really helped Michael keep. going.

JMS' admiration for the courage that each man showed was obviously deeply felt and sincere and the entire room (which was full to capacity) gave him a standing ovation and thanked him for what he'd said. It was an amazing experience and, I think an important moment in B5 history.
(Jan Schroeder)

Crossposts: http://helsinkibaby.livejournal.com/488183.html

Seen on friends friends, linked here for those like me who hadn't seen it - Mira Furlan blogs about passings in the Babylon 5 family

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPad.

So, woke up this morning, got Herself to let me linger a little while longer, always good. Came downstairs with her, got breakfast, flicked on my phone (as is my habit; she was watching "Imagination Movers" and whoever at Disney put that on only on weekend mornings, bless you. It allows me to get breakfast in peace!) and logged onto facebook to see if anyone had posted pics from the con that Himself is at.

First thing I saw, a great big picture of Michael O'Hare with RIP and his dates on it.

I said things that I cannot repeat here, and resolved to look at War Without End tonight, because "Dear God, a Minbari not born of Minbari" was one of the huge shock-scream-at-the-tv moments of my life.

And that was before Doctor Who! Not seen the last four eps of this season but Himself is away and I looked at it with Nimoy on my knee looking at the Ha Ha Hairies on the iPad (if you don't know what they are, I beg of you, remain in ignorance. I so wish I could) and therefore I may have missed some of the finer points. I did, however, turn down the iPad in the last fifteen minutes and turn up the tv and got everything of those and while I'm not going to spoil anyone I'll be over here having all the feelings.

I hate getting the chance to use this icon!

'I don't know where actors go after they die, but I know people who help other people have a nice place to go. And I would like to go there if I can.'

RIP Jeff Conaway...I loved you as Zach Allen, I loved you as Kenickie. I hope you and Rick and Andreas are having a nice reunion, wherever you may be.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPad.

According to People Bruce Boxleitner and Melissa Gilbert have separated. I find this quite sad considering they've been together for sixteen years, and I have discovered anew my Bruce love following spending weekend mornings with Abigail looking at Scarecrow and Mrs King!

Thank you for your lovely comments about the cuteness that is my daughter! I may not have replied personally yet but I agree with you all!!!

Only one more day of school til the most difficult entrance exam and I am so ready to be done with the blasted things! Have promised kids that Monday we'll watch Michael Collins..we've been studying him in history so I figure why not? Will lead into discussion of fact vs fiction in the film, I hope, and writing a film review, most definitely!

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPad.

Babylon 5 first - ( Infection )

Rumours abound over on FSU that Katia Gordeeva and Ilia Kulik have separated... this makes me sad.

Someone else wants to know what happened to Amanda Marshall... such a good question.

I had other thoughts I'm sure but I can't remember them.

The great Babylon 5 rewatch continues with last night's being Born to the Purple. Also known as "Oh Londo!" I'd forgotten how much he actually gets hurt in this episode, when he is actually in love with Adira but she's double crossing him... his inability to believe it at first, the look on his face when he finds out his purple files have been accessed, his reaction when he's talking to Sinclair, pleading with him for help... how is it possible that I have forgotten what a great ep this is for Peter Jurasik?

And also for Claudia Christian, what with the father and Gold Channel sub plot. The scenes with her and Garibaldi also remind me that I mildly shipped then, way back when.

Talia is not annoying me nearly as much this go around. The whole double cross at the end, and a poor unsuspecting G'Kar was nicely played.

Is it just me, or were they starting off a Sinclair/Talia angle? Or is it my shippy nature again?

Stephen Furst = comic gold. I love Vir.

HelsinkiHusband and I decided last night to do a Babylon 5 rewatch in preparation for the Ball in February. (Londo and Vir people, Londo and Vir!)

So far, we've looked at Midnight on the Firing Line and Soul Hunter. I'd forgotten how much detail there is at the start that goes in later on - Londo and G'Kar's hatred of one another, Londo's dream, Ivanova's hatred of the Psi Corps... and in Soul Hunter, the line to Delenn about "You would do that?" obviously foreshadowing the events of Chrysalis... for some reason, I thought that was the episode where we learned about Sinclair having a Minbari soul, but it wasn't... shall have to keep on watching!

Also funny to see how far they all came... thank God Ivanova got rid of that big ol' stick up her ass! And hard to see Richard Biggs standing there, talking about how short life is, and just when you've got it all figured out, it's taken away from you...

Which might not have been the thing for me to look at this morning, being as this afternoon I was at the funeral of the baby of one of the cleaners from the school... he was born with Edwards Syndrome (Trisomy 18) and lived for four weeks and four days - the median age for a child born with that is between 5 and 15 days. There is nothing sadder in the world than the sight of a little white coffin going down the aisle of the church in his daddy's arms.

So, I'm in a fairly good mood, heading off for an eight o'clock flight over to see Himself, two days of no school because of the mid term break, men's Olympic free skate tomorrow night (His first time watching me watch skating; if we survive that, we'll survive anything!) ...

... and then I check my email.

( RIP Andreas Katsulas )

I believe that when we leave a place a part of it goes with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere in these halls, when it is quiet and just listen. After a while you will hear the echoes of all of our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone, our voices will linger in these walls for as long as this place remains.

And, just because it's one of my favourite pieces of dialogue he ever did (seriously, I'd've listened to him read the phone book) -- ( The Principles of the Interstellar Alliance )

Edit because

romanticalgirl and I are on at the same time and she linked to this which is a beautiful tribute.

( Jake 2.0, Upgrades episode thoughts, with added commentary from The Subtext Channel )

Also, just wanted to post this, which was a few lines of commentary that put me away when I was looking through my Babylon 5 DVDs today (I've been dipping in and out all week. Big surprise). Today's offerings included Shadow Dancing and a scene between Sheridan and Franklin that I'd forgotten was there and which had never made me cry before had me bawling like a child today. It's all about Franklin's spiritual awakening after his near-death experience, what he learned - it's deep and meaningful under any circumstances, but this week? Really hit home. ( The Moments )

First thing's first... a request to those of you on my friends list who watch 24 -- I'm pretty sure the last ep airs in the States tonight... I have two begging words from the bottom of my heart people... and those words are CUT TAGS... I'm sorry to make this request, but I'm spoiler free for that show (and trust me, with eight episodes still to go, and my blood pressure increasing exponentially with every episode, I'd love to pepper you all with questions!) and would really like to try to remain so. Thank you muchly!

Secondly, ( Things I Learned At The Confirmation )

And for the

writers_choice lines challenge, I have Babylon 5 fic, and no, the timing is no coincidence. ( Unrequited, Franklin/Ivanova, spoilers up to Rising Star )

I was at the last ever one day today (and have thoughts on both the finales of Angel and Smallville and might even post them one of these days) when one of the girls who also goes to all the events (a fellow lifer) turned to me and said, "Did you hear that Richard Biggs died?"

I spent the whole day praying for it not to be true, and came home to find this in my inbox - I've seen it reproduced in various places, so I think I'm safe posting it here. ( JMS )

The first big SG con I ever went to was SG2 in London... Richard, one of my favourite actors in Babylon 5 was there to be the MC. I was all asquee, because I loved him as Stephen and had also liked him in DOOL... when it came time for the photo session, I got my photo taken with all six guests there, including Richard, who a lot of people weren't getting photos taken with, this being an SG con... Amanda was supposed to be standing beside me, but she was beside JR Bourne, and she goes to me, "I'll let JR stand beside you... I'm sure you'd like that better, I know I would." And me, remember, in my first big con, heard the following words coming out of my mouth as my eyes fell on Richard crossing the floor towards me, "Actually, I'd rather have Richard" Cue Amanda's eyes falling out of her head, and JR being all, "Oh! Oh! That's fine then, you'd rather have Richard!" and me going, "It's nothing personal, I've just loved him since B5... and DOOL!" Which lead to Richard going, "You watched that?" at pretty much the same time that JR said, "You were in Days of our Lives? I want to stand beside you now!" I got my photo, with Richard standing beside me, and as I was leaving, he gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek and said thank you... and I floated back to the video room.

This sucks beyond all telling.