warl...@es.co.nz (Matthew Vincent) wrote in
news:44aa4edb.0206180232.32e6bf10@posting.google.com:

Jeez, give the guy a break! It's an *opinion*. Sometimes its fun to
speculate on what might have been. It's not as though there's much else
going on right now in the B5 world is there? I don't think the author was
being disrespectful or dishonest, on several occassions in the article he
mentions how much admiration he has for jms in creating the show, and how
he *did* deliver on his promises.

B5 is a unique situation in any event. Not only was it a unique show, we
as fans also gained a (sometimes unhealthy) level of inside knowledge on
its evolution through jms. The knowledge was great, insofar as it brought
show and fan together like no other show ever has (not even Star Trek
IMO), but I think it *was* a bit unhealthy in retrospect because its
difficult to enjoy & take a show at face value whilst knowing about all
the little pieces of broken glass jms crawled across carrying the
'elephant'.

One thing about the article that I did agree with was his assessment of
season 5. I'm not going to get into the 'season 5 was crap' debate,
because as far as I'm concerned there is no debate (saying that though, I
think that season 5 was a classic example of how too much inside
knowledge can ruin one's perceptions of a show). B5 was brilliant, end of
story. :-) *But* (and I have done this) it comes across as a very
different show if you watch seasons 1-4 then SiL. Not 'better' per se,
just different. It still works.

Anyway, all I'm trying to say is, he's only expressing an opinion. As am
I. Neither are threats to your own beliefs about the show. We all love
jms' work! :-) There's no need to go jumping up and down about it.

Cheers,

Bil
--
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_ // Bil Irving                 | Email: *Private*                    |
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... "Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of
    dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender."
                                  - Citizen G'Kar, 2261