The Wonder.....
Lisa Coulter
number of time. All of a sudden it happened - I realized this had been
on _TV_. I was back 2 or 3 years, reading the Lurker's Guide and the
newsgroups, talking to friends long distance, going - "This is on TV?
How? It's too good! They'll cancel it! They're doing a mythologically
touched SF epic! Impossible!"
Oh, for those old times. Well, the wonder was still back, however
briefly.
Now, about the best thing on is the very ordinary ER. (Farscape ain't
bad, but very inconsistent and definitely owing a lot to B5 (Crichton
even gave a speech in the last first season ep and my husband and I
looked at each other and both said "SHeridan", Dargo = Worf, Aerin/Zhaan
= an *attempt* at Delenn - and I don't even really want to _discuus_ the
science - it's too depressing. ) O well. Maybe we will luck out again.
"Faith manages" - Delenn
In the end, there is always the sunrise.....
Lisa Coulter
Brian Stinson
The Sopranos
It isn't sci-fi, but if you're a fan of the continuing arc-type storyline,
and intelligent writing, this is you're show. You have to buy HBO to get
it, but take my word for it, it's worth $10 a month.
One word of advice though, like B5, if you're gonna have to miss an episode,
set that VCR.
JMS, maybe you should lobby HBO to give you a free hand. I'd pay for it !
"Lisa Coulter" <lcou...@stetson.edu> wrote in message
news:38E4C1E0...@stetson.edu...
> Now, about the best thing on is the very ordinary ER. (Farscape ain't
> bad, but very inconsistent and definitely owing a lot to B5 (
Lisa Coulter
Jms at B5
>
>The Sopranos
I concur 100%. It is the ONLY show that I make time for every week, without
fail, and get massively pissed if I miss an installment. The writing is just
phenomenal.
jms
(jms...@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)
Brian Stinson
My VCR hasn't seen this much work since season 5 ended. The only bad thing
is, like B5, I came in late, didn't start watching it until season two. Now
I'm desperately trying to find someone who taped season one.
"Jms at B5" <jms...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000402012734...@ng-fj1.aol.com...
Richard Manny
slot it in.
Richard
Jms at B5 wrote in message <20000402012734...@ng-fj1.aol.com>...
Chibi-Light
writes:
>>To anyone looking for some good television, I've got two words for you.
>>
>>The Sopranos
>
>I concur 100%. It is the ONLY show that I make time for every week, without
>fail, and get massively pissed if I miss an installment. The writing is just
>phenomenal.
>
> jms
I actually like Oz better myself. I think it has more to do with my
general interest in power issuses amonst people though. I think the
reason I've not enjoyed the Sapranos as much is because there hasn't
been any characters that I can relate to. (You can relate to
characters in Oz?!?!) Yeah, actually, I can. Like Beecher, who got
thrown into this mess, who was basically the nice guy who got harassed
till the point that he snapped. I did that in jr high and high school
to get people to stop harassing me.
Plus, much as G'kar said about the people on B5, the people in Oz "are
not as they appear to be" (paraphrasing).
Anyway, that's enough from me. I'll shut up for now.
CL
Michael J. Hennebry
Lisa Coulter <lcou...@stetson.edu> wrote:
>Now, about the best thing on is the very ordinary ER. (Farscape ain't
>even gave a speech in the last first season ep and my husband and I
>looked at each other and both said "SHeridan", Dargo = Worf, Aerin/Zhaan
>= an *attempt* at Delenn - and I don't even really want to _discuus_ the
>science - it's too depressing. ) O well. Maybe we will luck out again.
Perhaps we should discuss the science in Mission to Mars.
--
Mike henn...@plains.NoDak.edu
Iluvatar is the better part of Valar.
Hobbs
>
>I actually like Oz better myself. I think it has more to do with my
>general interest in power issuses amonst people though. I think the
>reason I've not enjoyed the Sapranos as much is because there hasn't
>been any characters that I can relate to. (You can relate to
>characters in Oz?!?!) Yeah, actually, I can. Like Beecher, who got
>thrown into this mess, who was basically the nice guy who got harassed
>till the point that he snapped. I did that in jr high and high school
>to get people to stop harassing me.
Oz is a great show. Btw, which season are they showing now? I kept waiting
and waiting for Season 3 (I believe it was) to come on, but it never did.
Everytime I see it on, it's a rerun. HBO switched the time on me, and I
never found it again.
Beecher is an excellent character. He's been great fun to watch as the
series has progressed (I'm assuming it's still progressing).
The Sopranos is another great series, imo. At least, the first Season was.
I lost track of it because it comes on at a most inconvenient time (same
time as the X-Files, which, despite it's current stagnation, is still one of
my favorites and is a greater priority to me than The Sopranos). I'm never
able to catch the reruns, either.
>Plus, much as G'kar said about the people on B5, the people in Oz "are
>not as they appear to be" (paraphrasing).
Isn't that the truth. Some of those characters have done complete 180s,
much like some on B5. :-)
Hobbs
Brian Stinson
it to me. I think I may have to check it out
Brian
"Chibi-Light" <eryt...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:38e81ff0...@news.ix.netcom.com...
> In rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated, jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5)
> writes:
>
> >>To anyone looking for some good television, I've got two words for you.
> >>
> >>The Sopranos
> >
> >I concur 100%. It is the ONLY show that I make time for every week,
without
> >fail, and get massively pissed if I miss an installment. The writing is
just
> >phenomenal.
> >
> > jms
>
> I actually like Oz better myself. I think it has more to do with my
> general interest in power issuses amonst people though. I think the
> reason I've not enjoyed the Sapranos as much is because there hasn't
> been any characters that I can relate to. (You can relate to
> characters in Oz?!?!) Yeah, actually, I can. Like Beecher, who got
> thrown into this mess, who was basically the nice guy who got harassed
> till the point that he snapped. I did that in jr high and high school
> to get people to stop harassing me.
>
> Plus, much as G'kar said about the people on B5, the people in Oz "are
> not as they appear to be" (paraphrasing).
>
Patrick MARCEL
>
> >>The Sopranos
> I actually like Oz better myself.
Write me in as an OZ fan too. I've tried the "Sopranos", but I can't get
interested in Mafia stories anymore. What's interesting in watching the
scrabbling of dumb and greedy guys who steal, murder and torture as a
matter of course. I can't sympathize with anybody on "Sopranos" (I do
love Gandolfini, but the character he plays is just one among an endless
parade of repulsive wretches).
There's more to empathize with in OZ.
Just my opinion, of course.
Patrick
--
"We are all born as molecules in the heart of a billion stars; molecules
that do not understand politics or policies or differences. Over a
billion years, we foolish molecules forget who we are, and where we came
from. In desperate acts of ego we give ourselves names, fight over lines
on maps, and pretend our light is better than everyone else's. The flame
reminds us of the piece of those stars that lives on inside us, the
spark that tells us, 'you know better'." JMS
Rich Johnston
says...
>
>>To anyone looking for some good television, I've got two words for you.
>>
>>The Sopranos
>
>I concur 100%. It is the ONLY show that I make time for every week, without
>fail, and get massively pissed if I miss an installment. The writing is just
>phenomenal.
Just a thought here, and it may be wasted...
If any Americans can get access to taped copies, may I recommend both Brass Eye
and Jam, British shows by television master Chris Morris? Jam is currently
airing on Channel 4 at the moment, and managed to create cruel, twisted and
piercing moments of comedy from the most unlikely of subjects.
I have never seen anything like it. It is television writing uber alles and it
makes watching any other television after it a bizarre experience in its own
right.
Rich Johnston twis...@hotmail.com
http://come.to/ramblings http://www.twistandshoutcomics.com
Selling lots of comics at http://www.geocities.com/evenwood/sale.html right now!
Brian Stinson
Regarding your comments on "The Sopranos", though. I don't think you need
to "sympathize" with the characters to enjoy the show. I think that, by
far, the most interesting characters on B5 were Londo, Bester, and Mr.
Morden. All of whom were probably the least sympathetic characters on the
show. I actually see Tony Soprano as a very Londo-Like character. He
seems to want something better, but doesn't really know it yet. Nor is it
likely he'll get it.
"Patrick MARCEL" <mant...@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:38E883B4...@wanadoo.fr...
ImRastro
>Write me in as an OZ fan too. I've tried the "Sopranos", but I can't get
>interested in Mafia stories anymore. What's interesting in watching the
>scrabbling of dumb and greedy guys who steal, murder and torture as a
>matter of course. I can't sympathize with anybody on "Sopranos" (I do
>love Gandolfini, but the character he plays is just one among an endless
>parade of repulsive wretches).
>
>There's more to empathize with in OZ.
>
>Just my opinion, of course.
>
>Patrick
<picking jaw off the floor>
You find the people on The Sopranoes to be "repulsive wretches," but actually
"empathize" with those in OZ? The murders, rapists, racists, drug addicts?
Wow.
Actually, both shows are fabulous. The only thing I watch anymore outside of
the X Files and the History Channel...(OK and Behind the Music to which I am
addicted. Talk about drug addicts! Sheesh.)
Chibi-Light
writes:
>Actually, both shows are fabulous. The only thing I watch anymore outside of
>the X Files and the History Channel...(OK and Behind the Music to which I am
>addicted. Talk about drug addicts! Sheesh.)
Well, admitantly, I lost track of Soprano's story, and I still never
really liked the main character (Tony?) anyway. (Though I did like
evil characters in B5 such as Morden and Cartagia, go fig). Anyway,
your viewing habits sound like mine but it's B5 tapes, Oz, History
Channel, and Comedy Central (gotta love the Daily Show).
CL
Patrick MARCEL
> <picking jaw off the floor>
> You find the people on The Sopranoes to be "repulsive wretches," but actually
> "empathize" with those in OZ? The murders, rapists, racists, drug addicts?
> Wow.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Poor choice of words in my explanation, but it's
hard for me to define exactly where I think the problem lies in the SOPRANOS.
I find the power struggles, the tension and grittiness of OZ riveting.
And of course, there *are* some more or less likeable characters -
Beecher, the black guy in the wheelchair (never can remember his name),
the priest. In a way, OZ is a fantasy or SF series: it's life in another
world, or in Hell. The SOPRANOS show you Tony Soprano beating up a guy
till his knuckles get all bloody, and we're supposed to more or less
like the character. I'm not even sure that scene from the first episode
wasn't meant to be *funny*, on some level. At least, I didn't get much
intimation that this was horrifying, except as a warning sign that Tony
was starting to lose it. Very mixed signals, there, for me. I mean,
sometimes, mixed signals work nicely - the first example that comes to
mind is the death of Lord Refa in "And the Rock..." Here, I find the end
result unsavory, and I don't feel this was the goal the writer set out
to attain.
I guess a better definition of SOPRANOS, for me, would be pedestrian.
It's petty murder done routinely, at least in the two episodes I've
watched. One feels repulsion at the acts committed in OZ. It's the
business-as-usual look at violence of SOPRANOS which doesn't do anything
for me.
Patrick MARCEL
> Obviously I'm gonna have to try watching "Oz". Sounds like a good show.
> Regarding your comments on "The Sopranos", though. I don't think you need
> to "sympathize" with the characters to enjoy the show.
Sympathize may not be the word I was looking for. Basically, I can't get
emotionally involved about any character. Londo, Bester and Mr Morden
had human failings, but also had flair and panache. Tony Soprano may be
all too real. Objectively, I can see he's well written and all that, but
subjectively, I can't be bothered about what he does. Same for most
characters (I've only watched the first two episodes, but the only
character I enjoyed was the awful mother). Maybe I should have hung on
(many series don't come right away into their own), but... I think it's
the Mafia angle. I mean, I was bored stiff by "Casino", even though I
can see it's one of the most brilliantly directed Scorcese movies.
As I said, this is purely a matter of opinion.
ImRastro
>I guess a better definition of SOPRANOS, for me, would be pedestrian.
>It's petty murder done routinely, at least in the two episodes I've
>watched. One feels repulsion at the acts committed in OZ. It's the
>business-as-usual look at violence of SOPRANOS which doesn't do anything
>for me.
>
>Patrick
>
I think you're right about that. Oddly, that's why I find the Sopranoes
facinating. Casino, Goodfellas, Scarface...all good "Mafia" movies, but the
characters were one dementional and, therefore, not truely frightening or
"real." Tony Soprano is a violent but simultaniously sensitive character. One
minute he's demonstatively showing affection by kissing Christopher, the next
he's beating someone till his knuckles bleed. Coming from an Italian family
(no mafia members that I know of), I can tell you honestly that this is an
accurate, albiet extreme, characterization. Dramatrically, it draws you in.
To bring this back to B5, its not unlike Londo who was compelling in his
contradictions.
Anyway, I think you should give it anouther shot. Two episodes is not enough
from which to judge the show. (And yes, the mother does rock!)