Questions from someone new to B5 about Talia and Lyta:
What exactly happened to Talia? How were her abilities different from
Lyta's? Why won't Talia be back on the show? Is it standard to have a
telepath on B5?
Thanks!
She's dead. Dissected, as Bester said.
: How were her abilities different from Lyta's?
Well, she was a stronger natural telepath (the Vorlon thing may have
changed that) and had minor telekinetic abilities (the Jason Ironheart
thing.)
: Why won't Talia be back on the show?
AFAIK, it was real life problems. There was an article I remember in
Starlog that said something about not working enough, and general
contrcat problems.
: Is it standard to have a telepath on B5?
Well, yes, but B5 isn't an Earth colony anymore.
--
Ian Fay, Northeastern University. AKA Nightshade, Lasombra Antitribu
High Inquisitor of NUTS, SF fan, Gamer, Man About Town, Sax Player, CS Major.
Homepage: http://lynx.neu.edu/home/httpd/i/ifay
SPOON! FNORD! hAiL bRaK!!!
"Reports of my assimilation have been greatly exaggerated." -Picard
"And that, my liege, is how we know that the world is banana shaped." -Bedevir
* Hi all-
*
* Questions from someone new to B5 about Talia and Lyta:
*
* What exactly happened to Talia? How were her abilities different from
* Lyta's? Why won't Talia be back on the show? Is it standard to have a
* telepath on B5?
OK...back when B5 was part of the Earth Alliance, yes, they wanted a
telepath on board in an official capacity. (Probably at Bester's
urging...) They were first assigned Lyta, in the pilot, who was a P5--a
mid-level telepath. After she scanned Kosh, she was spirited back to
Earth for "debriefing," and she was replaced with Talia, another P5 who
was very Psi-Corps-loyal. But Talia's powers were enhanced by a man named
Jason Ironheart in the first season, who had been given super-telepathy by
Psi Corps experimentation, and from that point she began to grow less and
less loyal to the Corps, even going so far as to actively conspire against
them. Eventually, Ivanova was even able to overcome her anti-telepath
feelings and (briefly) become her lover.
But we never really got a clear picture of what Talia's new powers
were (apart from telekinesis), because Lyta, by now a fugitive from the
Corps, returned at the end of season 2 and revealed that Talia had an
implaneted Corps-loyal personality under her real one. This evil Talia
had been spying on the B5ers, and would have taken Talia over when the
time was right--but Lyta foiled the plan by activating it prematurely,
thereby effectively killing good Talia. Then, new, evil Talia was sent
back to the Corps, possibly to be killed, and Lyta went off to try to get
into Vorlon space, having heard a "call" ever since scanning Kosh.
Lyta succeeded, and when she returned she became Kosh's attache. She
had been altered by the Vorlons--given gills to breathe their atmosphere,
modified to be a better "host" for their "essence," and perhaps some other
things which are as yet unclear. Now, she seems to have stepped in to
fill Talia's role in the series, as a super-telepath of some kind. Thus,
to answer your questions: 1) her body was taken over by a hidden
personality, and Bester claims she was then dissec--ah, debriefed by the
Corps; 2) we're not sure how their powers differ, but Lyta seems
Vorlon-specific, and Talia had telekinesis and super-psi-blocking
abilities; 3) JMS and the actress had a falling out, which was why she
left in the first place, so I doubt she'll return; and 4) yes, but now
that they're independent there's no "official" requirement--it's just
handy.
Hope this helps...
----j7y
******************************** <*> ********************************
jere7my tho?rpe "If they had a King of Fools
University of Pennsylvania then I could wear that crown,
Engineering & Applied Science and you can all die laughing
Office of Undergraduate Education because I'll wear it proudly."
(215) 898-7246 ----Elvis Costello
What kind of falling out? He seems like such a nice person. Who'd fight
with him?
I thought she left because she joined the show JAG.
PManion
According to posts I've seen from JMS, Andrea was complaining because she
had very little action during the first part of season two. JMS was insistent
that this was an ensemble show and that she wouldn't be in *every* episode,
and informed her that he would continue to write the episodes as he saw fit.
She asked to be written out. Joe used her "trapdoor", brought Pat Tallman
back in, and that's pretty much *it*. Since then, Andrea has been somewhat
less than flattering, I understand, about JMS in interviews, but as far as
I'm concerned, that's hearsay; I haven't read any of the interviews in
question.
Whether because of this alleged behavior or because JMS doesn't want to play
*too* many games with the plot, Talia will not return to the B5 universe.
Or so I've gleaned from JMS's often cryptic remarks.
Disclaimer: This is what I remember from posts by JMS and others on UseNet.
Standard warnings about anything you read on UseNet apply, in spades.
Aaron Brezenski
"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean there isn't someone out to get me."
Card-Carrying Member of the Illuminati
As part of a secret Psi Corps programme a hidden, false personality
was created within Talia's mind. In the episode Divided Loyalties
that personality was unmasked resulting in the death of the real
Talia. The hidden personality took over and being very pro-Psi Corps
was sent packing back to Earth.
> How were her abilities different from Lyta's?
Unclear, although Talia had limited TK, and we've seen no sign of
that in Lyta, and Talia didn't have Lyta's niffy line in gills :)
>Why won't Talia be back on the show?
It's not 100 percent sure that she won't, but the actress is now
a regular on NYPD Blue so it's very unlikely.
> Is it standard to have a telepath on B5?
Lyta was the first, Sinclair commented when she arrived that it was
about time that Earth sent them a telepath. I think it's fair to say
that a TP is standard issue :) However Lyta isn't Psi Corps, B5
isn't EA any more *and* there are other TPs on B5, just not major
characters on the show.
Ruth
Oh click.
<spoiler space for Season 4: Shows 1-3>
In the scene where Talia is "unmasked," there's
a very funny moment when GARIBALDI pretends to
have a programmed personality himself. He rolls his
eyes and generally behaves like someone in great
conflict, then looks up and grins at the rest of
them. It is a moment of comic relief, isn't it, Joe?
No-one we know would be sneaky enough to foreshadow
the events of "Whatever Happened to Mr G," would they?
--
Nigel --GOH '86
The two most common elements in the
universe are Hydrogen and Stupidity
Given that JMS said, when asked if Talia would return, "Not in my
universe," I'd say that'd be a definite "no" even if she weren't
working.
--
Dianne
>I'm fairly new to the B5 online scene, although I've been a fan since the
>first time I watched an episode (mid-first season), and I'm wondering about
>the significance of this line:
>>I can almost feel the rustling-in of some kind of enchantment already.<
>If you wouldn't mind, please enlighten me.
This is the sig line of Rebecca Eschliman
<REsch...@postoffice.worldnet.att.net>
frequent poster to RASFTVB5M and alt.tv.x-files
Captain Infinity
****************************************************
It's not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache.
--Dr. Frank N. Furter
Last time I checked they still had it in stock, both in CD and
cassette.
Captain Infinity
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Can I get a goldfish now?" --Carol Ann, _Poltergeist_
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arianna
Camelot and Best Buy (Cleveland area chains, but other places as well)
have been putting the first B5 CD in their soundtrack section with movies
and other compliations (Like the X-File's 'Songs in the Key of X')
o Remember, Chris Zakelj
|\ | /| the Force will IRC DALNet: Vorlon
||/^\|| be with you... cz73...@oak.cats.ohiou.edu
\_____/ Always. br...@yfn2.ysu.edu
Bob
Context confusion: new version of what? The soundtrack, or JMS' book,
or something else?
>
Bob Lai (rl...@concentric.net) wrote:
(Redeeming themselves by having no
: less than 6 copies of the new version on their shelves.)
Define "new version." Do you mean the second soundtrack album, or the
revised first album that came out a couple years ago?
I made an unclear reference to the "new version" of JMS' book.
The 2nd album isn't out yet.
My apologies to anyone who immediately called up their local record
store.
Bob
--
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