"The Long Dark" discussion

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episodes 2X05, "The Long Dark". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Summary:
A ship with a cryogenically frozen crew, sent out to search for extraterrestrial life over a hundred years ago, arrives on B5.

Extra reading:

The article for "The Long Dark" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

Two things

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

The final shot of the demony thing in G'Kar's book really creeped me out the first time I watched this.

In my opinion, the only decent B5 episode to feature anything that can be described as a "monster". (Compare Infection, Grail, Gray 17 Is Missing... All crap.)

Re: Two things

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

The Gray 17 monster is pretty awful, but I will never think that episode is crap, because I love the Neroon and Marcus bits so much. Neroon is right to be concerned about Delenn's arrogant grab for power (and I say this as somebody who adores her), and the fight between he and Marcus and their interaction at the end are just awesome. So call it 1/2 crap, to me at least.

Re: Two things

[blackpaladin.livejournal.com]

Agreed; the Neroon/Marcus plot is pretty much the only thing that makes Gray 17 worth watching.

Even JMS went public after that episode aired and said the following: "The Jeremiah thread was one of those things that looks great on paper, but when you get it into a camera...I dunno, it's one of those weirdnesses that happens in television. Sometimes you've got what you think is an average script and it just roars to life on-camera, and something that looks great on paper, but in real life...ehh...I'm happy with all the other stuff in the episode, but the Jeremiah thread didn't come off as it should've."

Re: Two things

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I like what JMS was trying to say in that episode very much (that is, if he was trying to say what I think he was trying to say!) The ideas almost save it, although the resulting execution missed the mark.

I will say it was my then-8-year-old's favorite episode for a while. The dummy just creeped him out, and Garibaldi's one of his favorite characters. Maybe we're just the wrong age? :)

Re: Two things

[kathrid.livejournal.com]

I quite liked Gray 17. Only the eventual monster ending (and the truly cringe-worthy lack of science in the killing) was particularly bad. The early sureal quality of Garibladi searching an entire lost level of B5, only to be drugged by a severed puppet head was especially satisfying. And Jeremiah was quite cool.