"Midnight on the Firing Line" discussion [spoilers]

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 1X01 "Midnight on the Firing Line". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Extra reading:

The article for "Midnight on the Firing Line" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I'd forgotten how strong this episode was, right out of the gate.

This is really my first re-watch of any B5, and I'm impressed/surprised to see how much is set up in this episode. The Susan/Talia tension was really there from the start. And watching G'Kar's arrogance regarding the Narn-Centauri conflict -- paradoxically my heart *hurt* for him because I'm watching now with the knowledge that the positions are eventually going to reverse.

[latte-vanilla.livejournal.com]

Considering it was 1994, the Susan/Talia thing was a huge deal.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I'd been given hints that there was a canon gay relationship in the show so I immediately fixed on them as the most likely (though I did originally wonder if it would involve Delenn and one of the other Minbari).

I'm sure if I'd been watching as it broadcast, though, I would just have figured I had slash-goggles on and been pleasantly surprised when it happened (as I was with the recent Buffy comic arc, or when I read 'Brokeback Mountain' back before everybody knew what it was about).

[latte-vanilla.livejournal.com]

hints that there was a canon gay relationship
In that case, it's pretty obvious.
Without prior knowledge it could be seen either way, Talia wanting very much to be Susan's friend, or something else, women can express so much more emotion without being seen gay. I think that demonstrates the aspect of the show I love the most. The story is paced so well, watcher gets hints of what is going to happen, and there is much room for speculation in the storyline of every character.
I can't remember how I saw them in 1997 when this aired in my country. Back then I didn't even know slash existed. Rewatching it, I couldn't *not* see it when I already knew what was going to happen.

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I thought Talia's reactions, especially at the end, were a little off. Such a sad story, and even if you agreed with the laws, it obviously wasn't a good or fair outcome for Susan's mother, or Susan.
And I kept wondering (on first viewing) why Talia kept after poor Susan. Once she'd reported to the second in command, all done, let it go, move on!

I was checking the scriptbooks for Sinclair's father's sayings (I liked ruuger's prompt in the other post) and remembered this was all written with Lyta in mind. And during that scene Lyta asks Susan if she's telepathic, and she says no, it's a recessive gene that skips every other generation or so. Fascinating stuff!

[wychwood]

Yes! It's a really great episode, and very very B5 right from the start. While there are some things about the show that take a while to settle down, it has a genuine personality right from the beginning.

I'd forgotten how much I loved Ivanova, though, seriously. Her first episode and she's already making cracks like "fifteen things, all of them annoying" and the one where she's threatening to snap Garibaldi's hands off at the wrist. This is not a show that's slow getting into itself.