"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

[antennapedia.livejournal.com]

G'Kar and Londo carry this episode on the strength of great acting from those two. And there, as in so many other ways, the trend of the series is started in episode one. All kinds of plot threads begin hear: the Narn/Centauri war, the raiders sub-plot that will be spun around mid-season, the Earth presidency and its fallout, the PsiCorp and the Talia-Ivanova storyline. Just about the only thing missing is the Minbari. I guess JMS felt the pilot movie got that one going. But I don't think the episode could handle any one more thing jammed into it.

Poor Jerry Doyle, given the role of Captain Exposition. He struggles through that dialog gamely, but sigh. Michael O'Hare doesn't fare as well. I love Sinclair so much, but man, on this rewatch years later, I have to admit I understood the "wooden" accusation. But be fair, the dialog he was given was pretty lame. Though again, Katsulas and Jurasik make it work. They remind me that it's gonna get good before too long.

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

I heartily agree with you here. The first time I saw season 1 was after season 4 (when the reruns began on TNT) and I didn't care for Sinclair at all. Even now, I still find myself flinching through some of his scenes early on in the series. It's such a contrasting dynamic to when Sheridan arrives and comes onto the station like a hurricane hitting the Bahamas.

[antennapedia.livejournal.com]

Boxleitner has star quality. He's a presence. Like you said, he hit his first scene boom!

Sinclair started clicking as a character for me later on. I'm looking forward to "And the Sky Full of Stars" (if I'm remembering the name of the Minbari war flashback one right).

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

That and "Parliament of Dreams" is when Sinclair really began clicking for me as a character, though I had a really hard time understanding any lasting chemistry between him and Catherine Sakai. It actually took the novel "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" for me to really appreciate that relationship and Sinclair as a character.

[widsidh.livejournal.com]

Originally watching things in an odd, I first came across Sinclair in "War without End", so whenever I see his earlier character, that is still present in the back of my mind.

[shapinglight]

I didn't find Sinclair wooden in this episode. Having said which, I just rewatched Born to the Purple and the scene where he and Londo go to the club trying to find Adira, and he does that pantomime villain laugh is a bit painful.