Hi, I've been lurking. This is one of my favorite episodes in B5.
Commentary!
Loved the little background details, like the screens.
The anthropologist in me is not a fan of Garibaldi's lack of respect for other people's belief systems. It's a common fault of many, however.
Centauri culture notes: I think I saw that Morgoth statuette in a catalogue once. I do so love the design of Centauri women, both the upper class and the dancers. "He has become one with his inner self" is the best euphemism for being passed-out from drunkenness ever.
Na'Toth's backhanded comment on how anything gets into G'Kar's bed = win.
It's interesting to see how the relationships between the ambassadors and their attaches change and strengthened over the course of the show.
Wished there would have been more of N'Grath.
Little detail I missed the first time: G'Kar swapping his red fruit for Ivanova's during the Minbari ceremony. Someone needs to make an animated icon of him waving around his panties.
I do like the little detail of the near-sighted Narn with reading glasses.
G'Kar's refusal to cry out for his tormentor strikes me as foreshadowing of when he was refusing to scream for Cartagia.
While I did like that Sinclair's idea of demonstration was introducing the ambassadors to representatives of many faiths on Earth, I do agree with other commentators that it does make it look like all the other non-human peoples are mono-religious or mono-ethnic, which may not be correct (especially given on-screen time restraints, and who knows what cultural restraints those peoples may have?). We're not really in a position to know (and, well, it is fiction). Plus JMS covered this in the link in the OP anyway ("jms speaks" segment).
This comment by JMS: "I would think that Londo and G'Kar might actually find something in common in appreciation of Gilbert and Sullivan. In fact, G'Kar's "little fishie" song in "Parliament of Dreams" was intended to be a bit G&S in nature." It sorta makes me wish to see their reactions to, say, Pirates of Penzance or HMS Pinafore.
Overall, excellent episode. I really do appreciate the opportunity to rewatch.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-02-23 05:13 am (UTC)Commentary!
Loved the little background details, like the screens.
The anthropologist in me is not a fan of Garibaldi's lack of respect for other people's belief systems. It's a common fault of many, however.
Centauri culture notes: I think I saw that Morgoth statuette in a catalogue once. I do so love the design of Centauri women, both the upper class and the dancers. "He has become one with his inner self" is the best euphemism for being passed-out from drunkenness ever.
Na'Toth's backhanded comment on how anything gets into G'Kar's bed = win.
It's interesting to see how the relationships between the ambassadors and their attaches change and strengthened over the course of the show.
Wished there would have been more of N'Grath.
Little detail I missed the first time: G'Kar swapping his red fruit for Ivanova's during the Minbari ceremony. Someone needs to make an animated icon of him waving around his panties.
I do like the little detail of the near-sighted Narn with reading glasses.
G'Kar's refusal to cry out for his tormentor strikes me as foreshadowing of when he was refusing to scream for Cartagia.
While I did like that Sinclair's idea of demonstration was introducing the ambassadors to representatives of many faiths on Earth, I do agree with other commentators that it does make it look like all the other non-human peoples are mono-religious or mono-ethnic, which may not be correct (especially given on-screen time restraints, and who knows what cultural restraints those peoples may have?). We're not really in a position to know (and, well, it is fiction). Plus JMS covered this in the link in the OP anyway ("jms speaks" segment).
This comment by JMS: "I would think that Londo and G'Kar might actually find something in common in appreciation of Gilbert and Sullivan. In fact, G'Kar's "little fishie" song in "Parliament of Dreams" was intended to be a bit G&S in nature." It sorta makes me wish to see their reactions to, say, Pirates of Penzance or HMS Pinafore.
Overall, excellent episode. I really do appreciate the opportunity to rewatch.