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b5_revisited2009-02-23 12:24 am
ruuger) wrote in b5_revisited2009-02-23 12:24 am
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"The Parliament of Dreams" discussion [spoilers]
This is the discussion post for the episode 1X05, "The Parliament of Dreams". 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 "The Parliament of Dreams" at Lurker's Guide.
Extra reading:
The article for "The Parliament of Dreams" at Lurker's Guide.
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I have to admit, the most important thing for me, is the arrival of Lennier, as he is one of my favorite characters. Such lovely innocence and curiosity. Delenn finally shows more of herself, especially her humor and empathy, but also some steel and authoritarianism.
I liked Catherine and Sinclair, or rather Catherine mostly. The 'can't live with you, can't live without you' relationship is more than adequately portrayed to my mind. (Has anyone ever written anything about her aunt and his brother, and why they only ever inquire about those relatives? Inquiring minds want to know.)
When we first watched this, my then-three-year-old, who was fixated on G'Kar, referred to the Narn ever afterwards as 'the man who was afraid of a flower.'
The rebirth ceremony (which apparently has many aspects, and will show up again in Ceremonies of Light and Dark, or rather won't show up) is fascinating, and that's the sexiest bit of ritual ever. Do Minbari really get married with an exchange of meaningful looks? After forty or fifty rituals leading up to the finale, I suppose a look might do.
The first time I really liked the parade of religions at the end, but this time it only raised questions. First, I don't think we can assume that the other races only had one demonstration each; the thing went on a whole week after all. The ambassador's presentation would be the most important, but there could well have been more. I also wonder that EarthGov would declare such an event and not dictate what Sinclair should do. It seemed to me that he was doing this on his own (Susan and Garibaldi didn't know what he was up to) and that this was a compromise on his part. It seemed more of a showcase for the whole 'humans build communities' riff that comes up later.
Do you think the aliens saw it as a comeuppance (we can tolerate more diversity than you) or evidence of the human's youth and unseriousness (they can't even settle to one religion!) And where did all those people come from? Were they all on the station? Was the delay in Earth's presentation due to their having to get there? I also wonder at the contrast between how humans are presented as tolerant of diversity within our own species, but then we're xenophobic and intolerant of aliens. Or at least some of us are.
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All the races have their tendencies towards xenophobia. They don't usually like each other all that much. Humans are presented as more diverse than the other races, but I think that is a sign of our youth: we didn't band together in a one world government, IIRC, until first contact with the Centauri. It's a thing: the bigger the community gets, the larger the important subsets are. I think I'm blithering, but I hope the point gets across.
Frankly, though I love Lennier, and I love Delenn, and I love this episode, whenever I see their first meeting my thought is, "No! Don't look up! She will destrooooy you!"
I think the real reason G'Kar gets tortured so much in this series is because Andreas Katsulas does *pain* so very, very well. He totally deserves the fixation of all three year olds, everywhere.
As for the Minbari ritual, I think it might be one option for secret marriages. In Europe they used to allow those, no clergy or witnesses required. Can't imagine anyone really getting married without informing the person they're getting married *to*, but then this was back when they were still working with the plot of Sinclair and Delenn getting together and producing Alien Hybrid Time Jesus, so...
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That's sort of what I was trying to say; that I wouldn't think demonstrating our immaturity would be a positive. Maybe we're sought after as Shadow fighters cause we're too young and stupid to know we can't win?
And so she does. It was tragic for both of them, but then, I love tragedy, you see. Watching Lennier unravel in the background is fascinating to me. I think the ambassador who does best by his attache is Londo, who tries to protect Vir throughout.
I heard an interview with Bruce once where he said his newborn was fascinated by G'Kar on set...maybe he's a baby whisperer.
Secret marriages! Oh, now that's a concept I could run with!
*shudder*
I liked Sinclair, but sometimes things happen for the best. They really, really do.
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Considering the early Londo/Vir dynamic, it's a really disturbing thought that Londo actually ends up doing best by Vir. Brrrr.
You know, Andreas Katsulas reminds me most of my brother-in-law, who is also a baby whisperer.
I can imagine times for sure where Minbari from different castes or clans would have reasons for their families *not* to know about their romances...
Now if only Stephanie Meyers had the *same* power of felicitous coincidence in play when she was writing Breaking Dawn...
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So THAT was the reason for that look on Delenn's face when she sees Sheridan the first time. Umm..umm..good.
As for Londo & Vir, I heard that theory on the podcast I think. When Londo sends Vir away to Minbar, to get him out of his hair and maybe to protect him too. It's kind of sweet, in a way. And really Vir gets the best of it in the end; poor old Na'toth has to go into recovery after being forgotten in jail, and Lennier's sad fate as teep bait.
Minbari mixed marriages...innovation or aberration? Next, on Oprah.
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That's sort of what I was trying to say; that I wouldn't think demonstrating our immaturity would be a positive. Maybe we're sought after as Shadow fighters cause we're too young and stupid to know we can't win?
I was thinking of it as being unusual in its development. Instead of fighting until all the cultures were destroyed or subsumed into a whole, we decided to accept differences between us. I think this would be seen by the Vorlons as 'forming order out of chaos' (which I think is a quote from some of the books), and thus as showing anti-Shadow potential.
Of course, we also have some quite pro-Shadow potential as the Lumati point out when they turn up. I've always thought we were important as allies because we could also become powerful enemies of the Vorlon cause.
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I prefer Sinclair to Sheridan, but I also think the long-term plot would have been much less natural seeming if he had stayed. It's better to have the responsibility for heroism spread out over two people than shoehorn it all into one.
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Seriously? I must admit, I've only glanced through a few summaries of the original plot, and while I was aware that Sinclair and Delenn got together, and that they pulled some other time shenanigans with Babylon 4, I didn't realize their kid did anything!
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