"Deconstruction of Falling Stars"

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 4X22, "Deconstruction of Falling Stars". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Summary:
The last human on Earth watches recordings about the Interstellar Alliance.

We say goodbye to the fourth season with a season finale that was written and produced last minute when the show was suddenly un-cancelled. Is it pretentious or brilliant? You decide! ;)

Extra reading:
The article for "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" at The Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Oh, and also, dear.

There are many episodes of this show that showcase JMS' strengths as a writer. Others also include his flaws, but have bright spots to make up for them. This one, unfortunately, brings out one of the more obnoxious traits full force. Seriously, that whole sequence with the historians getting bashed for daring to critisize the great Sheridan by Delenn has to count as one of the worst examples of creator fanboying ever filmed. Not to mention that it also showcases another bad trait, to wit, giving the opposition intentionally bad arguments. Years later, when JMS wrote Amazing Spider-man and got to the Civil War issues and had Reed Richards reminisce nostalgically about MacCarthyism so that the reader really understands just who the bad guys in Civil War are supposed to be, I felt reminded of this episode and groaned.

Sidenote I: he doesn't always do that. For example, in "No Surrender, No Retreat" you can see Londo's pov and also G'Kar's with his initial reaction. But then, neither of them has the initials J.S.

Sidenote II: the scene with the historians and the way it exults the great man theory of history and bashes historians who don't follow it gets even worse once you've watched season 5 and know that Sheridan really wasn't that good a president in his first year. He did screw up the telepath situation, and he was helpless and clueless, if well-meaning, in the Centauri situation. Now if the narrative had given an indication of admitting that - i.e. some statement by a sympathetic character to the effect that Sheridan was a great soldier but a lousy politician, which is no shame, the two talents aren't often compatible - that would have been okay. But we're supposed to regard Sheridan as a great president/leader and hang our heads in shame like the chastized historians if we doubt him. Ugh. Just - no.

Naturally, I loved the short Londo and G'Kar scene and their banter. It's easily the best thing about the episode.

Re: the human race first falling into another dark age and then developing into the next first ones, no problem there, and I appreciate the nods to Isaac Asimov (JMG being such a geek endears him to me again); the dark age interlude also reminds me of Terry Nation who had a thing about human future devolvment and dystopia (see: the Blake's 7 episode Terminus). Though if Sheridan and Delenn are venerated through the ages, how come there's no mention of G'Kar who after all is the Thomas Jefferson of the Alliance? The whole concept of fast forwarding through a million years could have made for a cool episode without the self congratulatory stuff and the blatant Gary Stu-ing of Sheridan.

In conclusion: you know what I wish that episode had been, instead of a viewing of historical records? A Centauri opera about the show so far. I bet Chris Franke would have enjoyed composing those arias. The story would be inevitably distorted, but in really entertaining ways.

[kathrid.livejournal.com]

Though if Sheridan and Delenn are venerated through the ages, how come there's no mention of G'Kar who after all is the Thomas Jefferson of the Alliance?

Possibly he went the same way as the authors of the bible (see reading of Sheridan as Messiah). After all, he didn't really create the Alliance, he just wrote the book.