Thirdspace discussion

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for Thirdspace. Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware. If you have any fanworks related to this episode, you can also leave links to them in this post.

Ivanova's back! At least for one movie :)

Summary:
Scientists from IPX arrive to Babylon 5 to investigate a large mysterious object found in hyperspace near the station.

Extra reading:
The article for Thirdspace at The Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[ruuger]

I found that I started liking this movie much more when I heard that it was a homage to Lovecraft, and started thinking about it as a crossover with the cthulhu mythos rather than a regular B5 episode.

Also, IIRC, the novelization by Peter David was actually pretty good and managed to explain away some of the inconsistencies and holes in the plot.

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

I generally dislike the B5 stories that get all "things that even Vorlons were not meant to know": I don't like that kind of anti-intellectual attitude in something that's claiming to be SF.

But I think the special is redeemed by the Zack/Lyta scene in the lift: it sort of sums that relationship up that the failure scene was (a) relegated to a spin-off and (b) that it failed because he couldn't even notice that she was blatantly possessed by aliens.

[widsidh.livejournal.com]

I don't really see this as "not meant to know" in an anti-interllectual kind of way; more like "even (and especially) the Vorlons make serious mistakes."
More generally it is an intersting question at which point knowledge becomes too dangerous to disseminate, or even whether this can be known before it is dissminated.
In the context of the episode the message, if any seems to be that you cannot keep a lid on knowledge. The Vorlons tried, but IPX and the B5 crew found out about Thirdspace by themselves, and surely so will someone else in the future.

That said, I'm not sure this espisode went so far as to have much of a message or explore these issues; it comes across more as a fantasy adventure.

[luin77.livejournal.com]

I am behind and will comment in a day or two when I get a chance to watch! :)

[aquidis.livejournal.com]

It's been ages since I watched this movie, and all I can remember of it is the horrible score. Christopher Franke, whyyyyyy.

[4thofeleven.livejournal.com]

So, has anyone ever made an archaeological discovery in the B5 verse that was actually positive?

The problem with trying to do a Lovecraft homage in B5 is that, between the Vorlons and the Shadows and the Sigma 957 aliens and every other first one, the great old ones rather struggle to be noticed. Lovecraftian horror, at its best, is about complacent humans realizing they’re not at the top of the cosmic pecking order after all – B5 hasn’t ever really assumed that, so the effect of revealing another powerful, ancient alien race doesn’t have much effect.

(And, visually, the Thirdspacers are a real step down from the Vorlons or the Shadows – even Minbari ships have more of an alien feel to me.)

After doing it twice in a row, it really should have become a running gag that Sheridan nukes something in every movie.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

So, has anyone ever made an archaeological discovery in the B5 verse that was actually positive?

Err, Max Eilerson? I don't know my Crusade canon inside out, but I'd say at least that handy alien necklace he uses on the thug who stalks and blackmails his ex wife turns out to be a good thing. (Well, for Max and his ex, if not for the thug.) Of course, Max Eilerson is The Archaeologist Who Lived anyway.:)