brennen
/
lurkers-guide

<html><head><title>Captain John Sheridan</title><map name="toplevel"><area shape="RECT" coords="0,0,99,23" href="/lurk/universe/intro.html" alt="Universe"><area shape="RECT" coords="100,0,199,23" href="/lurk/episodes.php" alt="Episodes"><area shape="RECT" coords="200,0,299,23" href="/lurk/making/creators.html" alt="People"><area shape="RECT" coords="300,0,399,23" href="/lurk/resources/online.html" alt="Resources"><area shape="RECT" coords="400,0,499,23" href="/lurk/reference/episodes.html" alt="Encyclopedia"><area shape="RECT" coords="0,24,499,31" nohref></map>
<map name="titlebar"><area shape="RECT" coords="0,0,370,31" href="/lurk/lurker.html" alt="Home"><area shape="RECT" coords="371,0,412,31" href="/lurk/search.html" alt="Find"><area shape="RECT" coords="413,0,454,31" href="/lurk/toc.html" alt="Index"><area shape="RECT" coords="455,0,499,31" href="/lurk/help.html" alt="Help"></map><link rev=made href="mailto:koreth@midwinter.com"></head><body>
<p align=center nowrap><nobr><img	align=middle border=0 usemap="#titlebar"	src="/lurk/nav/titlebar.gif" width=500 height=32	alt="[Home]">
<br><img	align=top border=0 usemap="#toplevel"	src="/lurk/nav/bar-universe.gif" width=500 height=32	alt="">
<br><a href="/lurk/universe/intro.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-intro.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Introduction]"></a><ahref="/lurk/universe/setting-1.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-setting.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Setting]"></a><ahref="/lurk/universe/cast-1.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-maincast.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Main Cast]"></a><ahref="/lurk/universe/supporting-1.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-supporting.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Supporting Cast]"></a><ahref="/lurk/universe/station-1.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-station.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Station]"></a></nobr>
<h1>Captain John Sheridan</h1><h4>As written by series creator J. Michael Straczynski</h4><dl><dt>A quick sketch<dd>Since this has just been released by PTEN, and will be on the news wires shortly (and is probably already there), I can now announce this here.<p>     The new Commanding Officer for Babylon 5 is Captain JohnSheridan, former captain of the Earthforce military starship Agamemmnon.  It was Sheridan who won what is arguably Earth's only real victory during the Earth/Minbari War, destroying theMinbari war cruiser Black Star and several accompanying vessels.  He has been appointed to Babylon 5 over the strenuousobjections of the Minbari Government, by the president's insistence that Babylon 5 has had too much influence from the Minbari and must begin to pull back and consider Earth's interests; Sheridan is a symbol of that desire because of hisrecord, which is the reason for his assignment.<p>     Captain Sheridan will be portrayed by the well-regarded actor Bruce Boxleitner, known to many as the series lead in "Scarecrow And Mrs. King."  He has also starred in numerous TV movies, miniseries and feature films.  He is also a solid SF fan (media *and* print), and is very excited about coming onto the Babylon 5 team.  We're equally excited to have him.<p>
<dt>Have any of the other officers served with Sheridan before?<dd>Only Ivanova has served with him before; Garibaldi doesn't know him from Adam, and this will lead to some awkwardness and questions of trust down the road.<p>
<dt>How does Sheridan regard the Minbari?<dd>Sheridan is a soldier.  A soldier is told, in wartime,THIS is your enemy.  You kill the enemy or your enemy killsyou.  Afterward, you're in the same position American soldierswere in after the end of WW II when it came time to reconcilewith the Germans and the Japanese.  It can sometimes be veryawkward...and sometimes reconciliation takes a while.<p>
<dt>Sheridan ought to add some tension to the series.<dd>[...] And you're right about the situation providing some tension and story line possibilities; it ties into wherethe story is going, and ups the ante on several emotionallevels, some personal (Garibaldi), some diplomatic (the Minbari don't much like him).<p>
<dt>Random additional information.<dd>Yes, Sheridan is descended from Gen. Philip John Sheridan of theUnion Army.<p>
<dt>Response to an allegation that Sheridan is another Captain Kirk.<dd>     For what it's worth, Sheridan is neither a "space cowboy" nor a"gung ho type."  This description has nothing to do with the character,and I'm not quite sure where you got this.  Certainly I never said orimplied it.<p>     Captain John Sheridan is a war hero, of sorts; he squeaked out theonly real victory of the Earth/Minbari War.  (Which means the Minbaridon't generally like him a lot.)  He did what he did because that's hisjob.  He's a professional soldier.  For the last two years, he's beencommanding the Agamemmnon, a high-visibility Earthforce starship on deeppatrol.  As such, he has had to learn to work with a number of differentraces and species.<p>     In some ways, his character is somewhat more well-rounded than wasthe case with Sinclair, over whom a general sense of doom often seemed tohang.  Sheridan is often very thoughtful and introspective; at othertimes, he can be just a bit eccentric; he leads by respecting those whowork under him, and giving them room to grow; like any career officer, heHATES the bureaucracy with a passion, and this is the one thing that candrive him nuts; he knows that commanding B5 is a great opportunity, buthe also knows that his presence brings certain complications with it, andhe's very ambivilant about that aspect; he's the son of a diplomatic envoywho disappeared on his 21st birthday, running off to see (of all things)the new Dali Lama being installed; he has a very easygoing manner, and agreat sense of humor.  He quickly re-forms a friendship with Ivanova, forwhom he has great respect and professional admiration.  (For a time sheserved under him at Io.)<p>     He is, actually, a fascinating and intriguing character with a lotof different shadings...none of which have *anything* to do with being a"space cowboy" or "gung-ho type."<p>     Anyway...point being...when it was announced that there was going tobe a new Lieutenant-Commander, a number of folks went ballistic and saidthe show would now be ruined.  I said, in essence, look...I createdTakashima; I can create an interesting character to replace her.  And Ithunk up Ivanova, who according to the rec.arts.b5 poll is the mostpopular character on the show.  When it was announced that Sinclair wouldbe STAYING with the show, after the pilot, a number of folks said thiswas bad, he was wooden, he stunk, get him off...and ended up being veryenamored of him.  My only reply now about Bruce...give him, and me, achance.  I genuinely think you will like what you see a *lot*.<p>     In the course of the first season, Ivanova, Garibaldi, G'Kar, Londo,Delenn, others...they've exploded into strong characters.  You need anequally strong character designed to hold his own, and be memorable, inthat august company.  Sheridan was designed knowing we had a muchelevated playing field around the character.<p>     Obviously, clearly, and irrefutably, an actor brings a *lot* to anyrole.  No question.  But it tends to begin with what is created.  I've seenit said here, repeatedly, that none of the characters are uninteresting;they all have lives, and agendas, that make them fascinating to watch:Londo, Morden, G'Kar, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova...what those charactersare came out of my head, in terms of who they are, what they say, what theybelieve, where they came from and where they're going.  Why would I inventa new character that was any less involving, or interesting, omultifaceted?  Particularly knowing that he's going to be a centralcharacter?<p>     Speaking as someone who's been in fandom a long, long time, I knowthere is always a tendency for panic, to assume the apocalypse is uponus, that something is never going to be the same again.  I heard this afterthe Enterprise was destroyed in "The Search for Spock."  I've heard thisa lot over the years.  It's generally over-reaction and worry before anyonehas even seen a frame of film.<p>     Bottom line being...wait and see, then judge.  I've tried very hardnot to let you down, and I think so far I haven't done so...I have nointention of starting now.  Bruce is doing an absolutely *brilliant* jobas Captain Sheridan, bringing a thoughtfulness and intensity andcharm and intensity to the part that is a joy to behold.  Give him achance.
<p><dt>Why replace Sinclair?<dd>Sheridan, or more specifically the need for someone *like* Sheridanbegan to get through clearly toward the latter part of last season, as Ibegan planning out season two's progression, and kept looking at elementsof the story and trying to find ways to get Sinclair into the heart ofthem.  They felt contrived, for the most part; and the other characters,like Londo and G'Kar and Delenn, were *really* moving forward in a bigway.  The role of Sinclair was becoming primarily that of a "problemsolver," and when that happens, a sort of glass bell falls down around thecharacter, and you can't do much with him.
<p>So what the writer has to do is break that bell in one way or another;do something totally unexpected to him, and bring in someone who has adirect, personal connection with the storyline emerging in season two, soit's not contrived or forced.
</dl>
<pre>
</pre>
<p nowrap><nobr><a href="/lurk/lurker.html"><img	align=bottom border=0	width=64 height=24 src="/lurk/nav/foot-station.gif"	alt="[Home] "></a><ahref="#"><img	align=bottom border=0	width=72 height=13 src="/lurk/nav/foot-pagetop.gif"	alt="[Top] "></a><ahref="mailto:koreth+lgfeedback@midwinter.com"><img	align=bottom border=0	width=80 height=13 src="/lurk/nav/foot-comments.gif"	alt="[Comments] "></a><imgalign=bottom	width=284 height=13 src="/lurk/nav/foot-bare.gif"	alt=""></nobr>
<h5>Last update:October 8, 1995
</h5></body></html>