lurkers-guide/ftp/Guide/022.Chrysalis

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   _Contents:_ [9]Overview - [10]Backplot - [11]Questions - [12]Analysis
   - [13]Notes - [14]JMS
   
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Overview

     First Season finale. A dying man leads Garibaldi to a discovery
     that could cost him his life. Londo receives help in a dispute with
     the Narns. Something begins to happen to Delenn. [15]Macaulay
     Bruton as Garibaldi's aide. [16]Edward Conery as Devereaux. [17]Ed
     Wasser as Morden.
     
Sub-genre: Intrigue
[18]P5 Rating: [19]9.38

Production number:  112
Original air date:  October 26, 1994 [20](*)

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

  Watch for:
  
     * A convenient departure just before an important event.
       
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Backplot

     * Before the Centauri occupation, Narn was a peaceful, agrarian
       world.
       
Unanswered Questions

     * What is happening to Delenn?
     * What does it have to do with Kosh, or with the Vorlons? Why did
       seeing Kosh help Delenn make up her mind?
     * What was the question she had Lennier relay?
     * What is the function of the triluminary in Delenn's device?
     * What is the function of the device itself?
     * Why did Delenn want to tell Sinclair what happened on the Line?
     * Who's behind the plot to kill President Santiago?
     * Why were the jammers and triangulation devices being shipped
       through Babylon 5?
     * Why did Garibaldi's aide kill Devereaux?
     * What are G'Kar's suspicions about the attack on the military base?
     * What do the Shadows want from Londo once he's in a position of
       power?
     * What were the invisible creatures in the room with Morden? If they
       were Shadows, why did they come to Babylon 5 themselves, assuming
       Morden was still on the station? For that matter, _how_ did they
       get onto Babylon 5? On someone else's ship, or is one of theirs
       parked outside, invisible to everyone?
     * How did Morden know that Londo's name was being spoken in the
       highest circles of the Centauri government?
     * How did Kosh know that Sinclair had forgotten something? Does he
       know what Delenn was planning to tell Sinclair, and if so, does
       that imply he was involved in what happened on the Line?
     * Was Garibaldi's friend Lianna Kemmer (cf. [21]"Survivors") on
       Earth Force One when it exploded?
       
Analysis

     * The fact that Delenn decided to go ahead with the change after
       Kosh revealed himself to her implies that there may be a much
       closer relationship between the Minbari and the Vorlons than has
       previously been suggested. It is even possible that Delenn is
       turning into a Vorlon somehow, and that Kosh showed her he
       resembled a Minbari. On the other hand, that doesn't explain
       Kosh's interest in humans, who he arguably doesn't consider
       another race (cf. [22]"The War Prayer.")
     * Morden seems to be more than just a representative for the
       Shadows; they seemed to be consulting with him. If he were a mere
       spokesman, why would he reassure his masters?
     * The Vice President is a prime suspect in the plot to kill
       President Santiago. He just happened to leave the President's ship
       shortly before the assassination attempt. He also presumably would
       be able to arrange for an unregistered weapon for Devereaux -- or
       perhaps Devereaux really _was_ an agent working under the Vice
       President, in a capacity so secret Garibaldi couldn't find any
       reference to him.
     * Casting more suspicion on the Vice President, and adding a darker,
       more sinister note, is the newspaper headline from [23]"And the
       Sky Full of Stars" -- "Psi Corps in Election Tangle: Did Psi-Corps
       Violate its Charter by Endorsing Vice President?"
     * It's still not entirely clear where Garibaldi's aide's loyalty
       lies. The killing of Devereaux and his men suggests there may be
       more than one level of deception at work. Or perhaps he was simply
       under orders to tie up loose ends and wanted to ensure Devereaux
       could never blow his cover if apprehended.
     * The Shadows may have been the force overrunning Garibaldi's
       position in the flashforward from [24]"Babylon Squared." They may
       also be what the crazed man in that episode was shouting about
       when he referred to invisible monsters.
     * Chrysalis is the third stage in insect development (egg, pupa,
       chrysalis, and adult form.) There may be some relation to the
       third age of mankind referenced in the opening monologue.
     * Delenn has obviously seen her change coming for quite some time;
       she has been building the crystal device in her quarters almost
       from day one. Her compatriots on the Grey Council appear to
       largely be in the dark about it, though perhaps not all of them,
       as one of them did give her the triluminary (cf. [25]"Babylon
       Squared.")
     * Delenn's ability to breathe the atmosphere in Kosh's quarters with
       only a single whiff of air from a mask is further evidence of some
       connection between Vorlons and Minbari. Or it could just mean the
       Minbari don't need much oxygen (or that both Kosh's air and the
       normal station air contain whatever they _do_ need.)
     * She has been disobeying the Council's order about Sinclair,
       perhaps ever since [26]"And the Sky Full of Stars." That suggests
       she may have intentionally been hiding her upcoming transformation
       from them, as well. Otherwise it would presumably have come up
       when they considered her for the leadership of the Council (cf.
       [27]"Babylon Squared.")
     * Londo's disgust about the deaths of the Narn suggest he may not be
       the iron-fisted leader the Shadows appear to be looking for (cf.
       [28]"Signs and Portents," in which Morden appeared to be looking
       for someone ruthless and ambitious.) In the future he may be
       placed in the position of deciding whether people live or die, and
       may have to act against the Shadows' wishes.
     * G'Kar may be returning home to try to warn his superiors that a
       sixth race exists and is out to get them. Whether he has deduced
       that the intent is to cause war between the Narns and the Centauri
       (if, indeed, that _is_ what the Shadows are up to) is an
       interesting question. It is also not clear what the Narns could do
       about the situation even if the leadership was convinced there was
       another player in the game; the Shadows appear to have an
       overwhelming technological advantage over most of the other races.
     * On the other hand, the Shadows did dispatch four ships to take
       care of the Narn outpost. That suggests that one ship might not
       have been enough, in turn implying limits to their power.
     * "And so it begins," says Kosh. That's the same line spoken by
       Delenn during the ceremony in [29]"The Parliament of Dreams,"
       after Sinclair eats the fruit. Perhaps Kosh was referring to
       Delenn's change rather than the death of President Santiago, and
       perhaps it has something to do with the possible marriage of
       Delenn and Sinclair in the aforementioned episode. (But see
       [30]jms speaks.)
     * When Kosh emerges from his encounter suit for Delenn (assuming
       that's what he was doing,) there's a sound not unlike wings moving
       through the air.
     * In [31]"TKO" (which was originally going to air much later in the
       season, either immediately before or one episode removed from
       "Chrysalis,") Walker mentions that Garibaldi was never any good at
       watching his back, foreshadowing the events in this episode.
       
Notes

     * Shot twelfth out of 22 episodes due to the extensive
       post-production work required.
     * First broadcast in the UK on October 3, 1994. PTEN didn't want to
       show it during August, traditionally a month of low viewership, in
       the US, so it was held back until the week before the first
       season-two episodes, becoming, to all appearances, the season-two
       premiere. In fact, PTEN even advertised it as such. But, as
       stated, it was produced halfway through the first year of
       shooting, so definitely qualifies as a season-one episode.
     * The original satellite feed in the US was missing a special
       effect. In the first shot of Londo walking in the hedge maze, the
       scene was supposed to show the maze at the bottom of the frame and
       a view down the center of the station above that. The actual
       broadcast showed the back wall of the soundstage behind the
       hedges, complete with "Exit" sign. Oddly, the correct scene was
       used in the UK broadcast, which occurred much earlier. [32]Bad and
       [33]good pictures of the scene are available.
     * Garibaldi's aide appeared in three previous episodes: [34]"Mind
       War," [35]"And the Sky Full of Stars," and [36]"Eyes" (where he's
       in Ivanova's dream.)
       
jms speaks

     * Today, incidentally, I finished the outline for "Chrysalis," which
       will be the last episode of this season, though we'll be shooting
       it much earlier, about 2/3rds through the run. It's a real corker
       in which we absolutely kick over the table and all hell breaks
       loose *bigtime*. This one I'm *really* looking forward to writing.
     * I'm in the strange position of writing the season end episode now,
       to shoot #12, since it's going to require a lot of post production
       work, and it definitely puts one in a very strange state of mind.
       I have to be careful to refer to things that've happened in the
       past episodes, from the perspective of the last episode of the
       season, but which haven't yet been written or filmed in real-time.
       So I'm writing the second half of some stories before having
       written the first half (though I obviously know where they're all
       going)...which really bends your brain around after a while.
       This episode is going to be highly classified; we're going to
       limit distribution of scripts, and parts of scripts, put canary
       traps in all of the scripts that *are* distributed, and otherwise
       keep this one quiet. All I can say is that we're going to kick
       over every table we've got. In any season finale, there are maybe
       4-5 things you know when you sit down to watch the show that
       they'll NEVER ever do. So we're doing all of them. If this one
       doesn't keep you glued to your seats, you've lost your chair.
     * But I'd say that our two *best* so far are still "And the Sky Full
       of Stars" and "Chrysalis." I just watched a cut of "Chrysalis"
       today which finally had all the CGI in it, and had to scrape my
       brain off the opposing wall, it's *that* good.
     * I have just seen the director's cut of "Chrysalis," which will be
       the last episode of this season...and I think it has just
       displaced "Sky" as the most heavy-weight episode of the season.
       Even knowing what was coming, I just sat here, stunned, at the end
       of it. Seeing dailies, bits and pieces, doesn't really prepare you
       for the whole thing. What I like most about it are two things:
       one, by about halfway in, you really begin to understand that
       anything can happen, to anyone, and the rules that normally carry
       you through a television episode no longer apply. It's a very
       dangerous, dislocating feeling. Two: you get the very real feeling
       that, after this episode, nothing is the same anymore. The show
       has taken a very profound and *irrevocable* turn that will have
       lasting effects on all of our characters. Of all the episodes so
       far, this one has the most feeling of being the chapter end in a
       novel. The really hard part will not avoiding the temptation to
       show this to people...because it really can't be allowed to get
       out prior to airing. There are too many twists and turns and
       revelations that spin one off into another. One other thing's
       certain: after you've seen "Chrysalis," you're going to want to go
       back and check out three prior episodes...because something that
       you will have read/interpreted one way, without question or
       hesitation accepting it as what it obviously appears to be, will
       suddenly be turned on its head, and a brand new interpretation
       will emerge. And it's *real* creepy....
     * "Chrysalis" makes "Mind War" look like a still-life painting by
       comparison....
     * We finally delivered "Chrysalis" to Warner/PTEN, and heard back:
       our liaison over there was stunned, describes it as the best
       season-ending cliffhanger he's ever seen, unlike anything done
       before. Suffice to say we're pleased.
     * We have a New Year's celebration in one episode later this season,
       and at some point will probably show other stuff next year.
     * What I like most about it are two things: one, by about halfway
       in, you really begin to understand that anything can happen, to
       anyone, and the rules that normally carry you through a television
       episode no longer apply. It's a very dangerous, dislocating
       feeling. Two, you get the very real feeling that, after this
       episode, nothing is the same anymore. The show has taken a very
       profound and *irrevocable* turn that will have lasting effects on
       all of our characters. Of all the episodes so far, this one has
       the most feeling of being the chapter end in a novel.
     * _Someone complains about the characters not staying the same_
       Losing the characters she's come to enjoy? No. But the characters
       are changing. That's the point, and that's been the intent from
       day one. But what's the alternative? I've heard ST fans complain
       loudly and bitterly that after 7 years of TNG being on the air,
       nobody's really changed, nobody's been promoted into different
       ships or major changes in responsibilities...they've had Riker as
       XO for seven years, which in the real military would mean his
       career is *over*.
       Change is the only other option.
       The goal, from the start, was to create an overall story, but
       which would also require arcs for every single major character.
       They're all going somewhere. In many cases, that "somewhere" plays
       into the larger arc; in some cases, not. If a woman is single,
       then gets married, then gives birth, and she's your friend, have
       you "lost her" just because she's gone through these changes? Of
       course not. She has changed, in good or bad ways, but she's still
       the same person.
     * I just showed "Chrysalis" to a couple of people today, who didn't
       know what was in it. And there's one thing that they had seen over
       and over in prior episodes of the series which they never thought
       twice about, which they just sorta accepted...only to suddenly
       have this understanding totally turned on its head.
       The look on their faces was *priceless*.
       This is probably the longest and most extensive setup/payoff in SF
       television history. And afterward, once you discover what that is,
       if you go back suddenly there's a LOT of different meaning in
       prior episodes.
     * "Chrysalis," a cliffhanger of sorts, leads right into "Points of
       Departure," which picks up some of the tables kicked over by
       "Chrysalis," the balance of which are picked up in the second
       episode, "Revelations." By the end of the second new episode,
       pretty much everything is now in place for the rest of the second
       season...though not everything is in quite the same position as it
       originally was.
     * Except, of course, that where everyone goes is important to the
       rest of the story, and that the purpose of the episode is to
       introduce massive change into the story overall; when Sinclair
       says "Nothing's the same anymore," he's deadly serious, and so are
       we. The changes won't just be transitory or for a season-end hook;
       these are permanent and substantial changes in the arc.
     * Now that you've seen this much, now you can begin putting together
       the other level of the metaphor that is B5...consider: a war that
       did not end satisfactorily for us, not winning or losing, a sort
       of peace with honor....the death of a president...the rise of
       intelligence agencies and military power...start to sound
       familiar? Now what we begin to do is to start moving around the
       pieces, shifting the mirror of the story to reveal different
       aspects of ourselves, as well as tell the other separate story of
       B5 itself. Again, the idea is for this story to function on *many*
       different levels: future-history, myth, adventure story, mystery
       and a metaphor.
     * Re: the staging of Morgan Clark taking the oath of office; I gave
       very particular instructions to re-create the staging of the
       photograph in which Lyndon Johnson takes over from JFK after the
       assassination. The same layout, posture, background, and so on. We
       even had a photo on set for reference. The creepy thing is that
       the day we shot the scene was the anniversary of the day it
       actually took place; very weird atmosphere on set that day.
     * Actually, I was born in 54, so we're about the same age. Oddly, I
       don't remember the day of the shooting; what I *do* remember is
       watching JFK's funeral, and not entirely understanding the depth
       of the event, but fully grasping the emotions around me. That will
       linger forever.
     * President Santiago is dead as a doorknob.
     * Re: being fooled into thinking the crystal construct in Delenn's
       quarters was nothing more than a meditation thing...in general, it
       helps to remember that I subscribe to Anton Chekov's First Rule of
       Playwriting: "If there's a gun on the wall in act one, scene one,
       you must fire the gun by act three, scene two. If you fire a gun
       in act three, scene two, you must see the gun on the wall in act
       one, scene one."
       Waste nothing.
     * _About the marriage ceremony in "Parliament"_
       The marriage was a red-herring, a bit of misdirection. The key for
       any magician is to get the audience to look at your hand so they
       don't see the elephant being wheeled onto the stage in full view.
       The line in "Parliament" is, "It's a rebirth ceremony all right,
       and sometimes doubles for a marriage ceremony." When I wrote that,
       I knew instantly that everyone would focus in on the second half
       (misdirection) and miss the first half. (Note that Delenn's "And
       so it begins" is echoed by Kosh in the last episode.) I put out
       something that I figured everybody would latch onto, ignoring the
       other meaning which is stated twice.
     * _Why did they turn Garibaldi onto his back, where the wound was?_
       I was told by our medical technology consultant that after you
       take care of the basic external wound, you always turn the body
       over and go after the internal damage from the *front*. I was told
       why three times, but still can't retain it. I think it involves
       easier access without cutting around the spine, and makes
       breathing less laborious.
     * The teaser of that episode [Chrysalis] is very much just the sort
       of thing we've seen before; designed to lull you into a sense of,
       "Yeah, yeah, we've seen this." Right down to the tired look on
       Sinclair's face. Been there, done that. Then you yank the viewer's
       blanket. And structurally, it was designed to somewhat mirror the
       events in the first episode; the balance is shifting, things are
       going in the reverse of what we saw before.
     * I don't like loose threads hanging around, so all this will get
       tied up. In some cases, we'll see flashbacks to stuff that
       happened "around the corner," so to speak, and in others we'll
       have dialogue explanations. We get the scoop on what question
       Delenn asked Kosh (via Lennier) before [season 2] is out.
     * _If the Shadows are visible, how did they get onto the station?_
       In "Chrysalis," they are distortions visible in the air when they
       wish to be...and not when they don't.
     * "There is good reason to believe the Minbari Triluminary device is
       an artifact not created by the Minbari."
       DING*DING*DING*DING*DING*DING*DING*DING!
     * Actually, the first Triluminary was found by the Minbari, not made
       by them, in a vessel they ran into about a thousand years ago.
     * _About Walker's lines in "TKO"_
       Re: "Watch your back," and "You never did know how to watch your
       back," yep, that was a bit of deliberate foreshadowing for
       "Chrysalis." When the episode aired, I mentioned at the time that
       there was something in that episode that would later be seen to be
       ironic or ominous, but didn't seem so at first. One or two caught
       it, but most didn't. This show is layered very, VERY carefully.
     * Correct; Garibaldi's aide has *always* been a plant. I seeded him
       in from the beginning, specifically for that purpose. It was the
       aide who got Sinclair out of his quarters in "Sky," was the
       liaison who got Benson on line (also in security, you'll
       remember), and helped dispose of the body. If you watch his
       reaction in "Sky," he's the one who brings info to Garibaldi
       looking to clear Benson; and when Garibaldi sees through it, you
       can see his aide move off looking very worried.
       Originally, it was Laurel Takashima who would have betrayed those
       around her, as this character did. When Laurel was transferred, I
       had a choice: keep that arc for her replacement (Ivanova), or give
       this part of it to someone else. Now, knowing how the folks here
       on the nets and elsewhere think, and knowing that they knew about
       the Laurel- possible-traitor thread, I figured that everyone would
       assume that Ivanova would get that part. (And, sure enough, a lot
       of people did.) This became a wonderfully convenient blind behind
       which to build the *real* plant.
       And thus far, *nobody's* seen it coming. He was right there in
       clear view, we used him many times (also in "By Any Means
       Necessary," for instance), and nobody ever paid him the slightest
       attention.
       It is, in a way, the classic magician's trick of misdirection: you
       try to get everyone to look at your hand so they won't look at the
       huge elephant being wheeled up onto the stage in plain sight.
     * No, the shooting of Garibaldi was always a very strong part of the
       story for the end of first season; that line goes all the way back
       to the pilot, and Laurel Takashima.
     * No, after the thread with Laurel was revealed, lots of people
       *assumed* that that thread had been passed along to Ivanova. It
       had never in fact been intended for her, but when it was broached,
       I simply didn't reply, on the theory that if I said it *wasn't*
       her, it'd narrow it down to who it *was*.
     * "I *liked* Laurel!"
       Well, yes, that's rather the point; tragedy is only tragedy if it
       happens to someone you care about and like.
     * The Shadowmen stuff was all CGI, no models. Spiffy stuff. And yes,
       we'll find out in time what Delenn asked Kosh.
     * "If the Shadows are active on Earth, we need to ask why Psi-Corps
       haven't picked them up."
       Yep.
     * The chrysalis is virtually all prop, with some roto work to
       enhance the glow in "Chrysalis."
     * _Was it credible that President and Vice President would travel on
       the same flight? Their twentieth-century American counterparts
       don't fly together on Air Force One._
       You're forgetting several elements.
       1) It would be in the VP's best interests to go along on the trip,
       to help defuse any suspicion ("Boy, was I lucky.").
       2) Going a few hours out of the country is one thing; you're not
       looking at the aspect that traveling in normal space takes a lot
       of time and expense...a ship as massive as EF1 is hideously
       expensive; two would be a major waste of government money, and
       they'd both be traveling side by side, further wasting money.
       Also, whereas Air Force 1 travels nominally alone, EF1 has a full
       escort of fighters, with a minimum of four in the "air" at any one
       time, plus another batch inside.
       Going between planets is a much different process than going
       between here and London; and if both parties are required at the
       other end, the only sensible way is to have them go together.
     * Remember when I said there are things you learn midway into a
       series that you can learn no other way? Yikes...
       As I've mentioned before, in our season ender, "Chrysalis," we tip
       over every table we've got. I'm talking here *major* stuff, that
       profoundly and permanently affects many of our primary characters.
       Well, you build that as a two parter, and even *try* to resolve
       all of that in the second part. It doesn't work, because the
       repercussions are so substantial. (What it is, really, is
       something that'll be felt throughout the entire second season.)
       You can try to pack all the loose thread-tying into part two, but
       it's like trying to pack 10 pounds of potatos into a 5 pound bag.
       One other option is making it a six parter, but *that's* really
       silly. So what I'm doing, I've decided, is to take the major
       elements and play them out over the first five or so episodes.
       This will give me time to give each of the threads the necessary
       time to play out effectively, rather than rushing things.
       So Chrysalis stands alone as a season ender, and a prelude to the
       Big Stuff in season two. Episode 1 of year two, therefore, won't
       be "Chrysalis, Part Two," but have its own title, allowing me to
       spread the stuff over the next few episodes. (Probable title:
       "Points of Departure.")
       I showed "Chrysalis" to some people the other day, and the
       reaction was across the board astonishment. Just stunned. Which
       was pretty much the desired result. It's an absolute left-turn for
       the series.
     * Since I mentioned it over on Internet (but not where it belongs),
       I give y'all a little gift...Kosh's very last line of the season,
       in "Chrysalis."
       "You have...forgotten something."
       It's not nearly as straightforward as it looks, and that one line
       will carry with it *major* repercussions. (And no, it doesn't
       refer to the 24 hours.)
     * Only two Shadowman vessels hit the Narn base at Quadrant 37, not
       three.
     * Sometimes it gets wonky. We filmed "Chrysalis" twelfth in shooting
       order, to air twenty-second. Part of the setup to "Chrysalis" is
       "Signs and Portents," which shot 4 episodes later. Meaning the
       actors had to act familiar with elements they hadn't performed
       yet, and hadn't seen yet in script form. So in that case, I had to
       sit down and explain what the various aspects of "Chrysalis"
       meant, and where we were going, for it all to play. Later, when
       "Signs" was published in-house, they got to see in more detail how
       the setup fit in with the payoff.
       If asked, I would probably try to refrain from telling any of the
       actors the full story. Let me rephrase: I simply wouldn't do it.
       If they would ask where their individual character is going -- and
       some have -- what I do is give them the general arc, but leave out
       a lot of specifics. For instance, Peter knows *in general* that
       his character is going in a darker direction, but not how he's
       going to get there or what it means to the overall story. And
       that, I think, is as it should be.
     * Every so often, a screwup takes place that is so breathtakingly
       stupid that it defies all logic and reason. I just learned of one
       this evening, and I'm still reeling a bit from it. Consequently,
       this is address to anyone who watched the satellite uplink of
       "Chrysalis" or has seen it in the US in the last day or so.
       Once we deliver an episode, it goes to two places: Modern Video
       and CVC. CVC checks an episode of any series prior to uplink to
       make sure it's okay. Though they've had it for four months, they
       only got around to checking it the day before uplink. During this,
       they found a couple of small audio pops. The kind of thing that
       could be fixed in about five minutes. But since it was the
       evening, Modern Video decided to fix it for us...by *rebuilding
       the entire episode*.
       Without calling us, notifying us, or checking with us, when we
       could've easily had someone on-hand there to supervise at a
       moment's notice.
       Well, when they rebuilt the episode...they didn't use all the
       correct footage. Some of what was used was RAW FOOTAGE. Example:
       when Londo goes to meet someone in the Garden, there's supposed to
       be a great composite shot there of the interior of the Garden
       area, and a hedge maze. (The UK saw this version of it last
       month.) But when the episode was rebuilt, they used the raw
       footage segment showing Londo and a partial hedge IN THE
       SOUNDSTAGE, where you can see the stage wall, and the pipes, and
       the EXIT sign. No composite. Nada.
       We don't yet know what else has been included incorrectly, because
       we won't see a copy until morning. Suffice to say that this is
       being taken care of *our* way overnight, and a correct version
       will be sent out via satellite in time for the Wednesday first
       airings in most markets, and the reruns in those markets where
       it's already aired.
       At this moment, I am preternaturally calm about all this, having
       passed beyond anger earlier this evening into a kind of zen state
       of consciousness, utterly unable to wrap my brain around the
       absolute stupidity of something like this for more than two
       minutes at a time.
       By morning, this will have worn off.
       I'm looking forward to it immensely.
     * As it turns out, we discovered that there were TWO comp shots
       missing (including one in DownBelow), and that's how the "to be
       continued" got added in at the end. We rousted our people out of
       bed and had them at the Modern Video facility at 2:30 a.m. fixing
       other people's mistakes, rebuilding the entire episode so it could
       be birded out this afternoon.
     * If you saw TBC at the end of the episode, it was NOT the correct
       version.
     * Well, we tracked down more on the screw-up, and that's how the "To
       be continued" got in, and there's a second composite shot missing
       (from the DownBelow area). We rousted our post production people
       out of bed last night, and at 3:30 a.m. had them correcting the
       mistakes made by others, reassembling the entire episode. The
       correct version is going out on the bird today, tomorrow, and
       tomorrow night. It will also be hand-delivered to KCOP here in
       town to make sure they get it.
       I encourage anyone who saw "Chrysalis" over the last day or so to
       look at it again on the rerun; I think you'll find parts of it
       much better.
       This has been a complete and utter meltdown, and we're all out for
       blood at the moment.
     * Yeah, it can make you crazy. Y'know that game, where you have a
       mallet and your job is to whack the gophers as they stick their
       head up out of the ground? That's as good a description of my job
       as I've ever seen. And there are always new gophers....
     * _KCOP Channel 13 replaced the *good* version of Chrysalis with the
       messed-up version_
       I know...I know....
       Hand me my chainsaw, I'm going shopping for dinner.
     * The mistake wasn't made by us. It was broadcast correctly
       overseas, in the UK, perfectly. This was done by the video house
       that supplied the satellite feed.
     * Here is Londo's arc through the five year storyline:
       Funny and light; then funny and dark; then dark and tragic; then
       tragic and light.
     * Yeah, there's hope for Londo...but not in the way I think anybody
       will expect, and not in the way Londo would like.
     * Londo is a fascinating character to write; there's layers upon
       layers, and every time I sit down to write him, he surprises me
       with something else. And it's certainly more interesting to watch
       someone you like falling into something terrible than to set up a
       bad guy from day one; no complexity or sympathy there. It's kind
       of like watching an accident in slow motion. But in the final
       analysis, all is not dark for Londo.
     * _What's the story on the god Vir doesn't consider part of the
       Centauri pantheon?_
       Ah, yes...that one wasn't an emperor, that was Zoog, which was
       really just a household god, primarily associated with one noble
       family, that somewhat imposed Zoog where possible, forced the
       religious establishment to recognize the temple they'd built to
       Zoog...it was strictly an act of vanity on their part, to create a
       god, and elevate a household god, which never really carries much
       weight, to something greater, adding to the general pantheon.
     * No, alas, Tech #1, Marianne Robertson has decided that she would
       like to travel next year with her husband Dick Robertson, and has
       some other personal plans in mind, and thus won't be back next
       season.
     * Just FYI...Marianne Robertson, Tech #1, was Swedish, not Russian.
     * "JMS has specifically told us that one MAIN character will die in
       Chrysalis or Points of Departure (I don't remember which)."
       No I haven't.
       Never said it.
       Sometimes, what happens is that people guess about what's going to
       happen in the story...and gradually that becomes the assumption on
       the part of some people that this WILL happen...which in time
       metamorphoses into "JMS said this would happen."
       This is yet another of those. Never said it.
       While I understand how this happens (and it happens a lot), the
       only real complication that I get from it is that suddenly I'm
       being held to promises I never made...and if it doesn't happen as
       I supposedly said, then it's somehow my fault.
     * The Douglas Adams "homage." Nope. Eric Sevareid once wrote that
       "working in television is like being nibbled to death by ducks." I
       think it was in his book "Not So Wild A Dream," itself a line
       borrowed from a poem by Norman Corwin. It's also a fairly common
       phrase.
     * Scenes you should look at differently after "Chrysalis"...one that
       comes to mind offhand is "Sky," in the various Garibaldi scenes
       (can't be more specific than that right now).
     * _Have we learned the fate of Garibaldi's friend Lianna Kemmer,
       from "Survivors?" Was she on Santiago's ship?_
       No, we haven't established what happened to her, but we will in
       time.
     * If we go into what happened, and where she is, it kinda behooves
       us to show her.
     * As with her arrival at B5, she would've been handling the advance
       work on Io prior to Santiago's arrival.
       

   [42][Next] 
   
      [43]Last update: August 8, 1997

References

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  11. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/022.html#UQ
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  13. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/022.html#NO
  14. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/022.html#JS
  15. http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Bruton,+Macaulay
  16. http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Conery,+Edward
  17. http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Wasser,+Ed
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  21. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/011.html
  22. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/007.html#UQ:3
  23. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/008.html#NO:1
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  33. file://localhost/lurk/gif/022/real.jpg
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