lurkers-guide/guide/005

<h2><a name="OV">Overview</a></h2>

<blockquote><cite>
Sinclair's old flame, Catherine Sakai, arrives during a weeklong festival
when humans and aliens demonstrate their religious beliefs.  An old enemy
sends an assassin to kill G'Kar.
</cite>

<a href="http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Kopache,+Thomas">Thomas Kopache</a> as Tu'Pari.
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nickson-Soul,+Julia">Julia Nickson</a> as Catherine Sakai.
</blockquote>

Originally titled "Carnival!"

<pre>
Sub-genre: Intrigue
<a href="/lurk/p5/intro.html">P5 Rating</a>: <a href="/lurk/p5/005">7.88</a>

Production number: 108
Original air date: February 23, 1994
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006HAZ4/thelurkersguidet">DVD release date</a>: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston
</pre>

<p>
<em>Emmy Award</em> for Makeup Design

<h3><a name="WF">Watch For</a></h3>
<ul>

<li> <a name="WF:1">Look closely at the statue of Li,</a> the Centauri
	goddess of passion.  Something about it will be the subject of a
	humorous revelation about the Centauri in a later episode.

</ul>

<p>
<hr size=3>
<p>

<H2><A NAME="BP">Backplot</A></H2>

<ul>

<li> <A NAME="BP:1">"Never fails," says Garibaldi when Catherine</A>
     comes aboard.  Apparently he's known her and Sinclair for a very
     long time.  They seem to run into one another every three years,
     though this is the first time in a while that they've both been
     available.

<li> <A NAME="BP:2">Sinclair and Carolyn have drifted apart - he</A>
     wasn't willing to quit and go into business with her as a trader.
     (cf: <A HREF="../synops/000.html#carolyn-leave">"The Gathering"</A>)

<li> <A NAME="BP:3">After he delivers G'Kar's death pronouncement,</A>
     councillor Du'Rog says, "This should come as no surprise to you
     G'Kar.  You've ruined my family's name and humiliated me before the
     council.  Retribution was inevitable."

<li> <A NAME="BP:4">Later G'Kar explains to Na'Toth why he can't ask for</A>
     help: "...this would lead to some unfortunate revelations about my
     years on the council, revelations that could affect my position.
     Personally, I don't <em>care</em> if the information comes out.  My
     only concern is that it might compromise our standing in the
     negotiations."

<li> <A NAME="BP:5">The best assassins among the Narn are the</A>
     "Thenta Makur."  They are well-organized and respectable in their
     own way.  They leave a "death blossom" to give their mark time to
     get their affairs in order, and offer a solid guarantee: they will
     personally kill any assassin who betrays a commission.

<li> <A NAME="BP:6">G'Kar has survived <em>two</em> prior assassination</A>
     attempts, but did not appear to have experience with the Thenta Makur.

<li> <A NAME="BP:7">Vir explains the vivacious Centauri festival:</A>
     <BLOCKQUOTE>
       It's a celebration of life.  It comes from a time in our
       world's history when two dominant species were fighting
       for supremacy: our people, and a species we called "Xon".
       At year's end, we count how many of our people survived,
       and celebrate our good fortune! 
     </BLOCKQUOTE>

</ul>

<H2><A NAME="UQ">Unanswered Questions</A></H2>

<ul>

<li> <A NAME="UQ:1">Why is G'Kar, after serving 5 years on the Narn</A>
     council, now serving as the Narn diplomat to Babylon 5?  Is this a
     move up, or down?

<li> <A NAME="UQ:2">What "revelations" about his years on the council</A> 
     does G'Kar want hidden?

<li> <A NAME="UQ:3">Did Sinclair play a greater role in the Minbari</A>
     ceremony than was apparent?  (<A HREF="#AN:10">see Analysis</A>) 

<li> <A NAME="UQ:4">When Catherine first enters Sinclair's quarters,</A>
     he's listening to <A HREF="/lurk/making/ulysses.html#become.name">
     part of Tennyson's "Ulysses."</A>  "Which are you," she asks, 
     quoting from elsewhere in the poem, "<A HREF="/lurk/making/ulysses.html"> 
     an idle king</A>, doling unequal laws unto a savage race, that
     hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not you, or 
     <A HREF="/lurk/making/ulysses.html#spirit">a gray spirit</A>,
     yearning in desire, to follow knowledge like a sinking star?"  
     He leaves the question unanswered.

</ul>

<H2><A NAME="AN">Analysis</A></H2>

<ul>

<li> <A NAME="AN:1">The cross-species religious festival was Earth</A>
     Central's idea, and is consistent with Babylon 5's <I>raison
     d'etre.</I> The Minbari and Centauri participated willingly, but
     nothing was seen of Narn religion (cf: <A HREF="012.html">"By Any
     Means Necessary"</A>).  No-one made note of this omission - perhaps
     it's taken for granted that Narn religion is not for outsiders.

<li> <A NAME="AN:2">The Narn employ couriers on a weekly basis. They</A>
     also have FTL communications.  Hence, they must not consider FTL
     secure.

<li> <A NAME="AN:4">Na'Toth is cool-headed, with a sarcastic sense of</A>
     humor - for G'Kar a great improvement over the literal and
     over-enthusiastic Ko'Dath.

<li> <A NAME="AN:5">When Lennier greets Delenn as "Satai," she rebukes</A> 
     him: "No-one here knows of my connection.  No-one must find out
     [...] it would lead to certain questions I don't want to answer
     just now."  Apparently, it is well-known among the Minbari who are
     the members of the grey council.  They are also greatly revered,
     judging by Lennier's reluctance to raise his eyes in her presence.

<li> <A NAME="AN:6">Vir's</A> <A HREF="#BP:7">speech</A> is quite remarkable.
     What endured after the Centauri conflict with the Xon was a
     celebration of survival, rather than a mourning for those lost.  This
     is notable both for what they chose to focus on (the joyous rather
     than the sad), and for its suggestion that the Centauri may have
     been nearly destroyed by the Xon (everyone was lucky to have
     survived each year).

<li> <A NAME="AN:7">A theme of real Babylonian history: a stronger</A> 
     race oppresses a weaker one, and generations of the weaker one grow
     up fighting for their lives.  Eventually the once-weaker race
     becomes so hardened and energized in their own self-protection that
     they rise up and conquer their oppressors 
     (cf: <A href="/lurk/ftp/History.Babylonia"> History.Babylonia</A>).

<li> <A NAME="AN:8">This theme may be the very story of the Xon and</A>
     the Centauri, for the Centauri eventually destroyed them and didn't
     lose momentum until they were an empire spanning an entire quadrant
     of the galaxy (cf: <A HREF="000.html#BP:7">"The Gathering" </A>).
     This may also <em>become</em> the story of the Centauri the Narn: the
     Centauri invaded their homeworld and held sway for a hundred years,
     but now the Narn are free and bent on destruction, while the
     Centauri are on the decline.

<li> <A NAME="AN:9">Among the many Centauri household gods</A> on the
     banquet table are Ben-Zan, god of food, Mo-Goth, god of the
     underworld and protector of front doors, and Li, goddess of
     passion.  The golden statue of Li portrays her with both arms and
     one leg raised.  Visible on her body are breasts, a very large
     <em>male</em> hair-crest, and three tentacles emerging from her
     hips on both sides.  (cf. <a href="021.html">"The Quality of Mercy"</a>)

<li> <A NAME="AN:10">A</a>
     <a href="005.ceremony.html">transcript</a> of
     Delenn's recital during the Minbari ceremony is available.

<li> <A NAME="AN:11">This recital is very important, especially if</A>
     Sinclair is the incarnation of a figure in Minbari prophecy, for
     which there are indications:
     <ul>
     <li> <B>Minbari assassin:</B> "There is a hole in your mind." 
          (<A HREF="000.html#AN:4">"The Gathering"</A>)
     <li> The coincidence of the Minbari surrender with their initial
          discovery of Sinclair.  (<A HREF="000.html#UQ:7">"The Gathering"</A>)
     <li> <B>Delenn:</B> "I knew you would come - we were right about you." 
          (<A HREF="002.html#UQ:7">"Soul Hunter"</A>) 
     <li> Delenn's <A HREF="#AN:14">possible covert marriage</A> to him in
          this episode.  
     <li> (see also: <A HREF="008.html">"And the Sky Full of Stars"</A>, 
          <A HREF="009.html">"Deathwalker"</A>, 
          <A HREF="013.html">"Signs and Portents"</A>)
     </ul>

<li> <A NAME="AN:12">The giving of fruit to each of the main characters</A> 
     coincided with particular parts of Delenn's recital.  This could be
     literary foreshadowing, but it's unlikely that Delenn herself
     intended the juxtaposition.  
     <BLOCKQUOTE> 
     "From birth <I>{Londo}</I>, through death and renewal <I>{Vir}</I>,
     you must put aside old things <I>{Garibaldi}</I>, old fears
     <I>{Sinclair}</I>, old lives <I>{Ivanova}</I>.  This is your death
     <I>{G'Kar}</I>, the death of flesh..."  
     </BLOCKQUOTE>

<li> <A NAME="AN:13">For the record, Londo and Vir eat their fruits,</A>
     Garibaldi declines, Ivanova puts hers down, G'Kar exchanges his
     with hers, Ivanova (unawares) then eats hers, and G'Kar gives his
     new fruit a distrustful sniff.  Sinclair, under Delenn's compelling
     gaze, eats his as well.

<li> <A NAME="AN:14">When Catherine hears about "red fruit" being part</A> 
     of the Minbari ceremony, she asks if there was a serious exchange
     of looks.  When Sinclair confirms this, she chuckles, "Oh it's a
     rebirth ceremony all right.  It also doubles as a marriage
     ceremony.  Depending on how seriously anyone took it, somebody got
     married the other day."  Sinclair did not mention who was seriously
     looking at whom - he may in some sense now be married to Delenn.

<li> <A NAME="AN:15">"You must put aside... old lives" reaffirms the</A>
     Minbari belief in reincarnation revealed in <A HREF="002.html#AN:2:2"> 
     "Soul Hunter"</A>, and suggests that the Minbari may have
     <em>conscious access</em> to their own past lives.  Else what would
     they have to put aside?  (cf: <A HREF="007.html">"The War Prayer"</A>)

</ul>

<H2><A NAME="NO">Notes</A></H2>

<ul>

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:1"><B>G'Kar's song</B> (presumably translated from Narn):</A>
     <PRE width=50>
  I'm thinking of thinking of calling her right
    after my afternoon nap.
  I'm thinking of thinking of sending her flowers,
    right after Bonnie gets back.
  So many fishies left in the sea,
    so many fishies - but no-one for me...
  I'm thinking of thinking of hooking a love,
    soon after supper is done.
     </PRE>

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:2">Ko'Dath, G'Kar's previous aide (with whom he was</A>
     none too happy) died in an unexplained airlock accident a week before.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:3"><B>Londo's joke:</B></A><br> 
     Garibaldi: And what happened to the Xon?<br>
     Londo: Dead, all of them, and good riddance.  Do you know what the last
     Xon said, just before he died?   "AAAAARGH!"<br>
     Garibaldi (to Sinclair): Can I kill him now?

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:4"><B>Londo's toast</B> (and reprise):</A><br>
     "Valtoooo!"

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:5">Ivanova was the only non-Centauri who seemed to</A>
     be enjoying herself at their festival.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:6">Na'Toth's "sponsor" for her position as G'Kar's</A>
     aide was Li'Dak, fifth circle.  Li'Dak's sponsor was Du'Rog himself.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:7">G'Kar's "reputed fascination with Earth women"</A> 
     (cf: <A HREF="003.html#NO:1">"Born to the Purple"</A>) is
     well-known among the Narn ruling class.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:8">Delenn's new assistant is Lennier of the Third Fane</A> 
     of Chu'Domo, which has served with honor for 500 years.  He has
     just gone from being a "simple novitiate" to serving one of the
     Grey Council - apparently quite a big jump.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:9">There is consistency in the shape of Minbari</A>
     head-bones.  The top edge of the female head-bone is a smooth curve
     back to a raised point in back, while the top edge of the male
     head-bone rises to several points on its way back.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:10">There were nine participants in the Minbari rebirth</A> 
     ceremony.  All of the instruments visible were triangular, as was
     the table around which they stood.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:12">In the lingo of the Free Traders, Earth</A> 
     (or thereabouts) is "The Hub".

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:13">Sinclair has a brother, about whom he has not yet</A>
     spoken.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:14">Sinclair has been caught on</A> 
     <A HREF="/lurk/making/ulysses.html">Tennyson</A> since his
     academy years - "we find meaning where we can," he says.

<p>
<li> <A NAME="NO:15">G'Kar and Na'Toth both imply she enjoyed beating</A>
     him up.

<p>
<li> When this episode was broadcast in Malaysia in July 1995, the Centauri
	celebration was cut, probably because of its depiction of drunken
	behavior.

<p>
<li> A sign in the arrivals area:<br>
	Welcome to Babylon 5<br>
	Customer Section<br>
	Atmosphere Caution<br>
	<p>
	Six different atmospheres are currently available on B5. Others may be
	created by prior arrangement. Uncommon atmospheric makeups may be
	synthesized for encounter suits. For specific atmochemical breakdowns
	see monitor below.

</ul>

<H2><A NAME="JS">jms speaks</A></H2>

<ul>

<li>@@@846702224 Regarding making people laugh until their sides hurt...this
	is something I always go for.  It's easy to go for the "well, that's
	amusing" stuff, but to make someone laugh out loud, or even until it
	hurts, is tough.  In most (but not all) cases, I try to get one solid
	laugh per episode, one moving scene per episode, and one "head-conk"
	per episode.   The first obligation of a writer is to make you *feel*
	something, and if I can do that in an episode, then I've done my job.

	<p>
	It helps in that I'm not generally a big laugher; when I go to plays
	or movies with other people, and they're comedies, afterwards I'll
	always get "Why didn't you like it?"  "I did."  "You didn't laugh."
	"I was just thinking about how funny it was."  Usually I can see a
	punchline coming, and part of my brain is racing ahead to what it
	might be.  (And half the time at least I'm right.)  So I've adopted
	the philosophy that if I find something extremely funny, other people
	will laugh at it; if I'm so tickled that I absolutely laugh out loud,
	I know it'll probably kill several people.  As a result, if I'm going
	for a funny scene, I don't leave it alone until I laugh at it.

	<p>
	When I thought about Londo passing out face first on the banquet table
	uttering "...but in purple, I'm *stunning*," I just about fell off my
	chair laughing.  Sometimes I'm a little broad in my comedy, other
	times I go for something a little more literate or (one hopes) witty
	(most of these go to Ivanova, whereas the broad stuff tends to go to
	Londo in most cases).  But I try to keep it varied.

	<p>
	Strangely enough, the comics that *do* manage to break me up are all
	the more assaultive ones...Jerry Lewis, Robin Williams, Buddy Hackett
	(who can reduce me to tears), and a few others.

<p>
<li> By the way...on the Kosh poisoning thread, which was originally to 
     be discussed in "Parliament"...we ended up about 3 minutes long on
     "Parliament," and three minutes short on D.C. Fontana's "War Prayer."
     So we lifted that scene and inserted it into her episode, doing a 
     small bit of ADR to facilitate the move.  It's now quite seamless.

<p>
<li>@@@846702224 Bill Mumy came in to audition, same as eveybody else.  It
	was known then that it was a recurring role (contrary to his
	recollection of things), and when he walked in the door, I knew he was
	right.

<p>
<li> BTW, this week will Bill Mumy's first week on B5, and he's done a
     very nifty job as Lennier.  He brings a wonderful sense of absolute
     innocence...the proverbial innocent abroad...to Lennier's character.
     The Minbari prosthetics look great on him, enhancing the sense he 
     brings to the character.  He's also great with the cast, and keeping
     things up during shooting.  At one point, as they're leaving camera,
     Delenn says to Lennier, who has just arrived at the station, "Now 
     tell me of home; I have been away far too long."  His ad-libbed
     off-camera response: "Beatlemania is back."  (Another ad-lib for 
     another shot:  "Minimalls...they're everywhere," and "Well, we just
     got Pizza Hut and cable.")

<p>
<li> Regarding Catherine Sakai...believe me, this ain't a consort kind of
     relationship.  It will be monogamous, but difficult in many ways.  
     This has been an on-again/off-again relationship between them for 
     years, made up of three parts passion and two parts teeth.  It will 
     be a very fiery relationship.  And this is a woman with her own 
     business, her own ship, who comes and goes as she wishes.  You have
     to understand that I love writing strong female characters, and 
     Catherine will be probably one of the strongest.

<p>
<li> Catherine Sakai is played by Julie Nickson Soul, an asian-american
     actor who's done quite a bit of work in high-profile films.  Her
     character is never Cathy, only Catherine (occasionally Cath to 
     Sinclair, but *only* occasionally).  She's a planetary surveyer, 
     working for one of the Earth corporations, looking for uninhabited
     worlds and asteroids for exploitation.

<p>
<li> We've shot our first scenes between Sinclair and his new love 
     interest, Catherine Sakai (as played by Julia Nickson).  This is a
     very, very strong character, and she brings a wonderful vibrancy to
     Sakai.   They have a unique relationship that looks and sounds like
     a real relationship, with all its ups and downs and dumb moments. 
     One way that I've reinforced this is that...well, in the first 
     episode in which they meet again (they were involved before), just
     about every scene between them is lifted almost directly from 
     personal experience.

     <p>
     And given some of the awkward, even painful conversations that take
     place, it was very, *very* hard to watch this being rehearsed.
     (Michael and Julia worked over a weekend with the director to get the
     nuances just right.)  When it came time to shoot the scenes, much as
     I wanted to be on-set, I just couldn't do it.  My heart just kept 
     falling right down to my shoes.  I can't wait for the first person to
     say "I don't buy this as a real relationship" just so's I can whap
     him upside the head.  But I have a hunch that won't happen.  It comes
     across as very real, and as a very vulnerable moment for both 
     characters.

     <p>
     "Write what you know," they said.  Right.  How about I just take a 
     power drill and stick it in my ear...it'd be faster, less painful, 
     and after a while I might even come to like it....

<p>
<li> A parliament is a gathering of officials, of representatives, which
     matches the story in terms of representatives of different places,
     and beliefs.  The dreams are the belief systems.

<p>
<li> The "stay put" line was ad-libbed by Andreas, because the crawfish
     kept crawling off the table.

<p>
<li> Yes, definitely keep in mind the intent of the ceremony...but be
     sure to remember *all* aspects of it.  (<A HREF="#AN:10">see
     Analysis</A>)<br> 
     Also, take a good look at Li, goddess of passion, in Londo's
     ceremony.  There's something about it that will be very funny
     later.  (<A HREF="#AN:9">see Analysis</A>)

<p>
<li>@@@832309099 The quote Delenn recited in "Parliament" was the quote
     from Valen when he formed the first Grey Council.

<p>
<li> RE: the glasses...it's not something I've been able to figure out
     how to mention, but the Narn pride themselves on their physical
     perfection.  Hence there is no market for physical aides; it's
     something to be ashamed of.  So they have to crib stuff from other
     species, like glasses that have a prescription close enough to be
     useful.  I have *no* idea how to work that into a script, and am
     not sure it is even a good idea to do so.

<p>
<li> The atheist was not only first in line, he was the best dressed and
     smartest looking and nattiest one in the line.<br>
     jm(what a coincidence)s

<p>
<li> From a personal point of view, I'm very fond of "The Parliament of 
     Dreams," which is a very funny show, and at times a very emotional
     show.  "Parliament" is all over the place...it's got all of our
     major characters, our ambassadors, their seconds, we see lots of
     group scenes, we're all over the station, dipping in and out of
     three different but interconnected stories...it's really a matter
     of keeping a lot of balls in the air at one time, and I think we
     pulled it off nicely.

<p>
<li> There's one truly remarkable shot we did for the current episode, shot
	Friday evening. Generally, in any shot with a crowd, you need
	about 20-45 people. That's usually enough to fill out the shot
	in any set you can go to.  More than that gets costly, and
	isn't really noticeable unless you frame your shot just *so*.
	Yesterday's shot has 160 extras. It's a very impressive, and
	very moving shot. It appears in the tag of "the Parliament of
	Dreams." It's the kind of shot you just don't see anywhere
	else. We had some people from PTEN and a film crew for a
	behind-the-scenes piece on hand, and they all commented on how
	only this show would do this shot...and how significant it is.
	(I can't tell you what it was, because that gives it away, and
	I want it to be kind of a surprise; suffice to say you'll
	definitely know it when you see it.)

<p>
<li> The SkyDancer appears in the next episode. "See you next Wednesday"
	is...well...it's when she's going to be back on the station. She has to
	complete her run by Tuesday, and will be back on Wednesday. Sometimes a
	cigar is just a cigar....

<p>
<li> [G'Kar's] song is an original, by our series composer, Christopher
	Franke.

<p>
<li> The "fishy" song was composed by Christopher Franke specifically for
	that scene.  I told him I wanted sort of a Narnish Gilbert and
	Sullivan, and that's what we got.

<p>
<li> I would think that Londo and G'Kar might actually find something in
	common in appreciation of Gilbert and Sullivan.  In fact, G'Kar's 
	"little fishie" song in "Parliament of Dreams" was intended to be a 
	bit G&S in nature.

<p>
<li> One of my favorite exchanges, which never seems to show up, is from
	PoD v.1, when G'Kar says to Tu'Pari, who has come looking for 
	Ambassador G'Kar, "This is Ambassador G'Kar's quarters.  This is 
	Ambassador G'Kar's table.  This is Ambassador G'Kar's dinner.  What 
	part of this progression escapes you?"

<p>
<li> Episode #5 is the two year anniversary of B5 going on-line; not two
	years since the pilot movie.  It took about a year and a half to
	grow to this point, and for the final of the Big 5 ambassadors, Kosh,
	to arrive, completing the group.  It's now roughly six months after
	that, into the new year.

<p>
<li> "So, I've been wondering who made up Londo's line in Parliament,
	`but in purple, I'm stunning!'"

	<p>
	Ummmmm.....the scriptwriter?

<p>
<li> The Xon did evolve into fair amount of intelligence.  There are a
	very few land masses on Centauri Prime, separated by huge oceans.
	The two species evolved pretty much separately, on different 
	continents that were absolutely unreachable until one or both sides
	developed sufficient technology for extended sea travel...and that's
	when all hell broke loose.

<p>
<li> There's a definite improvement arc in the show; the deeper we got 
	into production, the better the stories generally became, and the 
	better the production values.  (With a few exceptions.)  The biggest
	change in the show came once we began writing scripts *after* we'd 
	begun shooting episodes, so that we/I could again see the actors and
	find their fingerprints.  "Parliament" is the first one I wrote after
	we started filming; "Soul," "Infection" and "Midnight" were all
	written prior to filming starting.

<p>
<li> You're seeing, btw, why this episode, much as it's a favorite, 
	couldn't be shown any sooner; there has to be some familiarity with
	the characters for this to be most effective.

<p>
<li> Re: G'Kar being theatrical...that's who he is.  I like theatrical
	characters.  I know many in real life that're much bigger than life,
	very broad...and great fun.  Not every character has to be sonorous 
	and serious and restrained.  The whole point of *having* alien 
	characters is that they shuld act differently than the majority of
	us.

<p>
<li> The Xon?  Dead.  All of them.  And good riddance.

<p>
<li> The Xon weren't any more evil or good than the race that survived;
	two equally sentient species emerged on the Centauri homeworld over 
	the course of evolution.  They were more or less separated by 
	distance and land masses and oceans, so there was little contact
	until either side developed the technology required to find the other.
	It was the next best thing to a first contact situation, except it's
	on their own world; they were very much alien to one another.  
	Somewhere along the line, it was decided that this world wasn't big
	enough for both of them, so they began a campaign of slaughter against
	each other.  Londo's people won.

<p>
<li> Kosh was otherwise engaged....

<p>
<li> Actually, many of the alien races do *not* have monolithic religious
	beliefs.  You'll note that G'Kar didn't take part in the festival 
	from the Narn POV.  You'll see Narn beliefs in "By Any Means 
	Necessary," and there it's mentioned that there are many different
	bliefs among Narns, G'Quon and G'Lan being the two larger systems.

<p>
<li> Sure, I could've gotten them into bed by the second act...but that 
	wasn't the point.  What I wanted to show, what interests me, is the
	give and take leading up to that moment, the feints and parries and
	"how do we get past this?"  That to me is some of the most 
	interesting stuff in a relationship.

<p>
<li> As to the interpretation of the final tag scene...my thought was that
	it's a way of saying, "Our dominant belief is that ALL beliefs are
	respected."

<p>
<li> There was a follower of Islam; right next to the orthodox jew at the
	front of the line.  "Mr. Rashid, a Moslem."  I made sure we put them
	side by side.

<p>
<li> I didn't say that Earth was the ONLY one with diverse religions.  I
	don't understand why it is that when ONE thing is shown, it means 
	that's the ONLY thing.  It's not.  Narns, as we'll see in "By Any
	Means Necessary," have several competing beliefs.  The idea of the
	festival wasn't to compare and contrast, only to show what *we* 
	(whoever *we* is) believes.

<p>
<li> Well, we're doomed...I just realized today that our first *really* 
	strong episode, "The Parliament of Dreams," airs the same night (in 
	most markets, the 23rd) as the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan face off
	in the olympics.

	<p>
	Imagine a silence vast as space...that sound is neilsen ratings meters
	stuck unmovingly on CBS....

<p>
<li> Needless to say, though, we got *creamed* by the Tonya/Nancy Show.
	Which got a 64 share, the 3rd biggest ratings for a sporting event in
	history.  But then, *everybody* got beat up by that one, so again
	it's okay.

<p>
<li> The line, "See you next wednesday," was basically an offhand line,
	slightly but not significantly based in the idea that in most markets,
	B5 airs on Wednesdays.  It was never meant to be a John Landis 
	reference, and if I'd known it was (I'd never heard it before), 
	would've changed it.

<p>
<li> I keep constantly fighting the urge to have G'Kar return from a trip
	to the Narn homeworld with a limp, a cane, and a (temporary) eyepatch,
	muttering, "Boy, the Thenta Makur have *no* sense of humor."

	<p>
	(Now we'll see how many get *that* one.)

<p>
<li> BTW, re: Sinclair remembering all those names...we used many of the
	real names of the people standing in line, many of whom *did* belong
	to the religion they had come to represent.  We went down this line 
	of 250 people, and went over their names *twice* with O'Hare.  That's
	all.  After that, he got each name right every time; amazingly quick 
	memorization.

<p>
<li> This is something that Andreas and I discussed, and it's not so much 
	that G'Kar *has* to cook, but that he *likes* to cook.  From the
	singing, it's clear he's having a good time....

<p>
<li> Ko'Dath met with an unfortunate accident with an airlock.

<p>
<li> Just learned that Babylon 5 won an Emmy for its Makeup Design, for
	"The Parliament of Dreams."  This is our second Emmy so far, our 
	first for the series.  I'm determined that next year we get some 
	notices for our acting and other above-the-line areas.

	<p>
	In any event, congratulations to our makeup and prosthetics design
	people.

</ul>

<HR>
Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan <i>mattryan@pobox.com</i>