lurkers-guide/guide/108

<!-- TITLE Objects in Motion -->

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

<blockquote><cite>
As some longtime residents prepare to leave the station, the crew races
to stop an assassin.
</cite>

<a href="http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Gentile,+Denise">Denise Gentile</a> as Lise.
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Monaghan,+Marjorie">Marjorie Monaghan</a> as Number One.
</blockquote>

<pre><a href="/lurk/p5/intro.html">P5 Rating</a>: <a href="/lurk/p5/108">8.62</a>
Production number: 521
Original air date: November 11, 1998 (US)
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00019071C/thelurkersguidet">DVD release date</a>: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Story by J. Michael Straczynski and Harlan Ellison
Directed by Jesus Trevi&ntilde;o
</pre>

<h3>Watch For</h3>
<ul>
   <li>@@@910856752 <a href="#NO.minbari">A cheering Minbari.</a>
</ul>

<p>
<hr size=3>

<h2><a name="BP">Plot Points</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li>@@@910856752 Number One
	(<a href="076.html">"Racing Mars"</a>),
	whose real name is Tessa Holloran, joined the Mars 
	government after Mars gained independence from Earth.  She is now the
	head of security for the Interstellar Alliance, replacing Garibaldi.

   <li>@@@910856752 After Mars' independence day, corporations which had
	been exploiting Mars rushed to cover their tracks.  The Martian
	government has been going to great lengths to track down the dirty
	secrets of Earth-based corporations.  Earth, meanwhile, has been
	making it very difficult for the new Martian government to conduct
	its business, throwing up bureaucratic roadblocks at every opportunity.

   <li>@@@910856752 Sheridan has offered to set up a fund for Mars that's
	independent of any Earth influence.

   <li>@@@910856752 Garibaldi replaced the entire board of Edgars Industries
	after they sent an assassin to kill him and Lise, and has set up an
	account that will pay a 500,000-credit reward for the board's death
	should anything happen to him or to Lise.

   <li>@@@910856752 Garibaldi and Lise are now married and have left for
	Mars.

   <li>@@@910856752 Lyta and G'Kar have left the station to travel among the
	stars in an explorer ship G'Kar purchased.

</ul>

<h2><a name="UQ">Unanswered Questions</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li>@@@910895819 What was the delayed-delivery message G'Kar left?

   <li>@@@910856752 Was Delenn's visit to Minbar successful in securing an
	agreement to construct more White Star-class warships?
	(<a href="105.html">"Movements of Fire and Shadow"</a>)

</ul>

<h2><a name="AN">Analysis</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li>@@@910856752 Sheridan noted that wars of independence are frequently
	followed by civil wars.  One example would be the Shadow War, which
	ended up being about independence from the manipulation of the First
	Ones; it was followed by civil wars on both Earth and Minbar.

<p>
   <li>@@@910856752 When Sheridan told him about the plan to catch the
	assassin, Garibaldi seemed skeptical that Zack had come up with the
	idea on his own.  That suggests that Garibaldi still considers Zack
	somewhat green and inexperienced.

<p>
   <li>@@@910856752 There was no mention of Lyta's departure or her
	contributions to Sheridan's cause in his going-away speech.  An
	intentional omission to keep her out of the limelight, or is it
	another example of the problem she's complained about in the past,
	that nobody thinks of her or appreciates her unless they need
	to make use of her?

	<p>
	Her belief that that's always the case is evident in her reaction to
	G'Kar's offer to take her with him; she assumes he's doing it because
	he wants her DNA, not because he genuinely wants her as a traveling
	companion.

</ul>

<h2><a name="NO">Notes</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li>@@@910856752 Normals can train themselves to defend against telepathic
	scans by singing songs or doing math calculations in their heads.  This
	is likely a reference to Alfred Bester's "The Demolished Man," in which
	the main character uses a song to avoid being scanned.

	<p>@@@910938858 
	Telepaths in the underground railroad
	(<a href="030.html">"A Race Through Dark Places"</a>)
	also used songs and rhymes to shield themselves from telepathic scans.

   <li>@@@910856752 Links stick to the hand using a molecular bonding
	mechanism that doesn't adhere to metal.

   <li>@@@910856752 Links are DNA-coded to respond to a particular user, but
	that can be overridden with the right modifications.

   <li>@@@910856752 <a name="NO.minbari">A Minbari can be seen</a>
	cheering G'Kar in the crowd at the departure ceremony.

   <li>@@@910856752 Partial list of the previous Edgars Industries board
        members:
	Mr. Paretti, Mr. Everson, and Mr. Amastoy.

   <li>@@@910856752 Garibaldi's parents both died a long time ago.

</ul>

<h2><a name="JS">jms speaks</a></h2>
<ul>

<p>
   <li>@@@910983723 <em>The opening credits say "Story by Harlan Ellison and
	JMS" and "Teleplay by JMS."  What's a teleplay?</em><br>
	There are two parts of writing an episode: the basic storyline,
	sometimes presented as an outline, and then the actual script which is
	a more specific elaboration on that story.  Story is, "King John and
	Queen Mary live in the castle and they have a hard night between them."

	<p>
	Script is: 

<pre>
EXT. CASTLE - NIGHT
We see the banners unfurling in the breeze, and go to

INT. CASTLE - NIGHT
KING JOHN and QUEEN MARY are in bed.  He's awake, she's sleeping.  He looks up
at the ceiling. 

                                  KING JOHN
		 Why me?  Of all the gin joints and
		 castles in England, why did she have
		 to step into mine?
</pre>

<p>
   <li>@@@911070244 <em>Who wrote the scenes concerning G'Kar's
	admirer?  JMS or Harlan?</em><br>
	The general notion of the thread came up between us.  The actual scenes
	were written by me.

<p>
   <li>@@@911440954 <em>Before Lyta left, she looked behind her.
	Did she know Zach was there, or was she just hoping <b>someone</b>
	would be there?</em><br>
	She was hoping somebody would be there.

</ul>