Some Notes and Opinions

Regarding 2257 Monologue--
People had asked JMS why they had an alien talk about the third age of Mankind. He said that he wanted to put it in perspective, have an outside observer. Here's his comments on the first opening monologue, culled by the good folks at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 in their guide for Babylon 5: The Gathering:

There was a reason we gave Londo the pilot opening monologue, yes. And another reason why we're giving Sinclair the opening monologue over credits of the first season, though with some differences. We're also considering rotating any such opening between other cast members as well, but *always* in the past-tense, "Babylon 5 *was*...." We're dealing in future history here, and we plan to do some interesting things with that aspect.

Yeah, Londo seems like the *least* likely person to do the opening narration for a show like this; you don't even see him for nearly two full acts, and it's the kind of thing you'd expect the Commander to do. But there are reasons for everything....

Oh, yeah, the "mission of destruction" thing ONLY relates to this particular episode, the pilot. It'll be gone from regular episodes.

"Mankind" was being used by Londo specifically in relation to humans, not sentient aliens including his own race. Earthers. Which was one reason (of many) I wanted his character to be the narrator, someone looking in from the outside.

As for the Third Age, it's -- oh, darn, look at the time, have to go....

What's the significance of the line "last best hope for peace"? JMS's Political Science 101.

For those of you who are wondering, "Just what the heck is the Third Age of Mankind??" Here's the answer, explained by Sheridan at the end of "Into the Fire." (For more information, check out The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5, in their guide for Into the Fire)

"Well, we began in chaos, too primitive to make our own decisions. Then we were manipulated from outside by forces that thought they knew what was best for us. And now...now we're finally standing on our own." -Sheridan

Another interesting point to remember is that for the most part, all of the monologues are spoken in the past tense. Here's JMS's comment on the past tense.

JMS has used the line "This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations" as evidence that there will be no more Babylon Stations. No Babylon 6. Listen to JMS about that evidence.

This has led me to believe that whoever does the monologue, will be alive at the end of the Babylon 5 arc. However, due to other spoiler information, it seems that Ivanova and Marcus will be killed at the beginning of Season 5, 2262. So, I've changed my theory to be that the character who does the opening monologue will be alive at the end of the year. Here's JMS's comments on different characters doing narration.

*well, I was wrong on Ivanova's count...*

JMS said of the Season 4's opening, "The B5 story is told from everyone's point of view, and they're all a part of it, so the opening now reflects that. And it gives me the chance to do an opening that's sort of a prose poem, which is a nice touch."

And JMS presents the Alternate Opening Narration for The Gathering.

Well. thanks to TNT, we received the fifth and final season. With the dawn of 2262 comes a new opening sequence. One quite different from the others, but still in it's own special logic, is appropriate. Here's a bunch of JMS quotes (found through The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5)

..Saw the first pass today on the S5 title sequence, based on my outline to the editors...looks pretty spiffy, and a big difference from what we've done before, stylistically.

Whose idea was it to put your name on the back of the station?
I confess it was my idea...damn taggers are everywhere...it's my one indulgence in 5 years. Doesn't any good artist sign his work?

This in some ways is my favorite title sequence. It took a long time to make it, and it was very difficult to assemble. Usually I can design the title sequence on paper, and the working with the editors part doesn't take that long...here it took a Long Time to painstakingly choose the images, use counterpoint dialogue, pick the high moments and make it all flow from one year to the next, sort of a Cliff's Notes version of the history of the show. And the music is terrific...very mature, solid sounding.

As for the back of the station...y'know, those damn taggers are everywhere, aren't they?

In about two dozen comments so far about the S5 title, only one has been negative, the rest loving it. It helps to place each season for the new viewers, recaps things, hits the high points, and the new music gives it a more mature sound. I'm pleased. (Since I designed it, I guess I'd better be....)

Won't it confuse new viewers?
I think the newbies will be fine...unless and until you know the context of the scenes from S1-4, they're just pretty pictures.

Here's my best attempt at attributing these lines. (I'm Deaf so I can't listen to the voice for each line... so I need to rely on memory)
Other help came from reading ISN's transcript at the now defunct ISN Network site.

Line 1- Kosh
Line 2- A Rogue Warrior Caste Minbari Assassin in "THE GATHERING"
Line 3- Mister Morden asking his infamous question
Line 4- G'Kar giving a tip to Catherine Sakai
Line 5- Sinclair after watching ISN's coverage of President Clark's installation
Line 6- General Hague informing Ivanova's of Sinclair's new situation
Line 7- Londo
Line 8- Elric the Technomage's comment to Londo
Line 9- Sebastian the inquistor to Delenn and Sheridan
Line 10- An ISN anchorperson
Line 11- Sheridan explaining his break from EarthGov
Line 12- *Bester
Line 13- Sheridan's confrontation with Kosh about the Shadow War
Line 14- *Zathras explaining Sinclair's role in the scheme of things
( or Justin, the Shadow Representative to Sheridan)
Line 15-Kosh's warning about Z'ha'dum to Sheridan
Line 16- Lorien's question to Sheridan
Line 17- Another one of Lorien's questions to Sheridan
Line 18- *Delenn's sorrow about the Minbari Civil War
Line 19- Sheridan echoing Ivanova's comment in the wake of the Shadow planet killers
Line 20- Sheridan's command to the Vorlons and Shadows
Line 21- Sheridan's pronouncement to Earth

 

Further notes: some of the lines have astersiks (*) marking them. That's where I have gotten conflicting information.

Line 12-- the closed captioning refers to it as "Weapons, surprise.." however ISN types it as "Weapons, supplies".
Line 14--the closed captioning refers to it in the first few episodes as "You're the one we want." and only recently did I notice that it changed to "You're the one who was."
Line 18--again, like line 14, the line seems to have changed, from "I think of the beautiful cities..." to "I think of my beautiful city in flames..."

Notes and Opinions on the Crusade Opening

This line of questioning was seen in the end of the first episode aired of Crusade. Galen, the technomage asked Captain Gideon these particular questions. As I said earlier, I'm Deaf, and can't tell whether the voice who asked the last two questions was Galen.

It's worth noting that the first two questions were the familiar questions asked by the Vorlons and Shadows.
Lorien, when he was sheltering the dead Sheridan, asked a third question, "Why are you here?" These big three questions, along with the new questions, show that JMS apparently believes that these questions are the questions necessary for direction in one's life. Gideon has a singular goal here, but these questions can apply in a broad sense of things.

It is also worth noting that Gideon, upon being asked the final two questions by Galen, responded "I don't know."
The answer apparently satisfied Galen, since he indicated he would join Gideon on his quest.

In the fourth episode aired, The Path of Sorrows , I have noticed that it seems to indicate a study of Lorien's question--"Why are you here?" Galen seems to be pondering upon that question himself.

Lest I forget, the timeframe of Crusade is the year 2267, five years after President Sheridan left Babylon 5 at the end of
the television series.

On the concept of the CRUSADE intro--

While in the process of figuring out the opening credits for the show, Joe [JMS] wandered into John's [Copeland] office and found himself looking from drawings of the Excalibur to a particular sword hanging in John's office. The sword Joe saw was John's Dark Ages blade, a sword that may have belonged to the real King Arthur. That's when the intro for the show suddenly clicked into place. The opening would start with a sword tumbling end over end towards the audience, stopping long enough to see the letters of CRUSADE burning across it, surrounded by DNA double helix. Then the camera pans around us to the very point of the blade. But the point is now the Excalibur, which jumps into hyperspace.

So in a sense we will be following John's sword into hyperspace. Which is really a metaphor, following your sword, or in other words, following your passion. If John hadn't followed his own passion [for swords and other weaponry] we wouldn't have such a cool series logo.

But then, following your sword is the nature of Babylon 5.

written by Fiona Avery in Babylon 5 The Official Monthly Magazine vol. 2 no. 3