FWIW, the Narns are the only race able to digest the Spoo raw. All other races get cramps, NVD, or death. I forget which one.
On Spoo, the Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5 has the following things to say:
And this, the ultimate spoo information yet released from JMS himself:
So now you know… and that’s a good thing.
Esprix
Got it in one there. I too am a devoted Trekker but the obvious efforts to make a complete universe paid off. I loved the attention for detail at times so obviously lacking from Trek. Knowing so much about the races, their religions, politics etc added so much to the flavour of the series.
My only gripe is that it seemed to follow the Lord of the Rings. After a big anticlimax battle we get the last season where nothing much of any consequence seems to happen relative to the rest of the series. I suppose its better than leaving everything lying wide open and to be honest I can remember where the last season started exactly but if you’ve read the Lord of the Rings and felt how odd the very end of the book feels you’ll know what I mean.
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And they watched news broadcast!! Some of my favorite episodes involved the ISN.
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Well in the fourth season we saw an end to the Earth Alliance civil war. Personally I wouldn’t say that was anti-climatic quite the opposite actually. I thought it was one of the most exciting seaons on television.
The 5th season I can’t blame on JMS. The poor guy wasn’t sure whether or not his show would be picked up for a 5th season so he crammed as much as possible into the 4th. I agree that the 5th season was the weakest.
Well the 5th season saw the start of the Interstellar Alliance and the fall of Centari Prime. There were also a lot of unanswered questions such as how will the Centari be saved from the Shadow’s allies, what happened to G’Kar and Lyta on their two year voyage, what ever happened to Lennier, and how will Garibaldi get his revenge of Bester (I’m ignoring the damn book)?
Of course in the final episode we learn that Lyta and Lennier are both dead. But I’d like to know how. Hopefully any future movies will let us know.
Marc
We do not know that Lyta and Lennier are dead - only that they are “absent” (IIRC). As always with JMS, you must carefully listen to the exact wording used…
Esprix
I suppose that’s possible. But I’d certainly feel cheated if they weren’t dead. They were toasting all the people who were absent and they mention G’Kar and Londo. Since they are dead I don’t think it is a great leap to think that Lyta and Lennier are dead. Especially since Lyta is dead by the time Garibaldi catches Bester in that horrible book.
Marc
Kind of a hijack, but I have a question about getting B5 tapes. Is there a place where you can buy the tapes season by season, instead of one by one? I wish I had taped the episodes back when I had the chance 
Pucette,
Last I looked, you couldn’t get all the eps on tape, but I do happen to have a source… 
If you ask really nicely, maybe you could borrow them. And if you plan on watching Sleeping in Light, which I seem to remember you haven’t seen, I’ll watch with you. And I promise to not hog the tissues.
One more thing. Did they toast Zack who was invited but also absent?
Marc
<clears throat>
Vix, could I please borrow some of your B5 tapes? Please? Pretty please? With a wasabi pea on top?
<waits expectantly>
[sub]P.S. I’ll bring my own box of tissues. That sounds fantastic. [/sub]
Peons - I’ve already got all the tapes through Columbia House through season 3.
They did not toast Zack, but we did see him in the episode. Yes, since they mention three people who did die (Marcus, Londo and G’Kar), it seems one could assume that Lyta and Lennier are dead (and, yes, Lyta was dead in the Psi Corps book), but, again, unless I hear the word “dead” I don’t believe it, especially if it’s written by JMS.
Side note - Marcus isn’t technically dead. According to one of the Babylon 5 CD-ROMs (I don’t recall which), he’s in cryogenic stasis (much like Bester’s wife was) and the information listed on the front panel isn’t “dead” but something along the lines of “awaiting proper medical treatment for possible recussitation” or somesuch. The implication was that he was put into the freezer in the hopes that someday they’d find a way to reverse the machine’s effect (again, much like Bester was hoping for his wife’s revival).
I love this series.
Esprix
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Knave, I have all 5 seasons on VCD. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha. It pays to have an obsessive friend who likes making VCDS.
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I suppose. But I think JMS is a better writer then to use a cheap gimmick to cheat his audience.
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Again, I was under impression that he was dead as a door nail. And again I don’t think he’d use a cheap gimmick to bring Marcus back.
Heh heh…if that ends up being the case then the series will turn into Star Trek instead of Babylon 5.
Marc
Well there’s not much chance of them resurrecting the series itself, so I don’t see it happening. But I wouldn’t put it past JMS at all to do stuff like this. The difference is, he’d find a way to do it well.
Esprix
According to Sci-Fi’s online schedule they’ll be starting the reruns over again, so I’ll be able to get them all taped properly. Finally! (Less than a year, and I’m already dying to have them ALL so I can watch them whenever I want. This is scary.) I can’t afford to buy the tapes, but I can make my own, yay!
I would be very very happy if Marcus weren’t dead, regardless of how he is brought back. drool I’m going to a huge con next month, and Jason Carter’s one of the guests…drool faint sigh I just hope I don’t act like a completely LOON in front of him.
From what I remember JMS said that somebody had to die. He couldn’t just have Ivanova dying like that and pull out some magical cure that had no consequences. Last time that alien device was used June Lockhart killed the guy on the other end.
While they won’t resurrect the series, nor should they, I think they could squeeze a few more TV movies. Of course I really hope that they have something to do with the plot. I was happy with In the Beginning and The Gathering. But I thought that third space one, or whatever it was called, really blew chunks.
Marc
I understand. I kinda wish Claudia Christian was included in the 5th season. But I think it made more sense for her character to move on and do other things. On the other hand at least I have Claudia’s appearance in Playboy to tide me over.
Marc
[bragging hijack]
I have a copy of the Playboy autographed by Claudia to me
She also has a new video and CD coming out, which I have preordered.
[/bh]
They are. IIRC, there’s one coming up on Sci-Fi at the end of the summer.
Not to mention the huge contract negotiation sanfu that happened which was the real-life reason she didn’t stay on. Personally, I think she would have made the fifth season more watchable.
I got to meet the actor who played Byron at Philcon last year. He was there with his… um… “male companion.” Do the math, kiddies… (He was kind of a bitch, though.)
Esprix
Check the “then and now” shots at the end of Sleeping In The Light – unlike the others who get two headshots, Marcus gets one headshot and one view of the status display for his cryotube – and with a sufficiently good TV/tape, you can easily read a message to the effect that he is in suspension awaiting medical treatment.
– Bob
Marcus isn’t dead. JMS wrote a short story in a science magazine about a group of Minbari reviving him a couple of hundred years later. The title was “Space, Time and the Incurable Romantic,” published in Amazing Stories.
Here’s a link to the opening paragraphs:
http://www.wizards.com/amazing/article.asp?cat=602&file=b5
And here’s a review:
http://babylon5.about.com/library/weekly/aa062500a.htm
“It’s getting so a man can’t even die heroically without someone spoiling all the fun.”