Was that the one where he had a heart attack?
Yup. 'Tis.
-Joe
Just Sheldon. The back-episode that showed Leonard moving in with Sheldon has the other three about to watch B5 met with Sheldon’s “but we don’t watch Babylon 5”. Another show has Raj suggesting B5 as a compromise between (IIRC) Saturn 3 and Deep Space 9, much to Sheldon’s disgust.
True - I remember both - it’s just Sheldon but as he always seems to get his own way - it filters down and B5 never gets a good shout
And I don’t think that it’s about B5 specifically-- Rather, someone like Sheldon would have very idiosyncratic tastes, even by nerd standards, so they had to make him hate something that most nerds love. It could just as easily have been TNG, or Farscape, or any other show. B5 was basically just chosen at random. And probably also influenced by the “compromise between Saturn 3 and Deep Space 9” joke, which I think was the first time it showed up.
After rewatching B5 - halfway through S4 - how much I hate the Dr Franklin charachter - anytime he appears is god afull - his god complex to the point that everything he says or does is right and everybody else is wrong really pissed me off - on the other hand anything with Londo and G’Kar is TV gold - put those 2 in any situation (or any other TV show) it would have been a hit.
Yes, it does get better.
I’m not sure if you saw the actual pilot that aired in 1993 or the revised pilot that aired after the series moved to TNT. (They took out bad scenes, put other things back in, upgraded the music and FX a bit.)
Season 1 is a bit of a slog, but it introduces most of the major characters and defines them better. Season 2 they replaced Sinclair (O’Hare) with Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) and the series really picked up after that.
Season 5 had some good stories, but was completely unnecessary in my opinion. they had nicely tied up the story arc in Season 4.
Well, technically, his character was dead by the series finale, which takes place 15 years later.
Now i liked that episode.
I really like the part where he goes into the bar and all the bottles are empty.
“The metaphors are getting a little thick around here!”
I usually think ‘dream sequences’ are cheap writing, but they did it a little better than most.
To be fair, same applies to Sheridan, too. The difference being that Sheridan was actually interesting. I think the only time I found Franklin interesting was back in season one [spoiler]when there were the Christ Scientist aliens.
“He’s not the pope! He doesn’t look anything like her!” [/spoiler]
-Joe
sometimes yes - with Sheridan if he was ordered to do (or not do) somthing he would follow the orders - but with Franklin he just ignored it after all ne knew better - remember he cut open the kid to treat him even though it was against his families wishes/beliefs and was ordered not to as his beliefs could not outway others because he did not believe. (not being a believer myself I never understood how that worked - how could a god give you the knowledge to operate to save a life but bar you from using it - its like saying “see this potato - eating 1 a day will keep you healthy - but you are not allowed to eat it”)
On the other hand, one of the neat things about B5 is that Dr. Franklin was explicitly meant to be a flawed character. His arrogance and narcissism are commented on by other characters, and even by his own subconscious during the “Walkabout” episode. When Garibaldi confronts Franklin about his stim use, it’s an awkward and uncomfortable conversation that Franklin responds to in precisely the wrong way. You’re not meant to see him as an entirely likeable character - more as a decent one with serious flaws that he more-or-less manages. Most of the time.
And that’s why I, personally, wouldn’t have had any problem with just doing the operation.
Saving a life > than superstition. And I’m not even a narcissistic surgeon with a god complex.
-Joe
Except you need to treat the patient as well as the disease. Remember, in that episode, The parents killed their child after the operation largely because Franklin was such an arrogant douche.
He made no plans for “What happens after I operate against the parents and child’s (before the kid was browbeaten* into it) wishes. How will the culture of the people affect their relationship with the (from their POV) now soulless kid?” Just dismissing the parent’s (and kid’s) concerns and then putting the kid back with them after as (from their POV) a zombie is gross malpractice.
Plus
We know that souls exist in the B5 universe. Period. It’s a matter of fact for the Minbari and they can demonstrate it with replicable results (the triluminary)) so there’s every possibility that the Christian Scientists were right when they say their race’s soul departs if they’re operated upon. I’m not saying they do, just that they might. At least it should raise a question in Franklin’s mind. It’s a much more complex issue in the B5 universe than it is here.
*YMMV.
Again, didn’t say Franklin was perfect. My own solution would have been to lie about it afterward - “Wow, looks like your praying fixed him! Congratulations!”.
One way the kid was definitely going to die. The other way, he had a chance at survival, and it was his parents’ that murdered him. Should have been arrested at that point, really.
-Joe
But what if they’re right? They wouldn’t be here in our world, but in the B5 Universe, there’s every possibility that they’re right and Franklin freed or destroyed the kid’s soul. Saving a life > religious beliefs, but in terms of “do no harm”, letting someone die is better than destroying someone’s (very real, in that universe) soul.
(As an aside, I think Franklin’s an absolutely fantastic character–and the guy who played him was great–but the character is an arrogant douche*)
*Another example:
During the Earth/Minbari war, the Minbari had rejected unconditional surrender of Earth and it’s allies and made it clear that they were going to extinct us as a species. Franklin spend the war in a stockade when he unilaterally decided that using his research for bio-weapons was “bad” so he burned it…he apparently felt that the Minbari destroying all human life everywhere was a better option. Frankly, I’d have shot the bastard for “crimes against humanity”.Literal crimes against ALL of humanity.. It’s a testament to how good of an actor the guy was that the character is so fascinating despite being a complete monster in many ways.
I agree with the operation but not if its because he sees it as ‘they dont count because I know better’ - you cant just ignore the rules/orders just because you think you know better. Why do we need permision to operate or take organs if the doctor thinks it will save someone - surely its the same nowadays.
So why do you agree with the operation?
-Joe
on a side note - still hate the character - bad one was Walkabout - it that if the actors intent was you to think he was a douch and a total dislikable charachter then agreed he did do a fantastic job - good job Richard Biggs…
I agree [spoiler]with the op for 3 reasons. 1 reason against
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personal - i dont belive in any devine being - if it helps - use it.
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if they went to a doctor who uses any type of ‘modern medical practices’ then you cant pick and choose - the same evolutional process was used to gain all the understandin and knowledge.
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if they took blood to test - surely its the same - but I think the just said cutting? - but not sure - if they get a paper cut - do they get killed??? if they fall and cut themself??? would you want to be a steel worker if that was the result of a works accident???
1 against - freedom of choice - if I say no - then who is anyone else to say their choice for me is better. If i’m on a ventalator and I want it switched off - I want my family to make the choice if i cant - not some religous nut who thinks any life is to be preserved. Switch it off now :)[/spoiler]