lurkers-guide/guide/bak/060

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<!-- TITLE War Without End, Part One -->
<h2><a name="OV">Overview</a></h2>
<blockquote><cite>
Ambassador Sinclair returns to pull Babylon 4 through time
(<a href="020.html">"Babylon Squared."</a>) Part 1 of 2.
</cite>
<a href="/lurk/universe/actors.html#ohare">Michael O'Hare</a> as Ambassador Sinclair.
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Choate,+Tim">Tim Choate</a> as Zathras.
<a href="http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Broadhurst,+Kent">Kent Broadhurst</a> as Major Krantz.
</blockquote>
<pre>Production number: 316
Original air week: May 13, 1996
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar
</pre>
<p>
<hr size=3>
<em>Note: Please don't send me any spoiler information for this episode while
this note is present -- I know there's detailed information out there and I'd
rather watch it cold. Thanks.</em>
For spoilers, try the
<a href="http://pages.prodigy.com/wildfoto/spoilers.html">B5 Spoilers Page.</a>
<h2><a name="BP">Backplot</a></h2>
<h2><a name="UQ">Unanswered Questions</a></h2>
<h2><a name="AN">Analysis</a></h2>
<h2><a name="NO">Notes</a></h2>
<h2><a name="JS">jms speaks</a></h2>
<ul>
<li> <em>November 30, 1995</em> -
As I write this, I've just started
writing "War Without End, Part One," #316, the first part of the two
episodes that bring Sinclair to Babylon 5, which we'll shoot sometime
after the first of the year. It's been touch and go, but we've finally
been able to schedule all of the guest cast members from "Babylon
Squared" for this one, which is the flip side of that episode. It's
probably going to be the most expensive show we've done yet, due to
the hideous production requirements for this one. It's also the one
I'm most nervous about writing, even more than "Fall of Night,"
because an awful lot happens here, and it has to be done just right.
It's going to be probably the toughest writing job of the series to
date.
<p>
I'll be putting Sinclair and Sheridan together a lot, which is
shaping up to be an interesting combination. We're also going to see
Minbar for the first time.
<p>
<li> Actually, Mike Vejar is directing the two-parter, and I'm
absolutely thrilled about it; Mike's been our mainstay for
some time, and he's just terrific. (He directed "Convictions,"
and "Inquisitor.")
<p>
<li> Well, reactions have been coming in on the two parter, and so far
everyone's wog-boggled. Peter Jurasik called to say he didn't know
what I'm smoking these days, but to please send ten pounds of it to
his house at *once*. Mumy went nuts over it, everyone's very
excited...including and especially Michael O'Hare, who got his copy
of the script today, read it straight through, and is *extremely*
excited by the story, and what happens with his character, and is
VERY much looking forward to the shoot.
<p>
<li> (Oh, and lest I forget, yes, Zathras does return in "War," as does
Sinclair, who has a lot of great scenes with Marcus, Sheridan, Delenn,
Zathras and others. It also has some real surprises in store, including
some flash-forwards from WAY down the line.)
<p>
<li> <em>January 22, 1996</em><br>
Today was a very interesting day; today Michael O'Hare returned to the
Babylon 5 stages in preparation for shooting the two-parter, which
begins tomorrow. Today he came by for his wardrobe fitting and to get
his hair trimmed, say hi to folks, and hang out...lunch was me, John
Copeland, Michael and Bruce Boxleitner eating together at one of the
tables in the lunch area behind the stage, lots of laughing and kidding,
and the two get on great. (Turns out they'd worked on other projects
before, including the short-lived A Rumor of War series by Sterling
Siliphant.)
<p>
Anyway, it's a great atmosphere, and everybody's psyched for the
two-parter. It's like he never went away.
<p>
<li> <em>January 23, 1996</em><br>
[...] today is Michael O'Hare's first day of shooting here on
the B5 stages for the two-parter, featuring his return to the station
from Minbar, and propels him into the center of attention for most of
the two parts. Everyone's having a great time so far, he and Bruce have
been hanging out a lot, and the episode should be a real toad-strangler
when it's finished.
<p>
<li> A toad-strangler, a barn-burner, a doozy...it's a good thing.
<p>
<li> <em>Won't Sheridan and Sinclair both be standing around giving orders?
</em><br>
The similarity is only if
you choose to define them by their narrow roles. Their personalities
are vastly different. Also, Sinclair's been through a lot in the
intervening couple of years, he's grown, he and Marcus would definitely
have something of a relationship since he would've been there while
Marcus was being trained, and so on. And their roles in the story are
very different.
<p>
<li> <em>Will the relationship between Delenn and Sheridan cause problems
with Sinclair?</em><br>
Well, remember that we never defined what those feelings were between
Sinclair and Delenn; she had a great deal of respect and admiration
for him, yes. And she had a fair measure of faith in him as well.
Question is, what's the root of that? We'll learn some of that in
the two-parter. As for Sinclair, he was mainly involved with Sakai.
<p>
<li> My guess is that "War Without End" may well pass by
<a href="031.html">"CoS"</a>
as all time favorite...until the next one comes along.
<p>
<li> <em>Did you reuse footage from
<a href="020.html">"Babylon Squared?"</a></em><br>
We did both; we reshot some scenes from B2, and used some footage
directly from that episode. Some pretty elegant matches, too, I think.
<p>
<li> As Sinclair notes when he arrives at B5, his status as ambassador is
pretty much gone after the coup.
</ul>