No he is wrong, magic and spiritual energies are real and tech does it's best to replicate it. But think of it this way, how and why they work the way they do with the laws of Earth and the Universe is literally magical. You may know why something may do what it does, but ask Why the Why works and whom or what built it that way.
"The true secrets, the important things. Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever. Seven words to make them go without pain. How to say good-bye to a friend who is dying. How to be poor. How to be rich. How to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them. That is why we are going away-to preserve that knowledge." One of my favorite lines from the show
I'm a bit more simple... Landing thruster, landing thrusters... oh if I were the landing thrusters which button would I be (It's really hard to have favourites with this show though, it's just full of amazing)
"As Elric spoke, he realized the bitter truth: he had lost his dreams. His dream of growing old on Soom. His dream of Galen becoming a great mage. His dream of the Technomages fighting the Shadows. All his dreams were gone, and no spell could bring them back."
I really wish publishers would look at some of these OOP books and try to secure digital rights to them, if they don't have them already. Small bit of profit for them and the authors with minimal effort.
Funny how Michael Ansara often delivered words in his scifi performances that resonate to this day. His Star Trek line, "Only a fool fights in a burning ship." is a warning most of today's leaders ignore at our collective peril.
I personally enjoyed his performance as a technomage more. I had a couple vhs with him as a western performer. I pilfered them from my late grandfather's collection. A few decades later and no method to digitize them, lost them. I found a shop that sells old media, and it looks like someone had the same hobby as my grandfather, a couple vhs tapes had some of Ansara's movies.
This was one of my favorite shows. I love how it told a story. That it sometimes had a few little stories in one big story but still tied everything together. Like how babylon 4 disappeared and reappeared years later leaving more questions then answers. Then a couple of seasons later we get the full picture of what really happened and it was something no one saw coming.
The best question it answered later on is why every sentient race has an equivalent to Swedish Meatballs. It's a throwaway line, but apparently they were Sinclair's favourite food. So he introduced them everywhere he went.
@@kizikucalegon8673 Really? I didn't know that........always thought it was just a dish so simple/easy to make that every meat eating race eventually made their own version of it.
@@jamesmartin9401 I was thinking he had talent on and off screen which probably contributed to his confidence... I would think being married to Barbara Eden did not hurt his confidence....
Agreed to both . . . But he also redefined Mr. Freeze in Batman: The Animated Series. And only Batman could even dream of messing with him; even in his own show. The name is Michael Ansara. The profession: Actor Extraordinaire.
@@lour7299 Ah, but what is a trick? Are you saying, that having telekinetic tapeworms move objects for you is somehow of higher order as using magnetic fields to do the same?
I love this sequence. So much is magic, magic of the human heart focused and made reality. Medicine, engineering, all of it...transistor, circuit, laser, and crystal. I knew someone for a time, and it was magical. I lost her to cancer, paraganglioma and its complications. I think at one time I must have said the fourteen words...I only hope when it was needed, I said the other seven. I miss you, and I love you, Patty.
Michael Ansara, pure legend. To take such a simple scene, with such a simple backdrop, and then turn it into so smooth and yet chilling all at once. In just one episode he touched the hearts of an entire fanbase with near passive ease.
If you don't cry at the end of Sleeping in Light you have no soul. "Every morning for as long as she lived, Delenn got up before dawn and watched the sun come up."
This episode made me a Technomage fanboi immediately. The suggestion of knowledge and keeping the mystery of how far it really goes throughout the show was just perfect
I am not a "fanboi", but there was a HUGE potential missed with them and completely ruined by Crusade. It was nice to have Crusade, but TNT really messed things up. JMS was originally against it, but not only caved to what the fans wanted, but TNT's pressures. I don't think he knew when he started they would sink their fingers in so much. By the end of Crusade's run, it didn't resemble the creation of Babylon 5 and JMS' vision of it all. JMS apologized to the fans, the fans apologized to JMS, no one was happy. I appreciate Crusade, but that is as far as I am taking it.
@James Richards True, but Crusade did have one of the most badass lines ever Gideon: I thought you said you never hold a grudge. Galen: _Well, I don't. I have no surviving enemies..._
I always wondered if what the Technomages were really worried about was specifically the return of the Shadows. Since they were created by the Shadows, they might have thought that they'd be dragged back into things as the servants of the Shadows. I suppose they were an answer to the Minbari, or to the Vorlons' creation of telepaths in the younger races - the Achilles' heel of the Shadow vessels and the only thing giving even the Minbari a real chance against them.
Considering the Vorlon's use of planet killers to cleanse systems of Shadow influence, staying FAR away from the coming conflict was a smart move on their part.
I would love to see a technomage, a vorlon, and a shadow each build an individual figher type vessel just to so who would come out with best looking design and most functional design.
The mysteries of laser, circuit and crystal. The mysteries of how electronic waves propagates trough the ionosphere and beyond. Maybe we ham radio operators are radio technomages? And there are cybermages of the computers. We are dreamers,makers and singers. A ham radio operator.
Oh hell no. The last thing Comstar needs is even more advanced tech. They're too conflict adverse to have been at Tukayyid or part of the Word of Blake but they certainly got the image right.
Awesome series! The writing, the acting... man, I miss watching it. I used to race home from work, make some popcorn then drop myself on the couch and let the episode take me far away. Good times!
This performance by Ansara and his performance as the voice of Mr Freeze made him a personal favorite. It is a genuine shame about his passing, he was talented and by my guess a very humble man. One of my favorite quotes is said by him, “yes…it would move me to tears….if I still had tears to shed.” Mr. Freeze, Batman TAS Heart of Ice.
I also remember his role in the great old miniseries "Centennial," in which he played the fateful role of a Native American leader. There was never any mistaking his face, voice, or bearing.
Well obviously they left so Clark could not obtain and exploit their secrets and technology. Would have been a real nightmare if he had access to that.
If the technomages could see potential destinies, then Ansara Mage would know that Sheridan would one day meet with Lorien. probably why he spoke with him so easily compared with others. He knew he could trust him. Just as Galen (Son of the Killer of Darth .. being cryptic there) did as well.
One of my favorite B5 episodes, but I got to say, re-watching it after reading the Technomage trilogy is fascinating because it ends up being a completely different story. (the second book is mostly this episode but from the technomages point of view)
Back then they KNEW (or at least Straczynski did) how to write a great story and characters. Now compare this to crap current day hollywood tries to peddle.
Definitely. What Straczynski did was take a sci-fi novel and make it into a 5 year show. The story arcs both small and large were very well done. Part of the problem with a lot of books being adapted to movies or TV is that you lose so much. It's always little more than a shadow of the book. Pun intended. Because they don't take the time to world build, most shows up until that time were doing a show of the week episode, where you could watch it as a stand alone episode and it didn't usually effect the overall story. Each story was neatly wrapped by the end of the episode, for the most part. This weeks episode is about psychic ability. This is the monster of the week episode, this episode is about addiction etc. What Straczynski did with B5 flew in the face of that, he really hashed out these ideas over a long period of time. That made the character development in B5 top notch. It didn't hurt that the relatively unknown actors turned out to be perfect for their roles. IMO the alien characters turned out to be more interesting than the human. In most sci-fi shows that's not the case. Not that there are no great alien characters in other shows, but they're usually ancillary compared to the human characters. B5 puts them out front in a big way, the show hinges on that. Putting more alien characters out front is mirrored in DS9. When I say "mirrored" I mean they copied that from B5. There was a lawsuit that Paramount lost because Straczynski had submitted B5 to Paramount first but they turned it down. Suddenly they had a great idea for a show with a space station by a wormhole, with many other similarities. Not gonna complain too much about that because we got characters like Garak and Dukat etc. So there's that. Wait am I ranting. Sorry about that. Was bored.
@John Daniels While The Expanse is quite cool the complexity of it's writing in comparison to B5... well it's way more simplified - B5 had so long and intricate story arcs, plots ,character developments that were literally spanning through enitre show - The expanse is more focused on delivering single contained stories with one maybe two lingering plots in the background like the protomolecule itself or tensions between the earth/mars/belt. With B5 this was way more intricate often with foreshadowing of things to come in entire seasons later. So nah while i like The expanse and indeed think currently it's the best Sci-fi show airing at the moment - nah B5 was way better written mate - Boomer juice or not :P
It is so sad that for such a recent show (only 30 years) where all the actors were in their 20s, 30s, and 40s so many of the B5 cast are no longer with us. Michael Ansara was a great actor, didn't play many major roles but his voice and delivery were perfect for the technomage character.
True. every one of them had something in their lives that lent to their character's in the movie, the kinds of things that shorten your lifespan. And a few had underlying heath conditions.and even in early to mid 40's and otherwise healthy, something can still take you out easily. Life happens 😉Since I hit 42 this year, I've definitely been paying attention to my health as much as I can. In the grand scheme of things, mid-life really isn't mid-life at all. Just counting down the days or at least making sure I try to make good choices in regards to my health to stick around a bit longer. I have watched friends die, my parents have already died and so has my brother. my "heroes" are gone. My fiance died a couple years ago. So... yeah. I am okay if I stopped existing tomorrow 🤣I have done right by my friends, my god daughter is in her third year in college and doing great. I'm ready. Until then, I'll continue to be a nuisance to the people on the internet and a source of worry for my circle of friends that way I won't be forgotten for at least three generations 🤣
I’d love to just to sit down with him and chat about stuff. Even if he doesn’t tell you the fourteen words. Just to talk with someone like that can to me teach you about them and your thoughts and self.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke, 1968 "[...] an uninformed public tends to confuse scholarship with magicians [...]" - Isaac Asimov, 1952
I am going to repair that statement with "Wish we could have seen more of the Technomages, beyond the train-wreck that was was Crusade" ;) I did read the novelizations. Not bad.
We still have nine others who were considered Main Cast in all five seasons who are still alive and kicking around this dust ball of a planet. ;) Unfortunately, four of their characters were killed off, one is missing and who knows what the others would be doing if the story continued. If we wanted more B5, we would need not only a reboot starting at The Gathering, but a cast of young and terrifyingly healthy old actors. It is kinda sad, but I have only thoughts of celebration and admiration of what not only the cast, but the entire crew and support staff that made this timeless series. All the political, ideological, societal and moral issues present in the series are STILL relevant today. I finished binge watching the entire series with my 19 year old goddaughter and she thought it was an awesome, poorly budgeted and produced current series. When I told her the last episode aired in 1998, well before she was born, she was amazed. So much so she bought a few USB drives and plans to give them to a few of her college friends.
XD Yeah, I know. I was mainly concentrating on the wisdom of the character of Elric. I re-cut it again to be just the Orange Blossom scene for another discussion on another platform.
I wouldn't say he hung around. I think he went against Elrich's "suggestions" and returned to the IA when news of Earth's quarantine reached their cabal.
"If we went back in time a thousand years, trying to explain this place to people..." This would have been a great foreshadowing if Sinclair had said it as it was originally intended.
I would imagine with the lore in the novels, added the event in Crusade and how they were depicted, along with what little exposure we had in Babylon 5; they probably did just fine during the "Shadow War" and subsequent events after from the movies.Canonically speaking of course. By the time the post series movies came out, there were no mention of the Technomages. No news is good news. I would imagine their ingenuity in using tech to appear as magic, they also helped push humans to the transcendent state humanity was in for "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars". By then, there would be no need for Technomages. It is for Us to decide with our imaginations ;)
Did He ever get Flounders Brother Car back in One Piece, and explain how His Brothers Car is the Leader of A New Cult Classic: The Seashore songs and Dancing with Vir, that's Sweeping the Station that led to lack Security Protocols and Driving The Babylonians off the Station in the First Place, these Deep Questions were never fully Explored or even Brought up what a missed opportunity
If you're talking about the battles involving the Vorlon and Shadow then no. They were long gone by then. But, in the Crusades series I believe only one returned, Gideon???.
Yep, I'm already thinking of recording everything I can, all the time. That's the future, and I'm a regular gargoyle. Londo handled that well. Really, hustling is in his blood.
Saying as a Star Trek fan, the Borg were an almost low brow antagonist, but when they realized that, story arcs of the lost colony that worked with Janeway and Seven of Nine being some points of giving depth to them; the books hold a lot more than the show ever did. Novelized Borg turned out to be a decently developed antagonist. A series based on the Shadows? I wonder what you might mean. They played their part and like the Vorlon, JMS purposefully kept their development low. It really isn't needed for the story.
The only issue with this scene is the line "Maybe, but god was there first". That was either thrown in as a sop for American audiences, or shows hubris on the part of the writers.
I would say a little of both and more. I have had English friends say they same. A Shinto priest, when I was in Japan had a similar saying. It is just a nod to the fact that we still haven't solved everything thing and that there is still wonder and magic in the unknown. I prefer this interpretation as I do enjoy some wonder. Very much the naturalist and atheist, but still; I enjoy the wonder.
@@JamesRichardsPlays I must disagree. Do people automatically say "Bless you" if you sneeze? We were taught that it was polite, but if you think on it, it is superstitious, arrogant and offensive. Another tenet we were taught is that "a person's faith must be respected. Why, exactly? I've been a naturalist since I was a child, and the world is full of wonders. We are seeing more of the universe every day, but there will always be mysteries. The concept of "god" is a piss-poor explanation for anything.
@@andrewstrongman305 ::rubbing hands together:: I so love these level headed conversations. The concept of "god" is actually the perfect concept for explaining the unknown. We ask why something is happening and due to centuries of pattern seeking leads us to a center point, a unity, a "mind" that "makes it so". We are pattern seeking individuals, this has allowed us to survive and propagate as a species. It is only natural that the center is a "something" or "someone", so the superstition persists. So I think the scenario you posit for a sneeze is superstitious, arrogant or offensive? To start; offensive? No. People who do that are only doing what they were brought up with. I have met many people who ask "You alright? I have cats. Is it cats?" So,m offense is not being meant by the gesture. Arrogant? How? A change in someone's daily life, it is required to make sure your guest is comfortable or you want to make sure nothing untoward is going to happen to you personally. I for one, don't mind asking someone, "Are you sick or something? I am looking out for my health." Superstitious? Now we hit the meat. Yes. Very superstitious, but ties in to the idea that we require a response, and that response is usually what we are brought up with. Saying "Bless you" even as an Atheist is not a "Bad Thing". Most Atheists I run into are okay with it. And it satisfies the need for Christians to be validated. Keeps the social mechanism moving without too much grease. Hell. My believer friends find it hilarious that my response with anyone is a smile and "Stop that" is good enough. Your scenario pales when it comes to discussing the idea brought forth in the conversation: "Maybe, but god was there first." You forgot "He didn't need solar batteries or a fusion reactor to do it." I believe, your response is just zeroing in on one aspect of the conversation. it ignores nuance, and a myriad of wonderful and interesting possibilities. What if the "first god" did need it? (take a look at Darkmatter2525 - Power Corrupts series) The point I am thinking is being made, and seeing Sheradin's responses through out the series and what he says, it isn't a Deist jab. It is only a counter argument for a human that is still growing and learning. In a perfect world, I would LOVE to see the removal of all references to deism/theism of any kind removed. I firmly believe that it has done nothing but soil the abilities of mankind to grow and progress. However, in the THIS context, I find it completely warranted. I do NOT believe any faith should be respected. Especially if ti is the source of ANY suffering. Untempered Atheism is in the same boat. We, as a species, still needs the unknown. It still helps to inform our morals. In many instances, the Atheist's morality has been much more preferable to the the others, but like all things, it still needs evolution. We are now in the stage of taking understanding and patience toward those who believe in superstition. No need to go "all ham" and bring the gauntlet down. In my years of debate and discussion, I have found that tactic only spurs opposition. Even for those who are questioning. Much better to use a soft, yet firm hand. Know when to pull back. I will never look at someone who says "Bless you" to me and start a fight. A "thank you" and move on is a better approach. Same with the writing her. Look at everything else JMS has done and you will see the naturalists bent. Yeah, he may be appeasing to the crowd per 1990's and 2000's, but he doe sit in such a way that is satisfying. Hell. Surprised you didn't rail on about the episode when Sinclair introduces all of Earth's religions. I think it is more a testament to Humanities ability to not let a single religion to ideal to dictate life that makes them the stronger species in the universe we know here.
@@JamesRichardsPlays I'm not sure why you think I pick fights with someone simply for saying "Bless you." I either ignore it completely (the correct response to a sneeze), or reply "No, thanks" or "Please don't." I do think the phrase is arrogant and offensive. Who ordained the speaker to go about 'blessing' people without invitation? Never mind the arrogance of prayer itself. It is offensive in it's assumption that the one so 'blessed' is accepting of their religion. "It satisfies the need for Christians to be validated"... so fukking what? Do they ever 'validate' atheists? No, they cannot do so. One of the greatest lies is that "faith must be respected." I respect those who keep it to themselves.
@@andrewstrongman305 I think my choice of words were poor when I mentioned picking fights. Not the intent, just a point in dealing with it. Some do. It was a bad assumption on my part, even if I wasn't aiming to assume. My apologies on that one. As for validation, It is a useful tactic in debate and avenues of query when discussing certain subjects. That doesn't mean that validation is universal, nor practiced and internalized in all my interactions. If my interlocutor is being honest and engaging, they deserve just a dash of it. Almost certainly if they offered their own validation and respect as well, first. I agree those who adhere to it should be respected up until they are influencing policy using it as a justification or impacting my daily life at any moment. I do not respect the religion itself. Having a certain amount religiosity built into scripts is entertaining though. I don't remember the original Battlestar Galactica having so many references to religion, but the reimagined series was filled to the brim of it, but was still quite tasteful given the story.
Techno mages were not that impressive when compared to the sheer superiority of the Vorlons and their technology. The Vorlons made the techno mages look like cavemen.
Funny thing about that is the Technomages' technology originated with the Shadows, though the Technomages broke away from them long ago. If the Shadows' plan had worked, they would have sort of been a Shadow-oriented equivalent of the Rangers.
@@suchiuomizu and THAT would've been a sight to see in itself. That being said, I thought it was pretty interesting to have the technomages, living weapons created by an ancient race hellbent on evolution and chaos, desert their creators and found their own order from what they were transformed into.
Not a great comparison seeing as the Vorlon were Millions possibly billions of years old and more advanced oh and Immortal, Techno-mages are still Human after all.
You go with what is available as a counter in argument. It really hasn't been until the mid to early 2010's that Atheism isn't a taboo subject. It is still not an "acceptable" view. I think it was more of a nod to the "...what does god need with a starship?" quote. An homage maybe? There is also the religious observance episode where Sinclair brought leaders of many different faiths, no mention of TST or other atheistic views. I also think Ansara's statement of not needing a burning bush to allude to the claim that "god" was a technomage ;)
"Do not meddle it the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."
Straczynski actually took the line from J.R.R. Tokiens Lord of the Rings.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and tasty with ketchup.
@@gameoverinsertcointocontin8102 what self-respecting technomage has not read The Lord of the Rings?
Wow, all of you and the likes are clearly from...juvenile losers. lol.
@@mirrortoyourweakness9769 Then why are you here with us?
Reminds me of Arthur C. Clarke's famous quote: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
I was thinking the same thing
That was the point.
40 years ago so many of those items we use today would have been considered magic.
@@ronintje7647not really.....
No he is wrong, magic and spiritual energies are real and tech does it's best to replicate it. But think of it this way, how and why they work the way they do with the laws of Earth and the Universe is literally magical. You may know why something may do what it does, but ask Why the Why works and whom or what built it that way.
"The true secrets, the important things. Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever. Seven words to make them go without pain. How to say good-bye to a friend who is dying. How to be poor. How to be rich. How to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them. That is why we are going away-to preserve that knowledge."
One of my favorite lines from the show
Agreed.
I'm a bit more simple... Landing thruster, landing thrusters... oh if I were the landing thrusters which button would I be (It's really hard to have favourites with this show though, it's just full of amazing)
Agreed
@Driver Nephi I want to know those 14 words.
@Driver Nephi LOL.....underrated dark joke.
"As Elric spoke, he realized the bitter truth: he had lost his dreams. His dream of growing old on Soom. His dream of Galen becoming a great mage. His dream of the Technomages fighting the Shadows. All his dreams were gone, and no spell could bring them back."
Is that from one of the books?
@@marcfoster715 Yup it's from the second book in the tie-in Technomage trilogy.
I really wish publishers would look at some of these OOP books and try to secure digital rights to them, if they don't have them already. Small bit of profit for them and the authors with minimal effort.
Idk. He could have given Londo his little photo op and prevented the shadows from setting up their foothold on the Centauri homeworld. Jus sayin.
@@morrigan908 I have or had several boxes of B5 paperbacks, no idea *where* they got to. This would be *fresh material* , relatively speaking.
Michael Ansara....great Actor. Never upset a Technomage lol
And the voice of Mr freeze on batman tas
Also played Kang in Star Trek TOS and DS9.
@@fangfyre3800 I forgot that ty for the reminder
And Barbara Eden's husband.
Don’t mess with a Klingon Technomage
"We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers." Such a good line
This is 24 kt. Au. I loved this series. Tubi carries this, entire series, mostly ad free.
4:09 _"With luck you'll never see our kind again in your lifetime."_
And then came Galen.
Yes but remember Galen was a bit of a renegade who disobeyed the order.
I did like that Galen made a point of commenting on Elric's presence - and that voice. RIP Michael Ansara.
Funny how Michael Ansara often delivered words in his scifi performances that resonate to this day. His Star Trek line, "Only a fool fights in a burning ship." is a warning most of today's leaders ignore at our collective peril.
I personally enjoyed his performance as a technomage more. I had a couple vhs with him as a western performer. I pilfered them from my late grandfather's collection. A few decades later and no method to digitize them, lost them. I found a shop that sells old media, and it looks like someone had the same hobby as my grandfather, a couple vhs tapes had some of Ansara's movies.
Kang actually said: "Only a fool fights in a burning house."
This was one of my favorite shows. I love how it told a story. That it sometimes had a few little stories in one big story but still tied everything together. Like how babylon 4 disappeared and reappeared years later leaving more questions then answers. Then a couple of seasons later we get the full picture of what really happened and it was something no one saw coming.
No one listens to Zathras.
@@kurtjk01 not to Zathras no, but they do listen to Zathras
The best question it answered later on is why every sentient race has an equivalent to Swedish Meatballs. It's a throwaway line, but apparently they were Sinclair's favourite food. So he introduced them everywhere he went.
@@kizikucalegon8673 Really? I didn't know that........always thought it was just a dish so simple/easy to make that every meat eating race eventually made their own version of it.
@@TheFloorface not the one
As a Klingon or as a Technomage.... This actor communicates "Don't mess with me!"
Remember he was also Queen Ardala's General Kane on Buck Rodgers. Michael Ansara had a presence, no doubt.
@@jamesmartin9401 I was thinking he had talent on and off screen which probably contributed to his confidence... I would think being married to Barbara Eden did not hurt his confidence....
@@reelsoffortuneslotsplay4267 That would either require confidence, or give it. Either way, you're right.
Agreed to both . . . But he also redefined Mr. Freeze in Batman: The Animated Series. And only Batman could even dream of messing with him; even in his own show. The name is Michael Ansara. The profession: Actor Extraordinaire.
He also voiced Mister Freeze.
The Techno Mages make the Jedi look brutish mercenaries.
Only the jedi has the mitochondria that control the Force.. while the technoMage used tricks and trinket
@@lour7299 Ah, but what is a trick? Are you saying, that having telekinetic tapeworms move objects for you is somehow of higher order as using magnetic fields to do the same?
@@_Muzolf which episode that they have telekinetic tape worm?
@@lour7299 Its a joke reference midiclorians.
@@_Muzolf ahhh, i did nit get that hahhaha, sorry
I love this sequence. So much is magic, magic of the human heart focused and made reality. Medicine, engineering, all of it...transistor, circuit, laser, and crystal.
I knew someone for a time, and it was magical. I lost her to cancer, paraganglioma and its complications.
I think at one time I must have said the fourteen words...I only hope when it was needed, I said the other seven. I miss you, and I love you, Patty.
"I miss you, and I love you" ... seven words. 😥
It never goes away does it? Even if it did, what kind of person would I be to forget? I won't do that; I couldn't do that.
My next step even almost three years later is, "how to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them..."
@@RockinRob2258 LIFE can steal one's dreams, believe me.
@@RockinRob2258 We all want to rediscover stolen dreams.
Michael Ansara, pure legend. To take such a simple scene, with such a simple backdrop, and then turn it into so smooth and yet chilling all at once. In just one episode he touched the hearts of an entire fanbase with near passive ease.
I remember my wife crying like a baby at the end of "Sleeping in Light."
If you don't cry at the end of Sleeping in Light you have no soul.
"Every morning for as long as she lived, Delenn got up before dawn and watched the sun come up."
@@GaldirEonai I MISS Mira Furlan. The last work she did was M Scott Zicree's Space Command, which is / was on here, & looked pretty damn good.
This episode made me a Technomage fanboi immediately. The suggestion of knowledge and keeping the mystery of how far it really goes throughout the show was just perfect
I am not a "fanboi", but there was a HUGE potential missed with them and completely ruined by Crusade. It was nice to have Crusade, but TNT really messed things up. JMS was originally against it, but not only caved to what the fans wanted, but TNT's pressures. I don't think he knew when he started they would sink their fingers in so much. By the end of Crusade's run, it didn't resemble the creation of Babylon 5 and JMS' vision of it all. JMS apologized to the fans, the fans apologized to JMS, no one was happy. I appreciate Crusade, but that is as far as I am taking it.
@James Richards True, but Crusade did have one of the most badass lines ever
Gideon: I thought you said you never hold a grudge.
Galen: _Well, I don't. I have no surviving enemies..._
@@JamesRichardsPlays Crusade didn't do much for me. Caprica ( from BSG ) had MORE potential, but of course, it got the axe.
Sounds like the short end of the Prime Directive to me 😂 !
I always wondered if what the Technomages were really worried about was specifically the return of the Shadows. Since they were created by the Shadows, they might have thought that they'd be dragged back into things as the servants of the Shadows. I suppose they were an answer to the Minbari, or to the Vorlons' creation of telepaths in the younger races - the Achilles' heel of the Shadow vessels and the only thing giving even the Minbari a real chance against them.
Considering the Vorlon's use of planet killers to cleanse systems of Shadow influence, staying FAR away from the coming conflict was a smart move on their part.
Love Sheridan's answer sending him on the slowest transport he can find
The acting was so amazing. i feel like it was so far ahead of its time
And there I sit, some eternity after I've seen this scene before, goosebumps all over me.
Yep. I’d like to know those secrets. Ethically used, they could do a lot of good.
I would love to see a technomage, a vorlon, and a shadow each build an individual figher type vessel just to so who would come out with best looking design and most functional design.
The mysteries of laser, circuit and crystal. The mysteries of how electronic waves propagates trough the ionosphere and beyond. Maybe we ham radio operators are radio technomages? And there are cybermages of the computers.
We are dreamers,makers and singers.
A ham radio operator.
I can only most highly recommend the technomage book trilogy - so much explained and a crazy ride!
One of my favorite scenes. Michael Ansara was so good in roles like this.
"how to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them from you" ... that always gets me.
Kang hero of the Klingon empire
Those fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you sound much better in their original Klingon.
Also Kane in Buck Rogers
Also Mr. Freeze in Batman the Animated Series.
And as lesser-known Jeyal, former husband to Lwaxana Troi and father of her child.
These tecno-mages whould fit right in at comstar.
Oh hell no. The last thing Comstar needs is even more advanced tech. They're too conflict adverse to have been at Tukayyid or part of the Word of Blake but they certainly got the image right.
@KMCA779 yes and also glory to Blake
still one of the best shows ever.
It was Star Trek's polar opposite of Gene Roddenberry's Utopian, universe where humanity was depicted as more enlightened, blah - blah - blah.
Babylon 5 had some awesome episode names
my favorite episode, and has Michael Ansara. i want to hear some more Narn opera.
xD...
Boy, that orange blossom sparked a memory of magic.
I could sure use the ability to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them.
The struggle of the technomages is vast, some proved their mettle, Elric and Galen included.
There is a storm coming, a black and terrible storm and I wish I could leave as well.
Awesome series! The writing, the acting... man, I miss watching it. I used to race home from work, make some popcorn then drop myself on the couch and let the episode take me far away. Good times!
This performance by Ansara and his performance as the voice of Mr Freeze made him a personal favorite. It is a genuine shame about his passing, he was talented and by my guess a very humble man.
One of my favorite quotes is said by him, “yes…it would move me to tears….if I still had tears to shed.” Mr. Freeze, Batman TAS Heart of Ice.
'This is how I shall remember you... surrounded by ice, never changing, and I shall think of a place where a warm hand is in mine.'
I also remember his role in the great old miniseries "Centennial," in which he played the fateful role of a Native American leader. There was never any mistaking his face, voice, or bearing.
ahhh this is the best clip of this ... some others cut off before the orange blossom ending !This is the best clip of this scene
the techno mages, the psi corp, centauri narn war and the characters that populate b5. that is something i hope we'll see again in our lifetimes.
But if not, we can be happy we saw it the first time.
@@Sgt_Glory Reruns of it are on Tubi. Free streaming. I'm endorsing it sans remuneration.
"Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever". Ah-Ha! He's a pickup artist. He dresses like one too. 😆
He's going someplace where a warm hand waits for his.
B5 the best sifiy series ever
Michael Ansara who played the Techno-mage was married to Barbara Eden at one time.
One of my favourite episodes! Thank you!
Well obviously they left so Clark could not obtain and exploit their secrets and technology. Would have been a real nightmare if he had access to that.
*_"Then perhaps it is Magic. Magic of the human heart. Focused and made manifest by technology."_*
Oh, if Technomages only really existed on Earth. How many lessons in manner an respect that need to be taught.
Londo just keeps digging himself deeper here.
He learned enough that he knew to destroy any Shadow influence, even destroying an island & ready to kill himself if it came to that. GROWTH.
Well, so far no issues in uploading these clips. Maybe I'll pick a few more of my favorites and send them up...
If the technomages could see potential destinies, then Ansara Mage would know that Sheridan would one day meet with Lorien.
probably why he spoke with him so easily compared with others. He knew he could trust him.
Just as Galen (Son of the Killer of Darth .. being cryptic there) did as well.
Best B5 scene ever. We are the dreamers, shapers, singers and makers....
One of my favorite B5 episodes, but I got to say, re-watching it after reading the Technomage trilogy is fascinating because it ends up being a completely different story. (the second book is mostly this episode but from the technomages point of view)
Back then they KNEW (or at least Straczynski did) how to write a great story and characters. Now compare this to crap current day hollywood tries to peddle.
Definitely. What Straczynski did was take a sci-fi novel and make it into a 5 year show. The story arcs both small and large were very well done.
Part of the problem with a lot of books being adapted to movies or TV is that you lose so much. It's always little more than a shadow of the book. Pun intended. Because they don't take the time to world build, most shows up until that time were doing a show of the week episode, where you could watch it as a stand alone episode and it didn't usually effect the overall story. Each story was neatly wrapped by the end of the episode, for the most part. This weeks episode is about psychic ability. This is the monster of the week episode, this episode is about addiction etc. What Straczynski did with B5 flew in the face of that, he really hashed out these ideas over a long period of time.
That made the character development in B5 top notch. It didn't hurt that the relatively unknown actors turned out to be perfect for their roles. IMO the alien characters turned out to be more interesting than the human. In most sci-fi shows that's not the case. Not that there are no great alien characters in other shows, but they're usually ancillary compared to the human characters. B5 puts them out front in a big way, the show hinges on that.
Putting more alien characters out front is mirrored in DS9. When I say "mirrored" I mean they copied that from B5. There was a lawsuit that Paramount lost because Straczynski had submitted B5 to Paramount first but they turned it down. Suddenly they had a great idea for a show with a space station by a wormhole, with many other similarities. Not gonna complain too much about that because we got characters like Garak and Dukat etc. So there's that.
Wait am I ranting. Sorry about that. Was bored.
@John Daniels While The Expanse is quite cool the complexity of it's writing in comparison to B5... well it's way more simplified - B5 had so long and intricate story arcs, plots ,character developments that were literally spanning through enitre show - The expanse is more focused on delivering single contained stories with one maybe two lingering plots in the background like the protomolecule itself or tensions between the earth/mars/belt. With B5 this was way more intricate often with foreshadowing of things to come in entire seasons later. So nah while i like The expanse and indeed think currently it's the best Sci-fi show airing at the moment - nah B5 was way better written mate - Boomer juice or not :P
Anyone peddling "god" crap doesn't know what the Gre'Thor they're talking about.
Expanse? Surely you Jest!
God is a Person who creates. Your comment was created. Now imagine a hypocritical baffoon claiming your comment self created out of thin air.
Kang koor and koloth😊. The spells he was referring to sound a lot like the magic of Odin in Norse mythology😊 (Michael Ansara = awesome)
It is so sad that for such a recent show (only 30 years) where all the actors were in their 20s, 30s, and 40s so many of the B5 cast are no longer with us.
Michael Ansara was a great actor, didn't play many major roles but his voice and delivery were perfect for the technomage character.
True. every one of them had something in their lives that lent to their character's in the movie, the kinds of things that shorten your lifespan. And a few had underlying heath conditions.and even in early to mid 40's and otherwise healthy, something can still take you out easily. Life happens 😉Since I hit 42 this year, I've definitely been paying attention to my health as much as I can. In the grand scheme of things, mid-life really isn't mid-life at all. Just counting down the days or at least making sure I try to make good choices in regards to my health to stick around a bit longer. I have watched friends die, my parents have already died and so has my brother. my "heroes" are gone. My fiance died a couple years ago. So... yeah. I am okay if I stopped existing tomorrow 🤣I have done right by my friends, my god daughter is in her third year in college and doing great. I'm ready. Until then, I'll continue to be a nuisance to the people on the internet and a source of worry for my circle of friends that way I won't be forgotten for at least three generations 🤣
A fairly respectable imitation of Carl Sagan.
I was wondering she someone would get around to it ;) buuuuut. .... I'll let others.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you write a dialogue. God i miss that quality....
Ah yes, draw from one example and leave no room for other writers to find their own style.
@@Jokie155 Ha yes, draw from one sentence and make wild conclusions.
So happy I met JMS back in 2010. And Peter Jurasik and the late Andreas Katsulas a few years before that.
I’d love to just to sit down with him and chat about stuff. Even if he doesn’t tell you the fourteen words. Just to talk with someone like that can to me teach you about them and your thoughts and self.
_"Any technology, no matter how primitive, is magic to those who don't understand it."_
- Florence Ambrose (Freefall #255)
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
- Arthur C. Clarke, 1968
"[...] an uninformed public tends to confuse scholarship with magicians [...]"
- Isaac Asimov, 1952
Wish we could have seen more of the Technomages.
I am going to repair that statement with "Wish we could have seen more of the Technomages, beyond the train-wreck that was was Crusade" ;) I did read the novelizations. Not bad.
@James Richards fair enough but I didn't count crusade. Lol
@@JamesRichardsPlays Crusade had good intentions. The ones that weren't used to pave the road to Hell.
@@Avallachgrey You chose wisely, to quote the ancient knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Sheridan foreshadows sending a Babylon station back 1000 years in time.
god dam its not just his voice which is baller its his pronunciation its unique but still clear i could listen to that man say laser all day
So many artists from B5 are gone now. I noticed on the series illustration, Bruce Boxleitner is the only one left alive on that photo.
We still have nine others who were considered Main Cast in all five seasons who are still alive and kicking around this dust ball of a planet. ;)
Unfortunately, four of their characters were killed off, one is missing and who knows what the others would be doing if the story continued. If we wanted more B5, we would need not only a reboot starting at The Gathering, but a cast of young and terrifyingly healthy old actors.
It is kinda sad, but I have only thoughts of celebration and admiration of what not only the cast, but the entire crew and support staff that made this timeless series. All the political, ideological, societal and moral issues present in the series are STILL relevant today. I finished binge watching the entire series with my 19 year old goddaughter and she thought it was an awesome, poorly budgeted and produced current series. When I told her the last episode aired in 1998, well before she was born, she was amazed. So much so she bought a few USB drives and plans to give them to a few of her college friends.
@@JamesRichardsPlays Some members of Generation Y - Z will be beholden to her.
Scientist - Warriors Not to be messed with. You don't mess with Cochise either.
"We know how to be poor"
Oh crap. I think I may be a techno mage!
Awwww, you cut out the best parts. Narn opera ! 500k shares in Spooland !
XD Yeah, I know. I was mainly concentrating on the wisdom of the character of Elric. I re-cut it again to be just the Orange Blossom scene for another discussion on another platform.
This dialog makes my skin tingle every time I see it.
Techno-mages are cool...😎😎😎
Luckily Galen hung around. Good old Galen.
I wouldn't say he hung around. I think he went against Elrich's "suggestions" and returned to the IA when news of Earth's quarantine reached their cabal.
I really miss this show.
To hear the voice of Mr. Freeze...
just picked that up.
I don't remember this episode. Michael Ansara was one of my favorite Actors.
Michael Ansara also played King in ST:TOS, ST:DS9 and ST:VOY, he also Princess Ardala's 2IC, Cain, in "Buck Rogers and the 25th Century".
Londo and Sheridan get taught lessons by Mr Freeze
Интересно, кем впоследствии оказались техномаги. Жаль,что эта история не получила продолжения.
There starting it up again......maybe we'll get answers about them.
90's SciFi costumes were so Puffy back then
"If we went back in time a thousand years, trying to explain this place to people..."
This would have been a great foreshadowing if Sinclair had said it as it was originally intended.
“God was there first and didn’t need a fusion reactor to do it”. They just don’t make shows like this anymore. What a shame.
Some people would be deliriously happy with nothing but Fast and Furious movies & similar empty calories.
DO NOT TAKE ME FOR A CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS.
Galen was 1 of my favorite characters.
Loved Babylon 5 and Crusade and the idea of the Techno-Mage. What is a Techno-Mage ? Someone who uses tech to simulate the effects of magic. 🙂
Superb series. Almost time for my Annual Boxed Set Marathon.
{:o:O:}
I wonder what ever happened to the technomages
I would imagine with the lore in the novels, added the event in Crusade and how they were depicted, along with what little exposure we had in Babylon 5; they probably did just fine during the "Shadow War" and subsequent events after from the movies.Canonically speaking of course. By the time the post series movies came out, there were no mention of the Technomages. No news is good news.
I would imagine their ingenuity in using tech to appear as magic, they also helped push humans to the transcendent state humanity was in for "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars". By then, there would be no need for Technomages. It is for Us to decide with our imaginations ;)
Ahh, the good ol days. When disagreements were held face to face. When there was more honor, integrity and transparency.
What if you just kept listing things to the point that Sheridan started writing it down
Did He ever get Flounders Brother Car back in One Piece, and explain how His Brothers Car is the Leader of A New Cult Classic: The Seashore songs and Dancing with Vir, that's Sweeping the Station that led to lack Security Protocols and Driving The Babylonians off the Station in the First Place, these Deep Questions were never fully Explored or even Brought up what a missed opportunity
Is he doing Carl Sagan?
A shame they did not go further into techno mages
i don't remember the Techno-Mage taking part in any of the Final Battles....did they just promise and fade away ?
If you're talking about the battles involving the Vorlon and Shadow then no. They were long gone by then. But, in the Crusades series I believe only one returned, Gideon???.
@@ivanfreely6366 Gideon was the ISA Captain, Galen was the Technomage who joined their quest to cure the Drahk Plague.
Michael Ansara. My choice for Professor X. After Yul Brynner
No endorsements thanks, hand of ?
still better then the rubbish on tv today
Yup. I am re-watching the entire series again, I have stopped counting.
Arrogant Hyoomaans! 🤣
Michael Ansara
Yep, I'm already thinking of recording everything I can, all the time. That's the future, and I'm a regular gargoyle.
Londo handled that well. Really, hustling is in his blood.
Hello I would love to see a series based on the shadows versus the Borg, that would be awesome!
Saying as a Star Trek fan, the Borg were an almost low brow antagonist, but when they realized that, story arcs of the lost colony that worked with Janeway and Seven of Nine being some points of giving depth to them; the books hold a lot more than the show ever did. Novelized Borg turned out to be a decently developed antagonist. A series based on the Shadows? I wonder what you might mean. They played their part and like the Vorlon, JMS purposefully kept their development low. It really isn't needed for the story.
Not so much I think, Resistance would be Futile..
@@Sunil1768 Lol, but 4 who?
The only issue with this scene is the line "Maybe, but god was there first". That was either thrown in as a sop for American audiences, or shows hubris on the part of the writers.
I would say a little of both and more. I have had English friends say they same. A Shinto priest, when I was in Japan had a similar saying. It is just a nod to the fact that we still haven't solved everything thing and that there is still wonder and magic in the unknown. I prefer this interpretation as I do enjoy some wonder. Very much the naturalist and atheist, but still; I enjoy the wonder.
@@JamesRichardsPlays I must disagree.
Do people automatically say "Bless you" if you sneeze? We were taught that it was polite, but if you think on it, it is superstitious, arrogant and offensive.
Another tenet we were taught is that "a person's faith must be respected. Why, exactly?
I've been a naturalist since I was a child, and the world is full of wonders. We are seeing more of the universe every day, but there will always be mysteries. The concept of "god" is a piss-poor explanation for anything.
@@andrewstrongman305 ::rubbing hands together:: I so love these level headed conversations.
The concept of "god" is actually the perfect concept for explaining the unknown. We ask why something is happening and due to centuries of pattern seeking leads us to a center point, a unity, a "mind" that "makes it so". We are pattern seeking individuals, this has allowed us to survive and propagate as a species. It is only natural that the center is a "something" or "someone", so the superstition persists.
So I think the scenario you posit for a sneeze is superstitious, arrogant or offensive? To start; offensive? No. People who do that are only doing what they were brought up with. I have met many people who ask "You alright? I have cats. Is it cats?" So,m offense is not being meant by the gesture. Arrogant? How? A change in someone's daily life, it is required to make sure your guest is comfortable or you want to make sure nothing untoward is going to happen to you personally. I for one, don't mind asking someone, "Are you sick or something? I am looking out for my health." Superstitious? Now we hit the meat. Yes. Very superstitious, but ties in to the idea that we require a response, and that response is usually what we are brought up with.
Saying "Bless you" even as an Atheist is not a "Bad Thing". Most Atheists I run into are okay with it. And it satisfies the need for Christians to be validated. Keeps the social mechanism moving without too much grease. Hell. My believer friends find it hilarious that my response with anyone is a smile and "Stop that" is good enough.
Your scenario pales when it comes to discussing the idea brought forth in the conversation: "Maybe, but god was there first." You forgot "He didn't need solar batteries or a fusion reactor to do it."
I believe, your response is just zeroing in on one aspect of the conversation. it ignores nuance, and a myriad of wonderful and interesting possibilities. What if the "first god" did need it? (take a look at Darkmatter2525 - Power Corrupts series)
The point I am thinking is being made, and seeing Sheradin's responses through out the series and what he says, it isn't a Deist jab. It is only a counter argument for a human that is still growing and learning. In a perfect world, I would LOVE to see the removal of all references to deism/theism of any kind removed. I firmly believe that it has done nothing but soil the abilities of mankind to grow and progress. However, in the THIS context, I find it completely warranted.
I do NOT believe any faith should be respected. Especially if ti is the source of ANY suffering. Untempered Atheism is in the same boat. We, as a species, still needs the unknown. It still helps to inform our morals. In many instances, the Atheist's morality has been much more preferable to the the others, but like all things, it still needs evolution. We are now in the stage of taking understanding and patience toward those who believe in superstition. No need to go "all ham" and bring the gauntlet down. In my years of debate and discussion, I have found that tactic only spurs opposition. Even for those who are questioning. Much better to use a soft, yet firm hand. Know when to pull back.
I will never look at someone who says "Bless you" to me and start a fight. A "thank you" and move on is a better approach.
Same with the writing her. Look at everything else JMS has done and you will see the naturalists bent. Yeah, he may be appeasing to the crowd per 1990's and 2000's, but he doe sit in such a way that is satisfying.
Hell. Surprised you didn't rail on about the episode when Sinclair introduces all of Earth's religions. I think it is more a testament to Humanities ability to not let a single religion to ideal to dictate life that makes them the stronger species in the universe we know here.
@@JamesRichardsPlays I'm not sure why you think I pick fights with someone simply for saying "Bless you." I either ignore it completely (the correct response to a sneeze), or reply "No, thanks" or "Please don't."
I do think the phrase is arrogant and offensive. Who ordained the speaker to go about 'blessing' people without invitation? Never mind the arrogance of prayer itself.
It is offensive in it's assumption that the one so 'blessed' is accepting of their religion. "It satisfies the need for Christians to be validated"... so fukking what? Do they ever 'validate' atheists?
No, they cannot do so.
One of the greatest lies is that "faith must be respected." I respect those who keep it to themselves.
@@andrewstrongman305 I think my choice of words were poor when I mentioned picking fights. Not the intent, just a point in dealing with it. Some do. It was a bad assumption on my part, even if I wasn't aiming to assume. My apologies on that one.
As for validation, It is a useful tactic in debate and avenues of query when discussing certain subjects. That doesn't mean that validation is universal, nor practiced and internalized in all my interactions. If my interlocutor is being honest and engaging, they deserve just a dash of it. Almost certainly if they offered their own validation and respect as well, first.
I agree those who adhere to it should be respected up until they are influencing policy using it as a justification or impacting my daily life at any moment. I do not respect the religion itself. Having a certain amount religiosity built into scripts is entertaining though. I don't remember the original Battlestar Galactica having so many references to religion, but the reimagined series was filled to the brim of it, but was still quite tasteful given the story.
❤😍❤
poor guy, having to read his lines from a teleprompter
Still kicked ass in his acting ;) I have several VHS with his older movies.
14 words to make someone fall in love with you eh?
This is my house, these are my cars, and this is my bank account. 😁
@@stefanhoppe9280 you got all 14...🤣🤣
@@stefanhoppe9280 7 words to make them go without pain, " it is not you, it is me."
14 words, huh?
Techno mages were not that impressive when compared to the sheer superiority of the Vorlons and their technology. The Vorlons made the techno mages look like cavemen.
Funny thing about that is the Technomages' technology originated with the Shadows, though the Technomages broke away from them long ago. If the Shadows' plan had worked, they would have sort of been a Shadow-oriented equivalent of the Rangers.
@@suchiuomizu and THAT would've been a sight to see in itself. That being said, I thought it was pretty interesting to have the technomages, living weapons created by an ancient race hellbent on evolution and chaos, desert their creators and found their own order from what they were transformed into.
Not a great comparison seeing as the Vorlon were Millions possibly billions of years old and more advanced oh and Immortal, Techno-mages are still Human after all.
@@suchiuomizu Source? Nothing in Babylon 5 canon states this.
" but god was there first " yeah great just what I needed. A scifi show shoving religion down my throat...
And yet the creator of the show is an Athiest. Look it up.
I am a bit pissed off that god got brought into this convo, it isn’t needed imo
You go with what is available as a counter in argument. It really hasn't been until the mid to early 2010's that Atheism isn't a taboo subject. It is still not an "acceptable" view. I think it was more of a nod to the "...what does god need with a starship?" quote. An homage maybe? There is also the religious observance episode where Sinclair brought leaders of many different faiths, no mention of TST or other atheistic views. I also think Ansara's statement of not needing a burning bush to allude to the claim that "god" was a technomage ;)