Episode 6 Blog Notes

This episode was designed as a Non-Spoiler introduction to Babylon 5. One of our first and most important points was that we felt the Pilot should be avoided when introducing the series to new viewers. For one, there’s a GIGANTIC spoiler in the TNT version. For two, it only fleshes out two characters and the rest are set dressing.
Babylon 5 had landmark special effects for the time being the first series to use 100% CGI. Here’s a link where you can learn about the groundbreaking effects on the series:

The Story of VFX, Commodore Amiga and Babylon 5

We touched on the physics (AKA Ben’s sexy talk) of Babylon 5. Topics included how Earth Force was behind on technology and rotated sections of Ships and even the Babylon station to create artificial gravity. A big part of our discussion however, was the functionality of the StarFury. I think I used an incorrect description calling it a gyro, of course in the moment the words I was looking for escaped me but I essentially was referring to the fact that Babylon 5 Star Furies, unlike ships from other series, were highly maneuverable and designed for zero gravity space flight and combat. They use the X, Y and Z axis while maneuvering. Here’s an excellent video demonstrating this:

The Perfect Sci Fi Space Fighter

I spoke of J. Michael Styraczinski’s book Becoming Superman which is available on Audible: Becoming Superman , Google Play, Audiobooks, Amazon, Chirp Books, WalMart, and more.

Hard Copies of Becoming Superman can be found on Amazon: Becoming Superman

We spoke about the re-master and how they cleaned up the show and fixed the aspect ratios. Here’s a video showing a comparison before and after:
Re-master Comparison

On a darker note, we spoke of the cast members who have left us. This series has seen an attrition rate unprecedented by any other series. Here’s a list of those who have Gone Beyond the Rim. We will include tribute videos in our next episode blog:

• Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin) March 18 1960 – May 22 2004 (Show correction: I conjectured that he had passed from an anyeurism and it was actually an aordic dissection)
• Tim Choate (Zathras) October 11 1954 – September 24 2004
• Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar) May 18 1946 – February 13 2006
• Johnny Sekka (Dr. Benjamin Kyle)July 14 1934 – September 14 2006
• Jeff Conaway (Zach Allan) October 5 1950 – May 27 2011
• Michael O’Hare (Jeffrey Sinclair) May 6 1952 – September 28 2012. (Show note: Here’s a video of JMS detailing the struggle, treatment and nobility of Michael O’Hare)
• Robin Sachs (War Leader Na’Kaal/Hedronn/Coplann) February 5 1951 – February 1 2013
• Jerry Doyle (Michael Garibaldi) July 16 1956 – July 27 2016
• Stephen Furst (Vir Cotto) May 18 1954 – June 16 2017
• Mira Furlan (Delenn) September 7 1955 – January 20 2021

Links to Podcasts that do episodic in depth analysis of the series:

1. A Conspiracy of Light
2. Yum Yum 5
3. The White Rocket Babylon 5 Review Podcast

Julie Caitlin Brown:

Julie’s website is a resource for her company Illumina Productions for which she is the CEO. It also has information on her life coaching, music, an online store, and links to follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  expect this site to be updated in the near future as she said it was one of the things that had to give with the multiple plates she was spinning during the pandemic. Here’s the current site link:
Julie Caitlin Brown

Julie spoke of the damage re-anchoring the prostethics to her face repeatedly had done. Here’s a pic of her having the prosthetics applied:

Na’Toth in the Prosthetics Chair

I asked Julie a really long question where I quoted her from an appearance with the rest of the cast at a 2014 convention. Here’s the link to that video. Julie’s awesome quote is at 1:18:38

Julie as Guinevere Corey:

Julie as Guinevere Corey

Julie spoke about how JMS wanted her back for Season 5. “If he couldn’t have Julie, he didn’t want the Narn they found to be Na’Toth.”

Julie Returns as Na’Toth

Julie recalls that Andreas and her had a similar background in theater and his initial reaction was probably to wonder if she would be around very long, considering the fate of her predecessors.
She acknowledged that this was “mask work” and the two shot their scenes usually in-one-take due to the amount of rehearsal beforehand.

Another moment she recalled was when she asked O’Hare for a beat so she could deliver the line “… the Ambassador will see you now” as G’Kar emerges from his bedroom after entertaining a couple of human women.

Andreas and Julie as G’Kar and Na’Toth

Julie is working on a documentary on brain health called “Noise”. I don’t have a link for it yet but hopefully as productions progresses Julie will share it with us.

Julie on the “Look Who Showed Up”  podcast. Talking about her childhood and emergence as a musician, actor, CEO, Triathelete, and Life Coach.

The song we featured at the end of the show was “The Light and the Dark” from the album “Love is like the Rain”

More of music that we spoke of, can be found on the same page above. If you want to purchase copies of Julies music, please message her through her site.

I mentioned meeting Bruce Boxleitner at Silicon San Jose with Adam Savage. I’ll go into more detail on the next show.

Podcast Episode Details:
Written, recorded and edited by Daniel Hendrix.
Performed by Daniel Hendrix, Ben Wilson and Tanya Holstrum.
Blog by Daniel
Popped Intro Music: Spooky-Funk-Instrumental (Cannot find the artist to credit but will when I do)
Voice Over Introduction, Segue and Outro by Glenn Thayer.
Discussion background Music: “Lost” by Dany Dory
Babylon 5 Music: “In the Beginning” snippet by Christopher Franke, “Season 5 Intro Instrumental” by Christopher Franke
“The Light and the Dark” by Julie Caitlin Brown from the Album “Love is Like the Rain” 2016