lizbee | I AM RUNNING OUT OF SHOW

I tried to put off the inevitable end of B5 by reading unspeakably terrible hurt/comfort fic, but it actually got too unspeakably terrible even for me. (And I've voluntarily put some crap in front of my eyeballs this last few weeks.) It's like ... okay, I know a lot of this fic was written while the show was actually airing, and it was ten years ago, and things are different now, but there are these underlying gender assumptions, and sexisms, and ableisms, and it just hurt. Like, there was this fic where Sheridan's father finds out about the whole Twenty Years To Live Thing, and the first thing he says is, "You can't tell his mother". BECAUSE THAT'S IN ANY WAY APPROPRIATE OR SANE.

It made me a bit cross, as you can tell by the way I'm posting about it ten hours later. I got back to my happy place by flipping through the novels and skipping ahead to interesting looking scenes in the episodes I haven't seen yet. Here are my thoughts, which are both deep and meaningful:

- Is it just me, or is Peter David's Centauri trilogy a bit shit?
- No, really. The third book in particular reminded me of something I've suspected since I was a wee Trekkie: the man cannot write teenagers. Ever.
- The only good thing to come out of them was the idea that David Sheridan (II) should be played by Thomas Dekker, who has precisely the right mix of Pretty, Bland and Occasionally Needs To Be Punched In The Face For The Good Of Humanity.
- Let's face it, it was only a matter of time before Lennier snapped and went on a killing spree. I think that's why I like him so much.
- At some point, I shall write about unrequited love plots, and why Lennier frequently gives me the shits, while Martha Jones is win. First person to write Delenn/Martha for me gets a cookie.
- There are lots of characters I like best in fast-forward. Yes, Garibaldi, I'm talking about you. I liked you better when you were being mind-controlled.
- I am very annoyed at the plot for interrupting the Londo 'n' G'Kar Comedy Diplomacy Sleepover.

Now I am hungry, but also nauseous. Would I feel better or worse if I ate? And why do my sinuses hurt? I didn't give permission for that!