Lit Apropos of Nothing - ACKBAR IN CAPITALS - The Lit Forum Social Thread, v2.0.15

Well yes, there are far too many Mandalorians in the eras of the PT and post-OT, more than there should've been after the Wars.

But think of it this way: a constant struggle against an implacable foe, constantly going from battle to battle with scant time to breathe, bonding over shared hardships and successes, and finding out that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It would focus on one Republic warship and its crew, and you would never really see the Mandos except in their ships and fighters, or as amorphous enemies in ground battles. No ballyhoo about honor in battle, a glorious warrior death, or any of that bollocks; you could even get away with having no Jedi aboard to muddy the waters with Force-inspired yammering.

It would be awesome.

 

I am going to come to your house and make you like it.

There is never any point anywhere at any time that more Christina Hendricks is not "very good."

 

Yes but I'm interested in making new ones. ;o)

 

I can't even imagine what that would sound like.

 

GrandAdmiralJello - which school?

 

Hav, for you, I will give the series a second try.

I recall vaguely remembering that I didn't think the Alliance was all that bad. Did they present the Browncoats as Rebel Alliance-style heroes or more like Confederates from the US Civil War? Cause the Alliance was democractic and had a parliament, right? What was their beef over?

Some of the fleet battles during the Shadow War were epic. I used to love seeing those big blue Minbari cruisers, Whitestars, and other allied ships tearing into those vile looking Shadow formations. I also loved the design of the Narn heavy cruiser. My least favorite designs were from EarthForce, which always bugged me as I wanted to like Earth's warships as well. The Hyperion-class was good looking, but those Omega-class and other bigger EF cruisers were ugly.

--Adm. Nick

 

As mentioned a page or so back, it’s not really meant to be evil on purpose, more indirectly through arrogance and neglect.

From what is described in secondary sources after humanity was forced to leave earth and settled the new star system in which Firefly is set they started terraforming the worlds and moons in the system. A few of the first worlds that got terraformed pretty much turned into boom worlds (being the easiest to terraform and getting the most resources to achieve the task ) and of course attracted the most settlers and became the new center of human civilization. They formed the Alliance and demanded that all worlds and moons head their call and laws.
The frontier worlds (later Independent worlds) happened to favor running their own affairs, the Alliance didn’t agree and so they got themselves a war going. The Alliance called it a war of unification the Independents considered it more a defense against foreign aggression.
The Alliance is properly democratic (it’s never made absolutely clear but since the Capital world is Londinium and we see a least one Lord, they might have a British two house system), though with power and influence likely to be stacked in favor of the central worlds.

Being from a country that used to have its own Empire and still sometimes mourns it, I personally just loved the Centauri. Plus their fighters are without doubt the most epic looking of all B5 fighter designs.

 

My understanding is that it was like the Confederates and Rebel Alliance mixed together, minus the support slavery and racist bits and if they had a legit beef with the US government over its oppressiveness on the Confederate side and minus the wanting of a restored benevolant government on the Rebel side. Basically the Browncoats wanted their planets to be independent of Alliance laws and restrictions, which could be pretty heavy-handed and tyrannical, and there is a lot of corruption in the Alliances military and government.

 

The Alliance was a group of the bigger core worlds that banded together and created a government, which they decided extended over everybody (the series is a little vague on its geography, but I think some of the supplementary stuff established that it's a multiple-star system). The Browncoats were worlds that wanted to maintain their independence against forcible unification. There are nasty elements of the Alliance, but the main problem is a sort of greater-good collectivism that wants to tell everyone what to do because it thinks it knows best. It's fundamentally about individual liberty vs. an Orwellian sort of "benevolent" for-your-own-good authoritarianism.

The Alliance isn't really the villains for most of the series, just an obstacle, but the problematic nature of the Alliance comes out over time. I'd say the series actually advances a more sophisticated, principled, and Madisonian understanding of liberty than you'll see in most entertainment.

 

Someone gets a D in History, then.

j/k

 

Happy Singles Awareness Day!

 

No Renly in this episode, but still a message from sponsors

And my thoughts about this episode:

Spoiler: Season Two Episode Two of GOT

Hello Arya, sorry I walked behind you just when you were in the bushes, but I missed you. Looks like she's following in Jon's footsteps: First beat up people and then befriend them. And apparently Gendry is one of the pleasant characters. Wonder how he's going to die. And Yoren .

Varys, stop saying "such". Even if it is such an interesting word to use. I still don't know if you killed Jon Arryn or not and what were your plans for Targaryen heirs, so I'm going to keep my guard up around you. Or not, you are funny.

Tyrion saying almost word to word that he knows how this game is played. I am a foreteller. I also predicted Cersei ripping the letter in quarters. That's how she rolls.

"Ormmaarraahhven flew this morning from Castle Black" Way to interrupt conversation, Pycelle. You had the best character revelation in the first season, and you are still keeping up a good job. By the way, how soon will the master-at-arms get to King's Landing with the hand? Don't answer. It's a long journey, King's Landing could fall before Ser Alliser gets there. And Cersei's logic is flawless, don't give the Night's Watch men but believe that the men of the Night's Watch protect you.

Samwell Tarly, it takes a great deal of courage to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I'm sure this is not going to end well but points for trying.

You fooled me! When Jorah saw a blur coming towards them, I thought that surely this was a savior. No it wasn't, and Rakharo is out. Now that I rewatch the episode, I realize that Daenerys isn't in this episode for more than this scene. Apparently there aren't many chapters about her in the beginning of the book.

Instead of talking about the sexposition scene (Wow, the Iron Islanders aren't big on equal rights either! Who would have guessed?) I talk about religion in this world. On Essos it is a big part of Dothraki culture, as we heard again in this episode, but on Westeros I don't get a feeling that gods really matter to people. That's certainly interesting, because often in fantasy worlds gods are treated as existing without a doubt and people knowing it, but in this one who knows? Northern people keep their old gods, others have The Seven, some have their own religions, but the High Septon doesn't have any political power and people doubt that the gods answer their prayers. That's why I find the Priestess of the Fire God (whose name hasn't been said yet, has it?) fascinating, because she wants the symbols of the other gods burned and really seems to believe that her god is the only one and helps her (unless it's all a trick. I'm on my guard)

Littlefinger shows his most evilest side yet by giving a "close it or beat it"-speech. Or well, he betrayed Ned and by doing so helped to kill all his men but this feels worse.

Tyrion. Give the Night's Watch a man they need (but who they don't deserve), get rid of another of your nephew's mistakes and have Bronn as a Commander of the City Watch in one go. And Bronn, I got his measures when he killed Ser Vardis after he was beaten, most likely to just show Lysa Arryn how stupid she is, but still "I'd ask how much" was cold, and Tyrion's reaction great. But I say keep this Commander, he at least has a sense of humor (that's why I also vote for Renly).

The Iron Islands seems like a place worth its name. And Theon has some issues. At first I was reminded about LOST and all the father issues in it, but then I remembered that this show has every issue in the world. But should I feel bad for feeling good when Balon Greyjoy mocked Theon? Anyway, welcome back to Mandalore, son.

I thought Stannis would hold up for more than two episodes before losing his honor. Ned's honor lasted until the seventh episode, and even then he just forged a letter.

Creepy stuff in the North begins. White Walkers already, or something else?

I want the next episode. The game is on, even if there were still no big twists (like killing the king off-screen by a boar)

 

Happy Valentine's Day, my beloved. You know who you are.

 

Is there any way to get new banners here? I mean, is it so wrong to be a murderer?

 

Crusader Kings II -- that RTS/RPG a bunch of us talk about so often, here -- is on sale again. So is a bunch of its DLC. 75% off over at Steam, and I think on the official website, too.

 

I thought I told you to stop following me.