Ich habe vor kurzem einen B5 Revisit angefangen (müsste jetzt der Dritte sein, seit ich die Serie damals in ihrer Erstausstrahlung bei Pro7 gesehen habe). Der letzte Revisit ist schon wieder einige Jahre her, damals waren bereits Andreas Katsulas (G'kar) und Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin) verstorben. Vor dem heurigen Revisit haben in der Zwischenzeit gleich drei weitere Stammdarsteller die Reise in das "große Unbekannte" eingetreten - Jeff Conoway (Zack Allen), Michael O'Hare (Cmdr. Sinclair) und nun Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi) im Juli.

Es gibt bei diesem Revisit einige traurige Momente mehr, wo man realisiert, dass alle Darsteller, die man gerade auf dem Bildschirm sind, nicht mehr am Leben sind - wenn es z.B. in der ersten Staffel eine Szene mit Biggs, O'Hare und Doyle gibt, oder in den späteren Staffeln mit Doyle und Katsulas, oder Doyle und Conoway. Es kommt einem absurd vor, dass von Star Trek: The Original Series noch genauso viele Stammdarsteller am Leben sind, wie bei Babylon 5, einer Serie die 30 Jahre später ausgestrahlt wurde. Und bei den vier anderen Trek-Serien sind (toi, toi, toi) noch keine einzigen Verstorbenen zu beklagen.

Tracy Scoggins postete eine schöne Eulogie zu Jerry Doyle auf Facebook nach seinem Tod.

To my dear friend Doyle,

Thank you. Thank you for 19 years of fun, raucous, warm, witty, intelligent and comforting friendship. Thank you.

No one will ever convince me that it wasn't your remark to "the suits" following my final audition that caused the sealing of the deal. Thank you.

Thank you for putting a smile on my face as I drove in early morning traffic to the set anticipating our work together. We shared the "Happy Gilmore School of Acting" as we joked, pranked, and got shushed prior to delving into a deep, often acrimonious storyline. Thank you.

Thank you for never failing to make me feel welcome in the Boyz Only B5 Treehouse. It meant the world to me. Thank you.

Thank you for all the delicious gourmet meals you made with the gracious inclusion of a pitcher of Southern sweet tea just for me. This usually involved watching Galaxy Quest for more times than I care to confess. Thank you.

This one is huge ... Thank you for your unwavering kindness to my Mother. You brightened her spirits when you drove so far to play tennis with her and prep her for tournaments. You would run as though wearing big clown shoes and act as though her drop shots were impossible to return. You gave her confidence and hope. She loved you off and onscreen. Thank you from the depths of my hurting heart. Thank you.

Thank you for having me back East with your family ten years ago for your big 5-0 birthday party. Thank you.

And thank you for entrusting me with your heartache. In 19 years, you never ceased saying that Andrea was the love of your life.

Thank you for introducing me to the man I thought might be mine. Thank you.

I relish every smile line for the thousands of laughs you so effortlessly provided. Thank you.

To your family and loved ones, please accept my most sorrowful condolences and mighty prayers.

And to the beautiful, bright, and most lovely Andrea, my heart breaks for you.

I would like to dispense with this "beyond the rim" business and say I long to see you on the Golden Carpet. The red one is for phonies.

To a precious friend whose passing will forever change my world,

Scoggy