MIRA FURLAN REALLY?

[eruthros]

1. You guys, this is serious fandom BFF FAIL. Why did none of you tell me that Mira Furlan, Delenn on B5, is a recurring character on Lost? Why didn't you tell me that she plays a recurring character named Rousseau, who runs around the jungle in a tank-top being incredibly hot and competent? WHY? Because this is AWESOME.

I mean, Ivanova and Scully were totally my 90s TV girlfriends, but I loved Mira Furlan as Delenn with a desperate love. She's amazing; she was the only person who could deliver ten minutes of exposition and have me with her emotionally the whole way. When she cried, she ripped my heart out. And then she didn't get much work in North America after B5 -- wrong accent, too old, whatever.

AND NOW. She gets to play Rousseau. She gets to storm around a Hawaiian island being all crazy-with-gun, and determined, and, once again, managing to deliver ten minutes of solid exposition (about conspiracy theories, yet!) and have me entirely with her. MIRA FURLAN YOU GUYS. SHE IS HOT LIKE BURNING. WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME.

I actually phoned up thingswithwings, who I've been making watch B5, and who watched Lost for two seasons, all "how could you not knoooowwww?"

2. Um. This is the embarrassing part. I have now watched three episodes of Lost.

See, I was burned by the X-Files, so Lost looked entirely like "oh, sure you have a plan, Chris Carter" part II. And I didn't watch it.

Only yesterday? Yeah, yesterday I watched the first Rousseau episode. WITH MIRA FURLAN WHO IS HOT LIKE BURNING AND AMAZING AND DID I MENTION FIFTY-THREE YEARS OLD AND THEY'RE LETTING HER GO GRAY IN A SEXY WAY. Ahem. And then I watched a second episode, because thingswithwings already had it and also because Mira Furlan, hello.

And then I was like, wait, maybe this would make more sense if I knew who these other characters are. Maybe I should do that before I watch all the Mira Furlan episodes. And I decided that, actually, it is now five and a half years after the series finale of the X-Files, and I've come to terms with it. So Lost doesn't have a plan: I won't expect one! No expectations, no faith. That's my motto.

I find it far more embarrassing to have just watched the series premiere of Lost, than to have watched two random episodes just for Mira Furlan.

3. Actually, I find watching the series premier of Lost more embarrassing than having recently watched the Hercules: TLJ episodes in which Michael Hurst (Iolaus) cross-dresses and plays the Widow Twanky, a dance instructor. No, really. They're awesome and amazing. Really. Really!

Actually, quite possibly the best vid I have seen lately is Mary Crawford's use of these episodes in Holding Out For a Hero -- no, REALLY -- to tell a story in which I occupy the queer male gaze really, really hard. Because she uses all the bits where Hercules is chased by women and naked and it's framed by the Widow Twanky-who-is-Iolaus, and it's amazing. Seriously, check it out.

Comments

[umbo.livejournal.com]

I stopped watching Lost early in the second season, but I did know Mira Furlan was in some of the episodes I saw from the first season. I wasn't sure if she was ever going to appear again, and, well, to tell you the truth I'd pretty much forgotten by now. But she was amazing! And I loved her in B5 too!

[eruthros]

She's actually still on it -- she was in the premier of this season or something. I'm not entirely clear. But apparently she was in fifteen whole episodes! That's tons!

And she is amazing, on Lost and on B5. :)

[graycastle.livejournal.com]

I watched three seasons, actually, before I broke up with Lost. *nostalgia for the good times*

Part of it was that I was working at Corporation at the time, and Lost was one of those shows that I could have in common with non-fannish coworker people.

I really like this post, because it absolutely has that TMI-cut-tag tone: "guys, this is so gross and it embarrasses me, but I will enjoy confessing it to you anyway!" so much <3.

[eruthros]

Yeah, it should totally have the fannish equivalent of a TMI tag. I don't know what that would be -- "hi I just watched boa vs python"? -- but it should have one.

And, yes, exactly. It is very much "look at me confess to being way too scarily fannish!"

I didn't know!

[deldel99.livejournal.com]

Sorry! Having never watched B5, I didn't know. But yes, she is still on the show, she is a bad-ass too.

The Widow Twanky episodes were kickass! Any time he cross-dressed was kickass!

Re: I didn't know!

[eruthros]

Cross-dressing PLUS dancing PLUS lip-syncing PLUS he apparently wrote those episodes himself!

[sineala.livejournal.com]

I knew she was on it! Er, but then I forgot. I only saw a couple of episodes once, and then I decided it wasn't worth it if there wasn't a Plan.

But it's also got that dude from Crusade. You know, that dude. Lieutenant somebody. Is a telepath and has all sorts of "oh noes I am a telepath in Earthforce" angst. So two B5 people. :)

[eruthros]

Well. I'm willing to consider it worth it, as long as Mira Furlan's on it and as long as I don't get invested, you know?

And, you're right! That's totally who Jin is. (I think his name is Jin -- I've seen him for like thirty seconds total, so.) I barely saw Crusade at all, so I didn't recognize him offhand. He was also on Enterprise, you know, so he's one of those cross-B5/ST actors! Like General Hague.

[graycastle.livejournal.com]

You might also recognize Jin from Angel (Gavin Crawford). One of TWO Wolfram and Hart lawyers to end up on the island. COINCIDENCE?

[eruthros]

See, now, that is EXACTLY what I'm not doing!

There're trees in the jungle falling down. People met each other in the past. Two of the actors once played Wolfram and Hart lawyers. Whatever. I'm not making anything of it. No expectations, no faith, no conspiracies!

[very-improbable.livejournal.com]

Mira Furlan is 53? Holy cow. She is so goddamn hot.

So Lost doesn't have a plan: I won't expect one! No expectations, no faith. That's my motto.

Speaking as another recovering X-Phile, I would say that this is exactly the strategy you need for that show, seriously.

[eruthros]

Yes! She is fifty-two or fifty-three, I forget which. And says she's never going to use botox or get a facelift or anything: she's like "the wrinkles are what give me character."

Also, yes, I think it is a good motto. I shall apply it to everything!

[fanaddict.livejournal.com]

, I was burned by the X-Files, so Lost looked entirely like "oh, sure you have a plan, Chris Carter" part II. And I didn't watch it.

This has been my fear all along with Lost and so I haven't invested emotionally. I have, however, watched every single ep because my husband (who avoided the XF insanity) loves it low whoa (or should that be woe given my expectations?).

I was really happy when Mira Furlan showed up too - although Terry O'Quinn's Locke of course brought back my XF and Millennium actor bittersweet happy (similar to seeing Skinner show up on SGA). She's a very strong presence in both B5 and Lost, although obviously she's only a semi-regular on Lost.

Actually, I find watching the series premier of Lost more embarrassing than having recently watched the Hercules: TLJ episodes in which Michael Hurst (Iolaus) cross-dresses and plays the Widow Twanky, a dance instructor. No, really. They're awesome and amazing. Really. Really!

Well, the difference of course is that Lost is that goth kid in the back of the classroom proclaiming himself too cool for the school world while secretly yearning to be popular, while Hercules and Xena are the goofy bass drum players who tackle the other teams mascot and are too busy having fun to notice that no one takes them seriously.

Did you see Michael Hurst guest on Andromeda? It was weird to see Iolaus and Hercules be so emo.

[eruthros]

It's very much a show that hires from the cult-tv-actor pool. I mean, Mira Furlan, Terry O'Quinn, and so on.

And you are exactly right! That is what is going on. Xena and Hercules were getting stoned and being queer and don't care what you think, whereas Lost is all "love me? please?"