Levels of canon (heavy on the Homicide/L&O/Bab5 references)

[kellinator]

Last night TNT was again airing the first Law and Order/Homicide crossover, Charm City/For God and Country, and it hit me at some point near the end: I am convinced that at some point during that crossover Tim Bayliss and Claire Kincaid got it on. Or at least made out passionately in the alley behind the Waterfront.

It got me thinking about the different levels of canon and subtext which relate to interpersonal relationships between characters. They don't have to mean sex but they usually do because what's the big deal about showing two characters are buddies? Shows will usually come out and show that. There are a few types:

• Official Canon: It happened onscreen and there's no denying it. Example: Sheridan and Delynn, Falsone and Ballard *retch*. Personally, I think people are least interested in these because it happened, we know it happened, reading between the lines is much more interesting. (Note: I am still only halfway done with Babylon 5. If you spoil me, I will gut you.)
• Semi-Official Canon: You thought you could read it between the lines, and then one of the head honchos confirmed it in an interview. Examples: Jack and Claire, Susan and Talia, Tim's love for Frank
• Official-in-My-Head Canon: You think you can read it between the lines, nobody's made it official but you're still convinced. Examples: the above-mentioned Tim and Claire, Munch and Kay (at least on his side), Alex and Olivia
• Because-I-Said-So Canon: There's absolutely no evidence, but that's not stopping you. Examples: Most slash, almost anything edie22 writes, anything I write in which Munch and Kay are actually having sex.

So, what are your favorites in the last three categories?

Comments

[kimberly-a.livejournal.com]

JMS was clearly setting up Delynn from the very beginning to eventually have a relationship with the commander of Babylon 5. If you watch the first season all the way through, I think you'll see the Sinclair/Delynn romantic stuff slowly building. Of course, when JMS was forced to get rid of Sinclair, it all had to suddenly shift gears. Sigh.

I've been watching Babylon 5 on DVD, and listened to the commentaries by JMS, in which he talked about his being forced to get rid of Sinclair (along with many other stupid things the network forced him to do), but I don't remember if he spoke specifically about the Sinclair/Delynn stuff. That's why I said it *might* be Semi-Official Canon ... I haven't really researched the issue, but from what little I have heard and read it seemed fairly clear.