In loving memory of Jerry Doyle

So for those of you who don't know, my favorite TV show of all time is a sci-fi from the 90's called Babylon 5. I was introduced to it nearly ten years after it completed its run by a high school classmate, and while its presentation is certainly dated (you can tell it came from the 90's, which actually makes me like it all the more), its storylines and life lessons are timeless.

All the characters and actors in the show were unique and brilliant in their own ways, but today I want to talk a little about one in particular, who passed away far too soon this week: Jerry Doyle.

Jerry played Michael Garibaldi, the badass, no-nonsense security officer. And he was just as badass and no-nonsense in real life, running a talk show that didn't pander to either political party but flayed them both as they deserve. While I didn't agree with everything he said (I don't agree with everything anyone says), I did like his stance on most subjects, and I loved his delivery, as he always had a funny story to add to the subject, whether it was the time some drunk men insulted his wife at dinner and he buttoned his jacket before beating them up ("This was going to be a formal smack down"), or his hilarious reaction to being told to watch out for terrorists on Independence Day ("Don't touch my Johnsonville brats, or you will pay a heavy price, ISIS…the Johnsonville brats will be served, and July 4th Barbeque Justice will be done in my house."). I've listened to his show avidly for years and browse the website of the organization he founded, Epic Times, for news more than any other news source.

It's one of my biggest disappointments in life that I'll never get to meet him in person. We interacted on Twitter and exchanged emails, one of which he read hilariously on the air, and he was going to be at a convention I took my dad to in 2014, but he had to cancel. After that there was never a chance. I can only hope he's hanging with his parents and the other cast members who left us too soon, and he better be ready for some serious snark from me when I get there ("You just couldn't stand to stick around for the election, could you?").

I'd say rest in peace, Mr. JD, but you're the kind of person who I think would sooner agree to "give 'em hell," even in heaven. Either way, we'll miss you!