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Fwd: Re: [B7L] Episode review: Time Squad
by Stephen Date 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

Iain Walker wrote: > > The "alien" is clearly a motorhead fan, judging by > the moustache! You fiend ! Everytime I watch Time Squad from now on I'm going to find myself humming "Ace of Spades". > > Jenna has learned from Blake never to tell your > crewmates what is really > going on - she doesn't tell them she has been > attacked. > Obviously in future it will be social death to mention that you have been attacked, when it might be helpful to share that information. > > Why does Blake call he Liberator "control" when > requesting teleport? He > never does this again and neither does the rest of > the crew. Maybe he hasn't found the Junior Boys > Guide to Space Jargon yet. > El Cheapo foreshadowing of Pressure Point. Presumably he was doing it on the off chance, a bit like the sketch where the court usher shouts "Call Lord Lucan ! Ah well it was worth a try". Stephen. P. S. Tried to send this once already. Apologies if it gets to everyone twice ____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie

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Episode review: Time Squad
by Iain Walker 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

Its been a while since I last posted an episode review (mostly in the form of questions!), but here goes for Time Squad... In this episode Blake is taking command. After telling Avon all about discussing plans, he just decides where they are going on his own. Blake's idea that "If you don't like what he wants to do you can leave" is not particularly democratic! When deciding to rendezvous with the projectile he changes travel plans without consulting the others, again! At the end of the episode Blake already knows to go to Centero without consulting the others What "influences" Zen after he scans the projectile? This is never explained. It isn't easy to influence Zen, even for ORAC, so what's up? Gan thinks that Zen may have a limiter - so is this el cheapo foreshadowing? Zen burns out the teleport switch, but allows the repair circuits to function. Zen will also not pilot the ship, but allows manual control. I think this is supposed to tell us that much of Liberators function is independent of Zen and it is as much a crew member as them (particularly if you want to have SEVEN). Zen's non-piloting allows Avon to show he is a super-pilot - at least we were spared him being sensitive and caring :-) . Blake and Jenna hugged in the last episode and this time he "touches" her in a rather familiar way before they teleport. This behaviour would get Blake sacked from most jobs :-). Later on, Jenna is unsure about becoming a rebel - so it looks like she is just here to snog Blake. There is also some taking sides here: when Jenna says "nice flying" to Avon he ignores her and she and Blake exchange glances (plus their discussion when first teleported over to the projectile). The "alien" is clearly a motorhead fan, judging by the moustache! The aliens are also lucky that electrical outlets have not changed over centuries and between civilizations when they power up their craft from the liberator. Bleeding heart liberal Gan always thinks the best of anyone/thing in this episode: he says the aliens might be frightened, that Zen was always on their side, and that dumping the projectile is murder. And I still can't see the "Gan as mass murderer of women" as suggested/discussed on this list back in May? Jenna has learned from Blake never to tell your crewmates what is really going on - she doesn't tell them she has been attacked. The parallel story has an excellent powerplant location, and Vila shows he is useful by opening the door. Oddly, the flutonic generator room looks just like the computer room on the London. Cally is tough and looks great in her red leather outfit - even her gun is "top notch" (another gratuitous motorhead reference - but from me, not the show) but should really not have been fooled by Blake. I would rather he had talked to her about who he/they were. Nasty Jenna is very bitchy about bringing aliens on board - but I suppose she was almost killed by one earlier - but can't she see the difference between an anti-federation freedom fighter and a heavy rock band lost in space? Why does Blake call he Liberator "control" when requesting teleport? He never does this again and neither does the rest of the crew. Maybe he hasn't found the Junior Boys Guide to Space Jargon yet. Hmm.... so many questions. - Iain

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Review: PARODIES LOST ... by Chris Blenkarn
by Sally Manton 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

(can go on your website, Judith :-)) Review: PARODIES LOST ... by Chris Blenkarn You have all heard the expression 'something for everyone' before, I'm sure. Welcome to a zine where it's not just hyperbole, but the unvarnished truth, since we have 'Blake's 7' in nearly every conceivable (and some *in* conceivable) styles here - from W H Auden to Enid Blyton (and is it a worry that Dayna and Tarrant, especially, fit sooooo beautifully into the Famous Five world?) from Jane Austen (a version of 'Hostage' which gives Travis better lines than the on-screen one) to Dorothy Parker, Dr Seuss and Charles Dickens (a version of Gan's Death that recalls Wilde's words on the death of Little Nell). And even Noel Coward ('Just Do It' - (just *begging* to be sung in public). A wonderful antidote to the over-angsted (or just looking-for-a-giggle) B7 fan it is too ... One thing I noticed when reading Chris's' previous effort, the Gilbert and Servalan Book (strongly recommended, by the way) was that, for my money, she writes the best, the *very* best, voice of Vila Restal I have ever read (and can do it in rhyme, what's more), and this is again true in Parodies Lost. The Woody Allen piece, 'Xenon base' is absolutely wonderful (I also love the fact that Chris shares my fascination with Our Heroes' domestic arrangements) as is his rewrite of the Liberator's recruitment package ("Assist in accessing resources" [Stealing's quicker]) and the *superb* "Soliloquy: After Malodaar" (after Shakespeare, of course ... alas poor Vilakins). In addition to stories and poems in all styles, we have a fabulous Gift Catalogue (Rebel Scum Ltd are obviously looking up these days, and I want a pair of the boxer shorts that detect clones), a publishing list that *might* be a boon for any fanfic writer in search of ideas ... or not, a rather ... errr .... different Programme Guide (every word of it true, too), and The Way Forward, a surreal post-Rebellion conference with a *huge* supporting cast (quite a few of whom manage to attend despite being rather - umm - dead). Oh, and a Drama Festival to die for ... I *want* the scripts of 'The Caucasian Chalk Quarry' and 'Sexual Perversity on Helotrix', Chris. Pretty? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

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AutoPost: Lyst Culture Guide
by kat＠welkin.apana.org.au 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

Guide to Lyst Culture ********************** (written for the B7 mailing list at <http://lists.lysator.liu.se/mailman/listinfo/blakes7>) composed by Kathryn Andersen version 1.03 Considering the number of newbies who have admitted to being nearly frightened away by the manner of folks on this list, and wondering how much larger the number who *were* frightened away, I figured it was a good idea to write a Gentle Introduction which will lift confusion and humanise the apparently terrifying denizens of these electronic halls. Me saw need, me wrote. If me make mistakes, please tell, so corrections entered. This is by no means meant to replace the actual Lyst FAQ (at <http://www.lysator.liu.se/~calle/b7list/FAQ.html>) but serve as an adjunct to it. This is *not* a rule-set of customs. It is *descriptive* not proscriptive. The actuality, not the ideal. The distillation of our understanding of what the Lyst is like, so that folks don't have to read a year's worth of posts in order to get an idea of what the heck is going on here... Also, if you're new to the net, you might find the following helpful - common E-Mail abbreviations <http://www.zeusprod.com/glossary/mailterm.html> - Netiquette (net etiquette) <http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Beginner_s_Guides/Neti…> - The Google Search Engine <http://www.google.com> which I used to find the above URLs... Lyst Culture In A Bottle ************************* What's this "Lyst" business? ============================= The mailing list <blakes7(a)lists.lysator.liu.se> was, so far as I know, the first Blake's 7 (electronic) mailing list to be created (and it also predates the newsgroup). Note the "lysator" in the address. Since there are other lists (most notably, the Other List (see Lyst FAQ)), presumably to save having to say "the lysator List", a shorthand for that is simply "the Lyst". Our Esteemed Listowner, Calle, is not a woman. This doesn't stop people calling him "Cally", indeed, it would be almost irresistible not to, considering the subject of this List. Nobody outside his native country can actually pronounce his name correctly, but it may help those who want to try, to keep in mind that "Calle" comes from the same root as "Carl". Not only that, it's a common short form of Carl, in the same way that Dick is for Richard. Contrary to rumour, "lysator" does not mean "liberator" in Calle's native tongue. It apparently doesn't mean anything in particular. Posting Style ============== Unlike many other lists, we don't tend to be chatty, and off-topic posts are (after a while) encouraged to go to the Spin-off list, so that we can get down to the serious business of discussing the political systems in B7 or the nature of terrorism or how teleportation works; or the lighthearted business of Avon's red leather trousers or what kind of ice cream the particular characters would prefer, or how to recast the series. (Note: I thought the instructions for subscribing to the Spin list were in the Lyst FAQ, but it seems that they aren't. So here they are: TO POST: Send an e-mail to <b7spin(a)metva.com.au> TO SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with a Subject line of 'subscribe' to <b7spin-request(a)metva.com.au>. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with a Subject line of 'unsubscribe' to <b7spin-request(a)metva.com.au>. ) It isn't a required custom on this list to introduce yourself, though a few people like to. People also don't tend to issue a formal welcome to newbies -- we just get on with the discussion and expect folks to join in (or not). Please don't consider this unfriendly; it's simply... focused. We're always interested in fresh ideas. If someone doesn't respond to your posting it could simply be because they agreed with it -- and didn't want to write a "me too" post. On the other hand, feel free to consider this unfriendly... but if you do, then it behooves you to go and welcome people, don't it? If the Lyst seems particularly busy and snarky, it's probably February. Odd Acronyms and Other Collections ================================== If you are confused by people referring to "the wrath of FINALACT" or suchlike, be confused no longer. As with many online fandoms, groups of like-minded fans often declare allegiance to their particular favourite characters, and form groups. Generally in order to be part of such a group... one simply declares oneself to be part of it. One doesn't have to be part of any group at all, and these groups are not meant to be taken deadly seriously either. Though some are more tongue-in-cheek than others. Often they are formed of those who consider their view to be a minority one. The Tarrant Nostra ------------------ Yes, this one doesn't have odd acronyms but with such a cool name, who needs them? The first known reference to the Tarrant Nostra by that name is apparently in 1995, though the core group was around for longer than that. The name sprung from the mind of Brooke Barker. This group, is, obviously, those who favour Tarrant. Carol McCoy is "The Godmother" of the Tarrant Nostra; other members may not be so clearly identified. See Also <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/TarrantNostra/tarrant.htm> F.I.N.A.L.A.C.T. ---------------- This stands for "Foundation Invalidating Numerous Accusations Levelled At Croucher's Travis". These are the fans who prefer Brian Croucher's Travis, aka Travis II. They have a tendency to threaten detractors with The Comfy Chair, Karaoke music and Teletubby torture. Jacqueline Thijsen is the Chief Inquisitor. Penny Dreadful is their Queen, hopeful of being elevated to godhood, so that Iain Coleman can be Pope. See also <http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=26736> G.I.T.H.O.G. ------------ This stands for "Greif Is Travis, House Of Greif". Byline -- 'In Time, We All Come to Greif'. These are the fans who prefer Stephen Grief's Travis, aka Travis I. They appear to be less active than FINALACT, probably because they don't perceive themselves to be in the minority. See also <http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=33344> A.S.K.S. -------- Avon's Sympathetic Kindred Spirits go against the flow of Avon fans because they don't give a fig whether he looks sexy in black leather, they just identify with him. Kathryn Andersen made up this acronym, so she is presumably the founding member. Gareth's Gorillas ----------------- Fans who are into Gareth Thomas and his work, as distinct from just being interested in Blake (though they are interested in Blake too). Chief Gorilla is Judith Proctor. One may see them at cons wearing "Gareth's Gorilla" badges. The Gan Defence League ---------------------- Those who appreciate the unsung and oft under-appreciated Olag Gan. Judith Proctor goes around distributing oak leaves to those who stand up for Gan and say nice things about him. S.C.A.M. -------- Society for Crushing Animals Maligners, given a name by Una McCormack, the (almost) sole person who not only liked the episode "Animals", but strives to defend it. Dedicated to the art of Justinification (justifying Justin). Followers of the Goddess ------------------------ The concept of the Golden Goddess Soolin, her Acolyte Dayna, and the Chief Hairdresser Vila was the invention of Ophelia (aka Kanna-Ophelia, aka (name suppressed on request))... not quite as gone as we thought. J.A.D.E. -------- Jarriere's Always Discriminating Enthusiasts don't actually tend to use this acronym a lot, but their influence has been far-reaching; not only did they get this minor character who only appeared in one episode (Gambit... Travis called him a powder-puff) into the top 20 of an online poll of favourite SF characters.... but they actually persuaded a fannish model-maker to include Jarriere into their line of die-cast models (after Avon, Blake, Travis and Vila). They are led by Harriet Monkhouse, who, after another Harriet joined the Lyst in 2001, decided to style herself Jarriet (or Harriere) to cut down on possibilities of mistaken identity. Avon Without Guilt ------------------ Not a terribly active group these days, but Pat Nussman founded "AWG" -- Avon Without Guilt. As in, yes, we *know* it's terribly common; we *know* that more discerning tastes move on from their first attraction to the Dark and Snarly One in favor of the more arcane delights of, oh, The Thane and Bruce; we *know* he has a less than stellar character. So what? We still love him, and we refuse to be guilty about it. It is worthwhile noting that Barbara Paul dedicated one of her novels to the Avon Without Guilt group. See <http://www.barbarapaul.com/holland.html> Sickly Equines =============== Certain topics have a habit of coming up over and over again. I'm reluctant to call them dead horses, because it can be the case that a newbie can actually offer new insight that nobody's thought of before, and pass the hand of healing over what was once assumed to be a corpse. - Hey, Maybe Avon Shot Blake's Clone! - Was Blake a Freedom Fighter Or A Terrorist? Should Blake Have Destroyed Star One? - Avon Was Mad (No He Wasn't) - Was Travis only following orders? Hot Topics ========== One topic which is pretty much guaranteed to start the fires burning no matter how nicely and calmly people may start the discussion, is slash. If you don't know what slash is, don't worry, since you probably don't want to argue about it either. An oldish summary of the pro-slash position from Susan Beth can be found at <ftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/blake7/misc/slash.defense> A summary of the anti-slash position is at <http://www.katspace.com/b7/slashsum.html> Another topic which tends to set the sparks flying is Horizon, the biggest and oldest B7 fan club. Or, more specifically, its Coodinator/Treasurer/etc, Diane Gies. I'm not going to reiterate it here, that would just stir people up again. Any topic can raise the temperature if it is pursued obnoxiously enough. There has been steam coming out of ears over - whether Deliverance is Sexist - posting style - con reports - religion just to name a few. But don't let that scare you off, we're generally quite calm and rational... Signs that a thread has gone on too long at too high a temperature are - posters start repeating themselves (worst case, reposting earlier posts of their own) - postings degenerate into a "he said, she said" dissection of why what so-and-so said was insulting. INTJ? MBTI? Huh? ================== Once upon a time, someone first brought up the idea of figuring out the Myers-Briggs (personality) Type Indicator for each of the characters. It was mentioned briefly once before, but the topic truly exploded in February 1998 when Adam Fuller posted this -- <http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=21161> Much discussion ensued, and many people went off to <http://www.keirsey.com> to take the personality tests there to figure out their own type. Of those who took the tests and actually reported back, the majority appeared to be either INTJ or INTP types (and, oddly enough, the consensus was that Avon was either an INTJ or an INTP). This probably explains why the posting style of the list appears so unfriendly -- half of us are closet Avons. Some people are sick of this topic. Others remain fascinated by it. Penguins? What's that got to do with B7? ========================================= The connection between penguins and B7 can only be explained by the one who discovered the sinister conspiracy in the first place. For some reason, Calle seems to think it was Una McCormack, but the rest of the world blames it on Neil Faulkner. <http://homepages.tesco.net/~N.Faulkner/blakes7/darkheart/darkheart.htm> Except for Neil, who blames it on Alison Page. Acknowledgements ================ Thanks (in no particular order) to Penny Dreadful, Calle Dybedahl, Neil Faulkner, Una McCormack, Tavia, Mistral, Steve Rogerson, Ophelia, Andrew Williams, Sandra Kisner, M, Harriet Monkhouse, Jacqueline Thijsen, Wildean, Harriet, Carol McCoy, Susan Beth, Tiger M, Sandra Kisner, Carolyn, DDJ for additions, comments and corrections. Where To Find It ================ This FAQ-ish thing can be found on the web at <http://www.katspace.com/b7/lyst.html> and posted on the Lyst once a month. Thu Aug 23 01:06:00 EST 2001

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Re: names
by Steve Rogerson 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

I liked Alison's analysis of the name Servalan because that is one area I really struggle with when writing - thinking up plausible new names. I end up either with very contrived names beginning with X or boring existing names of the John and Paul variety (no offence to Johns and Pauls cos I also include Steve in that list). So I'm impressed by people who can come up with good new names. One method I've heard is to combine two common names into a new one so it has a familiar feel but is still novel. The difficulty is clearly widespread given that very few brand new names become popular. Names such as Lorna and Wendy are therefore exceptional is this, but how many other recently invented names have become so widespread? -- cheers Steve Rogerson http://homepages.poptel.org.uk/steve.rogerson Redemption 03, 21-23 February 2003, Ashford, Kent Celebrating 25 years of Blake's 7 and 10 years of Babylon 5 http://www.smof.com/redemption

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Re: [B7L] Penguin advance
by J MacQueen 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

>From: "Sally Manton" <smanton(a)hotmail.com> >Joanne wrote: ><Saw it on the news -- a penguin that can bow respectfully, as well as >shuffle.> >But have they been trained as attack penguins? Una ought to be the one answering this, because I haven't worked out the intricacies of them holding weapons as yet. Regards Joanne (who hasn't been anywhere near anything other than the book variety of late; though, given my tendency to attract paper cuts, you could train attack Penguin books easily enough) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

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Re: [B7L] Episode review: Seek-Locate-Destroy
by Sally Manton 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

Iain W wrote: <Blake issues the orders to the crew after they have teleported down. This is bad planning and terrible management. They should have had all this sorted out before they teleport. If they planned these things properly maybe they wouldn't go wrong!> <g> Now this is rather unfair IMO. Wars (being the messy things they are) don't usually *have* proper management plans because - not surprisingly - proper and throrough assessment is a little hard to do beforehand ("excuse me, we're planning to blow your place up next week, could we have a look round and do some tests to work out what level of explosives we'll need?") Blake quite possibly *couldn't* have worked out and given the orders before they went down - since none of them had been on a base like this before, how would they know what to expect? And he only has *five people* (including himself) to do this, so of course he'd be planning to adapt to the circumstances they found down there (one of the reasons Travis could never beat Blake *was* that Travis did all this planning that you're keen on; Blake thought on the fly and therefore always threw a monkey-wrench into the plans (see also Duel). Obviously the amount of explosive needed to destroy this place was exceptional for some reason, since Gan thought half the amount Blake ordered was sufficient, didn't he? They *did* think about the size of the charges, but was obviously wrong (as happens all too often *in* wars, where you can't take time out to do an on-site assessment or go back and work it all out again). Remember, except for Cally, they're all still amateurs at this business - learning very quickly to work together and building up fairly impressive teamwork when it's needed (the scenes with Servalan and the Deadly Duo make it clear that this is not the first bit of Fighting for Freedom, there's been enough to make Blake an increasingly popular hero) - but still raw enough to make mistakes. And in this business, learning on the job probably gets most people *killed*. Forgetting Cally was a doozy of a mistake, I agree (I think that Blake, on teleporting, charges straight off to the flightdeck, not surprising since there's no one *there*, and assumed Cally was with the others ... and they assumed she'd gone with him. But still, it *was* a blunder). JMO ... _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

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Episode review: Seek-Locate-Destroy
by Iain Walker 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

Well, it's taken six episodes (half the season!) and the rebellion is finally under way! Not your typical TV action rebels. After "The Web" it is good to be actually getting somewhere. When Blake and Vila teleport down - that whirring stupid robot is really, really, really annoying. It can't tell the difference between a human and a piece of swinging pipe - which it actually attacks! Yes - that's right - it ignores the terrorists and attacks the very base it is supposed to defend. Very worrying. Now - it is true that animal sight responds better to motion rather than stationary things, and that robot vision systems attempt to use some of these same principals (using contrast changes to determine edges, convert edges to vertices and then determine vertex changes). However - only a very primitive system would simply shoot at any detected motion. Vila shows his technical skills and the ability to move & hide quickly. Also he brazenly approaches the guards - he will make a fine terrorist. He makes the knocked out guards comfortable - he never does this again. What nutbar put the guard to the cipher room on the inside? Put him out in the hallway where he can see intruders and stop them. Dialog gem: AVON: It had better be right. A fraction out and you could put us down in the middle of the security barracks. JENNA: Don't tempt me. Blake issues the orders to the crew after they have teleported down. This is bad planning and terrible management. They should have had all this sorted out before they teleport. If they planned these things properly maybe they wouldn't go wrong! Blake wants "total destruction" - but doesn't get it. That's why Travis is able to figure things out. AGAIN a bit of planning to think about the size of charges needed would have helped. And AGAIN - a quick check on the crew before zooming off into the big black might be a good idea. Blake is just useless as a leader - incompetence on the scale of running a large dome in London. But not as incompetent as the people who built that really, really annoying security robot. Vila will not shoot the guard in the back when he has the opportunity. Just trying to hard to be a good guy? Vila says to Cally "I've just been spotted" - no he wasn't. Callys guard relaxes and takes off his helmet. Cally then kicks his bottom (as our American friends would say). So it looks like the hand to hand maiming will be done by "companions for my death" Cally. Too bad it doesn't last. It took until episode six before we get someone to officially wear the black hat - it turns out to be Servalan - who looks to be about 20/21 in this episode. And Travis seems quite capable in this episode - its plausible he could actually beat our heroes (he sees the importance in finding out WHY Blake attacked). Bercol and Rontane show the backstabbing political intrigue in the hierarchy of the federation. I like that the show shows little bits of the world beyond the central characters - Servalans actions are not made in a vacuum - there are political and personal repercussions. We meet the first of Servalans boy-toys - note the way she coquettishly says "Oh Rey. Come Here". Oddly, Rey (and Bercol and Rontane for that matter) don't seem too fond of the ruthless side of the federation that Servie represents. Blake finally gets something right - he uses the same plan as Travis: get there first (even after many viewings it is still a surprise to me)- see what can be done if you have a plan. However - it is implausible in the extreme that Blake would know in which room Cally was kept. Lastly - Blake should have killed Travis. He's a terrorist - you don't go "letting people off" just so you can have a good gloat - unless you are someone without any planning/management skills - like Blake. Indirectly - Blake then becomes responsible for the Andromedan invasion. If he had killed Travis then it would never have happened and we would not have to suffer through some of the totally crap episodes in S3 and S4. Oh, and did I mention that the security robot is really, really annoying. Sorry - typing late at night and getting a little cranky. - Iain

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Episode Comments: The Web
by Iain Walker 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

Mostly, I just didn't care about this episode - nothing much of interest happens. I suppose we have "character development" going on - with Blake trusting Cally after she has been taken over, and Blake and Avon (incoherently) discussing the decimas right to life. I am sure there will be some defenders of this episode on the list (just like for Animals ;-)) but for me it just doesn't ass anything to the series. None of the things that happen in this episode (except aliens taking over the crew members) have a bearing on the rest of the show. Mostly the tape is on FF for this one. So instead of a review, just a couple of comments: Confirming Jennas suspicions about Aliens, Cally gets "taken over". But hahahaha, last laugh on Jenna 'coz she gets taken over too. There are also some good dialog gems, for example: Jenna "we're all in it Avon" Avon "Yes - aren't we." ZZzzziiinnngg! - Iain

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Re: names
by Alison Page 23 Aug '01

23 Aug '01

I don't know where the name Servalan came from but it's my favourite B7 name. It misdirects the ear in two way. The 'serv' sound makes you think servant or service or serf, or even slave, and the whole world sounds like the name of a mainframe computer (to me). So the first interesting thing is the way the name points up Servalan's two strongest characteristics - dominance and physicality - by contrast with a name that is submissive and incorporeal. However I think the role of Servalan as it played out, also teased us with the opposite characteristics, submissiveness and intellectual coldness. And the name 'Servalan' fits those two hidden aspects of her character. I think this is probably all coincidence, if you pick enough names some of them have to have hidden 'meanings' that you didn't mean to put there. That doesn't take away the force that the name has though. Alison ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. www.mimesweeper.com **********************************************************************

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