Alison wrote:
Una said -
I don't think there's that much to wonder about on that score <g>
'Not at
all' I think!
I was thinking of the elegance and symmetry of the structure of B7,
how
situations are set up, and then inverted. Let me just take one, comparatively minor example, which is Jenna being invited to take the Liberator and run, at the start of her journey (Cygnus Alpha) and at
the end
of it (Star One), and refusing each time, with that refusal having a different meaning. If that was the only example it wouldn't exactly
tip the
scales, but we can uncover so many of a similar kind, in each
character's
arc and in the multiple arcs of the different stories and the joint
story.
I never see this sort of thing. I didn't notice until people on this list said it that Blake's injured eye can mean 1. a loss of clear moral vision and 2. a blurring of the lines between him and Travis.
But then I also didn't notice - until someone pointed it out to me - that the Dr Who story 'Kinda' (in which someone in a paradise world eats an apple and then evil is introduced in the shape of a giant snake) was a metaphor for the Garden of Eden. It was quite clear when someone pointed it out, however. Maybe I was distracted by the snake looking crap. Evil is truly cunning.
I have a definite blind spot. I'm sure you could push any old propaganda on me and I'd just lap it up. Anyway, that's why I think this sort of thing is incredibly clever and I love reading it. So I'd like more examples of what you posted, and what Natasa posted when she kicked off this thread.
I think that people do impose elegance and symmetry on artifacts of
all
kinds, above and beyond the demands of practicality. One question is
are the
fans imposing the symmetry, or was part of that work done for them in advance? I would say the latter. But I enjoy the elegance in either
case.
I would also say the latter, since writers obviously think about this sort of thing when they write, even if they're writing quickly and within a strict format.
It's not just reflecting the age, I don't think, because you
wouldn't find it in
any other show of the time.
I can think of one or two. Where do you see this kind of presentation
of
morality in contemporary shows? I think I find it everywhere because
it's
what I'm interested in.
I meant conveyance of morality through this particular metaphor, I
think.
Anyway, it doesn't really matter what I actually meant, and to be
honest I
don't remember.
Sorry to come back at you on posts you made ages ago.
A concept as broad as 'morality'? - yes, of course it's found
elsewhere
Sorry to be vague; obviously, yes. I was just trying to get a bit closer to what you meant.
A particular moral theme? - It would be interesting to consider which
shows
were most similar to B7, then and now. I know one you'll mention.
For once, I was thinking of something other than 'Deep Space Nine', and was actually thinking of 'Callan' (been watching it a lot recently).
A convoluted structure intended to convey a subversive morality? - I
would
say pretty rare, but I'm prepared to be convinced.
There's certainly a lot of structure in the way that 'Callan' is shot. In episode after episode and scene after scene you get shots lined up using reflections in mirrors and multiple mirrors, and other reflecting surfaces. Given how cheap the show is and how few sets it's on, it's quite amazing what they manage to do. On reflection (ho ho), I'm not sure that this is quite what you're talking about either.
Una