Natasa wrote:
Some time ago (I'm trying to catch up, as always) Alison posted some interesting observations on the existance or lack of moral centre in
B7.
It occured to me that 'decentring' is one of the crucial motifs in B7.
I'm miles behind too, thanks to rotten RSI, but I thought this was a great post, and I've been mulling it over since you posted.
Blake, on the other hand, remains the moral centre of the story,
although
this notion is also challenged and subverted throughout S2. When he's
gone
in S3, 'decentring' morality becomes even more obvious.
[snip]
Tony Attwood observes about Cally, 'she often took a strong moral line with the crew, particularly after the disappearance
of
Blake.' Cally is, however, very often removed from the centre of
action. Her
exchange with Tarrant re Shrinker is a graphic example. Think what
Blake
would do in a similar situation - probably rush in like a bulldozer
and
physically prevent the others from mistreating a prisoner. Blake
symbolized
the powerful presence of morality in one's consciousness; Cally is
that same
morality reduced to a little voice at the back of one's mind - which,
it
turns out, is quite easy to ignore. This episode is disturbing on a
larger
scale, too, as we learn that the rebellion also used Shrinker's
services to
interrogate prisoners.
I can't resist chipping in in support of Cally, and that scene. I've blathered on many, many times about how that scene utterly grabbed me as a kid. I think Cally is brilliant in that scene - hits them with the truth and it *bites*. It's effective as well, isn't it? They *do* stop mistreating Shrinker (well, until Avon murders him).
But you're dead right that Cally removes herself throughout this episode. She has a real dilemma, and I think she's very conflicted throughout. She struggles repeatedly to express to Avon that what he is doing is murder, and thus wrong. But, I think she's finding it difficult to resolve the issue, and that part of what's going on is trying to justify to herself the fact that - by her inactivity - she is effectively letting him go through with it. Bearing in mind her own experience of people like Shrinker during S-L-D, I think part of her thinks he's justified. The only internal resolution she can find is removing herself from the action - just like Auron did.
Of course, I think this just supports your thesis about the decentred morality in B7 .
Una