I'm a bit behind in my reading of the posts, but I'm going to post this anyway fwiw. Sorry if it's behind the times. Some thoughts.
I've just rewatched Deliverance and enjoyed it a lot more than the last time, when I found I just wanted to sink through the sofa at the Avon-Meegat scenes - nngh!
These are my thoughts:
1. Avon is the one identified by Meegat as 'Lord' simply because he is the one who speaks the Words of the Prophecy she has been waiting for - 'Who are you?'. Anyone might have said it, but Avon does.
2. Jenna is captured by the scavengers because a. Gan told her to wait, b. She agreed to wait, c. They were both stupid enough to separate.
3. They can be forgiven for doing such an incautious thing because a. The planet surface has lethal radiation and is unlikely to house threatening fauna, b. Zen had been able to identify no life signs.
4. The scavengers went for Jenna because a. Who in their right mind would attack Gan with just polystyrene rocks :-), and b. Yes, they may need a healthy female to join the tribe.
5. Jenna is not a feeble resourceless character. She frees herself from her restraints and is very unlucky to be spotted by one of the tribesmen as she exits the tent. If anything, Vila is the feeble one, since he makes enough fuss when captured to alert the whole tribe (and see below).
The way I see the episode is as giving the writer, the viewers and the B7 crew a chance for amusement at Avon's expense. It's early in the series and we have all had the chance to see how seriously he takes himself. For once he finds himself in a situation where he just can't hide his discomfiture. And on the other hand, he plainly can't resist letting the flattery carry on for a bit - and the others can see this too. It does show his human side; his actions deflate his own action hero/clever clogs persona for a moment, and even Blake can't resist making him squirm with a bit of good natured sarcasm at the end.
I don't think Terry Nation would be entirely unaware of a potential Freudian interpretation of the rocket, although I think he'd have let it ride as a bit of wry humour. His topmost thought would have been to flatter us by giving us the opportunity to think - _rockets_ that's _really_ old technology (letting us identify with Blake's crew in the XXXth century, not the unsophisticated people of the planet, and not 20th century TV viewers). In the late seventies, and especially in TV programmes, any sexist nuances (for better or worse) wouldn't have been taken as seriously as now, or even recognised for what they were, as I think has already been said. It's another opportunity for the writer to send Avon up.
Regarding leaving Meegat and her people behind, I think strangely it's a sign of respect. It will be several lifetimes before the rocket reaches destination (500 years in fact), and the new people will be a different generation. Meegat's people are dying out, but they have fulfilled their life's mission. They presumably cannot reproduce (in sufficient numbers to remain viable - Meegat may well be one of the very few young people left - 'Our numbers grow smaller, more die'). It seems fitting for them to end their lives on the planet which bore their civilisation. Where else would they want to be? My impression was that they had some resistance to the radiation (living underground?), and would be able to live out their lives as they had done before. Moving to another planet would not prevent the people's death, because the damage was done to their race when the first bombs dropped centuries ago. Meegat's responsibilities as priestess are still to her people even now. It's unthinkable that she would leave them, or that they would leave the planet.
I agree with someone else who said that Avon is gentle with Meegat, but not misogynistic or sexist. The gap between her society and his is so great that it would be largely irrelevant to try to explain to her that he is not a god. Her definition of a god is someone who appears as if by magic and can operate the technology and set off the rocket - which in fact does define Avon. It's to his credit that he doesn't try to explain, thus enabling her to retain her position and dignity by performing her role in accordance with her people's traditions. Admittedly she does go overboard when he appears <g>, but by all accounts they have waited several generations for this ('_all_ of my life, as those before me waited'), so she can justifiably feel pretty good to be 'the chosen one' herself - in a religious not any other way. I agree with Cheryl that Avon on the whole is anything but sexist in this episode. It's to all their credit that they go along with what she wants them to do - when Gan says 'We are just men from a spaceship', Vila adds 'with problems of our own' - this is the last thing they need at the moment.
I don't agree that Meegat's people would have worked out how to operate the switches by now. There would have been religious restrictions on doing so, which would automatically temper any natural curiosity. And who's to say they would have been wrong; you would only get one chance to do it right, at the risk of destroying the future of the race.
The only sexist attitude I can identify is Vila's 'You're enjoying this, aren't you?' Yes Meegat is attractive. Yes Vila is jealous of the attention Avon is getting, but IMO Avon behaves impeccably throughout - and there is attraction on both sides between him and Meegat, as shown by Jenna's reaction when she enters the room. Despite this, Avon _doesn't_ take his relationship with Meegat further because he is too aware of the fact that it would be taking advantage of her.
More examples: Avon raises her from her knees not once, but twice. 'Forgive me' 'I forgive you' He does everything in his power to counter her subservience.
I can see the same potential for sexism arising if roles were reversed, but would Jenna behave as respectfully if faced with a young attractive and unworldly priest before whom she is in a similar position of power? And what derisive/patronising asides would you get between her and Cally? I hope Jenna would behave as Avon has. This is a power thing, not a gender thing.
Finally it's quite a poignant moment when Avon replies to Meegat 'That seems like a poor reward somehow.' (Can't believe I'm presenting him as self-deprecating but that's the way it reads. He's only my _second_ favourite character after all:-)
It may be that he is all too aware of the fate that awaits her.
This would make it into a very sombre tale; also very in keeping with Terry Nation's writing, especially in B7. IMO any misogynistic agenda would have been the last thing on his mind.
Jan B
Wendy:
Let's face it, in most TV sci-fi, the default position for women is as helpless rescuee.
Me:
I'd say that's true for TV sci-fi in the sixties, seventies and early eighties (Tarzan and Jane scenarios?!), but less so now. And in B7 Vila was always more likely to sprain his ankle than the female characters :-) In this respect the series could be seen as ahead of its times.
Jan B _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.