Sally wrote:
Now, the matter of Weapon, Coser and the Beta rank.
Jenny wrote: <I think what we are actually seeing is the Beta Grade from the
perspective
of Coser, who is quite clearly vengeful, and not just a little bit mad.>
Absolutely, but the episode makes it clear *to me* that he has grounds
for
seeing it that way. Firstly, the point that Travis and Servalan make,
that
his taking Security by surprise shows he "is brighter than his grade classification would suggest". Given what we see of Federation security, this does not speak highly of the grade classification in question *at all*.
True, grade classification is not a good thing.
The clear implication is that Betas are not regarded (at least by people like Servalan and Travis) as> >incapable of original thought,
I'm confused by that double negative. Do you mean they *are* or *aren't* regarded as capable of original thought? If they *are,* which is how it reads right now, then I agree. But if you mean they *aren't* regarded as capable of original thought, then I disagree. The clear implication is that Security did not foresee Coser running amok with a gun, which doesn't mean lack of imagination, just docility. Servalan did forsee it however, because in the scene you refer to Servalan is being economical with the truth, as the next scene with Carnell demonstrated.
which bolsters Coser's belief that his invention - his original work - could be stolen from him.
It probably was stolen from him, but the boss always takes the credit for anything good that happens.
(And given that our own Vila is perfectly capable of taking Security
(SLD),
Fearless Leader
Who's this then? Avon?
and everyone else in sight - including himself - by surprise, it's rather telling.)
No, it's an entirely different situation to Coser's unless of course there exists an episode where Vila goes postal with a gun that I haven't seen.
And then there's Blake who, in my biased opinion, is unusually egalitarian (his method is to treat everyone as social equals, while ordering them *all* about)
And of course when Avon took control things completely changed, didn't they? Except of course in episodes like City, Rumours, Terminal, Stardrive, Blake....
but says quite bluntly "Coser's only a Beta class weapons technician, so he's not important enough to have caused all
this
fuss." i e, Betas are seen as rather lowly.
As we have no idea what a Beta would be expected to do, it is impossible to draw any conclusions. Blake may just have been referring to the fact that Betas don't usually get access to stuff that would cause the Federation to initiate such a major alert.
Regarding your: <Yes, but until he had actually experienced such a thing, how could he
know
what it was all about?>
He hasn't been an Alpha either, but he's got a fair grasp of what it
means
as far as Blake's concerned ('Shadow'). It wouldn't be that hard to work out where he would be most comfortable and could pursue his chosen profession (thief) most easily - he can be perceptive when he wants, and
if
it's to do with getting what *he* wants out of life, he will want.
If you had bothered to read my email properly, you would have seen that this was the exact point I was making! If that's all he wants, why go to all that trouble to get some friend to mark him down a grade?
<Also, any prejudice from Alpha grades for Betas must be lightweight compared to the prejudice he would feel as a Delta.>
Who said he'd be concerned about prejudice?
You did, actually, in the e-mail which I was answering.
Vila doesn't actually show
much concern about what the others think about his ranking or him
personally
*until* this scene;
What about the scene in Horizon then?
he's perfectly happy to let them think what they like
if it gets him what he wants (after all, he has a low opinion of most of
them
too).
Again, where does he *say* any of this?
The reason he gives for *wanting* a Delta grade actually rings true in
one
respect
There is no direct evidence that he is a Delta Grade.
- it has nothing to do with outside bias or prejudices
Well, you did bring it up!
or how
others would treat him, but a solid, practical basis on what he thinks
would make
his life more or less unpleasant: going into the military being (I-his-O) anything but desirable for this.
Yes, but if Vila's suggestion that he took a 'Space Captains' exam' is an outright lie, then there can be no "solid, practical basis" to start with.
Jenny
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Jenny Kaye