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dangermousieBecause I am feeling random, I decided to make a list of my fave TV scifi characters and their angst quotient. Also, a random write-up on Jane Eyre.
Show: Battlestar Galactica
Favorite character: Lee Adama
Who: The son of Galactica's commander, President Roslin's advisor and CAG.
Most adorable in: 33 (the first ep of the series): scruffy, strung-out, flying for days straight despite lack of sleep and bantering/flighting with Starbuck at the same time.
The biggest angst moment: Ep 2.01 (Scattered): being dragged away, handcuffed and screaming, from his father's body
Very Angsty or not: Not. Yes, his world has been destroyed (literally) but he does seem to be holding up pretty well.
OTP: Not really.
Maxed out my angst capacity: Nope. Doesn't angst enough. My reaction is usually "take off your shirt" rather than "oh no, I can't watch!"
Show: Roswell
Favorite character: Max Evans
Who: a hybrid human-alien who has been cloned from a dead ruler of planet Antar.
Most adorable in: "The Blind Date:" drunk, unreserved and mushily in love Max is so adorable I want to take him home and XXXCENSOREDXXXXXX
The biggest angst moment: Where do I start? 1:21 "The White Room" during which he is torturned mentally and physically and is finally broken when he is made to believe Liz is killed. Though the moment when he sees Liz and Kyle in "The End of the World" is also a winner.
Very Angsty or not: Yes. The type of character where if you know he is having a day where he doesn't want to scream in misery, something horrible is coming soon.
OTP: That's what the show is about. Liz/Max OTP.
Maxed out my angst capacity: Yes. I can't rewatch "The End of the World."
Show: Farscape
Favorite character: John Crichton
Who: a scientist and astronaut who is thrown through a wormhole
Most adorable in: Peacekeeper Wars, specifically when he holds his son. I love the fact that after all the horrors he's been through, he can still have such wonder and love for the baby in his arms.
The biggest angst moment: 2.22 "Die Me Dichotomy:" it's hard to beat killing your OTP while under neural control and then having to watch her die, and not being able to even kill yourself because of that neural control.
Very Angsty or not: Yes. Crichton is such a mess by the end that only sheer stubborness is holding him together. He's been mind raped, physically raped, drugged, tortured, made to kill, go insane, see his friends die. The man is barely functional.
OTP: Yes. John/Aeryn is the OTP to beat them all.
Maxed out my angst capacity: Yes. So many times, this entry would be way too long if I listed them all.
Show: Firefly
Favorite character: Malcolm Reynolds
Who: Captain of a small smuggling vessel and former "Independent" rebel.
Most adorable in: "Shindig." When he and Inara have their conversation in the tag.
The biggest angst moment: "Out of Gas" when he is left all alone on the ship, trying to fix it while wounded and dying from lack of air and also feeling very alone.
Very Angsty or not: Somewhat
OTP: In the early stages of development. Mal/Inara is incipient.
Maxed out my angst capacity: Not yet. But got close to it in "Heart of Gold."
And now, because it has nothing to do with the previous:
You know, women can be generally divided into two kinds:
The Jane Austen ones and the Bronte ones.
I am afraid I am the Bronte woman. Oh, I adore Jane Austen's books. Persuasion is moving, P&P is perfect, and even Mansfield Park has merits.
But if I had to pick one 19th century novel to be stuck on the desert island with, it would be Jane Eyre.
I first read it when I was 8 or 9. My grandmother had a worn-out plump hardback Russian translation on her shelf that I decided to read on impulse (I read anything, anyway). Within three pages, I knew I was in love. To a child, the grown-up portions, while interesting, paled in comparison to the parts that dealt with Child Jane. Which child (even one as well cared for as I) hasn't felt neglected and put upon occasionally? And this was the first book I came across where the heroine was not drop-dead gorgeous vision of perfection. Jane was plain. She was intelligent, strong-willed and worthy to be a heroine anyway. And Mr. Rochester was no Prince Charming either, but he fell in love with her. Heady stuff for a 9 year old.
That was also the time the Soviet television bought the rights to the 1970s BBC adapatation starring Zelah Clarke and Timothy Dalton. They showed it on TV three times a day (morning, day, and evening) and I tried to watch it as much as I could. In fact, our teacher told us every day if we were quiet and did our work promptly, she would allow us to watch JE in school. Needless to say we complied.
Actually, this book is entangled with my memories. I remember rereading it regularly as a kid. I remember being very sick but not minding staying home because they were replaying the Zelah Clarke version on the TV. I remember trying to read it in English, with my English still a bit shaky as a rather lost 14 year old in New York City. I remember packing it with me during one of highschool summer vacations in North Carolina. Or reading it in the study lounge of my college.
And I remember finding new things in the book every time I read it. When I was younger I could not understand why Jane would leave Rochester when she found out he was already married. "So what?" thought I. Imagine my amazement as it made sense to me on one of the umpteenth reread: It was not just religion. I might not be a Protestant, but her convictions were important to her, so much part of what she was, she would have to give her sense of self up and that would be too much. And I understood that there was a catch-22, as Rochester could not love or respect her if she was the woman who would cave.
Many many many books later, Jane Eyre is still one of my favorite heroines: clever, strong, pragmatic, but no picture of perfection: she is too judgmental, her sense of humor is a bit erratic. And Rochester? He was one of my earliest literary crushes and he still is, which is more than I can say for most characters I read about when I was 8. The idea of a strong-willed, intelligent, deeply flawed but passionate man who finds meaning in love of a good, intelligent, strong woman is an archetype that has been arguably created by Charlotte Bronte. But he is not a cliche romantic hero: he seems a real person, not very likeable perhaps, but worthy of happiness and love.
Show: Battlestar Galactica
Favorite character: Lee Adama
Who: The son of Galactica's commander, President Roslin's advisor and CAG.
Most adorable in: 33 (the first ep of the series): scruffy, strung-out, flying for days straight despite lack of sleep and bantering/flighting with Starbuck at the same time.
The biggest angst moment: Ep 2.01 (Scattered): being dragged away, handcuffed and screaming, from his father's body
Very Angsty or not: Not. Yes, his world has been destroyed (literally) but he does seem to be holding up pretty well.
OTP: Not really.
Maxed out my angst capacity: Nope. Doesn't angst enough. My reaction is usually "take off your shirt" rather than "oh no, I can't watch!"
Show: Roswell
Favorite character: Max Evans
Who: a hybrid human-alien who has been cloned from a dead ruler of planet Antar.
Most adorable in: "The Blind Date:" drunk, unreserved and mushily in love Max is so adorable I want to take him home and XXXCENSOREDXXXXXX
The biggest angst moment: Where do I start? 1:21 "The White Room" during which he is torturned mentally and physically and is finally broken when he is made to believe Liz is killed. Though the moment when he sees Liz and Kyle in "The End of the World" is also a winner.
Very Angsty or not: Yes. The type of character where if you know he is having a day where he doesn't want to scream in misery, something horrible is coming soon.
OTP: That's what the show is about. Liz/Max OTP.
Maxed out my angst capacity: Yes. I can't rewatch "The End of the World."
Show: Farscape
Favorite character: John Crichton
Who: a scientist and astronaut who is thrown through a wormhole
Most adorable in: Peacekeeper Wars, specifically when he holds his son. I love the fact that after all the horrors he's been through, he can still have such wonder and love for the baby in his arms.
The biggest angst moment: 2.22 "Die Me Dichotomy:" it's hard to beat killing your OTP while under neural control and then having to watch her die, and not being able to even kill yourself because of that neural control.
Very Angsty or not: Yes. Crichton is such a mess by the end that only sheer stubborness is holding him together. He's been mind raped, physically raped, drugged, tortured, made to kill, go insane, see his friends die. The man is barely functional.
OTP: Yes. John/Aeryn is the OTP to beat them all.
Maxed out my angst capacity: Yes. So many times, this entry would be way too long if I listed them all.
Show: Firefly
Favorite character: Malcolm Reynolds
Who: Captain of a small smuggling vessel and former "Independent" rebel.
Most adorable in: "Shindig." When he and Inara have their conversation in the tag.
The biggest angst moment: "Out of Gas" when he is left all alone on the ship, trying to fix it while wounded and dying from lack of air and also feeling very alone.
Very Angsty or not: Somewhat
OTP: In the early stages of development. Mal/Inara is incipient.
Maxed out my angst capacity: Not yet. But got close to it in "Heart of Gold."
And now, because it has nothing to do with the previous:
You know, women can be generally divided into two kinds:
The Jane Austen ones and the Bronte ones.
I am afraid I am the Bronte woman. Oh, I adore Jane Austen's books. Persuasion is moving, P&P is perfect, and even Mansfield Park has merits.
But if I had to pick one 19th century novel to be stuck on the desert island with, it would be Jane Eyre.
I first read it when I was 8 or 9. My grandmother had a worn-out plump hardback Russian translation on her shelf that I decided to read on impulse (I read anything, anyway). Within three pages, I knew I was in love. To a child, the grown-up portions, while interesting, paled in comparison to the parts that dealt with Child Jane. Which child (even one as well cared for as I) hasn't felt neglected and put upon occasionally? And this was the first book I came across where the heroine was not drop-dead gorgeous vision of perfection. Jane was plain. She was intelligent, strong-willed and worthy to be a heroine anyway. And Mr. Rochester was no Prince Charming either, but he fell in love with her. Heady stuff for a 9 year old.
That was also the time the Soviet television bought the rights to the 1970s BBC adapatation starring Zelah Clarke and Timothy Dalton. They showed it on TV three times a day (morning, day, and evening) and I tried to watch it as much as I could. In fact, our teacher told us every day if we were quiet and did our work promptly, she would allow us to watch JE in school. Needless to say we complied.
Actually, this book is entangled with my memories. I remember rereading it regularly as a kid. I remember being very sick but not minding staying home because they were replaying the Zelah Clarke version on the TV. I remember trying to read it in English, with my English still a bit shaky as a rather lost 14 year old in New York City. I remember packing it with me during one of highschool summer vacations in North Carolina. Or reading it in the study lounge of my college.
And I remember finding new things in the book every time I read it. When I was younger I could not understand why Jane would leave Rochester when she found out he was already married. "So what?" thought I. Imagine my amazement as it made sense to me on one of the umpteenth reread: It was not just religion. I might not be a Protestant, but her convictions were important to her, so much part of what she was, she would have to give her sense of self up and that would be too much. And I understood that there was a catch-22, as Rochester could not love or respect her if she was the woman who would cave.
Many many many books later, Jane Eyre is still one of my favorite heroines: clever, strong, pragmatic, but no picture of perfection: she is too judgmental, her sense of humor is a bit erratic. And Rochester? He was one of my earliest literary crushes and he still is, which is more than I can say for most characters I read about when I was 8. The idea of a strong-willed, intelligent, deeply flawed but passionate man who finds meaning in love of a good, intelligent, strong woman is an archetype that has been arguably created by Charlotte Bronte. But he is not a cliche romantic hero: he seems a real person, not very likeable perhaps, but worthy of happiness and love.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 10:20 pm (UTC)P.S are u russian?
no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 10:26 pm (UTC)Pride and Prejudice is wonderful. I prefer Persuasion, though.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 04:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 06:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 01:26 am (UTC)(Sounds like when a super geeky LotR-fen friend of mine said "Women can be divided into two archtypes: Arwen and Eowyn.")
Hear hear! And I agree; I am a Bronte woman. S&S and P&P have a certain charm to them, but they're nothing compared to novels like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. JE is one of my favourite books of all time. My copy is highlighted and covered in personal comments and post-it notes. It's the angst and the high running emotion that gets me, something that Jane Austen couldn't quite get across.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 04:48 am (UTC)LOL. How true.
Yes, Jane Austen had brilliant, polished, funny writing. But except for Persuasion, I could never feel much passion in her books.
Which is OK, I just love all the storm of emotion of the Bronte novels.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 04:16 am (UTC)BTW, have you read The Eyre Affair? One of its plot points is someone stealing Jane Eyre from the book and threatening to bump her off unless a ransom is paid. Mr. Rochester is all disconsolate. If you really like Jane Eyre, I think you would really like it.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 04:49 am (UTC)And I am so seeking this book out. Sounds really fun!
no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 06:29 am (UTC)The sequel wasn't as good, though, so I haven't read the third in the series - I think it was one of those ideas that worked well once, not so well the next time round.