From: Jenny Kaye jennycat55@hotmail.com
These can be due to constraints of time and budget, the contributions of directors, actors, and FX designers,
Public climate on violence as well.
Also the composition of the audience. I believe (albeit only on the basis of a few anecdotal snippets) that it was established by the end of the first season that B7 had a sizable following amongst young children, the programme going out early enough in the evening for them to watch it. Earlier even than Survivors, in which Nation first ran his rape/murder scenario with a suitably unsympathetic character ultimately revealed to be responsible. Gan, on the other hand, was recognised as a member of the crew, one of the Good Guys. Since recent discussion on this Lyst has shown how the foreshadowing of the revelation of his true nature has largely eluded the majority of fans over a span of more than two decades, it would be unreasonable to expect the general viewing audience at the time to have picked up much in the way of hints.
It's one thing to shock an adult audience, indeed doing so can be a laudable exercise. But confusing the hell out of young children is something else altogether. If Blake had indeed been forced to kill Gan, as would seem to have been Nation's original intention, he - Nation, not Blake - would have sent a legion of bewildered kids crying all the way to bed. Not exactly something to be proud of. He'd have done less damage mugging them for their Smarties.
Neil
"But Dad, he's got a metal thing in his head."