From: Tavia Chalcraft tavia@btinternet.com
Actually, rewatching the whole series last spring when I finally purchased the videos, the bits that shocked me were Avon's 'Next please' in 'Shadow' and Blake destroying the Ortega and the ship that docked with it in 'Mission to Destiny'. Rewatching the end of 'Blake' just now, the thing that actually disturbs me most is Avon shooting an unarmed and outnumbered Klyn.
And that, as most fans know, is actually a joke, since Klyn was played by PD's wife.
Blake and the Ortega is a thorny one that Blake fans especially have to contend with. It really strikes me as heavily out of character (and note the way Blake is quite cheerful about blowing up an unspecified number of people). It's a good example of the way killing goes unquestioned as an essential premise of the series.
The series itself takes the death of Gan rather seriously, and there's a lot of fanfic emoting about that or replaying Orbit, so I'm not sure that Blake's is the only death that fans take seriously.
No, I don't think it is either, but it is the one that attracts the most attention and the most discussion. The Orbit shuttle is a situation where no one actually dies (except in some fanfic), so arguably doesn't count (though the intention to kill is definitely there). Plaxton's death also attracts attention. So GP isn't totally alone, merely at the top of a rather short list.
Neil
Tavia