On Tue, 30 Oct 2001 22:17:49 -0500 "Dana Shilling" dshilling@worldnet.att.net writes:
The straightforward way of setting up the series would have been to have Blake arrested in the course of Freedom Party activities, then mind-wiped, fitted up, and shipped to Cygnus Alpha. Instead, we have the whole (and rather anti-heroic) business of the SECOND arrest, at a time when Blake was pretty much minding his own business and conforming.
I've sometimes thought it would have been better if it was set up with the lawyer as the first episode's main character, with the story coming from his POV. From that angle, it would start as a story about an idealistic lawyer who defends a man he despises because of his commitment to justice.
It would be best if the viewer shared this feeling instead of seeing Conspiracy Theory/X-Files signs flashing. If we saw the change in Blake from the outside, the shift from mild conformist to angry and potentially dangerous, it might be a little creepier. After all, he's accused of being someone with a darker, more violent, hidden side. Then, if even the emergence of his charisma seemed scary - when the lawyer starts believing him, should we wonder if maybe he's fallen under a psycho's spell? - it could be interesting, keeping the viewer guessing until the end what's going on.
Then, when the solid evidence is found, we _really_ wouldn't be expecting the man we thought was the main character to die.
Of course, this kind of undermines Blake's resolution at the end if we already have a pretty solid picture of how easily main characters can be blotted out, but still. To kind of play into strong Blake, maybe we should see Blake's realization that the lawyer's dead as the moment that crystalizes his lost resolution. A sort of 'He's baaaaaak' moment.
Ah, for a time machine and fake BBC scriptwriter's ID.
(Actually, I'd probably make a royal mess of it, but it's the thought that counts)
Ellynne ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.