In response to Mistral's perceptive comments:
At the time Deliverance was shown Avon was not the black clad ubermensch we came to know and love...well know anyway...and Jenna had not gone from tough independent space pilot to teleport operator and easily captured victim. (Deliverance may be debateable - The Keeper and Countdown aren't). It could therefore be argued that criticisms of Jenna's treatment in Deliverance are really criticisms of developments that happened in the second season.
Nonetheless, Space Flight is Jenna's field of expertise. (In Time Squad Blake takes her over to examine the archaic (sub-light) space vessel, about which she is well informed. There is nothing to suggest that Avon is an expert in archaic methods of Space Travel until he suddenly becomes an expert in Deliverance. Time Squad also shows Jenna teaching the others how to fly the Liberator - she is obviously much more than just a space shuttle pilot). The fact that it is given to Avon in this episode whilst she is tucked away in a tent, presages the much worse things to come.
IMO at least.
Stephen.
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Stephen Date wrote:
It could therefore be argued that criticisms of Jenna's treatment in Deliverance are really criticisms of developments that happened in the second season.
Yes, that makes sense.
Nonetheless, Space Flight is Jenna's field of expertise. (In Time Squad Blake takes her over to examine the archaic (sub-light) space vessel, about which she is well informed. There is nothing to suggest that Avon is an expert in archaic methods of Space Travel until he suddenly becomes an expert in Deliverance. Time Squad also shows Jenna teaching the others how to fly the Liberator - she is obviously much more than just a space shuttle pilot).
I think Jenna is a kick-ass pilot - easily as good as Tarrant, in a slightly different way. So my present day example of the shuttle is overly simplistic. But I don't think that _necessarily_ makes her _more_ qualified to run that particular type of launch than Avon - it might, or it might not, and we don't have that kind of information; it depends on how much of the procedure is knowing about piloting, and how much of it is knowing about computers. Basically, I just don't think it's an arguing point for or against sexism in that ep. The writer could indeed have given the job to Jenna - but it wouldn't tell us anything new about Jenna, whereas the growth in Avon does tell us something new about him. So I'd prefer to leave the launch up to Avon, and give Jenna more to do elsewhere.
The fact that it is given to Avon in this episode whilst she is tucked away in a tent, presages the much worse things to come.
You may well be correct there again; it wouldn't have occurred to me. OTOH, that really belongs in a discussion about sexism in the series as a whole, not in Deliverance per se.
Might be worth noting that I've recently become aware that I tend to see Jenna as significantly tougher than many fans do; she just IMO goes a bit soppy around Blake. To me the 'real' Jenna is the one we occasionally get to see facing off with Avon, the Jenna in Star One who decides to contact Servalan. I also tend to think of her as much more proactive on many occasions that we don't get to see. So the only bit of Jenna characterization that really yanks my chain is the bit in Killer, where Blake lectures her about 61 Cygni. She'd know that far better than he would.
Mistral
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Mistral -
Stephen Date