Review of Year Two Omnibus

[David W]

Though I have yet to post a review of [i]Survival[/i] anywhere (I have read it and intend to review it), I did want to take an opportunity to kickstart a review of [i]Year Two[/i] (the Omnibus). Last night (and revised this morning), I posted the start of a series of [url=http://www.space1999.net/~metaforms/oth-revu/y2omni00.htm]webpages[/url] reviewing and analyzing it; but again, as with the review of [i]Resurrection[/i], I do wish to summarize the review pieces here as well.

First, though, I’ll mention some general points about the review. It will be somewhat different because this is about a novelization. Also, I will be doing it chapter-by-chapter, as separate posts, over the course of time. Since it is a novelization, it will refer back to the relevant filmed episodes fairly often for comparisons and contrasts, though I will sometimes refer to the episode or the novelization separately. It will also, at times, compare the revised novelization to its 1970’s version. I did not exhaustively re-read the earlier versions (and last read most of them in full over a decade ago), but at times I noticed a difference, or wondered if there was a revision and checked.

Some of the analytical points assume you have already seen the episode to which it relates. I do not get into all the main points of the episode, wanting to avoid rehashing that in favor of keeping focus on the novelizations, though necessarily, some key (or minor) points about the episode will be mentioned. I will not spoiler-guard things already in evidence in the broadcast episode. I will spoiler-guard key differences the novelization has, but note that if you’ve seen the filmed episodes, these constitute light spoilers only. If something is a heavier spoiler, I will note it clearly just beforehand.

The review pieces may vary somewhat in length. The first will likely be the longest, due to it being my favorite episode, namely….

[David W]

Very generally speaking, I find there is something curious when it comes to my favorites of filmed material. Aside from favorites, going from the filmed version to the written version, I more often than not find greater richness across the board. With favorites, however, I usually like the original form so much that the novel version, while adding in some places, it may feel like it falls short in others. Sometimes it is very much so, actually, if the written version is just not that good. That was not the case with Michael Butterworth’s first chapter, novelizing the Johnny Byrne script for “The Metamorph” — my favorite episode of [i]Space: 1999[/i]. While not surpassing the episode overall, and falling short in a few places, Butterworth did an excellent job taking the characters, plot, and themes and expanding on them, adding further depth in many places, especially in regard to the characters and themes.

The revision also took the opportunity to correct many character names present early in the scripting process for Y2, but which were changed by the time the final episode was ready — after Butterworth had finished novelizing “Metamorph” due to scheduling factors (which he discusses in his foreward to this Omnibus). Also, some of the dialogue was altered to better fit the episode. Of course, this is still a novelization, and it does have the freedom to not only add, but slightly alter the story in an attempt to better fit the written format and its opportunity for more detail or to tell a better written story.

One simple but effective addition, for example, was adding a little more to character, of Fraser saying something encouraging to the otherwise distracted Torens during the crisis of their original capture, even though Fraser knew by that point it was hopeless, and soon got caught up himself in the same feeling. A form of leadership among the ranks. Another is altering vague references to Koenig’s past with a couple of firm examples, one first laid out in Y1, and another in foreshadowing to events in a later Y2 episode. Additional bridging points are added as well, including, in nicely-done fashion, to at least two other Powys Y1-timeframe novels, namely to events in [i]The Forsaken[/i] and [i]Survival[/i].

Many of the additions went to more major points (for this particular story) than the above examples, as well, some to neutral effect in my opinion, some for the better, and some not. I’ll cover those more in the (light) spoilers section below.

[spoiler]
A change (in the novelization) is how soon the Alphans see Maya (in any form). She is seen by them as a lioness in an early communication, and as herself in a later communication, whereas the episode has her first seen by Koenig when he is on the planet and in a cell. This change works reasonably well, and even though I still prefer the original way I still enjoyed this change and again treated it as it is, one of the changes which can be expected in a novelization. (An additional point here: sometimes things in a filmed version can hit the editing room floor or be otherwise necessarily compressed; a novelization often has more room to “breathe” or simply keep things edited out of the episode.)

One difference that struck me as a odd was how quickly Mentor shows his hand regarding Psyche and what is planned for Torens and Fraser. In the novelization it is soon after the second Alphan party is captured but well before they reach the Grove of Psyche. This does not work so well, in my opinion, and even renders Fraser’s shouted warning feeling almost completely superfluous.

Also, from much later, after Psyche is destroyed, Mentor is dead, the novelization loses a powerful scene fragment the episode had, namely of Maya staring at the flaming wreckage of her life, tears streaming down her face, standing alone and in shock for a few moments.

That said (a few lesser instances of such), there are strong additions, as well. Several points from Koenig’s POV outlining his seen wariness in more detail, demonstrating his leadership further. More detail on Mentor that adds even more depth to his already visible two faces, his decline into psychosis on one side, and his feeling sadness about it and more importantly protecting his daughter from it, using the last of his decency and honor to raise her as one of the best of Psychons even while he otherwise devolves into one of the worst of them trying to save his planet. Also, further detail is likewise added from Maya’s POV, about her nagging concerns yet her shock at Koenig’s words, and her subsequent mental and emotional transformation when she flees from Koenig but nonetheless decides to confront the truth.

Of course, the novelization (either version) does afford the opportunity, taken well, of adding additional lines you just can’t have in the episode, such as this non-dialogue bit: “While father and daughter looked at each other in a moment of mortification.” Excellent line.
[/spoiler]

Overall, while finding a few things weakened from the episode in the novelization, many were strengthened, making this a worthy piece that stands alongside the episode very well. It is still my favorite episode, and the novelization didn’t surpass it, but made the written version one I want to read as well, more than once, for the places where it adds further depth to a what is in my opinion an excellent episode.

The full review, including many more detailed analysis points (and more spoilers, clearly marked), can be found at [url=http://www.space1999.net/~metaforms/oth-revu/y2omni01.htm]this link[/url].

A review of “The Exiles” (and subsequent chapters of the Omnibus) will follow at later points (and probably in briefer form).

Comments? 🙂

–DW

[meredith]

David, I’m looking forward to your chapter by chapter review. I’ll have to pull my copy and read along with your posts! m.

[Ally Davies]

I think that’s a brilliant idea…so I shall join in too !

[David W]

Thanks, and please, feel free to read along, join in, reply, comment on your own, or whatever! 🙂

I am working on the review of the next chapter (“The Exiles”).

–DW

[David W]

However, today I was wondering if I had lost a summary statement in reorganizing the main review for posting a few days ago. Sure enough, I did. 🙁 I have added one there now, but I’ll just quote it here, as something similar should have ended up in my posting above, as well. Not that I’m going to comment in this much detail each chapter, but I did intend to do so in this case. Anyway, here’s the added paragraph….

Overall, I think the changes to this episode’s revised novelization from the original novelization are positive. Clarifications were made, some consistency changes, and various tweaks to dialogue or descriptions were made. What tie-ins were kept or added seem logical, and what was removed, though a good effort under what seems to have been time pressure, was not something I would miss if I hadn’t been doing a more detailed review. Of course, this is just the first chapter, so it’s a little soon to judge overall; but it is a good start, in my opinion.

[David W]

I just recently read and posted [url=http://www.space1999.net/~metaforms/oth-revu/y2omni02.htm]a webpage review[/url] on “The Exiles” chapter of [i]Year Two[/i]. (If anyone noticed it previously, please note it was revised earlier tonight.) I found more to comment on than I expected. I will summarize here, with some relatively mild (I think) spoilers hidden at a couple points in this note.

Of course, something immediately notable about the Omnibus, compared to the earlier novel versions, is that “The Metamorph” is followed by “The Exiles” instead of “The AB Chrysalis” (ABC). I was previously aware the Omnibus would be working with the order posited in 22 of the 24 episodes of Y2, so that was no surprise. I was curious to see two things on this point: how the revised versions managed the move from each chapter/episode to the next, and how these transitions compared to the original.

Also, there is an additional transition between the first and second stories of Y2, namely of a new member of Alpha, Maya. The episodes made no particular point of this, unfortunately, though there are some subtle signs here and there. In the original novelizations, there were additional details in the ABC novelization; some were brief but effective, one aspect fell a bit flat (more shortly).

The Omnibus added more detail, some based on a summary of an event newly-posited to occur between “Metamorph” and “Exiles” that I’m unfamiliar with (just something to add further background, or is it a loose end to an unpublished story?), and some based on other development which have occurred between Psychon and the Golos area. This was effective nonetheless, I think, and it involved discussion of some difficulties adjusting — on all sides — including some surprises.

[spoiler]It is indicated John feels some guilt in his role in leaving Maya without a father or a planet, and that turns into a struggle on his part that leaves some confusion for Maya, as well as for Helena observing his reactions. This in turn has Helena reflecting on her deepening relationship with John. Also, there is more on Helena and Maya starting to become friends, and Maya learning about human culture.

Tony is not so sure about making her into Alpha’s science officer, even while Helena has noticed that Maya has caught Tony’s eye. Tony, in a conversation with John about Maya and his and Alpha’s reactions to her, admits he already likes her. Interestingly, the two novel versions use a similar line of dialogue, that in the original fell flat, but that in the revision rings much more true — due I think to there being more detailed and subtle setup regarding the very earliest stages of this relationship.
[/spoiler]
Equally improved in various other ways is how the reordering of the novelizations is how this prompted the dropping of the very rapid transition in the earlier version from “Metamorph” to ABC. That earlier attempt, though welcome in one way as an attempt to imply continuity, was so very abrupt I thought it “claustrophobic,” positing the chlorine planet’s disturbances so close to Psychon I had trouble making sense of such timing.

The pacing here in the Omnibus is much less abrupt, and thus allows other developments, such as the ones already discussed, as well as other aftermath from Psychon, including how the loss of three people at Psychon — and damage the moonbase took — hit morale as well.

On all of these points, character, plot, and thematic, these are very positive changes in this revised novelization, and all very appropriate and well-handled.

There is good depth added to a point already made in Y1 and in “The Exiles” episode itself, about life support limitations. Just as importantly, there is Koenig’s early suspicion about Cantar and Zova, and the action he took at one point, hitting Cantar with a stun beam. The episode sets up both sufficiently, and the original novelization did add more depth, while the revised novelization adds further. It draws more background to Koenig’s concerns, adding some effective background points.

[spoiler]What makes some of these improvements more effective is that instead of some brief, sweeping generalizations about past events instilling some suspicion, for example, the Omnibus gets more specific, drawing, in different places, to some specific prior instances, including to a key one within the Powys framework. This is good character development here as well, but it also speaks to one point in the theme of how Alphans perceive past events.

Also effective is how John tries to draw on his relationship with Helena at one point, in a way she does not like, rebuffing this at that moment. No real relationship is without its awkward moments.

I had some problems with the novelizations (both versions) having John bring Helena’s clay self-sculpture to Command Center. Even with a relationship, and her in peril, this just seemed somewhat out of character for him. Even aside from that, I thought the scene involving just John, Maya, and Zova, in quarters (in the episode) was more effective, than the novels having it all set in CC. The novelization does not ruin its version of the scene, but I prefer the episode’s.

The events in the Golosian control center felt somewhat more compressed in the episode, with the main plot events present but less of the cat and mouse of Cantar vs. Helena, and Cantar aging faster, but actually, was just one I filed under a different interpretation of the scene which worked about as well. Plus, it had a curious additional use of the suspended animation technology that had me thinking for a bit. Also, eliminating the curious “remote viewing on one’s hand” thing and positing a more direct connection between Cantar and Zova probably works better in the written medium, though it also seems to eliminate a little bit of plot setup present in the episode.
[/spoiler]
Episode to novelization, there was some plot “compression” of the story at a few points, yet in that are some improvements — and some differences I questioned. There was more detail in some places on the core material of the episode, which is worked as definite positives to this reviewer. Where this version really shined though was there being a lot more development that helps fill story gaps I’ve long felt existed between “The Metamorph” and “The Exiles” — especially in regard to characterization. It even suggests an entire plot event as well, and (in reprise) resulting character development. Intriguing. This novelization version also “restores” the ending of the episode, as a denouement that works better in this case than just trying to launch directly into the next encounter.

Overall, I very much like the improvements in the this story’s novelization in the Omnibus over the original novelizations, and in many ways, feel it improves on the episode (one I already do like even though it’s not one of my favorites).

Comments?

–DW

[Patricia Sokol]

[color=#800000]So, I missed out on the Metamorph, but hopefully I’ll get this in before the Next Episode is reviewed.
My comments on David’s posts, both here and at Metaforms, sort of mushed together for simplicity:[/color]

[quote]The original novelizations had chapters that were smaller than the original episodes, meaning it took a few chapters per episode. It did not label separate episodes. In some ways, that was fairly effective, trying to smooth over the “borders” between episodes. I’m not sure this always worked well in other ways, though. The Omnibus simply divides by episode name, eschewing chapter or numerical labeling at all (though this extended review still refers to these episodic division as chapters)… The original novelizations made it seem like the poor Alphans are barely finishing one crisis when they’re into the next…[/quote]
[color=#800000]In my mind, TV episodes are akin to short stories, so the system works pretty well for me. Plus, one thing happening after another would compress all of Y2 into much less than the 6 or so years that the status reports suggest.[/color]

[quote]Also, there is an additional transition between the first and second stories of Y2, namely of a new member of Alpha, Maya. ..[/quote]
[color=#800000]I think the whole opening scene is greatly improved in the Omnibus. The transition to The Exiles in the original novelization was quite abrupt, and really the opening of the episode abrupt as well. Helena goes from a brief dictation to going into CC (The room wasn’t even blue…Ahhhhh…they are all underground now, so what is the point of even mentioning it? Oh, well. I like the idea of early morning, in any event. Sets the scene much better.)[/color]

[spoiler][quote]The Omnibus added more detail, some based on a summary of an event newly-posited to occur between “Metamorph” and “Exiles” that I’m unfamiliar with (just something to add further background, or is it a loose end to an unpublished story?)…[/quote]
[color=#800000]Mateo has recently posted that this is, in fact, The Whispering Seas, by J.K. Muir. [/color][/spoiler]

[quote]Interesting line about more of the Alphan males seeming to “intuit Maya’s true nature” than the females. At first, the line seemed kind of dropped in there. (I’m not sure if it was in the original novelizations, but that’s not really the point here.) At first, I wasn’t sure if it was leading to anything or just an observation made in passing. However, it does refer to recognition about trying to deal with tragedy, with implications elsewhere in this chapter about Maya largely just not talking about it much at these early stages, so I think I can see the possible meaning behind this, that the men appreciate her outward stoicism about it, and many of the women find it a little standoffish? [/quote]
[color=#800000]I actually didn’t get this at all. When I first read it, I thought there was an implication about Maya’s being an attractive young women with whom Alphan women would have to compete. Believe me, I am not proud that this was the first thought that came into my head. Why would women be less intuitive? We’re not all catty. Gives us some more credit. (Ack – Art imitating life, if you have read about Barbara Bain’s supposed reluctance to have Catherine Schell on the show…Though how much of that is true and how much is conjecture is anyone’s guess)[/color]

[quote]In terms of Maya starting to adjust, there was good replacement for that in the new novelization. … Helena’s mostly happy about the progress, though, seeming almost giddy at one point (worded in a way, however, that I had trouble making sense of it). [/quote]
[color=#800000]??[/color]

[quote]Oh, that reminds me…. I had to chuckle at a good line Helena used in discussing that incident for her log: “Following events on the planet Ekimmu—already recorded on film….” [/quote]
[color=#800000]Truth be known, I cringed a bit at the anachronism (film?!?!?), though it is consistent with the video recording in “BoW”[/color].

[quote]Also, there is more on Helena and Maya starting to become friends, and Maya learning about human culture… This scene adds more “behind the scenes” detail not present in the episode. This also leads up to the practical joke the two women play on John. [/quote]
[color=#800000]Yes – although while the Omnibus and the original novelizations have more detail that leads up to that scene, if you go to the Catacombs and check out the script-to-screen, the entire scene (greatly truncated on-screen) is a much better than either. Even a bit of foreshadowing re: Helena’s scratching Cantor at the end. Too bad that couldn’t have made it into the Omnibus. (An aside – at your archives, David, there is a clever comment in the ExE discussion of this episode. Something about what the heck was Helena thinking, letting the new girl kiss her man?)[/color]

[quote]Tony is not so sure about making her into Alpha’s science officer… Interestingly, the two novel versions use a similar line of dialogue, that in the original fell flat, but that in the revision rings much more true … This is an improved approach, story-wise, with more depth to the initial stages of this, with more subtly … (and) … it rings much more true here. [/quote]
[color=#800000]Amen. As originally written, ABC follows right on heels of The Metamorph. He “fancies” her already? Oi. In the Omnibus, not only is the discussion between JK and Tony much more believable, but it also establishes something of a fraternal relationship between JK and Tony.[/color]

[quote]In my opinion, there was one problem with the original novelization’s attempt to smooth the way from “Metamorph” to ABC, however… I appreciated the inter-episode bridging attempt, but do not know how the choice of episode came about…Equally improved in various other ways is how the reordering of the novelizations is how this prompted the dropping of the very rapid transition in the earlier version from “Metamorph” to ABC.[/quote]
[color=#800000]While I understand some of the grouping of the stories for the 70’s novelizations, tying them together with a common theme, having these in production order (and for the most part, the order they aired) makes a whole lot more sense in character development. The titles of the individual novelizations suggest a common theme among the stories, so I’d guess this was the basis of the ordering.[/color]

[quote]… other aftermath from Psychon, including how the loss of three people at Psychon — and damage the moonbase took — hit morale as well.[/quote]
[color=#800000]What is interesting, and I never thought of it until this moment, was that the first episode of Y2, and the last, both had Alpha withstanding incredible destruction because (indirectly/directly) of Maya. I’m sure there was any number of people who wished they could call Taybor back to take her away once and for all.[/color]

[quote]There is good depth added to a point already made in Y1 and in “The Exiles” episode itself, about life support limitations… One of the interesting points of the episode and the novelizations is the life support problem…[/quote]
[color=#800000]Ya know, what were they thinking when they designed Life Support Systems to run on rare materials. Not very forward-thinking, and thank goodness the Omnibus straightened out the continuity so they weren’t looking for titanium one week (rare? C’mon), milgonite the next, and tiranium at the end. (I think tiranium is the WD40 or duct tape of the 1999 universe.) And thank you, Powys, for having the laser slide to where Zova was standing, instead of puma/Maya pacing about while Zova had a chance to reach it. Lots of lack of continuity between the intelligent dove (The Metamorph) and wise owl (New Adam, New Eve) and a puma that just walks around waiting to be stunned.[/color]

[quote]Also effective is how John tries to draw on his relationship with Helena at one point, in a way she does not like, rebuffing this at that moment. No real relationship is without its awkward moments. There are more signs of John and Helena’s relationship, not only in the more relaxed scenes, but in other ways… “Realism” that every real relationship has its occasional fault lines or missteps. [/quote]
[color=#800000]You ain’t seen nuthin’, yet.
Their occasional clashes are some of the most realistic situations in the whole series. In the oft’- reviled “All That’s Glisters” there is a slight exchange between them when he is saying something and she is trying to get his attention. He turns to her and snaps, “What?” This did not make it into either novelization, but I’m not sure how you could convey his tone if it was included. It sounds like an exchange between people who have a stable relationship. I feel fairly confident in saying we’ve all used that tone at one time or another.[/color]

[quote]I had some problems with the novelizations (both versions) having John bring Helena’s clay self-sculpture to Command Center… I just thought it was out of character for him, … The broadcast episode having all this happening in quarters instead, with John, Zova, and Maya being the only ones present…. The latter seems more “in character” for John, and I think was a subtle development for Maya as well, that he brings her along. [/quote]
[color=#800000]Again, amen. I think the difficulty they had to struggle with was why he would take Zova back to his quarters to discuss the situation? Except, perhaps, to make it a private conversation. It’s a weak plot point. Perhaps if Zova had waved her hand and made the bust appear, translocated from his quarters to the desk, or something along those lines, it would have been stronger.[/color]

[quote]The events in the Golosian control center felt somewhat more compressed in the episode, with the main plot events present but less of the cat and mouse of Cantar vs. Helena, and Cantar aging faster… The aging, otherwise in common with the episode of course, has always struck me as highly fictional — but one I’ve never had trouble “suspending disbelief” over. [/quote]
[color=#800000]Cat and mouse doesn’t work well on the page. How to capture the lighting used to highlight her hiding, or her shuffling back on the floor as he stalks her? The aging? Without the beard and hair growth, it would have been easier to suspend my disbelief.[/color]

[quote]There’s something about preserved ancestors that I did not entirely follow on first read…[/quote]
[color=#800000]Beats pyramids. [/color]

[quote]Koenig decides they cannot take on 53 more people here. This was an already understandable difficulty in the series, including in this situation where it interferes with what at first seems like the chance to rescue 50+ people…There is also Koenig’s suspicion about Cantar and Zova. Though he’s always been pretty canny about such things, he still takes some striking actions here…[/quote]
[color=#800000]Alphans, and JK in particular, can sometimes be seen as generous to a fault. They respond to distress signals over and over and over again, or try to help again and again, and it gets them into trouble. Mission of the Darians, The Last Enemy, The Infernal Machine, The End of Eternity, Deaths Other Dominion (can’t blame them there, though), The Exiles, The Mark of Archanon, Brian the Brain, Dorzak…Powys novels old and new. Guys, I’m all for altruism, but…? [/color]

[quote]So this novelization stands well with the broadcast episode, adding more detail (positive), making some changes that often work but sometimes didn’t for this reviewer. There is a lot more character depth added, even if occasionally at the cost of compressing the plot slightly in a few points (a more than fair tradeoff in this particular case), while themes remain intact, or are improved with drawing more on past incidents as a continuity of Alphan experience…[/quote]
[color=#800000]As you read on, David, there are more things you’ll appreciate as far as continuity and gaping plot holes are concerned.[/color]

[quote]There is bitterness and remaining mourning over the loss of Victor, and the circumstances of betrayal, that run deep, particularly in Koenig. John being Victor’s close friend and Commander of Alpha, and responsible for the decision to trust the Leira, is taking the loss of Victor hard, and this is well-threaded through the revised “Exiles” novelization, in appropriate places. Butterworth uses this new background to explain well some of Koenig’s reactions, in more detail than the episode had. [/quote]
[color=#800000]Read on, my friend, read on.[/color]

[quote]Also, I’ve always found it interesting that Tony, generally untrusting at first but never paranoid (IMO), is actually more trusting of Cantar than Koenig is…[/quote]
[color=#800000]I think Tony is still getting his chops at this point, because he far less suspicious here than other episodes, even One Moment of Humanity.[/color]

[quote]This novelization version also “restores” the ending of the episode, as a denouement that works better in this case than just trying to launch directly into the next encounter…[/quote]
[color=#800000]One of the least disappointing “light” endings. Revenge is a dish best served at 0 degrees Kelvin.

I have always wondered how this episode would have been treated if it had been filmed for Y1 as originally planned. As written in the Omnibus, it’s actually quite Y3-ish.

-Pat.[/color]

[David W]

[b]PatS wrote:[/b]
[quote][color=#800000]So, I missed out on the Metamorph,[/color][/quote]
I wouldn’t let that stop you! I’d certainly be interested in your comments on the Omnibus version of “The Metamorph.” Besides, chances are someone will drop in and comment on various posts of this thread anyway, at any point. You can always alter the Subject line in your reply to refer to the episode name; it does not change the overall thread title.

[quote][color=#800000]but hopefully I’ll get this in before the Next Episode is reviewed.[/color][/quote]
I have started that (nothing posted yet). 🙂

[quote][color=#800000]In my mind, TV episodes are akin to short stories[/color][/quote]
Interesting comparison. I think it is apt.

[quote][color=#800000]Plus, one thing happening after another would compress all of Y2 into much less than the 6 or so years that the status reports suggest.[/color][/quote]
Yeah, much less, it seemed. Series-wise, I would have preferred about three years for each season, but that’s a whole other conversation. I’m just glad the Omnibus has slowed the pacing relative to the first novelizations. I haven’t seen it directly use the log dates yet, but there’s some implied longer periods of time that “feel” more like the broadcast Y2, and that helps the individual chapters (not to mention the Alphan characters) “breathe” a little more!

Interestingly, though, despite the apparent crowding of incidents in the original novelizations, partway through the first of those novels, it posits something like 3-4 years after Breakaway. So the 1970’s Y2 novelizations uncrowded Y1 but crowded its own Y2 topic matter? Maybe I’m not forgetting something here.

[quote][color=#800000]I think the whole opening scene is greatly improved in the Omnibus. The transition to The Exiles in the original novelization was quite abrupt, and really the opening of the episode abrupt as well. Helena goes from a brief dictation to going into CC (The room wasn’t even blue…Ahhhhh…they are all underground now, so what is the point of even mentioning it? Oh, well. I like the idea of early morning, in any event. Sets the scene much better.)[/color][/quote]
The “blue” reference in the episode is a little confusing, but I long figured maybe there was a sort of space warp (non-jarring one) between when she recorded the log entry and when the “cameras” were then viewing space. I agree the episode’s transition felt abrupt there, like something was lost to the editing room floor.

It was a nice touch about starting in early morning, suggesting people would still keep familiar patterns even without some of the familiar cues. Lunar Time was presumably cued to some timezone on Earth (I’ve tended to assume Greenwich Mean Time, which astronomers call Universal Time), from the earliest days of moonbase construction.

Oh, that reminds me of something I noticed: these revisions use “Moonbase Alpha” rather than the first go-around using “Moon Base Alpha” — minor but nice touch to change this to the more typically used spelling.

[spoiler][quote][quote]The Omnibus added more detail, some based on a summary of an event newly-posited to occur between “Metamorph” and “Exiles” that I’m unfamiliar with (just something to add further background, or is it a loose end to an unpublished story?)…[/quote]
[color=#800000]Mateo has recently posted that this is, in fact, The Whispering Seas, by J.K. Muir. [/color][/quote]
Okay, that is excellent! Thanks for the information. Well, that makes what’s in the Omnibus a loose end then — and a good ‘teaser’ too.
[/spoiler]

[quote][quote]Interesting line about more of the Alphan males seeming to “intuit Maya’s true nature” than the females. [….] I think I can see the possible meaning behind this, that the men appreciate her outward stoicism about it, and many of the women find it a little standoffish? [/quote]
[color=#800000]I actually didn’t get this at all. When I first read it, I thought there was an implication about Maya’s being an attractive young women with whom Alphan women would have to compete. Believe me, I am not proud that this was the first thought that came into my head. Why would women be less intuitive? We’re not all catty. Gives us some more credit.[/color][/quote]
I didn’t think it was being about catty or lack of intuition. Well, the ‘catty’ possibility crossed my mind at some point when speculating on the meaning; but in my opinion, that didn’t seem to match the context content (Maya’s fast integration and little outward sign of distress) well. So I stuck with my interpretation of her reactions being interpreted as stoic by some and the same as standoffish by other characters. Just my 1.999 cents, anyway.

Assuming this, however, I would guess that word about Maya’s breaking down and sobbing on Eagle 4 did not get around. On the other hand, it mentions Helena intervening on Maya’s behalf more than once, and maybe it was to point out things like how Maya had looked humiliated and in shock after finding out about Mentor’s actions, intervened of the Alphans’ behalf, and felt completely lost after that. This could have easily proven effective intervention on Maya’s behalf by Helena.

[quote][color=#800000](Ack – Art imitating life, if you have read about Barbara Bain’s supposed reluctance to have Catherine Schell on the show…Though how much of that is true and how much is conjecture is anyone’s guess)[/color][/quote]
I’ve heard that story, I think, including not wanting Catherine Schell appear without her Maya makeup. Also that part of a “Beta Cloud” scene had a cut over that. As you say, who knows, and regardless, I do not take it as reflective of any whole. Reportedly, some of the male actors had some ego reactions too, again if you count some of the hearsay as perhaps having some truth.

[quote][quote]In terms of Maya starting to adjust, there was good replacement for that in the new novelization. … Helena’s mostly happy about the progress, though, seeming almost giddy at one point (worded in a way, however, that I had trouble making sense of it). [/quote]
[color=#800000]??[/color][/quote]
I think I was trying to say that the wording seemed slightly over the top in a few places. Minor quibble in what was really some good character development.

[quote][quote]Oh, that reminds me…. I had to chuckle at a good line Helena used in discussing that incident for her log: “Following events on the planet Ekimmu—already recorded on film….” [/quote]
[color=#800000]Truth be known, I cringed a bit at the anachronism (film?!?!?), though it is consistent with the video recording in “BoW”[/color].[/quote]
Actually, I’m pretty sure the BOW camera Clive Kander “was” digital. It looked too small for film, and he is later putting square cards (some S19 analogue to flash memory?) into a viewer and watching video.

Unfortunately, that does add strength to your suggestion this written statement is a little anachronistic. Then again, people sometimes do tend to use older terms even when the tech is newer. For music, I still say “record” from time to time, even though I generally say the tech-neutral(?) “album” most of the time. It’s funny because I only ever owned a few vinyl items (including the sound — dialogue and such — of the movie “Star Wars”) via gifts, and when I first started buying music, it was as tapes and then CD’s.

So maybe it’s merely a linguistic anachronism on the character’s part rather than the author’s. Difficult to say.

[quote][quote]Also, there is more on Helena and Maya starting to become friends, and Maya learning about human culture…[/quote]
[color=#800000]Yes – although while the Omnibus and the original novelizations have more detail that leads up to that scene, if you go to the Catacombs and check out the script-to-screen, the entire scene (greatly truncated on-screen) is a much better than either. Even a bit of foreshadowing re: Helena’s scratching Cantor at the end. Too bad that couldn’t have made it into the Omnibus.[/color][/quote]
Huh, I was unaware it was scripted as a longer scene. Also explains one of the puzzling publicity photos of Maya holding something flat and shiny to her temple. I didn’t connect that to disks and Zamara doing something similar in the next episode. More sophisticated tech in those disks than I had assumed. I thought those disks were just foreshadowing CD’s (albeit in a smaller form — more like mini-CD size).

Anyway…. The additional material puts a rather different spin on the scene. The way it was cut, I had assumed it was Helena that cajoled Maya into the practical joke (which since it is canon I’ll still assume), but the extension makes for an interesting alternative, and a chance for Helena to unwind and one of the more visible signs of Maya learning about human culture, not just the external trappings but social details, at least indirectly. Plus, I see it is the source of some of the material in the novelization versions.

I also see what you mean by the foreshadowing you pointed out.

[quote][color=#800000](An aside – at your archives, David, there is a clever comment in the ExE discussion of this episode. Something about what the heck was Helena thinking, letting the new girl kiss her man?)[/color][/quote]
Can’t quite seem to find this, though it is late in the evening as I look, so maybe I missed it. I did run across an interesting comparison of some of the characters to chess pieces. 🙂

[quote][color=#800000]As originally written, [… Tony] “fancies” her already? Oi.[/color][/quote]
Yeah, if one’s going to posit an early jump to the feelings, it might have been more typical if it had been love at first sight, or an attaction mostly denied even to oneself (forget even admitting to another), but the way the original was written didn’t fit either and just seemed an odd thing to say in the middle of a relative contextual desert.

[quote][color=#800000]In the Omnibus, not only is the discussion between JK and Tony much more believable, but it also establishes something of a fraternal relationship between JK and Tony.[/color][/quote]
Yes, that’s also a very good and point, which makes a lot of sense on its own and when considering prior events in some earlier Powys novels.

[quote][color=#800000]While I understand some of the grouping of the stories for the 70’s novelizations, tying them together with a common theme, having these in production order (and for the most part, the order they aired) makes a whole lot more sense in character development. The titles of the individual novelizations suggest a common theme among the stories, so I’d guess this was the basis of the ordering.[/color][/quote]
Interesting. I went back to a list of what episodes are represented in each novelization, and yes, there does seem to be some thematic connection between novel titles and episodes, for the most part.

Maybe the then-“missing” Taybor novelization should have been in [i]The Space-Jackers[/i] and “A Matter of Balance” moved to [i]The Psychomorph[/i]. {shrug}

[quote][quote]… other aftermath from Psychon, including how the loss of three people at Psychon — and damage the moonbase took — hit morale as well.[/quote]
[color=#800000]What is interesting, and I never thought of it until this moment, was that the first episode of Y2, and the last, both had Alpha withstanding incredible destruction because (indirectly/directly) of Maya. I’m sure there was any number of people who wished they could call Taybor back to take her away once and for all.[/color][/quote]
Stewart seemed ready to just let the Dorcons take her away. Once welcomed as Alphan (by most) it seemed she became part of the theme of Alphans always fighting to save each other, yet with the also realistic thought that some would not always be so eager to take the risk trying to save someone else.

[quote][color=#800000]Ya know, what were they thinking when they designed Life Support Systems to run on rare materials.[/color][/quote]
Well, probably not of the Moon breaking away! 🙂

[quote][color=#800000]Not very forward-thinking, and thank goodness the Omnibus straightened out the continuity so they weren’t looking for titanium one week (rare? C’mon), milgonite the next, and tiranium at the end.[/color][/quote]
Yes, that was still good to straighten out.

The thing I don’t know, however, is whether astronomers in the 1970’s really knew if there was much titanium on the Moon. I’ve long heard it is considered relatively metal-poor, but I haven’t a clue how that translates in terms of theoretical or practical mining possibilities. Either that or the series producers needed more scientific advice on the series (something that could have helped at times in both seasons). A more recent lunar mission suggests a fair amount of titanium, especially on the near side, though again, I don’t know how that would translate to potential mining.

http://www.lunargeographic.com/info/resources.shtml

[quote][color=#800000](I think tiranium is the WD40 or duct tape of the 1999 universe.)[/color][/quote]
Yes, I think you’re right! Or maybe the “unobtanium” of the S19 universe. I think that’s an old reference among physicists sometimes used in knowingly-wishful thinking or as a joke, that sometimes makes its way into movies as something a character presumably thought would be amusing to dub onto a newly-discovered substance or one which is still exceedingly rare.

My point is that sticking to “tiranium” in the Omnibus does make some sense.

[quote][color=#800000]And thank you, Powys, for having the laser slide to where Zova was standing, instead of puma/Maya pacing about while Zova had a chance to reach it.[/color][/quote]
I’ve tended to assume her intelligence in that form is partially limited by the “brain-power” innate in that form, and also that if she transforms hastily, she may not be able to prepare any “now guard that three-sided stick” reaction patterns. Time and time again, it seems like her reactions get simpler in simpler forms. (Of course, in filming “simpler” animals, there’s not as much to work with.) Perhaps not a perfect explanation, but I find it does tend to explain a lot, and how a number of her transformations don’t help as much as expected, or go outright sideways!

Still, it is nice that the Omnibus simply got rid of the need for explanation in this case! It will be interesting to see how this unfolds in some other cases.

[quote][quote]Also effective is how John tries to draw on his relationship with Helena at one point, in a way she does not like, rebuffing this at that moment. No real relationship is without its awkward moments.[/quote]
[color=#800000]You ain’t seen nuthin’, yet. Their occasional clashes are some of the most realistic situations in the whole series. In the oft’- reviled “All That’s Glisters” there is a slight exchange between them when he is saying something and she is trying to get his attention. He turns to her and snaps, “What?”[/color][/quote]
I’ll have to look for that in the episode the next time. Interesting, and yes, something that is realistic for a stable relationship, as you point out. So such touches of realism show up more in the Omnibus, I take it.

[quote][quote]I had some problems with the novelizations (both versions) having John bring Helena’s clay self-sculpture to Command Center…[/quote]
[color=#800000]I think the difficulty they had to struggle with was why he would take Zova back to his quarters to discuss the situation? Except, perhaps, to make it a private conversation. It’s a weak plot point. Perhaps if Zova had waved her hand and made the bust appear, translocated from his quarters to the desk, or something along those lines, it would have been stronger.[/color][/quote]
Good point, and that would have worked well. Either that or that after appearing in the power room that she made a beeline for his quarters to try finding further leverage over him. She could reach there if there was a “don’t shoot” order from Koenig. Or having her stay in the power room, John and Maya go there, and to have the latter two surprised to see the bust already sitting on a table near Zova.

[quote][quote]The events in the Golosian control center felt somewhat more compressed in the episode, [….][/quote]
[color=#800000]Cat and mouse doesn’t work well on the page. How to capture the lighting used to highlight her hiding, or her shuffling back on the floor as he stalks her?[/color][/quote]
It can probably work if re-written to be less visual, but yes, it can still become tedious or confusing if not written well, and it is a confined space in this case. I think the novel is fine for compressing this, in any case.

[quote][color=#800000]The aging? Without the beard and hair growth, it would have been easier to suspend my disbelief.[/color][/quote]
I didn’t say it was a small suspending of disbelief. 🙂 I noticed that too, and it probably does make a bigger suspension than it already would have been without the beard. I’ve long thought it unrealistic the cells would just degrade that fast, but it is something of a well-established image in fantasy, science fiction, and horror, and for whatever reason, I usually just give this particular case a pass. {shrug}

[quote][quote]There’s something about preserved ancestors that I did not entirely follow on first read…[/quote]
[color=#800000]Beats pyramids.[/color][/quote]
🙂

[quote][quote]Koenig decides they cannot take on 53 more people here. This was an already understandable difficulty in the series, including in this situation where it interferes with what at first seems like the chance to rescue 50+ people…There is also Koenig’s suspicion about Cantar and Zova. Though he’s always been pretty canny about such things, he still takes some striking actions here…[/quote]
[color=#800000]Alphans, and JK in particular, can sometimes be seen as generous to a fault. They respond to distress signals over and over and over again, or try to help again and again, and it gets them into trouble. Mission of the Darians, The Last Enemy, The Infernal Machine, The End of Eternity, Deaths Other Dominion (can’t blame them there, though), The Exiles, The Mark of Archanon, Brian the Brain, Dorzak…Powys novels old and new. Guys, I’m all for altruism, but…? [/color][/quote]
Yes… but actually, that’s something I welcome about the Alphans in a thematic sense, that they never let events cause them to devolve into a mere semblance of themselves, at least not as a whole or among most of the characters, though again, there are signs this is not always a unified front, which is a good move too.

What should have happened — and seemingly did to some degree — was for more caution to take over. “The Exiles” is mixed on this front: Koenig is suspicious, yet also brings down the other pod of the pair, though there is some degree of explanation (arguably better in the Omnibus than in the episode). In “Dorzak”, it took some convincing for Tony to relent and allow Sahala’s ship to land, only for Maya to promptly get shot, but it turned out that Sahala was right (except for shooting Maya, which besides the immediate presumption of guilt, did make it more difficult to get her point across).

Besides keeping most of their compassion (while still having a hard nose about some things like not being able to take on the 53 in “The Exiles”), and I think enough viewpoints do show up in the series, to make it seem like a more complicated decision on the Alphans’ parts. The Omnibus version of “Exiles” certainly added a lot more layers to this part of the conversation, via Koenig, Russell, and Verdeschi arguing.

Plus, there is simple human curiosity. IMO, a perfect example is the [i]Daria[/i] in MOTD. This gigantic spaceship drifts by; hard to imagine them not wanting to check it out, barring an outright sign of an imminent attack. I didn’t think Gwent left much option but to come on board, but I could be mis-remembering.

So I guess what I’m saying is that I like the theme of the Alphans essentially retaining their compassion but that I liked seeing the various arguments play out and often lead to more cautious approach even though the results usually still left them in trouble. If nothing else, having some initial caution or at least playing out the arguments probably “prepared” them in some ways, priming some reactions if/when things did go south. At least that’s my opinion.

[quote][color=#800000]As you read on, David, there are more things you’ll appreciate as far as continuity and gaping plot holes are concerned.[/color][/quote]
Sounds good. 🙂

[spoiler][quote][quote]Also, I’ve always found it interesting that Tony, generally untrusting at first but never paranoid (IMO), is actually more trusting of Cantar than Koenig is…[/quote]
[color=#800000]I think Tony is still getting his chops at this point, because he far less suspicious here than other episodes, even One Moment of Humanity.[/color][/quote]
I’ve sometimes wondered if Maya didn’t have something to do with that. He was obviously around in some “off-camera” role in Security in Y1, and saw a lot of the alien-caused problems. Powys novels get into some details, and at one point there’s the “I’ll [i]never[/i] get used to aliens” quote from him. He’s not paranoid there either, but has clearly mixed feelings. Maybe in meeting Maya and remembering the Kaldorians, his opinion rebounds, but after the Exiles some of his caution returns.[/spoiler]

[quote][quote]This novelization version also “restores” the ending of the episode, as a denouement that works better in this case than just trying to launch directly into the next encounter…[/quote]
[color=#800000]One of the least disappointing “light” endings. Revenge is a dish best served at 0 degrees Kelvin.[/color][/quote]
I’ve generally liked the endings in S19, serious or humorous (barring the occasional thud IMO like the “yellow trolley” line), but this is certainly one of the more amusing ones, thanks to both the particular bits of humor.

–DW

[Patricia Sokol]

[b]DavidW initially wrote:[/b]
[quote][quote][quote]Interesting line about more of the Alphan males seeming to “intuit Maya’s true nature” than the females. [….] I think I can see the possible meaning behind this, that the men appreciate her outward stoicism about it, and many of the women find it a little standoffish? [/quote]
[color=#800000][b] To which PatS replied:[/b]
I actually didn’t get this at all. When I first read it, I thought there was an implication about Maya’s being an attractive young women with whom Alphan women would have to compete. Believe me, I am not proud that this was the first thought that came into my head. Why would women be less intuitive? We’re not all catty. Gives us some more credit.[/color][/quote]
[b]And so DavidW clarified:[/b]
I didn’t think it was being about catty or lack of intuition. Well, the ‘catty’ possibility crossed my mind at some point when speculating on the meaning; but in my opinion, that didn’t seem to match the context content (Maya’s fast integration and little outward sign of distress) well. So I stuck with my interpretation of her reactions being interpreted as stoic by some and the same as standoffish by other characters. Just my 1.999 cents, anyway.

Assuming this, however, I would guess that word about Maya’s breaking down and sobbing on Eagle 4 did not get around. On the other hand, it mentions Helena intervening on Maya’s behalf more than once, and maybe it was to point out things like how Maya had looked humiliated and in shock after finding out about Mentor’s actions, intervened of the Alphans’ behalf, and felt completely lost after that. This could have easily proven effective intervention on Maya’s behalf by Helena.[/quote]

OK – you’ve sold me, and I’m happy about that. I wasn’t too fond of my own interpretation.

As you read on to The Forsaken (assuming one hasn’t read it yet) and Shepherd Moon, you’ll see that Helena is portrayed much the same way, and that her stoicism is also interpreted as coldness, although her patina was probably developed over a period of years/events rather than one huge traumatic event. Therefore, their friendship/camaraderie is much more natural and understandable – after all, who can you let your hair down with other than someone who understands you?

-Pat.

[Mateo Latosa]

Following on this idea, what we tried to do with Remembering Julia was show Helena Russell as being a person who once a psychologist (or at least this is suggested in Dragon’s Domain) and became a medical doctor. We wanted to suggest that following the death of her husband, she’d lost the ability for empathy. It affected her work, so she turned to a different branch of medicine. This is not to say she didn’t already hold creditials in that area, but it became her focus. She gradually opens up over the course of the series and let’s her “inner Barbara Bain” shine through.

[Patricia Sokol]

[b]mateo wrote:[/b]
[quote]Following on this idea, what we tried to do with Remembering Julia was show Helena Russell as being a person who once a psychologist (or at least this is suggested in Dragon’s Domain) and became a medical doctor. We wanted to suggest that following the death of her husband, she’d lost the ability for empathy. It affected her work, so she turned to a different branch of medicine. This is not to say she didn’t already hold creditials in that area, but it became her focus. She gradually opens up over the course of the series and let’s her “inner Barbara Bain” shine through.[/quote]

Chock full of spoilers, so
[spoiler]Hmmm. Well, what I took away from “Remembering Julia” was not that she lost her ability to empathize, but rather this shutting-down of her emotions is something she has done to herself, not something that was done to her. She has (irrationally) refused to acknowledge Lee’s death by not allowing herself to grieve – she is holding on to a very tenuous thread, or an irrational hope. The whole situation with Julia just put her own situation front and center so that she couldn’t help but deal with it. She is, if nothing else, tenacious in her responsibilities as a physician, and yet she sits in her quarters in what amounts to a dereliction of duty. She would have stayed there, probably, if she had not been coaxed out.

However, in “Futility”, would she have risked her life to save Jesse Franklin if she was so cold? (I think that was one of the points of the story, but I could be reading too much into it. There are lots of interesting bits in that story that could be explored.) Would she have struggled to reach Bob Matthias in [b]War Games[/b]? Would she have run out of Main Mission in [b]Space Brain[/b] to get to Kelly, at risk to her own life? I won’t count [b]The Immunity Syndrome[/b] – that was not really well thought out on Helena and Maya’s part.

There is some parallel here to her ability to so quickly accept Robert Koenig (in [u]Alpha[/u]) as her own flesh and blood, which he is not. It’s another irrational, heart-driven action. In one case (Lee Russell), she slams the lid shut on her heart, in the other (Robert Koenig), she opens it wide up and practically screams, “Stab me. Right here, in the left ventricle, where it’ll do the quickest harm.” It’s somehow another tenuous thread to grasp on to, because at some level, she must realize that the situation is not right. It was just waaaay too convenient. Somehow, she is blinded in both situations – blinders I think she herself put on. And in both situations, who made her see reason?

The reason I conclude these things is: Because Powys novels are “officially licensed”, I am willing to accept anything that is printed as canon (this is clearly only my opinion). So, from [u]The Forsaken[/u], it’s clear that this is her coping mechanism. She has had a reputation for being unfeeling since med school – a reputation based on perception, but not how it necessarily was. So, OK – her coping mechanism got the best of her. Her father died when she was young (her fault…?), and she was widowed young (regardless of which source you believe for the character’s age). Several instances in the Omnibus, at least one I can think of in [u]Born for Adversity[/u], and several times throughout [u]Omega[/u]/[u]Alpha[/u], she clamps down on her feelings. Listen to the fear in her voice when she’s taken by the Tritonians in [b]Ring around the Moon[/b]. Does she panic? No. When she’s lost in the snowstorm in [b]Death’s Other Dominion[/b], does she panic? No – she talks to herself saying she’s not behaving like a doctor, or at least not how she believes a doctor should act. When Alpha is about to be blown to itty bitty pieces in [b]AB Chrysalis[/b], what does she do? She smiles encouragement at Frasier. She only feels as much as she allows herself to feel, because [u]that[/u]’s what works.

Perhaps after a period of time the two states are indistinguishable, though. Dead is dead; it doesn’t matter ultimately how you get there.

Then there is the problem of continuity. Because the episodes were filmed so that they could be shown in syndication in any order, we have no idea when [b]MoLaD [/b]actually took place. We assume it was the second episode and therefore their first “adventure”, but not necessarily. JK and HR are pretty chummy already, yet JK makes the announcement of the landing party like it’s some momentous occasion. There is a lot of dialog to suggest that some time has passed, but no clue as to how much. So, the Astro Seven could have been lost in 1994, before the Ultra Probe, or after the Ultra Probe, (1996/7), if [b]MoLaD [/b]takes place much later in the series (there is the 5-year timeframe we have to accept). Therefore, either she could not have abandoned psychology/psychiatry right after the Astro Seven’s disappearance (first scenario), or else, she could have (second scenario). All depends on relative timing.

Then there is the Y1 writer’s guide, which states she is not a GP, nor meant to be (and pretty harshly delineated by Bob Mathias in his paranoid state in [u]Resurrection[/u]). Additionally, she didn’t get her position on Alpha by being a one-trick pony, by which I mean she was probably a good researcher, a savvy individual, and a skilled physician. I would postulate that Space Medicine encompasses physical, emotional, and psychological factors, and thus she never abandoned any one of those. (If pressed to “give” her an education, I’d say she was an MD-PhD. While I have worked with/for many MDs who were amazing researchers and clinicians, I have never met an MD-PhD who didn’t impress.)

“Remembering Julia” seems like it takes place fairly early on, but it must occur before [b]MoLaD[/b]. Now, if [b]MoLaD [/b]took place soon after [b]Breakaway[/b], with “Remembering Julia” just beforehand, it’s no wonder the poor woman was so messed up in [b]MoLaD[/b]. No wonder she cries after JK dies on Terra Nova. She must be thinking to herself, “This all really stinks – and now I am going to die all alone on this crummy planet.” [/spoiler]

I suppose this is my overly-analyzed way of saying that “Remembering Julia” never gave me the impression that she had removed herself from the role of a psychologist/psychiatrist and gone into straight physical medicine. Rather, she had just pulled her shroud so tightly around herself that no light could shine through. She didn’t empathize, not because she couldn’t, but because it hurt too much to do so, and thus didn’t let herself. A subtle distinction, perhaps, but it would account for her two-steps-forward-one-step-back progression through to [u]Alpha[/u]. And in this story, she did not succeed in saving Julia, so the whole incident really served only to make her face reality. I don’t know too awfully much about the so-called healing process, but I’d bet acknowledging you’ve got a gaping wound would be an early step.

It is interesting to note that Barbara Bain had relatively few lines of dialog throughout the series, something just over 1900, I think, if you check The Catacombs – and many of those lines are things like, “John?” , “John!” and Jooooohhhhn!!!!”. Therefore, much of what we infer about Helena Russell’s character comes largely from BB’s nonverbal communication, and how others act towards her. Odd how such a complex character – as written throughout the series and in the Powysverse – can come out of such small amount of material.

Whoa – did I go off-topic?

[Mateo Latosa]

I think your interpretation convinced me! And the term “Powysverse” that’s the first time I’ve seen that.

I like it!

Mateo

[meredith]

PatS, your reply is very well thought out. I very much enjoyed your insight, and find I agree with the vast majority of your analysis of Helena. Well done!

I am glad you commented on the entire psychology/psychiatry thing and Helena’s probable education. I meant to comment after reading Mateo’s note of earlier, but end-of-school-year chaos is currently reigning in our household.

To elaborate on what Pat has said: Psychiatry is a speciality in medicine whose practitioners hold an MD (or DO, if here in the States). They can prescribe medicine in addition to doing ‘talk’ therapy. Psychology is a research based degree, and the doctorate level is a PhD. To hold the PhD education and then go back to medical school for training as a MD, of the calibre to hold the CMO position, would entail most likely over a decade of education (4 years med school, 3-5 years residency +/- a fellowship, then several years of practice). Much easier to imagine a physician trained in Space Medicine would also hold at least limited training in space psychology.

[quote]Then there is the Y1 writer’s guide, which states she is not a GP, nor meant to be … Additionally, she didn’t get her position on Alpha by being a one-trick pony, by which I mean she was probably a good researcher, a savvy individual, and a skilled physician. I would postulate that Space Medicine encompasses physical, emotional, and psychological factors, and thus she never abandoned any one of those. (If pressed to “give” her an education, I’d say she was an MD-PhD. While I have worked with/for many MDs who were amazing researchers and clinicians, I have never met an MD-PhD who didn’t impress.)[/quote]

Just about dead-on what I’ve always thought, and I agree, an MD-PhD is exactly who I would imagine running Medical Center.

[Patricia Sokol]

[b]DavidW wrote:[/b]
[quote][quote]Oh, that reminds me…. I had to chuckle at a good line Helena used in discussing that incident for her log: “Following events on the planet Ekimmu—already recorded on film….” [/quote]
[b]PatS replied:[/b][quote][color=#800000]Truth be known, I cringed a bit at the anachronism (film?!?!?), though it is consistent with the video recording in “BoW”[/color].[/quote]
[b]DavidW then wrote:[/b]
Actually, I’m pretty sure the BOW camera Clive Kander “was” digital. It looked too small for film, and he is later putting square cards (some S19 analogue to flash memory?) into a viewer and watching video.

Unfortunately, that does add strength to your suggestion this written statement is a little anachronistic. Then again, people sometimes do tend to use older terms even when the tech is newer. For music, I still say “record” from time to time, even though I generally say the tech-neutral(?) “album” most of the time. It’s funny because I only ever owned a few vinyl items (including the sound — dialogue and such — of the movie “Star Wars”) via gifts, and when I first started buying music, it was as tapes and then CD’s.

So maybe it’s merely a linguistic anachronism on the character’s part rather than the author’s. Difficult to say.

–DW[/quote]
[b] So, PatS concedes:[/b]
In that respect, it does differentiate between a) Recorded on her log; b) Recorded long-hand by JK in his journal á la Testament of Arkadia; c) Typed up by her á la Dragon’s Domain; d) Simply recorded by the computer mainframe.

So, considering those, the clarification is fine – in other words, they have a video record. Good ’nuff for me.

-P.

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