fannish 5

[rivendellrose]

Today's fannish5: What five unexplained mysteries or questions raised by canon do you most wish you knew the answer to?

1. Firefly: What the hell was going on with Inara's backstory, and what was the plan for that in the series? I'm sold on the idea that something pretty serious sent her away from the Guild proper, from what Nandi said, and it just drives me crazy trying to figure out what it would have been. I want to know, damn it!

2. Buffy and/or Angel: What's really the deal with vampires, demons and souls? I know that theoretically this is something that's totally covered by canon, but the explanations always struck me as pretty weak, and not just in the "I don't believe in absolute good and evil so I don't believe that anybody (demons, vampires, or 'good' spirits) can be completely good or evil" kind of way. Giles says at one point that there's no connection between the personality of a human and the "demon" who takes over their body after they become a vampire - that there's no remainder of the person in the vampire they become. Buffy and other characters repeat this frequently. But Angel starts to say that it's wrong (and presumably, he'd know...), and the vampires we see "close-up" in the series don't seem to follow that rule. Darla, Angel, Spike and Dru all seem to more or less continue to be the same people they were when living, with the exception of understandable changes in personality/thought process... and so does Harmony, so that knocks out the theory that it's just their bloodline being atypical. And yet, something does seem to appreciably change when a vampire "gets their soul back." And there are cases (mostly minor or bit-characters) where becoming a vampire really does significantly change a person's personality.

My theory: Canon states they still have all the memories of the human life, and I think memory makes up a significant amount of personality. So what's changed? Obviously, the necessities of living as a vampire are going to have an effect on a person. I take a "World of Darkness" view of this, I admit. I think vampires wake up the first time disoriented, confused... and starving, in a way they've never experienced before. Their senses are heightened, they're stronger than they ever were as a human, and they have an instinctual knowledge that blood will cure the hunger that's eating away at their mind and body. So they feed. That necessity makes them prone to regarding humans as cattle, as nothing like themselves. And the rest of their morality becomes skewed to accompany that.

Darla already ran counter to mainstream morality of her time, when she became a vampire. Flashbacks have shown that she clearly disdained the religious authority held by the church, and she seems to have easily embraced the opportunity to walk outside those strictures in her own power (as she had, apparently, in life). Angel was already a bad-boy and a drunk as a human - not exactly a model of personal willpower, and I got a distinct impression from the way he acted in flashbacks that he wasn't exactly a fabulous guy as a human, anyway. Spike (William) was disdained as a human, and he seems to have taken vampirism and all it gave him as an opportunity to be every kind of cool that he hadn't been in life. Additionally, he was already a man given to abandoning himself completely to love of a woman... and Dru gave him the opportunity to do that, exactly as he'd always wanted to. Darla may have made a joke of it, but I think Dru got exactly the noble knight she talked about wanting. ;)

Okay, so I got a little out-of-hand on that one. Back to the question.

3. Buffy: When the activated potentials (yes, I'm spoiled on that) die, will they each activate another new slayer? Or will only one true slayer remain after this one weird generation - that girl presumably being whoever is activated after Faith's death? I favor the latter theory, myself, since I really don't like the whole "now there's thousands of them!" thing. There's supposed to be only one, damn it! That's kind of the whole cool point!

And, on a tangent from that, 4. How did the Watchers Council remain cohesive and in contact before the advent of modern technology? How did they make sure a Watcher was there when a new slayer was activated when it would have taken months to get from one part of Europe to another, forgetting the rest of the world? With slayers popping up all over the globe from the beginning of humanity on out, how could they possibly have been that organized? Perhaps this explains the other great mystery of the Watchers - what is their connection to the Watchers of Highlander? Maybe they're really two factions of the same group that managed to schism early on, leaving both sides flatly unaware of the existence of the other while they operate right under each other's noses...

5. Why, out of all the species in the cosmos, were Minbari souls being reborn in Human bodies? Does this mean there's some kind of weird cosmic connection between the two races, or that Minbari souls are really being born into all the species, without them noticing? ...Actually, I'm not sure I really want the answer to that one. But it is something that bothers me on occasion. Edit: *Coughs* Thanks to arionrhod, who reminds me that this was actually covered in canon... oops. Jen's a bad B5 fan. Move along to the next question... ;)

Edit! No, wait - a better question!

5.a., possibly meaningless to all but the housemates. James Alan Gardner's Expendable-verse: WHO/WHAT IS FESTINA RAMOS' PATRON????!!!

Comments

[nekokoban]

Dude, I never do any of the Friday Fives ever, but this one looks like fun. D: I, I may have to give it a shot!

Though in my case, most of the mysteries are more along the lines of "canon I have not yet seen," boo.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I'm spoiled enough on Buffy/Angel to avoid the "canon not yet seen" questions. At least I think I am.

But... yes. It's an awesome meme!

[nekokoban]

Really, the biggest problem for me is that most of the canons I follow are still "moving targets" -- any day now, things could get explained! Really! I just have to find it in myself to be patient long enough for it. XD

I may still try it anyway. :p

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

My biggest problem was that, with the exception of Firefly, most of mine are completed, so theoretically all the "big" mysteries have been solved. But it was fun to poke at the little things that drive me crazy!

You should! Most people are doing these for moving-target fandoms, and it's fun to think about what you think might or might not come out in the future.

[nekokoban]

I almost want to write these like a letter to an agony aunt. XD "Dear Fandom: I think my favorite character might die, it's sort of implied! It's driving me nuts! WHAT SHOULD I DO?"

And Auntie Fandom would tell me to write AU fic or pitch a self-righteous fit that the creators will never see, whichever fit into my schedule better. ;)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

You should totally start a fandom Agony Aunt column! You could answer all sorts of questions like that. XD

[nekokoban]

Only if I get you and probably Kari to be supplmentary aunts. XD It'd be fantastic! :D I'd answer everything the same way. XD

(That, or "Maybe a threesome is the solution to your problems. Sources say 'yes.'")

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yes! We can be the Fandom Aunties - complete with silly names and everything. It'd be great. And between the three of us, we have the majority of fandoms covered, too. Go us!

(Yes. Between the two, you've probably got every fandom question covered....)

[nekokoban]

ROCK ON EVERYONE! >_< \m/

(That, or "Orgy." That would make sure we'd got the more-somes covered, too. XD)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

YES.

BY THE WAY, I HAVE A NEW JOB. Jill just called. Temp-to-perm same as you had. Starting the 28th. !!!!!!!

♥

[nekokoban]

!!!!!!!

Content Team? CONTENT TEAM? :D :D :D :D :D

CONGRATULATIONS♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[nekokoban]

PS THIS MEANS WE SHOULD GO OUT TO DINNER TONIGHT

MY TREAT EVEN

KENDRA SHOULD COME TOO

:D

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

WOOHOO!!!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Bounces*

Sorry for disappearing on you last night - I was showing my mom the new computer, which is not yet allowed on the internet (no virus scan), and had to unplug the old one to do so.

But YAY! Content team! I bounce around neurotically.

[arionrhod.livejournal.com]

I can actually answer the Minbari question, I think. ;)

It's because Minbari were actually part human after Sinclair went back with Babylon 4. At that point the two bloodlines mixed, and no doubt those Minbari who were part human could be reborn as either Minbari OR human. So over time some of them were, which probably made it so there was even more of an affinity for those part-Minbari to be reborn as human again... and somehow it got all mixed up and until they found out about Sinclair they didn't even realize that at that point there probably were a high percentage of Minbari souls who were mixed human and Minbari. Make sense? :D

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Drat, I knew that one, too! I'd forgotten about that explanation!

Thank you!

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

I don't believe the whole Minbari souls in humans thing at all. To me, it's all a big misunderstanding of some technology. The triluminary was calibrated to recognize human DNA, because Valen had human DNA in him even after his change from Sinclair. When it was used on Sinclair in the Battle of the Line, it flagged him because he is human. It flagged other humans and some Minbari because they have human DNA too, which the Minbari got from being descendents of Valen.

[aris-tgd.livejournal.com]

The nice thing about B5 is that JMS explicitly stated he left that explanation vague for that purpose--so that you can go with the "souls" explanation or you can go with the "DNA" explanation or both. Or neither! Yay agnostic canon!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yay agnostic canon!

Yeah, for a canon that is explicitly so interested in religious/spiritual issues (which I heartily approve of), B5 is also wonderfully accepting of scientific explanations and embracing alternate ideologies. I think that's one of my favorite things about the show - religion is active, and presented in a very realistic fashion for all the different species.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the idea that it's really DNA that the triluminary is picking up, rather than souls, now that I think of it... although I'm so used to writing from a Minbari perspective that I tend to think of it as souls anyway, out of habit. :P

Even more specific than human DNA, I'd bet that the triluminary is specifically keyed to Valen's DNA. It pinged off Sinclair because he had at least half the same DNA even before the transformation, and then off Delenn because she was his descendant. Probably on both sides of her family - otherwise I'd expect that after all that time the genetic inheritance would be pretty well spread out among the population. You don't want the triluminary pinging off just anybody!

For a species as focused on bloodlines and clans as they seem to be, I'm surprised that every Minbari descended from Valen isn't acutely aware of the fact. I guess it just wouldn't have been any fun if Delenn knew from the beginning that might be the reason she was special. ;)

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

1. Firefly: What the hell was going on with Inara's backstory, and what was the plan for that in the series? I'm sold on the idea that something pretty serious sent her away from the Guild proper, from what Nandi said, and it just drives me crazy trying to figure out what it would have been. I want to know, damn it!

Word. It's really frustrating not knowing. I guess we each have our own favorite theories (mine is the Inara is Terminal theory) but it's frustrating that we don't know. Especially since the likelihood of the show being brought back or a sequel being made is about nil.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Exactly. The other thing that frustrates me about the situation is that back when Serenity was out in theaters, Joss posted on Whedonesque and said that if he didn't get the go-ahead for a sequel, he'd give us a nice big tell-all about everything he'd had planned for the series. Now, it looks like he's decided not to go ahead with that... and I feel cheated. I want to know what was intended, darn it! If I can't see the whole thing, I at least want to know.

I'm fascinated by the terminal-disease theory, but not completely sold on it. On the other hand, I don't have a better theory of my own, so I guess that's the best one!

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I honestly can't think of a better theory either. The others I've heard have been along the lines of her falling in love with a client or with someone else who was off limits. I almost think that's too cliche / too standard for Joss to go with.

[gryphart.livejournal.com]

Randomly ran across you while browsing other people's flists, and I was surprised enough to see another James Alan Gardner fan that I had to comment.

My best guess on 5a is the Pollisand - we have plenty of evidence that he likes to tinker with Festina's life, and they seem to share a certain amount of philosophical worldview. (Especially considering that of the possible candidates, we really only get to see him and the Balrog, and the Balrog's already taken, logic dictates it's probably him.)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Welcome! I'm glad it's not just my friends and I reading those books. ;)

See, that would make sense out of personality, but I got the sense that the Pollisand had chosen Oar. He has his whole deal with her in Ascending, and then in Radiant Yun Sou's vision shows something about the two of them when she's seeing the images of all the patrons and their champions. If I'm not mistaken, the vision was the Pollisand for Oar, the Lucifer and Phil (from Trapped), Las Fuentes and Tut, and then both Yun Sou and... I'm forgetting her name, but the Balrog's other girl.

Sorry, crazy geeking. XD