This post was mentioned on Twitter by thedrymock: Fabulous post on the new V: Everything Old Is Worse Again: Of Vs and Backlashes http://tinyurl.com/yf9oojx...

and speaking of gender and scifi, on a totally unrelated note but out of curiosity, have you ever read the writings of james tiptree jr. (real name: alice sheldon)? (i ask mostly because i will take any excuse to recommend james tiptree jr. to people, because – scifi! with feminism! AND really good writing! HOW COULD YOU SAY NO?) (though, full disclosure, her stories are also depressing as fuck, she kind of leaned towards “fuck, sexism is never going to end” feminism). (man i love parentheses).

Three things from the old series that I wonder if they’ll repeat…

First, regarding Juliet and the mind-raping; she was also the only person in the course of the series to beat the brainwashing to any degree, and she did it pretty much because she was tough. No one “saved her true self,” as it were. Assuming the brainwashing thing is still in this version, one of the good guys will get it, that’s a given: if it’s a woman, will she beat it by her own toughness or be saved? (Or will it be used as a way to break down Erica).

Second, while they couldn’t abort Elizabeth in the original (and seeing as she mystically saved the day at the end, aborting her was made the wrong choice), the “Robin’s body, Robin’s decision” was clearly stated by main hero Mike. What are the odds that’s going to happen again if a human female is impregnated?

Third, Maggie seducing Daniel for information: with 1, her remaining completely a goodie; and 2, her boyfriend getting angry about it and being told by several people that he should remember how much worse it was for her, and not keep making her prove that she isn’t cheating on him.

Though with what’s said above about Tyler and Lisa, if Lisa is also going to be the one to get pregnant, then maybe she’s also the one who will seduce for information. And that way, the series can put a “bad woman” in both roles. Allowing it to avoid repeating either of the latter two aspects of the original – and either way of acknowledging that women have feelings that matter – without having to admit that they’re doing it.

About the impregnation thing, isn’t Ryan’s fiancee pregnant? Did he impregnate her or did they do it to her at the “healing center?”

When I realized Anna was Inara, I was like, “Whoa!” And speaking of Anna, in episode 4 she does the “bliss” thing and she walks up to this platform wearing a long white diaphanous, um, sheet? Which she then casts off before falling to her knees and giving every V in the universe the longest orgasm ever. So that was interesting.

@Mr_Subjunctive: I assure you, nobody was more surprised about that gender than me!

I admit I’m still watching it. It’s just..Juliet! She does things!