"Crossroads of the Force" [PG-13] - Chapter Three

 

"CROSSROADS OF THE FORCE"

CHAPTER THREE

CORUSCANT

The petite Igraine Colbert entered Senator Dahlma's suite with data pad in hand. She found her employer in the middle of packing a valise. "The last transport to Ord Montell had left twelve hours ago," she reported. "And another is not scheduled for departure until another two days. I'm sorry, Milady."

Zoebeida Dahlma heaved a sigh. "Wonderful. I suppose I might as well hire private transportation to the planet."

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Igraine continued. The senator stared at her. "Don't forget . . . you had informed the Grand Vizer of your intent to return home to Maldore. Perhaps you should find transport for there and then hire a pilot to take you to Ord Mantell. That way, you will not have to worry about Imperial spies."

Shaking her head, Senator Dahlma commented, "I would have never thought of that. I knew there was a reason I had made you my aide. Good thinking, Igraine."

The compliment sent a shaft of warmth throughout the young Maldarian's body. For the umpteenth time in her life, she privately thanked her uncle for arranging her to become Zoebeida Dahlma's aide. Harboring political ambitions for years, Igraine gave up the prospects of becoming Vin Roudet's wife when the position of Senator Dahlma's aide became available. A shared interest in the galaxy's political situation and a distrust of the Empire and the Emperor had drawn the two women into a close friendship.

"Shall I book passage for you to Maldore?" Igraine asked.

The older woman nodded. "As soon as possible. I want to leave by tonight. And you need to pack, as well. You're coming with me."

The news took Igraine by surprise. The senator had rarely allowed her to experience or learn about the former's activities against the Empire. "Yes, Milady," she replied breathlessly. "Right away." And she left the senator's chamber, thrilled by the prospect of a little adventure.

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MOS EISLEY, TATOOINE

"Stop pouting, Leia!" Padme ordered her daughter. "It's unbecoming for a young lady, such as yourself."

The eleven-year-old girl retorted, "What did you expect, Mother? I'm going to be stuck here on Tatooine for nearly a week."

The Skywalker party had just arrived at Tatooine's largest city, Mos Eisley. Upon their arrival, Padme had booked her family into two rooms at a local inn. Luke accepted their arrival with his usual stoicism. Leia, on the other hand, raised a fuss.

"If you continue to maintain that attitude, young lady, you will end up insulting both Owen and Beru," Padme lectured. "They were kind enough to allow you to stay at their farm, while I'm gone. I suggest that you show some gratitude."

Leia muttered a comment under her breath before she murmured, "Yes, Mother."

"Personally, I do not blame Miss Leia," C3-P0 added in his usual direful manner. "I do not care to be here, either."

Padme sighed. "Threepio, if this is about my decision to take Artoo with me and leave you here . . ."

"Oh no, Milady!" the droid protested. "I perfectly understand why you need Artoo to join you. He would be most helpful."

Suspicion nibbled at the back of Padme's mind. "Thank you, Threepio," she said cautiously.

"As for me," the golden droid continued, "I will simply endure staying on the Lars' farm in my usual efficient manner. I have done it before, when Miss Shmi had married Master Cliegg and I will do so, again. After all, we droids are made to suffer."

Padme slowly turned to stare at the protocol droid. Made to suffer? Since when did droids learn to utilize the guilt trip against their owners? "Threepio, if there will be a problem . . ."

"Oh no, Milady! Please! Just ignore me."

Rolling her eyes, Padme decided it would be best to accept the droid's advice. She turned away from Threepio and the children and headed toward one of the windows. On the street below, two men draped in hoods, strode toward the inn's entrance. Padme immediately recognized the taller man. Bail Organa. His broad shoulders and walk seemed unmistakable. However, Padme wondered about the identity of Bail's companion.

"Magda, look after the children," Padme said to the nursemaid. "I will be downstairs, if you need me." After grabbing her cloak, she rushed out of the room.

Seconds later, Padme reached the inn's lobby and found Bail and his companion speaking to the innkeeper. "Her name is Yane Rivaaj," Bail declared. "She has either checked in today, or yesterday. With two children and . . ."

"I had checked in, yesterday," Padme announced. The two men whirled around in surprise. Before Bail could open his mouth, Padme greeted him with open arms. "Dear cousin! You've finally made it."

With an understanding nod, Bail enveloped Padme into a bear hug. "Cousin Yane. I wondered if I would have to wait for you. How are you?"

"Perfectly well," a smiling Padme replied. She turned to the innkeeper. "Is there a place where we can talk privately?" The innkeeper led all three to an unoccupied loggia filled with tables and chairs. It overlooked the wide street, beyond. Once seated, Padme said to the Alderaanian, "Bail, why don't you introduce me to your friend?"

The other man threw back his hood, revealing a handsome and aristocratic face with a long, aquiline nose, light-brown hair and beard, and pale blue eyes. His thin lips formed a slight smile. "My name is Ferus Olin. I'm Senator Organa's body . . ." His smile disappeared, as his eyes widened in surprise. "Good heavens! You look like . . . aren't you Senator Padme Amidala? Of Naboo? You're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Mister O . . ." Padme frowned. "Wait a minute. Did you say . . . Ferus Olin? You name sounds very familiar."

Mister Olin blushed, while Bail explained, "Mister Olin used to be a Jedi. He had been apprenticed . . ."

"Of course!" Padme exclaimed. "No wonder I have heard of your name, before! From . . ." She paused. No need for her to connect Anakin to herself. "I mean . . . uh . . ."

The former Jedi regarded her with curious eyes. "Pardon me, Milady, but from whom?"

Padme took a deep breath. "Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I have . . . had . . . several dealings with him, over the years. I first met him when he was still padawan to Master Qui-Gon Jinn and I was Queen of Naboo. During the crisis with the Trade Federation."

"Of course."

Bail added, "And do not forget Master Siri Taschi. Ferus used to be her apprentice, before he left the Order."

"Oh yes," Padme added softly. "I remember Master Taschi." Memories of the fair-haired Jedi Knight that had saved her life, rushed back to her. "Her death was a tragedy to us all."

Ferus Olin nodded. "At least she is now with the Force. At peace."

"Of course."

Bail continued, "Ferus used to be part of a resistance cell on Acherin. Unfortunately . . ." His voice faded away, as he shot a look of pity at the former padawan.

"Unfortunately, the cell has dissolved and most of them are dead," Ferus added gravely. "Killed by the Empire. I am one of two or three survivors."

Padme murmured, "I'm so sorry."

Once more, Bail explained, "Ferus had eventually made his way to Alderaan and joined the other Jedi refugees on the planet. Captain Antilles became aware of his presence and recommended that he act as my bodyguard on this trip. I thought that we both could use Master Olin's services."

Padme stared at the two men. "Do you really feel that we will need a bodyguard?" she asked.

A fourth figure appeared by Padme's side. He threw back his hood. "It would not hurt to have one, Milady," Obi-Wan Kenobi replied.

-----------

VELM SYSTEM

The commission to smuggle glitterstim to Maldore seemed to be obstacle-free. Both the Javian Hawk and the Alastian Star - Mako Spince's ship - had arrived on Kessel with no problems. The three smugglers collected their cargo of stim. Mako paid off Sekka Verdu's contact and both ships departed for Maldore.

"So far, so good," Han commented inside the Hawk's cockpit.

Anakin retorted, "Don't say that!"

"Don't say what?"

"Don't be so . . . optimistic about this trip." Anakin paused. "It makes you sound so complacent. And that's not a good thing."

Han heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Okay, okay. Geez!"

Silence fell between the two men. Then Han ruined it by adding, "But you've got to admit that we've been in the Velm System for over twelve hours and . . ."

"Han!"

A faint beep caused both men to glance at the ship's console. Anakin's stomach turned, when he interpreted the light's meaning - the presence of a nearby Imperial warship. "That's just great," he muttered. "The Imperials."

"We can outrun them!" Han insisted.

Anakin sardonically replied, "Sure we can. And they'll report the whole incident and track us down to Maldore."

Han sighed. "Then what . . .?" The Hawk shuddered momentarily. "I think we've just been caught in a tractor beam."

Mako's voice boomed from the Hawk's comlink system. "Uh guys, looks like we've got visitors. Looks like an Imperial cruiser. Hang on. I'll talk to them."

The suggestion did not ease Anakin's anxieties. "Wait a minute, Mako. Maybe I should do it. I'm familiar . . ."

"Don't worry," the older Corellian exclaimed. "I'm an old Academy man. Trust me. I know how to deal with these guys."

However, Anakin did not feel ready to put his life in Mako's hands. "Look Mako, I really think I should . . ."

Unfortunately, another interrupted before the former Jedi could finish. "This is Captain Skafte of the Dreadnought. Prepare to be boarded."

Han shot a worried look at Anakin. "What do we do?"

Anakin sighed. "Just like the man said - prepare to be boarded. And hope that Spince knows exactly what he's doing." The two men sat in helpless silence, as the Imperial cruiser tractor both the Javian Hawk and the Alastian Star.

-----

MOS EISLEY, TATOOINE

Padme stared at the former Jedi Master in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Obi-Wan gathered his robes and sat down next to Ferus Olin. "I was here in Mos Eisley, purchasing parts for my power calibrator, when I . . . sensed Ferus' presence. However, I had no idea that you would be here." He coolly directed his gaze at Padme. "I'm surprised to find you here on Tatooine, Milady. Why are you here?"

After a brief hesitation, Padme replied, "Bail and I are on our way to an important conference. I'm here to deliver the children to Owen and Beru. I felt that it would be safer for them here on Tatooine than alone . . . with Madga."

"I see." Obi-Wan replied with a nod. Padme allowed herself a closer inspection of the former Jedi and noticed that the last decade had not been kind to him. The lines on his face seemed to have deepened. Whereas his hair only had a few strands of gray the last time she saw him, now it possessed only a few strands of ginger. His blue eyes no longer twinkled. They seemed to have acquired a permanent melancholy air. At age 49 or 50, Obi-Wan looked older than his former master did, twenty-four years ago. And Padme recalled Anakin telling her that Qui-Gon Jinn had been at least 60 years old around the time of his death. Despite their current estrangement, the former senator felt a swell of pity toward Obi-Wan.

The former Jedi Master asked, "What is so important about this conference, anyway?"

Bail allowed himself a dramatic pause before he answered, "Hopefully, the consolidation of an organized alliance against the Empire. Senator Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis and I believe that it is time . . ."

"Senator Iblis is still alive?" Master Olin interrupted, looked shocked. "I thought he and his family had been killed on Anchoron, ten years ago."

"Garm had managed to escape," Bail explained. "He became a fugitive and eventually contacted Senator Mothma and me. It was he who suggested this conference in the first place. Thanks to Padme, Solipo Yeb and a few others, we have managed to contact many individual resistance cells."

Again, Obi-Wan said, "I see." He turned to his former Jedi colleague. "Ferus, are you taking part in this conference? As a representative of the Nixor resistance cell?"

A touch of sadness crept into the younger Jedi's eyes. "No, I'm acting as bodyguard for Senator Organa . . . and Senator Amidala. The resistance cell on Nixor . . ." He paused as his expression became emotionless. "Actually, I have no idea what happened to the cell. I haven't been a part of it for several years."

Obi-Wan seemed surprised by the news. "Is it possible that they are all dead? What about Roan and Trevor?"

Olin sighed. "As far as I know, they're both alive. I think. I'm not certain, for I have not heard from them in several years. We . . . went our separate ways."

Frowning, Obi-Wan shook his head. "What do mean . . . you went your separate ways?"

The younger Jedi's face now resembled a mask. "Like I said, we went our separate ways. I ended up on Alderaan, where I met Senator Organa."

The discussion between the two Jedi left Padme thinking about Anakin. Determined not to wallow in her own loneliness, she brusquely interrupted. "I do not mean to be rude, but I believe it is time that we leave for the Lars Homestead. We have a long journey ahead of us."

The three men quietly agreed. Then Obi-Wan asked if he could join them on the brief journey to the edge of the Jundland Wastes. "You could take me as far as Anchorhead. I had left my speeder there, which will convey me . . . home." He grimaced, as he said the last word. Padme recalled that Obi-Wan had converted some cave hovel in the Jundland Wastes, into his home.

"I'm sure that would be no problem," Bail replied. "Right Padme?"

She noticed the unease in her former colleague's eyes. "Of course not," Padme murmured politely. Privately, she wondered why the Alderaanian prince had pleaded for her permission. Especially since the ship probably belonged to him. She stood up and the three men did the same. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I need to make preparations for the trip." She turned to Bail. "What time do you plan to leave?"

Bail replied, "Hopefully less than three hours from now."

"I shall be ready by then."

Exactly three hours later, Padme and her family followed Bail to one of the private hangars at Mos Eisley's spaceport. To her surprise, Bail's personal starship was not parked inside. Instead, she found the starship of none other than Voranda Sen - the woman who had flown her family from Alderaan to Tatooine, ten years ago. The two women greeted each other happily before Sen's ship, the Alberforce, departed Mos Eisley for the Tatooine desert.


END OF CHAPTER THREE

"HOT FUZZ" (2007) Photo Gallery

 

Below are images from the 2007 comedy hit, "HOT FUZZ". Directed by Edgar Wright, the movie starred Simon Pegg and Nick Frost:




"HOT FUZZ" (2007) Photo Gallery

"THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL" (1996) Review

 

"THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL" (1996) Review

I cannot count the number of times I have seen either movie or television adaptations of either Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, "Jane Eyre" or Emily Brontë's novel of the same year, "Wuthering Heights". There was also a third sister who was also a novelist, namely Anne Brontë. She had also written a famous novel. Published in 1848, it was titled "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall".

Despite the novel's success upon its publication, the reputation of "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" seemed to have faded over the years . . . to the point that many literary critics had developed a dismissive attitude toward it by the early 20th century. However, the novel's reputation has grown considerably during the last decades of the 20th century. Although there have been references to Brontë's novel during this later period, there have been only two on-screen adaptations of the novel by the BBC - a four-part miniseries in 1968 and a three-part miniseries in 1996. I have yet to see the 1968 production, but I have seen the more recent miniseries at least three times. After my latest viewing, I decided to write a review.

"THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL" begins with the arrival of a mysterious woman in black named Mrs. Helen Graham and her young son Arthur at Wildfell Hall, an Elizabethan manor located in Yorkshire. Helen is determined to establish an independent existence as an artist in order to support herself and Arthur. Due to her aloof and blunt manner, her new neighbors become determined to pry into her private life and learn everything about her. Only one neighbor, an attractive local farmer named Gilbert Markham manages to befriend her. But when Helen becomes aware of the growing attraction between her and Gilbert, she decides to reveal the truth about her past. Gilbert learns from reading her diary that she had fled from her husband, who is an alcoholic landowner. He also happens to be an abusive spouse, a womanizer, and a destructive influence on their young son.

As far as I know, there have been three previous Brontë productions in which its narratives were conveyed in a non-linear fashion - "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" (1939), "JANE EYRE" (2006) and "JANE EYRE" (2011). However, both Emily and Charlotte Brontë wrote their respective novels with linear narratives. Anne Brontë did not . . . at least for her 1848 novel. The story began from Gilbert Markham's point-of-view in a series of letters to a friend and his diary. The novel's middle narrative shifted from Gilbert to Helen's POV, as Gilbert learns the truth about her background and troubled marriage through the diary she gave him to read. The only difference between Brontë's novel and the 1996 miniseries is that screenwriter David Nokes began the story from Helen's point-of-view with her arrival at Wildfell Hall. Throughout the first episode, the narrative's POV shifted between Helen and Gilbert, with the occasional foray to another supporting character - especially Gilbert's mother or sister. Once the narrative shifted toward Helen's past history with Arthur Huntingdon in the second episode, she became the narrative's sole narrator until the third episode. Many movie and television productions have proven incapable of shifting time periods, let alone narrators with such ease.

Yet, there is another aspect of "THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL" that I found even more remarkable than its narrative structure - namely the story itself. Do not mistake me . . . I have enjoyed the numerous adaptations of "Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre". But thanks to Anne Brontë's novel and David Nokes' screenplay, I prefer "THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL" over the other Brontë adaptations I have seen. I thought Nokes did an excellent job in capturing Brontë's tale about a young woman who had endured a toxic marriage and found herself struggling to put her memories behind her and eventually, facing them. Unlike her sisters Emily and Charlotte, Anne did not appease her readers with some Byronic hero whom the heroine either saves or reunite with in the afterlife. If I may say so, neither Gilbert Markham or Arthur Huntingdon struck me as Byronic. Gilbert struck me as an earthy, hot-tempered and slightly spoiled young man. His acquaintance and eventual romance with Helen forced him to mature. Arthur originally struck me as a dashing rogue, whose wit and managed to win Helen's hand in marriage. Yet, that wit and charm hid unfaithful and at times, vicious drunk who failed to overcome his addiction and insecure nature. We finally have Helen Graham/Huntingdon, whose character arc underwent quite a journey. The story began with a portrayal of Helen as this slightly hard, reserved and blunt woman who seemed leery of forming relations with her new neighbors - including Gilbert. Through the flashbacks from the second and third episodes, audiences learn how Helen had developed from a naive and slightly sanctimonious eighteen-year-old debutante to that blunt and paranoid mother of a five-year-old son.

What I truly liked about Anne Brontë's tale is that she did not pull any punches in her portrayal of Helen's experiences as Mrs. Arthur Huntingdon. Nor did she make any attempt to whitewash Helen's fear, sense of betrayal at Arthur's infidelity or her disappointment over her failure to transform him into a better man. What impressed me even further is that screenwriter David Nokes and director Mike Barker did more than justice to Brontë's novel. Both did an excellent job of recapturing trauma Helen must have experienced as a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. I also have to compliment both director and screenwriter for their treatment of Helen's experiences with her new neighbors near Wildfell Hall, as she dealt with their resentment toward her aloof manner and their vicious gossip. And I must admit that I really enjoyed how Helen's relationship with the earthy Gilbert Markham and the lively manner in which they developed from polite neighbors to close friends and potential lovers. More importantly, neither Helen or Gilbert were portrayed as perfect.

I must confess that my only issue with the narrative was the ending. Unlike Brontë's novel, it ended with Gilbert erroneously suspecting that Helen had married Frederick Lawrence, her "landlord", following Arthur's death. Mind you, I did not care for that ending, which I found it a shallow and overused trope in many romance stories. David Nokes solved that problem by revealing Mr. Lawrence's true identity by the end of Episode 1. Unfortunately, he also repeated this same trope by having Helen suspect that Gilbert was about to marry his former love interest following her return to Wildfell Hall. Sigh. It was the same minor, yet shallow crap, but with a different character. Oh well . . . nothing is perfect.

I have no problems with the production values for "THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL", save for one issue. I thought production designer Sarah Greenwood did an excellent job in re-creating the two Yorkshire communities during the 1820s in this miniseries. Daf Hobson's cinematography, Sarah Jane Cornish's art direction and the series' art department certainly added to the authenticity of Greenwood's work. I was especially impressed by Jean Speak's hair and makeup work and Rosalind Ebbutt's costume designs, as shown in the images below:

  

Needless to say, Greenwood, Hobson, Speak and Ebbutt all earned BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nominations. Only Speak won. That one issue I had with the three-part miniseries centered around its film. I had no problems with Hobson's photography. But I had a problem with the film stock used for this production. I hate to say this, but I believe the color for the 1996 miniseries is in danger of fading in the coming years, unless the BBC can do something to save it. I wonder what kind of film Hobson or perhaps the BBC used for this production. I have noticed similar problems for other BBC productions during the 1990s.

Regardless of Nokes' excellent adaptation and Barker's direction, I feel this production would not have worked without the excellent performances that dominated it. "THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL" featured some strong performances from the likes of Kenneth Cranham, Aran Bell, Karen Westwood, and Miranda Pleasance who portrayed Helen's new tight-minded and conservative neighbors. Pam Ferris, Paloma Baeza and Joe Absolom gave first-rate performances as Gilbert's mother and two siblings. James Purefoy seemed to be very solid as Helen's "landlord", Frederick Lawrence. Livelier performances came from those who portrayed Arthur's predatory friends - Sean Gallagher, Jonathan Cake, Cathy Murphy and especially Beatie Edney, whose Annabella Lowborough struck me as deliciously corrupt. Dominic Rowan did an excellent job in portraying the more complicated Lord Lowborough, who proved to be repelled by his friends and wife's behavior. I thought Sarah Bidel gave the most poignant performance as Helen's loyal friend and caregiver, Rachel. Young Master Arthur Huntingdon proved to be the second role in Jackson Leach's short career. Eight to nine years old at the time, I thought he gave an excellent performance as the young Arthur, torn between his parents' influence.

"THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL" not only benefited from a strong supporting cast, but also from superb performances by the three leads. Rupert Graves gave one of his best performances as Helen's alcoholic and abusive husband, Arthur Huntington. What I admired about Graves' performance was that he did not portray Arthur as some one-note villain. His Arthur was charming, witty, romantic, cold, dismissive, manipulative and yes . . . scary. In the end, Graves also managed to convey how pathetic Arthur was at his core. One would think Toby Stephens had it easier as Helen's true love interest, Gilbert Markham. Fortunately, Brontë's portrayal of Gilbert proved to be more complex. The production's casting director had been smart enough to hire a superb actor like Stephens who brought out the best and worst of Gilbert's character without making audiences question Helen's attraction to him. Tara Fitzgerald deserved top honors for her portrayal of the story's protagonist, Helen Graham (aka Huntington). I thought she did a superb job of conveying Helen's emotional journey from a naive debutante who fell in love with the wrong man, to a wiser, yet strong-willed young mother, whose past history with an abusive mother had led her to become somewhat paranoid and brusque with her neighbors. Yet, Fitzgerald also managed to retain Helen's capability for love through the character's relationship with her son and her burgeoning romance with Gilbert. It is a pity that none of the leads - Fitzgerald, Stephens or Graves had received any accolades or nominations for their performances.

What else can I say about "THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL"? Nothing really. Yes, I found the romantic misunderstanding from the ending a little old and cliched. And yes, I believe the film that the miniseries was shot with in danger of fading. But if I must be brutally honest, I believe this adaptation of Anne Brontë's novel to be one of the best costume productions from the 1990s, let alone the past three or four decades, thanks to David Nokes' screenplay, Mike Barker's direction and a superb cast led by Tara Fitzgerald. Hell, I will go even further and state that this version of "THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL" might be my favorite adaptation of any Brontë novel.

"LOST": A Tale of Two Fathers

 

"LOST": A TALE OF TWO FATHERS

During its Season Two, "LOST" had aired an episode called (2.09) "What Kate Did". The episode revealed the crime that led castaway Kate Austen to being a fugitive for three years - she had murdered her father, Wayne Janssen, and used his death to collect insurance for her mother, Diane Janssen. The episode had also revealed Kate's reason for her act of murder. She had just learned that Wayne - a man she had presumed to be her stepfather - was actually her father.

Kate had made it perfectly clear that she disliked Wayne Janssen. She held him responsible for her mother's break-up with Sam Austen, the man she had longed believed was her father. She certainly disliked the fact that he was an alcoholic who physically abused Diane. And she found his habit of occasionally leering at her disgusting and beneath contempt. Many believed that Kate had been a victim of sexual abuse. And that Wayne had been the perpetrator. But "What Kate Did" hinted that Wayne may not have abused Kate. In this scene, Kate talks to an unconscious fellow castaway, James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway), whose body she believes had been temporarily possessed by her late father:

"Can you hear me? Sawyer? Wayne? [Sawyer stirs] I'm probably crazy and this doesn't matter, but maybe you're in there somehow. But you asked me a question. You asked me why I -- why I did it. It wasn't because you drove my father away, or the way you looked at me, or because you beat her. It's because I hated that you were a part of me -- that I would never be good. That I would never have anything good. And every time that I look at Sawyer -- every time I feel something for him -- I see you, Wayne. It makes me sick.".

Judging from her comments, it seems quite apparent that Wayne had never sexually abused her. Kate did accuse him of leering at her, which was conveyed in a flashback at the beginning of the episode. However, there are fans who still insist that Wayne may have abused her. They are entitled to their opinions. Frankly, I have doubts that Kate had ever been abused. But if she had . . . Wayne Janssen would not be on the top of my list of suspects.

When "What Kate Did" first aired during the 2005-2006 television season, I had also viewed an episode of "HOUSE" called (2.13) "Skin Deep". I noticed how Dr. Gregory House (portrayed by Hugh Laurie) had correctly guessed that a 15 year-old female patient, who happened to be a model, had sex with her father. How did House come to this conclusion? He had noticed the close relationship between the model and her father. He noticed how the former seemed overtly concerned with pleasing said father. This scene had also revived about memories from the 1995 movie, "DOLORES CLAIRBORNE". Based on Stephen King' 1992 novel, it told the story about a Maine woman who had murdered her husband in order to stop him from continuing his sexual abuse of their daughter. What I found interesting was that the daughter had over-idealized her abusive father. And he (in flashbacks) had over-idealized his mother, who I believe may have sexually abused him.

Both that particular episode of "HOUSE" and "DOLORES CLAIRBORNE" led me to suspect that if Kate had actually been sexually molested, I would have suspected her stepfather, Sergeant Sam Austen, of being the perpetrator. After all, Kate had expressed nothing but contempt for Wayne. Yet, she had a tendency to idealize Sergeant Austen. And in an odd way, she had this same tendency to idealize other men who probably reminded her of the Army sergeant - Tom Brennan, her husband Kevin Callis, and leader of the island castaways, Dr. Jack Shephard.

Below is a link to a web page that lists traits of those (especially adult women) who may have suffered sexual abuse as a child - Beyond Victim. Included on the web page is a small list of the following traits of victims of sexual abuse:

*You feel powerless in important relationships and are terrified of honest confrontations. Yet you try to control and manipulate other people.

*If you were sexually abused by your father, you also may have felt unconsciously empowered by him; you are his special girl and you can do and be whatever you choose (as long as you don't replace daddy with a new man in your life with whom you can be truly intimate). Your troubled relationships with men present a sharp contrast to other areas of your life.

*You over-idealize your father and fail to see his destructive side while seeing the negative side of your mother and ignoring her positive attributes. Consequently, you over-value and perceive men while devaluing and discounting women. Or . . . if you had been sexually abused by a woman parental figure, you may over-idealize your mother and see your father as totally bad. This was revealed in a single flashback scene from "DOLORES CLAIRBORNE".

I am not claiming that Kate had definitely been a victim of sexual abuse. Nearly seventeen years have passed since "What Kate Did" first aired and the producers of "LOST" have never supported the theory that she had. I do find it interesting that Kate's feelings toward Sam Austen had followed a pattern similar to those harbored by sexual abuse victims, toward their perpetrators - as described above. Yet, the series has never out-and-out conveyed that she had experienced any sexual abuse of any kind.

Despite Kate's soliloquy in "What Kate Did" and the lack of any evidence of her experiencing abuse, I find myself wondering why a certain number of fans still continue to believe that her father, Wayne Janssen had abused her. Perhaps they cannot accept that Kate's cold-blooded murder of Wayne had never been justified. And they could not deal with this, considering she had been the series' leading female character. Who knows?

"THE HORSE SOLDIERS" (1959) Photo Gallery

 

Below are images from the 1959 Civil War drama, "THE HORSE SOLDIERS", an adaptation of Harold Sinclair's 1956 novel. Directed by John Ford, the movie starred John Wayne and William Holden:



"THE HORSE SOLDIERS" (1959) Photo Gallery