The Science Fiction Emmys: Best series at portraying LGBT characters

I thought, in addition to my series on post-colonialism in sci-fi, I'd conduct a sci-fi Emmy series. So, I decided to start with an easy Emmy: Best LGBT characterization. Does anyone really even need to guess here? It's Captain Jack, from Torchwood, of course! Captain Jack is one of my favorite characters in all of science fiction. I don't understand how anyone, even the most homophobic bigot, could hate old Jack. His one liners recall Kerr Avon, he has the charisma of Paul Darrow as well, and he is an LGBT-advocates dream for positive science fiction depictions. Indeed, my only problem with Captain Jack's characterization is that it is so well done that it's almost too easy to like him. He's in some sense, a safe LGBT character, not a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" drag queen with a heart of gold. But I think it's important to realize that until the new Doctor Who and Torchwood brought in LGBT characters into the realm of sci-fi, LGBT characters were still in the closet. I think, unfortunately, they still are to a large extent in American sci-fi. While homoerotic subtexts could be found in British sci-fi as far back as Blake and Avon, those same subtexts are fairly rare in American science fiction. If I could nominate an honorable mention, it would definitely be Babylon 5, which quietly promoted a very sincere pro-gay reading of modern science fiction. I've heard that Dark Angel, DS9, and perhaps Dollhouse have also attempted this, but the recent controversy over the American adaption of Torchwood (since fortuitously canceled) shows that we have a long way to go.

The Political Wisdom of Kerr Avon

"I am not expendable, I'm not stupid and I'm not going."


Avon: [about the Rebellion's new figurehead] He is strongly identified with rebels, you see, and very popular with rabbles. They will follow him, and he will fight to the last drop of *their* blood. Idealism is a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use

Kerr Avon: Show me someone who believes in anything and I will show you a fool

Kerr Avon: I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care, or, indeed, why it should be necessary to prove it at all.

Kerr Avon is the ultimate in nihilistic pessimism. Unlike the loving Mr. Spock, who is never far from hugging Kirk and company, Avon is prone to kill the one's he loves. He kills his best friend, one of the heroes of the series, kills his lover, is willing to be a drugpusher to further the terrorist cause, and nearly kills another friend in order to save himself from crash-landing on a planet. And he's the hero - the villains are worse. Blake's 7 is the only science fiction series I've seen that really takes its pessimistic statements about human nature seriously. Avon does not believe in idealism, and takes his relativistic ethics to their logical conclusions, routinely threatening to kill his friends, his enemies, and even small cuddly aliens. Avon doesn't believe in idealism and the producers of Blake's 7, particularly in the last season continually reinforced the series's notion that rebellion against authority is ultimately futile, because the government is all powerful. This is a depressing message, and Kerr Avon a tragic messenger, but Blake's 7 is unique in how honest it is with its viewers. It tells us "We're fools. We are the mess. We are what's wrong with the world." And for that, this series deserves to be remembered as some of the best science fiction ever to grace the small screen.