Re: flagship commanders (was Re: "admirals" or "generals")

Michael Renjie Tom (renjie@uclink2.berkeley.edu)
Wed, 23 Oct 1996 00:17:40 -0700 (PDT)

Mein freund,
me thinks that the reason for Reinhard's flippant character in the
original movie was because it was just that. It was the original movie.
The pilot. I'm not certain whether or not the first season was underway
already but I think that the movie was just a sort of showcase in homage
to Tanaka's novel. Why else would there be Kurt and whats his bucket
looking at some dumb radar screen and yet not appear in a single episode
there after. Annerose isn't even in the movie thus can't really be a real
motivation and Reinhard would seem kinda wussy if he just backed down and
let himself be a hostage in the first episode. Showcased lots of
characters that may have been somewhat significant in the novel but did
little with them save for a few cute scenes. Oberstein was just religated
to reading a report. If they really were expecting to go on with the
series, me thinks it wouldn't be that important to showcase him in the
pilot right? They're probably just working out all the quirks.
Sorta like the Simpsons where in the first season, selma and patty has
strange color hair, Chief Wiggum has black hair, Smithers is dark skinned,
and Moe is really ugly. Homer was a whiney, meanspirited, tub of schiza
until the third season when he becomes the so stupid he's funny character.
mike

On Tue, 22 Oct 1996, Wayne H. Yin wrote:

> hey walter,
>
> > There is however one counterexample I can think of to the discussion you
> > outline below. In the first movie, when Yang's ship flies up underneath
> > the Brunhild in order to stop the fighting, Reinhard gets angry and
> > shouts "Kircheis! We can't give up this victory just for my life and
> > this ship! Attack!", Whereupon Steinmetz, captain of the Brunhild,
> > stands up and says "Excellency, you are in command of the fleet but I am
> > captain of this ship!"
> >
> actually, i think this instance is something of an anomaly. no doubt,
> it took a lot of balls for steinmetz to stand his ground to reinhard,
> something that reinhard probably picked him for anyway to command his
> flagship Brunhild.
>
> when you think about it, every other flagship commander meekly allows
> the admiral to give orders despite it being tantamount to suicide, and is
> rewarded by being blown up. erlache comes to mind.
>
> imagine if instead of reinhard, steinmetz had stood up to mittermeyer.
> personally, i think that mittermeyer might have had him shot on the spot!
> relieved of command of the Beowolf, at least. how about meckenberger? i
> don't think so!
>
> yeah, walter, this whole thing is anomalous WRT the rest of the series.
>
> --
> Wayne H. Yin
> why@mail.utexas.edu
>
>
>