Destiny

by **Intensity Angel** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:13 am

I was just referring to the other Angels, Sweeps. Destiny is very much a central character, especially as she seems to be Scarlet's 'partner' for a while.

by **Sweeps** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 7:24 pm

I thought that's what you meant :wink:

Since Destiny is one of the main female characters you'd have thought that they would have used her first name more look they did with Green & Ochre

by **Intensity Angel** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:29 am

Yeah but that kinda throws the kids off. They'd wonder what to call her, and it kinda spoils the whole Angels thing going on.

by **Skybase Girl** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:35 am

I think that the fact that the colour-coded personnel use their given first names with each other and yet don't accord the same to the Angels, is a weakness in the series. "The Complete Captain Scarlet" tells us that in the original shooting script for "Skin Deep" ( an early episode), Scarlet calls Destiny by her real name, Simone. This was changed at the eleventh hour and we can only wonder at the reasons why.

Maybe it was thought that it would be too confusing for the kiddie-winkies to take on board. I can see that point of view, but to we adults, it's not very realistic.

Having said that, it was rare in the original series for first names to be used, and, as far as I am aware, the Angels' first names never were!

by **Sweeps** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:35 am

I agree with what you're saying there Skybase Girl, it would have been a bit too confusing for the younger audience to have Destiny on a first name basis but from our point of view it does make it less realistic...still I think it's good that they used the first names a lot more in this series

Skybase Girl wrote:.
Having said that, it was rare in the original series for first names to be used, and, as far as I am aware, the Angels' first names never were!

This is sort of explained has to why they aren't on first name terms in OCS episode Manhunt when Scarlet called Blue by his real name

"He can't get far....come on Adam!"
"You better not let the Colonel hear you call me that,"
"Yes sir Captain Blue!"
"S.I.G Captain Scarlet! Right, lets go get him!"

or maybe it was just a clever way for the writers to get out of it

still, I think that's the earliest example

by **Marion** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:56 am

Yes, it is.
Only Scarlet and Blue's first names are used in OCS - details about the others comes from the merchandising annuals/comics etc.

I think 'Model Spy' is the most obvious episode to use their real names. Scarlet introduces himself and Blue to Verdain :
'I'm Paul Metcalfe and this is Adam Svenson' and then immediately the two Angels are called Symphony and Destiny.
I have always found that odd - especially if their codenames are in common knowledge. They're not the kind of names anyone would chose by accident.

NCS doesn't seem to have the same problem with names and backgrounds - there is less emphasis on how secret Spectrum is. But I agree with Skybase Girl that not using Destiny's name - especially in the scene with Black & Scarlet trapped under the ice - is a weakness. It gives the impression that she is somehow of less importance to them, which isn't what you're supposed to be thinking, I'm sure. The story arc goes to great lengths to make it clear what the relationship between Conrad/Destiny/Paul is and was. So not using her given name is plain stupid and I'm sure the kids could have coped with it - they coped with the use of the male names, after all.

by **Intensity Angel** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:37 am

If you ask me the writer's decided not to use Destiny's real name because 'Destiny' sounds cooler than Simone. It makes the character seem larger than life, better than the male characters. It also defines the Destiny Angel as kids see her as something special.

Oh someone help me, my Godson has announced he has a crush on Destiny! - His first ever crush! *facepalm*

by **Sweeps** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:06 pm

Intensity Angel wrote:If you ask me the writer's decided not to use Destiny's real name because 'Destiny' sounds cooler than Simone. It makes the character seem larger than life, better than the male characters. It also defines the Destiny Angel as kids see her as something special.

I suppose Destiny puts up with being called Destiny as it doesn't sound bland like Blue or Green for example, that's quite formal but Destiny, I think, has also become her nickname as well as being her spectrum codename

by **Skybase Girl** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:16 pm

Picking up on Intensity's idea that the name "Destiny" is cooler and more appealing to modern kids than Simone would be; well, that's probably right, although where that leaves characters with given names as bland as Paul, Iain, Elaine and John ( as in NCS Indigo) is a bit puzzling.

I have always wondered why Destiny was given that name in either series, though. She is the only Angel whose code name doesn't have a musical connotation and there seems no obvious reason for this. After all, I'm sure they hadn't run out of musical terms that could have been used!

by **hazel** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:09 pm

Gerry once said in an interview that he hadn't been able to think of another music term that ended in 'y'. I suppose Threnody either didn't appeal to him, or didn't occur to him.

by **Sweeps** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:22 pm

Skybase Girl wrote:I have always wondered why Destiny was given that name in either series, though. She is the only Angel whose code name doesn't have a musical connotation and there seems no obvious reason for this. After all, I'm sure they hadn't run out of musical terms that could have been used!

I've thought ever since I've watched CS "didn't know Destiny was a musical term" since all the other angels are I just assumed Destiny was as well :roll:

by **chrisbishop** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:30 pm

The Japanese translation of the original series corrected that problem with her name not being a musical one, by calling Destiny "Concerto" instead.

Now those of you who often browse around eBay, and came upon the Vivid Destiny Angel figure, you know why the description or the name was so often "Concerto Angel".

Captain Yellow, a member of our forum, provided me with information regarding the Japanese names that is quite interesting:

http://www.spectrum-headquarters.com/japanese_names.htm

by **Marion** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:57 pm

In the case of NCS Destiny (affectionately known as 'Dismal' to some of us) how about 'Cacophony'? :angel)

by **Skybase Girl** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 9:29 pm

Chris - the Japanese thing is so interesting, not so much because they renamed Destiny "Concerto", but that they renamed Rhapsody "Fantasy" ! Where does that come from?

And while I like the musical term "Carol", where on earth do they get "Sally" from? Neither Sally or Fantasy are musical terms either. Maybe the Japanese lost the plot, too.

As for "Cacophony", Marion, full marks for ingenuity, but for those of us who know and love her deeply, it seems unduly harsh.... :roll:

by **Intensity Angel** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:18 pm

Anyone know how to get rid of a Destiny crush? I'm fast running out of ideas.

Maybe there is some sort of rule prohibiting the use of the Angels first names, a rule that applies only to the Angels.

OR

It could be that because we see so little of the other Angels that Gerry didn't see it needed for them to call each other by their first names and Destiny is called Destiny all the time for the sake of continunity.