Does Colonel White suffer from mood swings?

[Marion]

Well said, Sage.
Research is essential if you are going to write about something you don't already know.
It doesn't have to be to degree level, but it does have to be - as far as you can tell - the truth; at least, where it impacts on your story. Example: I know nothing about physics, but I did some searching of Google and Wickipedia and found out enough about Terahertz to make my plot sound plausible (at least, I hope so - and no one came back and SAID it was wrong!)
The CS universe is a broad canvas - we know so very little about much of it that there is nothing to stop anyone doing anything IF they can make a plausible case for it. It won't always be agreed with, (will it, Sage? ) but anything that is well written and cogently plotted will at least get a hearing.
Asking variations on the same question will not get you the answer you seem to want, Intensity, if the general concensus is that the liklihood is the exact opposite.
If you have an idea for a story, all well and good, you should write it and submit it - as we all do. If not, I suggest you do the research and make you own decision about Colonel White's moods - then bring your reasoning to the forum and argue your point.

[Sage]

Thank you, I did hope it would come across OK.

Being set in the future CS does allow wriggle room and conjecture in some areas; but equally there are certain things which aren't going to change in 60 years, and mental health would be the latter.

Obviously it's on a sliding scale, and matter of personal taste, as to how much research you do and that ends up with in the finished product. You really don't need to include every single detail that would be tedious reading (for all my love of research I struggle though exposition). But suitable information well placed in the narrative can make the world of diffrence to your story. Which is where the betas come in once you've got it all written.

Of course not everyone will agree on everything, which yes I do know lol. This is a wonderful fandom in that it's very suppourtive and drama free. So if there's a generally consensus* then you can trust it as an insight.

I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from writing, and I don't think there are many basic ideas that outright couldn't work at all. It just takes some knowledge and skill to fine tune it.

*for factual stuff anyway. Obviously there's a diffrence between 'y'know I just don't see X as gay' and 'this defies the laws of physics'.

[Intensity Angel]

Maybe in the near future I will go ahead with the idea, however, I'm into marine biology, not human biology, and nothing will change the fact that I'm currently up to my neck in shark books.

Sage the information was brilliant, and I thank you for putting me right, and now I'm annoyed at myself, I need to do more homework!!

[Parker Gabriel]

I was thinking, if Colonel White did suffer with mood swings, could it be a tragic event that caused them? Could something, like losing someone on a mission, be enough? In a couple of episodes we see him flip. In "White As Snow," White goes furious at Scarlet, but could underneath that anger be concern?

In fan fiction, some people write about White losing his wife, would that be enough to cause him to have mood swings?

Has anyone written a fan fiction about Colonel White suffering mood swings before? And what could Colonel White do about them, other than yes, see Dr Fawn?

Another point about "White As Snow" that I didn't read: Captain Scarlet might have been violating orders that COULD have been illegal, because they would then have left the Spectrum Organization leaderless. I don't know if, or where if so, I mentioned this point before, but it is worth considering all the same.

[Marion]

Another point about "White As Snow" that I didn't read: Captain Scarlet might have been violating orders that COULD have been illegal, because they would then have left the Spectrum Organization leaderless. I don't know if, or where if so, I mentioned this point before, but it is worth considering all the same.

I am not sure I follow your reasoning. White leaves Blue in charge of Cloudbase, (and presumably Spectrum, as the base is the HQ) Scarlet having refused the post.
Scarlet goes after White to save him, but if he had failed - and been (permanently) killed himself - Blue would still have been in command... until the World President appointed someone else, or confirmed him into the post - wouldn't he? The person who was appointed would not necessarily have been Scarlet, especially after his failure to obey direct orders and given that he had (once) tried to kill the WP...
At no point did White leave Spectrum/Cloudbase 'leaderless'.

[Sage]

That's a very good point, White is experienced and professional, he isn't going to leave stuff like that to chance. After all it was made clear in the episode itself that Scarlet was the first to be considered as acting commander, but that when he refused it automatically went to Blue. So they probably have a detailed contingency plan for all manner of scenarios to that end.

Marion's theory does seem likely; and yes it wouldn't be unlikely for the World President to have some reservations about Scarlet running the show. For fanfic that's all quite interesting really; considering how it would pan out, the heirarchy of sorts, and how much influence the World President would really have.

[Elentari]

It's interesting that Blue (having been in charge during the Colonel's absence) would be a logical choice to assume command. I guess because the GA world had to be kept fairly simple, none of his various 'world organisations' (with the exception of a vice prez according to TV21) have clear second-in-command personnel - unlike in the real military.

I wonder how much influence the WP would have in appointing a successor? If is was just a matter of being CO of Cloudbase, that position could be decided within Spectrum, but boss of the whole organisation is something else! I would think it would be a part-Spectrum, part-political input matter.

Mind you, having rescued one WP at least, Blue should still be odds on for the job!

[Intensity Angel]

He seems alogical choice. In my eyes, there is a better chance of him getting the job than the likes of Agent Conners. Sorry if you're offended Chris.

Besides wouldn't Colonel White recommend an officer?

[Sage]

You're right, I don't think Conners would be an option. His specialisation is in Intelligence, and not , and so to me it seems he doesn't have the necessary training for the task.
So yes he probably would recommend a captain. In their respective fields have shown themselves capable of high level leadership, have inside knowledge of spectrum, and he can trust them.

My personal theory is Grey will be White's sucessor ... Magenta I think people would still be wary of [nor would he want it], Ochre rejected a desk job like that before, Scarlet with his abilities would remain in the field, and in my personal canon Blue has a young family so Grey seems a better candidate.

Really though, it's wide open and you could argue anyone's case.

[Marion]

Sage said:

in my personal canon Blue has a young family so Grey seems a better candidate

Wouldn't the fact that he had a young family rather recommend him for the job? The C-in-C doesn't do the more dangerous field missions, for a start, so the young family would be rather less likely to end up fatherless..
Unless you mean he'd have to resign or be transferred to a ground based desk job?

[Sage]

I was thinking more that being the boss you'd have to be living on base, which isn't really the place for children, and vey focused on the task. White does in canon seem to have a very solitary life, bless him.
You do raise a good point though, and either way at some point they'd have to scale back their field work with age anyway. So who knows.

[Skybase Girl]

i've gone back to the beginning of this thread and I think from the responses given, that maybe the question shouldn't have bben asked. Colonel White is a human being, with the usual faults and foibles. He's also a total professional in an extremely pressurised job.

He's not perfect, no-one would be. I'm sure the stresses of home and work do not always balance out as they should - however, I doubt if he would have got the job if his susceptability to "mood swings" had been an issue.

I am, of course, thinking that in another fifty or sixty years, selection for such important jobs will be based on ability and commonsense, unlike the criteria applied today !

[LadyP]

One has noticed that gentlemen of - shall we say - more mature years, can sometimes display a tendency to... well, 'gruffness' is the politest way I can express it.
That does not mean they are suffering from anything more than exasperation with the younger generation - except, perhaps occasionally, dyspepsia?
I have always found Colonel White to be the epitome of gentility and good manners.

[Carrie]

I think you've hit the nail on the head, Lady P!