Model Spies

by **Marion** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:57 pm

Does anyone know where the names of the Mysteronised fashion models - Gabrielle and Helga - came from? The names don't seem to be mentioned in the episode and while I can believe Gabrielle might be French, Helga's English sounds as clipped as Rhapsody's.

by **captain canary** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:49 pm

Maybe Helga's parents just really loved the name... OK, being serius, maybe one of Helga's parents was English, and the other was from Europe.

A friend of mine is half Italian and sounds more English than what I do, so it's possible, ain't it?

by **Marion** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:35 pm

Could well be... people get called all sorts of strange names

What I was actually meaning - and probably didn't express too well - was 'are the names Helga and Gabrielle canon, or fanon? When and where did they materialise as 'the names of the two model spies''?

I haven't been able to trace their origin and wondered if any one knew.

by **chrisbishop** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:04 pm

They're not fanon. That at least, I can tell you. I did see these names in some official material, though I can't recall which at the moment. Were they named in the episode, officially? I would have to watch it again.

Oh, suffering for the art...

by **Marion** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 7:48 am

I did watch it again a while ago, which is what prompted my question. I didn't hear the names used, although I am willing to believe I may have missed them. First time I can find reference to their names is in Chris Drake's book 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons', but as I don't have every source available on the show, I wondered if there was an earlier source that gave their names.
It isn't important; I was just interested to know.

by **Skybase Girl** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 12:28 pm

Captain Scarlet mentions Gabrielle by name in the episode, but I couldn't find any reference to Helga. It does point to the fact that both names were 'canon', though. Maybe a piece of dialoge naming Helga was deleted from the final script?

Although this is a little off topic, I realised that in the scene where Destiny and Symphony arrive in the Control Room to be briefed by Colonel White, there is a shot where Scarlet looks to be holding hands with Symphony :shock:

Can this be right? Am I seeing things?

Having watched this episode with interest for other things I'd never noticed before, I also thought that Scarlet seems to spend a lot of time with Symphony when Blue isn't around. That might be an interesting angle to explore in a fanfic! :angel)

by **captain canary** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:16 pm

I mentioned that to my proof reader, a while ago, about Captain Scarlet holding Symphony's hand, and she thinks that maybe Captain Scarlet was trying to distract Colonel White, from suspecting that Captain Blue loves Symphony. She put it better than that, though. Anyway, it's a thought, isn't it?

by **Marion** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:59 pm

I have a theory of my own about that which languishes in an unfinished ficlet.
It was was part of the evidence I considered as basis for the way I imagine the relationship between Blue & Symphony and which I use for my stories: basically, they fall out a lot - or she does with him - and when she's in an 'i'm not talking to you' mode, she is happy to flirt with Scarlet or Magenta (she's chatting to him at the 'Atlantica' party before Blue and Ochre get sent on their disasterous mission) in order to 'punish' him.
She virtually ignoes Blue for all of 'Model Spies' : holding hands on Cloudbase, hovering about Scarlet at the reception and smooching Verdain at the end - the hussy!
I wonder what he'd done that time to get the cold shoulder? :wink:

Well spotted, Skybase Girl, I hadn't noticed Scarlet using Gabrielle's name and I suspect you're right about the deleted dialogue naming Helga too.

by **captain canary** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 5:03 pm

I think Symphony's too nice, to be like that, Marion, personally, anyway. Maybe you're right, though, I can't read the mind of a puppet.

by **Captain Indigo** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 5:42 pm

That's perfectly in character for Marion's interpretation of Symphony. I've always liked the idea of Symphony being the bratty little sister of the group, personally.

by **captain canary** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 6:38 pm

I haven't read so many of the Fan Fictions, just yet, so I'll have to take your word for it, I guess. Maybe I should look at one of Marion's, next, for the kids's betime story. They really love the stories on here, better than the ones that I used to make up, as I went along.

by **Marion** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:08 pm

Most of mine are not suitable for Children's bedtime reading, although 'I just wanna be your Teddy Bear' is about as innocuous as I get and has pictures of the CUTE teddy bears Colonel Chris made.

I decided to make Symphony and Blue's relationship a bit wild as I decided that a little tension makes for better situations and gives a lot more scope for a story. If everyone is 100% nice all the time, that can be a little bit cloying - in my opinion. But there's nothing to say they were not all 100% wonderful 100% of the time, mine's just one take on the situation, as valid and as imperfect as everyone else's.

by **captain canary** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:46 pm

Thanks for the warning, Marion, I'll have to read them first, and decide what is, and isn't, OK for them to hear (oh, the hardships we mothers go through).

by **Marion** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 12:01 am

When my daughter was young (10+) - she was particularly fond of 'Rockabye Angel' written by Chris Bishop and me, which she found amusing, but it sounds like your children are much younger than that. It does have a low level of violence (according to the website rating) so you might get away with some editing if they're very young.

by **Marion** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 8:39 am

I knew I had this somewhere:

In 2007 we had a similar chat about Symph & Blue in 'Model Spy' and I posted:

Yes, I agree about 'Model Spy'. I reckon Symph and Blue have had a falling out just before that one started, as she hangs around Scarlet for most of the episode!

I have written a 'drabble' along those lines:

It hadn’t made sense: Scarlet got seasick – not him - why should he check the guest list for the evening’s party while they cruised Monte Carlo Bay?
It’d been Symphony’s idea; she was still mad at him.
Later, he was profoundly grateful Scarlet had gone; he’d saved the lives of everyone onboard.
Rushing to the marina after the explosion, all pretence of indifference forgotten; he’d enfolded Karen in his arms, so thankful she was safe he only remembered the others when she described Scarlet’s bravery. Ashamed, he apologised to his partner.
“C’est l’amour,” Paul replied, smiling understandingly at the lovers.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=981&p=10455#p10455

It seems that what goes round comes round :grin: