Narcissa (Beauty and the Beast)

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Character
Name: Narcissa
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Fandom: Beauty and the Beast (TV)
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Narcissa is a Beauty and the Beast (TV) character.

She is elderly and is nearly blind; her eyes in fanart are shown to be clouded. She is a skilled magician, fortune-teller, and resident psychic in the community Below. Narcissa and offers advice in the form of epigrams and riddles. Her character functions to give guidance, to bring down lightning, to be wise, to babysit children, to offer up magic, and to intervene so that true love prevails for Catherine Chandler and Vincent Wells.

Some fans find her character to be a stereotype, mainly that of the "Magical Black Woman." [1]

From a description of the zine, Tales from the Tapestry #1 (1990):

This ADULT fanzine follows the first few months of their marriage, how Catherine adapts to her new life, how Joe takes the news, and how Elliot fits into her marriage and life. There are dangers at work Above, and Narcissa is working a Great Magic Below that at will take them "Through the Crystal.

In the Beauty and the Beast (TV) cookbook, Recipes from Above & Below, this character's recipe offering is "Narcissa's Magic," a recipe for meatloaf.

Narcissa and Christianity

From a fan in 1989:

Ever since I started watching B&B, I've always thought of the Tunnels and its people (along with Vincent) as being very Christian. That is basically why I was hooked on the show so easily, and why it is really totally different from anything else on television. The Tunnel world is not a Utopia. Father and his people argue ("Fever", "Outsiders"), they have sickness and death ("Ashes, Ashes"). They are a family, help each other, work together, accept people no matter what or who they are (Vincent, Lena, the Russian dude) the children aren't smart aleck brats who demand their own way; they are taught fairness and gentleness. They try to avoid violence and have peace ("Outsiders").

I believe Father is a Christian and it warms my heart to hear him and Vincent talk about prayer, as in "A Happy life." I would love to see Vincent on his knees praying for Catherine's safety. Also, if we get back on the air by Christmas, if Narcissa's voodoo spell comes through for us, I really, really want to see Vincent reading the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible in the Christmas episode. This would make up for not having a Halloween episode this year again! [2]

In 1991, Narcissa was deemed not family-friendly and not Christian enough during the Beauty and the Beast and The Family Channel Controversies:

Moving on to more mundane matters, I am personally getting a bit fed up with the Family Channel's editing/censoring/butchering of B&B. I realise that the official reason for the deletions is to make room for more commercials. I do not like that, but I could tolerate it if that was all that it was. But it is quite obvious to me that specific scenes (and entire episodes!) are being eliminated because they are "unsuitable" for family viewing (as defined by Pat Robertson, no doubt!).

Two explicit bed scenes (in "Temptation" and "A Fair and Perfect Knight") were deleted entirely. Mild expletives like "damn" and "hell" were edited out.

But the worst offensive act (in my mind) has been the censoring of scenes and episodes which touch upon non-Christian themes. The Family Channel has apparently chosen to skip "Dark Spirit" (dealing with voodoo) and "When the Bluebird Sings" (dealing with a ghost) and they cut out Narcissa's prediction of Winslow's death in "To Reign in Hell". I know many B&B fans are Christians (I'm not, myself) but I think most of you would agree with Hamlet that "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." The Family Channel is deliberately suppressing ideas, just like the preacher on "WKRP" who wanted to ban John Lennon's "Imagine". I urge all of you to write to the Family Channel and make them aware of your disapproval.[3]

Sample Fiction

  • Dreams by R.C. Prince ("Concerned more and more each day over Vincent's attachment to Catherine, Father seeks out the help of Narcissus in breaking the unearthly hold on his son.") -- from A Secret Place #1 (1989)
  • Lovequest by Shenandoah West ("With Narcissa's help, Vincent travels to the Land of the Dead to retrieve Catherine, meeting famous historical figures and people from his past along the way.") (1990)
  • Walk Slowly, Love Softly by Alice Baltes ("Catherine's ghost clings to Vincent, watching all he must endure to rescue their child, but once little Jacob is back, Vincent is still grieving for her. Narcissa claims to know a way of bringing Catherine back. Dare Vincent hope?") - from The Shadow Knight #2 (1991)
  • Shadows of the Heart by Gloria Handley ("Diana, Narcissa, young Eric, a letter and a return trip to the catacombs are all instrumental in helping Vincent discover the truth behind the terrors still haunting him about what happened there.") - from Flame and Shadow #2 (1991)
  • “To Follow Your Dreams” by Sandra Orr (... V rescues C from Gabriel's skyscraper (which is then destroyed by divine lightning, thanks to Narcissa's intervention! [4]}}
  • Time and Time Again by Ann Brown ("An AU story in which Catherine dreams herself a nun in a convent, without Vincent, but always yearning for him. Narcissa comes with some revelations.") - from Pieces of Eternity (1997)

Sample Fanart

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

2016

References

  1. ^ from Revisiting the 1987 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST TV series (spoilers) (2015)
  2. ^ from Passages #18 (1989)
  3. ^ Once Upon a Time... Is Now #30 (March 1991)
  4. ^ from Helpers' Network Quality Fanzine Review -- 1997, Archived version (1993)
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