Servalan
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Servalan |
| Occupation: | |
| Relationships: | |
| Fandom: | Blake's 7 |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Servalan is one of the twelve major characters in Blake's 7. She is portrayed by Jacqueline Pearce.
In 1992, a fan poll put her popularity among non-crew members at 41.3% [1]
Very Brief Canon Description
Pairings and Ships
- Avon/Servalan
- Jenna/Servalan
- Servalan/Kasabi
Servalan in Cosplay
David Walsh was a fan who attended many cons "as Servalan" -- see Redemption (convention)/1999 Con Reports, Redemption (convention)/2001 Con Reports, Who's 7 1994, and others. Some photos are here.
Fanworks
Fanart Gallery
from Southern Seven #3 (1988), artist is Laura Virgil
from Southern Seven #3 (1988), artist is Leah Rosenthal
from Down and Unsafe #4
from Southern Seven #6 (1991), artist is "Picasso"
from Strategies
The cover of Straight Blake's 3 depicts the kiss in 'Aftermath' (art by Karen River)
from Gambit #5
from Orbit #2
Internal art from A Companion for My Death, art by Gayle F
Internal art from Trust, Like the Soul (depicting a bodyswapped Cally in Avon's body and Servalan), art by Gayle F
from Southern Seven #7 (1992), artist is Laura Virgil
Humorous take on the ending of the series from Destiny by Melody Rondeau
List of Servalan-centric Zines
- The Gilbert and Servalan Song Book (despite the title, probably has the usual amount of Servalan content)
Fanfiction
- Leadership Secrets of Commissioner Sleer by Lexa Reiss in Ten-Credit Touch
- Reflections by Nicola Mody ("Servalan encounters advanced technology.")
- Awake and Find No by Ika in TTBA (the author commented: "I wrote it as Servalan angst (an under-represented genre) for a Servalanophile friend's birthday.") [2]
- Servalan on Sarran by sallymn ("What if Servalan had not been rescued from that planet?")
- Painted Smiles by thisbluespirit ("Five times Servalan smiled and someone died.")
- Morass (Wayback link), Wanderjahr and Nights in White Satin by executrix (PWB Blake/Servalan fics)
- Stunned by Love by Nicola Mody, a rare Servalan redemption story (Avon/Servalan pairing)
- The Fall of Central by Bryn Lantry (Jenna/Servalan fic with a prominent role for Servalan)
Meta
- B7 & camping it up by Lindley (1996)
- Servalan's Federation
Fanvids
- Crimson and Crystal (Julia Ecklar) by Cybel Harper
- High Flying Adored - Evita by Mary Van Deusen
- Wild Women Don't Have the Blues
Fan Reactions
1993
1995
I am fairly certain that Servalan is straight. There are virtually no men in the series whom she met, except Travis, who she did not try (and usually succeed) in manipulating with her sexual attractiveness. (She didn't succeed with either Avon or Vila...) But she never tries this with women. Either (as Barbara once suggested in the Federation Archives/Lost Seska) because she has a higher opinion of women, or because she can't. I
think, in order to successfully manipulate, it is necessary to be prepared on some level to follow through - in other words, an exclusively straight woman who was also experienced in sexual manipulation would not try it out on other women. [4]
1996
Servalan - we have camp again! Camp is _not_ a male prerogative. Wimmin - particularly but not exclusively lesbians - can camp it up in two major ways. One, obviously, is butch. The other is to exaggerate femininity and trad female glamour out of all proportion. Madonna is one of the most famous proponents of both methods. This is definitely what Servalan, with those gorgeous clothes and stiletto sandals, does. The point is, she breaks female stereotypes right left and centre. BUT her clothes are stereotypical enough to climb into the realm of satire. It's a self-referring double play on the constructed nature of femininity, if you like (witness the crew-cut).
Servalan being camp doesn't necessarily mean she's gay. It _does_ mean she's readily and delightfully available for lesbian appropriation. I do tend to assume she's bi because of "Pressure Point.". She seemed to feel a little too intensely about Kasabi for someone who merely disapproved of traitors. After all, Servalan wasn't overwhelmingly devoted to duty herself. Her reaction seemed - well, personal. Not just student-mentor personal either - more like rejected lover personal. Kasabi's spoiled-brat cracks seemed to _hurt_. And what was she intending to do with that pretty little girl, anyway? What exactly did Jenna walk in on? [5]
2014
The most fascinating aspect of her character for me was the personal issues she had. I could never work out when she was genuinely feeling or if it was but a show for an otherwise cold ruthless dictator that would stop at nothing in her eternal quest for power.[6]
IMO the wonder and bravery of the Servalan character, other than her largely gender neutral construction, was the banality of her evil. Servalan as created was a military politician to her painted nails. Corrupt as the world she inhabited, distanced from the people she had power over and one who no doubted justified the means by the ends. She would have be less scary if she had been less real, more sadistic and like the more exagerated fan fic views of her. I dont think she had any 'personal issues' at all, and I think she probably believed in the Federation as much as she was capable of beleiving in anything. One of her great strengths was the no excuses were ever made for her (other than the terrible Sand).Wonderful creation. [7]
Other Resources
- All known A/S fics in zines, listed on Hermit
References
- ^ Let Me Count The Ways The World Ends
- ^ from a review by Ika at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site/WebCite
- ^ From Pairings in B7 songvids
- ^ from Strange Bedfellows (APA) #8
- ^ from the 1996 essay by Lindley called B7 & camping it up
- ^ Comment by Spaceresearcher in the discussion of Servalan on the Horizon forum, 18 February 2014
- ^ Comment by peladon in the discussion of Servalan on the Horizon forum, 21 February 2014