Entitlement commentary for poisontaster

[jebbypal]

poisontaster actually asked for two (and since she's so good to me with metacrack, two she'll get) and this is the shorter of the two.


If you followed [Bad username or site: serenitysummer” @ livejournal.com] before the movie started, you know I was one of the ones that got to do secondary characters. And as far as secondary characters go, Rance Burgess is a much maligned one. A lot of fans HATE Heart of Gold and feel that his character is simply a caricature and the entire episode full of too many tropes and weak writing. Be that as it may, I loved the episode…maybe because of the fact that it was like Big Valley or Bonanza in space.

And Rance, granted, he’s a bit over the top. But the writers were following directions from Fox and if you look a little deeper, I think he’s very true to life with what you can find in the real world. As Mal said in the episode: “Nothing worse than a monster who
thinks he's right with God.” That was basically my starting point as that is exactly what Rance is. Except, in his own mind, he’s not a monster. In fact, in his mind, he’s almost a hero. A husband willing to go to the edges of morality to produce for his wife what they couldn’t make together. And so begins my story:

The doctor's pronouncement stuns him. It takes a second for him to even look at Belinda. Her reaction is much the same as his. Who would have thought that the day would come when there was something that he couldn't give her?
--Rance is a man defined by his titles and roles. A husband’s role is to give his wife a child, to produce a heir.

"You're certain?" he asks. "If we go to the Core, to another specialist?"

The doctor shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Burgess. I know that you and your wife had hoped, but it's not to be. There is no medical procedure that will aid you, Mrs. Burgess, in ever conceiving a child. I would like to give you both a referral to several excellent counselors. Rash actions after news of this magnitude shouldn't be made."

His very being aches as he takes in the loss on his wife's face. Really, she asks for so little, it hurts him to the core to not be able to give her this one thing. Unjust, that such a perfect woman will never get to nourish and protect new life. To protect his heir.
--I thought it was interesting that Rance didn’t simply set aside Belinda or take another wife. Rather, he held onto his morality and determined to give her a child in another way. He doesn’t blame his wife, rather he blames the world. And if the viewer makes that connection, Rance suddenly becomes a little more human and a little less monster.

Their transport ride home is long and painful. Their hope has been extinguished and the future was in doubt. But once they enter their mansion, his wife's energy returns.

"Wipe that pity off your face, Rance. It doesn't become you. We'll have a child, we'll have a child. We're entitled to one," Belinda says.
--In the show, Belinda isn’t shown to be cowed despite the fact that she is accepting of her position. In fact, I wish she’d been given more screen time, because the scenes she was in were enlightening. I have a feeling that something very similar to this is plausible and that Belinda may have been one of the driving forces behind many of her husband’s ventures. They are two peas in a pod and made for each other.

Her continued belief in him is a balm. He takes her in his arms. "You're right, of course."

---

His days are filled with one pursuit alone, to have a child that they can raise together. Once he's home and surrounded once more by his power, Rance wonders how he could have ever doubted it. He recalls his favorite proverb, "God helps those who help themselves." Belinda will never conceive a child, but there is nothing stopping him.
--And after being shaken out of his pity by his wife, Rance returns to his morality to justify what he does. Because that same morality would condemn him for visiting a whore. But since he’s “helping himself”, it’s okay.

Once he's regained his purpose, the only thing left is to form a plan. Cheating on Belinda is distasteful and would be messy. Any mistress would see the fruit of his loins as a way to manipulate him. Rance won't be manipulated by anyone. Setting Belinda aside is also out of the question. They are husband and wife, for better and worse. This might be worse, but he'll see to it that it gets better soon.
--I never considered letting Rance think about adoption. He and his wife don’t seem the type that would be able to raise another’s child as their own.

Then again, there are plenty on his planet that are offensive in the eyes of God. More than one den of iniquity ekes out a meager living on those with less self control than him. He discourages whoring among his men. Conceiving a heir with a whore also carries risks to the child. It's bad enough that Belinda has been cursed with a barren womb, he won't torture her with the prospect of damaged goods.
--Taking a mistress would have caused complications, and Rance is a man who abhors complications. But conceiving his wanted child with someone who is offensive to God, is also offensive to him. Except to Rance, a whore has no rights either. The question is, can he find one whose progeny will be acceptable?

Even among those who sell themselves, there can be found a higher class of individual. One of his friends reminds him of the Heart of Gold. The man is upset that he's been band from the establishment by the house madam over a small amount of damage that he did to one of the whores.

"Tell me about this woman," Rance orders.

"Nandi. She took over for Big Red a while back. Come to think of it, I don't know what happened to Red exactly," the man says. Rance waves him on when the boy's attention wanders. "Oh, right. Well, she's got some strange notions that her lot have rights. That we're to treat her employees with respect. What a load of crap, right?"
--I don’t think “Companions” would be understood on the moon that Nandi has chosen to live on and the simple men that we see in the show don’t seem to understand entirely her method either. But reminding a simple “whore” of her place would be attractive to Rance.

Rance nods and considers. He's never had to buy sex before. He courted his wife properly, considered the match to be beneficial. In a perfect world, he wouldn't have to. The 'Verse isn't perfect though, otherwise Belinda would be able to carry his child. He might not get his heir the way he wants, but Rance is entitled to a child of his own blood. And if God is generous, it will be a son.
--Rance has moved beyond blaming the world (and God), but he still feels he’s owed (entitled) to something from his God and the world. Which is what freaks Mal out so much

Rance might just have to pay the Heart of Gold a visit.

---

"Well, if it ain't Rance Burgess. Didn't really think that you trucked with our lot," the woman says as she meets him at the door. She's a tad older than the rest and has an air of authority, but she's still a beauty.

"Miss Nandi, I presume," Rance says with a bow. At her nod, he continues. "It's true, I don't generally approve of my men visiting establishments like yours. But merely out of a concern for their families, I assure you. I hate to see men waste money that should be going to better their children."

Nandi continues to block his entrance into her establishment. "That so. I heard it's been two months since your wife left you. My condolences."

He bristles at her insinuation. "You're mistaken. She's been called away to care for her younger sister. A child-birthing gone wrong and the poor girl is beside herself. But it's true, I've been lonely."
--Rance is willing to play a masquerade to get what he wants, but he won’t let someone as low as Nandi diminish him or his wife.

Nandi's eyes squint and her mouth curls up in a smirk, but she backs away from the door. "Loneliness we understand. Course, I got rules too. One of mine says stop or doesn't agree with something, you respect their wishes. Dong ma?"
--I think Nandi would have liked to refused Rance from entering, but given that he pretty much runs the moon, she didn’t really have any choice. But that wouldn’t have stopped her from laying down the law, I think.

"Perfectly," Rance replies.

---

After that, it's simply a matter of performing his duty. Petaline is the most appealing of the girls and of the cleanest stock from what he can tell. She's also incredibly easy to impress. A few gifts here and there, giving her all of his business, it doesn't take long.
--Of course, Rance is concerned with quality. He probably also instructed his men to NOT use Petaline to maximize the chances the kid is his, but I didn’t feel it needed to be put in words.

Of course, for his plan to work, he has to have someone on the inside. His second-in-command, Paul, is only too eager to take care of that matter for him. It takes three months, but soon his plan comes to fruition.
--Have to know when the plan succeeded, so enters Chari.

"Just saw Chari, boss. Your girl missed last month and this month. Morning sickness has come too," Paul reports.

Finally. It's been a trial, these past few months. Rance can't wait until Belinda arrives home. They'll still need to consult with the doc to see when the safest time for the paternity test is. Rance doesn't plan on raising another man's child, after all.

"Good work, Paul. Be sure she keeps a close eye on my Petaline. I won't have that whore doing anything to my child," Rance orders as he goes to give his wife the good news.
--And it is his child to the way that Rance thinks.

And that was it. Of course, remember, this was all from Rance’s POV, and in NO WAY my own opinion of any of the matters discussed. Well, any of my friends would have known that simply through my willingness to use bible verses and the big g. Anyways, that’s Entitlement and how it came to be. The hardest part was capturing Rance’s voice without making him too sappy or easy going.