Why I like Belasz
Belasz is the second in command of Ice World, Kane's Captain of the Guard. Unlike Kane, who is Affably Evil (despite being Cold as Ice and Willing to Sacrifice Your Love), Belasz is no-nonsense. She's good at her job and takes justifiable pride in her work. She knows what she wants and knows how to get it.
In tvtropes terms, Belasz is the Dragon to Kane's Big Bad - by contrast to the titular dragon, which is the McGuffin. She is unabashedly a villain, cold and cruel, and, more importantly, systematically opposing our heroes (and Zoidberg Glitz) in their endeavors. And that's the big thing - Belasz is a villain primarily by virtue of opposing our heroes. Nobody on Ice World is actually a good person, except possibly Stella Destroyer of Worlds (aka little Starin' Kid) but Belasz is about the only persona actually doing her job. She's the only one to respond to the increasingly polite distress calls, for instance, though it is Ace who actually takes care of the problem. She also takes an awful lot of joy out of harassing Sabalom Glitz. Since Glitz always and eternally has it coming, this is really very delightful, even if it does orient her against our heroes. It's not villainy, it's her job, and she's both morally and ethically in the right doing it.
What Belasz crucially lacks is her freedom. Like everyone on Ice World, Kane owns her, body and soul. And the thing is, it seemed like a good deal at the time. She was sixteen - Kane offered her a place to belong and a job to do. Nor was she precisely swindled. She has an excellent career, one that she is extremely good at, power, authority, respect - everything but the power to leave. Belasz got exactly what she bargained for - but, as the Doctor asks: "Was it worth it? Were you worth it?" That question is the only thing in the episode that manages to crack her tough exterior. And Belasz's story is rendered all the more disturbing because it could so easily have been Ace's story as well. Sixteen, alone, unloved, Ace is offered the same deal. And Belasz is a living example of the cost of accepting it.
Just as Belasz is Ace's future, so in a way is Ace Belasz's future. As she says (about Kane) "he'll find someone younger and then he'll kill us." Ace is that someone younger. At 32, Belasz's life is over, just when she should be at the height of her potential. Her desperation is palpable and all too real. She makes such a compelling character because everything she does makes sense, even turning on Kane. She pins all her hopes on the Nosferatu, Glitz's ship - going first through legitimate means, then subterfuge, then outright assassination attempts. And the thing is, we really do want her to succeed, villain or no.
You guys know what a sucker I am for anti-parallels to the Doctor-Companion relationship, and Belasz and Kane do sort of have that. And in particular Belasz is a direct foil for Ace (and yet in no way Ace's Girl of the Week - in this episode that role is played by Mel). She makes an excellent villain (and totally non-sexualized what's more), and a fabulous loose cannon. And her story is ultimately a tragic one, far more so than, say, Kane's. I blame the fact that she doesn't get more obvious love from the fandom on the fact that her name is frickin hard to spell.
In tvtropes terms, Belasz is the Dragon to Kane's Big Bad - by contrast to the titular dragon, which is the McGuffin. She is unabashedly a villain, cold and cruel, and, more importantly, systematically opposing our heroes (and Zoidberg Glitz) in their endeavors. And that's the big thing - Belasz is a villain primarily by virtue of opposing our heroes. Nobody on Ice World is actually a good person, except possibly Stella Destroyer of Worlds (aka little Starin' Kid) but Belasz is about the only persona actually doing her job. She's the only one to respond to the increasingly polite distress calls, for instance, though it is Ace who actually takes care of the problem. She also takes an awful lot of joy out of harassing Sabalom Glitz. Since Glitz always and eternally has it coming, this is really very delightful, even if it does orient her against our heroes. It's not villainy, it's her job, and she's both morally and ethically in the right doing it.
What Belasz crucially lacks is her freedom. Like everyone on Ice World, Kane owns her, body and soul. And the thing is, it seemed like a good deal at the time. She was sixteen - Kane offered her a place to belong and a job to do. Nor was she precisely swindled. She has an excellent career, one that she is extremely good at, power, authority, respect - everything but the power to leave. Belasz got exactly what she bargained for - but, as the Doctor asks: "Was it worth it? Were you worth it?" That question is the only thing in the episode that manages to crack her tough exterior. And Belasz's story is rendered all the more disturbing because it could so easily have been Ace's story as well. Sixteen, alone, unloved, Ace is offered the same deal. And Belasz is a living example of the cost of accepting it.
Just as Belasz is Ace's future, so in a way is Ace Belasz's future. As she says (about Kane) "he'll find someone younger and then he'll kill us." Ace is that someone younger. At 32, Belasz's life is over, just when she should be at the height of her potential. Her desperation is palpable and all too real. She makes such a compelling character because everything she does makes sense, even turning on Kane. She pins all her hopes on the Nosferatu, Glitz's ship - going first through legitimate means, then subterfuge, then outright assassination attempts. And the thing is, we really do want her to succeed, villain or no.
You guys know what a sucker I am for anti-parallels to the Doctor-Companion relationship, and Belasz and Kane do sort of have that. And in particular Belasz is a direct foil for Ace (and yet in no way Ace's Girl of the Week - in this episode that role is played by Mel). She makes an excellent villain (and totally non-sexualized what's more), and a fabulous loose cannon. And her story is ultimately a tragic one, far more so than, say, Kane's. I blame the fact that she doesn't get more obvious love from the fandom on the fact that her name is frickin hard to spell.