Dominar Rygel XVI

[Spedoinkel]

Her I though since it was brought up in other threads, we could do a character study on rygel. He has been with us from the begining, and though some may consider him a bit player, he has evolved as a character and changed through the course of the show.

Here we can discuss his virtues and faults. Oh so many of them. I'll let you start it off.

[LT Garrix]

Oh, Rygel, where to start with Fluffy, Sparky, Spanky, Buckwheat the XVI...He starts off as a bitter, selfish Hynerian. Wow, does he evolve. For instance, I was watching SIW the other day, not one I watch that often, but at the end he's with Pilot just gushing about how Pilot likes him. I think that deep down, he really wanted to be accepted by the others, just his royal upbringing wouldn't let him.

He's done a number of things since the first season that show he's grown out of his selfishness. Heck, even in the first season he would come to the rescue from time to time. Anyone remember TGIF? His explosive...uh, urine saved the day. Now granted in the same season he was all for abandoning ship in order to save his ass, or maybe I'm thiniking Mind the Baby, yeah, I think it's MTB now.

Anyway, I don't think he'll ever be entirely selfless, but I think he has learned the value of teamwork.

As much as I'd like to go on, it's nearing my bedtime and the bubble bath is calling me..."Calgon, take me away"

[faustus]

he may be handled with disrespect he may be beaten up on he may be a selfish son of a bitch. But he is the smartest person on Moya. I still don't think he's grown out of his selfishness rather he has gown to like a few of his ship mates.

[Spedoinkel]

No he will always be a bit selfish, but he has grown to understand neccesity. He has come to, somewhat, now what the boundaries are. I think one of the things that has best shown his change in character has been how he reacts to Moya, Pilot, and Talyn when he was alive. He cares for Moya and Pilot and wouldn't do anything to hurt them now. And when the crew was burying Talyn and Chi was too overwhelmed to say anything Rygel came in a gave a beautiful eulogy. Not long and drawn out with flowery words, but decent, and respectful and from the heart. Not anything like Zhaan's eulogy for Aeryn but still one of the best lines IMO that the writers have come up with.
"Tayln was special. A joy to his mother and a credit to his species, both. With fondness we lay Talyn, offspring of Moya, to rest in his sacred grounds."

[faustus]

short to the point and littered with feeling

[scaperbuddy]

I wonder how John came up with so many nicknames for Rygel? He is selfish, but I think that as time has gone on he has developed into a character who has thought more for others than at the beginning.




POSSIBLE SPOILER







In Liars, Guns and Money he was willing to spend the money to help get Moya healed. I don't think earlier in the shows he would have been so willing to do that. At least I think that was the right show. Correct me if I was wrong folks. He also helps them fight the Charrids by manning a gun against them in Infinite Possibilities. He's by himself in that gun turret. I don't think he would have done that earlier in the season one. That was selfless of him.

[UTChick]

He's grown alot - yes he'll still have a selfish streak and pride prevents him from showing outright - how much he cares - but he's learned to love this crew and not just himself. In the Flax - which is pretty early on - he shows how much of a strategic thinker he is - he purposely loses the game to give the zenitians a false frequency. That was also purposely helpful act to others. He didn't have to do it (although he was bored stiff). Well that's my thoughts at the moment.

[Anubis]

In the Flax - which is pretty early on - he shows how much of a strategic thinker he is - he purposely loses the game to give the zenitians a false frequency. That was also purposely helpful act to others. He didn't have to do it (although he was bored stiff).

I got the impression that he was doing that to save his ass. Anyone else feel the same about that?

[Jeff O'Connor]

I always look at Rygel with this formula:

Season One: He'd do anything to save his ass... but if someone makes a snarky comment about how he's good for nothing, he'll either inform them on how wise that is, or sometimes, take it personally to the point that he'll end up looking like a reluctant hero here and there.

Season Two: He's starting to learn what it means to have compassion, and although generally speaking he disagrees with the premise, when he also starts to realize that he's left out quite often because he puts on the facade of never caring at all, about anything or anyone but himself, he slowly tries to show his worth, because he's left out.

Season Three: He has definitely decided he doesn't want to be left out, and although I don't think anything may ever completely take away in any means from his cunning, little Hynerian self-preserving ways, nevertheless he's learned the meanings of compassion, of caring, of triumph, honesty, and all these endeveors, and he's becoming a better man.

Season Four: See the third year, with some small adjustments on the road to betterness. His wise ways shine, but his weaknesses in thinking he's mightier than any others also shine, and he has to learn to be who he is, and not the captain of a ship, not the leader of a group of differences. He can be the best Dominar of 600 billion of roughly the same, but onboard a vessel where he's the only Hynerian, things, he finally realizes, are not conquerable.

[UTChick]

What real threat was there to him? The zenetians were just going to leave - they didn't even want Moya. They weren't going to kill anyone. Yes, I think he wanted the challenge (he's always a little self-serving), but I think he figured he could kill 2 birds with one stone - amuse himself & help out D'argo with removing the zenetian tails from D'argo's backside.

[Spedoinkel]

In WWL I think that Rygel still would have done it earier in the series do to his massive hatred of charrids and that he was in a fairly defensible location with a long range weapon. I agree with UT on the Zenetian thing.

This is why I want to see the retaking of the throne that was hinted at n Horizons so much. It's the one thing that will show everyone how much Rygel has changed.

[fandom]

It looks two me as if there are two layers to the character, the outer one is the selfish one who only cares about himself.

But in times of need he behaves completely differently, even back in season 1 when Durka is about to burn Aeryn he starts laughing at Durka to draw his attention to himself, he does the same thing in 'I shrink...' when he tells the bad guy he is the one Crichton cares the most about.

And he can show compasion like in 'The Choice' talking to Aeryn and in 'Chrichton Kicks' when he tells Crichton to get the hint.

Either he is a clever multilayer character or, being comic relief, he is written inconsistently, in any case he is my second favorite character in the series.

[UTChick]

I think he is purposely written for multi-layer. People can be the same way - that's why a person can get into so much trouble for using generic labels to describe someone. There are points when a person is a dichotomy and paradox in themselves. Rygel is that example. I like him more & more. Yes, there are times when you want to strangle him, but like Fandom said, there are many times when he has learned to do the right thing at the beginning of the day.

[Spedoinkel]

Rygel in the Choice another great Rygel moment.

[faustus]

I always thought he had a soft spot for Moya