Date Posted:Friday, October 20, 06:45:38pm Author: Nell Subject: Personally? I like a limited canon (r) In reply to:
Diane
's message, "***Major Spoilers for Season 5 DVDs***" on Friday, October 20, 08:56:30am
that is - what was shown on the originally aired eps and nothing else.
The deleted scenes, the commentary, actor/PTB interviews, etc... are all fun and available for use if anyone wants to work them into their own personal canon universe - but to me? Not canon with a capital "C".
I feel the same way about most media properties, even books. I know there are plenty of HP fen, for example, that take things that JKR adds or elaborates on in her interviews and on her website as 'canon.' I don't. Nice, fun, out there if you want to use it - but also, not canon. Or Tolkein - the four books are canon. Period. Its nice if your fic is also Silmirillon compliant - but - to me - not necessary. Movie!verse adds all kinds of fun stuff, and you could also choose to make the movie!verse your canon - in which case, the books themselves would not be your 'canon.'
I guess, on the whole, I just think that fan production is easier if the canon is smaller than larger, and sticks to what is easily available.
In the case of the LFN deleted scenes in particular - I think you almost *must* ignore them. Usually the commentary is along the lines of 'we cut this because it didn't work' - or 'didn't go where we wanted it too' - and even when the commentary doesn't add that, it is perfectly obvious that is what happened. Like the brief unused shot at the end of S2 of Michael going home to a not!Elena wife and two small children. Obviously - canon did not go that way.
Or a wonderful what if scene I adore from the very first episode with shows Michael approaching Madeline to ask for her help in protecting Nikita against bad boss man Operations. Think of all the possibilities if there had been a functional Michael/Madeline alliance! Even now I get all googly-eyed about the idea. But - canon didn't go that way.
In the scene you're talking about - I totally ignore it in terms of canonicity because, yeah, it rips what little was left of plot continuity to shreds and obviously the script writers were on crack when they wrote it. I'm thankful that someone came to their senses and dumped it before wreaking more havoc on already convoluted timelines and character motivations!
