[Anonymouse]

There's seldom been a more elegant, poised villain of either gender in SF, yet not stereotypical; Servalan was anything but two-dimensional, as shown in the B7 episodes Children Of Auron and Sand, in which she showed the very human side she had.

In others, of course, she was ruthlessly practical, as in The Harvest Of Kairos:

Shad: Get hold of Command.
Dastor (on screen): Command. Yes?
Shad: It's the harvest, sir. It's been good. Very good.
Dastor (on screen): And?
Shad: Well, we're loaded and ready for lift-off, but, er...
Dastor(on screen): Well, hurry up, man, what is it you have to say?
Shad: Well, the cargo exceeds our flight tolerance.
Dastor(on screen): Well, what does that mean?
Servalan (on screen): Thank you, Dastor. I'll deal with this. How much excess Kairopan is there, Shad?
Shad: Weight eighty-four units, madam.
Servalan (on screen): And are all the labourers aboard?
Shad: No, madam. Do I have your permission to abandon the excess cargo, (Space Command; on screen) or shall I have it destroyed?
Servalan (without a flicker of expression): Neither. You will abandon the surplus labourers.
Shad(on screen): Yes, madam.

[Launch platform]

Guard: Instructions from the Captain. You are to wait for the next shuttle.
Carlon: But there isn't another.
Guard: One will be sent for you tomorrow.
Carlon: But today's the last day. He knows that and you know that.
Guard: Orders are orders. You know that. (He shoots a worker climbing over the fence)
Carlon: But nobody lives after the last day! (which Servalan knows, of course)
Guard: Then you'll die, won't you?

(Mind you, in a touch of poetic justice, the guard ended up left behind, too...!)

A classic villain, immaculately played. I'll make a point of mentioning Jacqueline's passing (if no-one else does) and raise a glass to her at Redemption '19, in January.