The Stress of Her Regard

@BClyde wrote:
Also that didn't address my question at all. The meaning of the words and how they are relevant to the episode I can understand myself. But why choose specifically the words of Smith/Powers? Are the showrunners known fans of Smith or Powers? Have there been until now a host of other nods towards classic scifi authors on the show that I may have missed? 

Fair point, BClyde, and your observation about the title’s literary roots is a good one. I wasn't trying to suggest why the showrunners chose Powers or Smith in particular, only that this episode stands out as the first to directly reference a known literary work. That in itself might be telling.

The other episode titles lean more toward poetic or thematic phrases. So yes, your question hits the mark. It does seem like a deliberate nod, which makes it all the more interesting. Whether they are known fans of "weird" fiction or if this is an isolated homage is still unclear. I have also been wondering if there are more subtle references scattered across the seasons that we may have missed.

Would love to hear if anyone else has picked up on anything earlier in the series.

And just to note, bebop-cola, I've always liked using dashes. I've done so for around 20 years or so. In Danish, the "en dash" was commonly used quite a lot as a soft sentence pause (with spaces). So it's not like the long "AI" em dashes (sometimes even without spaces). Just to note that 😉

@bebop-cola wrote:
Most of that was clearly generative AI speak. The dashes are a dead giveaway.

Also that didn't address my question at all. The meaning of the words and how they are relevant to the episode I can understand myself. But why choose specifically the words of Smith/Powers? Are the showrunners known fans of Smith or Powers? Have there been until now a host of other nods towards classic scifi authors on the show that I may have missed? 

@Wynn wrote:
The phrase The Stress of Her Regard carries a heavy charge – it evokes the emotional burden of being seen, judged, or held by something greater than oneself. In this episode, it could point to Demerzel’s watchful presence, Gaal’s rising prophetic weight, or the Empire’s internal fracturing.

It’s not just about attention – it’s about the consequences of being exposed. There’s a cost to standing in the gaze of power – and we see that cost building now.

Great title. And a very strong episode – especially in how it deepens the themes seeded earlier. The last two really brought a lot together. Quite good indeed :-)

Most of that was clearly generative AI speak. The dashes are a dead giveaway.

@BClyde wrote:
Any clue as to why the title references the title of Tim Powers' 1989 novel (which comes from a poem by Clark Ashton Smith} ?

The phrase The Stress of Her Regard carries a heavy charge – it evokes the emotional burden of being seen, judged, or held by something greater than oneself. In this episode, it could point to Demerzel’s watchful presence, Gaal’s rising prophetic weight, or the Empire’s internal fracturing.

It’s not just about attention – it’s about the consequences of being exposed. There’s a cost to standing in the gaze of power – and we see that cost building now.

Great title. And a very strong episode – especially in how it deepens the themes seeded earlier. The last two really brought a lot together. Quite good indeed :-)

Any clue as to why the title references the title of Tim Powers' 1989 novel (which comes from a poem by Clark Ashton Smith} ?

It's starting to interestingly feel more and more like Blade Runner/Cyberpunk. Hope we get to see more of it!