both "Amelia" and Star Sapphire's poor orphan girl Edna O'Reilly were pawns. (The latter possibly sexually, but more definitely as a means to kill an unwanted wife.)

But here's where it's hit me...they were both abused. "Life Blood", like "Star Sapphire", is a tale of abuse. More specifically, they were subject to abuse from a father figure.

Think of it. Moore, Amelia's creator, admits that she's designed to be controlled by him, and she has indeed brought men pleasure...most importantly, to HIM, by helping him exact vengeance on an old nemesis.

However, that exchange with the ring is even more telling about his character. I'm ill at ease to use the term "self-loathing" because that phrase itself has been misused. However, here it's clear...Amelia HATES the thought, concept or however she "understood" it, of a "robot". Therefore, she apparently must have been disgusted, and probably filled with hatred of herself.

And WHO was the only person that could have given her that programming? Her "uncle", who was essentially her "father". (Just as Fred Gwynne promised he might become to "Star Sapphire's" orphan girl.)

(BTW, when you watch "The lonely" you'll see again how I said it's the reverse of "Life Blood"..."Alicia" came with a set of instructions, and she'd freely talk with her new owner about herself as a robot and the range of things she could feel. Also, it's interesting that both "Life Blood" and "Star Sapphire" came out in the same 1980 season.)

Poor Amelia...she was caught between two men who would abuse her in one way or another, and was given just enough programming that she could apparently feel "hurt" at the thought of being a robot. Both she and "Sapphire's" orphan were indeed no more than instruments to achieve a goal.

Wow...even for an essentially 45-minute play these RMT scripts were deep. They were some true gems.