Before you ask, I made that.
Since I really enjoyed The Way Back, I went into Space Fall thinking that I'd enjoy it too, though not as much. This isn't knocking the writing of the show, I should clarify, it's just a fad that always happens with me - I never really end up having the same enthusiasm for episode two as episode one. I'm fairly sure that's just me, though; nobody else I talk to seems to have this problem! Usually, it's because I never feel like episode two makes up for all the hype set up in episode one, so I'm glad to say that Space Fall completely eschewed that for me and was far better than anticipated. A very, very good sign.
Initial Thoughts
This episode feels very like a Tom-era Who story, though that may be down to the design of the prison ship, the model work and the progression of the story. It just has that sort of vibe about it - I doubt it would be very difficult to edit The Doctor into the proceedings as he wouldn't feel out of place.
This episode's a studio-based story, which probably explains the similarity to Who. Unlike Who though it isn't exactly noticeable - some stories are entirely studio-based to the point where you can't help but notice the lack of exterior filming, thus shattering your suspension of disbelief (Warriors Of The Deep being a notorious example, ironically also directed by Pennant Roberts). This episode doesn't do that. Thank God. It's also not a budget episode (like Warriors). Thank God for that too.
Avon
Yes, I'm devoting a section of this to Paul Darrow. What are you going to do, report me to The Federation for thinking his character is the best in the story?
On second thoughts, don't answer that question.
Paul Darrow's character Kerr Avon is introduced into the proceedings. Rushy had warned made it clear to me beforehand in an indirect way that Avon was one of those guys you end up liking without really understanding why, and having watched this episode more than twice to make notes (as is customary for me) I can say that's completely true. Avon, at least here, is that guy you knew at school who was humorously snide and though he genuinely cared about what's going on, he pretended that he didn't to appear cool and stand out from the crowd. Whilst that guy you knew may have been a dick, Avon doesn't because he's got something else going for him: charisma. He's funny and relatable and his intelligent comebacks to things other characters say makes him the highlight of the story.
There are instances in this where I'd argue that Avon is a better character than Blake himself, as he's given far more interesting things to do, and Darrow's clearly having a blast playing this character, which makes him all the more appealing to watch. He makes Avon the perfect foil to Blake through his sarcasm and hesitation to do what Blake says, leading you to believe that he doesn't fully trust Blake and this makes the viewer doubt Blake as well to a certain extent. Given The Way Back doesn't fully tell you everything about him, Avon's cynicism implies there's another side to Blake that we don't know about, so it'll be interesting to see if this gets developed in later episodes.
Story notes
The admin-ship, London, is taking Blake and the prisoners to Cygnus Alpha, the prison planet mentioned in the previous episode. The effects are gorgeous; I really love this model work, the VFX department is really having a blast working on something with a budget that isn't 3p stuck to a string being held by the director from a multistorey car park. Sorry, Tom, you'll never compete. We're immediately thrust into the most 70s control room imaginable, with Raiker, played by that guy from Star Wars and a bloke who could fill in for a young Neil Morrisey from a far enough distance. They check all the necessary details of their flight, as you'd expect, and report to their commander, locking in autopilot. You're probably wondering why I'm spending a lot of time talking about a scene that would otherwise be described as filler, but I honestly just love the back and forth of a bunch of staff who clearly don't want to be there. It makes a change from people who revel in their position, as is so often the case in Tom-era Who that I'm surprised it isn't clumped together with the rag-tag nitpicks fans of RTD's CGI-infested poo make about the classic show.
"I thought maintenance was supposed to have fixed that ID shift vibration!"
"Well, that's what they said."
"Well, that's what they said."
You have to love Terry's dialogue. You must.
Anyway, Raiker leaves to address the prisoners and the commander is told that meteorites will be appearing in the nearby vicinity, but hopefully it'll clear (it won't). Raiker goes in and pep-talks (screams at) the prisoners, then has a chat with Blake, really rubbing it in that this guy is the story's villain. After letting the prisoners into the mess area, he tries to... well... chat her up, shall we say. After she pretty much shoots him down, he slaps her and tells her that he can be "very persuasive" before leaving. Just because you're a secondary commander aboard a Federation ship and hold a lot of power doesn't immediately mean you can openly abuse women. Nobody has that right. Sure, she's a prisoner, yes, and you state that prisoners have no rights, I get that, but even so, that's not on. Come on man, stop being a sleazeball and do your job.
Then we meet Avon, who, again, is the best part of the story. His lines are amazing too - who doesn't love "Why all the questions, or is it merely a thirst for knowledge?" Anyway, he's got a plan to save his skin: he has planned to fake the ship's running log so he can bargain with the crew to fix it, thus the crew spare him for his help and let him go free while the rest go to Cygnus Alpha. Reminds me a lot of Han Solo's motivation in Star Wars - he only agrees to transport Obi-Wan and Luke to Alderaan so he can get out of Tatooine quickly before he's captured and sent back to Jabba, thus saving his own skin... and taking Obi-Wan's money. Much like Han, Avon will also get roped into another mission and become a vital member of the main cast, though I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's backtrack to the present.
Blake posits the idea to Jenna that if the prisoners take control of the ship, he would like her to pilot it, and thus a plan is set afoot. I love it when a plan comes together. Wait, wrong franchise, sorry. The crew detect that something is present within their current course, though quite what is unclear. They stumble into full-spectrum shockwaves (better known to us as turbulence) just as Raiker comes in with the most deceptively simple jug and cup set I have ever seen. If it isn't the lad in the Federation's computer records office with his VR space walkman that is so damn funny, it's Raiker's brand-spanking-new plastic drinking units. I swear, it's the cheaper looking props that make me ask the most amount of questions - are there lots of these in whenever B7 is set? Did the Federation pay for these or did the staff buy them themselves? How much did they cost? Anyway, it's determined that the disturbance in their pathway is some sort of space battle. A star war, if you will. Nudge nudge wink wink. The crew decide at the last minute that they want to go around the battle if that's possible, but know it'll cause damage to the ship whether or not they succeed in trying to flee the fight.
Blake has discovered a way to the computer room through the air ventilation shafts and tries to convince Avon to squeeze through and sabotage the ship's computer so the other prisoners can escape. Avon, being the guy that he is, needs persuading. Well at least that makes a change from other franchises where instead of just doing it straight away because oH mY gOd ThE hErO nEeDs Me To Do SoMeThInG :OOOOO. The ship goes through more turbulence and shaving foam Sealing Gel forms through a crack in the wall caused by the damage to the ship. Remember this, because it'll be important later. This spurs Avon to be ready almost instantly and so they sneak him through the vent while Vila distracts the guard with magic tricks. Avon sneaks through the vent and gets the other side, but there's a problem: someone's in the computer room operating the controls of what isn't the TARDIS. Like it or lump it, he has to play the waiting game.
The guard is changed, and the others wonder where Avon went. I love how they immediately assume he's been caught and/or died - it's a bit like that thing that happens in university when a teacher doesn't show up for 15 minutes and everyone just immediately gives up. Blake has to decide who to send after Avon, Vila or Nova, who states that he hasn't done anything yet. It should therefore come as no surprise that when Nova gets sent after Avon, the ship goes through more turbulence and the gel fills the corridor he's in, killing him almost instantly. Alas, dear Nova, you died having not done anything yet. F in the chat, boys. Avon, it turns out, is a fighting lad, knocking the lamps out of the operator, giving him full control of the ship's computer. Avon would have been amazing in Rocky 53. He manages to shut down the camera to the main mess area and the guard is overpowered by the prisoners. Before he can open the door, though, the operator gets up for Round 2 but Avon defeats him again. The prisoners force the guard to open the door and escape. It's all starting to ramp up now, but hold the bus, we're only halfway there.
25 more minutes to go lads, let's watch how the situation develops.
Blake and Jenna fight Raiker and the Neil Morrisey lookalike and join Avon in the computer room, shutting the door. Raiker sets off an alarm and the commander heads down to assist him in his attempt to break in. Vila, ever the wimp, has been sent with Gan and most of the prisoners by Blake to go to the armoury (VILA: "Find the armoury", he says. I don't even like guns!) and this leads to the funniest scene in the story. Rounding the corner are two guards, who spot the prisoners and aim to shoot. Gan grabs them by the arms and forces them to the ground using brute strength. When two more guards come around and see what's going on, Gan tells them to "Drop their weapons". Vila drops his gun, and the other armed prisoner is shot at by the new guards, effectively rendering the prisoners' attempt useless. Well done, Vila, you never cease to amuse me.
The commander, whose name is Leylan (one off "Leyland"... so he fixes cars in his spare time, good to know), communicates to Blake on the other side of the computer room door with his demands: if they surrender, they'll be treated leniently, and if not they'll get the the door blasted in by the crew and they'll suffer the consequences. Blake effectively replies with "Lol no" and makes his own demands, telling the crew to surrender their weapons and fly the ship to where they want and let them all go free. Leyland informs Blake that what he's doing (taking control of the computer) is putting everyone in grave danger as London is headed towards that large thing they've not identified yet and they may collide with it if Blake doesn't give up. Blake tells him to hurry up and make a decision before ending communication, with about the same sympathy as being told "tough". He really couldn't give a damn right now, and I daresay I don't blame him. Gareth Thomas is on fine form this episode and is giving a great performance, only really upstaged by Darrow.
Avon tries to put doubt in Blake's mind that what he's doing is mad, and that wealth is all that's worth caring about. Avenging your dead family? Nah, that's irrelevant. Get the money, that's all that matters! Raiker, having sought permission from Leyland to do what he deems "necessary", decides to force Blake, Avon and Jenna to give up by killing a random prisoner every 30 seconds. It works. Raiker tries to hit on Jenna but gets shut down by Leyland who tells him he went too far. Raiker tries to claim that Leyland told him he could do what's necessary but Leyland informs him that everything that's going on will be put in his record and decided by the Federation authority, scuppering Raiker's plans to throw Leyland under the bus with him. Nice try, but not good enough, curly bap. Next time suck up to Darth Vader.
Oh wait. You did. Never mind.
Avon reproaches Blake for failing, and Blake takes it. At least he doesn't try to reproach him back. The crew of the ship discover what the big thing is: a seemingly unmanned ship, floating in space. As of now, it isn't named, but given I already know what the name is - the Liberator - I'll refer to it as such. They decide to send a boarding party over and take the Liberator back to the Federation for prize money (they also use credits, much like other sci-fi programs). Being understandably cautious, they send three lackeys over first to test the waters, so to speak, but two of them are killed through unknown circumstances and the third is driven insane. Raiker decides it best to send prisoners over to see what's happening on the ship, given "they've got nothing to lose" - to anyone who felt annoyed by that line, remember that this is the same man who told the other prisoners that they had no rights - and Blake, Jenna and Avon are sent over. They instantly fall in love with the craft and are drawn towards some sort of defence mechanism that projects repressed memories back at any invaders, driving them mad, luring them towards it and killing them on contact. Jenna is shown her mother being tortured and Avon is shown his brother, talking to him. Blake is shown something too, but irritably, we aren't allowed to see what. God damn it Terry, I want to know who he saw! WHAT DEAD PERSON DID BLAKE SEE?!
Sorry for that outburst, it'll never happen again.
Anyway, Blake figures out that the apparition is fake and blasts the defense mechanism, destroying it, snapping Jenna and Avon, as well as himself out of it. Leyland checks in to see if they're all right and Raiker formulates his own plan: to kill the trio, send a boarding party over and take the ship himself. He gets very close to doing that too, injuring Blake's shoulder with his gun while Blake tries to close the airlock door, but Jenna and Avon start up the ship, closing the door, and jettisoning Raiker into space. Blake informs Jenna to follow London to Cygnus Alpha so they can rescue the other prisoners.
That was very bloody good. Onto the production aspects to finish up.
Production
As per usual, the visual effects are great, and a step up from The Way Back, which is odd, given this was filmed before that episode was made.
Pennant Roberts' directing is great, and really creates a mood of entrapment watching these people stuck on a prison ship trying to escape. He also plays with your emotions a lot as well, deliberately making the portrayal of the London's crew as detestable and irritable as possible in order to make you want Blake's team to win.
The design of London is great too - every nook and cranny of the ship feels unified and consistent, which is great to see and doesn't shatter the audience's immersion at all, especially in the moments where the footage jumps from video to film and back again. Speaking of, is it just me or did the B7 crew have the film developed better than the DW crew? I swear, the footage looks less crispy and washed-out and blends really well with the video in a way that isn't wholly noticeable.
Dudley Simpson's music is on point yet again, hitting the right notes (pun not intended) to make the score feel complimentary to the mood of the scene it's been dubbed over. He really was a genius at doing this.
Well, that's all for now. Sorry for the delay, folks. It shouldn't happen again! Next up, Cygnus Alpha!
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