Blake's 7: Series A - A Review

So, I watched every single episode of Blake's 7's first series. For those of you wondering why I'm not doing these episodically anymore, I've decided to review single episodes of the show when I want to talk about them, and if I have significant things to say other than "This is great". 

Series A is definitely a strong opener for the show; Terry Nation did a good job setting up the characters, themes, and overall narrative. Kudos to him also for the worldbuilding. However, everything's not all fun and games though - here are my thoughts on every episode of the first series condensed into a few paragraphs each for ease of reading.

Episode 1 - The Way Back

See here for a full review

The Way Back is great, simply put. The writing's fantastic, and the idea of having Blake rediscover his past at the same time as the audience is clever - meaning we find out stuff about him in real-time. The acting and production elements are excellent and overall the episode is a really fun ride.

However, in comparison to the rest of the series, The Way Back sticks out like a sore thumb in that the episodes that follow were all made in a very specific, BBC-Standard way that very much resembles Doctor Who in terms of style and budget: mostly studio-based, with minimal location filming. Way is a whole other beast entirely, as there are multiple back-and-forths between studio and location, lots of experimentation in terms of editing and the visuals, and looks far more original. Now normally, I wouldn't have a problem with this, but rewatching it after the rest is very jarring. 

Episode 2 - Space Fall

See here for a full review

I'll level with you here - this should have been the first episode. It's a better representation of the rest of the series, in terms of visuals, narrative and tone. It's also far safer than Way - no "quick shock" revelations (like Blake being falsely accused of child molestation) thrown at you from nowhere this time around. The introduction of Avon is the best part of the plot; given his major role in the rest of the series (and, indeed, the show itself), his presence is very much welcomed. It honestly makes Way less appealing to watch simply because he's not in it.

Space Fall also makes the threat of the Federation far more apparent than in Way in my opinion: sure, in Way, we see Federation officials such as Ven Glynd conspire against Blake, but you don't really get a good idea as to how vicious and desperate these people are to silence opposition until Raiker shows up. Seeing a guy that's this intense when doing his job, physically abusing the prisoners and willing to kill when it suits him is a lot easier to digest than Lesterson from Power Of The Daleks phoning his colleagues because "Oh deary me, Blake's lawyer knows the truth, toodle-pip." Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Way's villains were shit, it's just I saw Raiker as more of a threat.

It's a much more interesting episode and a better watch.

Episode 3 - Cygnus Alpha

See here for a full review

Terry Nation overdosed on cocaine and wrote the first thing that came to mind.

Well, not really, but parts of this episode definitely feel like that, and I fucking love it. We've heard about Cygnus Alpha multiple times before and assume it'll be a normal prison planet. So what's it like? Z Cars in space? Your standard prison drama, but made more sci-fi? Fuck no! Religious Oppression! 

No, I wasn't expecting that either. 

Cygnus is a strange, yet amazing beast. For one, the acting is stellar, particularly that of the guest stars - Brian Blessed and Pamela Salem are on fine form, and those that make it to the main cast are giving great performances (whilst also doing the best with what they were given); Avon is the star of the show yet again, verging on the villainous side this time, which is great. It's a shame that there aren't more oddities like this one in the rest of the series where you're led to believe that the story will go one way, only to be dragged in completely the opposite direction. 

Episode 4 - Time Squad

I liked this one, but I wouldn't call it amazing. It's not a massive step up from the first three, but it doesn't need to be - it's entertaining in its own right, and that's enough for me to give it some credit. The introduction of Cally and the formation of "The Seven" is good, and is really the only point in watching this episode, if I'm completely honest.

Cally is the highlight of the story: she's the only alien among the crew and her telepathic abilities are an interesting story element. This leads to a nice sequence where Blake tries to figure out how she's talking to him telepathically, whilst trying to dodge her attacks in some kind of pre-gaming boss fight. Avon and Vila have some nice moments here, too, and here we get a large serving of "pissed-off Avon". 

Presumably, this is due to Darrow's dissatisfaction with the script he was given, but don't quote me on that.

Whilst all the stuff with Cally and the attack on the Federation base was nice, it's not the only part of the episode, and this is where the positives run out.

Jenna and Gan barely get anything to do. In my mind, that's a waste, as you've spent all this time setting them up only to have them fighting off two "DNA guardians" in a subplot that's tedious and adds nothing overall to the events of the episode. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the subplot as a whole was a disservice to both Sally Knyvette and David Jackson's acting ability. Cut most of it out and I wouldn't have too many problems with it. 

And let's not talk about Jenna's costume in this. Probably best to skip it. 

Episode 5 - The Web

"Oh look lads, there are these green stumpy boys being eradicated by literal white people. Stop 'em. Jenna and Cally both get possessed and shit, and fuckin Blake and Avon have to do the right thing, ya know. Power cells and shit." - Terry Nation, 1978

What the fuck, Terry?

Watching this episode after the good episode streak that was episodes 1 to 4 was like a slap in the face. This was the first episode that I didn't like at all; the pacing was tedious, the plot was confusing, and I just didn't enjoy the overall experience of this one. I just don't really get what Nation was trying to do here: is this a morality tale? Is it a knockoff Doctor Who storyline?

Gareth Thomas as Blake was the highlight of this story, as he seemed just as confused as I was. I'm somewhat glad that the rest of the cast took this seriously, as if they didn't it would only be harder to watch. If you think it's worth skipping on future watches, do it. This one's a dud.

Episode 6 - Seek-Locate-Destroy

After the mess that was The Web, I'm happy to report that this episode is, in fact, good.

We're introduced to recurring villains Servalan and Travis and... they're not overtly villainous here, which is good, as having straight-up over the top evil this early on would be like tonal whiplash given the seriousness of prior episodes, not counting The Web (Plus, Croucher hadn't been cast yet, so I wasn't expecting "pantomime villain"). Servalan really doesn't have much screen time, but from what she does have, she leaves a positive impression. Travis on the other hand has a lot more screentime and Stephen Greif does a wonderful job at being an overly confident asshole, something he continues to do until he's replaced by Croucher, but more on him when I get that far.

Cally being used as bait to bring the Liberator crew back after they accidentally leave her behind is an interesting move. Not exactly original, but it works to establish just how abnormal Travis is in his methods of doing things, as Blake points out at the start of the episode. Travis is defeated a bit too quickly for my liking though, but that's probably just me trying to find problems in an otherwise fine episode.

This one's good, no real complaints from me.

Episode 7 - Mission To Destiny

A murder mystery in space shouldn't be a bad idea... unless you're Terry Nation, apparently.

"It's a shame that there aren't more oddities like this one in the rest of the series where you're led to believe that the story will go one way, only to be dragged in completely the opposite direction."

Well, now I wish I hadn't opened my mouth. Remember how I said The Web was "the first episode that I didn't like at all"? Well, this was the second. Where do I even begin with this one?

We could be following on from the previous episode, or, hell, a plot thread from a few episodes prior, but no. Terry, in one of his amazingly amusing senior moments, decides to do Agatha Christie in space... a concept that is now altogether ruined by the sheer existence of Among Us. The crew of the Liberator, after having been battered like a sausage in a chip shop by a meteor storm, stumble upon the Ortega, a freighter making its way to Destiny with a neurotope that will help revive the planet's failing crop supply. The only problem is, someone aboard the ship is a traitor, willing to kill off the rest of the crew to take the neurotope for themselves.

Fairly generic plot-wise and the storyline isn't much improved by the fact that all the crew, who are meant to be a suspect, are not suspicious whatsoever. Sure, there are a few outliers who are a bit weird, but nobody really fits the bill of "murderer", especially not the murderer herself (spoilers: it's Sara). Her motivation is weird, she doesn't really seem like the right person, and Terry must have given up trying to make sense, as the plot is all over the place and the murders just happen at random with no rhyme or reason. Avon has the spotlight in this one, and it really is a good character piece for him, but do yourself a favour and do not watch this episode. It's not connected to the surrounding ones, which isn't normally a bad thing, but it's an utterly pointless detour.

Episode 8 - Duel

Yes. Yes. So much yes.

I love avant-garde media and surrealism in general. It's fun to watch or interact with things that deviate from the norm, and Duel delivers this in spades. Blake and Travis go head-to-head in primitive combat (read: playground fighting) in a surreal landscape. How long can they last?

The length of an episode, apparently. 

And don't worry, nobody dies. We need the actors to keep acting as they all have contracts.

Joking aside, the whole tone of Duel is fantastic - the other members of the Liberator crew and Travis' Mutoids watch Blake and Jenna fight Travis and an unnamed Mutoid attempt to survive a battle to the death of epic proportions, and they cannot help or influence them in any way. The budget allowed for a lot of location filming for this particular episode, and the fact that everything was shot outdoors on film gives it a distinct look that the studio-based episodes just can't compete with. The unfamiliar atmosphere is reflected in the acting - those stuck on board the ship shows us that reaction channels last well into the future have to give subdued performances to keep the audience focused on the main battle. Even Paul Darrow turns down the ham, which is rather out of character for him.

This is by far one of the best episodes of this particular series. Mission To Destiny wishes it was this good.

Episode 9 - Project Avalon

Project Avalon is an episode that sits in a weird spot for me. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but putting it immediately after Duel was a mistake in my opinion; there was no way it could live up to the expectations I had after the avant-garde masterpiece. That might just be me expecting far too much, though. I fully anticipate that to be the case.

Set on an ice planet, Blake strives to rescue rebel leader Avalon, but Travis (rather characteristically) is already there and makes life difficult for them. Little nods to Star Wars are present, particularly during Avalon's rescue and the means by which Blake and Co. carry it out - which, I should point out, are actually some of my favourite parts of the episode. 

Notable highlights also include a Mutoid that's very clearly Soolin (more on her when I get to Series D), the infamous Avon/Cally ship gets a few fleeting nods (such as the two of them sharing smiles with each other), Servalan's perpetually bizarre costume and all the parts of the plot with Robo-Avalon. It's a good episode, and worth watching. 

Episode 10 - Breakdown

One of the many problems I had with Series A was that David Jackson got barely anything worthwhile to do - Gan, despite being one of my favourite characters this series, got the square root of fuck all to do, aside from being the one to do the heavy lifting for the rest of the crew. Thankfully, Breakdown's plot revolves around Gan, meaning he actually gets the focus for once. 

Gan's limiter is faulty, and this causes him to go absolutely bananas - throwing Jenna across the flight deck, grabbing Blake in a headlock, and digressing into a fit of rage, all of which render him as the British equivalent of The Incredible Hulk. Unlike the Hulk, though, this anger can be quelled, and it indeed is. It is discovered that Gan will need surgery, and quickly, leading to the crew heading toward a planet that Zen will not travel to. After also attacking Avon and Cally, Gan collapses. Gan's surgery is carried out, but not before the planet below realises who the Liberator crew is and informs the Federation. The crew narrowly escape. 

The acting from the cast, particularly Jackson, is brilliant here. They take what would otherwise be a generic storyline and make it far more interesting than it would have been on paper.

Gan's lack of characterisation beforehand continues well into Series B and the character's ultimate demise, but this episode solidifies why Gan should have been given more attention by the writers, as there are plenty of narrative opportunities they could have had by using this limiter and its... well... limits (no pun intended). What can the limiter stop Gan from doing? Can it be overridden? Can Gan willingly choose to go against it? If he does, what will happen - does he regress into the "Hulk Gan" mentality, or will it kill him? A lot of missed opportunities, there. Somewhat disappointing, really.

Episode 11 - Bounty

I don't think I need to say much else, honestly.

...oh, all right, but I'll keep it brief: the episode's simply decent.

The crew get duped, Gan's voice is faked, there's a good fight between the villains of the week and Blake and Co., the brief attempt to take over the Liberator is entertaining and the location work's good. I really don't have anything to say on this one, if I'm honest - all the other episodes gave me something to go on, but this one simply didn't deliver. This is probably the least I've been interested in any piece of TV ever. Not bad, just underwhelming.

The dialogue in this one is good, I suppose, but then again, that's faint praise. As I said, the location work's good, and I liked the set design and presentation, but those are really just superficial criticisms. Bounty wasn't my cup of tea whatsoever, but apparently, that isn't an unpopular opinion (or so I'm told). I probably would've enjoyed it more if the guest characters held my attention more or the story gave me a reason to care other than, "Hey, that set's pretty neat." 

I will say this in its favour, though - it's not The Web levels of bad, and is leagues better than Mission To Destiny's levels of mediocrity. That means it's a good episode by default. A genuine effort was made by the actors and the production team to raise the episode above the pool of meh soup that is the storyline. Credit where it's due. It just did nothing. for me. Sorry.

Episode 12 - Deliverance

Also known as Orac: Part One.

This story introduces us to Ensor, the creator of the best character in the show, and embroils the Liberator crew in a mysterious affair that is overly complicated. See, the Federation (or, more specifically, Servalan) made a bid to buy Orac, a portable, Tupperware, see-through blabbermouth computer for 100 million credits from Ensor. After some complications regarding power cells (a tie to The Web. For fuck's sake), Servalan decided that it would be best to destroy Ensor's ship so she could collect Orac at her leisure. Travis, at odds with her decision, continues to obey her commands anyway, as he feels his pursuit of Blake to be more important than mourning Marayatt (a friend of his that Servalan also killed). 

During all of this, Avon, Vila, Jenna and Gan teleport down to the planet Cephlon, where Ensor's ship crashes, to ensure the crew is alright and help the survivors. Little things like this are a good reminder of why the crew are such a likeable group, despite their gripes - they're all fundamentally good people who care for others in their time of need... well, except Avon, but he's just a cool guy in general.

Meegat is one of the main reasons, if not the main reason to watch this (other than the Travis/Servalan interactions). She believes Avon to be her people's Messiah, and their interactions are honestly amazing. Ensor Jr's interactions with Blake and Cally on board the Liberator are great too, and his confidence at standing up against them and their decisions for perfectly understandable reasons is a nice bit of writing.  

Episode 13 - Orac

And finally, the introduction to the best character Terry Nation ever invented - a good episode that brings this series to a close quite well. Everyone in the cast is on fine form, and Nation's writing is very good here. Orac is the main reason to watch though - everything about him is amazing, from his dry and sometimes sarcastic replies to the wonderfully irritated vocal performance of Derek Farr. The final scene in particular is what sets him up as an integral part of the show - he has more characterisation in a few minutes' worth of screentime than some characters in other programs get over a span of several seasons. It's a shame Terry didn't give this much effort into Gan and Jenna, but maybe I'm expecting too much from him. 

And that was Blake's 7, Series A. Overall, I'm very pleased. It's a good opening season, and I'll be interested to see how this develops in future instalments.