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Post by burrunjor on Mar 25, 2023 17:05:48 GMT
GO
10/ Orac: A great straight forward Terry Nation adventure, with some nice twists and poignant moments like Ensors reaction to his sons death. I also like Servalan and Travis' interactions and relationship. This is the first episode where I think you really see the difference between them more clearly, with Travis being so obsessed with Blake whilst Servalan has bigger plans. That's basically why she would end up outliving him by about two years LOL.
9/ Breakdown: This is one of Avon's most interesting episodes, seeing how he almost leaves the group, and it's left open ended if he stays out of genuine loyalty to the others, or practicality? Julian Glover as always makes a great villain, and Blake also gets to show off a more ruthless side like when he threatens to destroy the surgeon's hands. Even Avon looks impressed with him there haha.
8/ Trial: This is Travis best episode. You almost feel sorry for him, in spite of what he has done the way the Federation stab him in the back so completely, and best of all he is actually right. The Federation absolutely rile their soldiers up through propaganda to be ruthless killers, and the only reason they turned on him was because his massacre was more public and couldn't be hushed up like Blake's friends in the first episode.
7/ Star One: An absolutely amazing finale, and arguably the first real event finale in any genre show. The twist of the heroes having to ally with the Federation was brilliant, the cliff hanger is still the best in the history of the series. There are also some moments of very effective genuine horror too which is rare in B7, such as when the girl is being chased by the aliens and she finds her friends corpses strung up.
6/ Space Fall: Amazing introduction for Avon and even Gan. Already the character dynamics are there, and Riker makes for a wonderfully hateful and vile villain. The mystery of the Liberator is also brilliantly set up too.
5/ Aftermath: This is definitely Servalan's best episode as a villain. She has never been more hateful than when she murders Hal. Dayna also makes a very strong debut. I honestly don't know why Josette Simon hates the show so much these days? IMO they gave her a lot of great material to work with from the start with this episode alone. Her scenes with Servalan in this episode are more interesting than any, anyone had in the entire first two seasons apart from Travis.
4/ Sand: An all around brilliant horror story. This is the scariest Blake's 7 ever got, and all of the characters get a chance to shine somewhat here, from Avon saving the day, Vila's grief over Cally etc.
3/ Orbit: Robert Holmes at his best. The scene of Avon being willing to toss Vila out of the airlock is still outrageous 40 years on and is the type of thing I couldn't imagine even in a modern, gritty, dark show. What's even better though is Holmes is actually able to get some comedy out of it, like the you know you are safe with me bit at the end LOL. Also Egrorian is one of the shows best, most outrageous, hilarious guest characters.
2/ Sarcophoagus: This was the first episode of B7 I ever saw and it made me a fan for life. This is Avon at his best, and Jan Chappel also gives her best performance as the evil Cally (who typically is way more gorgeous than the regular one LOL. She suits the red haired look.)
1/ Blake: Obvious choice, but this is still the most outrageous and iconic ending to any tv show. To have the balls to do something like that nowadays never mind in the 80s is unbelievable. I'd also say it's possibly Gareth Thomas' best performance too, getting to play a slightly more grey, untrustworthy Blake, whose own arrogance and paranoia seals his fate.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2023 17:11:07 GMT
1. Blake
2. Duel
3. Sand
4. Sarcophagus
5. Pressure Point
6. Rescue
7. Death Watch
8. Terminal
9. Star One
10. Rumours of Death
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Post by burrunjor on Mar 25, 2023 17:26:36 GMT
1. Blake 2. Duel 3. Sand 4. Sarcophagus 5. Pressure Point 6. Rescue 7. Death Watch 8. Terminal 9. Star One 10. Rumours of Death I think this might be the only time your opinions align with those of organised fandom LOL. I guess Blake's 7 fans from your perspective are wiser. |
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Post by rushy on Mar 25, 2023 20:18:30 GMT
#10. "Headhunter"
My comfort food episode. It's basically a zombie invasion parody, with so many memorable goofy scenes and wonderful banter between the crew. I love getting to see more of Xenon, and the crew MacGyvering the abandoned landmarks to defeat their enemy. The sequence of Avon judging the fates of Tarrant and Vila is a particular highlight.
#9. "Aftermath"
A superb reinvention kick in the balls to the show's formula. Darrow is spectacular in his first full-fledged episode as the lead. I love the use of the tranquil beach setting to contrast with the fallout from the Intergalactic War.
#8. "Sarcophagus"
I'm still not quite sure how I feel about this episode, but its splendour, uniqueness, performances and the fact that so much of it is still left open to interpretation guarantees it its position this far up on the list. Sarcophagus is an artistic achievement made by someone who knew the show well, and wanted to push its boundaries, and it deserves respect at the very least.
#7. "Redemption"
Blake's 7 as a blockbuster. Getting to see the origin of the Liberator is thrilling, and I love the size and scope of the System's space station. As director, Lorrimer is clearly making the most of it, including tense POV shots, wide shots of the crew running from explosions(wearing flashy new outfits). The mystery of Orac's prophecy keeps things on edge. It's a great ride.
#6. "Games"
I love the clever plotting and frivolity in this one. Everybody has something to do, and Stratford Johns is a wonderfully ebullient guest star, whose character brings a ton of the charm to the episode. Goes by fast and leaves you wanting more. Endlessly rewatchable.
#5. "Gambit"
An exquisite space western pastiche. The wacky(and tacky) production design is great, and adds so much to the atmosphere. Not much actually happens when you think about it, but Gambit is more about simply enjoying the clash of various eccentric personalities in a decadent setting. It's an example of all style, no substance actually being done well.
#4. "Rumours Of Death"
Its heartfelt Shakespearean drama can be a little difficult to absorb in what is otherwise a rather cynical and pulpy series, but the conviction of the performers, the direction and the writing hold it together. Rumours humanises Avon more than any other episode, and is extremely gripping to watch.
#3. "Terminal"
A very simple concept that could've easily been turned into a rather dull episode, were it not for Mary Ridge's direction and Darrow's (in my opinion best) performance. The long, sweeping shots. The iconic heartbeat sound. The austere set design and use of film in Blake's room. Avon's unwavering determination. That, and the way Nation elegantly closes all the loose ends in the series thus far, makes Terminal a spectacular hour of television.
#2. "Blake"
Terminal was a cool, dignified exit. Boucher's finale is, quite literally, all guns blazing. Watching Blake is an emotionally draining, but thoroughly satisfying experience. It's a great final adventure for our heroes, on the show's arguably most interesting setting Gauda Prime. Darrow and Thomas's last scene is the stuff of legend.
#1. "Orbit"
Everything works. Every line, every acting choice, every plot choice, every behind-the-scenes choice. Everything either hits the nail, or is too entertaining to want to change. Orbit is the show firing on all cylinders, providing simultaneously the lightest and darkest of stories. It's impossible to tear yourself away when it's on. I absolutely adore every minute of it.
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Post by rushy on Mar 25, 2023 20:28:56 GMT
What I'm curious about is how y'all feel about Series D, and the drastic changes in tone and approach even compared to the ones made for Series C. Sure, Series C made Darrow the lead star and introduced new characters and plot points. But Series D feels like an entirely new series almost.
Darrow obviously plays the role quite differently and the entire production suddenly pivots around him, with the rest of the ensemble cast shuffled into the background. The general atmosphere of the crew is much grimmer and self-serving. There's a recurring planet that the crew use as a base. The comfortable familiarity of the Liberator is gone.
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Post by burrunjor on Mar 26, 2023 9:38:48 GMT
What I'm curious about is how y'all feel about Series D, and the drastic changes in tone and approach even compared to the ones made for Series C. Sure, Series C made Darrow the lead star and introduced new characters and plot points. But Series D feels like an entirely new series almost. Darrow obviously plays the role quite differently and the entire production suddenly pivots around him, with the rest of the ensemble cast shuffled into the background. The general atmosphere of the crew is much grimmer and self-serving. There's a recurring planet that the crew use as a base. The comfortable familiarity of the Liberator is gone. I'm a bit torn on Series D. Overall I think it's fair to say it's the worst series, but when it's good it has some of the best the show had to offer. I don't mind the change in location, or the overall direction of the show of Avon slowly losing it. It's more just that it has the worst individual episodes of all time which overall probably drag the average of the season down. That's not to say that previous seasons didn't have absolute shit episodes, like Harvest of Kairos and the one where Travis is wrapped up in bandages. Still I'd say there are not only more in Series D, but the ones that are bad, are quite exceptionally bad. Power is honestly one of the worst episodes of any tv show ever made. Whenever I am recommending Blake's 7 to someone I feel a need to warn them about this episode in advance LOL. I've always said war of the sexes story lines are absolute shit and should be avoided, and I think this episode demonstrates that perfectly. (the only good war of the sexes story line is Futurama because it takes the piss out of the cliche and has jokes against both sides, like men being immature about sex, and the women being oversensitive about their sports not being as celebrated as men's LOL.) Animals meanwhile has Justin and Dayna's creepy romance which ruins any chance to take it seriously as a big tragic love story, and Space Rats, other than the ending is pretty embarrassing too. That said Rescue, Sand, Orbit, Blake etc are all among the absolute best the series ever produced and Rescue and Sand in particular are very offbeat, quirky episodes that I don't think they'd have done in previous seasons. Servalan's survival is something I have mixed feelings over meanwhile. On the one hand obviously having a glorious ham like Jacqueline Pearce on the screen is always welcome. That said however her death in Terminal is a brilliant ending to the character. Her own greed and backstabbing disorder leads to her downfall. Having her survive is a bit of a cop out, and reportedly even Jacqueline Pearce wasn't happy with series D. Read interviews with her, she was really bitter against the writers during that time. To be fair by her own admission she was struggling badly with depression too at that time so that's perhaps why she doesn't have fond memories of it. Reportedly she said she enjoyed working on the Two Doctors more than all of series D. I also do like the idea of Servalan never being punished for her schemes. In hindsight that's one of the best things about her as it makes her more true to life sadly. She's like Tony Blair, the crooked bastard who killed over a million people and still prances around like he is some respected, senior politician, or even Joseph Mengele who escaped justice and lived the rest of his life out in peace. Sadly that's just the way things sometimes are, and it does help B7 stand out from other series that always have to have a fairy tale ending. That said I think it might have been cool to have had Sleer be a new character as was intended, and you could have done the same thing of her getting away with being evil. Also some episodes might have worked better with a new villain, including Sand. It stretches credibility a bit that Tarrant wouldn't have shot Servalan dead the second he saw her after all she had put Dayna through. the idea that he would have sympathy for her meanwhile is insane! Also at that point when we've seen her gun down blind men, it's kind of hard to humanise Servalan. Sleer meanwhile who we didn't know as well, might have actually been a bit more sympathetic in that role, which could have made her villainous actions all the more shocking rather than just predictable. If they had made her a new villain, then Barbara Kellerman would have been my choice. She is gorgeous, sexy and a total ham. Obviously I wouldn't have wanted her to play it like Jadis, more like that Servalanesque character she played in that show with Edward Woodward. 1990 I believe it was called.    She'd have made a great Sleer, but again it's not like I'm complaining that they kept Servalan. It's more of an interesting what if scenario for me. |
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Post by rushy on Mar 26, 2023 14:22:21 GMT
I agree with you about Servalan. It would've been more effective if she had stayed dead, shown more of the passage of time. Then again, the fact that Cally died and she lived does add an extra edge to her villainy. It feels so grossly unfair. My only real issue is that most of her appearances are rather throwaway. She and Avon only meet twice in the entire season.
That being said, Series D is my personal favourite because of the changes I listed, especially Darrow's wild performances and the emphasis on sci-fi westerns (directly inspired by the success of Star Wars, which was at its peak at the time). Even if some of the episodes were poor, the general atmosphere of the show was at its most interesting for me. It really felt like anything could happen at this point. And I had some real issues with how aimless Series C was - it felt out of character that Avon wouldn't really get up to anything in particular (apart from that episode where he shoots his girlfriend). I always thought Avon was too focused of a person to just sit around like that. They also didn't do a very good job of explaining why Cally chose to stick around after Blake's campaign, or what Tarrant was there for. Or why they couldn't find Blake or Jenna. Confusing times.
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Post by burrunjor on Mar 26, 2023 20:11:40 GMT
I agree with you about Servalan. It would've been more effective if she had stayed dead, shown more of the passage of time. Then again, the fact that Cally died and she lived does add an extra edge to her villainy. It feels so grossly unfair. My only real issue is that most of her appearances are rather throwaway. She and Avon only meet twice in the entire season. That being said, Series D is my personal favourite because of the changes I listed, especially Darrow's wild performances and the emphasis on sci-fi westerns (directly inspired by the success of Star Wars, which was at its peak at the time). Even if some of the episodes were poor, the general atmosphere of the show was at its most interesting for me. It really felt like anything could happen at this point. And I had some real issues with how aimless Series C was - it felt out of character that Avon wouldn't really get up to anything in particular (apart from that episode where he shoots his girlfriend). I always thought Avon was too focused of a person to just sit around like that. They also didn't do a very good job of explaining why Cally chose to stick around after Blake's campaign, or what Tarrant was there for. Or why they couldn't find Blake or Jenna. Confusing times. Series C does have a lot of problems. I am currently on it in the rewatch, and have just come through the slog of the one with Auron god and Harvest of Kairos. The former is okay but not really a B7 episode, (and isn't weird enough to stand out like Sarcophagus) and the latter actually manages to surprise you with how shit it is each time LOl. You keep thinking "nah it can't be that bad" only to see that it is. I just don't get why Chris Boucher A/ kept commissioning this guy, and B/ didn't edit out the psycho misogynistic bits of his scripts? Seriously? He wasn't a misogynist at all, on the contrary he always wrote great female characters from Leela to Cally to Servalan? Why did he let these episodes slide? Fortunately I've got a run of classics coming up now, still like you said the lack of a story arc does make it feel more disjointed. I must confess though I can't stop thinking of Barbara Kellerman as Sleer and how hilariously OTT that would be haha. |
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Post by burrunjor on Mar 26, 2023 20:23:17 GMT
Incidentally if we're talking about other overlooked 20th century actors, I was happy to see Terry Scully pop up in the Auron god episode. He was in Seeds of Death playing the traitor who later redeems himself against the Ice Warriors and he was in Survivors another Terry Nation show too.
He always had a lot of gravitas to him. In fact he reminds me a lot of Robert Carlyle, physically and in terms of his mannerisms. He could have easily had that type of career if he'd been luckier.
Still a cool crossover of Terry Nation's two shows and even more so given his character saved Avon and Tarrant.
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Post by rushy on Mar 26, 2023 21:06:16 GMT
I have a soft spot for both Dawn of the Gods and Harvest of Kairos lol. The former is quite imaginative and has a lot of really great banter between the crew. My only real issue with it is the revelation of the dwarf. If they'd kept the Lord Thaarn more mysterious and all-powerful (maybe have him influence the citizens of Krandor), it would've been a lot more effective. Kairos is just dumb, but it's funny. I know Paul Darrow LOVED Power lmfao. He named it as one of the best eight episodes of the series during one of his Marvel magazine interviews.
No idea why Steed got his position. All I know is that he was quite young when he wrote those episodes. Early 20s. I remember that took me by surprise, since he came off as quite a boomer lol.
Love Scully whenever I see him, but I remember reading that he had some psychological issues. He apparently had a nervous breakdown during Survivors. That may have limited his output.
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Post by burrunjor on Mar 26, 2023 22:29:51 GMT
I have a soft spot for both Dawn of the Gods and Harvest of Kairos lol. The former is quite imaginative and has a lot of really great banter between the crew. My only real issue with it is the revelation of the dwarf. If they'd kept the Lord Thaarn more mysterious and all-powerful (maybe have him influence the citizens of Krandor), it would've been a lot more effective. Kairos is just dumb, but it's funny. I know Paul Darrow LOVED Power lmfao. He named it as one of the best eight episodes of the series during one of his Marvel magazine interviews. No idea why Steed got his position. All I know is that he was quite young when he wrote those episodes. Early 20s. I remember that took me by surprise, since he came off as quite a boomer lol. Love Scully whenever I see him, but I remember reading that he had some psychological issues. He apparently had a nervous breakdown during Survivors. That may have limited his output. I don't know why he would have liked Power other than that he got to kiss an attractive actress? However he got to do that in Sarcophagus and Aftermath. (He got to kiss two in Aftermath LOL.) He also didn't have to deliver Ben Steed's insane anti women crap in those other two as well so surely that puts them ahead of that shit fest? Though the line you look so beautiful when you're angry is one of the cheesiest in the shows history LMAO it still works in context. (To be fair she does. If only she had kept the red head look all the time.) |
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Post by burrunjor on Mar 26, 2023 22:32:45 GMT
Quick question who do you guys prefer Avon with? Dayna, Servalan, Soolin or Cally?
Soolin is probably the best match for him as she's cynical and ruthless, but not a vicious sadistic psycho like Servalan, but thanks to Sacrophagus being my introduction to B7 I am definitely an Avon/Cally person like Tanith Lee haha.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2023 22:33:30 GMT
If Ben Steed is still alive I think he should write for the upcoming UNIT spin off. As it is going to be set in Nazi Germany I think Steed's geniune sexist beliefs about women might come in handy in making it more authentic.
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Post by burrunjor on Mar 26, 2023 22:38:18 GMT
If Ben Steed is still alive I think he should write for the upcoming UNIT spin off. As it is going to be set in Nazi Germany I think Steed's geniune sexist beliefs about women might come in handy in making it more authentic. What the hell is this obsession with bringing this argument between other members into threads for the sake of it. There is no need for this fandom drama here. |
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Post by rushy on Mar 26, 2023 22:38:47 GMT
Well, let me put it this way... Darrow's sensibilities weren't THAT far removed from Ben Steed's lol.
He doesn't fixate on gender issues in his books, but he clearly felt there's a certain pattern of behaviour for men and women. Men are usually depicted as rapey and self-indulgent, and women are almost invariably devious femme fatales or sex slaves.
EDIT: Avon/Cally holds my heart, but Avon/Soolin were a great fit and probably would've hooked up as friends with benefits if the show was more adult.
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