Blake's 7 S4 - Review
Aug. 11th, 2024 03:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dickinsonsIt's been a WHILE!
I finished the show ages ago, really, but things happened and I didn't finish writing my review. But I don't want to leave yet another thing unfinished in my life (I already have plenty of abandoned WIPs out there) so I'm going to finally post this. Also, because it's been a while, this review will combine my opinions after first watching the episodes, since I wrote them down at the time, and my current thoughts, considering I've revisited some episodes already (mostly because of the watchalong in the fandom discord!).
One last time: I'm using screencaps from this site and checking the transcripts from this other site. The reviews of previous seasons can be found here:
- Season 1
- Season 2
- Season 3
Rescue was an interesting start to the season. It's such a shame that Cally died, and there wasn't even much of a reaction from the others. One thing I enjoyed about the early part of the episode was Vila saving Tarrant. He doesn't often get to play the hero, and the fact it's Tarrant he saved is great. He never liked him much, did he?
I keep thinking about Dorian, and how charismatic of a character he was. Of course, even the name was taken from Oscar Wilde's book, but I think the character is as memorable as it was because the actor was really good, and he had an enjoyable dynamic with Avon. In fact, this scene here made me think Dorian was subtly hitting on Avon:
Something I really dislike about this episode, and that can be said of others, is that Dayna is suddenly turned into a damsel in distress. Isn't it just absurd to do this to a young woman who we've been told from the start is a skilled fighter? On the other hand, we got yet another skilled fighter, Soolin!
Ah, and, finally, I have to say I'm not fond of Scorpio at all, and Slave I despise as a character. But I need to move on from this first episode already!
Power is certainly an episode of television. You know what the best part of this episode is? Besides the credits, I mean. Well, it's Ben Steed's LAST episode! So after this, you don't have to put up with more of his sexist crap until you start a rewatch!
I genuinely have nothing good to say about this. I guess you could make an argument for the Avon whump, but the stupidity of the "war of the sexes" plot and the treatment of Dayna are so off-putting I really don't want to talk much about this episode. And don't even get me started on that Avon scene and his dialogue. Bizarre is the nicest word I can use.
At least the last scene with Soolin was cool! Yay, Soolin!
Traitor was a decent episode. I'll confess I didn't take many notes on the war plot of the episode, but it was enjoyable, showing once again how twisted the Federation can be, and how people kept trying to rebel against their power.
I loved how Dayna was written here, frankly. She got to kick some ass, which is what she SHOULD be doing more often, and her dynamic with Tarrant was pretty good. I loved this little scene:
It's like he's humming appreciatively at the thought of Dayna in her night clothes. Classic Tarrant (I know he's never been a fan favourite, but what can I say? I like him).
And talking about clothes... What's with the way they used Avon's leather outfit from Redemption on a random civilian who got killed and then Tarrant took it and wore it? That's Tarrant wearing Avon's clothes and you can't fool me, TPTB.
This episode had the great return of Servalan. As Sleer, she's more cruel than ever. Jacqueline Pearce is amazing every single time.
Finally, Forbus was very funny.
Next we have Stardrive, which is... another stinker. At this point in my first watch I was already assuming most of the season would be terrible.
Things that I liked: Vila's physical humour, Soolin shooting a lot of people.
Things I didn't like: errr, everything else?
The Space Rats wore the most ridiculous hair, makeup and clothes ever. That poor doctor was treated like dirt from start to finish, and the (almost) Doctor Who at the end was just... Well. Not very funny to me? But also it might be because I dropped New Who when Moffat kept doing the "Doctor who???" line and I don't want to hear it ever again. Sorry.
One thing I can say is that this is one of the earliest episodes this season that sets the tone for S4 Avon, not in the sense of how much PD was hamming it up by this point (that was clear earlier), but in how ruthless he is.
Oh, dear. It's Animals time. Before this, I'd been wishing for a Dayna-centric episode, and then I had my regrets. To be fair, this wasn't originally written for Cally and not Dayna, which explains why the storyline doesn't quite work, especially because it implies that Justin was a full-on adult, already rather old really, having an affair with a student who was, what, 12 or 13 at the time? What the hell were they thinking?
The bullying of our poor Vila was reaching new heights here, although of course this isn't the peak of the season in that sense... But no one's defending him at all! Even on season 3 when Tarrant was bullying him too much Avon would defend him! Not anymore, because this is SEASON 4! I guess.
The design for the "animals" was kinda sweet, and the concept of genetic experimentation and so on was fine, but everything else... Ew. Poor Dayna.
Headhunter is definitely better than the previous episode. I'd say the quality is pretty decent in the season from this point onwards. Vila being the hero by saving Tarrant again! Good for him. He's the most consistent character in the show, and I like that. Other than him, Avon's the only character from the original crew who's still in the series, so it's nice that at least one of them has consistent writing.
The plot of this one was fun, and I always think it's hilarious when Orac gets possessed or affected by some external force somehow. I loved this bit of dialogue:
Avon got hurt again, which I always appreciate, and if there's one thing I like about this season is that the crew keeps showing that, hey, sometimes they don't agree with Avon and will go against his wishes, what's he going to do about it? And so they did that at the end here, and it was nice.
Assassin had a lot going on for a single episode! My notes say that "Servalan is so hot", which I believe was my reaction to her telling Avon to call her mistress. Sorry, I have my weaknesses.
I figured out the twist early on, but I think that's fine. I hate it when writers try to outsmart the audience by writing twists that make no sense just because no one can guess them. Anyway, it really keeps being funny to me how easily Tarrant can be seduced. Mu notes say "you have a beautiful head, USE IT!" Poor Tarrant, his blood was always elsewhere.
Soolin was great in this episode! She got to figure out who the assassin was, although there were some lines there about women in that scene with Tarrant I didn't like. I do like Soolin a lot, and wish they'd used her way more than they did.
As for Piri, I think she was a fun character, and she tied Avon to a table, so that gives her some extra points.
Games is the next episode. Another planet, another visit to the quarry! My favourite part of this episode was probably Vila. He got a lot to do, and his interactions with Gambit were fun. Gambit itself was an interesting idea, and at least this computer finally had a woman's voice. You can't play everyone, Peter Tuddenham!
I guess I didn't think much of this one when I watched it, because I don't have a lot of notes on it. Crystals are always important in B7, which I love. Sci-fi crystals can be so special. I did love the part where they all had to use their skills to pass all the different games: Soolin shooting, Tarrant piloting, Vila opening the lock.
Aaand Sand, the second and last of Tanith Lee's episodes, is here. This is definitely one of my top episodes of the season, which, to be fair, isn't saying much, but it's still worth mentioning.
The planet setting and the effects look very cheap and dated, unfortunately, but that's a very minor problem for me, to be honest. Servalan's dialogue was really fantastic, such as these lines:
Ah, I understand Tarrant and Servalan needed to be stranded together for the episode to work, but god, they really got rid of poor Dayna rather fast, didn't they? Oh, well. For what is worth, I loved Servalan's seduction of Tarrant. As I said earlier, she's very hot, not only because of her looks, but because of her often dominating, aggressive behaviour (as much as some writers liked to write just the opposite). She's wonderful at caressing men with a gun, you know. Although there isn't much merit in seducing Tarrant: a flutter of the eyelashes and some pouting will do the trick. But it's Servalan we're talking about, so that won't do.
This dialogue was just very memorable:
And it's only made even more memorable when you know this came from a real conversation Jacqueline Pearce and Steven Pacey had, and that Tanith Lee liked so much she decided to include in the actual script.
...Bear with me, because apparently I have a lot to say about this episode.
Now, I liked the vampiric sand as a concept, but I'm still not entirely sure how much of an influence it exerts on people. Surely Tarrant and Servalan wouldn't have ended up in bed without it, right? At least considering Servalan played a role in Deeta's death and, well, Dayna's dad's too. Obviously Orac was influenced, which resulted in a very funny scene. But was the dominant male Avon thing necessary, really? I feel like they were really overdoing the macho thing with Avon this season, and PD was on a power trip.
Just to finish talking about these two, the fact Tarrant told them he had slept with Servalan knowing Dayna's feelings on the matter was insane. And, finally, regarding Servalan's heartfelt confession about her first love, at first I thought it was just one more lie or manipulative technique, but it turns out it was true (no doubt some kind of influence from the sand). I understand Lee was aiming to show a side of Servalan not often seen in the show, which makes me think of her dialogue with Kasabi in Pressure Point, a glimpse into a past Servalan who was vulnerable and is still hidden inside her. However, I have to say it doesn't quite match the tone of Servalan's writing in the rest of this season, which isn't really a criticism of Lee's writing per se. It's just a season where everyone's ruthless, so it doesn't quite match.
One more thing I liked about this episode: Vila mentioning Cally's death! Finally, someone remembered and mentioned it. Thank you!
The next episode is Gold, which I thought was fun. It's certainly funny that Avon's friends keep popping up. Who are these people? Do they message each other or are they just friends because they worked together at some point and owe each other a debt? Who even knows what Avon's definition of friendship is, really!
The little scheme they prepared was fun to watch. I particularly loved seeing Tarrant and Soolin as a gunslinger duo. Of course things had to start going wrong near the end, but hey, they made it work! Although PD falling was always just a bit ridiculous to see, sorry to say.
I think the last scenes of the episode were the best: Servalan and Avon flirting by trying to outsmart each other, all of this being witnessed by Tarrant after recently bedding Servalan and thinking that he got her like no one did or something, and then them realising they had been played and Avon laughing at their misfortune, as he always did.
Orbit is definitely one of my fave Blake's 7 episodes. I just can't believe how much I enjoyed it! You'll forgive me for my choice of screencaps here, but I couldn't pass the opportunity.
You really have to thank Robert Holmes for the way he wrote Avon and Vila, and I can imagine it was a challenge to work with the season 4 version of these characters, particularly in the case of Avon. He's really such a different man, no wonder things get pretty dark. But still, the way they talk in the first scenes when they're alone together is reminiscent of Gambit in that Vila is truly thinking about how much money they'll earn, what he'll do when he's rich, and so on. Although, as I said, Avon is a different man now.
Egrorian and Pinder are hilarious, and Avon and Vila's back and forth while Servalan showed up and both sides planned on outsmarting the other was really exciting to watch. This script seemed super tight to me! The Orac scheme worked perfectly.
And of course, I can't not include one of the most chilling moments in the show:
That moment of realisation in the dark of the shuttle, the way Avon raises his guns and calls for Vila, the shot of Vila hidden and fearing for his life, both covered in sweat. I know it changed everything between the characters and some people don't like it, but I thought the writing, acting and directing here were excellent. I might have yelled so much at the screen someone at home checked on me because they thought something was wrong. Well, in my defence, something was VERY wrong!
Those last shots of the episode, and Avon's final line, are just so very memorable:
The next and last entry in the horndog Tarrant universe: Warlord. Well, I shouldn't be so cruel. Zeeona was actually nice, in spite of her abysmal hair, which I describe as Stephanie from Lazy Town after a night out.
Avon is doing politics, yay! But everyone's more worried about Tarrant's love story, I guess! I loved Vila rolling his eyes at the couple, lol. Me too, buddy. Soolin helping Tarrant and Zeeona was really sweet, and I love how she doesn't give a damn about what Avon wants. Still, they were a great duo, and they looked good in those jumpsuits!
Servalan's role here was great, although I don't think it's what her last appearance deserved, you know?
And, finally, the wonderful Blake.
I know this is a controversial episode, and I agree with some of the criticisms. But, emotionally, it landed for me, and that's what always matters to me the most, especially in a first watch. Thank you, Chris Boucher and Mary Ridge.
Okay, I just realised now that somehow I never finished my notes on this episode. But that's fine, because everything's right here in my head.
Blake's appearance is shocking, the scarred face and the way he's alone in the woods, as well as his interactions with Arlen. I think the script was in general pretty good at disguising what was really going on in a plausible way, which then hits you as you know what it looks like for the others and you can tell it's going to end badly. The way Avon speaks about Blake is so bitter, but this is the same man who was oh so desperate to find him at Terminal.
Then, the crash. Tarrant was the hero here, and I was happy to see it. To be fair, he WAS the pilot, but he saved the day and even survived. Seeing Blake and Tarrant interact was interesting, firstly because Tarrant was a sort of replacement for Blake, and secondly because this is their first time meeting and he's getting an impression of Blake based on it and the contrast between what he's seeing and what the others have said. I was sad to hear that Jenna died off screen! But at least it came from Blake's mouth, and Gareth Thomas is really good in this episode.
It's so tragic how everything goes down, but so satisfying in the same way a Shakespearean tragedy is when it all comes together for the fatal ending. Blake has been working hard to gather more rebels, disguising himself as a bounty hunter to test everyone in case they're a spy. It feels like a bit too much, but can you blame him? Of course, this leads to the misunderstanding of his intentions by Tarrant, and Avon believes Blake had betrayed him.
The way Blake and Avon finally meet is just a wonderful piece of television, and yes, Blake could've explained himself better, Avon could have waited and not overreacted as he did. But isn't it a fantastic scene as it is, just a classic misunderstanding that ends in tragedy and you can't really blame anyone?
Blake's final moments as he finally grabs Avon and calls his name, then falls dead at his feet as Avon watches his in horror... Ah, what can I say? I just love the parallels between this episode, these scenes and Rumours of Death, another Boucher episode that I adored. The show really had to end with Avon and Blake, and the parallel makes it all the more tragic. The two people Avon loved killed by his own hand, the first had betrayed him so he thought the second did, too.
And immediately we find out Arlen was a Federation spy, so Blake was right to suspect (but not good enough to detect this one), and the troopers storm in. Now they know Blake hadn't betrayed him, and their mistake had ruined everything. The choice to show their deaths in slow mo isn't my favourite, but in a way I guess it heightens the drama. The ending might be my favourite part of the episode (I'm not sure, though; it's just really good in general): Avon, surrounded by troopers, straddles Blake's body and looks down at his face, then raises his weapon and smiles.
I keep thinking about that acting choice of straddling Blake and studying his face. Was this Avon simply choosing to protect Blake's body until the very end? Was he trying to die by his side, to summon his spirit and try to win an impossible battle? Was he trying to stand by his side even after his death, to continue what he couldn't finish, inheriting his role?
I don't know, and that's fine. I'm just glad the show got a fantastic ending, not in spite but thanks to its tragedy. I think it's effective and matches the dark tone of the show, often pessimistic, and it closes the story of Blake and Avon in a satisfying way. Of course, it also was written to accommodate a possible season 5 that never came, so, technically, one could imagine that Avon survives, or that some of the others survive, except for Blake. It's an intriguing ending in many ways, and sometimes I come back to this line, spoken by Avon and later by Blake, and consider that, as bleak as the ending is, it also points to something that goes beyond the characters as individuals against the Federation:
So, no matter how many die, how bleak everything seems, there will always be more people willing to fight, rebel, resist against the Federation. I don't think this is what most people think about this episode and how it ends, so maybe I'm wrong, but, to quote a character from a different show:
This was the worse season overall, although it had some very enjoyable moments. The loss of Zen and the Liberator was really heavy on the show, as well as Cally's. Season 3 struggled to work without Blake as a leader, but I think ultimately it was enjoyable and allowed the show to have episodes that couldn't have been done before Blake left. However, the departure from the original dynamics of the show went too far here, and as much as I like the tragic ending, characters like Avon and Servalan suffered a lot in being pushed to be more ruthless than ever. No Blake and no Cally = chaos.
Still, the season had its highlights, from the fantastic ideas of Tanith Lee in Sand to the amazing script of Orbit, and, of course, the beautifully executed finale of Blake. Watching this in 2024, it really landed for me in a way most show finales haven't. The tragedy feels earned, the culmination of a relationship that was as intense as it was complicated from the start, and, even more than that, it's part of the bigger picture of the war against the Federation.
After what this season was like, and considering Gareth Thomas didn't want to return at all, I think ending the show here was the best move. Of course, it could've ended with Terminal, but I like this ending, too.
I loved this show, and I've already rewatched some episodes, posted fic, vids, even some art. I wish more people who, like me, are too young to have watched this show's original run or re-runs and who love old school sci-fi would give this show a try! Trust me, I've already recommended it thoroughly, and will continue to do so :D. Thanks for reading!!
I finished the show ages ago, really, but things happened and I didn't finish writing my review. But I don't want to leave yet another thing unfinished in my life (I already have plenty of abandoned WIPs out there) so I'm going to finally post this. Also, because it's been a while, this review will combine my opinions after first watching the episodes, since I wrote them down at the time, and my current thoughts, considering I've revisited some episodes already (mostly because of the watchalong in the fandom discord!).
One last time: I'm using screencaps from this site and checking the transcripts from this other site. The reviews of previous seasons can be found here:
- Season 1
- Season 2
- Season 3
Episode by episode review
Rescue was an interesting start to the season. It's such a shame that Cally died, and there wasn't even much of a reaction from the others. One thing I enjoyed about the early part of the episode was Vila saving Tarrant. He doesn't often get to play the hero, and the fact it's Tarrant he saved is great. He never liked him much, did he?
I keep thinking about Dorian, and how charismatic of a character he was. Of course, even the name was taken from Oscar Wilde's book, but I think the character is as memorable as it was because the actor was really good, and he had an enjoyable dynamic with Avon. In fact, this scene here made me think Dorian was subtly hitting on Avon:
DORIAN: The room exists, Avon. And since I found it I haven't aged one day. It cleanses me of all the corruptions of time and appetite.
AVON: Appetite?
DORIAN: I can do anything, Avon.
AVON: Most madmen can.
DORIAN: I can indulge any taste, any sensation, any vice I wish and the room ...
AVON: Cleanses you.
Something I really dislike about this episode, and that can be said of others, is that Dayna is suddenly turned into a damsel in distress. Isn't it just absurd to do this to a young woman who we've been told from the start is a skilled fighter? On the other hand, we got yet another skilled fighter, Soolin!
Ah, and, finally, I have to say I'm not fond of Scorpio at all, and Slave I despise as a character. But I need to move on from this first episode already!
Power is certainly an episode of television. You know what the best part of this episode is? Besides the credits, I mean. Well, it's Ben Steed's LAST episode! So after this, you don't have to put up with more of his sexist crap until you start a rewatch!
I genuinely have nothing good to say about this. I guess you could make an argument for the Avon whump, but the stupidity of the "war of the sexes" plot and the treatment of Dayna are so off-putting I really don't want to talk much about this episode. And don't even get me started on that Avon scene and his dialogue. Bizarre is the nicest word I can use.
At least the last scene with Soolin was cool! Yay, Soolin!
Traitor was a decent episode. I'll confess I didn't take many notes on the war plot of the episode, but it was enjoyable, showing once again how twisted the Federation can be, and how people kept trying to rebel against their power.
I loved how Dayna was written here, frankly. She got to kick some ass, which is what she SHOULD be doing more often, and her dynamic with Tarrant was pretty good. I loved this little scene:
DAYNA: Oh well, it looks like we're stuck here, Tarrant. I knew I should have brought my night clothes.
TARRANT: Hmm.
It's like he's humming appreciatively at the thought of Dayna in her night clothes. Classic Tarrant (I know he's never been a fan favourite, but what can I say? I like him).
And talking about clothes... What's with the way they used Avon's leather outfit from Redemption on a random civilian who got killed and then Tarrant took it and wore it? That's Tarrant wearing Avon's clothes and you can't fool me, TPTB.
This episode had the great return of Servalan. As Sleer, she's more cruel than ever. Jacqueline Pearce is amazing every single time.
Finally, Forbus was very funny.
Next we have Stardrive, which is... another stinker. At this point in my first watch I was already assuming most of the season would be terrible.
Things that I liked: Vila's physical humour, Soolin shooting a lot of people.
Things I didn't like: errr, everything else?
The Space Rats wore the most ridiculous hair, makeup and clothes ever. That poor doctor was treated like dirt from start to finish, and the (almost) Doctor Who at the end was just... Well. Not very funny to me? But also it might be because I dropped New Who when Moffat kept doing the "Doctor who???" line and I don't want to hear it ever again. Sorry.
One thing I can say is that this is one of the earliest episodes this season that sets the tone for S4 Avon, not in the sense of how much PD was hamming it up by this point (that was clear earlier), but in how ruthless he is.
Oh, dear. It's Animals time. Before this, I'd been wishing for a Dayna-centric episode, and then I had my regrets. To be fair, this wasn't originally written for Cally and not Dayna, which explains why the storyline doesn't quite work, especially because it implies that Justin was a full-on adult, already rather old really, having an affair with a student who was, what, 12 or 13 at the time? What the hell were they thinking?
The bullying of our poor Vila was reaching new heights here, although of course this isn't the peak of the season in that sense... But no one's defending him at all! Even on season 3 when Tarrant was bullying him too much Avon would defend him! Not anymore, because this is SEASON 4! I guess.
The design for the "animals" was kinda sweet, and the concept of genetic experimentation and so on was fine, but everything else... Ew. Poor Dayna.
Headhunter is definitely better than the previous episode. I'd say the quality is pretty decent in the season from this point onwards. Vila being the hero by saving Tarrant again! Good for him. He's the most consistent character in the show, and I like that. Other than him, Avon's the only character from the original crew who's still in the series, so it's nice that at least one of them has consistent writing.
The plot of this one was fun, and I always think it's hilarious when Orac gets possessed or affected by some external force somehow. I loved this bit of dialogue:
ORAC: Join us, Soolin. We can fulfill your every desire.
SOOLIN: [Deactivates Orac.] You wouldn't know where to start.
Avon got hurt again, which I always appreciate, and if there's one thing I like about this season is that the crew keeps showing that, hey, sometimes they don't agree with Avon and will go against his wishes, what's he going to do about it? And so they did that at the end here, and it was nice.
Assassin had a lot going on for a single episode! My notes say that "Servalan is so hot", which I believe was my reaction to her telling Avon to call her mistress. Sorry, I have my weaknesses.
I figured out the twist early on, but I think that's fine. I hate it when writers try to outsmart the audience by writing twists that make no sense just because no one can guess them. Anyway, it really keeps being funny to me how easily Tarrant can be seduced. Mu notes say "you have a beautiful head, USE IT!" Poor Tarrant, his blood was always elsewhere.
Soolin was great in this episode! She got to figure out who the assassin was, although there were some lines there about women in that scene with Tarrant I didn't like. I do like Soolin a lot, and wish they'd used her way more than they did.
As for Piri, I think she was a fun character, and she tied Avon to a table, so that gives her some extra points.
Games is the next episode. Another planet, another visit to the quarry! My favourite part of this episode was probably Vila. He got a lot to do, and his interactions with Gambit were fun. Gambit itself was an interesting idea, and at least this computer finally had a woman's voice. You can't play everyone, Peter Tuddenham!
I guess I didn't think much of this one when I watched it, because I don't have a lot of notes on it. Crystals are always important in B7, which I love. Sci-fi crystals can be so special. I did love the part where they all had to use their skills to pass all the different games: Soolin shooting, Tarrant piloting, Vila opening the lock.
Aaand Sand, the second and last of Tanith Lee's episodes, is here. This is definitely one of my top episodes of the season, which, to be fair, isn't saying much, but it's still worth mentioning.
The planet setting and the effects look very cheap and dated, unfortunately, but that's a very minor problem for me, to be honest. Servalan's dialogue was really fantastic, such as these lines:
SERVALAN: There is something you should realise. There are no women like me. I am unique. That makes me rather dangerous. Good night, Investigator. [Reeve stands and walks over to the assistant.] Sweet dreams.
Ah, I understand Tarrant and Servalan needed to be stranded together for the episode to work, but god, they really got rid of poor Dayna rather fast, didn't they? Oh, well. For what is worth, I loved Servalan's seduction of Tarrant. As I said earlier, she's very hot, not only because of her looks, but because of her often dominating, aggressive behaviour (as much as some writers liked to write just the opposite). She's wonderful at caressing men with a gun, you know. Although there isn't much merit in seducing Tarrant: a flutter of the eyelashes and some pouting will do the trick. But it's Servalan we're talking about, so that won't do.
This dialogue was just very memorable:
SERVALAN: Oh, Tarrant. I'm just the girl next door.
TARRANT: If you were the girl next door, I'd move.
SERVALAN: Where would you move to, Tarrant?
TARRANT: Next door?
And it's only made even more memorable when you know this came from a real conversation Jacqueline Pearce and Steven Pacey had, and that Tanith Lee liked so much she decided to include in the actual script.
...Bear with me, because apparently I have a lot to say about this episode.
Now, I liked the vampiric sand as a concept, but I'm still not entirely sure how much of an influence it exerts on people. Surely Tarrant and Servalan wouldn't have ended up in bed without it, right? At least considering Servalan played a role in Deeta's death and, well, Dayna's dad's too. Obviously Orac was influenced, which resulted in a very funny scene. But was the dominant male Avon thing necessary, really? I feel like they were really overdoing the macho thing with Avon this season, and PD was on a power trip.
Just to finish talking about these two, the fact Tarrant told them he had slept with Servalan knowing Dayna's feelings on the matter was insane. And, finally, regarding Servalan's heartfelt confession about her first love, at first I thought it was just one more lie or manipulative technique, but it turns out it was true (no doubt some kind of influence from the sand). I understand Lee was aiming to show a side of Servalan not often seen in the show, which makes me think of her dialogue with Kasabi in Pressure Point, a glimpse into a past Servalan who was vulnerable and is still hidden inside her. However, I have to say it doesn't quite match the tone of Servalan's writing in the rest of this season, which isn't really a criticism of Lee's writing per se. It's just a season where everyone's ruthless, so it doesn't quite match.
One more thing I liked about this episode: Vila mentioning Cally's death! Finally, someone remembered and mentioned it. Thank you!
The next episode is Gold, which I thought was fun. It's certainly funny that Avon's friends keep popping up. Who are these people? Do they message each other or are they just friends because they worked together at some point and owe each other a debt? Who even knows what Avon's definition of friendship is, really!
The little scheme they prepared was fun to watch. I particularly loved seeing Tarrant and Soolin as a gunslinger duo. Of course things had to start going wrong near the end, but hey, they made it work! Although PD falling was always just a bit ridiculous to see, sorry to say.
I think the last scenes of the episode were the best: Servalan and Avon flirting by trying to outsmart each other, all of this being witnessed by Tarrant after recently bedding Servalan and thinking that he got her like no one did or something, and then them realising they had been played and Avon laughing at their misfortune, as he always did.
Orbit is definitely one of my fave Blake's 7 episodes. I just can't believe how much I enjoyed it! You'll forgive me for my choice of screencaps here, but I couldn't pass the opportunity.
You really have to thank Robert Holmes for the way he wrote Avon and Vila, and I can imagine it was a challenge to work with the season 4 version of these characters, particularly in the case of Avon. He's really such a different man, no wonder things get pretty dark. But still, the way they talk in the first scenes when they're alone together is reminiscent of Gambit in that Vila is truly thinking about how much money they'll earn, what he'll do when he's rich, and so on. Although, as I said, Avon is a different man now.
Egrorian and Pinder are hilarious, and Avon and Vila's back and forth while Servalan showed up and both sides planned on outsmarting the other was really exciting to watch. This script seemed super tight to me! The Orac scheme worked perfectly.
And of course, I can't not include one of the most chilling moments in the show:
AVON: Dammit, what weighs seventy kilos?
ORAC: Vila weighs seventy-three kilos, Avon.
That moment of realisation in the dark of the shuttle, the way Avon raises his guns and calls for Vila, the shot of Vila hidden and fearing for his life, both covered in sweat. I know it changed everything between the characters and some people don't like it, but I thought the writing, acting and directing here were excellent. I might have yelled so much at the screen someone at home checked on me because they thought something was wrong. Well, in my defence, something was VERY wrong!
Those last shots of the episode, and Avon's final line, are just so very memorable:
AVON: Well, as you always say, Vila: you know you are safe with ME.
The next and last entry in the horndog Tarrant universe: Warlord. Well, I shouldn't be so cruel. Zeeona was actually nice, in spite of her abysmal hair, which I describe as Stephanie from Lazy Town after a night out.
Avon is doing politics, yay! But everyone's more worried about Tarrant's love story, I guess! I loved Vila rolling his eyes at the couple, lol. Me too, buddy. Soolin helping Tarrant and Zeeona was really sweet, and I love how she doesn't give a damn about what Avon wants. Still, they were a great duo, and they looked good in those jumpsuits!
Servalan's role here was great, although I don't think it's what her last appearance deserved, you know?
And, finally, the wonderful Blake.
I know this is a controversial episode, and I agree with some of the criticisms. But, emotionally, it landed for me, and that's what always matters to me the most, especially in a first watch. Thank you, Chris Boucher and Mary Ridge.
Okay, I just realised now that somehow I never finished my notes on this episode. But that's fine, because everything's right here in my head.
Blake's appearance is shocking, the scarred face and the way he's alone in the woods, as well as his interactions with Arlen. I think the script was in general pretty good at disguising what was really going on in a plausible way, which then hits you as you know what it looks like for the others and you can tell it's going to end badly. The way Avon speaks about Blake is so bitter, but this is the same man who was oh so desperate to find him at Terminal.
Then, the crash. Tarrant was the hero here, and I was happy to see it. To be fair, he WAS the pilot, but he saved the day and even survived. Seeing Blake and Tarrant interact was interesting, firstly because Tarrant was a sort of replacement for Blake, and secondly because this is their first time meeting and he's getting an impression of Blake based on it and the contrast between what he's seeing and what the others have said. I was sad to hear that Jenna died off screen! But at least it came from Blake's mouth, and Gareth Thomas is really good in this episode.
It's so tragic how everything goes down, but so satisfying in the same way a Shakespearean tragedy is when it all comes together for the fatal ending. Blake has been working hard to gather more rebels, disguising himself as a bounty hunter to test everyone in case they're a spy. It feels like a bit too much, but can you blame him? Of course, this leads to the misunderstanding of his intentions by Tarrant, and Avon believes Blake had betrayed him.
The way Blake and Avon finally meet is just a wonderful piece of television, and yes, Blake could've explained himself better, Avon could have waited and not overreacted as he did. But isn't it a fantastic scene as it is, just a classic misunderstanding that ends in tragedy and you can't really blame anyone?
Blake's final moments as he finally grabs Avon and calls his name, then falls dead at his feet as Avon watches his in horror... Ah, what can I say? I just love the parallels between this episode, these scenes and Rumours of Death, another Boucher episode that I adored. The show really had to end with Avon and Blake, and the parallel makes it all the more tragic. The two people Avon loved killed by his own hand, the first had betrayed him so he thought the second did, too.
And immediately we find out Arlen was a Federation spy, so Blake was right to suspect (but not good enough to detect this one), and the troopers storm in. Now they know Blake hadn't betrayed him, and their mistake had ruined everything. The choice to show their deaths in slow mo isn't my favourite, but in a way I guess it heightens the drama. The ending might be my favourite part of the episode (I'm not sure, though; it's just really good in general): Avon, surrounded by troopers, straddles Blake's body and looks down at his face, then raises his weapon and smiles.
I keep thinking about that acting choice of straddling Blake and studying his face. Was this Avon simply choosing to protect Blake's body until the very end? Was he trying to die by his side, to summon his spirit and try to win an impossible battle? Was he trying to stand by his side even after his death, to continue what he couldn't finish, inheriting his role?
I don't know, and that's fine. I'm just glad the show got a fantastic ending, not in spite but thanks to its tragedy. I think it's effective and matches the dark tone of the show, often pessimistic, and it closes the story of Blake and Avon in a satisfying way. Of course, it also was written to accommodate a possible season 5 that never came, so, technically, one could imagine that Avon survives, or that some of the others survive, except for Blake. It's an intriguing ending in many ways, and sometimes I come back to this line, spoken by Avon and later by Blake, and consider that, as bleak as the ending is, it also points to something that goes beyond the characters as individuals against the Federation:
SOOLIN: (...) Your anti-Federation alliance wasn't worth spit without Zukan.
AVON: A slight exaggeration.
SOOLIN: You think so?
AVON: Nobody is indispensable.
BLAKE: (...) Relax, Deva. Nobody's indispensable.
So, no matter how many die, how bleak everything seems, there will always be more people willing to fight, rebel, resist against the Federation. I don't think this is what most people think about this episode and how it ends, so maybe I'm wrong, but, to quote a character from a different show:
No dictator, no invader, can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand. The Centauri learned this lesson once. We will teach it to them again. Though it take a thousand years, we will be free.
General thoughts on the season
This was the worse season overall, although it had some very enjoyable moments. The loss of Zen and the Liberator was really heavy on the show, as well as Cally's. Season 3 struggled to work without Blake as a leader, but I think ultimately it was enjoyable and allowed the show to have episodes that couldn't have been done before Blake left. However, the departure from the original dynamics of the show went too far here, and as much as I like the tragic ending, characters like Avon and Servalan suffered a lot in being pushed to be more ruthless than ever. No Blake and no Cally = chaos.
Still, the season had its highlights, from the fantastic ideas of Tanith Lee in Sand to the amazing script of Orbit, and, of course, the beautifully executed finale of Blake. Watching this in 2024, it really landed for me in a way most show finales haven't. The tragedy feels earned, the culmination of a relationship that was as intense as it was complicated from the start, and, even more than that, it's part of the bigger picture of the war against the Federation.
After what this season was like, and considering Gareth Thomas didn't want to return at all, I think ending the show here was the best move. Of course, it could've ended with Terminal, but I like this ending, too.
I loved this show, and I've already rewatched some episodes, posted fic, vids, even some art. I wish more people who, like me, are too young to have watched this show's original run or re-runs and who love old school sci-fi would give this show a try! Trust me, I've already recommended it thoroughly, and will continue to do so :D. Thanks for reading!!
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Date: 2024-08-12 08:32 am (UTC)Well you know I'm going to give you all my thoughts now đ
RescueâI was annoyed that Tarrant wasnât more grateful to Vila, he didnât even say thanks for saving my life, did he? Very bad manners from a Federation academy officer, who I thought would know better. I think it was just bad writing though. The shows of the 1970s didnât really have any character development and no one reacted to situations much did they.
And yes, Dorian was chatting up Avon for sure!
Traitorâyes, Tarrant was wearing Avonâs clothes! That could mean some interesting shenanigans had taken place on the Scorpio eh? Haha. I think in this season, Avon was definitely starting to prefer Tarrant to Vila.
Headhunterâas you know, I love this episode for Reasons (i.e. The very first scene, haha!). But it really reminds me of the Terminator. âAn unstoppable android chasing after our heroes and nothing can stop him.â Avon even says, âI'll be backâ in this episode! This episode got me thinking that Avon might actually be a Terminator himself. Everything about him fits being a Terminator, or at least a hybrid. Same with Travis #1. He even had the cybernetic eye and arm of a Terminator. I like the idea that Avon and Travis are somehow left over tech from a Terminator war. I also like the crew being forced to work together and help each other for onceâthat will always interest me. And Avon was quite heroic in the end, almost killing himself to save everyone.
I also liked Veena and Avonâs relationshipâthey fancied each other for sure and IMO she would have been a nice, soothing, comforting girlfriend for him. But hey this is Blakeâs 7 so she had to die!
But again, why was there no reaction to this episode? Iâd expect the next episode to show the crew liking each other more as theyâd had to work together to save each other. ButâŠnothingâŠ
Gamesâthis is the first episode I can see Vila is not scared of Tarrant anymore. When he wants some dust, he just grabs Tarrantâs boot and uses that, he doesnât feel he has to even ask, heâs so sure that Tarrant wonât hurt him. Tarrant protests but he doesnât do anything to Vila. Interesting!
Sandâwhile I didnât especially like this episode, there were some good aspects of it. I'm now intrigued by what conversation Jacqueline and Steven had to cause this episode!! Lol.
And when Tarrant said, âTry to remember I have a gun.â I so hoped Servalan was going to reply, âor are you just pleased to see me?â as they were standing so close.đ
Good old Vila, still thinking about Cally. If only sheâd survived ehâŠAnd as for Tarrant, why on earth did he tell everyone that heâd slept with Servalan? A crazy thing to do. Was he showing off? Trying to annoy them? Was he still affected by the sand and just blurting out the truth?
Goldâthat was very interesting for many reasons, I enjoyed it. Avon and Soolin made a handsome and dynamic couple! People have suggested Avon and Soolin had âan arrangementâ of some kindâfuckbuddies or something to get rid of their sexual frustrationâand I can well believe it, as I suspect Dayna and Tarrant had that kind of relationship too. Leaving poor Vila out!
Again there was no reaction to Tarrant and Servalan sleeping together. Although I did think Tarrant looked a bit miffed that she ignored him to focus on Avon instead.
I also think Vila nearly let Avon die in this episode, in the airlock, and he certainly didnât care that he survived, so maybe it was the precursor to Orbit?
Warlordâcontrary to popular opinion, I think we saw some reaction to Orbit in this episode. Avon and Vila were clearly avoiding each other. Dayna and Soolin seemed to know that Vila needed support. Dayna was almost cuddling Vila in one scene and glaring at Avon. She and Zeeona protected Vila when Tarrant tried to beat him up later. Even Tarrant was nice to Vila in the very first scenes of the episode, although that didnât last. And when he said something nasty about Vila later on, Soolin just glared at him and didnât join in the ridicule.
Stephanie from Lazy Town, yes! Hahahaha. I also loved the way that Soolin was really bossing Avon around when they went down to the planet. I think Avon was still reeling from Orbit and not feeling himself tbh.
BlakeâI loved the way everyone behaved the opposite to their normal way. Vila was brave and beat up Arlen. Tarrant was heroic and saved everyone. Avon had an emotional outburst all over Blake. Good writing and acting. But I will never believe Jenna died, she is still out there somewhere, smuggling.
I read that Paul Darrow said he chose to stand over Blake like that because Avon was thinking âyouâre not taking him. Youâll have to kill me first before you take him from me.â So thatâs interesting.
I must say I thought the ending was a cop out, but as they were hoping for season 5, it makes some sense.
And I did really miss the Liberator and Zenâthe scenes from season 3 when they died were heartbreaking. I was more heartbroken by their deaths than the crew's deaths in season 4. Hahaha.
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Date: 2024-09-13 09:08 pm (UTC)I'm in a Discord server with other B7 fans (I can share the link if you want to join, btw!) and we rewatch an episode every Saturday. Since we're rewatching season 4 now, we've been talking about how often Vila keeps saving Tarrant! It's really remarkable. Tarrant should've been more grateful for sure.
The shows of the 1970s didnât really have any character development and no one reacted to situations much did they.
Yeah, it's usually like that with episodic shows, I think. Sometimes it's truly jarring! For example, Cally died and everyone moved on in about 5 minutes.
That could mean some interesting shenanigans had taken place on the Scorpio eh? Haha.
I think about this A LOT. The Avon/Tarrant fics are to blame!! There aren't many but they're good!
I think in this season, Avon was definitely starting to prefer Tarrant to Vila.
I hadn't considered this before, but that's so interesting to think about! In a way it reflects how Avon has changed, even though the change is VERY jarring and I don't like it.
I also liked Veena and Avonâs relationshipâthey fancied each other for sure and IMO she would have been a nice, soothing, comforting girlfriend for him.
I also got the impression, honestly! Maybe he could've comforted her after the loss of her husband as well.
But again, why was there no reaction to this episode? Iâd expect the next episode to show the crew liking each other more as theyâd had to work together to save each other. ButâŠnothingâŠ
It's really crazy when this happens in episodic shows, because when lighter events happen it's fine, but sometimes someone will die, or have a very traumatic thing happen to them, and the next episode doesn't reflect any change at all.
When he wants some dust, he just grabs Tarrantâs boot and uses that, he doesnât feel he has to even ask, heâs so sure that Tarrant wonât hurt him. Tarrant protests but he doesnât do anything to Vila. Interesting!
I'm glad you're mentioning these things I never considered before, that's very interesting indeed! They get more comfortable with each other in time, don't they?
. I'm now intrigued by what conversation Jacqueline and Steven had to cause this episode!! Lol.
I think they were just joking around, but it's honestly very funny that those "girl next door" lines were actually real lol.
And when Tarrant said, âTry to remember I have a gun.â I so hoped Servalan was going to reply, âor are you just pleased to see me?â as they were standing so close.đ
Ha! She could've totally said that.
And as for Tarrant, why on earth did he tell everyone that heâd slept with Servalan? A crazy thing to do. Was he showing off? Trying to annoy them? Was he still affected by the sand and just blurting out the truth?
Isn't it just crazy? Why would he tell them??? I still don't get it!
Avon and Soolin made a handsome and dynamic couple! People have suggested Avon and Soolin had âan arrangementâ of some kindâfuckbuddies or something to get rid of their sexual frustrationâand I can well believe it, as I suspect Dayna and Tarrant had that kind of relationship too. Leaving poor Vila out!
I could see that! But poor Vilaaa Although I did think Tarrant looked a bit miffed that she ignored him to focus on Avon instead.
YES, I also thought this!! At least I like to think that was why he looked like that.
I also think Vila nearly let Avon die in this episode, in the airlock, and he certainly didnât care that he survived, so maybe it was the precursor to Orbit?
I hadn't considered this either, but that sounds real to me. Their relationship was very fucked up on season 4. I think in general there's a sense of ruthlessness and survival in the season that is shocking sometimes...
Avon and Vila were clearly avoiding each other. Dayna and Soolin seemed to know that Vila needed support. Dayna was almost cuddling Vila in one scene and glaring at Avon. She and Zeeona protected Vila when Tarrant tried to beat him up later.
This makes sense to me! I'll focus on these details when I rewatch :D
I also loved the way that Soolin was really bossing Avon around when they went down to the planet. I think Avon was still reeling from Orbit and not feeling himself tbh.
Soolin is so likeable! And that makes sense about Avon, yeah.
But I will never believe Jenna died, she is still out there somewhere, smuggling.
Yessss, I get you! I like to think this as well. An off screen death for Jenna SUCKS!
I read that Paul Darrow said he chose to stand over Blake like that because Avon was thinking âyouâre not taking him. Youâll have to kill me first before you take him from me.â So thatâs interesting.
I LOVE THIS!! That was so real of him.
And I did really miss the Liberator and Zenâthe scenes from season 3 when they died were heartbreaking. I was more heartbroken by their deaths than the crew's deaths in season 4. Hahaha.
I honestly agree! Zen's death was sooo upsetting, I never recovered from losing the Liberator :( It was such a good ship!!
Thank you for reading and replying <3
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Date: 2024-09-16 11:11 am (UTC)Yes, Tarrant is very ungrateful to Vila! How rude he is.
Itâs funny I was just talking about episodic shows of the 1970s as regards The Professionals (my latest obsession I may just possibly have mentioned! haha) The lack of reaction to big events is truly jarring indeed. Thereâs no character development, changes in relationships, emotionsâŠThe Blakeâs 7 actors complained about it, so did The Professionals actors, probably all actors in the 1970s. Although I think Vila mentioned Cally to Soolin in season 4?
Yes I think Avon started preferring Tarrant in season 4, was it that season when he said something like Tarrant is good material? TO VILA. Like he was underlining the fact: I like Tarrant better than you. It might have been season 3.
It does seem that Tarrant and Vila get more comfortable with each other in time. I think however much those episodic shows ignore peopleâs relationships changing, inevitably they do change, because actors are human and they naturally get more comfortable with each other.
I just noticed that Vila might have let Avon die in Gold in the airlock, I seem to be the only one who thinks that, haha. It would make sense though wouldnât it.
Oh yes, focus on the reactions of everyone when you rewatch WarlordâŠlet me know what you think.
I made sure Jenna was still alive in my continuation story about Blakeâs 7! She is a captain in charge of a smuggling operation and crew. She is a strong woman, she shouldnât die offscreen. I donât think people liked the fate I gave Cally however đŁ But it was just to show what a bastard the Federation is.
I'm the same, I never recovered from the death of the Liberator. The Scorpio was no match for that great ship...
no subject
Date: 2024-10-02 03:50 pm (UTC)You're welcome! And don't worry, I get that. I've had some bad experiences in groups too, so I understand what you mean. I wish you hadn't had those experiences, but at least I'm glad to see Dreamwidth interactions work for you :)
Yes, Tarrant is very ungrateful to Vila! How rude he is.
Right? He can be so unlikeable sometimes.
Although I think Vila mentioned Cally to Soolin in season 4?
Yes! He mentioned her in Sand. I'm convinced it's because Tanith Lee wrote that episode and she seemed to be a fan of Cally. It's baffling when big events have no effect in characters in episodic shows, but of course episodic and serialised shows have both some pros and some cons.
was it that season when he said something like Tarrant is good material? TO VILA.
Wow! I don't really remember that line, but it does sound like season 4 to me, lol.
I think however much those episodic shows ignore peopleâs relationships changing, inevitably they do change, because actors are human and they naturally get more comfortable with each other.
This makes a lot of sense, yes! And also I'm sure if the writers saw two actors had good chemistry or worked together really well they'd write more scenes of their characters together and that would affect their relationship. So in some ways things could change and evolve in episodic shows, just more subtly, probably.
I just noticed that Vila might have let Avon die in Gold in the airlock, I seem to be the only one who thinks that, haha. It would make sense though wouldnât it.
It definitely would!
I made sure Jenna was still alive in my continuation story about Blakeâs 7! She is a captain in charge of a smuggling operation and crew.
Yessss, I love that! She deserved better.
I'm the same, I never recovered from the death of the Liberator. The Scorpio was no match for that great ship...
Rewatching s4 is also making me notice how the inside of the Scorpio has such bland colours, mostly grey, and the crew's outfits (except for Avon's, of course) are also grey, so everything just looks the same and BORING.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-06 04:03 pm (UTC)Talking of Cally and the others who died in Blakeâs 7, I think British TV shows (and real British people) were very wary of dealing with grief, and bereavement in general, until the 21st century. Characters just moved on with their lives and didnât talk about those they had lost (so did people in real life as well.)
There was a show I watched, Howardâs Way, in the 1980s where a young womanâs husband was killed in a horrific accident in the last episode of season 2. When season 3 started, she had left the series and they never mentioned her or her husband again. She was a major character too, the daughter of the hero! It was very odd.
The comments by Avon complimenting Tarrant were in the episode Traitor, from this site (which is very useful for information about Blakeâs 7:) https://www.hermit.org/b7/Episodes/scripts/Traitor.html
VILA: That idiot's looking forward to it. He can't wait to go snooping around Helotrix.
AVON: He's good material, is Tarrant. One of the best.
VILA: He's not the man for the job. Tarrant has about as much subtlety as a Tarzian Warg Strangler. All I'm saying is Tarrant's going to walk straight into trouble and get himself killed or captured. If he's dead he can't talk. But if the Federation find out we're hanging around, we won't stand a chance. Not in this ship. At least in the Liberator we could always outrun them.
AVON: Vila, if the Federation do have some new weapon, the Helots will know all about it. All Tarrant has to do is ask a few questions in the right places. Even your Tarzian Warg Strangler might manage that.
VILA: You think so? Well you'd better give him a list of questions and then a map to find the right places. [Exits]
SOOLIN: Doesn't have much time for Tarrant does he?
AVON: Ah well. Tarrant is brave; young; handsome. [Chuckles] There are three good reasons for anyone not to like him.
I agree about if the writers see good chemistry between actors, I hope they would write more scenes with them together. I think thatâs what happened with Vila and Avon, they were friends offscreen and they kind of gravitated towards each other onscreen.
(and of course my obsession with the chemistry between the actors in The Professionals, but I wonât start talking about that again đ€Ł)
About Jenna: in my story she had an affair with Blake after they left the Liberator, which resulted in her giving birth to their son, Kohl, but she lost track of Blake and so never told him. She brought Kohl up on her own, making a living by smuggling and constantly on the run from the Federation. But then when Kohl is 20-something, he leaves her to go and find his father. So Blake and Jenna meet again, which is awkward.
Oh yes, the Scorpio and the uniforms are so boring! That was a bad idea by the writers/costume department. All the glamour of the Liberator uniforms is gone!!!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-13 09:10 pm (UTC)Really? That's interesting. I had never considered how British people dealt with grief, really. Is there any reason why you think this was true for real people as well, apart from shows? I'm curious!
The comments by Avon complimenting Tarrant were in the episode Traitor, from this site (which is very useful for information about Blakeâs 7:)
I love that site! It's very useful indeed. And oooh, that quote, haha. Oh, Avon, why would you say that to Vila!
I think thatâs what happened with Vila and Avon, they were friends offscreen and they kind of gravitated towards each other onscreen
Probably, yes! I'd also heard that they were very good friends off screen, so it makes sense.
About Jenna: in my story she had an affair with Blake after they left the Liberator, which resulted in her giving birth to their son, Kohl, but she lost track of Blake and so never told him. She brought Kohl up on her own, making a living by smuggling and constantly on the run from the Federation.
Ohh, this sounds good! Jenna deserves a good story, not an off screen death. I like the name that you chose for the kid as well.
All the glamour of the Liberator uniforms is gone!!!
Yes, and no variety either! They mostly wore the same boring costumes all the time!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-14 01:37 pm (UTC)My dad died in the 1980s, there wasnât any counselling available. Counselling was for Americans, or people who were weak. Counselling and therapy are pretty recent things for British people to accept, theyâve always been sneered at and werenât widespread til the 21st century.
British people generally donât like, understand or talk about emotions. I think young people are better about it but as I said, most of us over 40 or so were brought up to hide our emotions, âdonât make a fussâ, âdonât be so sensitiveâ etc.
Yes, my story is here if you want to read it. Jenna is kickass. Itâs 85K though, so be aware! I got really into it.
http://archiveofourown.org/series/3036129
I chose names for the children that were somehow connected to their parents e.g. Kohl and Blake both mean âblackâ. Not very imaginative, haha, but I like them. Avonâs child has a name that is also connected to his, same with Tarrantâs. Vilaâs child's name is more connected to their mum. Hopefully the interactions between the (now much older) Blakeâs 7 original characters and their age 20-something children are meaningful/ funny/ poignant too. They talk about past events like Virn. Also, the Federation is A BASTARD in my story. Really horrible.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 08:57 pm (UTC)That's very sad!
Counselling and therapy are pretty recent things for British people to accept, theyâve always been sneered at and werenât widespread til the 21st century.
You know, my dad, for example, is very much against therapy and even says that depression isn't real. But my mum doesn't share that view, thankfully. I wonder if it's just my dad or if it's a more general thing in his generation and my mum's the weird one!
I think young people are better about it but as I said, most of us over 40 or so were brought up to hide our emotions, âdonât make a fussâ, âdonât be so sensitiveâ etc.
This makes sense to me, since I think on social media etc young people talk a lot about therapy, mental illnesses, sharing emotions and so on so it's probably more accepted in younger generations.
Itâs 85K though, so be aware! I got really into it.
Thank you! I'll save it in my marked for later fics and give it a read one of these days :D It sounds great!
I chose names for the children that were somehow connected to their parents
Cool! It's hard to come up with names for characters but that sounds like a good idea to start with.
Also, the Federation is A BASTARD in my story. Really horrible.
As it should be!!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 10:05 am (UTC)I think luckily for you, your mum is âthe weird oneâ i.e. the healthy one! Of course depression exists. My mum is like your dadâsheâs never believed in mental or emotional health issues, but she has always had huge mental and emotional health problems herself. I realise that now I'm an adultâshe should really have had some kind of counselling long ago but she would never accept it because like most people her age, she thought it was admitting weakness to ask for help.
I hope you enjoy my Blakeâs 7 fic, Children of the 7. I've noticed that lots of people write fics about what could have happened after the real Blake's 7 series finished. There are so many on AO3! But not many people are interested in them, probably because there are so many. But I really got into mine, it was heavily influenced by Babylon 5 in fact. You will see how much! Maybe too influenced by it đ
no subject
Date: 2024-10-25 12:27 pm (UTC)I was under the impression that this depended on where you're from in Britain exactly, but also since I live in a place filled with tourists most of what we actually SEE in real life of Brits is them being drunk and acting accordingly. I understand that isn't fair and I have some British neighbours I've never even seen drunk, but the image we have of Brits here in general is drunk tourists lol.
My mum is like your dadâsheâs never believed in mental or emotional health issues, but she has always had huge mental and emotional health problems herself. I realise that now I'm an adultâshe should really have had some kind of counselling long ago but she would never accept it because like most people her age, she thought it was admitting weakness to ask for help.
See, I think my dad's like your mum in that way too. I don't want to get too personal because it's details about his life and not mine, but he's had a hard life since he was a kid and I think counselling could've helped him better than the alternatives he's sought to cope with it throughout his life. I think he also thinks it's a weakness to admit he needs help.
I've noticed that lots of people write fics about what could have happened after the real Blake's 7 series finished. There are so many on AO3! But not many people are interested in them, probably because there are so many.
Maybe it's also related to what we've discussed previously about us being newbies: older fans have probably read a LOT of post-canon fics already, so they've probably had enough already haha. But we haven't, have we?
But I really got into mine, it was heavily influenced by Babylon 5 in fact. You will see how much! Maybe too influenced by it đ
Ohhh, intriguing! I love Babylon 5!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-26 02:22 pm (UTC)Yes, those drunk tourists are generally an embarrassment to the rest of us. Although there is a lot of drunkenness in Britain generally. I personally think itâs to avoid our emotions. Or so we can confess things while drunk, then say âbut I was drunk, I didnât mean it.â Brits are very screwed up people.
I was told yesterday that we can screen comments on our journals, so only the people having the conversation can see what weâre writing. You can click a button on each comment. But anyway, I donât want to pry into your dadâs life. My mum was nice to me until I was about 17 or 18, then she started getting horrible and never returned to being the nice mum I knew as a child. So I donât know what her problem is.
I agree, those older Blakeâs 7 fans are probably tired of post-canon fics. But yes! We are not! You can talk to me about Blakeâs 7 as much as you like. And/or Babylon 5! I just liked the idea of writing about any children the Blakeâs 7 characters may have had along the way, because they had a lot of sex didnât they? đ
Now one thing about The Professionals which is better than Blakeâs 7âthey donât die in the end!! Apparently the production company wanted to kill off Bodie and Doyle, but the writer couldnât bear to, so he talked them out of it! Hooray! They live on forever in our imagination.
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Date: 2024-11-05 03:59 pm (UTC)There's a lot of this around here, too. Including my family, to be honest. So I totally get it, and it's very sad to see. Especially, I think, because drinking is very social and very normalised, to the point where not drinking at all is seen as weird, so if you have a drinking problem it's REALLY hard to get over it.
My mum was nice to me until I was about 17 or 18, then she started getting horrible and never returned to being the nice mum I knew as a child. So I donât know what her problem is.
That sounds very weird, yeah :/ I think some mothers (maybe fathers too) have ideas of what they want their children to be like as they grow up and dislike it when they're their own selves instead, or when as the kids grow up they can't control them as much as they could before. Maybe it's related to some of that? Although I don't know anything about your particular case, of course!
I just liked the idea of writing about any children the Blakeâs 7 characters may have had along the way, because they had a lot of sex didnât they? đ
They sure did! Some more than others, though, haha.
Now one thing about The Professionals which is better than Blakeâs 7âthey donât die in the end!! Apparently the production company wanted to kill off Bodie and Doyle, but the writer couldnât bear to, so he talked them out of it!
Nice!! I always love a good post-canon story. I can imagine there are many for these two since they'd be easy to think of while respecting canon lol.
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Date: 2024-11-07 04:23 pm (UTC)Yes, my mum liked to be in control, she didn't like it when I or my daughter got minds of our own. She was just always angry and unpredictable so I kept away from her as much as possible because I never knew what to expect.
It's surprising how much sex there is in Blake's 7, of course I never noticed it when I watched it as a pre-teen in the 1970s/80s! But there is. And who knows...babies might have been created!
There are thousands of stories about Bodie and Doyle, although probably not more than Blake's 7. But it is easier with them because they are human, on Earth in a time and place we understand. Blake's 7 is so far into the future with all sorts of sci-fi situations, so I think people find them harder to write about. But I don't know, I'm just rambling đ
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Date: 2024-11-18 11:11 pm (UTC)I'm sorry it's happened to you! It's so annoying and really absurd.
She was just always angry and unpredictable so I kept away from her as much as possible because I never knew what to expect.
You really did the right thing, for you and for your family.
It's surprising how much sex there is in Blake's 7, of course I never noticed it when I watched it as a pre-teen in the 1970s/80s! But there is. And who knows...babies might have been created!
There really was, wasn't it? And a lot of sensual scenes as well. But yes, for sure, babies could've been created! Who knows.
. But it is easier with them because they are human, on Earth in a time and place we understand. Blake's 7 is so far into the future with all sorts of sci-fi situations, so I think people find them harder to write about.
That makes total sense to me! I've written for several sci-fandoms and it can get really tricky. For example, I think I once used a Trek term in one of my early B7 fics... Sacrilege! But it's all made up words and so on, so it's easy to get them mixed up, I think. And some people have a talent for making new stuff up for their fics, or if they know a lot about science they can apply that knowledge to their story. Me? I'm neither of those so I just do what I like, lol.
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Date: 2024-11-21 09:37 am (UTC)That's one thing that annoys me about shows in the 70s, 80s, 90s. Each episode was separate, with little to no repercussions in following episodes. In the 21st century we would see what happened after all the sex and sensual scenes in Blake's 7, the characters would grow and change. As I said, I know the actors got frustrated that they weren't allowed to develop their characters or change at all. Or even be consistent! The Blake's 7 episodes were written by such a range of writers that every episode the characters acted differently, didn't they.
As I probably said, this frustration affected the Professionals actors too, who weren't allowed to develop their characters. Maybe that's what they fought about.
Oh no! You used a Trek term in B7! Off with your head! lol. I don't know anything about science but I made up a few things for my B7 series about their children. At least I think I did, I can't remember very well because I wrote it 2 years ago, lol.
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Date: 2024-12-09 09:42 pm (UTC)Yeah! Particularly with characters like Jenna and Cally I know the actors were upset at how little they got to do or how the characters changed for the worse. This is also an annoying thing of many older shows: how the women are treated. It can be very frustrating to watch!
The Blake's 7 episodes were written by such a range of writers that every episode the characters acted differently, didn't they.
For sure! The Ben Steed episodes... *shudders*
As I probably said, this frustration affected the Professionals actors too, who weren't allowed to develop their characters.
That's sad! Now that we're talking about this, I'm thinking maybe this was also a reason why people wrote so much fic. In stories they could develop the characters more.
I don't know anything about science but I made up a few things for my B7 series about their children.
Hey, that's completely okay! As long as you can sell it well, haha.
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Date: 2024-12-13 02:45 pm (UTC)Although that company, Big Finish, make a lot of Blake's 7 radio dramas, and they are redressing the balance giving the original Jenna/Sally and Cally/Jan their own exciting adventures in the Blakeâs 7 universe.
Yes, the writing in Blakeâs 7 is very, very inconsistent isnât it!
I donât know if my sci fi inventions in my B7 story are convincing or not, I donât think anyoneâs ever going to read Children Of The 7 and let me know! lol. It was weird, people were excited about the first part but the following partsâŠtumbleweed⊠But I donât mind, IIIII enjoyed writing those fics and thatâs my main goal.
I am struggling with the portrayal of women in The Professionals actually. Most of the women are either eye candy or scheming villains. I havenât seen a kickass independent womanâŠyet. I've only watched one series so far though. And the male characters are so sexist and actually hit the women sometimes, especially Bodie, he can be a brute. Doyle isnât so bad. I discussed this with some other fans and we realised that in the 1970s it was seen as macho and manly to knock women about. Whereas obviously now TV shows realise that it is quite the opposite!
I agree about why people wrote (and are still writing) so much fic about The ProfessionalsâŠthey wanted to develop the characters! Bodie and Doyleâs characters have developed in a vast number of directions.
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Date: 2025-01-03 12:43 pm (UTC)Oh yes, you'd told me! It's really embarrassing that they even thought that, and I'm glad they fought against it and won.
Although that company, Big Finish, make a lot of Blake's 7 radio dramas, and they are redressing the balance giving the original Jenna/Sally and Cally/Jan their own exciting adventures in the Blakeâs 7 universe.
I need to listen to those! I've been told they're all available on Spotify for free, which sounds amazing.
It was weird, people were excited about the first part but the following partsâŠtumbleweed⊠But I donât mind, IIIII enjoyed writing those fics and thatâs my main goal.
Aw, I'm sorry that happened, but I'm glad you still enjoy writing in spite of that. I think sometimes people will move on to another fandom or maybe they just aren't vibing with where your fic is going, you know?
I am struggling with the portrayal of women in The Professionals actually. Most of the women are either eye candy or scheming villains. I havenât seen a kickass independent womanâŠyet. I've only watched one series so far though. And the male characters are so sexist and actually hit the women sometimes, especially Bodie, he can be a brute.
That's an issue I often have when watching older shows! With due South, for example, I wouldn't say there's a lot of macho stuff going on. Except for Kowalski, maybe, who's named after Stanley Kowalski, Marlon Brando's character in A Streetcar Named Desire. I don't know if you've ever watched the movie or the play, or read it, but the guy beats his wife and he's very much a macho type. In the show, the Kowalski character isn't exactly like that, not really, but his ex-wife is called Stella like in the play, and he's very obsessed with her in a way that reminded me of an awful personal experience I had (not my relationship, but my best friend's) and it was pretty uncomfortable to watch.
Anyway, yes, these old shows, at least many of them, have a sexism issue, one way or another. Sometimes it's more about women being underwritten, or, as is the case of Blake's 7, starting well and then becoming damsels in distress and so on. It's sad to see!
Bodie and Doyleâs characters have developed in a vast number of directions.
That's always so much fun! Reading different ways the characters could go in different fic, it keeps things exciting over the years.
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Date: 2025-01-07 09:46 am (UTC)Yes it is so obvious in old shows that the women are underwritten, or become damsels in distress, or are evil bitches. It annoys me because often the racism and homophobia are noticed decades later and criticised, but not the misogyny. This applies to the Professionals and It Ain't Half Hot Mum, another show I was very interested in previously. People complain about It Ain't Half Hot Mum for being racist and homophobic but there is misogynism too, and that isn't commented on.
I had no idea that Kowalski was named after the one in Streetcar! I havenât read or seen that story but I know what itâs about. Gosh what a strange thing to put in a drama/comedy show.
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Date: 2025-01-27 08:53 pm (UTC)You're right about the misogyny not being as criticised as the other things. I wonder why that is, maybe people aren't as offended by it? It's worrying tbh.
"Gosh what a strange thing to put in a drama/comedy show."
From talking to other fans, I believe it was probably just because Paul Gross is such a theatre guy that he wanted to include some references. But I don't know if they've ever discussed their reasons for that choice. I'd be curious to know if they have!
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Date: 2025-01-28 05:28 pm (UTC)It is worrying about the misogyny not being criticised as much as other things, I wonder if itâs because itâs the oldest form of prejudice and people have kind of forgotten about it. They think 'it's just something women have to cope with.' And thereâs a hell of a lot of women who hate other women and say âstop complaining and just stick up for yourselfâ. I came across a petition the other day for free sanitary towels to be put in office toilets. So many women were saying âwhy canât women take sanitary towels with them, my mum taught me to do that from the age of 11, blah blah blahâ. Very unsisterly IMO.
Oh I donât know anything about Paul Gross, so itâs interesting that he is a theatre guy! I only saw him in Tales of the City.
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Date: 2025-02-27 02:42 pm (UTC)I've been there, and it's so frustrating!
I wonder if itâs because itâs the oldest form of prejudice and people have kind of forgotten about it.
Yeah, maybe a lot of behaviours related to it are still normalised and people don't question them or think they matter. But they do!
Very unsisterly IMO.
Absolutely, omg. Why would they be against free sanitary towels?
I only saw him in Tales of the City.
Was that any good? I've heard of it but I've never watched it.
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Date: 2025-03-05 12:08 pm (UTC)Tales of the City is great! Really warm and open minded. Paul Gross plays the exact opposite of his role in Due South.