no more mister nice gaius!

What I've been doing

Mon, 04 May 2026 10:20:45 GMT

My neglect of Dreamwidth strikes again. I think I much prefer commenting or posting to other comms than to my own journal anyway, but I've neglected that as well. But I'm not giving up on coming here sometimes and updating lol. So let's see how this format works for me:

What I've been...

Doing: I've had a job since March and my contract ends in a couple of weeks. It was pretty busy early on to the point where I couldn't rest on weekends or holidays, but my workload right now is much more bearable. I've also continued studying German, although not as much as I should so I'm worried about my exams next month. Also, I'm finally trying to get my driver's license: I passed my theory exam back in December and I'm starting my driving lessons TOMORROW. Wish me luck.
Reading: this year I've read Box Hill, Witches Abroad, A Spindle Splintered, Project Hail Mary, and 17776. Not that much, but I've been pretty busy otherwise.
Watching: I've finally started my Classic Who watch and was so excited about it I made my own Excel sheet tracker. I've only watched 66 episodes so far, but I'm having fun. I'm also still constantly rewatching Blake's 7 with the GPSC gang, but I've given up on Emmerdale after almost a full year of watching it daily because it's really boring me to death lately. I'm also enjoying the miniseries Half Man, and watching CBS Beauty and the Beast for the first time.
Writing: I haven't really updated on my writing in ages, so let's link everything I've written since Christmas 2024:
- 5 Times the Department Almost Found Out About Us + 1 Time Someone Did, due South (F/K): this was my Candy Hearts fic last year.
- Shooting Star, Blake's 7 (Zeeona): an angsty Zeeona-centric fic for GPSC's March Madness.
- Allies, Blake's 7 (Servalan/Jenna): a double drabble for GPSC's MayPair.
- A Loaded God Complex and Strike and Cure His Heart, Emmerdale (Robert/Aaron): two smut fics for the Emmerdale kinktober.
- Orac-upon-Avon, Blake's 7 (gen): a humorous body swap fic for GPSC's Crack Fest.
- Five Times Mack Tried to Get John Out of His System, Emmerdale (Mack/John): an unfinished shipfic.
- Better Than Two, Blake's 7 (Dayna/Soolin/Tarrant): a PGP OT3 story, for GPSC's Secret Orac.
- The Iolo Tal Affair, Blake's 7 (Avon/Tarrant): for GPSC's Tropes are Dope fest.
Listening to: I've been trying to get back into listening to podcasts, but I've mainly listened to MBMBAM and The Adventure Zone: Royale. I need to buy better headphones and finally start listening to Blake's 7 audiostories.

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A Thousand Years Later...

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 16:52:41 GMT

Not really, but it feels like it.

Remember those exams I was taking? I passed the first one but failed the second, so ehh. It was my first time failing an exam ever, though, so I'm grateful for the experience. You learn from failure, I guess.

And as soon as I got home that day I had decided I'd start watching the entire Robron storyline and that's exactly what I did. I finished yesterday, so here we are now. Assuming most of you need more context, let's get into it. I've been watching British soaps on and off for 11 years now. I'm Spanish, so they've never aired here, but I got into them because of a specific actor and since I loved the format I kept watching other soaps when a storyline sounded interesting. But I'd never dared to actually sit down and watch the Robron storyline, and yet when I heard that Robert Sugden came back to the show in May, well... I decided to finally watch it. And boy, did I love it. Of course, I got to know the recent state of the show in general, as well as its characters, and I love plenty of them. So, yeah, now you've got me waking up at 7am on weekdays to watch ED.

I'm jobless again now, since my last job finished in late May. I was teaching at a religious high school, which was certainly an Experience. The teens were lovely. Mostly. I'm not very good at managing them as of yet, which I hope changes with experience, because when you teach you do want them to learn, you know? Oh, well.

Due to everything life-related I dropped some bingos I was doing, even the one I was very close to finishing, which is a shame. I'm reluctant to join other events now, considering.

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Late January update

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:37:20 GMT

Guess who had no WiFi for about a week and who's been studying for 5-6 hours every day for the past 11 days... Yep, that's me! I've also been really busy writing for Candy Hearts, so I haven't really had time to post and until TODAY I didn't even have an Internet connection on my laptop. So awful. And the studying is for these exams that are supposed to take place in June and are required to teach in public schools. Wish me luck!

I'll see if I can still complete the Snowflake Challenge! How's everyone doing?

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Snowflake Challenge #3

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 17:02:49 GMT

Challenge #3

In your own space, talk about a fannish opinion you hold that has changed over time.

Well, this wasn't an easy challenge! I'm not one to never change opinions, but I've been in fandom for long and it was hard to find an opinion I remember changing. But I found one!

You see, until a few years ago, I'd go 'NOPE' if I saw a fic was angsty and had a BAD ending. Angst with a happy ending? Sure! Without a happy ending? Why, why would anyone want that, I asked myself. I didn't get it. I thought that, you know, this is fandom, we're here to have fun, fix the parts of canon we aren't happy with and so on, so I didn't understand the point of stories with bad endings. And that didn't exclusively mean something like major character death. I wouldn't read a one-sided ship fic, that sort of thing. I wanted my perfect happy ending, thank you very much!

But now? Boy, do I get it now! I love a messy relationship, a fucked up situation that has no easy solution in sight, a one-sided drama, infidelity... Yes, I still read fic with happy endings! But I'm also open to darker stories that make me cry. I truly get it now! There's so much to explore in fanfiction, and I totally understand if something isn't personally appealing to a particular fan, but all these stories have their audience.

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Comment Bingo / round 6

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 22:41:41 GMT

Here's my card for comment_bingo:

a oneshot	a work posted in 2020	a work by someone you've come across recently	5 drabbles (works of 100 words each)	meta
a work posted in 2017	a fic not on AO3	a fic with more than 5 additional tags	a work from an event from 2024	a work that wasn't created for any challenge
a fic that's under 1k	a fic with multiple chapters	FREE SPACE	a work from an event from 2021	fancomic
an art you go back to	a work that stayed with you in some way	3 works by the same creator	a work from a movie canon	a work from an event from 2018
a work from a Big Bang	leave a comment on tumblr	a fanvid	a work that made you happy	a work from a fandom with a closed canon

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Dear Candy Hearts creator

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 19:36:56 GMT

Thank you so much for creating something for me! I hope you have fun making it, and I’m looking forward to seeing it. Below you’ll find my general likes and DNWs, as well as specific prompts and thoughts on each of the relationships I requested. I understand that, if we choose to write fic, we're only required to write a minimum of 300 words, so of course any of my prompts can be applied to vignettes, for example taking a smaller part of any scenario I propose. Also: treats are welcome!

General likes:

Fake/pretend relationship, hurt/comfort, angst, whump, comedy, character studies, worldbuilding, epistolary, 1st/2nd/3rd person POV, smut, post-canon, stranded together, huddling for warmth, there was only one bed, 5 times + 1 trope, emotional repression, yearning, pining, light or formal BDSM (for M/F I only like femdom), impact play, sex pollen, bondage, lingerie, leather, shoe kink, boot worship, xeno (tentacles, oviposition), fisting, shaving kink, intercrural, orgasm denial, sex tapes, semi-public sex, PWP, porn with feelings.

Fanart likes:

Digital or traditional, a sketch or something more elaborate, it's all fine by me! My general likes apply for the tropes and themes. Some extra ideas for art: tarot cards, postcards, fancomics, domestic moments, physical touch, natural elements… I don’t have specific palette or style likes in general, but in some of my requests I’ve specified what I’d prefer for that relationship.

DNWs:

Non-con (dub-con ok), underage, scat, emeto, age play, daddy/mommy kink, pregnancy, soulmate AUs, reader fic, omegaverse, kidfic, character bashing.

Blake’s 7:

( Fandom specific prompts )

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Snowflake Challenge #1 & #2

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 16:35:55 GMT

It's my first time doing this challenge, let's go!

Challenge #1 was about updating your fandom information, which I've done over at my sticky post and my profile.

And now it's time for Challenge #2: talking about my fannish origin story.

( My fannish origin story! )

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Christmas round-up

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 14:21:18 GMT

Happy New Year to everyone who goes by this calendar! It's honestly the first time in years I'm starting the year with optimism, and I wish everyone has a good start to 2025 :D

During Christmas season I participated in two different Secret Santa exchanges in Discord servers, and here are my fanworks:

Fic: A Farewell to Kings (Blake's 7, Blake/Avon, PGP, 7.6k)

Fanart: Under the Mistletoe (due South, Turnbull/Frannie)

I was a participant of B7's Secret Orac, so I also got this wonderful Blake/Avon fanart. However, my dSSS fanart was a treat, since I was too late to join the exchange. I hope I can be there next time!

I'll also be participating in both the Snowflake Challenge and the Candy Hearts Exchange, so you'll be seeing some more from me soon!

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Merry Trekmas!

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 20:45:49 GMT

Happy holidays! And merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!

I've decided to share some Trek-themed Christmas songs I've found on YouTube because there are SO MANY, some well-known and others not so much, and they're all quite funny.

Picard is the subject of some of the most popular Trekmas songs:

The channel that posted that first one has many more, but this one is a fave of mine:

And the last one I'm going to rec is...

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New fanvid + other things

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 22:20:10 GMT

Remember I said I was making a fanvid?

Well, I haven't finished that one YET. It was so much work at first, with an entire section of 1-second long clips, that I started to hate it, so I was wise enough to let it rest for a while. I rewatched what I have so far today and, would you have guessed, I actually think it's pretty good. So I'll finish it one of these days!

But I've already finished another one! This is a funny one, which is my fave genre of vids, and I'm happy with how it turned out:

It's also on ao3 if you want to give a kudos or comment!

Basically I realised that there was an American Idiot parody by Weird Al called Canadian Idiot and I wondered if there were no due South fanvids set to it, because isn't it just perfect? AND I FOUND NONE. So of course I decided to give it a try myself.

More stuff under the cut in case anyone's here just for the vid for some reason.
( due South and fic writing talk )

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New month, new fandom, new WIPs

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 22:36:16 GMT

*looking nervously at my inbox* Hiii!

The amount of WIPs I have right now, guys. Actually, I'll make a list right here, because why not. And only of those WIPs I actually plan to finish:

One Kasabi/Servalan and 2 Dayna/Soolin fics for ladiesbingo.
One I can't describe at all for a Secret Santa event from Discord! (this one's my priority right now, of course).
One fanvid for my new fandom.
...THREE fics for my new fandom.

If you're still reading, you might want to ask: but what's your new fandom??

Well, let's just say that when I saw NEW fandom it's always, or almost always, new to me, but older than me. Which is how I like most things in life, really. This time, the fandom in question is due South. I got sick back in November and I spent 2 days in bed, and I found a YouTube channel with a non-official HD enhanced version of the show so... I started watching it. I only knew what it was about and that it had a big fandom (with the one notorious wank that is, THANKFULLY, very much over now), but I enjoyed it so much in general! 90s/00s are the era of TV I grew up with, so it's always nostalgic to watch shows from that era even if I didn't watch those specific shows back in the day. There's just a very specific vibe going on.

I finished watching it a few days ago and I've been reading a lot of fic. So much so that it's already happened twice that I've meet someone in the fandom and we recognised each other from AO3. So, yes, I've also been trying to comment on every fic, or at least on one if I'm reading a fic series. Sometimes I notice I haven't left comments in a while and I don't like it, because I also want people to leave me comments, you know?

Anyway, the show is a lot of fun, it has very emotional moments as well, and of course the slash is wonderful. I was NOT ready to become this much of a Fraser/RayV shipper since most of what I'd seen before I started watching was Fraser/RayK, but I'm happy about it. I also like Fraser/Rayk, it's just that RayV stole my heart before Kowalski showed up. And you know what? I've been reading Ray/Ray and Ray/Fraser/Ray fics and I also like them. And even some Fraser/Thatcher (~~always femdom, because it's the only het I truly like~~). So, yeah, I'm having a lot of fun here.

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Fanwork recs

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:25:11 GMT

I don't have much time since I have to leave the house soon for my German class (it takes me 90 minutes to get there by bus and 90 to get back, so I spend more time taking buses than learning German) but I felt like posting some fanwork recs.

Fanfic

Two B7 femslash fics by aralias!

Princess (2827 words) by aralias
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blake's 7
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Soolin (Blake's 7)/Zeeona (Blake's 7), Del Tarrant/Zeeona (Blake's 7)
Characters: Soolin (Blake's 7), Zeeona (Blake's 7)
Additional Tags: Season/Series 04
Summary: Soolin and Zeeona discuss sex and Del Tarrant.

Wasted Time (1480 words) by aralias
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blake's 7
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kasabi/Servalan
Characters: Kasabi (Blake's 7), Servalan (Blake's 7)
Additional Tags: Handcuffed Together, Pre-Way Back
Summary:

SERVALAN: Kasabi and I had unfinished business.
TRAVIS: This is no time for personal vendettas, Supreme Commander.
SERVALAN : Thank you, Travis. I'm obliged for the reminder. [To Kasabi] Are you feeling better? Oh, don't waste time, Kasabi. You have so little of it left.
KASABI: Time spent with you was always wasted, Servalan.

Fanvid

This new Susan Ivanova (B5) fanvid! It's really fun. It's also on AO3.

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Lost Bram Stoker short story: Gibbet Hill

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 19:40:46 GMT

I was very happy when I read this post on historium about such a rare find!

This short story can be read on this site through the scans of a microfilm copy of the newspaper where it was originally published. However, it can be hard to read there, so this morning I decided to transcribe it myself, since the article linked in the post I linked above only contains one transcribed paragraph and the whole story doesn't seem to have been transcribed anywhere yet. This is, of course, a very unofficial, amateur transcription I've done: I've corrected some typos found in the scan, but in some cases I wasn't 100% sure of what the original word was supposed to be. Thus, there might be a mistake here and there.

You can read my transcription under the cut.

Update: the story is now available on Wikisource as well!

( Gibbet Hill, by Bram Stoker )

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Ladiesbingo / round 12

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 16:11:58 GMT

My ladiesbingo card is up!

Hey, it's that guy: Minor characters	Jams and Preserves	Unequal Power	Mistaken Identity	All I was doing was trying to get home from work
Marriage / Hand-fasting	Grooming (Brushing / Braiding Hair, Painting Nails, etc.)	Courtship rituals	Roomates / Sharing a Room	Spells and Geases
Honour / Prestige	Deities and Followers	Wild Card	First person narration	Threesomes and Moresomes
Fix-its	Heights and Depths	It's a Trap	Something is Destroyed / Demolished	Fork in the Road AU
Late at Night	Reunions	Heirs	Standing Trial	Apocalypse

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Sunday update!

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 22:05:01 GMT

How's everyone doing?

I'm very happy this year's fandomgiftbasket is finally open! I made a total of 5 gifts, I think, and received 3 lovely ones! I got 2 sets of icons, one of Chiana (I'm using one of them for this entry!) and the other of Avon and Vila, and a lovely fic about Sam and Jacob Carter from SG-1. You can check them out here. This was fun and I'm glad I joined in this year!

Now I'm going to try to participate in round 12 of ladiesbingo. I want to create more fanworks focused on women, and I'm sure the different prompts will help! It's also fun to have different mediums I can create fanworks in, since I enjoyed that part of Fandom Gift Basket a lot. As soon as I get my bingo card I'll be sharing it in a new entry!

What I'm reading: Believe it or not, I'm reading Jane Eyre for the first time. I'm enjoying it SO much I can barely stop reading! I'm astounded by how the book is narrated, how clear and developed Jane's psyche is and how intimately you get to know her and follow her as she grows up. In a way it reminded me a lot of Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (which I still haven't finished, but I'm almost there) because of their prose and how successfully the point of view of a child is achieved. And, at the same time, the criticisms of Christian dogma are very strong in both cases, although the circumstances are different. And, of course, Jane Eyre came earlier!

What I'm watching: I'm picking up Stargate SG-1 where I left it, so I'm halfway through season 6! This season focuses a lot on the Tok'ra and the Jaffar, has Jonas replacing Daniel, and a lot of episodes where they don't even use a Stargate! I really like Jonas, but I always feel very defensive of characters who are brought as replacements for others, so it was what I expected. But he's an interesting character, really! And I like his dynamics with Sam and Teal'c a lot. The non-Stargate using episodes are often really good, and it's nice that they were doing something a bit different. I have to say I didn't like John de Lancie's character that much (I never even memorised his name), whereas Maybourne I like more every time he shows up! I'm getting a bit obsessed with his relationship with Jack. Yes, even in a shippy way! And if you think that's niche, let me tell you about Sam and Jonas... But I'll leave it there for now!

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Fic and life update

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 15:42:19 GMT

Hi again, folks!

My temporary job ended a few days ago, so it didn't last long (19 days) but at least it was my first experience as a teacher in a high school, so I learnt something. AND I got paid, of course.

I'm going back to my German classes soon, since I have the time, and as soon as I can I'll start sending my CV again... Hopefully I'll get another job soon. Pray for me!

Other than that, I just realised I didn't post when I finished my iddyiddybangbang fic. If anyone's interested, it's 17k with Blake/Avon, whump and BDSM:

The Hound and the Hare (17327 words) by ferenginars
Chapters: 5/5
Fandom: Blake's 7
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Kerr Avon/Roj Blake, Kerr Avon & Cally, Kerr Avon & Jenna Stannis, Roj Blake & Jenna Stannis
Characters: Kerr Avon, Roj Blake, Jenna Stannis, Cally (Blake's 7), Vila Restal, Original Characters, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Orac (Blake's 7), Zen (Blake's 7)
Additional Tags: Gladiators, Sadism, Masochism, Belts, Spanking, Choking, Emotionally Repressed, Worldbuilding, Face Slapping, Season/Series 02, BDSM, Whump
Summary: As the search for Doctor Docholli's location continues, Avon is forced to confront his darkest fantasies about Blake when a mission becomes more dangerous than expected.

Also, since it's October, I want to ask: is anyone doing participating in any writing, art or any other creative events? I've been thinking about trying Kinktober, but I also see people doing Whumptober, Goretober, etc.

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Life update!

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:38:21 GMT

Life has been crazy lately, so I'm very sorry I haven't had time to reply to some posts! Particularly those by kitarella_imagines. Sorry, I'll get back to you soon!

So, at first I was really busy writing my fic for iddyiddybangbang. Thankfully, I finished it days ago, so now I only have to finish editing it before my deadline, which is on Monday. But there's bigger news in my life.

I got a job! I hadn't worked for a while because I was looking after my grandma for years, so I only did some very occasional work as well as continuing my studies (distance learning!). Since my grandma passed away on late June, I now have full availability for a job. This week I got a call on Tuesday for an interview, they selected me AND I had to start on Wednesday! It's been three insane days where I've barely been able to talk to anyone online, and on Tuesday I didn't even sleep at ALL because of how nervous I was.

It's my first time teaching outside of any internships, so I'm struggling because I'm quite inexperienced and I have to teach different groups of kids of different ages, etc. But I want to get better, develop my skills and become a good teacher!

I hope everyone's doing well <3

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Blake's 7 S4 - Review

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 19:18:23 GMT

It'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

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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July update

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:30:07 GMT

I haven't posted much since the beginning of the month so I want to share some stuff I've been doing.

What I've been reading: I recently read Juan Rulfo's Pedro Páramo in one sitting, and I loved it! It's the second time I've read magical realism, and I loved both works so I'm interested in reading some more. If you like non-linear narratives and multiple POVs this might be the book for you, but it can get pretty confusing.

What I've been watching: I'm continuing with my very slow first watch of Stargate SG-1. I'm currently watching season 6! I really, really liked season 5. I thought it was brilliant, and Meridian was a very memorable episode. Season 6 feels very different, but I'm already fond of Jonas.
It's just weird that they keep doing missions without the Stargate!

What I've been making: these are the fic I've posted this month (I'm just realising they're all rated E... I was going through something, I guess):

( three fics )

What I'm doing now: I'm participating in 2 events: fandomgiftbasket and iddyiddybangbang. In my basket I'm requesting fanworks for Blake's 7, Stargate SG-1 and Farscape, but I've already done some fills that are from other fandoms. I love that you can request different types of fanworks here! In the case of the other event, I'm trying to finish at least one of my iddy B7 fics, but I also have a very, very iddy idea for a Farscape fic, so we'll see what I do in the end lol.

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Last Friday Night - B7 fanvid

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:38:42 GMT

So I've been making some B7 fanvids after I finished watching the show (yes I know I haven't posted the s4 review yet sorry) and this is the first one I've actually posted to YouTube. It's a bit of a celebration of the fun parts of the show, the friendships, the drinking, the flirting and so on.

I think it can be a fun vid to watch even if you haven't watched the show yet :D

Edit: now on AO3!

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B7 Drabbles

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 10:07:24 GMT

I'm still working on my WIPs, particularly in one that's at almost 7k right now, but when I'm not feeling very inspired I do 100 word prompts to keep writing. These are the ones I've written so far:

Ficlet, gen. Vila believes in superstition.

"Oh, now we've done it!"

"Done what?"

Tarrant turned on his heel and Dayna followed.

Vila gestured behind them. "Walked right under a ladder, you see?"

Dayna frowned at the ladder resting against the wall. "So?"

"What do you mean so? Don't you know it's bad luck? Surely you've heard!"

Tarrant chuckled. "Oh, please, Vila. Don't tell me you believe that nonsense."

"You haven't known him as long as I have," Avon said as he walked under the ladder as well, Soolin following close behind. "Otherwise you would know there are no limits to his stupidity."

Vila retraced his steps and lifted a finger. "This is supposed to remove the bad luck. Come on now, all of you."

Tarrant scoffed. "I don't think we can get worse luck if we tried."

"You're still alive," Avon said, glaring.

Vila shook his head. "Not for much longer!"

"Vila!" Dayna said, mildly amused.

Shaking his head, Vila moved away from the ladder, opting for walking down the old road instead. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"

After his first three steps, Vila tripped on a rock and fell on his arse. As much as it hurt him, he was thankful—if he hadn't traced his way back under the ladder, he'd have fallen face-first!

Read on AO3

Drabble, rated E, Avon/Tarrant. Tarrant's enjoying some time alone for the first time in a week. Avon walks in.

"It's been a week, Tarrant."

Tarrant flushes angrily, a thin layer of sweat covering his heaving chest. "Perhaps that's nothing to you, but I'm young and I've got needs!"

Avon's eyes flick to Tarrant's hastily hidden erection. He arches his eyebrows. "Yes. I can see that."

Tarrant drags more of the blanket over himself. "Well, aren't you going to leave?"

Avon smirks. "Are you considering the alternative?"

Tarrant's grip falters. "Are you?"

Avon kneels and removes the blanket without resistance. "I may be old, Tarrant, but I'm not dead."

Gripping the firm thighs, Avon lowers his mouth, and Tarrant melts.

Read on AO3

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WIP Wednesday

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 21:23:08 GMT

It's been a few weeks since I've done this. Instead of the usual word count update I'm gonna share snippets from some of my current WIPs. How's that sound?

As you might guess from the second WIP, I've already finished watching S4. I promise I'll post a review soon, but I haven't sat down to do it yet.

B7, Blake/Avon, Avon's violent fantasies about Blake have consequences

“Knock, knock.”

“I’m not home.”

Vila rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, Jenna. There’s nothing wrong with having a laugh!”

A smile tugging at her lips, Jenna stared at him from the flight station. “No one’s laughing, Vila.”

At the weapons station, Avon found himself amused at the conversation, and he turned to look approvingly at Jenna. He was feeling particularly relaxed

“Cally!” Vila said as his eyes flickered to the couch, where Cally seemed rather distracted. “You’ll indulge me, won’t you, Cally? Knock knock!”

But Cally either hadn’t heard him or had chosen to ignore him. She didn’t even blink. Sitting beside her, Blake was focused on his chess game against Orac, his finger idly caressing his lower lip as he considered his next move.

Being ignored once didn’t deter Vila—if only!

“Knock knock!” he repeated, leaning over Cally.

This time, she turned her head slowly and stared at him, her mouth a tight thin line.

Her voice sounded uncharacteristically harsh when she finally spoke. “Keep this up and I’ll soon be knocking your teeth out, Vila.”
Vila leaned back as if he had been slapped. Jenna and Avon exchanged a look, and even Blake broke his concentration to frown at Cally.

“Are you feeling alright, Cally?”

She turned to her right to look at Blake, but her posture remained rigid. From where he was standing, Avon could see the movement of her shoulders as she breathed deeply.

“Not quite.” She got up and rushed towards the corridor. “I’m sorry.”

As she watched her go, Jenna descended from the station. “Cally!” she called, and she crossed the deck as she eyed the others with concern.

“Make sure she’s okay, Jenna,” Blake said, raising his eyebrows. “And be careful. She could be posssessed.”

“I was just trying to lighten up the mood,” Vila muttered, watching Jenna leave after Cally. He flopped down on the couch and closed his eyes.

Avon abandoned his station, too, and stood in front of Orac, a hand on his hip. “Well now. I had noticed Cally was particularly silent this morning, but that outburst was unexpected. However,” he lifted a finger at Blake, who observed him from his seat, “we haven’t stopped by any planet or station, nor met any other ship, in the last three days. How could she have been possessed?”

Blake massaged his chin for a minute and stood up. “Orac,” he asked, “can you speculate on the possible causes of Cally’s earlier outburst, excluding telepathic contact from malicious entities?”

Orac hummed as he considered the question. “Interpersonal conflict among crewmembers is a frequent cause of emotional outbursts on the flight deck.”

“Exclude interpersonal conflict from the parameters,” Avon added.

Blake frowned. “Really, Avon? Are you sure we can dismiss that option?”

“No, I'm not,” Avon replied. “Modify your theory accordingly, Orac.”

The hum continued for a few seconds. “When exposed to a wave of intense emotions emanating from another individual, particularly sensitive Auron telepaths can get mentally contaminated and experience such feelings as if they were their own.”

Thoughtful, Blake tapped his mouth twice before his eyes flickered to Avon’s. “I haven’t noticed any particularly intense emotions here lately. Not more than the usual, anyhow. Have you?”

B7, PGP, Avon/Servalan/Tarrant

The bitter taste of Adrenalin and Soma on his tongue reminded him of Vila. Avon always assumed there was nothing to Vila’s liking for the drink beyond his obvious tendency to addiction, but as the green concoction burnt down his throat, he began to understand its appeal. After the initial disgust, the drink left a warm trail inside you, and by the time it reached your stomach it seemed to already be helping you relax.

Vila hadn’t been as stupid as he seemed. Of course, Avon had always known that, but it was of little use to think about now.

Avon lifted his gaze from the glass and looked at the only other person in the medical unit, besides the two guards at the door. Tarrant looked wrong—he was covered in tubes and wore a patient gown. Stripped of his usual bravado, he looked too young.

And after everything they’d been through, Avon was starting to feel too old. He had smiled, then, because he thought that was it. He thought he was going to die fighting for a lost cause, being a nuisance to the Federation until his very last breath. Dying there, surrounded by the corpses of his allies, joining Blake’s body on the floor, hadn’t seemed like a bad way to die, then.

But as his first shot killed one of the troopers and he aimed his weapon at the next, he knew something was off. Others fell, but he hadn’t shot them. Seconds passed. He was still untouched. Avon crouched and shot at more troopers, his thoughts racing as he let his body handle the action. His survival instinct had kicked in again.

Tarrant stirred on his bed. Avon got up from his seat, his dignity preserved as he was wearing his own clothes again—leather, of course—and leaned over Tarrant. Blue eyes opened slowly, blinking a few times until they adjusted to the light.

“Avon?” Tarrant muttered, his voice raspy.

“Who else could it be?” Avon said, the hint of a smile at his lips.

“Where… are we?”

Avon looked around the room, its white and green tiles, advanced medical equipment, empty beds, padlocked cabinets. When he looked back at Tarrant, Avon was grinning.

“Why, in the lion’s den, of course.”

Tarrant’s eyes opened wide, and his hands began to touch his face and arms, desperately pulling at his IV once his fingers found it. Avon swiftly grabbed his wrist. Tarrant couldn’t offer much resistance.

“Don’t be stupid, Tarrant,” Avon spat, suddenly angry. “You were critically wounded. You’re still a few days away from a full recovery.”

Defeated, Tarrant let his arms fall on his sides again, and Avon released him from his grip.

“The others?” Tarrant asked, his eyes searching for something in Avon’s face.

His face unmoved, Avon shook his head, and Tarrant closed his eyes. For a minute, they stayed in silence.

Avon had said he wanted to make sure he knew exactly how many prisoners she took. He checked Vila, Soolin and Dayna’s pulse. Nothing. Tarrant was a surprise—he had survived the Scorpio’s crash and the shooting. In some ways, he was more like Avon than he liked to admit.

A part of Avon had wanted to check Blake's pulse as well, that irrational part of him he loathed. He had shot him three times, had made sure he was dead, had seen his stomach bleed and his body fall to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He was finally dead, and Avon was finally free of him. But the taste of freedom, much like Adrenalin and Soma’s, was too bitter to be enjoyed. One could only hope that its effects were better once it settled in.

Tarrant's eyes had found the troopers at the door, and he was staring thoughtfully at their black backs. His eyes flickered to Avon.

“She rescued us, didn't she?”

Avon looked at him and took another long sip of his drink, swirling it around his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing.

The clack of her heels across the corridor spared Avon from having to answer the question. He locked eyes with Tarrant briefly before turning to the door and waiting.

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Blake's 7 S3 - Review

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:29:49 GMT

A season with big changes! Not all of them worked for me, but after a start I didn't particularly like, I ended up enjoying a lot of this season. As always, I'm using screencaps from this site and checking the transcripts from this other site.

And just in case you haven't seen them, here are my previous reviews for season 1 and season 2.

Episode by episode review

Aftermath wasn't the strongest start of a season to me. The season starts with an episode where Avon kisses two different women, how crazy is that? But I really liked Dayna's introduction, and her dad was really cool. Such a shame he had to die! And her sister on top of that, too! Poor Dayna, she's so young. Now, Servalan and Avon. They do have cracking sexual tension, so it makes sense. But god, that dress on Servalan was AWFUL. Although it makes sense in context that wearing someone else's clothes would be unflattering for her. Avon wearing Mellanby's black tunic, though. It was such a good look on him!

Oh, I've only been talking about everyone's looks. If there's one thing I enjoyed from the early episodes was seeing how everyone was trying to survive or help others do so after the war. Servalan is cruel and manipulative, but Avon isn't buying it. Even if he does snog her first. I can't blame him. Mellonby's story was cool, and it gives Dayna a good motivation to join the crew and have a reason to fight the Federation, and Servalan in particular.

Next came Powerplay. I liked both plots of this episode: Avon and Dayna on the Liberator with that Tarrant twist, and Cally and Vila being rescued for very, very wrong reasons. I liked how dark that was, people gathering war survivors for organ harvesting. And Servalan always finds a way, doesn't she? She never gives up!

This was an interesting start for the Avon-Tarrant relationship, and I could see they had potential for a fun dynamic. Tarrant's no Blake, of course. I do think the season feels off, at least to me, because of Blake's absence. I know others liked Blake being gone, but that could NEVER be me. The show made more sense with him as the lead!

Volcano had a cool location. I live in a volcanic island, so I love everything volcanoes... except the constant danger of an eruption.

The story was weak for me, I don't know. The concept wasn't that bad, but I didn't really enjoy the execution of the whole pacifist thing. Also, Cally's telepathy was a mess in this episode. They were both on the Liberator but Avon couldn't hear her messages? And then later it worked on the planet? Very confusing!

I love that Vila has a crush on Dayna. Who wouldn't? And somehow it fits him. I also have to say, at this point of the season, I was really enjoying how often Avon would get whumped around, get unconscious, a broken bone, etc. I hoped it would be so since he became the lead. I just like whumping my faves, okay?

Now, Dawn of the Gods was... okay! I loved their space monopoly game in the beginning, and Orac's very enthusiastic involvement in it. Avon's look was crazy, a black turtleneck and red leather trousers. Well, I know it's because he wears something else on top later, but on its own it looks like such a modern-day outfit, you know. A bit weird, but a good look nonetheless.

Tarrant saying he'll kill Avon one day and Avon smiling in return, ha! I'm enjoying the dynamic, and Avon's rare smiles are always the best. Another fun bit was Vila seeing a lot of Avons and saying he was in hell and it's full of Avons. That's my particular hell right now, too.

I'm getting tired of the "Cally gets attacked because she's a telepath" crap. I've had enough of this in other shows, too, and I'm veeery annoyed at the idea that TELEPATHY makes you into a victim this often. If you're a woman, of course! And Cally was a REBEL FIGHTER, but here we are.

Story-wise, I thought it was an okay episode, and I laughed when, after describing Orac as a "bald dwarf" while avoiding to mention his true nature, Cally met the actual guy behind the whole thing and he was a bald dwarf himself. He also looked like a Star Trek s1 character.

Oh boy. The first of Ben Steed's infamous episodes, The Harvest of Kairos. Awful, awful stuff. It was torture getting through his episodes, but you already knew that if you've watched them.

Look. Servalan looked beautiful, as usual. The concept of the harvest wasn't that bad. The strategising wasn't that bad. Avon and his obsession with that rock was funny. BUT WHAT THE HELL WAS UP WITH JARVIK? I guess Ben Steed had a particular hatred of Servalan because she was a powerful woman so he decided to humiliate her like this. It's just a disgusting trope, a macho type of guy who treats women like that but it's FINE because they LOVE to be treated like that. No, we don't. AND he also treated Dayna like shit. Go to hell, man.

Tarrant walked in on Avon grabbing Cally by the arms and thought something else was going on? Okay, I guess? Where's this coming from?

Aaand the only thing I liked of this stinker was Vila and Dayna hugging and celebrating together. Cute!

NOW is when the season got REALLY good. The City at the Edge of the World was such a good episode overall, with a good plot, great guest stars AND really good writing for Vila. Vila's a very fun character, and I think Michael Keating was great at different types of comedy, including physical, so of course he was always the best comic relief in B7. But sometimes I feel like he gets treated as utterly stupid to the point where it feels a bit too much, like he's getting flanderised, you know? So I really appreciated that on this episode he got to do what he's good at, opening locks, AND he showed that he's smart at his craft. He's an expert, after all.

I also appreciated Avon being protective of Vila when Tarrant was being an asshole. No, Tarrant, YOU don't get to bully Vila. That's Avon's privilege, thank you very much!

The guest stars were great. Colin Baker was so good as Bayban, and Kerril was also a fun character! Her brief romance with Vila was a lot of fun, but I'll say I preferred her original outfit. I love leather, what can I say?

Children of Auron was a good episode for Servalan, I think. She was really ruthless, and I even felt bad for her when that one subordinate lied and got her to destroy her own clone-embryos. It fits her so well to want to have children that are straight up her own clones. Why mix herself with anyone else to create a child? She's perfect as she is!

This episode's title made me think it'd be more focused on Cally than it really was, but we got to meet her... twin sister. For some reason. And we saw her die. Sure, why not. I might be forgetting a bit about this episode, to be honest, because it's sandwiched between two really, really good episodes, so I kinda forgot about this one. Sorry.

Also, I don't love watching epidemic/pandemic episodes these days, not after COVID. Oof! But some of it was funny, like when Vila couldn't reply because he was wearing a helmet for protection. Classic Vila.

Rumours of Death was my fave episode of the season, although it's a hard choice to make because there are a few really good ones.

As the episode started, Avon's extreme actions really showed how much he cares for Anna and how far he's willing to go to get his revenge. Of course we knew that already, but the fact he endured days of being in that cell said so much. The structure of the episode was beautifully assembled, as all the pieces of the story, both on Avon and Anna's side, including the flashbacks, were being revealed bit by bit as their reunion got near. Finally, during that climactic scene, all the pieces click together in Avon's head as he unlocks the horrible truth about Anna.

I thought Anna/Sula was a very interesting character, if only because of the ambiguities that we are presented with and which are never neatly resolved. It's sad that she had to die, and in general I don't like the idea of killing women for manpain reasons. But this was a beautifully crafted episode, so I won't complain much. That was a really tight script from start to finish!

You'll forgive me for talking too much about this episode, I hope. On Star One, Avon said he wanted to be free of Blake. Here, there's a conversation between Servalan, Avon and Tarrant where the difference between letting go and setting free is discussed. What they argue is you can't be free of what happened to you unless you convince yourself it didn't happen. But of course, you can't do that unless you lose your mind or your memories. When Anna dies, she tells Avon she let him go, and then he says that no, she never did. Similarly, Avon thought he'd be "free of Blake" once he left, but he isn't. Blake happened, he affected Avon, and he can't convince himself it didn't happen, as much as he'd like to. His absence is so very present.

In a way, this episode reminds me of Pressure Point, in the sense that I get the feeling that things will change a lot after something as big as this happened to the lead character. The ending, with Avon implying he's part dead now, feels very significant.

Now comes Sarcophagus, which was the first episode written by Tanith Lee. I really like the idea of a tomb floating in space, and all of the fantastical elements here, the spirits and the crew dressing up and behaving like them, Vila making magic tricks and Dayna playing the instrument, all of it felt different in a way that I enjoyed.

However, it keeps annoying me to see the telepath-as-victim storyline being played over and over. Can we get Cally to do something else, please? She can be so much fun!

This was the most blatant Avon/Cally episode. I don't really like their dynamic in a romantic way, but if Tanith Lee was into it, good for her. And of course they got Avon to kiss the non-Cally-dead-lady to steal the ring for her. He's that type of guy now!

Ultraworld has the groundbreaking story of... Cally being a victim again. Can we stop it now, pleeeeeease?

I liked Vila teaching limericks to Orac. It was funny, and it was nice to see it connected to the main plot in the end. It reminded me a bit of a Trek episode again.

This was peak Avon whump, though. Paul Darrow's acting choices are a LOT. So this is where the suffer beautiful came from, eh? I get it. Oh, and talking about the weird stuff these aliens were doing. What the hell was up with the "aliens made them do it" storyline for Tarrant and Dayna? I thought they solved it in a fun way, and I like them as a ship, but wow. These aliens are a bunch of freaks out of my ao3 history.

Talking about freaks... Moloch is the second of Ben Steed's episodes. Another certified stinker! What's with all the implied rape? And humiliating Servalan again? I don't even know what to say anymore. Horrid stuff. And Avon ate an apple, I guess.

The Moloch puppet was funny looking and Avon got to whimper a lot, so the beautiful suffering was the only good part of the episode. And when the credits rolled, of course.

Death-Watch made the brave choice of giving a crew member a secret twin AGAIN. Hilarious choice. The whole set-up of the war whose results are decided based on a death match between a chosen member of each faction was good. It was nice to get some sort of backstory for Tarrant, since he doesn't often get much. Sad that his twin had to die before they could reunite!

I liked the bit where the crew was sitting down with all those drinks and food, as if watching the telly.

Again, I keep trying to understand what's up with Cally's characterisation. She's the voice of reason now, almost a pacifist as she's against the violence of this spectacle. And sure, she's also opposed violence recently, as in Rumours of Death where she didn't want the others to attack the Shrinker. But isn't it weird how this wasn't really developed in any way, after she was presented as a rebel fighter on a suicide mission, who can get violent on the occasion? It's just a role assigned to her, like the healer thing, because she's a telepath. At least that's what it looks like to me, and I don't like it.

Avon is a lot here. His outfit? Insane. Snogging Servalan? Crazy. But it almost seems inevitable when I see them together on screen. It's like they're drawn to each other even if it doesn't make much sense otherwise.

My first note for Terminal reads "formal request for the Terry Nation state to pay for my therapy." No, I'm not okay, thank you for asking!

Poor Avon was on the flight deck for 30 hours, barely keeping his eyes open, with massive eye bags and his sardonic wit hanging by a thread. Contrary to what he usually does as the lead, he made the anti-democratic choice of not sharing their destination with his crew, and then he even got truly aggressive with Tarrant, who he often just puts up with for the sake of the crew. And all of it, all of it, because of Blake. I try to talk about most episodes without getting too shippy about it, BUT THIS ONE'S MAKING IT SO HARD.

And here premieres Avon's craziest leather outfit to date. What's with those gloves that look like mini Daleks? Is Davros gonna come out of there? Are those even comfortable or useful in any way? Bizarre! But the rest of the look I like. Robbing that space leather store was worth it, I reckon.

The build-up was delicious. Avon finding the bracelet, the file on Blake and his picture, his dreamy smile as he found out Blake was alive.

And then, the dream sequence. Of course it was clear after it ended that it was just a fantasy, a fabricated dream of some kind, since the nurses talked about not breaking the continuity. But the scene itself? To finally see Gareth Thomas again was so satisfying, in spite of the circumstances. To see how Avon reacted, his smile, his admittance that he MISSED BLAKE and the "your sentiment is showing" line. Oh, Servalan really knows Avon, all right.

By the way, isn't it funny how at the start of the episode Avon says that "sentiment breeds weakness"? You would know! The call is coming from inside the house! (I dearly love him, if you hadn't noticed yet.)

And ohh, his broken expression when Servalan tells him Blake's dead. The deception, the betrayal, his last hope lost. It's Anna's situation happening AGAIN, so soon after her. I imagine what hurt Avon the most here, besides the obvious, and what made him want to get Servalan killed, was the fact she had seen his weaknesses and used them against him so easily, lured him into a trap because she knew Blake was his one vulnerability. It must have hurt to know he wasn't fooling anyone, certainly not Servalan, and that he had been so weak.

There were more things happening in the episode, believe it or not. There was a fun interaction between Dayna, Cally and Vila playing a game, and I keep thinking Vila's terrible attempts at flirting with Dayna are hilarious. It's cute that the whole crew cares that much about Avon in spite of everything, enough to refuse to leave him behing on Terminal. And, of course, they lost the Liberator. Such a shame! I got so sad at Zen's apology in the end, our poor Zen! But it felt earned to see Servalan getting what she wanted and losing it so soon. I'm gonna miss that beautiful ship, though.

General thoughts

I'm torn about this season, because it has some really good episodes, but overall I've been missing Blake a lot, and even Jenna as well. It's sad that Jenna got dismissed like that, and she was never mentioned again! Getting used to the new crew and its structure has been a struggle for me. Avon is such a different lead than Blake, but I think it ends up working, even if not as well as the first two seasons.

I've complained about the writing for Cally, and, since I know Terminal was her final episode (although she does voice-over in the next one, I think), I imagine Jan Chappell was also disappointed. Such a shame! I loved her a lot in the early seasons :(

Dayna is a fun character when she shows up, but I fear for most women in this show, with the big exception of Servalan, their first appearances are always the best. I like her interactions with other characters, mostly Vila and Tarrant, but there's never a lot of focus on her like there is on other characters, such as Vila getting the main role in City or Tarrant in Death-Watch. Except, of course, on her very first episode. I like Tarrant for the way he argues with Avon whenever he feels like it, but you can tell Avon chooses not to fight back most of the time.

Vila, for all his silliness, is probably the most consistent character here, and he amuses me every time. It's him and Avon who really are the glue that keeps the show together. Of course, Servalan is also wonderful as a villain, and I really am NOT missing Travis 2 at all.

I just wish Ben Steed hadn't written for this show, because his episodes are the worst part of this season for me. But Boucher and Nation's scripts are solid, so the season ended up being more enjoyable than I expected at first.

Thanks for reading!

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Blake's 7 S2 - Review

Sat, 25 May 2024 18:47:21 GMT

I finished B7's season 2 last night, so it's time to gather my thoughts on the whole season. As in my previous post, I'll be using screencaps from this image gallery and the transcripts from this site.

Episode by episode review

Redemption was a good start to the season, On the one hand, everyone has new outfits, Cally a new haircut as well, and Avon's leather outfit is a particularly inspired choice. I enjoyed the concept of the ship rejecting them, how it attacked Blake, and of course I always like seeing Avon saving Blake's life. Sure, Avon, you hate the guy! We totally believe you! The alien culture was ruthless even if their costumes were quite silly, but it was interesting to learn about the Liberator's origins. And of course, I have to mention Orac's wonderful intervention.

I had a good chuckle with Avon punching Vila's stomach because he didn't realise it was him. Poor, poor Vila, but how I love their relationship.

I was excited about watching Shadow because I realised it was the first non-Terry Nation episode in the show, and Chris Boucher's script was great! A ton of great costumes here: Avon's silver tunic and thigh-high boots (RIP these poor boots, which were cut off later on, apparently), Cally's beautiful dress, and the white outfits Blake, Jenna and Avon wore later on. The highlight of this episode, for me, was Cally. First, look at the way she handled Vila's antics:

VILA: Stop worrying, Cally. I'll be back soon. Tell you what, I'll bring you back a present. What would you like, Cally? Name it and it's yours.
CALLY: A necklace, Vila, made from your teeth.

She has an edge to her that she doesn't often show, but I love it. It's in moments like these that you remember that she was introduced as a rebel on a suicide mission, so of course she can be tough! But somehow they've often given her a nurturing role, as the resident nurse of the crew when any of them is injured. To me, this seems connected to the fact she's a telepath, but I might make a panfandom post about this topic because I find it in so many sci-fi canons. In relation to that, I have to say I loved the lore about her telepathic abilities and how she used to be connected to the other Aurons, so being alone is painful for her. The little telepathic rocks helping her save Orac and, by extension, everyone, was so much fun. Also, good on Avon for defending Cally! I like their relationship this season.

Very interesting political implications regarding the Federation and the drug trade, although I would've loved to see the city Vila visited! No budget for that, I guess. But it's fine because later in the season there's Gambit.

Weapon was a weak episode for me. I don't really like this new Travis, and the character was starting to bore me at this point. The clones thing should've been bigger than it was, as well as the actual weapon. I loved Servalan and her outfits, though! Best part of the episode. A friend of mine said her jacket must be Romana's, but I've watched so little Doctor Who. And talking about outfits, that lobster suit on Avon is just horrid.

I enjoyed Horizon's story very much. An interesting reflection on imperialism and collaborationists, with a pretty hopeful ending. Poor Gan, who had to be shot twice! And good on Cally's telepathic abilities for saving the day once again. Avon's choice of a moment to smile was fascinating, when he realised his plans to leave had been thwarted. I love him so, what can I say? And then his face when he almost shot Blake and he said "missed." Oh, and Vila having to work and hating it was so funny. He was real for that one!

Pressure Point was without a doubt one of the highlights of the season for me. I have a lot to say about this one.

First of all, Servalan's scenes with Kasabi were amazing. I felt like I got enough of a gilmpse into Servalan's past to get me thinking, but not enough to know much about her and her past relationship with Kasabi. It was great to hear about Servalan before she was this Servalan, though. Very intriguing. And thank God she was more of the focus here, because at this point it's the only way I tolerate Travis: when he's a background character supporting Servalan.

And secondly, this was definitely one of the most defining moments for Blake so far, if not the most. He's been risking so much from the beginning, but this was a reckless move, motivated by his hatred of the Federation, and he not only endangered his entire crew but also got poor, poor Gan killed. The high stakes in this show ARE real, this isn't one of those shows where you know the heroes will always make it and save the day. This is Blake's 7!

I liked Kasabi's kid being manipulated and finally teaming up with Jenna to save the day. Good for you, Jenna! She's grown on me a lot.

On a lighter note, Vila's orange peel outfit was crazy. The costuming in this show is genuinely so much fun to talk about.

I actually found it hilarious that Trial starts with Travis being judged for war crimes right after he had been slapped by Servalan in the previous episode for hesitating when her life was a stake. And I know I keep repeating myself, but I love all her outfits on the show. It's fascinating that she only (mostly) wears white, really, but other than that the costumes are often well-tailored and look good. Although perhaps it's the colour that hides the imperfections? No idea.

It's interesting that Blake was going through a parallel trial of sorts, although his choice to attack right after coming back was... well. Very Blake, I guess.

The planet that was alive and saw other lives as parasites was interesting, although it felt more Trek to me, and the poor actor who played Zil had to wear a really awful costume and makeup. Kudos to them though, they sure made an effort.

Killer was fun, mostly because of the Avon and Vila team up, as well as seeing someone from Avon's past. How curious that Vila would warn Tynus against Avon's betraying ways when it was Tynus who ended up betraying him. Oh, well. The banter between Vila and Avon was fabulous here, I had a lot of fun. But even beyond the comedic value, I think Vila was reading Avon quite well:

VILA: You don't have a lot of time for Blake, do you?
AVON: I could never stand heroes.
VILA: A quarter of a million volts and you're putting your hand in?
AVON: Ah, but that is self-interest. We need that crystal. Blake takes risks to help other people. Sometimes people he doesn't even know. One day that great big bleeding heart of his will get us all killed.
VILA: Unless somebody ditches him first.

Next comes Hostage. This one was... weird. The hightlights for me were Cally and Jenna teaming up, and Jenna's smile after teleporting that guy into space, and the Blake-Avon-Vila interactions. That Blake and Avon moment from the screencap was so slashy, I loved it. And Vila was very funny throughout! Too much Travis for my liking, though.

And please, what the hell was up with Blake and his cousin Inga? It was kind of bizarre, to be honest. Kissed her and all!

Believe it or not, Countdown was the first B7 episode that made me cry. I was looking forward to it since executrix told me it was an episode that pointed at Avon's motivations, but I didn't imagine it'd make me so emotional.

The story gave what the episode title promised, an exciting plot that had me on the edge of my seat. And it's a very dark story, too, with the Federation once again showing how ruthless and evil it is. Millions of lives at stake!

It was very clever how Avon and Grant's history unfolded, revealed bit by bit while they were in such an extreme situation. During the climactic moment where Grant is trapped and Avon proceeds to save him while deactivating the device, I ended up crying because of the tension, the sadness of Avon and Anna's story and Avon's present actions all together. It really was a lot!

Oh, and I have to mention this:

BLAKE: [To Grant] One more thing: if anything happens to Avon, I will come looking for you.

OOF.

Voice from the Past! An interesting episode with a fun start. Why was everyone doing what looks like yoga? Well, except for Jenna, who was just lying down, lol! That would be me as well. Nice outfit for Jenna, by the way. Probably my fave of hers so far.

I think an interesting thing that keeps happening on this show is that one of the characters is under obvious mental duress, be it manipulation or malfunction of an implant, and the rest of the crew treats them with respect. It's kind of refreshing, since I've often seen canons where a mentally ill character will be treated terribly, if not by their companions, by the narrative itself.

Shivan's introduction was interesting, and although it was obvious from the get-go that something was wrong and I liked the twist itself, I was reaaaally tired of Travis being everywhere at this point. But it was an enjoyable twist in spite of that!

There were a lot of Avon and Cally scenes in this episode, and I'm happy about that. I feel like they complement each other in a way, since he projects this image of a logical and closed off guy, while Cally's obviously open to people's emotions and reacts based on instinct and feelings. They cover all the bases together, you know? And they respect each other.

Regarding the whole political plot, I particularly enjoyed Le Grand's part in this episode. Her downfall was hard to watch and really upsetting, but it really hit me. Servalan keeps being deliciously evil, which I really enjoy. But you already know that!

Gambit was so much fun! For once, Servalan wasn't dressed in white, but in that campy red outfit that I adore. I'm obsessed with how she said this with a smile:

He is a despicable animal. When the Federation finally cleans out this cesspit, I shall have that vulpine degenerate eviscerated with a small and very blunt knife.

And then, of course, the best part of the episode: the Avon and Vila team up! Complaining about Blake together, plotting that scheme, manipulating Orac and using him to get rich, and Vila getting drugged to participate into that last challenge and winning it! It was hilarious how touchy Vila was as a drunk (I get it, A/V shippers) and it was just delightful to see their fake smiles and their knowing looks as Blake, Jenna and Cally came back and asked what they had been doing in their absence. Just so much fun.

Travis AGAIN! Jesus. I did enjoy some parts of the Blake, Jenna and Cally team up, particularly when Jenna and Cally faked a cat fight as a distraction for Blake. Oh, and the casino theme was very fun in general. They put together the most random costumes they found at the BBC, I reckon.

Errrr, what was up with The Keeper? Such a weird episode. The only good parts were Vila as the fool and the Jenna-Servalan interactions. Servalan was fabulous, of course. I can't say much more about this episode, honestly. I'd rather think about something else!

And I've finally reached Star One.

The concept of Star One itself I found fascinating. Firstly, the power it contains could tempt anybody, so it really is dangerous. But secondly, the way it controls EVERYTHING, including climate, was terrifying. It reminds me of our current reality, where the powerful continue to act like climate change isn't real but they're very much responsible for it. At least Servalan understands that it's dangerous, lol.

This bit of dialogue was illuminating:

BLAKE: I meant what I said on Goth, Avon. We are not going to use Star One to rule the Federation, we are going to destroy it.
AVON: I never doubted that. I never doubted your fanaticism. As far as I am concerned you can destroy whatever you like. You can stir up a thousand revolutions, you can wade in blood up to your armpits. Oh, and you can lead the rabble to victory, whatever that might mean. Just so long as there is an end to it. When Star One is gone it is finished, Blake. And I want it finished. I want it over and done with. I want to be free.
CALLY: But you are free now, Avon.
AVON: I want to be free of him.
BLAKE: I never realized. You really do hate me, don't you?

Aaaand of course he didn't answer that question. Oh, Avon, how I'd love to take a look at your brain and know what's going on there and what you really think. Such an intriguing character.

It was shocking to see those strange-looking aliens! We've had aliens before, but they didn't look as alien as these. That poor scientist woman! And the Andromeda reveal was very intriguing.

Finally, FINALLY, Travis is dead. Thank you, Avon. What was he even doing, by the way? He suddenly decided that yeah, sure, he'd love to erradicate the entire human race? I was so confused by that, honestly.

Anyway, this line from Blake also drove me crazy:

Avon, for what it is worth, I have always trusted you, from the very beginning.

Myyyy feeelingsssssssssss.

Last but not least, that last scene was great! A good cliffhanger to end the season at. It reminded me a bit of a good TNG cliffhanger, you know? Which came later, of course.

General thoughts

This season was a mixed bag, with some bad episodes and too much Travis for my liking, even though I enjoyed the character in s1, but the good episodes were very, very good. I think the new writers brought a lot to the table, for example the Avon-Vila dynamic, which was more developed this season.

Regarding the characters, I don't think Jenna got enough to do overall, but Cally did get some interesting episodes where her telepathic abilities were very relevant, and her relationship with Avon has developed more. I do feel for Gan leaving, and I still miss the guy, but I think he was a good choice for the first character to die, since he was always such a lovely guy to the rest of the crew (unless the chip was malfunctioning) and he really trusted people easily, as Vila said. Blake's had really great moments that make him more than just a simple hero, with his low point being Pressure Point, but it only made him more exciting as a character. I think these dark moments really elevate Blake's 7 as a series.

And yes, Avon's still my favourite character, so I'm glad we got some more info on his past, but only enough to make me want more! Gahh, I just want to understand the guy.

As for the setting, one thing I'm enjoying is how much the politics of the Federation have developed at this point. Just because it's an evil totalitarian government it doesn't mean there isn't nuance and layers to their evil ways. It's an enjoyable part of episodic shows for me, how the little bits of lore keep adding up episode after episode.

I think I've said all I had to say about s2! And now I'm looking forward to season 3! Thanks for reading :)

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Fic: What Lurks Underneath

Wed, 22 May 2024 21:46:08 GMT

Title: What Lurks Underneath
Fandom: Blake's 7
Relationships: Blake/Avon
Rating: T
Notes: Drabble written for 100words, for prompt #394: savior.

What Lurks Underneath

Blake, the saviour, the hero, was peacefully asleep in his quarters, at his most vulnerable. It would be so easy for Avon to get rid of him once and for all, as his traitorous brain liked to remind him. Just one pillow, some seconds of struggle, and it would all be over.

It would be far easier than what lurked underneath that impulse.

To touch him directly, no weapons, just skin against skin. To taste the breath of a hero, hear his most intimate sounds.

The thought was too much, too real.

Avon turned on his heel and walked away.

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