Blake's 7 - Aftermath

Aftermath

Star One is still vying in my affections for Best Episode So Far and I am fairly sure Aftermath didn't answer a single question I had at the end of it. Once again though, I didn't care because Aftermath has instead given us an interesting setup for a series that looks vastly different from the last couple.

I liked the new title sequence as its effects seem slightly more modern but I've grown hugely fond of the original, adoring the visuals almost as much as the theme, so I will miss it. Following this, a couple of papier-mâché models couldn't dampen my joy during the space battle as the explosions were superb. It's great when we can jump straight into the action and this situation felt unique because the series has never left us on such a clear cliffhanger before.

Do we need the Liberator?
I was sure the Liberator was gone. The episode's early shots had convinced me as we never saw anyone on the flight deck: all the shots were empty, and I wondered if the production was using old or unused shots from previous series because they had got rid of the set. On the beach, I felt a pang of sadness when Avon picked up then chucked aside his gun, realising it was useless without the Liberator to recharge it – I have loved the design of those weapons.

A weakness in this plotline is that taking away the Liberator then easily giving it back seemed like cheating. It would have been better to tell us that the Liberator might be failing. I spent the episode wondering how Avon was going to get off the planet when the episode should have made me worry whether the Liberator was going to survive.

Where is everyone?
I spent most of Aftermath feeling anxious – I wanted to know what had happened to the rest of the crew! “Jenna’s gone with Blake,” Cally told Avon as they were hurrying to escape the Liberator. Gone where? The ship was failing – where else could they go? Then we lost Cally and Vila too. Even after Avon managed to contact Zen, I still only knew about Jenna. A hospital ship may sound safe enough, but I remained a tad concerned that Jenna may fall into the Federation’s hands.

I found the details about Blake confusing and couldn’t work out whether he was still on the Liberator or not - it doesn't look like it. He appears to have deliberately left things in a state that means he cannot be traced - a more thorough disappearance than his one during Trial. I wonder if they will try a code word again to see if he has left another video message?

The end of the cult of Blake
I would not have expected to be happy with an episode that only really featured one member of the crew, but by the end, it had become apparent that Aftermath is setting up a series that will have Avon as the main lead.

Last series established a ‘cult of Blake’, where his name represented the actions of the Liberator crew; I’ve compared Blake to Robin Hood a couple of times but suddenly I’ve got a lot more sympathy for all those uncredited Merry Men. This, combined with his natural assumption of leadership, ensured it was Blake who the natives turned to when the Liberator visited anywhere.

The cult of Blake is still echoing in Aftermath with Mellanby saying, "Blake? You were with Blake? [...]Blake and the Liberator? I've been hearing reports for the last couple of years! You were magnificent!" Avon's reply is telling: "Not from where I was sitting." Avon has never been motivated in the same way as Blake and in Star One he had been determined to end his involvement in fighting the Federation.

Setting up the future
Star One is gone and so has the alien threat. The Federation is severely weakened. Avon’s got what he wanted – he just needs to outrun Servalan. I had expected Series B to see Servalan chasing the Liberator to try to get Orac and it seems like Series C could involve a similar plotline. Yet wouldn’t outrunning her be easier if the Federation was really, truly defeated? Or if Avon simply killed Servalan? Unlike Blake with Travis, I wouldn’t expect Avon to wait until his life depended on it to kill Servalan.

Series B had incrementally created real antagonism between Avon and Travis, but Servalan has often operated from a distance and with Travis gone/dead/in a parallel universe, it makes sense to increase the animosity between Avon and Servalan. If Avon is stepping in to replace Blake, this new series has a lot to do.

The scenes between Avon and Servalan were my favourites in the episode. It was wonderful to watch two such compelling actors for a decent length of time and a lovely insight into where the series might head.

Avon doubts they are alike but I am unsure why as Servalan's summary of, "You are ambitious, ruthless, you want power and you never let conscience stand in the way of achieving it," is close - I might have substituted power for money, but then he did fancy taking control of Star One. However, Avon's response, "You overestimate me," is accurate, something I realised when I understood that I had too.

"It's a great pity that you and I have always been on opposite sides, Servalan," Avon says, and until recently I wouldn't have put it past him to change sides. Servalan describes him as "infinitely corruptible" but Avon almost immediately proves her wrong when he wisely turns down her offer of ruling the galaxy together. As they went in for that kiss, with the atmosphere the scene had built up, I was still wondering if Avon would join her for a chance at everything.

Regardless of the logic of that particular moment, I don't believe Avon is all that ruthless anymore - he just doesn't act like the same person that nearly abandoned everyone on Horizon. Avon is presented in a more human, mortal way: he's knocked unconscious; his body can't withstand the g-force in the escape pod; he remains weak after the landing; he is alone and gets into plenty of physical fights; his emotions have rarely seemed so apparent, as he is concerned about his friends throughout the episode and is impatient and anxious while trying to contact Zen. It felt like Servalan had caught him off-guard and in a rare, vulnerable moment when she walked in. Over time I began to think Travis had an advantage over Blake because he was prepared to act so remorselessly, and I am concerned that Servalan has the same over Avon.

Dayna: the action woman Blake's 7 deserves
I had seen later publicity photos featuring a couple of new people, so I recognised Dayna without knowing her name and realised she would probably be coming with Avon at the end of Aftermath.

I immediately liked Dayna because she was an action woman. We meet her when she shoots someone in the back using a bow and arrow: she looks incredible. She tells Avon, "Without danger, there's no pleasure," and I was already thinking: you're going to love life with our lot. I would be so disappointed if this characterisation was dropped because I am hoping the production has learned from the mistakes they made with Jenna.

Blake prevented Avon from killing people several times, so it was an interesting change of position when Avon stopped Dayna murdering a Saren. Blake’s reasonings were always hanging by a thread I felt, while here Avon’s is in keeping with his character as he deduces it will only bring reprisals from the other Sarens. I've considered Avon a keen shooter, but Dayna is something else and has clearly been itching for more action. Blake did alright, but Avon always appeared more able when it came to hand-to-hand combat. It will be great to have someone else equally competent in their skills and who also seems to enjoy a good fight.

It was almost inevitable that Dayna's father, Mellanby, had to get killed. The episode needs a reason for her to leave the planet and a strong reason for her to hate Servalan, which will presumably motivate her from now on because she was pretty apathetic about the Federation in a 'live and let live' way. The grim fate of her sister cements it (The Keeper should take note: THAT is how you show "they're a cruel lot on Goth").

Avon's reaction following the discovery of both bodies ensures we see the man we have known. His line to Dayna on Mellanby, "He got away from here after all," is misjudged and reminded me of his inappropriate remarks after the Dreamer's death in Shadow. Though in Shadow the effect was intentional, I don't think he understood the impact of his quip here until afterwards; maybe that is why he says nothing when they find Dayna's sister and instead stands to stare, blankly, allowing her those moments.

I’m all in favour of healthy curiosity
Blake’s 7 hasn’t really done intimacy. It’s done sexy and, while I’d argue that there has been something from both sexes, in a very 1970s' way, the show has leaned more towards 'something for the dads'. Dayna’s kiss was mildly surprising, yet it came across as cheeky flirting, so although it will stay in the back of my mind, I don’t expect much to come from it. Regardless of what fan fiction may want to imagine (I’m told), personally, I think things would quickly get complicated if there was a free for all of snogging on the Liberator.

While it had been a long time since the first kiss between people of different races on British television, the moment left me curious how it would have been received in 1980. I know racism was still a lot more prominent than today but I wasn’t sure just how deep that went throughout the general population. Starting in 1983, the British Social Attitudes survey asked people if they would mind if a close relative married a black or Asian person. 57% of people answered “a little” or “a lot” for the former, with 51% for the latter. The most recent statistics I can find show that by 2013 this had fallen to 22% and 21% respectively. It’s certainly an indication that Avon and Dayna would have raised a few eyebrows across the country, at the very least.

New beginnings
I was expecting this episode to feel like more of a Part Two to Star One, yet it functions fantastically as a separate episode. Partly, its because there is an awful lot going on: the Liberator seems to be gone, we have lost everyone, Servalan turns up, there's some action with the Sarens in a totally new type of location (surely this isn't the end of Blake's 7's visits to quarries and forests?), and then - BASE UNDER THE SEA.

As a series opener, Aftermath is also a decent introduction for new viewers: we are drawn in with a swift space battle - long enough to indulge but short enough to avoid boredom - then spend most of the episode following a single regular character, learn about their personality, meet their new friend, get to know the main baddie and understand their relationship - all with a bit of plot that offers some action. Aftermath works as a very character-driven episode and it's an impressive feat to provide something extraordinary for the regular audience, while also reinventing the series in a way that provides an accessible entry point for a new one.

I don't want to make too many assumptions yet about what is different about this series. I do think Aftermath offers a suitable link to the last one though as it conveys that no one is safe in this world: here are three lead characters - now two of them are missing; have an exposition scene with two Federation guards setting everything up - oh, they've both been killed; meet Dayna's father and sister - we will brutally murder them.

SPOILERS
At the start of the last series, I explained what spoilers I had encountered for Blake’s 7, which didn’t actually have any bearing on my viewing of Series B but already has a tad for Series C.

I have known that Jenna, Cally and Blake all disappear at some point. Jenna is on the hospital ship and as far as I’m concerned that’s it for her. I’m not so sure about Cally or Blake and I can’t figure out whether we will see either of them again. I hope so.

The photos I had seen meant I recognised Dayna. Aftermath’s credits confirmed that the man on the Liberator at the end of the episode is Tarrant, whose name I had seen with his photo before. If anything, this has left me even more confused though – who is he? What is he doing on the Liberator if he’s a Federation officer? Is he or has he stolen the uniform?

I was so keen to press on with Aftermath after Star One’s cliffhanger. But although that was exciting, Aftermath has opened up such a huge number of questions about characters and where this new series will be heading that it has made me want to press on even more than Star One’s ending did.

Blake's 7 - Star One

Star One

"You can lead the rabble to victory... whatever that might mean."

I've been sceptical about Blake's 7 having a series-long arc because I have grown impatient with it at times. Towards the end of the series, there have been misfires with Voice From the Past and The Keeper, so I was trying not to raise my hopes too much; there seemed every chance I would get a finale that didn't warrant the build-up or wrap up the narrative. Well, with Star One I have never cared less about the lack of a complete conclusion - the ride itself was satisfying enough.

The opening model work scene impressed me as some shots of the Liberator near planets in recent episodes have looked poor and stilted. Moving cameras or models provide much better realism. Conducting this opening purely with models of the ships, without cutting to shots of the men speaking over the radios, may well have been more practical and economical, but importantly, I think it is far more effective for creating the mounting tension the scene needs. I was already listening intently as the panic in the man's voice began to grow.

Space Command
We see less of Servalan in Star One than I was expecting, though this makes perfect sense because she doesn't know where Star One is. I had thought she might have managed to track Travis, but he either got away too quickly or immediately made adjustments to his ship to make it impossible. We appear to have lost her underling from Gambit and every time she returns to Space Command there is a different person for her to share scenes with. It would be nice to have another regular character here to gain more rapport with.

Travis had previously described Star One's potential for disrupting climates, so I immediately thought he must have already reached Star One and the Federation's problems were down to him. I was delighted and cheering him on - despite that feeling slightly strange - because I was keen to see him screw over the Federation. But I did then become conflicted when I remembered I had just watched 400 people die on that passenger ship, which would also have been down to him.

I was surprised that Servalan did not also jump to a similar conclusion. Perhaps she is as convinced as she was on Goth that Travis would not dare to betray her. However, what did she think had happened to Jenna and Vila there? She knew that Blake was nearby, so surely she would have expected him to stay near Goth until the brain print was found. I find myself coming to the conclusion that maybe she believed that Travis had taken the print, but did not intend to use it to find Star One - only to lure Blake.

Discovering that Servalan has very quietly mounted a coup was superb. I remain uncertain about Servalan's true motivations throughout everything. I have generally regarded her as a lone wolf, who delights in power, a belief that was first compounded by Deliverance when we saw her acting without the Federation's sanction. However, there are occasions when she speaks like a loyal servant of the Federation. I have been unconvinced about the sincerity of such statements, yet her attitude in Star One seems genuine. Gaining the Presidential title and its power seems like a happy accident here and Servalan is in no position to enjoy it yet. Unless this is all a massive bluff and she was actually working with Travis - tricking the aliens into coming through so she would have an excuse to grab power, but in fact being ready to wipe them out before any proper damage was done.

Star One
It is completely reasonable for Star One to be a considerable distance from anything else, so I'm not sure why the Liberator crew begin to feel unsure when they approach it. The concern that there would be no one and nothing nearby if they got into trouble is an incredibly odd point to raise. With hindsight, this feels like added emphasis for later in the episode when they have to face an invasion force alone. But they have always been alone. Have they not all felt this? I certainly have: it's them and the Liberator and that's it - as outlaws, they have never been able to risk asking anyone else to come to their rescue, which is partly what makes it such a big deal when Jenna decides to contact Servalan.

Convinced he was causing the Federation's disasters, I had expected to see Travis at Star One. Instead, a further mystery is presented when we have to decide if one scientist is mad or if only one scientist is sane. Until we saw those bodies, I wasn't sure if we could trust Lurena. It's a great, shocking shot when we seem them hanging up and it was the misted eyes that made me recoil - I thought they were still alive, being kept so that the aliens could use their form, and it did seem more of a mercy when we discovered they were dead.

Travis and the Andromedans
Once the Liberator crew mentioned Andromeda, I guessed the scientists must really be Andromedans and discovering that Travis was working with them presented a million questions that Star One never answers.

Why do the Andromedans want to wipe out humanity? What do they want from this galaxy? If the other Andromedans are held back by the minefields, how did this small contingent get through? How did Travis and the Andromedans get to know of one another? Had the Andromedans made it through before Travis contacted them or after - did Travis help them in somehow? If he sent them to Star One - how did he know the scientists were there and needed to be replaced? Why did Travis want to wipe out all of humanity anyway? What was he hoping to gain in a galaxy dominated by the Andromedans?

Travis could surely only gain power, a motivation for Servalan more than him as he has been driven by his desire for revenge on Blake. Yet potentially wiping out the entire of humanity just to achieve that is a bit extreme. I find it significant that Travis is back in his Federation uniform. He did once seem devoted to the Federation and it is Servalan who is now his enemy, not necessarily the Federation.

I wonder if he planned to let the Andromedan force through to let it overwhelm Servalan's Space Command. She would be killed or humiliated and Travis could help organise a successful retaliation, enabling him to be welcomed back into the fold of Space Command and take Servalan's place. There, he can return to being a loyal(ish) servant of the Federation and carry out whatever nasty actions he cares to enjoy, without the fear of reprisals.

Do we really need... Blake?
As I had thought as much after The Keeper, it was unsurprising that Avon has no intention of preventing Blake from heading into Star One to destroy it, despite the temptation of all that power. I was pleased that their conversation from Pressure Point had not been forgotten. Blake had no great objections then about Avon taking the Liberator and, if not happy exactly, is content to go with this now it's being voiced to everyone. Presumably, he must have some plan for attacking the Federation from Earth after Star One's destruction has caused chaos. Somewhat ironically, this must be one of the first times Blake has insisted everyone is consulted on a decision, although in the same scene he also says, "We have to win. It's the only way I can be sure I was right."

Having been advocating stuffing Blake out of an airlock since last series, part of me was thrilled by this idea becoming a closer reality, though I had quiet reservations: Blake is the most interesting member of the crew and there is still plenty to explore with him. Also, the moment this plan was agreed I gained a sense of foreboding and was sure it would not happen; either Star One would remain intact, or something else would force the crew to stick together with Blake.

Jenna and Vila briefly question this. But if Blake himself is willing to get off at Earth, what more discussion is there to have? Are they going to fight over who leads the Liberator? Force Blake to stay? Avon gets shit done and though I have concerns about having such a trigger-happy leader, he's the only other crew member that has seemed capable of stepping up into that role.

It's unfortunate that we haven't seen more of Jenna and that her character hasn't developed more into the kick-arse ex-smuggler she could have been, as I think she could have grown into an excellent antagonist for Avon, and another potential leader. More vocally than Cally, she has almost always supported Blake and I wouldn't expect her to stay on the Liberator without him.

'Trigger-happy' isn't quite the right description for Avon, but he is more forceful than Blake, perhaps less empathetic, and I think I inevitably come back to him being selfish - why should he unnecessarily risk his life, even slightly, for the sake of anyone else? His speech in this scene is marvellous and I adore Paul Darrow's delivery. It's passionate and angry, and as Avon's more scathing comments are often delivered at a normal volume, just slightly raising his voice has an impact without the need for him to become any more animated. I thought back to this scene towards the end of the episode.

"For what it's worth, I have always trusted you - from the very beginning." I was so taken back by Blake's words to Avon. Really? Have you? Just what does Blake think constitutes "the beginning" because he very nearly never got to leave Cygnus Alpha. It was a close call on Horizon too, though the more I've thought since, perhaps Blake knows Avon better than I've thought, and better than I have up to now. When Avon said, "I want to be free... of him," Blake responds, "I never realised - you really do hate me, don't you?" But I'm not sure Avon does. For a while now, I've increasingly come to believe that he actually cares about Blake enormously: he came to the rescue on Horizon, and he's directly saved Blake's life numerous times - including again on Star One. Despite all that logical self-preservation in him, whilst they are still bound together by the Liberator, Avon feels obligated to Blake. I think Avon cares for Blake far more than he wishes he did, and that's why he wants to be free.

STAND BY FOR ACTION
Avon's confrontation with Travis outside is super: no pissing about - start blabbing or start blubbing. "Talk or scream, Travis!" is a magnificent line. Watching him watch Travis as they head inside, Avon is incredibly cautious and it's pure bad luck that Travis gets away from him. Confronted by one of the Andromedan scientists, when Avon shoots him there is plenty of blood and it splatters up the wall, which I thought was awesome - things are getting serious.

"I've had better days."
The episode's been gripping enough from the start anyway but from this point, the excitement and tension ramp up. Travis shooting Blake was one of the best moments ever. No confrontation - just time for Blake to half turn and suddenly - everything's momentarily slowed down. I'm holding my breath, then - "Nooooo!"

He looks very dead. When the scene cuts to Cally and Avon, it felt like an age. Cut back to Blake! Cut back to Blake! C'mon! I am mostly sure, but... when it cuts back to him lying on the floor, I'm certain, and it's a punch in the guts because I've hated this guy - I've spent months now being frustrated by him doing stupid, undemocratic things and then occasionally redeeming himself to me only for him to do them again. Yet I've bloody loved it and suddenly the idea of losing him doesn't seem fair - not for him, not for the others. Who else is going to have the determination to risk everything to bring down the Federation? Because really, as much as I think he's a selfish git, in equal measure I have come to admire Blake's sheer bloody commitment to his cause.

Gan's death has echoed throughout the rest of the series for me - and probably always will. It convinced me that Blake's 7 might just as easily maim or kill one or more of the other regulars. Was it planned this way? It's rather brilliant because without that I would never have believed Blake was dead.

Is Travis dead?
One of the very few positives about The Keeper was that it added a demonstration of Avon's loathing for Travis, which is why I was less bothered than I might have been when he gets the parting shot that sends Travis off. That Blake the Bloody Hero shoots Travis in the back is truly fantastic - he's finally been forced to come down to Travis's level. It's such a sudden, fast-moving scene with so much to process in only a few seconds: Travis is shot! Blake's alive?! Avon's here! Travis isn't dead! "He is now." Well, that remains to be seen. I instantly thought that he wasn't. He will have been chucked out somewhere, ready to crawl out and reappear when we least expect it.

It feels like the episode should be rounding things off by now but I was too gripped to notice. Get out, get to the Liberator, head off. But it's still going and the race to get the bombs out was nail-biting. As soon as Cally got outside, I'd had enough - "Just bloody chuck 'em!" And still, the excitement isn't over. Wasn't that enough? It was enough but I happily lapped up the rest.

That ending...
I spend a considerable portion of Star One leaning forward, eyes wide, either biting my lip or gaping at the screen, occasionally remembering to breathe out. I often swear at the screen when things start going wrong in Blake's 7 but there was much more variety to the phrases being shouted during Star One. I egged our heroes on, cried out in anguish, whooped in triumph, and laughed in relief and delight - including as it cut to the credits. It's a wonderful way to end a series and though I felt a pang of dismay, I cheered because, far more than that, I was so pleased with it all.

They end it there? THERE! I've spent 50 minutes going through an exhausting range of emotions and they end it there! I am presuming there was an entire year's wait for the next series, so this is both cruel and brilliant. It also presumably means that the production knew they were getting a third series and I am curious how early this was decided. Was there more than one ending for Star One, depending on whether they got another series? While Orac left room for more, this is a proper cliffhanger for what could be a two-part episode.

The end of the last series left me pondering on a mystery, but that spaceship explosion was always going to happen - it was just a matter of how and when. I was just as intrigued about where the characters' development was going to go in Series B. But currently, I have next to no interest in thinking about that for Series C - all I can think about is what is going to happen in the seconds and minutes immediately after Star One.