Right, so time for the second part of my look at my Top 10 favourite Blake's 7 episodes, which will see the countdown carry on from 5 to the top number 1.
So let's get back into this and see what made the list....
Oh, and as a warning there will be some PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
5. Terminal (Series 3)
So, at No.5 is the third series finale, Terminal, which was a great end to a rather mixed season of the show. The episode sees Avon very much on the edge of paranoia and in the episode he even shows contempt for his fellow crewmates onboard the Liberator in what turned out to be the last episode to feature the ship itself. It was also the last episode to have been written by the show's creator, Terry Nation so its a fine one for Terry to have to finished on.
As for the plot it begins with Avon being in a very secretive state of mind as he refuses to allow anyone onboard the bridge of the Liberator as he follows a series of secret instructions to a destination known as Terminal, which is an artificial planet. Avon once they arrive warns his crewmates that he no longers need them and he will beam down alone and if anyone tries to follow him, he will kill them. However, Tarrant and Cally decide to beam down and go after Avon to see what he is up to.
On the surface, Avon follows a series of instructions and enters a base where he is captured. However during Avon's capture he also meets Blake, which was the real reason for his trip to Terminal but he finds that Blake is strapped into a life support machine and he would die if he were to be taken off it.
Meanwhile the Liberator has sustained heavy damage as a result of the ship navigating its way through a cloud of fluid particles to get to Terminal and much to Vila and Dayna's alarm that the ship's life support systems are failing and the ship's computer Zen is dying.
Back on Terminal, Avon soon discovers (SPOILER!!) that Servalan was behind his capture and that she was the one that sent the secert messages to lead Avon to Terminal and that it was a ruse so that she could claim the Liberator. Not only Servalan soon reals to Avon the truth about Blake just as he is joined by his other crewmates and as Servalan prepares to take the (unbeknownst to her) doomed Liberator.....
There is no doubt that Terminal is a fine Blake's 7 episode and it sees the series continue to make bold decisions in its efforts to produce shock endings as we see the beloved Liberator destroyed by the end. It also does great in keeping the mystery over and intrigue over just what Avon is up to at the start of the episode as he refuses to tell anyone what he is up to and it leads into a good climax.
Although if there is one thing I would say about Terminal is that its the one episode where Vila said the single most sensible thing he EVER could have said in the whole series and that is that they should have avoided flying the Liberator through the fluid particle clouds. Because if they DID listen to Vila (and they usually never do!) then they would have prevented the Liberator from being destroyed by the damage done by the fluid particles! But instead it turns out to be the most idiotic and rash decision Avon ever made in the whole series that end up costing him his own ship!
And the episode itself has plenty of good moments that include the scene where Tarrant finally get's tired of Avon's secretiveness and he puts his hand on Avon to stop him. And Tarrant angrily says to Avon " That is it, Avon. I've had it. Either you tell us what it's all about or we're going to stop it!". However then Avon, deadly serious, says threateningly to Tarrant "No, you're not. Nothing and nobody is going to stop it, you least of all. Now get out of my way, and stay out of my way!". And its soon revealed that Avon holds a gun, pressed against Tarrant's chest and Avon walks away from a shocked Tarrant. And Cally afterward looks on in shock and says to a shaken Tarrant "You were lucky. He meant it. He was going to kill you!" and Tarrant nervously says "I got that impression myself!".
Another great scene is when the Liberator finally arrives at Terminal and Avon prepares to beam down and he addresses the crew a warning. So Avon says to them " One last thing. I don't need any of you. I needed the Liberator to bring me here so I had no choice but to bring you along, but this is as far as you go. I don't want you with me. I don't want you following me. Understand this: anyone who does follow me, I'll kill them!".
Then there is the scene where Avon finally finds Blake, who is strapped into a life support machine and Blake looks up to him and says "Well, you certainly took your time finding me" and Avon faintly smiles and says "There didn't seem to be any hurry. Anyway, I always said I could manage very well without you". And Blake says "It must have been so dull having no one to argue with" and Avon says "Well, now, there were times when your simple-minded certainties might have been refreshing!" and Blake says "Careful, Avon. Your sentiment is showing!" and Avon says "That's your imagination!".
And toward there is the moment where Servalan and her small team take control of the Liberator (although they seem largely oblivious to the horrible state it is clearly in!). And Servalan says to her team with a dramatic flourish "Main drive. Maximum power!" and as the Liberator flies off it starts to break up and Servalan suddenly flees for her life to the teleport. Meanwhile, Avon and the others witness the destruction of the Liberator safely on Terminal.
So that's it for Terminal, its a great end to the 3rd season and easily one of the best episodes of the series and that's why it takes its worthy place at No.5.
4. Star One (Series 2)
So, at No.4 is the series final of the second season, Star One, which is a great finale to one of the best seasons of the show. And in this episode things finally come to ahead between Blake and Travis as Blake finally think he's reached his ultimate goal to destroy the centre of Federation control, which is Star One.
As for the story it begins with Blake and his crew having finally found Star One and Blake is set on destroying it. Avon however asks Blake if he will reconsider destroying it but Blake refuses, so Avon then requests once Star One is destroyed that he take control of the Liberator and drop off Blake on Earth to see over the resistance's efforts to taken down the Federation to which Blake agrees assuming the others go along with it.
On arriving at Star One, Blake teleports down with Cally and they enter the Federation control station, however it is soon discovered that team that man the station have been killed and it has been taken over by Andromedan humanoids who have taken the form of the human team. Blake on entering the station, soon meets the aliens who believe him to be none other than Travis, who has planned to allow the aliens access through Star One's defences so the Andromedans can invade the Federation. The real Travis soon arrives and shoots and badly injures Blake and soon deactivates Star One's defences just before Blake shoots Travis in return.
Avon soon then decides to teleport down aswell to help out Blake on enters the base only to find Blake badly injured but still alive and Avon (SPOILER!!!!!) finally kills Travis. Blake then tells Avon and Cally of the invasion and that they must try and get rid of the explosives to prevent the destruction of the Star One base as it would leave the Federation and many other worlds vulnerable to their doom. And its from here the crew must find a way to prevent the destruction of Star One and if they can hold off the alien invasion.....
Star One is a great finale to the second series and again it sees some great dramatic revelations in the show that would eventually lead into a transition of Avon taking control of the Liberator in the 3rd series. It also deftly deals with the complicated themes of Star One and the drastic implications its destruction would have on the Federation and the many worlds that actually really depend on it given that it controls the environmental effects on these planets.
The episode also has some great scenes in it too that include the one where Avon lays his plan on the line to Blake to take over the Liberator once Blake has destroyed Star One. So Avon says to him "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!". And Cally says to Avon "But you are free now, Avon" and Avon says bitingly "I want to be free of HIM!" looking at Blake, who is rather taken aback and says "I never realized. You really do hate me, don't you?!".
Then there is the scene later where Blake meets with the Andromedans and their leader (who thinks Blake is Travis) says to him "I have taken on the shape of your species. I use your words, and yet I cannot understand you. The woman Lurena and the other technicians that were here, these I could understand. But you. Why have you betrayed your own kind? Why have you given us the means to eradicate your species?". And Blake tries not to look too surprised and asks "Eradicate humanity??" and the Andromedan says "Virtually" and Blake says "Well maybe I just don't like crowds!".
However then at this point Travis walks in from behind and shoots Blake in the back who collapses and the Andromedan asks Travis "You are Travis?" and Travis says "I am Travis!". And the Andromedan asks "Then who is this?" and Travis says "His name is Blake" but then he gives a slight laugh and corrects himself "His name WAS Blake!". And Travis later says as he is about to close down the defences of Star One and let the Andromedans invade "My one regret is that they'll never know who really killed them!".
Then comes the moment (SPOILER!!) where Blake, badly wounded, shoots Travis in the back and the main Andromedan, Stott, just in time for Avon to arrive with Cally. And Blake weakly asks Avon "Is he dead, Avon? Is Travis dead??" and we see Travis unsteadily get up and try and aim his built-in handgun but Avon spins around and finally shoots him dead and he falls down a portal and Avon says "He is now!".
And last of all is the scene near the end where Blake, badly wounded from his gunfight with Travis limps onboard the bridge of the Liberator and asks if he can help Avon, who has taken charge. And Avon says to Blake "Why didn't you stay in the medical unit? Couldn't you bring yourself to trust me just this once?" and Blake says "I thought I might be able to help" and Avon says "In that condition?" and Blake says "Alright, I'll go back". And just as Avon is about to turn away, Blake says to him "Avon, for what it is worth, I have always trusted you, from the very beginning".
So that's it for Star One, which is an excellent episode and one of my favourites, which saw the second season finish strong and its more than worthy of a place in the top 5.
3. Blake (Series 4)
At No.3 is the last ever episode of the series and the fourth season finale, Blake, which saw the series go out with a real bang, which brought back Gareth Thomas to the series for one last time in the main role of Blake.
The story itself begins with Avon deciding that he and the crew of the Scorpio (Avon's ship in the fourth series after the Liberator was destroyed) need to find a new leader to lead the resistance so he has tried to track down Blake. Blake himself is now operating as a bounty hunter on the planet Guada Prime and while outside he tracks and captures a girl named Arlen, who has a bounty on her so he takes back to his base.
Meanwhile, Avon and his crew come under attack from patrol ships as they near Guada Prime and they all teleport down to the surface without the exception of Tarrant who stays behind to pilot Scorpio and he ends up crash landing it. Blake soon discovers Tarrant and rescues him from the wreckage of the Scorpio and takes him back to his base where he tests Tarrant's loyalty by threatening to turn him, Avon and the others over to the Federation as a bounty but Tarrant manages to flee. Blake however reveals that the bounty hunter is just a cover and that he does intend to try and build up the resistance base again.
In the meantime, Avon lands on Guada Prime and soon locates the others and they slowly make their way toward Blake's base where Avon finally is confronted by Blake.....
There is no doubt that Blake is as a good a closing epsiode to a series as you could possibly hope for and its ending is a pretty grim one but it is keeping in tone with the series perfectly regardless of how downbeat it is. And Avon hopes throughout the episode that he is able to rejoin with Blake to reignite the resistance but in the end it all goes horribly wrong and the final scene is easily one of the best in the history of the show.
And despite its downbeat ending, Blake still has plenty of great moments such as the scene where Avon addresses his crew about finding a new resistance leader or a "figurehead" as Soolin (Glynis Barber) puts it. And Avon says to her "But then figureheads aren't too difficult to come by. Any idiot can be one" and Dayna smiles and says to Vila "On your feet, Vila. This could be your big moment!" and Avon delivers an impeccable putdown in response "Any idiot within REASON, that is!".
Then there is the scene where Blake takes Tarrant back to his base and he is met by his aide, Deva (David Collings) who says to him "Well, now, bounty hunter, that was a short trip even by your standards". And Blake says to Deva "Short" then suddenly grabs Tarrant's gun and points it at Tarrant "....but profitable!". And Deva says to Blake as he holds Tarrant at gunpoint "No, I wouldn't run it through the computer just yet, Deva. You see, this one has a very high Federation price on his head! He also has several associates with Federation prices, and one of them is PARTICULARLY valuable!".
Another good scene is when Avon rescues Dayna, Soolin and Vila from scavengers who enter the shack they are taking cover in and knock out Vila who takes watch. And Avon notices the fire they had lit and he says to them "The fire was stupid. Putting Vila on guard was suicidal. What's the matter, is staying alive too complicated for you?!".
And last of all is the final scene (SPOILER!!!!) between Avon and Blake where they finally come face to face just as the Federation are about to enter the base. And Tarrant asks Vila "Is it him?" and Vila says "Its him!" and Tarrant says to Avon "He sold us, Avon. All of us! Even you!" and Avon suddenly looks shocked and asks Blake "Is it true??" and Blake tries to calm Avon saying "Avon, its me, Blake!". And as Blake is about to move forward, Avon hisses at him "Stand still! Have you betrayed us?! Have you betrayed ME??!" and Blake says "Tarrant doesn't understand!" and Avon says "Neither do I!" and Blake tells him "I set all this up!" then suddenly Avon says "Yes!" believing Tarrant.
But Blake then makes his final move toward to Avon saying "Avon I was waiting for you!" but then (SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Avon shoots Blake dead who collapses just before the Federation guards arrive who take down Avon's crew one by one until only Avon is left standing and he finds himself completely surrounded as he stands over Blake's body, he takes aim at them and smiles.....
So Blake definitely for me remains one of the very best episodes of the series and it was fitting that it ended on a high note even if the fourth series itself was pretty weak it still had a great send off.
Although if I had to nitpick the episode at all I would have to say its one big flaw comes down to Blake's short sightedness when it comes to using the his bounty hunter act as it ultimately get's himself killed as he played it up to test Tarrant's loyality. But in the next scene Blake's ally, Deva points there is no real need for him to do all this stuff anyway and Blake even confesses its a failing that he lacks trust in people.
But you really feel if Blake had just come a bit more clean with Tarrant then he wouldn't have ended up getting killed by Avon nor if he explained himself better to Avon at the very end! But hey ho, I guess they wanted it to end (and Gareth Thomas insisted that Blake was to be finally killed off and wanted "blood" in his contract (as Blake's death is pretty bloody) to ensure there wouldn't be a comeback).
But despite this, Blake is definitely one of the series finest episodes and a great swansong for the series itself and it rightly deserves its place on the list.
2. Countdown (Series 2)
So the runner-up spot belongs to this episode from the 2nd series, Countdown, which is a great one that is filled with plenty of suspense and some great writing from Terry Nation. The episode also reveals a bit more of Avon's past as he talks of his deceased girlfriend, Anna Grant as he is forced to ally himself with her brother, Del Grant (who blames him for her death) as the two of them try to diffuse a deadly bomb.
As for going into the story of the episode a bit more it starts with a rebel uprising on the planet Albion where a group of rebels manage to breach the Federation base but they are too late to stop deadly bomb that has been activated and after an hour's countdown it will wipe out the population of the planet itself.
Blake himself teleports down to the planet with Avon and Vila as he is trying to find a Federation officer, Provine (Paul Shelley) who might know the location of Federation control but he also decides to help out the rebels with their problem. Provine however has managed to escaped detection and after killing one of the rebels, diguises himself as one of them as he intends to see the countdown of the bomb go through.
Avon while there also discovers that the rebels are being helped by a mercenary named Del Grant (Tom Chadbon) who is the brother of his former girlfriend, Anna, who was apparently captured, tortured and then killed by the Federation and Grants blames Avon for her death. Regardless of their previous feud they decide to put their differences aside and work together to try and stop the bomb....
Countdown is a gripping episode and its filled with some great moments and it also features some excellent performances too, most notably from Tom Chadbon as Del Grant, the mercenary who aids the rebels against the Federation and has a past with Avon. The episode also deftly reveals some details of Avon's personal life regarding his relationship with Anna also and the episode nicely balances this along with Blake's hunt for Provine who finally reveals the name of Federation control (Star One).
The episode has plenty of great moments that include the scene where Provine is stopped by one of the rebels, Arrian (Nigel Gregory) from activating the launch doors of a rocket silo. And in the scene Provine tries to persuade Arrian to come with him and escape the planet long enough for the radiation fallout of the bomb to reduce and they can return but Arrian refuses. And Arrian says to Provine "You think I could live, knowing I'd helped a man who'd murdered an entire world? No, Provine, you're not going anywhere. You're going to stay here and die with the rest of us. Now move!" and Provine says "You're a fool!".
Then there is the scene where Avon hears Del Grant's name being mentioned and he reacts and Blake notices this and asks Avon what's the matter but Avont tries to brush it off at first as not being important. And Blake asks "If it is not important, then why did his name have such a strong effect upon you?" and Avon says to him "Because the Del Grant that I knew said that if we ever met again, he would kill me".
Another good scene is when Avon and Grant work together to try and diffuse the bomb and Avon tries to explain his side of the story as to what happened with Anna. So Avon says to Grant "She came looking for me, the patrols found her. It was only after we got word that she was dead that I left" and Grant says "You expect me to believe that?" and Avon says "Not particularly. But it happens to be the truth. If there had ever been a time when I could have given my own life to save her, I would have done it. The only grain of consolation that I have is that Anna knew that".
Then there is the amusing moment where Avon and Grant work together to try and cut the wires of the detonator and Grant tries to ensure Avon get's the right ones cut but he get's hasty at one point when trying to cut the second to last of three wires, which prompts Avon to say "You don't get another guess!". And after Avon successfully cuts the right one, Grant sarcastically says to Avon "Next bit's straightforward. Do you want me to do it?!" and Avon says "Help yourself".
And last of all is the scene where (SPOILER!!!!!!) Avon and Grant finally managed to diffuse the bomb and stop the countdown but before they do that, Avon finds the last rod that will prevent the last lever from detonating the device while Grant is injured under some collapsed scaffolding. And Grant says to him "If the positions were reversed, if it were you under this beam, I might have left you, the way things are between us. Why are you helping me?". And after Avon manages to successfully stop the countdown (at 001!) Grant says "You did it?" and Avon smiles and says "Yes, I did, didn't I?" and Grant asks him "Why did you help me?" and Avon replies "Perhaps because Anna was your sister".
Sooo that's it for Countdown which is for me easily one of the very best episodes from the series as it is well paced, filled with tense moments and a great script from Terry Nation and any episode that also helps build on its characters (particularly Avon) is a good one and well worth the runner up spot.
And now for my No.1 favourite Blake's 7 episode, which is...... (drum roll as usual!)
1. Seek-Locate-Destroy (Series 1)
Yep at No.1 is this classic episode from the first series, Seek-Locate-Destroy and I've put it right at the top simply because it is a brilliant episode and it sets up the whole cat and mouse chase between Blake and the Federation properly with introduction of two of the series most memorable characters, Servalan and Travis.
As for the story, the episode starts with Blake and his crew teleporting down onto the planet Centero where they invade a Federation base to steal a decryption cipher machine, which they successfully manage to do. However, Cally is left behind as during a struggle she loses her teleport bracelet and Blake's explosive charges (set to destroy the base) go off and she is left for dead. Blake and the others don't realise at first she didn't make it back onboard and Avon wards off Blake of the idea of going back to save her, believing that she will be dead.
Meanwhile as a result of the raid, Supreme Commander Servalan (Jacqueline Pearce) recruits the ruthless space commander Travis (Stephen Grief) to take down Blake, who is eager to take the assignement as he lost an eye and an arm to Blake during Blake's capture by Federation guards and he wants revenge.
Travis on investigating the wreckage of the base discovers that Cally is still alive and he holds her captive once they discover that the cipher machine is what Blake was after. Travis then urges Servalan to send out a message to lure Blake into coming back for Cally so that he can spring a trap on him and Blake having received the message arrives to take the bait....
Seek-Locate-Destroy for me is classic Blake's 7 and the epitome of what made it such a good series in the first place especially as it starts to focus in more on the figureheads of the Federation in Servalan and Travis. And the whole feud between Blake and Travis in itself would make for an intriguing rivalry which would last right into the second series.
The episode itself however it also very worthy of note also because it introduces Stephen Grief in the role of Travis (with Brian Croucher in the 2nd series) and he is frankly brilliant in the role as Grief really plays Travis as a cold-blooded badass. In fact it was a great pity that Grief didn't come back to reprise the part in the second series but the commitments he had at the time made it impossible for him to be able to make the 2nd series so Brian Croucher took over instead, who was not as half as good as Grief was here.
Naturally of course Seek-Locate-Destroy has some great scenes such as the one where Blake and the others after having managed to successfully steal the cipher machine and teleport onboard soon discover that Cally is missing. And Blake asks concerned as it dawns on him that Cally didn't beam back up " Has anybody seen her since she came back on board? Then she's still down there! We've got to get back!".
However Avon tries to persuade Blake not to go back "Blake, listen. If she didn't come back up, then she must have been in the building when the charges blew. She's dead!". And Avon says "We'd never even get through their interceptors" and he grabs Blake's arm angrily and shouts "LISTEN!" but Blake yanks free and he stands pondering as Avon says to him "If you turn this ship around, you will kill all of us!".
Then there is the great moment where Travis makes his first appearance as he barges his way into Servalan's office. And Servalan greets him "Space Commander, it is good to see you!" and Travis says "our aide said I was to wait. He was obviously mistaken. He doesn't realize the urgency of the matter!". Then Servalan hands Travis a piece of folder paper and he looks at it and says "These are your orders?" and Servalan says "Destroy Blake!" and Travis almost smiles and says "Depend on it!".
Another good scene is when Avon uses the cipher machine and listens in on a message to sent to Centero and he mentions Travis's name from the message and this sparks shock in Blake. And Blake says "Travis!" and Jenna asks "Do you know him?" and Blake says "I thought he was dead. I was sure I killed him!".
This is followed by the scene where Travis talks to Servalan about his prosthetic arm he wears as a result of his injuries from Blake. And Travis says to Servalan "The surgical mechanics did a perfect refit. I had the Weaponry Division make a few ... adaptations. They built in a laseron destroyer, more powerful than any sidearm. No, the hand is fine, better than the original. It only troubles me because it's a constant reminder that the man who caused it, is still alive!".
And Servalan says to Travis referring to his eyepatch "I've read all the reports, of course. But none of them said what happened. None of them explained about your face" and Travis defensively says "What about my face?". And Servalan asks "But why did you never let the surgeons finish the job?" and Travis arrogantly says "What are you suggesting, cosmetic surgery? I'm a FIELD officer, not one of your decorative staff men!".
Then there is the scene where Blake explains to his crew about what happened to him when he last encountered Travis. And Blake tells them "Travis was already there. He'd been hiding in that basement for more than two days. We made no attempt to resist arrest. There was no point, we had no chance. I said to Travis, "We will offer no resistance." And he just stared at me. And then he ordered his men to open fire. Everybody was diving for cover that wasn't there. I, I ran, I found myself grappling with a guard, and I managed to get his gun away from him, and then I was hit in the leg. But as I went down, I saw Travis. And I fired. I saw him fall. I was sure I'd killed him!". And Avon asks him "Do you remember enough to recognise Travis?" and Blake says "The man who killed 20 of my friends? Oh yes, I'll recognise him!".
And last of all is the scene where (SPOILER!!) Blake turns up to rescue Cally and he springs up behind Travis and says to him "A trick I learned from you, Travis. I got here first!" and Blake and Cally make their escape by teleport and Blake damages Travis's prosthetic arm before they go. And after they have gone, Travis looks to the skies and says "Run, Blake! Run! As far and as fast as you like! I'll find you. You can't hide from me. I am your death, Blake!".
Sooo that is it, Seek-Locate-Destroy is a great episode that has it all, a great script, suspense, thrills, and of course it single handedly introduced two of the greatest villains that British Sci-Fi has ever seen. And for me its easily my favourite episode of the whole series and is more than worthy of taking the top spot.
Well, that's it for my look at my top 10 favourite Blake's 7 episodes which has been fun (albeit very lengthy to do!) and I will be back again soon with yet another post.
Till the next one its ciao for now!
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