Rewatching Blake's 7

[Candlelight]

AUDIO: BLOOD & EARTH

Taking a side step here; I've recently been given a handful of audio episodes and I may as well review those too. I know next to nothing about them so should be interesting. I only hear them on walks at lunch or on the drive to work in the morning.

This one is a prequel story (which I'm guessing is one of a handful of stories made at the same time). This one features Cally (played of course by Jan Chappel) and is entirely set on Auron, prior to Cally leaving for Saurian Major. It takes a while to get going, and the fact I didn't know it was a prequel I expected the Liberator to jump in at any moment, but the story was believable.

 

[Guy Gardener]

This is probably the early years series. There are 6 stories/cds in this collection.

It's also about 4 years old.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake's_7_(audio_drama)

 

[Candlelight]

My mate gave me all the stories up to (but not including) Escape Velocity, which is a shame as it's the one story I wanted to hear.

I don't have the Big Finish stories.

 

[Saul]

No, he knew the whole time, he was just being a dick.

I mean back as far as season 1. He didn't have memory back but he knew what happened between him and Travis.

Did anyone read the book by Paul Darrow? Called Lucifer and taking place after the end of season 4.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Paul read at least half of it to me before I fell asleep.

The stuff about reforming the Federation was great, lots of intrigue as the star chamber shadow council plays spin the bottle-murder style to create a power block over their former equals.

The strange bit was an assassin talking about how cool bullet firing guns are when he's planning to murder someone as if energy weapons are just for crowd control but hardly elegant or precise.

 

[Marc]

No, he knew the whole time, he was just being a dick.

I mean back as far as season 1. He didn't have memory back but he knew what happened between him and Travis.

Did anyone read the book by Paul Darrow? Called Lucifer and taking place after the end of season 4.

Is it an improvement over his last B7 book "Avon - A Terrible Aspect"?

Never read it (never seen a copy) but by all accounts it's pretty dire.

 

[Starkers]

I own it. It's ok, but I don't think the Avon portrayed in the book has many similarities to the Avon in the show. I haven't read Lucifer yet.

 

[Saul]

The online reviews for Lucifer seemed pretty positive and there's a sequel coming out to it this year.

 

[Starscape]

Lucifer is fairly well plotted, apart from a few odd choices...

Spoiler: Minor Lucifer Spoilers

...everyone uses projectile weapons and it states the Federation only ever had control over half of the Earth.

Unfortunately, Darrow's writing style is painful.

 

[Guy Gardener]

But that's how Rome worked in the beginning.

 

[Candlelight]

Started doing a fanfic last night. Haven't written in ages. Felt good.

Might try and publish it one day.

 

[Candlelight]

B09: COUNTDOWN

Straight forward action adventure and the story is told in real time for a change. Avon steals the show with a great character story, Vila spends much of it playing the fool and once again the girls are restricted to the staying on the ship (Sally showing her displeasure by telling Cally off during the final countdown). Provine is a shocking actor, his death scene is just terrible, although it does continue to seed the Star One story arc for the season. The detonator is a stupidly simple device but it matches the story. It would've been interesting if Grant had accepted Blake's offer; he would been a good replacement for Gan. Peter Tuddenham doesn't appear in this episode, so this is probably the only episode where it could be called Blake's 5.

 

[Starkers]

Countdown is good solid fun, it's nice to see a populace overthrowing the Federation as it shows the rebellion isn't just limited to Blake and co. Plus it lays the groundwork for series 3's Rumours of Death.

One of the problems of B7's format is that every other week they meet someone who could have joined the crew but didn't. From a dramatic point of view the Liberator having a crew of dozens wouldn't work so well, but rationally it would make more sense (and you'd never end up with a situation ala Horizon where there's just Avon left)

 

[Candlelight]

Countdown is good solid fun, it's nice to see a populace overthrowing the Federation as it shows the rebellion isn't just limited to Blake and co. Plus it lays the groundwork for series 3's Rumours of Death.

One of the problems of B7's format is that every other week they meet someone who could have joined the crew but didn't. From a dramatic point of view the Liberator having a crew of dozens wouldn't work so well, but rationally it would make more sense (and you'd never end up with a situation ala Horizon where there's just Avon left)

True but on the flipside a lot of the crew - especially Avon - wouldn't trust anyone else. He barely trusts the current crew!

 

[Starkers]

This is very true!

I'm not even sure Avon trusts Avon...

 

[Sindatur]

This is very true!

I'm not even sure Avon trusts Avon...

Nah, Avon knows he can trust Avon, since he's Avon.

But, he also knows, if he wasn't Avon, he sure as Hell wouldn't trust Avon

Just started watching Episode A09 right now.

Nothing major to discuss.

Though it was interesting that Gan healed Jenna's wounds with the little Skin healer thing (beginning of The Web or end of the previous episode) and then On Planet, in The Web Blake is so astounded the inhabitants there could heal a wound so easily? Apparently Gan hadn't shared the Healing thingy with Blake yet, LOL.

 

[auntiehill]

Well, he might have and Blake simply forgot. You know, memory isn't his strongest skill.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I'm listing to the new full cast audio.

They just can't catch a break.

 

[Sindatur]

Well, he might have and Blake simply forgot. You know, memory isn't his strongest skill.

OUCH!!!
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A09 Project Avalon First time I've ever recognized (and acknowledged in my head) Glynis Barber in this episode. The last time through (My first since the early 1980s [a couple years back]) I did know right before seeing the episode, she was in it, but, didn't fully "feel/recognize" her. I never noticed or knew the couple times I watched the Series back in the 1980s.

I've always liked this episode. It's the first episode, I believe, that drives home the fact that even victories aren't what they think, and just how many steps The Federation plans ahead.

 

[Candlelight]

This is very true!

I'm not even sure Avon trusts Avon...

Nah, Avon knows he can trust Avon, since he's Avon.

But, he also knows, if he wasn't Avon, he sure as Hell wouldn't trust Avon

Just started watching Episode A09 right now.

Nothing major to discuss.

Though it was interesting that Gan healed Jenna's wounds with the little Skin healer thing (beginning of The Web or end of the previous episode) and then On Planet, in The Web Blake is so astounded the inhabitants there could heal a wound so easily? Apparently Gan hadn't shared the Healing thingy with Blake yet, LOL.

It was either that or he was reacting to the fact that they put a slice of beef schnitzel on his hand to fix him instead of an electronic piece of hardware.