RUMOURS OF DEATH #34
Writer:Chris Boucher
Director:Fiona Cumming
Producer: David Maloney

CAST: Jan Chappell (Cally), Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael
Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna),
Peter Tuddenham (ORAC), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Philip
Bloomfield (Balon), John Bryans (Shrinker), Peter Clay (Chesku),
Donald Douglas (Grenlee), David Gillies (Hob), David Haig
(Forres), Lorna Heilbron, (Anna/Sula)  

PLOT:
This one could be called "Avon's Revenge?".  Avon returns to
Earth, allowing himself to be captured and interrogated by the
Federation, so he can finish a meticulously planned revenge against
the man he holds responsible for the death of his true love, Anna
Grant.  Cally has misgivings about both the mission and Avon's
motives, but he is single-minded in his determination to execute
justice. When the man, Shrinker, shows up, he is teleported first to
the Liberator, then to a carefully arranged underground cave, a
cave with no physical entrance or exit. 

There, Shrinker is greeted with a dimly lit portrait of Anna.  Much
to Avon's displeasure, Shrinker has no memory of this woman that
meant so much to him.   Avon's interrogation of Shrinker is
punctuated with visual flashbacks of that last romantic night with
Anna.  Meanwhile, on the surface of Earth, a revolt is in progress
against President Servalan.  The revolt is being led by a woman
named Sula, wife of High Council member Chesku.  She happens
to bear a remarkable physical resemblence to Anna.     

Shrinker lives up to his name, as he tries every tactic to prolong his
life.   He claims to have valuable information in exchange for "a
way out."   Avon agrees, and  he learns two important things.  First,
that his well-planned computer fraud scheme (which he believed he
had almost gotten away with)  was actually being monitored by
security from the very beginning.  Second, that Bartolomew,
"Central Security's best agent," was responsible for the
interrogation of all of Avon's friends and  associates, including
Anna.  

Shrinker had tortured many, but he had not killed Anna.  One of
those he tortured linked Bartolomew's name with Chesku.  Only
Servalan knows for sure.   Avon does offer Shrinker "a way out"
but it is not exactly what Shrinker had in mind.  Having dealt
successfully with Shrinker, Avon now turns his attention to
Servalan.  The remaining crew members realize he's in over his
head and offer their support.   

Dayna, Cally, and Tarrant all teleport down to Earth with Avon. 
There, they find themselves in the middle of  the revolt.  Servalan
is being held prisoner somewhere within her own palace grounds. 
With the help of a dying security guard, Avon and Tarrant find
Servalan chained to a wall of an underground room.  Avon offers
her freedom in exchange for information and althought not
overwhelmed by his offer, she agrees.  But before Servalan can say
anything further, Sula comes down the stairs.   And Avon gets the
shock of his life (well, at least until the final episode).  It is Anna. 
It seems that Anna did not die under interrogation torture after all,
but was, in fact,  alive and well and married to distinguished
Federation member, High Councillor Chesku.   Anna tries to regain
Avon's sympathy but fails.  It does not take him long to realize that
the only way for Anna to have escaped interrogation was if she
herself had been in charge of it.   Avon realizes that Anna was
Bartolomew and had been lying to him from the very beginning. 
Once she is aware that her betrayal has been discovered, Anna/Sula
tries to kill Avon, but he manages to fire first.   With Anna dying in
his arms, Avon throws off his bracelet.   Vila teleports everyone
else back to the Liberator, leaving Avon alone with Servalan.  True
to his word, he lets her go.  In exchange, Servalan offers to send
his body back to the Liberator, but she is stopped by the
unexpected arrival of  Hob, Sula's partner in revolution.  In the end,
Avon gets his revenge, and a lot more than he bargained for.   

Some Memorable Lines:

VILA: "You killed someone he loved.  And there aren't very many
of them about.  Avon's not a very lovable man, in case you hadn't
noticed." 

VILA (to Avon): "Let's concentrate.  He's more dangerous than he
looks." 
AVON: "Isn't everybody?"

AVON (to Shrinker): "Paranoia is the occupational hazard of the
torturer." 

GRENLEE (Security guard): "There's no law for the rich and even
less for the rich personal friends of the President." 

AVON (to Shrinker, before leaving him stranded with a gun): "Oh,
and I'm a man of my word.  In the end, that's all there is, really." 

AVON: "You know ORAC's main drawback?"
DAYNA: "He's too useful to destroy."
AVON: "Irritating, isn't it?"

AVON (To Anna): "Trust him?  Of course I don't trust him.  Trust
is only dangerous when you have to rely on it."  

(Intentional or not, these next lines prove extremely prophetic in
light of the final episode, BLAKE):

AVON (to Servalan): "Have you murdered your way to the wall of
an underground room?" 
SERVALAN: "It's an old wall, Avon.  It waits.  I hope you don't
die before you reach it."  

(and finally, the lines that may have inspired the title): 

AVON: Rumours of my death have been...
TARRANT: Greatly exaggerated
AVON: Well, slightly exaggerated, anyway.  

THE GOOD & THE BAD:

THE GOOD:

The script, which along with TERMINAL, shows Avon at his most
human and complex.  The same goes for the performance by Paul
Darrow. 

Jacqueline Pearce.  A particularly strong performance of Servalan, 
managing to capture both her vulnerability and that "cool under
fire" attitude with equal skill and credibility. 

John Bryans.  A solid performance as the incredible "shrinking"
Shrinker. 

THE BAD:

Not that much, actually.  But both "Servalan's palace" and the
camouflage outfits of the some of the rebels seemed far too
"20th-century."  The camouflage felt out of place next to the
Federation guard uniforms and the formal attire of  Sula and
Chesku.  And the architecture was just too jarring, especially when
contrasted to the control room of the palace security guard and the
futuristic design of the Liberator.   This series is, after all, supposed
to take place in the far future,  not in modern-day Britain.  

THE FAMILIAR:

The underground cave routine.  Kirk performs a similar action, but
for =very= different reasons in "The Cloudminders" (=Star Trek=
series).  And for classical theatre fans: Avon's revenge, leaving
Shrinker alone and alive in an underground cave, is very
reminiscent of the judgment of Creon in Sophocles' play
=Antigone=. 

QUESTIONS:

Anna.  Possibly one of the most ambiguous characters in the entire
series.  Her character has spawned a lot of later writing, including
the book by Paul Darrow (=Avon: A Terrible Aspect=).  The big
question: Whose side was she on?  Clearly she lied to Avon, was
the cause of his near-imprisonment and much heartache.  She was
probably also responsible for the deaths of many in her role as
Bartolomew.  Yet, during the revolt she appeared to be in Blake's
camp, on the side of the people.  Or was she?   

(Reviewed by Jacie -- Sinnead@aol.com)


SARCOPHAGUS #35 (Series C)
Written by Tanith Lee
Directed by Fiona Cumming
Airdate:  3/3/80

CAST:  

Paul Darrow (Avon, Spirit of Death), Jan Chappell (Cally, Alien, 
Spirit of Life), Michael Keating (Vila, the Fool), Steven Pacey
(Tarrant,  the Defender), Josette Simon (Dayna, the Bard), Peter
Tuddenham (Zen, ORAC). 

PLOT SUMMARY:  

After visiting a derelict alien "tomb" vessel, Cally is inhabited by
the soul of a long dead creature.  The creature begins to take her
shape, draining her of her life energ then takes over the ship and
one by one the crew-except for Avon, the one member of the crew
who is determined not to surrender into slavery. 

ALTERNATE TITLE:  "Damnit, Cally...not again!"

GREAT SCENES:

The opening scene between Avon and Cally in her cabin and all the
long stares they share in the episode.  

GREAT LINES:

TARRANT:  "We signal?
AVON:     "Give me a reason."
TARRANT:  "It's out there."
AVON:     "In other words, you're bored."

CALLY:  "You kept Tarrant out.  Why?"
AVON:   "His enthusiasm can be distracting."

VILA:     "My head's killing me."
TARRANT:  "You should learn self-defense."

VILA:   "You're always getting at me."
DAYNA:  "Your helplessness brings out my sadistic streak." 
AVON:  "...Make me die.  There's nothing else you can make me
do." 

GENERAL COMMENTS:

This is the only episode to use only the principal actors in all the
parts, no guests were credited. 

This episode provided Jan Chappell a great opportunity for some
over-the-top acting. 

Oh, yeah...and that singing, though nice...was pretty corny.  They
must have really needed to stretch the time. 


ULTRAWORLD #36 (Series C)
Written by Trevor Hoyle
Directed by Vere Lorrimer
Airdate:  3/10/80

CAST:  

Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating
(Vila), Steven  Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter
Tuddenham (Zen, ORAC), Peter Richards (Ultra), Stephen Jenn
(Ultra), Ian Barritt (Ultra), Ronald  Govey (Relph)

PLOT SUMMARY:  

The crew of the Liberator investigates a giant disco globe spinning
in space. They discover three custodial beings, the Ultra, who say
the planet is a  repository of knowledge.  However, what the Ultra
fail to mention is the  planet's need for constant human sacrifice
and a new Bee Gees cover band  for disco fever dance night.  


GREAT LINES:

   AVON:  "You really believe in taking risks, don't you?"
TARRANT:  "Calculated ones."
   AVON:  "Calculated on what?  Your fingers?"

VILA:  "Come out, come out, where ever you are.  
     Help..I'm being got at."

[Explosion] Ultra:  "Is that the bonding ceremony?"

GENERAL COMMENTS:

And the winner of the Captain Stubing Look-Alike Contest...   The
menials. 

Vila needs some new jokes...these were pretty old even in 1980. 
What's holding Avon and Cally in those sleep cells any way? 
There are no straps of any kind...they're just standing there.  

When Dayna and Tarrant are hiding in the storeroom and find
Cally, she  is propped up between two frozen bodies but when the
bodies are activated she has moved.  How did that happen?

If Dayna couldn't get any reaction from Cally when she first found
her, how is Cally able to move and walk around with her eyes open
after being saved from the core's feed tube.  

Why wasn't Liberator, restrained by what looked like some pretty
heavy duty metal bars, ripped apart when applying lateral thrust?


MOLOCH #37 (Series C)
Written by Ben Steed
Directed by Vere Lorrimer
Airdate:  3/17/80

CAST:  

Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Jan Chappell
(Cally),  Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette
Simon (Dayna),  Peter Tuddenham (Zen, ORAC), Davyd Harries
(Doran), John Hartley (Grose),  Mark Sheridan (Lector), Deep Roy
(Moloch), Debbi Blythe (Poola), Sabina Frankyln (Chesil)

PLOT SUMMARY:  

The Liberator crew follow Servalan's star cruiser to a cloaked
planet,  Sardos, on the edge of known space.  Servalan has been
lured there by  the Section Leader of the Fifth Legion in order to
copy her ship using a matter replicator developed by the inhabitants
of the planet.  Tarrant  and Vila teleport into a freighter carrying
escaped convicts from a nearby  planet in order to find out what
Servalan is up to.  
 

Most Occupations in One Episode:  

Vila.  He demonstrates the skills of a waiter, gymnast, Federation
trooper, stowaway convict and general punching bag, not to
mention his normal thief  and resident coward duties.

Best Performance in a Chalk Pit by a Musical Group:
The Calcos Convict Choir with their drunken rendition of 
"It's Great to be Free"

And the winner of the Einstein look-alike contest is....Moloch, the
hairy,  one-eyed, miniature mutant.  He wins a one-way trip to
oblivion as the  result of his stellar stupidity. 

GREAT SCENES:
This episode is full of great scenes between Vila and Servalan and
Vila  and Tarrant.  Avon even expresses concern for Vila in this
episode.   
GENERAL COMMENTS:

If the crew knew about the medium pulse block when Tarrant and
Vila teleported to the transport ship then why didn't Cally start
working on the omicron beam right away instead of waiting for a
crisis to occur? 

When Servalan encountered Vila she commented that she should
have known  the space captain Grose was talking about was
Tarrant.  How did she know  the Liberator's crew was on the
planet?

Why did Avon and Dayna wait so long to check the main computer
room for surveilance devices?  Shouldn't that have been the first
thing they did? 

Why did ORAC say that only Vila had the skills to get out of the
T16 compartment when Tarrant did just fine on his own?

The machine used to copy the space cruiser must have been
enormous.  That's really stretching a concept.

(Reviewed by H. M. Melton)


DEATH-WATCH #38 (Series C)
Written by Chris Boucher
Directed by Gerald Blake
Airdate:  3/24/80
 
Cast:  
Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating
(Vila),  Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Steven Pacey (Tarrant),
Josette Simon (Dayna),  Peter Tuddenham (Zen, ORAC), Kathy
Iddon (Karla), David Sibley (Commentator), Stewart Bevan (Max),
Mark Elliot (Vinni). 

Summary: 

The crew of the Liberator hear that the planets Teal and Vandor are
at war.  They head for the battleground, to watch the duel to the
death that will settle the war.  (This is, apparently, the Superbowl
of the 29th century -- "the ultimate excitement.")  On the way, they
discover that Tarrant's long-lost older brother, Deeta, is one of the
duelists.  And Servalan is the Neutral Arbitor... 
This episode was written by Chris Boucher, the script editor and
my favorite B7 writer.  The script was tailored to fill several needs:
it furthered developed the character of Tarrant, whom Boucher felt
had been neglected; it kept the budget low, by using Steven Pacey
to play both Tarrant and his brother; and it was an entertaining
treatment of an interesting SF idea as well as a wicked satire of the
television industry.  One of the finest B7 episodes, IMO.       

Notes:

Avon's costume is horrible.  It's supposed to be a toreador get-up,
but he looks like he has sausages glued to his shoulders. 

Speaking of costumes, Vinni's civilian outfit turns up again in the
episode "Traitor," when Dayna steals it from a Helot.     

To make Deeta Tarrant look different from Del, he was put in
thick-soled shoes, so he'd look taller next to Max.  His makeup was
darker, so he looked more tanned, and worst of all, they gave him a
truly dreadful wig.  (It looks like it was swiped from a cheap Elvis
impersonator!) 

The clinch between Avon and Servalan was not in the script.  Paul
and Jackie went ahead and did it, and the director couldn't stop
them! 

This was a fairly cheap episode to produce.  We never see Del and
Deeta together, so there are no expensive color screen overlays. 
The various combat environments are all stock footage.     
The idea behind this episode -- of the masses getting vicarious
thrills via mental links to the actual combatants -- is reminscent of
THE MIND-RIDERS, a SF novel by British author Brian
Stableford. 

The little scenes showing the media crew covering the duel are
terrific.  Like MAX HEADROOM and the "Bread and Circuses"
episode of TREK Classic, they are a delicious satire of the TV
industry. 

Best Quotes:

Dayna: "Move any faster, you'll break into a standstill."

Vila: "Back on Earth they used to say it was the most excitement
you can have with your clothes on anywhere in the galaxy." 
Tarrant (after his brother dies): "Deeta never was very practical." 

Tarrant (about Dayna's new gun): "Gaudy, but effective."
 

(Reviewed by Randym7@juno.com)


TERMINAL #39
Writer: Terry Nation (also, series creator)
Director: Mary Ridge
Producer: David Maloney

CAST:

Jan Chappell (Cally), Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating
(Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter
Tuddenham (ZEN and ORAC), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan),
Gareth Thomas (Blake),  Richard Clifford (Toron), David Healy
(Voice of Sphere), Gillian McCutcheon (Kostos), Heather Wright
(Reeval)

PLOT:

This one could have been called "Mind Games," or perhaps,
"Blake's Shadow." One of the more poignant episodes, it shows the
incredible power Blake continued to have over Avon, in spite of
his physical absence.   

Avon, always a bit secretive and closed-mouthed about his
intentions, is acting even more secretive than usual.  It seems he
has altered the flight plan of the Liberator without telling anyone
and  has issued commands to Zen which cannot be overriden.  A
problem arises when Zen discovers a an energy-charged cloud of
fluid directly in the path of the Liberator.   The crew, both human
and computer, agree the best course of action is to deviate to avoid
the cloud, but Avon refuses to allow this.  When Tarrant tries to
overturn his decision, Avon threatens him.  The ship survives the
trip through the particle cloud, apparently without incident, and
finds itself in the vicinity of Terminal, an artificial planet that had
been designed by earth scientists as an experiment, then sprayed
with organic elements (sound familiar, Star Trek fans?)    

Having arrived at their destination, Tarrant and the crew are now
expecting a full explanation from Avon, but the only thing they get
is a warning.  He insists that he will kill anyone who follows him. 
Then, he teleports to the surface.  Cally and Tarrant follow anyway. 
On the surface,  Avon seems to be on a blind treasure hunt of some
sort.  He is led to an underground chamber, where, inside,  he finds
a teleport bracelet and a monitor with the latest medical
information about a critically-injured patient, one Roj Blake.    
On the planet surface, Cally and Tarrant must battle some violent,
primitive-looking apelike creatures.  At the same time, back on the
Liberator, Vila and Dayna have their own problems.  An odd,
gooey slime is showing up and reacting with the ship's physical
structure.  And Zen has no idea what to do about it.   

Meanwhile, Avon is struck with something, collapses, then
awakens in a strange room.  He immediately begins looking for
Blake and soon finds him, paralyzed and physically helpless. 
Apparently, the treasure hunt was arranged by Blake.  He claims to
have a discovery that will make them "rich" and "invincible."  But
it must wait until he recovers.  Avon is once again knocked
unconscious as he tries to leave without being seen.   When he is
re-awakened, he is taken to...big surprise.... Servalan., who admits
to using Blake in order to bring the Liberator to her.  Now she
wants to barter: Blake and his discovery in exchange for the
Liberator.  Avon is reluctant, but Servalan, accustomed to getting
what she wants, eventually has her way.  

Before taking  control of her prize, Servalan has one more shock
for Avon and a gloomy prognosis for the rest of us.  Avon's
"reunion" with Blake was nothing more than mind games, created
and engineered by Servalan.  As for Blake, he died some time ago. 
Oh, and that violent, primitive-looking, ape-like creature?  Not a
missing link from humankind's past, but a glimpse into the future, a
product of the accelerated evolution on Terminal. Servalan does
indeed gain the Liberator, but Vila's quick-thinking keeps ORAC
on the side of the good guys.  As a dejected Avon looks on, the
Liberator ( and presumably, Servalan) disintegrates in space.

Some Memorable Lines:

VILA: "You've got to hand it to Avon.  He knows how to keep a
secret.  The fellow won't even talk to himself."

VILA (after Zen agrees they should change course):"Isn't that what
I just said?  With a brain like mine, who needs computers?"

AVON (to Tarrant): "No, you're not.  Nothing and nobody is going
to stop it, you, least of all."

AVON (before teleporting): "Sentiment breeds weakness.  Let it
get a hold of you and you are dead."

TARRANT (before following Avon): "We can't always have what
we want, Vila." VILA: "I had noticed."

"BLAKE" (to Avon): "Must have been so dull, having no one
argue with." AVON : Well, there were times when you're
simple-minded certainties might have been refreshing."

SERVALAN (to Avon): So, rather than let them walk into what
might be a trap, you decided to do it all on your own.  How very
noble of you." AVON: "I thought so."

ZEN (final words): "I have failed you.  I am sorry."

(These next lines are very ironic in light of the final episode,
BLAKE) AVON (about Blake):  "Death is something he and I
faced on a number of occasions.  I always thought his death and
mine might be linked in some way." 

THE GOOD AND THE BAD:

The script, which finally shows the depth of the relationship
between Avon and Blake, and the power of Blake's persona.

Seeing Gareth Thomas again.  Even if  he is on his back.   
Paul Darrow.  A strong performance capturing Avon's
single-mindedness, inherent mistrust of others, and his
vulnerability when it comes to Blake.   

Michael Keating.  An equally strong performance, capturing some
of the best qualities of Vila: that capable intelligence he hides so
well, a sense of humor, and an ability to feel compassion, even for
a dying computer.   

THE BAD:

All that goo and slime on the Liberator.  A bit silly and overdone.  
The electronic dream manipulator.  It just looks like a large sewing
machine (with a microphone) to me.

The repetitive "heartbeat" background noise as Avon is being
followed around Terminal.  Rather annoying after awhile.

THE FAMILIAR:

The ever-popular dream manipulation scheme.  This one comes
straight out of an earlier classic British sci fi series, The Prisoner,
starring Patrick McGoohan.  (The episode was "A, B, & C,"  I
think).   A modified version appeared in the original Star Trek
series ("Dagger of the Mind").  A recent rendition appeared in
Nowhere Man ("Something About Her").   

The artificial planet routine.  Here's one that undeniably, Blakes
Seven thought up first.  See it again, with a similarly dismal
prognosis in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock.  The moral:
Don't mess with Mother Nature! 

QUESTIONS:

That cloud of fluid particles.  Why did Zen, normally so reliable,
fail to recognize the danger or the damage to the ship before it was
too late?  Why did Servalan, who evidently wanted the Liberator,
place it on a course that would destroy it?

Avon's lack of suspicion.  When it became obvious to Avon that
Blake was paralyzed, why didn't he ask the next logical question:
how could a paralyzed man barely able to breathe be physically
able to send messages?  And why would Blake, whom Avon knew
to be intensely political (but not power-hungry), care about
something that would make them "invincible" and "rich?" 

The final episode.  If this had been meant to be a "final" episode,
enough accommodations were certainly made for a fourth series to
be considered.  The ultimate question, then:  Which one makes a
more satisifying "final" episode, TERMINAL or BLAKE? 

(Reviewed by Jacie -- Sinnead@aol.com)