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Redemption
Jan. 14th, 2005 10:09 amThis is not the best episode of Blake's 7. In fact, it's the episode of Blake's 7 that made Mr A. give up buying the tapes. Still, I don't think it's the worst episode of Blake's 7. Have you seen the Cool Board on Top Gear? I would put 'Redemption' not in the farthest reaches of 'uncool', but slightly to the right of that. Tepid, I suppose.
I had two main problems. Firstly, the characters talk to each other like they're all complete strangers. This might just be because the actors have all been off doing other things like panto between seasons, and haven't got back into groove yet. Still, they all seem completely disconnected from each other and it just feels very weird (mostly I'm thinking of the scenes with Cally and Avon as they're fixing stuff; particularly empty of any chemistry, which is weird given they have some of the best scenes together in the show). Secondly, I kept on waiting for the plot start. Fond, foolish hope. It doesn't. Whether this is B7 being before its time in eschewing traditional narrative forms, or whether Somebody Had Had to Write Too Many Scripts By This Point, I leave to the reader to decide.
One thing that was commented upon: it looks and feels exactly like an episode of 1960s telly. Like something from Troughton-era Who. Turn down the colour, and it's just like 'The Space Pirates'. Planet of the Evil Women plot also. The lackeys are splendidly inept; without their shockstick thingies, their chief weapon appears to be flailing.
Points in its favour: Space Capes! (Gan and Cally.) Space Studs! (Avon.) Space Sleeves! (Blake.) Space New Romanticism! (Vila.) Space Leather Flares! (Avon again.)
Tenuous-influence-on-other-shows-because-B7-is-source-for-all-other-television-SF: The System looks a bit like the ship-munching thing in 'Our Mrs Reynolds'.
I had two main problems. Firstly, the characters talk to each other like they're all complete strangers. This might just be because the actors have all been off doing other things like panto between seasons, and haven't got back into groove yet. Still, they all seem completely disconnected from each other and it just feels very weird (mostly I'm thinking of the scenes with Cally and Avon as they're fixing stuff; particularly empty of any chemistry, which is weird given they have some of the best scenes together in the show). Secondly, I kept on waiting for the plot start. Fond, foolish hope. It doesn't. Whether this is B7 being before its time in eschewing traditional narrative forms, or whether Somebody Had Had to Write Too Many Scripts By This Point, I leave to the reader to decide.
One thing that was commented upon: it looks and feels exactly like an episode of 1960s telly. Like something from Troughton-era Who. Turn down the colour, and it's just like 'The Space Pirates'. Planet of the Evil Women plot also. The lackeys are splendidly inept; without their shockstick thingies, their chief weapon appears to be flailing.
Points in its favour: Space Capes! (Gan and Cally.) Space Studs! (Avon.) Space Sleeves! (Blake.) Space New Romanticism! (Vila.) Space Leather Flares! (Avon again.)
Tenuous-influence-on-other-shows-because-B7-is-source-for-all-other-television-SF: The System looks a bit like the ship-munching thing in 'Our Mrs Reynolds'.
