Blake's 7 up to Episode 6
Low-key day here. Report cards are in and they've been given the thumbs up so yay for one more school year end task done. John and I went shopping for a bunch of small things today, hitting a farmer's market for some crockpot meat and going to Cosmo's Music to buy an inexpensive piano stand, a power source and a beginner piano course book for adults. I'm already discovering the hard way the foolishness of trying to play a keyboard that's on a desk that is too high. Even after just one day the muscles in my right arm are protesting, both from the poor positioning and from the new finger movement on the keyboard, etc.. I figured it was best to get a stand to put the keyboard in a natural healthy position right away before my arm protests any more. So, one of my new tasks for today is to rearrange this computer/storage room so I can have both the computer and the keyboard set up at a natural vantage point to where I usually sit.
And among these assorted tasks I've been continuing to watch "Blake's 7" and I'm now at the end of episode 6 and ready to start commenting. I'd love to hear any comments you may have, too, though I'd ask you to beware of spoilers beyond the end of Season 1- Episode 6. Thanks!
- Ok, as
autographedcat suggested, the last of the important character and premise pieces seem to fall into place by the end of episode 6. We have a new villain. Yay.
So, let's look at Blake's 7:
- We have Blake himself, with his distracting Mike Brady haircut :). I didn't take to Blake at first and I still find his overacting somewhat distracting, but what I find interesting about Blake at this point isn't so much the character himself, but in how others respond to him. We seem to have a real "Robin Hood in space" scenario shaping up here where characters who are in need of some kind of redemption are being drawn to this idealist and his cause, even despite themselves. You can see characters like Avon and Cally being totally non-plussed at Blake's natural loyalty to them, which is adding interesting levels to their characters, too. Blake seems naturally trusting, tends to see the good in people- this can be cloying or truly inspirational depending whose eyes we're seeing these traits through. I am warming to Blake, but it's a good thing we have characters to balance his more annoying traits :).
- Like Avon, deliberately set up to be Blake's polar opposite, and their predictable arguments are great fun. Avon reminds me of Severus Snape, as I'm sure we'll spend most of the series untangling his motives and his loyalties, as every word Avon speaks seems to suggest multiple meanings. Is he the self-centred loner? Is he as cold and unemotional as the machines he so understands? Is he yet another character in need of redemption and a place to belong? Can he be trusted by his crew? Does he even know himself where his motives lie? Can't wait to find out as Avon is the character who intrigues me the most in the series so far.
- Thought for awhile that Jenna might end up being the only woman in the series, but I see by episode 5 and 6 they are starting to balance that out some with Cally and that Earth federation president who I assume will be back again. Hardest thing about warming to Jenna was to get passed the truly dated Farrah Faucett haircut and clothing (!). I notice even Cally is allowed to dress in a more futuristic/generic type way (like the guys). At least they took a pass on Jenna's purple suede pants and platform boots they had her in for awhile there (which seemed handy for gratitous bum shots), but she's still wearing that tye-dye top... Anyway, nice to see a woman piloting the ship, taking a hand in major decision making. I know we are starting to take that for granted in SF TV, but it would have been pretty rare still back then.
- Vila is your basic comic relief, kind of the "Wash" of this series (yeah, I'm going to keep comparing these characters to other genre characters I'm familiar with, what can I say? :)). He's also the court jester, saying things others probably couldn't get away with. His natural ability as a thief is a fun angle- you couldn't help but look at him with more respect when he got through those locked gates in the fifth episode.
- Gan is clearly the "Little John" of the series- lots of brute strength and loyalty and not much else yet.
- Haven't got much of handle on Cally yet, either, but she didn't come into the game until just two episodes back. Token alien with potential and I'm sure interesting things can be done with the telepathic angle. Interesting that they have her turn on the crew in the very second episode she's in (even though it isn't her fault). It does add an edginess to her character that is somewhat unpredictable. Another character in need of redemption, being the last of her freedom fighters, it's got to end up having a profound impact on her that Blake risked his life to come back and rescue her from Travis in the last episode I saw.
- Must say that it majorly disappointed me that the seventh of Blake's 7 ended up being the computer, Zen. I guess every 70's sf show had to have some kind of walking or talking or bickering piece of machinery (thanks a lot, Hal and R2D2 and C-3P0). Still, unless they get into some interesting plotlines about artificial intelligence or something like that I may still stay disappointed the last of the seven is a computer.
- I was sad at the number of cool potential characters in the first episode who either ended up dead or simply disappeared. Cute, young rebels who took Blake to the underground hideout? Expected them to become part of the seven, but, nope, dead. Noble lawyer and his SO who fought for Blake's cause seemed good candidates for the seven, but, nope, more corpses. Limping blonde guy who betrayed them all and seemed a natural antagonist? I thought for awhile in the last episode that he would prove to be Travis, but, nope, he's just gone (for now, at least).
- But the Travis they have totally rocks. I've only seen him in one episode so far, but he reminds me of Walter Koenig's Bester, which is definitely a compliment. So we have a bad guy who's half-unhinged, ruthless and possesses a major vendetta against our hero and is chockful of charisma? And our hero has good reason to despise him, too. Totally works for me. Still, you gotta believe it was a fatal mistake on Blake's part to leave Travis alive at the end of that first episode where they confronted each other. Man, that was so a moment he needed Avon to step in and say, "Your bleeding heart decisions are a hazard to yourself and the rest of us. *Zap!* Now this mad man won't follow us around the galaxy for the next several seasons.". Heh, but I guess a dead bad guy isn't much use to the script writers.
Yup, I'm getting into this show. Looking forward to watching more. Will continue to watch and will write some impressions again when I get to the end of Season 1.
And among these assorted tasks I've been continuing to watch "Blake's 7" and I'm now at the end of episode 6 and ready to start commenting. I'd love to hear any comments you may have, too, though I'd ask you to beware of spoilers beyond the end of Season 1- Episode 6. Thanks!
- Ok, as
autographedcat suggested, the last of the important character and premise pieces seem to fall into place by the end of episode 6. We have a new villain. Yay.So, let's look at Blake's 7:
- We have Blake himself, with his distracting Mike Brady haircut :). I didn't take to Blake at first and I still find his overacting somewhat distracting, but what I find interesting about Blake at this point isn't so much the character himself, but in how others respond to him. We seem to have a real "Robin Hood in space" scenario shaping up here where characters who are in need of some kind of redemption are being drawn to this idealist and his cause, even despite themselves. You can see characters like Avon and Cally being totally non-plussed at Blake's natural loyalty to them, which is adding interesting levels to their characters, too. Blake seems naturally trusting, tends to see the good in people- this can be cloying or truly inspirational depending whose eyes we're seeing these traits through. I am warming to Blake, but it's a good thing we have characters to balance his more annoying traits :).
- Like Avon, deliberately set up to be Blake's polar opposite, and their predictable arguments are great fun. Avon reminds me of Severus Snape, as I'm sure we'll spend most of the series untangling his motives and his loyalties, as every word Avon speaks seems to suggest multiple meanings. Is he the self-centred loner? Is he as cold and unemotional as the machines he so understands? Is he yet another character in need of redemption and a place to belong? Can he be trusted by his crew? Does he even know himself where his motives lie? Can't wait to find out as Avon is the character who intrigues me the most in the series so far.
- Thought for awhile that Jenna might end up being the only woman in the series, but I see by episode 5 and 6 they are starting to balance that out some with Cally and that Earth federation president who I assume will be back again. Hardest thing about warming to Jenna was to get passed the truly dated Farrah Faucett haircut and clothing (!). I notice even Cally is allowed to dress in a more futuristic/generic type way (like the guys). At least they took a pass on Jenna's purple suede pants and platform boots they had her in for awhile there (which seemed handy for gratitous bum shots), but she's still wearing that tye-dye top... Anyway, nice to see a woman piloting the ship, taking a hand in major decision making. I know we are starting to take that for granted in SF TV, but it would have been pretty rare still back then.
- Vila is your basic comic relief, kind of the "Wash" of this series (yeah, I'm going to keep comparing these characters to other genre characters I'm familiar with, what can I say? :)). He's also the court jester, saying things others probably couldn't get away with. His natural ability as a thief is a fun angle- you couldn't help but look at him with more respect when he got through those locked gates in the fifth episode.
- Gan is clearly the "Little John" of the series- lots of brute strength and loyalty and not much else yet.
- Haven't got much of handle on Cally yet, either, but she didn't come into the game until just two episodes back. Token alien with potential and I'm sure interesting things can be done with the telepathic angle. Interesting that they have her turn on the crew in the very second episode she's in (even though it isn't her fault). It does add an edginess to her character that is somewhat unpredictable. Another character in need of redemption, being the last of her freedom fighters, it's got to end up having a profound impact on her that Blake risked his life to come back and rescue her from Travis in the last episode I saw.
- Must say that it majorly disappointed me that the seventh of Blake's 7 ended up being the computer, Zen. I guess every 70's sf show had to have some kind of walking or talking or bickering piece of machinery (thanks a lot, Hal and R2D2 and C-3P0). Still, unless they get into some interesting plotlines about artificial intelligence or something like that I may still stay disappointed the last of the seven is a computer.
- I was sad at the number of cool potential characters in the first episode who either ended up dead or simply disappeared. Cute, young rebels who took Blake to the underground hideout? Expected them to become part of the seven, but, nope, dead. Noble lawyer and his SO who fought for Blake's cause seemed good candidates for the seven, but, nope, more corpses. Limping blonde guy who betrayed them all and seemed a natural antagonist? I thought for awhile in the last episode that he would prove to be Travis, but, nope, he's just gone (for now, at least).
- But the Travis they have totally rocks. I've only seen him in one episode so far, but he reminds me of Walter Koenig's Bester, which is definitely a compliment. So we have a bad guy who's half-unhinged, ruthless and possesses a major vendetta against our hero and is chockful of charisma? And our hero has good reason to despise him, too. Totally works for me. Still, you gotta believe it was a fatal mistake on Blake's part to leave Travis alive at the end of that first episode where they confronted each other. Man, that was so a moment he needed Avon to step in and say, "Your bleeding heart decisions are a hazard to yourself and the rest of us. *Zap!* Now this mad man won't follow us around the galaxy for the next several seasons.". Heh, but I guess a dead bad guy isn't much use to the script writers.
Yup, I'm getting into this show. Looking forward to watching more. Will continue to watch and will write some impressions again when I get to the end of Season 1.