B11: Gambit: Orac in a Lunchbox... and Our Goodbye to Michael Keating
Teleporting in... welcome to Federation Strike: A Journey Through Blake's 7!
This week we're reviewing Gambit, Series B episode 11, and we open with some sad news: the passing of Michael Keating, the man behind Vila Restal. Adam shares his memories of meeting Michael at conventions over the years, and we talk about what his performances have meant across the series and what still lies ahead for his character.
On the episode itself, we get into what makes Gambit so hard to pin down: a Freedom City setting that turns the camp dial past anything the show has reached before, a Robert Holmes script built almost entirely on double acts, and a Dudley Simpson-shaped hole where the score should be. We cover Avon and Vila's casino subplot, Servalan's convoluted masterplan, and why the Klute's speed chess scene would have been dead on its feet without Elizabeth Parker's last-minute musical rescue.
There's also a conversation about the new effects on the Blu-ray restoration, some unplanned on-set chaos involving a furry jacket that neither actor could get on during filming, and a few Doctor Who comparisons that turn out to have a real costume connection.
P.S. We record in advance, which is why you're only hearing us talk about Michael Keating's passing in this episode.
We're teleporting out for now! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to follow and subscribe on your preferred podcast app so you never miss an episode.
You can also join the conversation and stay updated by following us on Twitter/X and Bluesky. We'd love to hear your thoughts and theories!
Join us next time as we continue our journey through the universe of Blake’s 7.
Transcript
Sam.
Speaker B:Hello there and welcome to Federation Strike, A Journey Through Blake's 7. My name's Garry.
Speaker A:My name's Adam.
Speaker B:And this is episode 11. Yes, we're episode 11 of our second season and our review of the episode Gambit. We'll get onto that in a moment.
Thank you very much for coming back and listening to another episode of Federation Strike. It's great to have you all here. As always, newcomers to the podcast, welcome, welcome.
Those of you that have been listening from the beginning, welcome back as well as we excuse the pun and the cheesiness as we journey through all, all of Blake's 7 from start to finish. And an interesting episode coming up to review this one last week for our review of Voice from the Past.
That one was an interesting one in terms of we thought the train was going to carry on going with the high review scores, you know, and it ended up being not too bad, not too bad. But we'll see if the bar's been raised back up for this episode.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Oh, for Gambit. And a very. I'm so intrigued to find out what you think of that one, which got into. In a second. But yeah, an interesting one.
But before we crack on with. Because we sometimes, if there's any Blake's 7 news, we'll. We'll typically do a portion on that at the beginning.
So no news really, but we do have to kick off the episode with some. With a sad announcement. So we're recording this in the past as you're listening to it.
Listen, this is Thursday 21st May, so by the time this episode goes out, this news would obviously be out there and we'll be aware of it. But it's a sad one because we have to say goodbye to Mr. Michael Keating, who has left us today, sadly passed away. Big sad news.
Speaker A:It is. I mean, I woke up this morning all blurry eyed and I was sat up in bed and opened my phone just to see what was going on in the world.
And yeah, it's the first thing I saw Rip Michael Keating. And I just visibly verbally let out a big no. I was like, oh, no.
Really sad news to wake up to because, yeah, he, as any Blake's 7 I would say is he was in every single episode of Blake. He was, you know, he's so good in it. And we've often said even when he only gets one or two lines, he makes the most of every line he gets.
And yeah, obviously he did lots of other things. Eastenders, he was in Doctor who, did lots of things. But obviously, you know, my heart is always with Villa, because I love the character so much.
And you.
Yeah, I was lucky enough to meet Michael a couple of times at conventions, and I know we always say nice things about people when they pass, but genuinely, he was a really lovely man. He was very. Had this sort of almost shyness to him when you first went up to him. And then as soon as you started talking to him, he would be really.
It was like a sort of toned down version of Villa. He was very witty, had this sort of little dry smile about him. He was just a lovely person to me.
I think I met him about two or three different occasions, and he was always the same, always really approachable and just a lovely person. That's all I can say. My memory of him is just that little sort of sly smile that he had and just how warm he was to approach.
If, you know, I mean, some people, you look and you think, oh, I don't know, should I go up to them? I mean, I've met a lot of celebs, mate, and some of them, you know, you wish you hadn't met him.
He definitely was one of those that I think of fondly at conventions. And, yes, it's a very great loss, mate.
All I can say to you as someone who's now on this journey through Blake's 7 is, like every actor, they've left us a lot of good things to enjoy, and you have got some. You ain't seen nothing yet. Where Villa's concerned, you. You have got some great stuff to come with his character, so he leaves us that to enjoy.
And, yeah, I'm. I'm instantly thinking of a couple of very Villa Central episodes coming up in future series that I cannot wait for you to see.
And, yeah, it's just gonna. It's very sad, but we, you know, he will live on in those episodes and bring us a lot of joy. And I can't wait for you to see them.
But, yeah, a great loss, mate. A great loss in the Blake's 7 world.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, that's lovely, mate. And I saw your. The picture that you put on Instagram earlier of you and Michael, a convention somewhere, and it's. Yeah, it's a great photo.
And, yeah, it's. I was gutted as well. I mean, for. For selfish reasons. I was sad because it's one of the. The Blake's 7 cast that I sadly now never meet. You know, it's.
They've seemed to have left us. And that's on a personal note for me, that's. That's gutting because, yeah, wanted to meet as many of these, these guys as I could.
But, and, and you're right, it's we've had this in the past when over on the Doctor who podcast, a big bl. Actors or people involved have sadly left us and we don't do the big downer thing too much. We try to treat these things more of a.
Like you said, he leaves us with some amazing performances and we should treat this as a celebration of his life and his career and so on. So yeah, I'm more so than normal, I think today as we record.
Looking forward to talking to you about Michael's performance as Villa in this episode and, and, and all the episodes coming up throughout the rest of Blake's 7. But yeah, it's a bit of a sad one. So Michael Keating does leave us. He passed away at the age of 79 today. Yes.
So yeah, if, if we get to any, any particular parts in this episode and you think actually yeah, that was a great bit from Michael or you know, whatever episode, let us know, get in contact with us on the socials. There's links in the show notes, tell us what your thoughts and memor if you've met Michael at a convention over the years and so on.
Just let us know what your, what your interactions were like and, and conversations and stuff. We'd love to hear your, your stories about Michael and meeting him and so on.
So yes, other than that sad news, there is nothing else going on at the moment in the world of Blake's 7. We're obviously eagerly awaiting our more news on the series C stuff.
We, we know that both you and I have put our pre orders in for that, for the Blu Ray, for that and so on. So we'll keep you up to date when we get what we come up to. Now, June. Aren't we coming up to June?
Probably in the next couple of months we'll probably start getting a little bit of info about what we're going to see on those Blu Rays.
So we will keep you up to date for those things and that segues nicely into reminding you, if you don't already, to make sure that you are following or subscribing to the podcast and in your preferred podcast app of choice. That way you won't miss announcements and notifications when new episodes go live and you can listen to our journey as we go through Blake's 7.
And as I mentioned, we're on the socials too. X and bluesky. Just do a Search for Lake 7 podcast or links in the show notes. Come and connect and chat all things Blake7 over there. Okay.
Bud, we might as well smash straight into our review. What are we doing this week?
Speaker A:I think this is going to be an interesting one. This week we're doing Gambit.
Trailer:Just drop the gun, Travis. Blake, I've been waiting for you. I knew you'd come. I'm glad I didn't disappoint you. It's Docker, the I want to see. What do you want with me, Rog? Blake, you may have heard of me. I have a ship called the Liberator. Yes, I've heard of you, Blake.
I repeat, what you want with me? One piece of information, the location of Star One and you're going to be disappointed. Filler. I don't like that innocent look.
What have you two been up to whilst we've been away? Me? Nothing. Had a little sleep, played a little chess. Played a little chess and that's all. That's right, Blake. We had a real quiet time.
Speaker B:Interesting clip there from Gambit. And I could have picked. To be honest with you, I could have picked one of 25 different scenes to.
th of March:It was written by Robert Holmes, directed by George Benton Foster, overseen by Chris Boucher, and the synopsis from the old VHS is Docholli's been traced to Freedom City, a gambler's paradise, and Blake's convinced he knows the location of Star One. Trouble is, so is Servalan and she's got there before them. Then Villa and Avon wander off to do a spot of gambling of their own.
Again, a nice summary and pretty accurate for what unfolds in this episode. So, as usual, bud, over to you in terms of as a re. Watch. Did this one grab you before? Did you.
Were you liking or not liking this one before and now you do, or the opposite? What are you thinking?
Speaker A:Yeah, this is a strange episode for me. I. It's one that I've actually watched a lot, but not necessarily because I think it's good. It's one that if I'm in the mood for, I really enjoy it.
But the reason I've watched it a lot is because I used to have a friend that when I was buying the Blake's 7 VHS tapes back in the day, he said to me, oh, can I borrow those? Because I used to. I think I used to like Blake's 7. I'd love to see it again. And then we actually. He really enjoyed you know, rewatching them.
And so we started watching them together and for some reason he loved this episode and sometimes he'd come around and go, I'll put Gambit on. He used to find it so funny. So I've watched this one a lot and I say it's a funny one for me because it really depends what mood I'm in.
Like, if I'm in the mood for it, I really quite enjoy it. But it is. I don't know, it's got some really good stuff. I love all the bits with Avon and Villa sneaking off to do a bit of gambling and all.
And I think it's really cool having Travis hiding out in Freedom City and trying to get Docholli to mend his arm. I love all that stuff. But then the downside of this episode for me is it does get quite tedious.
There's a lot of exposition from Servalan this week.
She pretty much explains the whole plot to us at one point, and even her poor old, I don't know what he is, her guard or whatever, doesn't understand it and gives a kind of funny look to camera as if to say, I don't know. And I'm thinking, no, nor do I.
So it does get a bit tedious and it takes a long time, like for Blake, you know, kind of plods around trying to find Dockely and he finds him. He knows he's in the back room but then he follows it. So it does get a bit ploddy.
But I don't know, I think overall I do like this one, but as I said, I have to be in the mood for it. It's incredibly camp. It's probably the campest episode of Blake's 7 we've had to date.
So if I'm in the mood for a bit of Camp Blake's 7, I guess this is a go to. But, yeah, I have to be in the mood for it. But I think it's enjoyable. Like a lot of Blake's 7. Not the best episode, but I think it's enjoyable.
Now, I'm dying to know. Obviously this is the first time you've ever seen this episode. I'm dying to know what you thought of it. What? What did you make of it?
Did you think you put Cabaret on by mistake?
Speaker B:Well, you made an understatement there, mate, when you said this is a camp episode of camp. Yeah, it's when after I finished watching it, I could. I was really on the fence, mate. I was really on the fence thinking, did I.
Did I enjoy that or didn't I I really couldn't get my head around what I just watched. And I think I did enjoy it. I think most of. Most of me was like, yeah, that was actually kind of cool. It didn't blow my socks off. Don't get me wrong.
It wasn't, you know, I didn't come away thinking, wow, that's a. That's a 10 right there. But at the same time, I thought there was something intriguingly strange about it. It's. It's. It's definitely like. It's unlike.
Sorry, any episode that we've encountered so far. Yeah. Since episode one, the way back, it's the most unusual.
And I don't mean that in just because the, you know, the setting and some of the characters, but it just felt very like somebody was having a bit of a laugh with the script. You know, the script is very. Other than.
Other than a couple of scenes with Blake, who would finally track down Docholli towards the end with Travis, you know, other than that stuff and a couple little bits here and there, it was. Everyone's just seems to be having a right laugh.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Even to the point. Yeah. When there was a couple of scenes where. Where Blake was very school teachery with. With Cali and Jenna.
And I'm not talking about the fight scene, you know, the mock fight between those two. But. Yeah. But just in general, you know, he's a little bit. You know, we need to focus. You know, we've got a job to do sort of thing.
And Villa and Avon are very uncharacteristically tag teaming up very well.
Speaker A:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker B:So Robert Holmes, I think, was just stretching his, you know, flexing his sort of script muscles a little bit. I don't know if, if.
If Chris Boucher and by extension Terry Nation were just having a bit of a holiday around this time around when the script was handed in and when they were making it a bit like Dudley Simpson, he was also on holiday.
Speaker A:And it really shows.
Speaker B:Yeah, they were doing this and so I think he's flexing his muscles a little bit. He's like, yeah, you know, it'd be great if we did this and. And we'll change it up a bit. So Avon's quite.
He's very different to all the other episodes up to this point. Him and Villa are very different. And. And, yeah, it's just. It's just an unusual watch at this point in.
Because the other thing that struck me when I finished watching it was now that we're approaching sort of the end of series of series B, the Twilight Part of it, I guess with only a couple of episodes left to go, you would have thought that the. This.
And I don't want to come down like a sort of, you know, a negative ninny or a, you know, too straight laced, but you would have thought that the stakes would be ramping up quite highly at this point.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And, you know, things would be building and building to. To the finale and we wouldn't have time for. For. For silliness and camp and pomp and all the rest of it. But alas, here we are, you know, with.
With this type of episode. So I. I think I enjoyed it, mate. I think it was a. It was a good watch, but just that. Also a bit of a head scratcher at the same time.
Speaker A:Yeah. You know, I think from what you said, from what I can remember, I think how you've taken the episode was very similar to when I first watched it.
I can't really remember that clearly when I first saw this one, as I said, I know when I bought the VHS, I started rewatching them. I don't remember sort of loving it, particularly when I first saw it. I remember thinking it looked really bad.
I was thinking, God, it really, you know, the. The budget looks like it's run out. The sets are pretty terrible for the most part.
Even the location stuff, which I don't know whose decision it was to put up that tinsel around the. Where is it? It's near the bfi, isn't it? Festival hall, wherever they filmed it. Yeah, you'll be able to go there next time you go to the bfi, mate.
Be able to go to a real Blake Severn location. Just put a bit of tinsel up.
But even the location footage, which could have looked dark and gritty, looks terrible because they've put all that tinsel up. And so I do remember thinking when I first watched this that it looked bad as an episode.
But then, as I said, the more we rewatched it, the more I sort of grew to love the humor in. And, you know, as we've mentioned, it's camper than camp, but it does have a sinister undertone to it.
You know, there are some quite dark scenes, like people being, you know, blown up and electrocuted in their chairs and stuff. And I do like it when you get that mix of camp, but with a. With a slice, like an undertone that's dark. I think it's a nice mix.
You know, a lot of sort of the League of Gentlemen type stuff does that, doesn't it? Humor, but then there's a very sinister undertone to it which actually makes.
Makes it somehow frightening because you kind of off your guard when something, you know, bad or nasty happens. So I like that element to it.
And of course, you said it was written by Robert Holmes and he famously loves doing like double acts, like characters who are double acts. So in this one we get Krantor and Toyce and, you know, they're trying to out camp each other.
I feel like the actors are just trying to, you know, outdo each other in that. So.
Yeah, so even though there are scenes where you just can't take it seriously, even Krantor, I do find him a bit sinister because I'm not quite sure what he's going to do, you know, So I like that element to it. Just briefly, mate, you mentioned that Dudley Simpson was on holiday this episode.
For me, that really stands out as well because I think one of the reasons I find it a bit ploddy in places is because there's no atmosphere. It really isn't lacking much music. Apart from the almost 80s OMD soundtrack or whatever it is that we get when they're playing speed chess.
I don't think there's any other music in it. It's a few sound effects but no other music. And I think that would have helped.
You know, it definitely would have helped it flow better if it had a bit more music in. I mean, you can't imagine a composer going on holiday in this day and age. And it just wouldn't happen, would it?
You can't imagine Murray Gold saying, I can't do this Doctor who this week, I'm going to Barbados. It just wouldn't happen in this day and age, would it? Seems crazy that, oh, Dudley's off this week. We just won't have any music. It's not.
They didn't even get any stock stuff out apart from speed chess. So, yeah, that, that I think makes it feel a little bit. Not lifeless at times, but it, yeah, definitely could do with a bit of a something to.
To help the episode flow better. And music would have helped, I think.
Speaker B:Yes. Yeah, 100 agree. It's. Yeah, you're right. It's so weird, isn't it? And we, we spoke about this over the years with other.
With episodes on Doctor who where famously, back in William Hartnell's first couple of series, it was like for those four and six parters, you'd wonder why the Doctor wasn't in it for an entire episode or two episodes. And you read and research into The. Into the making of and behind the scenes. And it's. Yeah, William Hartnell just went on holiday.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, to Spain or whatever. And you're thinking, like, this would never ever happen in today's world. Like, it. It would just be unheard of, unthinkable.
So Dudley Simpson, same thing. He's like, yeah, I'm out of here for a couple of weeks. You guys will be right. But anyway, it was down to.
So Elizabeth Parker, who was the sound effects designer, she.
After watching an edit of the episode, she also thought, like we all do now as the viewer, that the episode lacked something because there was no music. So she. So she created a few short little bits, like you mentioned, the bit that's dubbed into the. The speed chess matches and. And so on.
But the end credits were already done and ready to go, so they couldn't redo it to add her in, to credit her as the composer.
Speaker A:But, yeah, I think that scene definitely needed it, mate. Can you imagine? Because they're not really doing anything.
And although it's very of its time, that music, it does add a little bit of tension, doesn't it? You know, you do think, oh, this guy's gonna fry in a minute. Because clearly the music's building and it's like.
Then the Klute does that brilliant laugh and you're like, oh, dear. So without that music, that's a prime example. That scene would have been really flat.
I think it would have just been them sat in a chair, moving their arms, you know. So, yeah, it does show what a difference music can make to a scene.
Speaker B:Absolutely. Yeah. Let's talk about the plot on the story for a sec because there's a couple of things going on, a couple.
Speaker A:Of things going down.
Speaker B:Going down. Yeah. So first up, you've got Blake, who wants to track down Docholli, who's sort of running around under the guise of Klein because he's.
He used to be a surgeon, I guess, for the Federation has jumped ship, doesn't want to be found. He's ended up in Freedom City.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Where he's just spending his days sort of helping the odd person here and there, getting smashed and just not really doing much. Travis is with him. So Travis is. We'll talk about Travis and Brian Croucher in a moment.
But Travis is there and he's acting as his kind of bodyguard because he needs Docholli around because his cybernetic arm is playing up, so he needs Docholli to. To get that fixed up and so on. So that's Docholli and Travis Blake is after Docker, as I said, because he, he is aware. He was.
He was told, wasn't he, that. That Dockely knew the location of Star One back in the episode Countdown.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So now he's on the hunt so he can find out whatever Star One is. But I still don't know, by the way, going back a few episodes, you had said to me.
Yeah, you had said, gary, keep, keep Star One in your head because that will, that will come back into play later on. So whatever Star One is, Blake is, is. Is keen to, to find it. So he's after Docholli to get that information.
He teams up with Cali and Jenna and they're just, you know, doing their thing. Going through the, the. The tinsel underground concrete underpass thing a couple of times.
I, I didn't even know I've gone through that underpass a couple of times.
Speaker A:You didn't recognize it?
Speaker B:No, like.
So a couple of times when I've gone to the BFI over the years and I've come at it from a different direction, if I've been somewhere else I've gone through, I just didn't recognize it. Yeah. Maybe it was all that. It looked like.
It looked like a New Year's Eve party from, you know, the late, you know, the early 80s where everyone's gone home and no one's cleared up yet.
Speaker A:I remember reading in a book that when they were filming it, they had a lot of trouble with like, tramps and drunk people who were coming out the clubs because they filmed it, I think either early morning or late night, I can't remember, probably early morning. And yeah, there was a lot of trouble from like, locals while they were filming this, apparently.
So I don't know if there's any undubbed rushes out there, but you'd probably be able to hear all the, all the London nightlife pouring out at the early hours of the morning while they're filming it, thinking, what's all this, then? This is a new club.
Speaker B:I can imagine, actually. Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, yeah, you've got Blake who's trying to find Dockely, and then you've also got Servalan and who turns up in Freedom City as well. She's after both Docholli and Travis. She's after Docholli because he, she needs to silence him, basically.
She's after him essentially to kill him, I guess, because he knows too much information about Star One and other Federation stuff. So she's out to kill him. And then she's after Travis as well, for obvious reasons. And then alongside that as a very, you know, sub.
You know, as a subplot to all of that. You've got Avon and Villa, who just between the two of them, decide that staying on the Liberator is going to be really boring.
And so they devise this plan to head down to Freedom City and use Orach to cheat the tables, the blackjack tables. And there's that whole thing which is just so unlike Avon and those two together, which you get into. So there's a few different story plots that are.
You've also got some scenes with the. With the Freedom City, the head Krantor, as you mentioned, with his assistant Toise and all that stuff, which is extremely camp.
And you've then got the. The. The woman, the French woman who's dressed up as a clown ring circus leader who's doing the announcements.
Speaker A:The bit I love is when. When Villa hands her a coin, when he's won all that money goes, here you go, my dear, have this. She flips it away. Disgust.
Speaker B:Yeah,.
Speaker A:It's a lovely little moment.
Speaker B:So, yeah, it's weird, I. Do you know what? This. This is unrelated and. But this episode of Blake's 7 really reminds me of two Doctor who episodes.
Speaker A:Oh, okay.
Speaker B:It reminds me of Paradise Towers and Dragonfire. Dragonfire, yeah. Which is really weird, isn't it? To say. But why Dragonfire?
So Dragonfire, there's a few scenes where the Doctor turns up in this, like, cafe slash pub, you know, where. What's his name?
Speaker A:Where Ace is working.
Speaker B:Ace is working and Glitz is there.
And, you know, and it's got this brightly lit studio like they did back in the BBC days, where there was no lighting to account for drama or anything like that. It was just lights, full whack, you know. So you've got this kind of bar thing going on, then. The set's very similar and actually there.
Speaker A:Is another tie in. And you've just reminded me, mate, in that scene in Dragonfire, in that bar, someone is wearing. One of the aliens is wearing one of Avon's outfits.
So there is actually a connection. I think it's the. Oh, actually, you won't see this outfit yet. It's from another season. But there's like this black outfit with silver.
Like a silver bib, I think. And yeah, so, yeah, I've just realized you wouldn't have picked up on that because you won't have seen the outfit yet.
But yeah, one of the aliens in that bar scene, they've recycled one of Avon's outfits. So there is a tie in to Dragonfire.
Speaker B:Cool. There you go.
Speaker A:There you go. I see where you're going with that. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:It's got that same vibe. Those scenes where Ace is working in there and. Yeah, yeah, Looks very, very similar.
And then Paradise Towers, just for the bonkiness of it, like, you know, the two old women in Paradise Towers turn out to be cannibals and. Yeah, they remind me of children, something. They remind me of Krantor and Toise a little bit. Just this campy weirdness.
Anyway, it just goes to show, you know, sometimes, you know, old BBC classic sci fi just sort of pilfers from each other a little bit and gets influenced by the other one. I'm. I'm not saying that with any point of reference or correctness, by the way.
I'm pretty sure, you know, the people working at, you know, Andrew Cartmel and all those people on Doctor who would never have, you know, cited anywhere that this was an influence, but I just had that vibe. Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm curious what you thought of the bit where Orax shrinks himself as well, because I love that scene. Like the way Avon is talking Villa very quickly into going along with his planet. Villa takes literally no convincing at all, does it?
He's like, oh, this sounds like a good idea, but then it's funny. But it's also very. It's ridiculous, right? He says to Warak, are you telling me you can do it?
You know, in the voice, you telling me you could shrink down? Blah, blah. And he's. So. He does, all right. Shrinks down to this tiny little version.
Speaker B:Of him, like a lunchbox size.
Speaker A:What did you think when you saw that? Sick. That's a. That's a scene I'd like to have been with you.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Were you, like, what?
Speaker B:Funny? It was also out of character. That's the thing that just made me laugh at at the end because normally with.
Especially with Blake off the Liberator and all that stuff, normally you would. You would think that Avon would assume the usual, ah, if Blake's gone, what are the chances of us doing the off?
Like, shall we take the Liberator and bugger off while he's gone? You know, that sort of thing.
But for him to just not even think about that and just be like, yeah, we should probably go and do a bit of gambling Villa, shouldn't we? Like it just so unlike anything that's. That Avon's done before. And also he's. He's never once.
So he sort of does this reverse psychology on Orac where he knows that if he just says To Orac, you know, I want you to shrink down to, you know, this size and let's go. Orac will come back with something as to why that shouldn't happen, or we can't do that. So. And he's never done that before.
He's never had the patience or the. The stomach just to go back and forth. But, yeah, he does this and even says. The way he's saying it to Villa.
That's where he's looking at Villa while he's doing this reverse thing on Orac. He's like, so. And he's got, like, a slight grin as he's doing it. And then the actual effect of when Orac shrinks down and stuff, it's all. It's.
It's like whimsical stuff, isn't it? It's.
Speaker A:It's very fun where Avon sort of says this size to Villa. Villa sort of puts Avon's hands to get. No, smaller. It's a nice bit of. It's a nice scene. It's one of those. I think it's.
It's so enjoyable, you can completely forgive its ridiculousness, if that's a word.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:You know, it's just. It's fun to watch. And again, the same with the ending when Orek is, you know, enlarges behind them and they look surprised. Nothing to see here. Blake.
It's almost. You almost need a, you know, ending. But it's somehow. It works, doesn't it? Because it's like, oh, you cheeky so and so sort of thing.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's the other thing that bookends that nicely, that whole story thread with those two. Is that that scene you mentioned when Blake comes back at the end with the.
With Callie and Jenna, and they're all looking at it, they know exactly what's gone on, but they're not. They sort of stand close to each other because they've got all of the winnings, haven't they, behind them on the bench.
Speaker A:They've hidden it. Bill has hidden them under the teleport desk. Isn't he quick?
Speaker B:Yeah. And Blake comes out of it, he's like, what have you been but up to? Not much.
Speaker A:Little chest.
Speaker B:It's so funny, mate. And I think it's.
It's that realization after I'd finished the episode, when I was thinking back on it, that I thought, actually, yeah, some of that stuff is. Is a nice change of pace and a nice change of direction to have that. You know, a change of direction for the characters that we've been.
They've been so consistent up to now with what you would expect them to do in situations. You kind of get to know the threads that the writers and everybody's going down as you go through the series.
And so when you get an episode like this, it's a bit of a curveball. It is pretty cool. It's, you know, it's definitely a talking light, isn't it?
Speaker A:It's a bit of light relief, isn't it? I think, yeah, I think that's when I said I have doing the mood for it. I think that's the thing. It's a bit of like relief. It's.
It's not filler because it does take us another stage closer to Star One, but there is the rest of the episodes kind of makes no difference to the ongoing story, if you know what I mean. So in that sense, I suppose it's filler's the wrong word.
It's, you know, it doesn't push the, the story forward in any way, but it's the scenes that we get are fun.
So it still makes it enjoyable to watch, you know, I mean, Avon spitting his food out when Villa's been tricked into playing speed chess is just great because his face is like, oh no, you know what? Well, just go for it. Anyway, that's the thing I don't get about this though.
And I'm sure there's lots of plot holes in this mate, but one of them is, you know, Krantor has seen that Villa is talking into his bracelet, so he knows that they're cheating, so he lets Villa cheat anyway, you know, it doesn't do anything about it, which again, you just overlook it because, you know, it's still enjoyable. But you know, he'd already worked out they were cheated, so why doesn't he remove Villa's bracelet? I mean, I know he then wouldn't be able to win.
So the story goes out the window. But there are a few little bits like that that you think, well, that doesn't really make any sense.
Speaker B:It does. It is a bit. Yeah, there are some bits like that, but I think because it's so out there, you kind of forgive those little bits.
I think, you know, as you. Yeah, as you think about it afterwards, you're like, yeah, it's a few plot holes. I mean there's sort of the biggest plot hole in the.
In the episode really is. So we, we know that back in Countdown Blake was told about Docholli. So how.
How would Servalan and Travis of known that Blake knows where Docholli about Docholli and so on, you know, it's like this.
Speaker A:That's true.
Speaker B:You know, there's no communications there between any of them.
So it's, it's, you know, so that there's a few little bits and bats like that that you think some of it's a bit thin but I think because it's a light hearted episode and yeah, it's like you said, a bit of comic relief. It's. You kind of just go with it, I think.
Speaker A:Yeah. And I only pick up on it because we're reviewing it, you know, because I'm looking at it from a review point of view.
I mean it doesn't bother me in terms of just watching it and enjoying it. But yeah, if you start to look into it too deep there, there is stuff like that.
I'll tell you something I've never noticed before that I noticed watching at this time and it did make me laugh and I'm just curious if you ever noticed it because as I said I've watched this episode a lot so I'm surprised I didn't spot it earlier.
There's a scene where Docoly is trying to put his jacket on and Chenie starts to help him and it just goes to show television at the time, these actors are just pros. They just carry on. There's the whole time that they're saying their dialogue and they're getting their lines out. Great.
They are struggling to get this furry jacket on dockely and in the end neither of them can do it during the whole scene. They just carry on the struggling away. He just throws it over his shoulder and walks out. Did you notice that?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:You did? Because I've never noticed that before.
Speaker B:Yeah, because when he's, when he's talking to her you, you think is this scene gonna go on for much longer? Because he hasn't, he still hasn't got his jacket on yet.
Speaker A:He can't get his arm in, can it? It's like almost as if it's inside out something. They're both really struggling. But the note will carry on with professional actors. Just carry on.
Speaker B:Yeah. I think it's brilliant. No, but that's, that's the professionalism of actors from back in the day.
Speaker A:It is. And then. Yeah, I'll just throw it over my shoulder. Yeah. Do we need to retake? No. Fine. No one will notice. I think never going to get repeated.
It's never going to get put on vhs, DVD and Blu ray. No one's ever going to see it. Don't worry about it. Yeah.
Speaker B:Unless it was something that was seriously wrong in a scene. And also remember back in the day with the way that the BBC made shows like this where they were so up against it with schedules and time. Yeah, it's.
You just. Yeah, it's a bit fumbly and a bit awkward as they're doing it, but you're still.
Like you said, the lines are still delivered and they're pros and they're carry ons. These leave it in.
Speaker A:Yeah.
And I think that's why I've never noticed it because they, they deliver their lines of performance so well that I've never really sort of picked up on it before. It's only because I'm really watching this time to make notes and review and all that. I thought, wow, he just can't get that coat on.
But they, but they carry on. Actually, just quickly, mate, talking of Docholli and Chenie, can I just say how much they're another big plus for me in this episode.
I love both characters and I like this relationship that they have, if you like for a better word. You know, they sort of look out for each other. I don't think they're important an item or anything, but they look out for each other.
There's a lot of affection there.
And you know, when she says goodbye to him at the end, it's a really nice moment but I think docket is a great character and I think it's a brilliant performance from Dennis Carey. Really like him as Docholli and I just thought Chenie complimented him. Nice. Now what was the actresses.
Speaker B:Nicolette Rouge. Yep.
Speaker A:Rogue. Yeah. I thought those two were lovely in this. What did you think of. Yeah, what do you think of those guys?
Speaker B:Yeah, lovely. A lovely little team up. Because she's got this, she, she plays that part with like the good old barkeep kind of thing, you know, where everyone just.
Although there's like the drunkards around and, and people just having a good time. She also senses when. Because you know, sometimes with some people, with anyone that's been in a.
When you've been out on a night before and you've got a circle of friends, there's always one that gets emotional after a few Dr. You know, it's always. So she picks up on that with certain people and Docholli being one of them. So she sees something there that's, you know, he's not 100%.
So she, she sees that and there's that connection there and, and he reciprocates and so, yeah, I don't think they're an Item. I didn't get that, that vibe. But there's definitely a connection there between the two of them. She. I think she almost worries for him in a way.
I got that sort of. I don't know how to describe it really. Not really a motherly thing or. But just more of a, you know, you take care of yourself. Doctorly.
You know, just be cool. Because I think.
Speaker A:Affection.
Speaker B:Yeah. Because I think at some point she does say to me at the beginning she's like, what is it like?
You know, do you often have people you've treated before trying to kill you?
And he's like, well, I can't remember exactly what his response is, but something along the lines of, yeah, more than you think is that kind of reply. And then. Yeah, goes on with other scenes with those two. Yeah, it's a, it's a great little. A little tag team from those.
It's a episode attack teams, isn't is actually.
Speaker A:Yeah, when you think about it.
Speaker B:Yeah. Because you also have the, the guys who are running the show. Krantor and Toise, another double act.
They are trying to out camp each other at every bloody turn. It seems as we went through this. There's a. There's a scene where.
It's near the beginning where Krantor has had a meeting with Servalan where she's sporting another very unusual but striking dress. Yeah, the red. Yeah. And the first time she's not been in white.
I think my memory might be fuzzy with that, but I don't think we've seen her in anything other than white.
Speaker A:Unusual.
Speaker B:And so they have this very weird interaction where they're both lying on the bed and he's stroking her hand and he's quite close to her and stuff. And you think, okay, he's got a thing for. For Servalan it might be.
And then Toise comes in and they also have a thing together and you think, hold on, you know, is this, is he bisexual? Is he. Is he. Is he like a Captain Jack from, from Torchwood sort of thing where he's just into everyone who knows. But yeah, it's.
It's very camp with those two.
Speaker A:And it is, it is, it is quite. I was gonna say it's explicit without being. I think it treads a fine line for the time. I mean like nowadays it's just.
t I think for the time, mate.:You know, he's he's swings both ways because he's after Servalan one minute and he's with Toise the next.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:Yeah. Although it's not said, there's no doubt about it. Really. Yeah. What do you think of the performance of Audrey woods and John Leeson though?
Did you recognize John Leeson? Because I don't think I realized it was him when I first saw this. I know now obviously I did not, but. No, no, he looks very different, doesn't he?
Yeah. Maybe it's the big headgear that he's wearing, which Krantor's not sure about. Is he?
There's a line where he's like, are you sure that hat is of the period? You know, he's a little bit. I think he thinks he's outdone him. So there's a little bit of jealousy about that, how I feel between the two of them.
But what do you think of the, the performance from those guys? Because they do ham it up big time. Is it a bit too much or do you think it's. It's all right.
Speaker B:I think, I think it's okay because they were obviously written to be, you know, that the campiness was, was there in the script, you can tell. So I think they played to that reasonably well. But I think I agree. So Brian Croucher was.
Has mentioned this in an interview years ago and I think I agree with him where he said that he felt that John Leeson and Aubrey woods try to out camp each other all the time and he thought that that was at the detriment of a believable performance.
And I kind of go, I kind of see what he's saying because there's a, there's a point, isn't there, where you reach the thing where you just have the audience rolling their eyes at this point, you know, instead of buying into what they're trying to do. I think Aubrey woods was the worst out of the two of them in terms of camping things up as Krantor. But yeah, it was okay. I mean, it was.
They're clearly acting to script, you know, that much is obvious. They didn't read the script and turned up and then decided to camp the hell out of it, you know, so they're doing what they've been hired to do do.
But yeah, it did go ott a wee bit at times.
Speaker A:Yeah, definitely. Yeah. I mean that's. I think that's one of the things I talked about. My friend Eder used to love this. He used to find it so funny.
But I think that's the thing, it is just so over the top that it does slightly detract from the story. But then, as I said. But then there is this side of Krantor which is quite nasty.
So when he sort of stops, you know, hamming it up and goes a little bit serious, there is this undertone which I like. So it does work. I don't think it doesn't ruin it for me. But I can sort of, like you said, see what Brian Croucher is saying. It's.
You do feel like the actors almost feel like they're on a stage and they just having a bit. Maybe they're having a bit too much fun with it, let's put it that way.
Speaker B:Yes. Yeah. I want to talk about a scene that had me head scratching for a bit, if that's okay.
It was a scene between Servalan and I think just her assistant guy called Jarriere, played by Harry Jones. And she's, she's basically relaying the plan.
I think you mentioned it earlier about her giving us loads of exposition and telling us everything where. Yeah, she says to, she says to, to him that she knows that Krantor is going to eavesdrop about the plan.
And so I think she says something like, you know, if, if Krantor discovers that he knows that Docholli has the knowledge about Star One but denies it, she can, she can use, she can use it as an excuse to. For the Federation to occupy Freedom City because it's currently out of Federation control and occupation. So she can use that as blackmail.
If he doesn't find out, it doesn't matter anyway because the plan's going to go to go ahead.
And if she orders her men to kill Travis before they can find Docholli, then that's cool as well because if Travis fights back, she'll set off the grenade that she's planted in the arm. So when she was going through all that, where.
I don't know about you now that you've watched this a few times, but for me, seeing this the first time, the. I was 100% in sync with Jair, who's giving her this look like, no, I'm not following. And then she says, oh yeah, because.
And then she explains the next bit of the plan and he's like, no. And then she explains the next bit and he's like, oh yeah. And then he goes, well, actually, no.
Did you, did you go, did you have that feeling the first time you watched that scene? Because I was like, yeah, this is, this is a bit of a mastermind situation for me.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, I definitely did. And I. And I still had it. Watching it the other night, I was still like, what? Yeah, I think I saw. I sort of get it.
I get sort of get her plan, you know, that she sort of. Basically the long and short of it is she should have just said, I've covered every angle.
Yeah, because he questioned something at one point and she's like, no, because even then I'll still win. I'm thinking, yeah, and it's at that point I'm with Jerriere that I'm like, no, I'm lost, you know.
So, yeah, if she'd have just said, look, don't worry about it, I've got every angle covered, every eventuality, I'm a winner, then she could have. That would have been it. But no, mate, even watching the other night, I was just like, I think maybe it's not so much.
What she's saying is the fact that it is a little bit long winded and to sort of sit there and listen to exposition. Your mind just goes off and thinks, what is? So, you know. Yeah, so I still don't really get it.
I mean, all I know is that she's basically playing everyone like she always does. She's one step ahead of everyone, as usual. And. And yeah, pretty much every eventuality is going to, you know, turn out good for her.
Although, does it. I mean, that's the thing. By the end of it, does her plan work? Because, you know, Docholli manages to repair. I'm laughing at Travis's arm. Sorry.
I just. I always think of that bit where Brian Croucher. And again, this stamps the director.
Why did the director tell him to turn to this, you know, face the camera with the side that he's clearly hiding his arm down his trouser? I mean, it's just, you know, at least show the other side so it's not so obvious, you know.
So they take the fake arm off and Docholli mends it, doesn't he?
Speaker B:He does. And then they just send him on his way, basically.
Speaker A:And the bomb doesn't go off. Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Does he just go off?
Because I only watched this two nights ago and I can't remember what I was thinking, like, what is. What happens to Travis? Because at one point Blake points a gun at him, then he says, no, no, another time or something.
And then Jenna wants to have a go, but Blake says, no, no, no, you don't want to do that. Then what happened? Does he just walk off? Because I Genuinely have forgotten. Yeah, he just walks off.
Speaker B:Travis. It was an interesting performance from Brian Croucher and. And Travis in this one, mate. We'll come back to that scene again in a minute.
Actually, there's something just want to mention, but. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Travis was weird in this one. Now, I must say that based on everyone else's performance, it's probably not that weird.
It's because everyone's a bit kooky in this one. But he. There was a really funny scene.
I think in most episodes there's always a scene where we always say it that if you and I were watching it together, we'd have to pause it because we'd just be cracking up. There was one scene where Travis is talking to Chenie and she winds him up a bit, basically. She's like, oh, yeah, the great Travis.
So compassionate, you know, for saving Docholli. And he gets the ump. He's like, yeah, thanks for the drink. And he stormed out.
Now, it was a bit of a weird edit, this bit, because it cuts immediately to the concrete underpass.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:It doesn't flow well and you've got two of Krantor's sort of heavies under there. And he does this thing where he's like. He just sort of screams a little bit, swings at one of them and falls over in between him. He's like, ra.
And he falls down. And then later on he's just back with. With Docker.
It's a bit weird, but when we get back to that scene that you just mentioned, there's no attempt by Travis to sort of, you know, he's still got the. The. The Ring Blaster, presumably. But he makes no attempt to. Because he uses it right at the beginning, doesn't he?
When Dockel is about to be murdered by one of the guys who he operated on. So, yeah, so Travis uses that. Oh, no, he's got the little pistol, hasn't he? So, yeah, but. But that's it as well. He's also got a hand pistol.
But at the end where Blake's like, yeah, we're not here for you, he's quite dismissive of Travis. He's like, yeah, don't. Whatever, we're just not here for you right now. And. But Travis makes no attempt to. To come back and kill Blake or do anything.
He literally just walks off, which is weird. So, yeah, Travis had a bit of a weird one business.
Speaker A:It is weird, isn't it? And it's unusually considering everyone's like camped it up whatever. To 10 Brian Crouch, who's normally very Shouty has decided to tone it down.
Apart from a couple of bits like you've mentioned, he's. He's sort of more softly spoken.
In fact, in a couple of scenes, I couldn't understand what he said because he sort of almost says under his breath when he's talking to Cheetah. So he's decided to go the opposite. But that bit you're talking about isn't.
It is when he kind of lurches towards the camera with his big cape like Batman and goes, ra. Is that the bit you meant? Yeah, yeah. And then the next thing you know, he's on the floor. So, yeah, that's the thing.
The ending is a bit of a mess, really. It's a bit like this whole episode, it's got some really great bits.
Like all the stuff where Dockel is, you know, explaining that he's, you know, he doesn't know the location style one, but you need to go and find. So there's another piece to the puzzle. And, mate, you must have spotted that they've tried to do a bit of a Star wars set.
You know, they've even got the little lighting bits at the top.
I don't know if it's a glass matte painting they've used or what, but that is, you know, they've definitely gone and seen Star wars the week before and thought we need to recreate that set. So, yeah, the endings, it's a bit of a mishmash, isn't it? Because there's a bit of tension.
I love the bit where Travis is like, blake, I've been waiting for you. And he sounds unhinged. You think, oh, here we go. And then, yeah, he kind of has a bit of a ruckus with those other two heavies who are useless.
And then, yeah, Docholli leaves, goes off with a nice spaceman, Travis leaves and yeah, what happened to Silverline's planet? Kind of just, again, a bit of an underwhelming ending. Really gives us another piece of the puzzle.
But it just feels, again, a little bit like a reset.
Speaker B:A little bit. Especially as once you get about 25 minutes in or about half an hour in, it does start to slow down a bit and get a bit paddy.
It does, and it gets a little bit monotonous until the ending. And then the payoff is not. You're not rewarded with a good payoff or a good ending after you've gone through all that paddiness for 20 odd minutes.
And because it feels like a lot longer as well. When I got to the end of it, this episode, I felt like it had gone on for much longer than. Was it 50 minutes or something.
And I thought, wow, that was a. That was a long episode. So the ending is weird as well because once again it's good in a way because it shows the frustration that.
That Blake is going through. Like once again he's gone through all of this and he's left empty handed.
So when he finally gets round to finding Docholli Dockeley's like, well, I don't know. That's basically the. Don't ask me the climax of the story.
This whole time he's been after Dockely because he wants to find the location of Star One and when he finds him, Docker is like, oh, I don't know, but I know a man who does.
Speaker A:Yeah, I know man, he does.
Speaker B:So when he was. A little bit of backstory is that when he's. When he was operating and there was. There was one.
He used to do memory wipes when he worked on Star One, but yeah, he faked him and another doctor faked the procedure and on a fellow surgeon didn't wipe his brain but took a copy of it instead. And now they're both on the run and. Yeah. So now they have to go to a place called Goth apparently and find out what's going on.
So yeah, it's a bit of an anti climax for Blake once more. Yeah.
Speaker A:What did you think of Blake in this one?
Because I. I was thinking while I was re watching this, when Blake takes Jenna and Callie with him, I thought you'll be saying, ah, at last we're going to get a story where they get to leave the Liberator and do something. And I mean they do get a couple of good bits, but I think the three of them, it's a bit of a weak episode for them. Especially Blake.
He doesn't really get much to do at all, does he really?
Speaker B:No, the three of them are. I think they do have a couple of funny like the, the scene where they pretend to have a scrap. Callie and Jenna is. Is cool.
And I must say both of them look gorgeous in it when they, when they're dressed up to go down to. To Freedom City with Blake and stuff. Blake makes no effort, of course, you know.
Speaker A:No, he's got some new. I'm colorblind. So. Is it purple? What is it? He's got some new big ruffled shirt.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But it's not that he's missed Mish mishmashed with that leather outfit. What Color is it?
Speaker B:I think it's either green or brown, I think.
Speaker A:Oh, so it's not purple or blue,.
Speaker B:But I don't think so. But he hasn't put a brush through his hair. He hasn't done anything.
He's just Blake, you know, whereas Jenny and Keller, they've got lovely dresses on, their hair's all done a bit of makeup. They look gorgeous, mate.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah, really. And so that fight scene between the two of them is. Is really funny.
And apparently, I don't know where this interview is, but apparently they loved doing that.
Yeah, they both enjoyed filming that because it gives them something to do other than follow Blake around on the Liberator, you know, it gives them something more physical to do that doesn't involve Blake. So, yeah, it must been cool for them to do that. But you're right, the three of them, they're. They're very. It's a very Blake light episode, isn't.
Speaker A:Is, actually? And if you think, I suppose even the bits with Avon and Villa, I thought there was more of that and there is.
It's mostly, you know, I don't know, it's a. Like you said, it's a real mishmash of. Of these different story elements. They kind of all get their own equal sort of screen time, don't they?
But, yeah, none of them really come off that well, I don't think, apart from Avon and Villa. I do think that their scenes are really fun because they are a great double act.
Speaker B:And I've been leaving Villa till the end for Michael Keating, because, to be honest with you, and this is gonna sound really weird because I'm Fairly new to Blake's 7. When did we start the podcast? Last year. Wasn't it over. Over a year ago now. I thought I might get emotional about it and I don't know. I don't know.
It's just. I didn't want to talk about Michael Keaton too much until the end because I didn't want to get. Get emotional.
But after hearing that news today of his.
Of Michael Keating's passing, and then because I didn't watch the episode until my lunch break at work, because I work from home, obviously I can watch the episode whenever, but I had a couple of hours. I normally try and watch the episode as close to when we record as possible, so it's fresh in my mind.
And I watched it today, but I watched it after hearing the news of. Of his passing, and it was just. It was kind of bittersweet in a way, watching just how fantastic he is. In this.
And don't get me wrong, he's, he's great.
You, you know, anyone that's listened to the podcast will know over this season and the first season just how much we love Michael Keating's performance as Villa. It's, it's, it's comedic. It's comedic, but it's heartfelt at the same time.
He's got, got a lot of heart and in this one, it's got not so much heart, but it's got a lot of just throwing caution to the wind.
And I love that for him and for Avon and the fact that he drags Avon along for the ride and Avon has no choice but to, because Avon can sense Carney, that he needs to rein him in a little bit. So he's getting absolutely smashed while he's on the blackjack table and Aurax giving him the thing.
And everyone's like, you know, one more, one more go round. And then we have to go. He's like, nah, we'll be all right. And he's. And he's doing it. And then when he gets drafted into the.
What should be a death sentence for him at the end with the, the everyone's been, you know, killed by, by kloot, by deep Roy in that game of chess and Krantor is like, yeah, we got this in the bag. He's gonna go. And he somehow survives without Orax help and he sobers up really quick.
So from the very get go from when him and Avon are discussing going down to, to do the gambling and come back up right to the very end when they're trying to cover up all their winnings at the very end. Michael Keating was just absolutely brilliant in this, mate. He was just so funny, but also so relatable.
Like we've all had a friend like that who's sometimes when you go out there, a liability and then other times they just have you in stitches all night. And he's, he's just so relatable. He's so human. I just. He's brilliant. He was one of the best in this for me, this one.
Speaker A:And it's so nice. I mean, him and Avon are such different characters and they work so well together, don't they? It's funny because I, I almost wanted you.
My first thought when I heard the news about Marquis this morning was I thought I desperately would love you to see an episode for, in the next series which is, you know, I'm going to say, like Villa's episode. It's just, it's the one that he got to himself. I'm not going to say which one it is. I just thought, I know you.
I know you wouldn't want to jump ahead. I know you want to watch him in order. But I was thinking, oh, how I would. Would love for you to be able to just think, ah, Michael's left us today.
I'm gonna. I'm gonna put that episode on. And I think listeners will know the one I'm talking about, because it is.
Villa's like the starring role in it, and he gets the best story. He gets such a good story. And, yeah, I. My first thought was, I'd love you to be able to put the episode on today and watch that.
You'd probably be in pieces, though. You'd be in pieces. But it's such a good episode. But I thought, no, because I know you're. You want to watch him in order. You don't want to jump ahead.
You want everything to be a surprise. But so you've got that to come anyway. You've got. In the next series. I think it's series three, B, C. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. It must be.
There is a wonderful episode. And, mate, if you think Michael Keaton is great in these, just wait till you see him get his own episode. It's. I say his own episode.
He's just the main focus of it.
Speaker B:It.
Speaker A:It's brilliant. It's so good. And you'll love him even more than you do now. And you're probably thinking, impossible. You will.
Speaker B:Oh, Michael.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, yeah, he is great. Yeah. And, yeah, he's fabulous in this. And. And Avon. Yeah. Just quickly talk about Avon. Avon. A bit like Blake in this one, but not.
When I say sidelined, I don't mean that in terms of screen time, but, yeah, he's just sort of. He's a bit like. He's a little bit like Cali and Jenna in. In that he's along for the ride, if you know what I mean. He doesn't really have any big.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Plans to escape. He doesn't want to defect. He doesn't want to. There's no Mutiny plans against Blake. There's no. Anything like that. He's just there with Villa.
You know, Villa's doing his thing and he's sorted out all right. And he's just. He's just there for the ride. So, yeah, Paul Darrow was. Was. Was good in this as well, but for different reasons than previous episodes.
But, yeah, great tag. Another tag team.
Speaker A:But it's interesting because you're right. It's a. It's a very relaxed Avon that we see in this episode.
Probably the most relaxed we've seen him where he just maybe, you know, after all these space battles, he just needs a bit of a break. But you're right, you know, normally Avon is very tense and calculating everything and thinking, overthinking everything and, you know, uptight.
This one he's letting loose. And it is nice to see. It's a nice change up of pace, I think.
I think that's why I sort of like this episode in many respects, because it's far from the best. But it is a change up in pace. It's a nice. You said it earlier. It's very different to everything we've had before.
It is a nice change of atmosphere and pace. So, yeah, I think just for that, it's enjoyable.
Speaker B:Enjoyable, yes. Okay. Is there anything else you want to go through, bud? Anything on your notes?
Speaker A:I did put a little note at the bottom. I did check out the new effects, as always. So I watched it.
I actually watched it with the original effects first and then I just went through fast forwarded just to see what they'd added. Reason I did that is because I was thinking with this episode, I can't imagine what new effects they would put in it. There's not really.
I mean, it is probably a. Is a very cheap looking episode in terms of the sets, but I'm thinking there's not really much they can do about that.
There's not many special effects in it, but actually they've done a few really nice little tweaks. So we get a new Speed Chess. They've sort of kept it very faithful to what you saw in the original, but they've sort of updated it with a.
With a newer Speed Chess board. It looks very similar, it's just a slightly newer, you know, more updated effect.
But what I did like, mate, and it's very subtle and blinking, you miss it. They've added a few shots of like interiors of Freedom City. So they've sort of done a bit of world building. So there's a couple of.
And they are very brief. They've just inserted them. So there's like a stone corridor just before.
I think it's just before you see Blake and Jenna, I can't remember, but there's this shot of a, you know, a stone corridor. And it just adds a little bit.
It just makes it feel a bit bigger in terms of scale because obviously those scenes that are filmed on location at Festival hall, they're all really tight shots. You can tell that there's, you know, it just feels really claustrophobic and small, doesn't it, the way this is shot?
And actually just quickly, the, the director, I know George Spent and Foster has come in for a bit of flack from, you know, the actors and also from ourselves with his direction. Yeah, it is pretty flatly directed.
There's a couple of nice little shots where he's zooming the camera in, but they're really long, talky shots and you know, it is a bit stilted in terms of direction, I will say that.
So these little added effects that they've put in, even though they're little tiny little moments, they do make it feel a bit grander in terms of scale this episode. So, yeah, some nice work on the new effects.
Speaker B:Yes, agreed. Yeah. And there was more, like you said, there was more touch ups than what I thought they were going to do. Did they?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Did they do, did they redo the effect that Krantor has with his mirror when he waves his hand very, very slightly?
Speaker A:They've, they've. Yeah, it is, it's really subtle because at first I was like, is it. Because I couldn't decide if it had been redone or not.
I was like, have they changed that? I can't remember now what it was like originally. I think it's got a slightly more swirly effect to it, but it's really subtle.
Speaker B:Yes. Because the original effect was a bit. Bit rough around the edges, shall we say?
Speaker A:Yeah, it's a bit, isn't it?
Speaker B:Yeah. Okie dokie. Let's put a score on this, bud. I think it's you to go first.
Speaker A:Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna give it a seven. I think when I first watched this, it probably would have been around the six maybe.
But the more I watch it, I do enjoy it. There is a lot to enjoy in it. It's just, I don't know, it has its faults as well, but I don't think it's bad.
Like a lot of episodes of Blake's 7, there's a. There's a lot to enjoy in it. It's just a few bits that are a bit bloody. So I'll give it a seven. And also lovely to see Deep Roy.
I meant to say that it's always great to see him and to see him not. He's normally, you know, the parts he plays, he's normally in a suit or under lots of, you know, costume or prosthetics or something.
So it's really cool to see Deep Roy Pretty much as himself, isn't it? As the Klute. He's got the best little laugh when he wins and he knows. Wonderful, wonderful little performance from him. So I'll give it a seven, mate.
Speaker B:Nice. I, I was undecided. I've gone back and forth after I, after I watched it and I think I was, I was going between a six or a seven.
I was like six or seven. So I'm going to go in the middle, mate for me, I'm going to go a 6.5. I think it's, I think it's a, an okay watch.
It's got some, like you said, some stuff in there to enjoy and it's, it's got some good moments, but when you consider it in relation to the other episodes that we've seen across this series, especially the last few, it's. Yeah, yeah, I can't really go much higher than that. I don't think it made me laugh more than anything in, in, in some, in most parts of it.
So certainly didn't come away thinking that was terrible. But at the same time, yeah, didn't think it was amazing. So interesting. 7 And a 6.5. Alrighty. So I think we're coming up to.
We must be near the end by just a couple of episodes now, right?
Speaker A:Two episodes left. You got two episodes left. Yeah. Will we, will we ever find out?
Well, we will find, you know, we're going to find out what Star One is because the episodes called Star One, but we've got to, before we get to that, we've got the Keeper next week. So that, you know, where will that take us? Will there be another piece to the puzzle in the Keeper next week?
Speaker B:That'll be interesting indeed. And on that note, let's stick a pin in the air, bud, for episode 11.
Speaker A:Alright?
Speaker B:Thank you very much, listener, for listening to our latest episode of Federation Strike and our review of the episode Gambit, where Adam gave it a 7 and I gave it a 6.5. Next week, as Adam said, we'll be back for the penultimate episode, the Keeper, so make sure you tune in to hear our thoughts on that.
You can do that by making sure that you are following or subscribing in your preferred podcast app of choice. Just hit the follow or the subscribe button, whatever it says in your app so you get a notification when our episodes drop, which is every Wednesday.
And we'd love to have you sticking around for the journey as we go through all of Blake's 7. And if you've not checked out the back catalog yet. Feel free to go and do that.
If you're a new listener and you've jumped on for series B, go back and listen to our thoughts on series A. Lots of great stuff over there. You can also find us on the socials. We're on X and Blue Sky.
Do a search for at Blake7podcast or hit the link in the show notes. Come and give us a like and a follow and chat all things Blake7 over on the socials. A lovely community of Blake7 fans and other content creators.
Loads of cool people over there to come. Get involved over there and go and check out my co host channel over on YouTube. It is of course the Geeks Handbag.
Speaker A:The Geek Sandbag. Yeah, do lots of geeky stuff over on YouTube.
There's Blake's 7 stuff, a lot of Doctor who stuff, the odd Star wars thing, lots of things over on YouTube. And I'm also on all the other socials under the name the Geek Sandbag.
Speaker B:Come find me Indeedy. So until next time. Time and next week. We will see you then. My name's Garry.
Speaker A:My name's Adam.
Speaker B:And take care of yourselves. And we'll be back next time for Federation Strike A Journey Through Blake's 7.
Speaker A:Sa.
