A:11: Bounty: A Stubborn Sarkoff and Has Jenna Betrayed the Crew?
Teleporting in—welcome to Federation Strike: A Journey Through Blake's 7!
It’s a bittersweet moment because we’re almost at the finish line of Series A, and while we're looking forward to seeing how things wrap up, we're also a bit sad to see it go.
Anyway, this week, we’re following Blake and Callie on a mission to rescue President Sarkoff, who’s been kept in a cosy little prison while chaos brews on his home planet of Lindor. But as always, things aren’t straightforward, as there's trouble with bounty hunters looking to cash in on the chaos and could Jenna betray the crew of the Liberator as a result?!
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
Hello there and welcome to Federation Strike, A journey through Blake's 7. My name's Garry. My name's Adam and This is episode 11.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Thank you very much for checking out another episode of Federation Strike. We are almost there, Almost there to the end of series A. We've got a few more episodes to go through, not that I'm willing to time away, of course.
It's been very cool to go through all of Blake's 7 thus far, but we're almost at the finish line, which is very cool. So episode 11 is upon us today and we're going to review the episode Bounty, which we'll come on to in a little while. So, mate, it's been.
It's been cool to go through everything so far, but how are you feeling it? We're almost there. Just a couple of eps after this one.
Speaker C:Slightly mixed feelings, because I'm sort of relieved how, how it's gone so far, how much you're enjoying it, but I'm sort of almost sad, obviously, that we're now coming to the end. So I'm just sort of desperate for the second series to come out on Blu Ray, really, so we can get onto that.
But, yeah, but as I said, I don't want it to end, but I'm also excited for us to. To sort of finish up series one so that you've. You've done it. But yeah, it's. It's been good.
Like you said, we've still got, well, today's EP and then two more to go, but it's gone very quick, hasn't it? I can't believe we've almost done the whole of series one already. So I bet you can't either.
I bet when you started this, you were thinking, you know, I've given this a go once, you know, how's this gonna go?
You know, in an alternative reality, we could be at episode 11 and you and you saying, dude, I've really struggling with this, but thankfully that hasn't happened, so. Yet.
Speaker A:Yet. Yeah, no, it's been. It's been very cool to. To get to this point knowing that we had. We had kind of mixed feelings.
Well, not mixed feelings, but as our listeners will know, if you're a newcomer to Federation Strike, by the way, then the. The thing with our show is that Adam is a lifelong Blake's 7 fan and has watched it loads of times over the years and all the formats, et cetera.
I'm a newbie to the show and Adam's been asking to do a podcast about Blake's 7 for literally years. So that's where we're coming from two different angles. And Adam was slightly concerned when we kicked off.
He was like, I'm not sure if Garry's going to like it. I'm. I'm hoping he will do. I'm fairly confident he will once he gets into it, but you never know. So that's what's going on.
And listeners, if you've returned and you've been listening to this show as we've gone through and you've come back every week, then you'll know that I'm in love with Blake's 7. There's no denying that at all. It's such a great show. And, yeah, so, like you kind of mixed feelings.
It's cool that we're at sort of at the final act now. We're getting to the. To the end of series A, but. And I'm happy about that. I've really enjoyed all of the episodes so far.
But, yeah, a little bit of sadness. It's going to be over and we've got a bit of a gap and a wait until the second series gets released on Blu Ray.
That in itself is very cool, just knowing that. Fingers crossed. We get an announcement soon that a Series 2 is coming on Blu Ray series B. So fingers crossed for that.
And it won't be too long because I'm itching to.
Because when we finish recording, when we've wrapped up and Adam and I are just having a little chat afterwards, one thing we always say, and I have said, I think pretty much after every episode, is that I'm just so itching to go and watch the next one and I have to resist and bring that back in a little bit because I know that if I just go ahead and binge it and. And start watching them all, by the time we come around to record the following week, I'll have forgotten some of the key stuff in that episode.
So I'm, yeah, holding myself back a little bit and I know when we get to the end of series, I'll just be desperate to. To carry on and crack on with series B, so.
Speaker C:Oh, you will be for sure, mate. And actually I'm very excited because I obviously know what's to come in series two, so I'm very excited. But I think when you get to the end of.
Of the episode 13, all right, you are going to be itching to go on. But that's actually, that's.
That's another good way of expressing how I feel at this point in the podcast in terms of you, is that I'm In a bit of a sort of comfort zone now, which is quite nice.
So by, by, by episode 11, which are on today, there's this nice comfort zone of knowing that you're enjoying it to the extent that even if we get an episode that perhaps isn't very good, or, you know, I don't think there's any truly bad episodes, but I don't know, there might be some as we go. There might be some that are really bad. Maybe there is one or two.
But, you know, even if we come to an episode that perhaps isn't that great, I know that it won't be enough to put you off if, you know, I mean, if you.
If we'd have got to episode two or three and you really weren't feeling it, I'd be concerned, think, well, we're committed to, you know, four series of this, so, you know, that's a shame.
But now that I know that you're enjoying it, it's enough to know that even if there's an episode that perhaps you don't enjoy as much, that it won't put you off carrying on, if you know what I mean.
Whereas if that happened at the start of the series, that might have been an issue I might have been dreading every week, but now I'm kind of feeling a lot more comfortable every time we go to record, because I know that even if there's episodes that you think aren't quite up there as the best, I'm sure there'll be something you've enjoyed in it at this point, because you've got to know the characters and you'll, you know, be like a Doctor who if we get a bad episode. We always look forward to those Doctor moments or something in there is enough to carry us through.
So I'm feeling quite comfortable in that sense, I don't think.
I can't think of any episode off Top Head that's going to make you, you know, throw the Blu Ray set at the wall and say, no, that's it, I'm done with this. I hope, anyway. I mean, it could happen. But I'd. I'd like to think at this point we're. We're in a good place.
Speaker A:I think we are in a very good spot. Very cool. It's all panned out as you hoped.
Speaker C:Well, I don't want to lead you into a false sense of security, mate. I'm sure there will be episodes that, you know, you won't be feeling. You won't, you know, that it's not like every episode is a banger.
So I don't want to. As I said, I don't want to lead you down the garden path as if everyone's amazing.
There will be episodes coming up that I think both of us will be like, what the heck, you know, what happened there? But certainly at the minute, I think we're on to a good role.
Speaker A:They. Yeah. In terms of the. The eps that, you know, you said not. Not every app is a banger.
I think most of the episodes that we've gone through have not been. I don't think we've, you know, gone in hard and slated any of them.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker A:Up to this point, even some of the. The episodes, and you've mentioned it a couple of times, that fandom considers to be fairly weak. Because, listen, you.
You would have heard by this point our review of some of those episodes. Like, I think Duel was one of them. There was a toss up between the episode Duel and Was it the web? There's a couple of them that sort of.
We flipped on the heads. I think you said that fandom considers this one to be fairly poor, but we were like, yeah, it's a little bit ploddy.
And, you know, still got some great stuff, but it's a little bit ploddy.
And then the other one, which I think was Duel, actually, fandom really likes it and we were like, yeah, this one's not, you know, not up there with some of the best that we consider from Series A. So none of them have been. None of them. We've come away afterwards and thought, oh, that was a dreadful episode, or that wasn't that good.
We've liked all of it. So. And that's a genuine thing as well.
Those of you that have listened to our Doctor who podcast, the Big Blue Box over the years will know that we are. We're never ones to just say something's, you know, good just for the sake of it. Whatever. We always give 100% honest, honest opinions on stuff.
So, yeah, it's been. It's been good to Enjoy plenty of Blake's 7.
Speaker C:Absolutely. As I said, we always give an honest opinion. So if there is something coming up that's not very good, we will be sure to say, you know, we're not all.
What did you. What was it, the Lego thing? Well, not everything is awesome on this podcast. We. We will criticize if we. If we feel it's not up. Up with the best.
Speaker A:Yeah, exactly. Alrighty. Before we crack on with our review, then, to new time, to new listeners.
It's great to have you aboard listening to us as we go through Blake's 7.
Make sure you are tapping the old follow or subscribe button in whatever podcast app you're listening to this on so you don't miss an episode when they land every Wednesday. And those of you that have been with us since the beginning, thank you very much for, for continuing your listenership.
It's been very cool to chat with you as we go through Blake's 7 Series A as well. And you can chat with us over on the socials, we're on Twitter and Bluesky. Just do a search for Lake 7 podcast chatting.
Some very cool people over there and there's always some cool Blake7 conversation going on.
And just as a heads up, we've sort of kicked off this episode with how cool it's been to go through and that we're almost at the end of Series a once episode 13 has gone out. We've do have a series of bonus episodes by the way.
So once that finishes, we've got a special episode where Adam and I are just going to do a bit of a series a wrap up and talk about our feelings as the, as a series as a whole and all that stuff. And then we've got a couple of really cool interviews with people that were involved in the making of the Blu Ray set.
So that's a couple of really good interviews and some great listens there. So make sure you are following and all that stuff so you get notified on all of that. For this week though, dude, for episode 11, what's a review?
Speaker C:So yeah, this week's episode is called Bounty.
Speaker B:President Sarkoff, your planet is in total chaos. There are dozens of factions fighting for power. They're on the brink of civil war. That cannot be true.
I get regular reports when the fighting starts, the Federation will move in a peacekeeping force. They'll take over the administration and the government and your planet will have lost its freedom. Just swallowed up into the Federation.
All quite legitimate. And not a single voice raised in protest. That cannot happen. I know the situation of Lindore. I get regular reports from the Federation communications.
Yes, yes, But I have proof of their authenticity. The Lindore strategy, that's what they call began with the rigged elections which, which removed you from power.
And it would only end when you are returned to your planet as the puppet leader of a subjugated people.
Speaker C:I knew.
Speaker B:Nonsense. No, we captured a Federation cipher machine. Now, before they changed the code, we picked up a lot of information.
Our computers have been unraveling it ever since. One of the things they came up with was the Lindor strategy. We have checked. It is happening. Why should I believe you?
What have I got to gain by lying? You are the only man who can reunite your planet.
Speaker A:If you act now, you can save.
Speaker B:It from war and from the Federation.
Speaker A:Well, a big question. Well answered.
Speaker C:Smashing those gramophone records.
Speaker A:So that was the clip from the episode Bounty, which is episode 11. And the synopsis for this one is President Sarkoff is a prisoner on the Federation of the Federation.
March:We'll come on to that in a little bit by Terry Nation, overseen by Chris Belsher and Dave Maloney. And this one was directed by Pennant Roberts. And story wise, it's, it's an interesting one. We've got another episode where Blake is on a bit of a.
A do Gooder mission, probably the best way to put it. There's some stuff that's going to go down fairly soon on, on a. On the planet. What's the planet called? What's the planet called, Bud?
Speaker C:Oh, as a lifelong thing you would assume I would know, but I don't.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker C:So is it Lindor? It's something like. I remember thinking it was like the chocolate. I think it's Lindor, isn't it?
Speaker A:Lindor? There you go.
Speaker C:Yeah, I remember, trust me, to think of chocolate. Other chocolate bars are available, including bounties.
Speaker A:On the planet Lindor. It's about to collapse into civil war.
And so Blake wants to get Sarkov back in there, reinstate as president and so he can start doing his thing because he believes in this guy, thinks he's going to do all the good work, et cetera. Sarkov comes back at him and says, look, you know, I was voted out, vote of no confidence. They don't need me, it's all fine.
Plus I'm getting updates from the Federation on what's happening. It's all fine, don't worry. And then Blake drops the bombshell that this has been a setup. The Federation has rigged the last election to get him out.
And because they're not aligned with the Federation at that point, they know that when civil war erupts, that then gives the Federation an excuse to move in, take the, you know, take control and then they'll be part of the Federation.
And as an offshoot of that, he also says all the updates that Sarkov's been getting are all bogus and you know, he's been kept in the dark about what's really going on. So that's the, the mission that Blake and Cali are on to try and get Sarkov out of his, his capture if you like.
He's, he thinks he's on a bit of a vacation, retirement vacation sort of thing.
He's happy with his collection of earthbound things and, and he's living out his best life and, and so on, but he's kind of a prisoner, let's face it. Yeah, and, and while that's going on, over on the Liberator we have this another storyline where the Liberators come across a signal from a ship.
You know, there's a ship that's on its way. They don't know if it's good or bad, friendly or, or enemy.
And it turns out that those guys run into their own trouble when, when the Omegaons turn up to, to take Blake and the shipper's bounty and turn them over to the Federation. So they have to deal with that as well. So bud, fairly good story this one.
A little bit James Bond esque again with, with Blake and Callie infiltrating the Sarkoff's little mini castle, his little house and having to deal with the Federation troops and then the whole thing around. Is Jenna one of them? Is she not? You know, is she going to help him? Is she going to rescue the guys, whatever.
So yeah, interesting little story this one. What are your thoughts? Out the Gate.
Speaker C:Force out the Gate is actually rather ironic that we're talking about episodes that are not quite up there as the best because I think after 10, you know, pretty good episodes, I think this is the first one that could be considered a little bit, I wouldn't say a dud, but it's certainly probably the weakest, I think, of the series thus far. It has some very enjoyable moments and it's got a nice location.
There's some good one liners as you come to expect from, from Blake's 7, but as an episode overall I think it's, it doesn't quite hold together. It's very, it's got a lot of exposition, it's very ploddy in the middle. It takes far too long for Sarkoff to, to leave.
There's too much going on in that room that just drags for me. So I don't, I think this might be my least favorite episode. So not to say I don't enjoy it.
I think there, as I said, There is a good moment, but yeah, it's not. I think it is the weakest so far. And I don't know much about the production of this one in terms of behind the scenes.
I do know that Terry Nation handed in a script that was very. Was under running by a lot and so it had to be reworked by, I would assume, Chris Boucher. I don't know a lot about that.
Sounds like you may have a bit more information on that, but to be honest with you, mate, I could tell that. Anyway, it does seem a bit of a messy episode in terms of the writing.
And I think weirdly, although I love all the location stuff, I think actually weirdly like the second half more because I like all the stuff with the crew together where Villa's trying to get the neck bombs off and there's some really fun moments in that. So although that's probably considered the lesser interested side of the story, I think in some ways I prefer the second act.
But yeah, I don't know, mate. It's, it's. It's fine as an episode, but I think it's definitely a bit middle of the road compared to, to what we've had up to now.
And also another thing that I'm gonna.
Is gonna definitely knock a couple of points off is we are seeing a bit of repetition now from, well, let's say Terry Nation because his name is on the, on the credits as writing this. But you know, there is a bit of repetition here. Once again, the Liberator has to go off course. Blake's calling them. Where are you?
You know, it's, it's that thing that they've done a few times now and it's been infiltrated by, you know, these pirates and stuff. It's, it's. Again, it's a little bit repetitive in terms of stuff we've already seen so far in series one. So.
Yeah, I'll just sum up my overall thoughts by saying I still enjoy watching this one. But it's, it's definitely not a go to. It's not one that I would if I was looking for an episode to watch. It's not a.
It's not one of the strongest ones in this first series, I don't think. Despite some fun moments. What do you reckon, mate? What did you make of this one?
Speaker A:Yes, I'm kind of in two minds a little bit about it because I'm still, I'm sit on that cool kind of momentum coming off the back of enjoying all the episodes so far with the, with the series. But on the other hand, I do completely understand what, what you're saying.
I think I'm in a similar mindset where it's, it's one of those episodes where it's got some great bits in it, some great stuff, and it all seems to, to, to. To pivot, if you like, around this key conversation between Blake and, and, and Sarkoff, that, that seems to be the crux of the story.
And then the other bits that are around that it seems to be a bit, it does seem a bit plotty before we get to the conclusion.
I do quite like these kind of split story narratives that we've had in a couple of other episodes where Blake or somebody has got to go off and do something and then on the other side of the story we've got this other stuff going on. I do quite like that it provides a little bit of variety within the episode, etc. But I think you nailed it.
Where we are getting into a little bit of sort of repetition territory where it doesn't seem right to send the entire crew down to sort out what's going on with Sarkov and Tice, etc. But at the same time we kind of need, I guess with the writing you go one of two ways.
You just have them, you dedicate more time to that in terms of Blake and Callie doing their thing and then you just have a few scenes where the guys are chilled out on the Liberator, just waiting to do their thing when they get back.
Or you do what they did with this episode where you actually give them a proper little mini storyline of their own and you do that stuff with them, which is what they chose to do with this one. But the problem with that is you have to invent or come up with an entire unique thing.
Or again, you do what they did with this one where you just kind of go down the same road as before and, and do that stuff. So, yeah, I mean, two kind of minds. I mean, I did enjoy the bulk of it.
I felt some of the, some of the key little scenes were very good and I like some of the location work and I think some of that location stuff has transferred really well onto High Definition.
I think the Blu ray, it looks really good when they're in the, in the woodland area with Sarkoff's little, little mansion and all that looks really good. And, and I love the fact that Blake is very calm as always.
You know, when Sarkoff thinks that he's an assassin and he's like, what are you talking about? You know, I'm not here to murder you. It's just, you know, and there's a. So that from a.
Pure Witnessing just some very cool actors on screen doing their thing is very cool. And. And yeah, it's. It's. It's just. It's just a shame that we've. We've got these other bits put in there that.
And also wasn't that convincing either because it felt a little bit rushed. You know, I guess that's one of the. One of the things you have to consider when you are doing a separate narrative to the main storyline.
How much screen time do you dedicate to that? Because it felt a little bit rushed and a bit predictable as well.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, with the. The guy Tarvin, who's. Do I trust Jenna? Do I not. You know, what's going on there?
Speaker C:And you knew 100aminute that Jenna's turned. That's the thing. I don't think there's. As a viewer, you're not.
You know, there's no tension there because you just know for the off that Jenna hasn't turned, has she?
Speaker A:No, of course not. No. So, yeah, I totally get it, dude. I think I'm in agreement with you in terms of series A thus far. This is the. Although it's a.
Although it's still a good watch. It's probably the weakest episode so far.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:For those reasons. Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah, I think I would. Yeah. Definitely agree with that.
Speaker A:What were your thoughts on the. The. This whole. Because one thing they did omit actually from this. And I'm not sure if this is something to do with the script.
So just to touch on that stuff, when Terry Nation turned this in, it was, like you said, massively under length for. For a full episode. So Chris Belcher had to literally top up, you know, all the things. And as part of that, he had to add a new character.
He added Tice. The turned out to be Sarkoff's daughter. Yeah. So she wasn't in the original script from Terry Nation.
He had to put that in there just as a way of filling the story out.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And when Blake starts to smash Sarkoff's records and all that stuff that wasn't in the original script. So there was all of these little things that were pretty cool that you saw on screen that weren't in there. Some.
Perhaps that's one of the issues with that stuff. So I was gonna say your thoughts on this theory of Blake deviating once again from his sort of main mission to take down the Federation.
I know this is In a way, a kind of route to doing that because he's putting a blocker in place to the Federation being unable to take over Lindor. So that's kind of, kind of there.
But again, we had this thing where Blake's going off to do this, you know, quote unquote, the good work against the Federation. But one thing they omitted was Avon's disdain at that stuff.
Normally when Blake takes an unnecessary risk or he goes off to do something that's not part of the mission. Yeah, he's very, very critical of Blake. He's like, you know, this is a silly risk to take and all the rest of it.
Didn't really see that from Avon and this. Avon was really quiet with that stuff. So for the main storyline, Buddy, uh, do you agree with.
With Blake's need to go off and do this and convince Sarkoff to go back and, and all that? Do you think that was a very Blake thing to do? And secondly, Avon being quite quiet about that?
Speaker C:Well, the Blake going off, I suppose it is a Blake thing to do, but it does feel, I hate to use this phrase, but it does feel a little bit like a filler episode because basically they just become a taxi to. To take Sarkoff off and drop him off at the planet. And he doesn't seem particularly grateful at the end of it. So I. I don't know.
And also, Sarkov pretty much has given up. You know, that's one of the sort of threads of the storyline that Sarkov is kind of downbeat. You know, his better days are behind him.
So he doesn't feel like this strong leader that Blake's gone to, you know, gone to get to resurrect. You know, I think at the end he should have been more. Yes, I'm up for this now. Thank you, Blake.
You know, I'm ready to go down now and let's sort the Federation. I think they could have been a lot stronger character there in Sarkov.
You know, I think it's fine for him to start off as this kind of defeated character, but I think he should have been stronger by the time he leaves the Liberator, because it, it, you know, he just leaves. It just feels a little bit like, oh, well, that's that then. Let's, let's go. You know. And as for Avon, you're absolutely right.
I hadn't really picked up on that. But yeah, he doesn't really give much.
He doesn't really hold back, you know, doesn't really give too much in terms of the tension between him And Blake, which is stuff that me and you both like when Avon's sort of arguing the point. Because we often agree with Avon that Blake is being a bit reckless and he's.
You know, it's one thing for Blake to be reckless, but obviously they've all got to go along with it. So I think that could have helped the episode out a little bit if we'd have had that.
But then again, would I be moaning that we got more repetition if we had that? Is it. Is it about time that they eased off on the. On that sort of thing? So, I don't know.
I mean, Avon gets some good moments in when they're locked up in the cell. There's some good lines when he's trying to open the door. And I think Villa's a bit put out that he manages to do it.
I think he wanted to do that, but. Yeah, I don't know. Once again, Avon gets some good moments, but it's not a standout one for him, I don't think. Yeah, but I like.
Speaker A:Isn't it?
Speaker C:Yeah, but I like all the stuff at the start. I mean, I do like seeing Blake and. And Cali together. You know, that's nice.
Especially as you told me that, you know, a couple of episodes back, it was supposed to be Blake and C, but Sally Cavette said, you know, she wanted to do it and it got changed in the script. So it's interesting to see Blake and C together in this one. And I think they make a great team, actually. I do.
Although I find some of the stuff plotty in that first half of the story. I do like all the stuff for location. I think it's somewhere in Kent, isn't it, that funny little tower?
Speaker A:It is, yeah. It's down at Waterloo Tower in Quex Park.
Speaker C:Oh, that's so cool. I mean, I'd love to go there. And I don't know about you, mate. You know, it's got this funny little white antennae.
Antennae, whatever you call it on top. I always assumed that was like a matte, you know, that they'd superimpose that or they'd got like a glass painting over the lens or, you know, that.
That wasn't real, but until I saw the actual, you know, real location, I haven't been there, but I've seen pictures and that's. That's actually what's what it is. It actually has that little funny thing on top of it.
So it's a great little location they found and it's perfect for this story.
And also, like, the little car they've managed to find, the Bessie wannabe that they try and escape so that there is some fun stuff going on in terms of what the characters get to do. And it's nice to see Blake and Callie together on this one, you know.
But then, yeah, once you get back on the ship, it's very much back to a little bit what we've had before with. With all the cast getting a bit tetchy with each other and Avon and Villa having a bit of tension. So, yeah, I don't know.
Just as I said, it's an episode, isn't it, of nice moments, but whether it all comes together to make a great story, I'm not so sure, really. Just talking to that karmic. I bet you liked. It's the slowest getaway ever, isn't it?
When they, when they finally crank the Stein handle and he's like, let's go. And Blake jumps on it. It's the slowest move off. You know, I think you probably could have jogged alongside that car.
The Federation troops would have caught the. No problem. Yeah, I couldn't help but laugh. That's charming. But also I think it's on. Must be on one of the commentaries.
They talk about the owner of that car saying that, you know, when he lent it to the production crew, it was like his pride and joy and he was absolutely assured that no harm would come to it while filming. And then, you know the bit when it smashes through the gate?
Speaker A:Oh no.
Speaker C:Apparently it left a big dent in the front and he was mortified, you know, so I don't think the owner of that car was particularly happy. I mean, it's a nice thing. I love that. This is one thing I love about Cyphers, when they mix old stuff with new.
So you've got like the gramophone and this old fashioned car that needs to start and handle and all of that stuff.
And you know, all the stuff in, in Sarkoff's office is really interesting to try and sort of see what he's got in there, the butterfly collection and all of that stuff. So it's a nice bit of world building that's going on in that, that little tower and as I said, a great location that they found for it.
So this is what I mean when I talk about the episode. There is a. There is stuff I really like about it. It's just not a go to, you know, I mean, it just doesn't have that.
There's nice moments, but it doesn't have that overall sort of Punch to it. That makes me want to watch it that often.
Speaker A:Yeah. I must admit, I did have a little giggle around that whole scene where they're escaping in the car and stuff.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because that little. The. The little tower thing where Sark, where he. Where Sarkov is, it's not the biggest building in the world. It's quite a small footprint.
And so when they're trying to escape silently, like they're in stealth mode. I mean, you could hear somebody sneeze, you know, the other side of this thing, it's quite small. And.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So when they're out there and they're with car and it's. Even when, you know, before it cuts out, you could still. You could hear that car engine running a mile away.
So it's a bit weird from that perspective. It's. It's one of those things where they've. They found a really cool little. Little location. Really cool, that stuff.
But they had to kind of weave in this sort of this, you know, evade and capture kind of storyline into it, but they have to make it work with what they've got.
So it's either, you know, we move to a different part of the location to do the escaping stuff where it's a bit more realistic, where the guards wouldn't be able to hear them and chase after them, etc, or we just sort of fudge it. Be like. Yep.
Because there's another couple of bits where Blake and Cali are scaling up the wall and the guards are walking around and they can see the rope dangling around. You wouldn't be able to miss it. But. Yeah, and so, yeah, I get it, man. That little. That little Waterloo Tower, they.
For their production, they painted the. The doors white and gold for the episode to give it a bit more of a grander look, a bit more upmarket.
And they never repainted them until a few years ago. So for years and years afterwards, they just stayed white and gold from whatever color they were before.
Speaker C:I'd love to go to that location. You know, it's one of those. Whenever I watch the episode, I'll say, oh, I'd love to go and visit that. That tower.
Don't know if it's open to the public.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's. It's in Birchington Quex Park. Yeah. So you can go there and have a look around and. And stuff. I don't know if you can go inside it, but.
But you can certainly visit the. The thing. But. And the. That. The. The top part of it, you know, the metal bit at the top you said, looks a bit like an antenna and so on.
It gives everything a very. I don't know, it's. I think it's just the design of like the, the top part of the building. It wasn't there. It wasn't placed there by production.
It's actually part of the building. I think it's just the architecture of the time. It was, you know, a bit of a unique architecture for it.
And I think the, the producers were like, okay, this looks very. Doesn't look like your typical, like little gazebo style building that you see in most British parks.
It's got a unique style to almost, Almost Middle Eastern, it looks like. Which is a nice tie in. Actually. I think it's a bit of a. An unexpected tie in because the.
Later on in the episode when we see the Omegons and, And Tarvyn, their outfits look quite sort of Turkish and.
Speaker C:Oh yeah, they do actually.
Speaker A:Yeah, that kind of design, you know. So I think they were just looking for. I mean, I think it was just a happy accident that the two of them.
Because the architecture definitely looks more. Yes. Or Middle Eastern kind of thing. But anyway, it's a unique little location plot that they found and it fits.
Speaker C:In with Sarkoff, doesn't it? Because it's again, it's that mix of like the old style with the new, which is very much what's going on inside, which is obviously a set.
So it does fit perfectly actually, that location.
I mean, you mentioned the picture quality being, you know, really, they've done a great job restoring this and that does fit in with what I was saying about when I originally watched this, the picture quality was a bit wavy. So that, that top bit of the turret was sort of. It did look like it was sort of put on.
It did look fake when I originally watched this because it was sort of juddering, if you know what I mean. So on this you could see it very clearly and it does look a lot better. It's.
Yeah, it's a good testament to the remastering that's gone on this particular Blu Ray version that it's not wavering anymore. It looks, you know, the picture is quite solid, so you can tell it's an actual real antenna. I don't know if. I don't know, I think it is an antennae.
But whatever it is the top of that building. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:No, it does look pretty cool. It's a nice little location area that the. And that's really all you see, isn't it?
Because the sort of the Woodland area around the park and everything is used for a little bit of James Bond style. Break into the thing and. And extract the target, that kind of thing, which happened to be sarcough.
But once we get inside that building, it's all on set, of course.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And that set was. Yeah, it's very light. I think it goes back to what we were saying back in episode one or two.
It was either the way back or space or we were saying about. With old British sci fi that's set based like this, there's not. There's not many sort of grades of lighting that they can lean into.
It's either all the lights up at once, you know, full beams, or they're not on. It's like a light switch. It's on or off. So that's. I found that a little bit jarring, you know, I found that a little bit because. I don't know.
With the Liberator, it's similar thing where all the lights are on, but it seems a little bit more muted for some reason. On the Liberator, I think that's maybe colors, isn't it?
Speaker C:On the Libre, it's got a nice palette to it with the oranges and the browns and everything else.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, exactly that, mate. Yeah. And I think some of the terminals are, you know, almost black and there's a bit more contrast with stuff.
But with this, like, the walls were all bright silver. You know, it was all glass and metal and it was all really light. So I thought, whoa.
Like, it's a good job this guy doesn't sleep in this bit because it's like a bloody. It's like you've turned a floodlight on and all the crystals and all the shiny surfaces. Exactly, mate.
So it's kind of a cool set, but, yeah, just overly saturated with loads of.
I mean, it's great from a cameraman's perspective, I guess, because you get to see, you know, everything you want to see and get in focus is all there in front of you. There's no, you know, you can get all that stuff done properly. But, man, that set was a. That was a bright one for sure.
Speaker C:Yeah. Like I say, the set itself is a bit overlit. I like some of the dressing on it.
Like I said, I love the mix of the old and the new, like the gramophone and all that sort of thing. But you're right, it is a bit. It's a bit bright. It's got some nice layers to it. You can see there's a room at the back.
I Think there's a picture of Winston Churchill on the wall and there's some stairs that sort of curl up that they go up a couple of times. So it's got a bit of depth to it. But yeah, it's, it's very like a lot of stuff. I guess it's a bit over lit for the time.
Whereas the Liberator set, I never get bored of seeing. That's that any, any of the Liberator, I love it. Even the room they get locked in in this episode, it's got that funny.
Looks like a giant light bulb in the middle of the room, you know, just to make it look a bit different. I thought, well that's good. They've. They've put a bit of something in there to mix it up a bit, you know.
But I just love exploring the Liberator, mate. It's a, it's a sort of a.
Some of the rooms, you could say they're a bit basic, but there is something about like the hexagonal corridors and you know, like I said, the gorgeous oranges in the flight deck and even the brown, which is quite a boring muted color. You know, it's. It all kind of works for me. I love the Liberator set. I'm hoping I've got the colors right by the way, because I am colorblind.
So if, if I'm saying brown and you're thinking brown. It is brown. Right? The Zen is brown. Yeah. Yes, yeah. I was going to say because sometimes brown and reds look very similar to me.
So I'm assuming Zen is brown. Talking to Zen, mate, what did you think of? I mean, once again he's being a bit pedantic, isn't he?
When he's asked questions, he's not the most helpful computer Zen. I mean he's brilliant, I love him. But you know, you can see why the crew get a bit short tempered with him.
But what do you think of the bit where he's like, that was not Olag Gan speaking. Villa's like what? That was a voice recording or whether. So Zen sort of chips in. But surely a little bit of a, a narrative. I don't know.
One of those things you have to overlook really, because surely he would have. That would have been out across the liberation. Everyone would have heard that. Not just filler in the control deck. I don't know.
But you know, obviously if everyone hears it kind of ruins the, the story because they would have just said, oh, we won't beam them up then. So. But I just thought I Don't know if narratively that was. That works, that it's only Villa that hears it.
And by the time he says don't beam them up, it's too late, they're being gassed or whatever those guns are. But, yeah, I don't know.
It's something you have to overlook, I guess, because I'm pretty sure when Z normally speaks, and correct me if I'm wrong, they kind of. They can all hear him, can't they? Well, they have a speaker on the wall, so.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, they can all hear. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:But now I'm saying that I'm going to look out for that. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe. Maybe you can only hear him if you're in the flight deck. I'm going to keep an eye on that. I don't know.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think you can only hear him when you're on the. On the bridge, you know, the main or the flight deck, whatever it's called. I think you can only hear Zen when you're in that room.
Speaker C:Yeah, maybe. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:I don't think it's a. I don't think when Zen speaks, I don't think it. The entire ship hears it. Yeah, I think you have to be on the old.
On the flight deck and talking to the Liberator stuff. Dude. What did you think to the. This storyline then? With. With Tarvyn taking.
Basically ready to hand over the Liberator and everybody on board over to the Federation? It's. I guess that's what the. The episode title is about. I guess this guy's a bit of a chancer, wants to make money as.
As best he can, and being a bit of a bounty hunter now and then is the way to do that. So he's currently got the biggest bounty in the galaxy, by the sound of it, and he's ready to. He's ready to do it. So. That guy was quite cool.
You know, I quite like Tarvin. He was played by Mark Zuber. Quite a cool character that. And bought into the whole.
Because even when Jenna tells him that, you know, there's vastly more riches on board the Liberator, you know, even then he's like, now we'll stick to the plan. And he's quite ruthless. So, yeah, I quite like that character. He was quite cool.
Speaker C:Yeah, he was good. I mean, I think tonally the episode, second half of the episode kind of changes a little bit, but yeah, he's a good. He's a good character.
And I get the feeling. I mean, obviously him and Jenna have Met before.
There's this sort of a couple of lines that hints that maybe they were more than friends, isn't there? He's like, dude, it's almost a very cheesy line, isn't he? Says, don't. Don't you remember the good time on Planet Whatever? Yeah, the.
The memories we made on. What is it?
Speaker A:Zoled for Zolat 4.
Speaker C:Zola 4, yeah. So you get the impression that at some time their paths are crossed and maybe there'd been a little something between the two of them. But he's a.
He's quite a fun character. I think the episode really needed something else to happen at that point.
I think there was, as I said, the middle bit where Sarkoff is just listening to his record. You know, the others have already gone and he's just sat there in his room and Blake has to come back and talk to him again.
Which actually is a great scene. I love all that stuff. When Blake finally kind of flips and he's like, I'll smash it all. You know, every last piece and all. That's a great moment.
But it took too long to get there. I mean, that's. That's where the episode definitely starts plodding and there's too much exposition. But then we get that great scene.
Then we've got Tarvyn sort of appearing and it's quite a nice surprise and it does lift the episode back up again. Piques your interest a little bit.
So, yeah, is it is a good little character and it's like, would you call him a space pirate, I suppose, or a bounty hunter?
Speaker A:Yeah, that kind of character.
Speaker C:Yeah. So I think the episode needed him at this point. And, yeah, I'm intrigued by him. I find Jenna's acting a bit odd in the second half. I'm honest.
I totally get what she's going for. We're supposed to, as a viewer. We're not sure. Is she. She knows this guy. Is she siding with him? Is she looking after number one like Ava would?
I mean, I absolutely could see Avon doing that. But Jenna, I don't know. I don't really buy it for. For a minute, but I find her performance a little odd in the second half, if I'm honest.
She's almost playing it like, as if she's robotic. I can't quite explain it, but she gives a very muted sort of performance in the second half. I'm not quite sure it works, to be honest.
Not quite sure what she's doing.
Speaker A:Yeah, I kind of agree. I think up to that Point. Yeah, she was standard Jenna that we'd seen in every episode.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then in that. Yeah, you're right. In that second half she's a bit. It's just.
I think it's just more of an understated performance because I think she's trying her best to not give anything away to Tarvyn.
Speaker C:Yeah, definitely. Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah. So she's trying to play as cool as a cucumber so that he doesn't suspect anything because I think he.
Even when he takes her, you know, the explosive collars that they've. They've put on the crew.
I think even when he takes Jenna's one off or instructs for that to be taken off, I think he still does that a little bit with some apprehensive or trepidation there. Yeah. Because I think he's unsure whether he can trust her. That all they've.
All he's got to go on is this little bit of history, like you said, that they've got from. From that. From that time up in the mountains, you know, and it insinuates that they were a little bit closer than just friends by the sound of it.
So he's only got that to go on. But obviously a lot of time has passed since then and she's done lots of different things, different person, blah, blah, blah. So, yeah, the.
I think she's just trying to be a bit more understated with it so that she doesn't give the. Give the game up.
Speaker C:Yeah, I think. Anyway, one thing I don't get, mate, is why hasn't Tarvyn thrown Sarkov a tice into a cell? Why are they just sat there on the sofa like.
He doesn't know who they are, does he? I mean, I don't know. Just seems very trusting of him. Surely they'd be thrown in the cell with the rest of them with a neck thing on.
I just find it a bit odd narratively why they just sat there having a chat on the Liberator sofa with him. It's almost as if they're in league with him, which they're not. So wouldn't he be suspicious of them? Wouldn't he be.
It'd be like, you get in there as well.
Speaker A:They're not part of Blake's crew and they're non threatening. It's just, you know, an old, you know, diplomat sort of guy and his. Well, we find out in the end that Tice is his daughter.
Speaker C:That's right. Yeah.
Speaker A:But so Tarvyn probably just thinks, you know, he's an Old guy there's got no weapons on them. They've put the collars on him. They're. They're no threat sort of thing. You know, they're not part of Blake's crew.
So, yeah, sit down, get your cup of tea.
Speaker C:Have a cuppa.
Speaker A:Have a cuppa. Exactly. Yeah. So, mate. Yeah, it's. It's a. It's definitely. There's definitely a few little weird things that are going on in this episode, aren't there?
Like, we've mentioned some of the weirdness with the escape out of Sarkov's retirement home, slash prison on. On. On wherever they are. And. And then you've got the weirdness with Jenna, you've got the weirdness with this, with Tarvyn.
The other thing that I found weird as well that we've mentioned is just how, again, understated. Paul Darrow is as Avalon. As Avalon in this one. And then the other thing as well is that it looked like they were going to give Gan something to do.
Like, I thought that it was going to cut to the other ship and him getting to, you know, captured and beaten up and. And all that stuff. But, you know, we don't see him. Like, Gan goes off and then you don't seem till near the end where he's in the.
The holding cell with everybody else. Yeah, with the collar. So that was weird as well.
I thought they were going to give Gan, you know, a little bit more screen time because in the last episode we. We saw him a little bit more, you know, when he starts cracking up with his limiter, goes a bit nuts and, and that was kind of cool.
But then we saw this one, I thought, okay, they're finally giving Gan a little bit more, but. But now he just disappears. Then we don't see him again till the end with everyone else. So a few weird things in this one, bud.
Speaker C:Yeah. And sadly, not another. Yeah, it's not a. It's another one where Gan doesn't get much, much to do, really. Like I said, he gets.
Once again, gets a couple of nice lines, but, yeah, not much for Gan this week. I do love the stuff with Villa, though.
Again, you know, Michael Keaton, he doesn't get that much to do, but when he does, he really embraces every line on the script. And, you know, I mean, he really is such a fun, fun character considering how sort of little he's involved really.
But I love the stuff with Villa at the end where he's trying to take the necklace, whatever they are, the exploding necklace off, because I love the bit where he's like, well, who's gonna remove mine? He's getting really panicky, isn't it? Who's gonna do mine? And Cal is straight in there. I'm next, Villa.
You know, I just, just love, love all that stuff. I think Michael Keaton is just brilliant at bringing to life probably what was very little on the page, but making it so good on screen.
Speaker A:Oh, 100% agree. Michael Keaton just shines when he's in that mode.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:When he's got that.
Especially those episodes as well, where there's that contrast of him being very elusive, where it concerns getting into any action, going to investigate, teleporting off anywhere. He's always the last to volunteer, so he's great at playing that sort of, oh, well, I don't really want to do that, if I'm being honest with you.
You know, I'd rather not. You know, all that stuff is, Is very cool.
But then, like you said, when, when he starts to actually get stuck into something, that's when he really shines in, like the opposite end of the spectrum where he's. He's very, very competent in, in how to do that stuff. And, and, and actually those scenes, I will say, actually, they were a bit ploddy as well.
Speaker C:They are a bit. Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, when he spends what seems like forever to get Blake's collar off and they're just sort of longing out that conversation and.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Having to plot that along a little bit. He's taking quite a long time. But, but to your point about Michael Keaton, Owers Villa. Very, very cool.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah, he is. And there's a little bit of. You feel there's a little bit of tension between him and Avon and actually tension, not the word. I mean, the.
There's a little bit of rivalry because Avon's opens that door, doesn't he? And Villa's almost put out. Like, that's my job and he's done it. So there was a couple of nice little bits between him and Avon.
I'm trying to think now. Paul Darrar doesn't really get. I mean, again, he has a couple of good lines, but he's a bit poorly served in this one, isn't he? Don't.
Can't think of much he got to do apart from the door.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah. I mean, there's a couple of little cool little lines.
I think there's that moment where Villa again, gives his kind of negative opinion on something and even says out loud, I'm entitled to my opinion. And Avon Comes back with. It's your assumption that the rest of us care.
Speaker C:To listen to it. Yeah, I do like it when Villa says, Avon, Yes. Shut up. You know, there is a great. That's what I mean.
It's just like on the page, you know, it's probably not much, but they. Those guys just bring. Bring stuff like that to life. Great little moments.
Speaker A:Yeah. So very cool.
I think that's the only contribution that, that Avon has to this episode is just to provide a little bit of a springboard for somebody else to have a. A one liner or something like that. So. Which is what I mentioned earlier.
I found it weird that his character was quite quiet because it's the perfect opportunity and we've seen it loads of times before where Blake has gone off to do something or he's given orders to the crew and Avon's taken that very, very much like, you know, you're not the boss of me. You know, I'm here because I want to be here for now. And he doesn't agree with most of the decisions that Blake makes.
So the fact that he's just, you know, even when they're with Jake's Jake, even when Jenna and Blake are communicating, when they're down on the planet surface and she's letting him know that there's an unidentified ship that's coming towards them and. And Blake's like, you know, don't take any silly risks. We're doing enough of that down here sort of thing.
To me, that was the perfect time that usually Avon would leap in and say something a bit smart, you know, a bit of a snide little comment, you know, or a bit of a sarcastic thing. But yeah, it was just nothing like that from him, really.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker A:So, yeah. But Paul Darrow is still very good, of course. Just. Yeah. Not much for that character.
Speaker C:No. Callie gets quite a good one. I think she's great in the first half of this, isn't she, with Blake? And she gets to.
To do a bit of action, but scaling the walls and jumping down on the guard and the escape. I love it when they teleport on the car, by the way. I think that's such a cool. Such a simple but cool idea that they teleport as the car.
And the car just rolls off and we don't see it, but we hear it crash into a tree. Hopefully the owner of that car, they didn't do it for real. But yes, this, you know, Cali gets quite a good one. I think she's.
This is the problem, isn't it every week at the minute. Either Cali gets a good one or Jenna does. It depends who they decide to put down with Blake, really, who gets more.
Although I suppose Jenna gets a bit at the end to do, doesn't she? So she doesn't get that badly served in terms of the script.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah. And Callie had a good one, actually.
Speaker C:I like Kelly. I'm really liking Cali as a cat. Well, I do like Cali as a character, but, yeah.
Speaker A:And it was cool in this episode to see the comeback of the telepathic communication from Callie with Blake. There's a couple of times where they use it to a really cool advantage where they can't talk out loud for fear of being found by the guards.
So she telepathically communicates and he's like, right, gotcha, Gotcha. So that was cool. And then when she has to hurry this conversation along, that really cool scene between.
And Gareth Thomas and TP McKenna had that really cool conversation in the middle of the story where it kind of drifts in and out of exposition, a bit of history, and Blake trying to let him know what's going on. It's really cool performance between those two. There was a bit where.
And Jan Chapple does this very well, where she's got this look about her, which is quite stern sometimes. So you know, as the viewer, that she's either unhappy about something or she needs something to get done.
And then with the telepathic voice that we hear as the viewer and only Blake, she's like, blake, we're running out of time sort of thing. And that's. Then that gives Blake a bit of a kick up the ass. He's like, right, okay, I read you start smashing the records and away they go. So.
So, yeah, you mentioned a good one for Cali, not so much for Jenna. But yeah, I think Callie was a. Had a really good one. An interesting little bit of trivia as well.
You know the bit where she leaps down from the top of the top of the wall?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And that also stunt double person called Roberta Gibbs actually broke her ankle doing that.
Speaker C:Yeah. Is that she kind of lands badly. I think they might mention it on the commentary. Yeah. I was gonna say I kind of looked out for it this time.
You can see that she does almost sort of fall on her back. So. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Bit of an occupational hazard as a stunt person, I guess, but as a.
Speaker C:Trooper, she carries on.
Speaker A:She does. Yeah. You see her get up and. And whatnot. So. But yeah, that was a Not a bad bit. Fetching a very sporting, a very lovely leopard print coat.
Speaker C:It really suits Cali though. I thought that straight away I was like, oh, I like the leopard skin, Kelly.
Actually I do like the fact they've brought the telepathy back in because I kind of almost forgotten about that. She hasn't done that, has she? I don't think, not since we first saw her. No, no, I don't think so. So it's good that they've done that.
Cuz I do sometimes feel like the writers, well they, they even forget that Callie's got that ability or maybe it's too convenient as a plot point. So they feel like it's best if, you know, the viewer forgets you can do that. And actually that sort of has bugged me a little bit over the years.
But there's a, there's something that's actually made me feel better about that is she actually says in this episode, oh, I need to practice more.
So that just having that little line in there, which I've never really picked up on before, kind of excuses the times where she could easily, easily use it in the future episodes you haven't seen to get out situations and she doesn't, if you know what I mean. There's sometimes I think, well, why doesn't Callie just use a telepathy?
And so I can sort of get around it because of that little line that's in the beginning of this and it is a bit of a blink and you'll miss it moment.
But it sort of made me feel better about it because I sometimes think of the writers forgotten she's telepathic or you know, so maybe she just hasn't been practicing enough that week. So that's quite good.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, that was good. And I'd like to see more of that as well because it can be used to good effect.
Speaker C:Can be, yeah.
Speaker A:And yeah, I just found it funny. She's like, I'm not wearing one of those God awful tracksuits. I've got. Got my own clothes. Thank you.
Speaker C:It was probably really cold in that forest and it's probably her own jacket. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she's like, it's freezing. I'm wearing in jacket.
Speaker A:Yeah. Lastly, I just want to mention the.
I want to come back to it again which I've mentioned, which is that very cool conversation between Blake and Sarkov.
Speaker C:That's great.
Speaker A:So TP McKenna, very good actor, was, you know, was spinning so many things. Another very seasoned British actor and had loads of lines to learn. On this one he talks a lot. Yeah, he does in that middle bit.
And then also towards the end as well when Tarvin has got them captive and he's doing some. Some chatting away there. And so the relationship was very cool between him and Tice, played by Corinthia West. So they. They were very cool.
And at first you thought she was just, you know, an advisor, bodyguard, whatever. And then it, you know, turns out that she's his daughter and then you can.
That everything makes sense then why she's so keen for him to escape the Federation and go back to the planet. And you know, she's got great respect for her dad and also as a politician, etc. So that was a cool little sort of bit of character writing.
And then how Gareth Thomas comes back from those things as well and that to. And throw about really need you to do it. He disagrees and that stuff. So Gareth Thomas was very cool in this, mainly in that part for me.
But also TP McKenna was very cool.
Speaker C:Yeah, I mean, I do. I absolutely love it when Gareth does that thing of switching from. Because he's very easy going, like you said.
Even when Sarkov pulls a gun on him, Blake is very easygoing. He kind of laughs his way out of the, you know, situation.
But I do love it when he flips where, like you said, I think Cali has said we need to go Blake, get him, you know, get a move on or something. And he has to just flip and he starts smashing the records and the butterfly collection.
And you know, it's not very nice, but it's kind of what Blake needed to do in the moment. And Gareth plays that brilliantly. And it does create a great scene. You know, it shows that Blake is in control and it adds.
Yeah, adds a good bit of tension to it. I find the scene before that a little bit too exposition a where Sarkoff's explaining. But I mean, it does kind of give you the backstory.
But I would have liked to have seen a little bit more between, you know, the father daughter relationship between Sarkov and Tice in terms of her disappointment with what he's become, because they do lean into that, but I think they could have built that up.
But I guess there, I think the revelation of her being his daughter is supposed to be a bit of a sort of shock twist at the end, but it gets completely lost in everything else that's going on. So it's almost pointless. So I think it would have been better if whilst their prisoner, we could have had a nice sort of Piece of writing.
A bit of a conversation between those two of, you know, come on, dad, you used to be, you know, used to be a name. You used to be like Blake. He used to be respected. You can, you know, you've got a chance here to go back and you know, build a.
You know, bring the planet back to life. As I say, they could have been a bit of that to build up the story, if you know what I mean. Because Tice is a. Is a good character, I think, who gets.
Again, get some good moments. So I just feel there was more potential between Sarkoff and Tice than. Than we see on screen, if you know what I mean.
They're two good characters and like I said, Tipio Buchana is a well known performer. He could have, I thought he could have push the character a little bit more. More the writers than him as a performer.
But yeah, I would like to have seen a bit more from them, I think. But they're both very good with what they're given.
Speaker A:Yes, of course. Yeah. I wonder how much of that was Terry Nation and how much was. Was Chris Boucher. But yeah, overall some really cool stuff.
And yeah, you're right, I think it was a.
A little bit like the ending, a little bit rushed with that whole thing with Ty Spee and being Sarkoff's daughter, that revelation and because it just happened in one sentence really, you know.
Speaker C:Yeah. I mean again, if you, if you're not really paying attention, it just gets completely lost in that scene.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah. I don't actually do anything else. I don't have anything else on my notes, bud.
Speaker C:No, I don't think so. I've just got. I know we always talk about Dudley. Get some nice stuff. In the early part of the episode when they're in the forest. It creates a bit of.
Bit of atmosphere, I thought, which was very much needed because it is quite a slow start. It's mostly first five, ten minutes is just them creeping around the forest trying not to get caught.
So Dudley does some good stuff there to, you know, help those scenes along a bit. It definitely needed music in. In the first part of this episode.
So whilst perhaps not an outstanding episode in terms of music for Dudley, it definitely is good in. In the bits where it needed it.
Speaker A:Yes. Yeah. There's some really cool stuff actually in. In that first half when they're in the forest and so on. Yeah, yeah, like an old James Bond film.
Like this little flute melody and stuff that was quite sort of suspenseful. It was. Yeah. I don't know it just had a really cool spy thriller kind of vibe to it, that first half and.
And then the second half, I thought it was more back to sort of General Blake, sci fi kind of stuff. A bit more atmospheric. Not so. Yeah. A tale of two halves of the music, I felt.
Speaker C:Yeah. I mean, I love that. Love the beginning, but like I said, if I close my eyes, I could have been watching like Pyramids Of Mars or something like that.
Just had that. Lovely. Yeah. I don't know if it's flute. I don't know what the instrument is with that. Lovely.
Yeah, just very atmospheric sort of wind instruments that Dudley often uses. Yeah. This is what I love about his music. Blake's 7.
And goes from that to sort of synth music and, you know, does mix it up a bit in Blake's 7, which I really like.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's good.
Speaker C:But I don't think I've got anything else on my notes, mate. Just having a quick look now. I think I'm pretty much done on this one.
Speaker A:Alrighty, let's put some scores on this bad boy, then. So, Bounty. I think it's me to go first.
Speaker C:It is.
Speaker A:I'm going to give this a flat five out of ten, bud. I'm going to flat. A flat five. Yeah. I think it's, it's. It's not a bad watch and it's not a great watch. I think it's that down the middle.
I'm not saying I'm on the fence, as in, you know, I'm indifferent. I just honestly think it's just a very. Just a nice middle, middle of the road. Nothing crazy is going on, nothing terrible is happening. It's.
Yeah, just a straight down the middle. Fairly, fairly, fairly nice watch. But, yeah, way better episodes that we've seen up to this point. What about you, dude?
Speaker C:Yeah, I'm exactly the same. I'm a flat five. Well, I'm a sort of a good five. It's.
For me, it's an episode that when it finishes, I just sort of go, yeah, as I said, it's a pleasant watch. It's one that I'll happily sit through if it's the next episode in the, you know, in the run.
Has some good moments, but it doesn't leave an impression on me particularly. And also I do feel like while you're watching it, that it is a bit choppy.
You could sort of tell that it's a troubled script that's kind of been cobbled together because I think that's the thing, because it does have some great ideas and moments. In it, they just don't. It just doesn't quite flow as an episode. So yeah, it's good, but it is just, yeah, a bit middle of the road this one.
So I'm the same. It's a 5 out of 10 for me as well.
Speaker A:I see. Okay, fives all round.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay, let's see if next week picks up a little bit then. So bud, what we doing for episode 12 next week?
Speaker C:So yeah, this, this episode is called Deliverance.
Speaker A:Another title that sounds really epic.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Wonder if it will turn out to be that for me as a newbie.
Speaker C:And we'll find out.
Speaker A:Yes. Alrighty, on that note, let's wrap there bud, for episode 11.
Speaker C:Alrighty.
Speaker A:Thank you very much for listening to episode 11 of Federation Strike. That was our review of Bounty and we gave it a five all round. Quite justifiably so I would say.
And next week, as Adam said, we will be continuing and we're on to the episode called Deliverance.
So if you want to get our thoughts and and and also watch along if you're also watching Blake's 7 for the first time or re watching, take your pick then make sure you get that episode watch watched as well and see if your thoughts align with ours. If you agree, disagree, doesn't matter.
It's just great to have you here listening to our episodes as we go through the classic British sci fi series Blake's 7. Yeah, make sure you are following or subscribing to the podcast in whatever app you are listening to this on.
If you've joined us from the beginning then welcome back. As I said before and we can't wait for you to listen to episode next week.
If you're a newcomer to Sub Federation Strike then yeah, make sure you're following so you get a notification when the new episode lands every Wednesday. You can also chat to us online in between episodes. And just in about Blake's 7 in general, we're on Bluesky and Twitter.
Just do a Search for Lake 7 podcast or there's a link in the show notes. Hop over there and chat some some very cool conversations around Blake's 7 and specifically series A as we're going through it at moment.
Also check out my co host channel for more geekery over on YouTube. It's called the Geek's Handbag.
Speaker C:The Geeks handbag. Guests on YouTube and all the socials under the same name. The Geeks Handbag indeed.
Speaker A:Grab a cuppa, grab a coffee and settle in for many, many years worth of great stuff from Adam over over there. So the geeks handbag on YouTube. Okay. Until now. Next time for episode 12, my name's Garry.
Speaker C:My name's Adam.
Speaker A:And we will see you next time on Federation Strike, a journey through Blake's 7.
