Overall this was a dissapoitning episode for me. It's a distraction that takes us away from the main story (finding Star One) and I am not sure tells us much else new about the Federation or the cause. Cally gets to be very capable and practical, as does Jenna, and with Glynd and servalan in play it's a strong female episode.
We open on most of the crew doing yoga. I would have thought there was some other new fangled way to exercise or relax in the future, but no. Also, they look a bit silly. Not sure yoga in leather is that comfortable.
Orac as hypnotherapist is.. interesting. His voice is not exactly soothing! Avon thinks it's a mad idea and is I think *annoyed* with Orac. Conspiratorial Blake is not at all convincing. Terrible terrible acting. Vila must have very deep doubts about Avon. I'm not sure this 100% matches his other actions to date. He isn't, but seems to be, acting daft to make the plot work.
With Cally's talk of technology developing to pass the "oscillating pulse tone" I am a bit lost as to how long it has been since Blakes trial (when hypnotic triggers could be implanted) and now.
On enhanced DVD the Blake in space sequence is green-screen tastic. Travis in disguise has a stuck on googley eye on the bandages. Least convincing disguise ever!!!
"A legend of hope to the great mass of the oppressed." Robin Hood in space, indeed.
Servalan's killing of everyone in the theatre bodes a bit. Those guards. That gun sound. the falling bodies.
If I were Cally I think I'd have tried to pull sending Travis to expode in space. it's been a good disposal method so far. Would he really be so familiar with the controls he would notice a minor change of coordinates?
Vila must have very deep doubts about Avon. I think deep down Vila really is quite insecure about whether other people actually could care for him, or only find him useful to have around. :-( Also, while he can be very brave and capable when forced to make his own decisions, it seems he can be 'persuaded' into things relatively easily - which could be an acquired trait from spending too much time around dangerous people, I suppose.
I am a bit lost as to how long it has been since Blakes trial I think they mentioned two years, somewhere? Maybe confirming the idea that each series represents approx. one year for them?
Those guards. That gun sound. the falling bodies. Blake's wince when they hear the guns really made me feel for him. I'm not sure if that's how it was meant to be interpreted, but I suppose it could be the memory of those past massacres that causes him to hear the tone again and causes that last breakdown to be so extreme.
I think I'd have tried to pull sending Travis to expode in space Good point!
I am a bit lost as to how long it has been since Blakes trial (when hypnotic triggers could be implanted) and now.
Blake seems to be reliving not just the events of the trial that sent him to Cygnus Alpha, but also his original trial which was, according to “The Way Back”, 4 years before the trial that sent him to Cygnus. So all that “renounce, renounce” stuff actually happened 6 years before this episode. I’m not sure how this fits in with implanted conditioning, unless Venn Glynd's is relying on or has added to, some kind of failsafe conditioning that the Federation installed at that time.The mining on the satellite was only abandoned at the time of Blake’s last trial, I notice.
A legend of hope to the great mass of the oppressed." Robin Hood in space, indeed.
It has just occurred to me that Robin Hood doesn’t traditionally have a happy ending either, so quite an appropriate analogy in that respect!
We open on most of the crew doing yoga. I would have thought there was some other new fangled way to exercise or relax in the future, but no. Also, they look a bit silly. Not sure yoga in leather is that comfortable.
Orac as hypnotherapist is.. interesting. His voice is not exactly soothing! Avon thinks it's a mad idea and is I think *annoyed* with Orac.
Conspiratorial Blake is not at all convincing. Terrible terrible acting. Vila must have very deep doubts about Avon. I'm not sure this 100% matches his other actions to date. He isn't, but seems to be, acting daft to make the plot work.
With Cally's talk of technology developing to pass the "oscillating pulse tone" I am a bit lost as to how long it has been since Blakes trial (when hypnotic triggers could be implanted) and now.
On enhanced DVD the Blake in space sequence is green-screen tastic.
Travis in disguise has a stuck on googley eye on the bandages. Least convincing disguise ever!!!
"A legend of hope to the great mass of the oppressed." Robin Hood in space, indeed.
Servalan's killing of everyone in the theatre bodes a bit. Those guards. That gun sound. the falling bodies.
If I were Cally I think I'd have tried to pull sending Travis to expode in space. it's been a good disposal method so far. Would he really be so familiar with the controls he would notice a minor change of coordinates?
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I think deep down Vila really is quite insecure about whether other people actually could care for him, or only find him useful to have around. :-( Also, while he can be very brave and capable when forced to make his own decisions, it seems he can be 'persuaded' into things relatively easily - which could be an acquired trait from spending too much time around dangerous people, I suppose.
I am a bit lost as to how long it has been since Blakes trial
I think they mentioned two years, somewhere? Maybe confirming the idea that each series represents approx. one year for them?
Those guards. That gun sound. the falling bodies.
Blake's wince when they hear the guns really made me feel for him. I'm not sure if that's how it was meant to be interpreted, but I suppose it could be the memory of those past massacres that causes him to hear the tone again and causes that last breakdown to be so extreme.
I think I'd have tried to pull sending Travis to expode in space
Good point!
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Agreed. and utterly heart breaking.
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Blake seems to be reliving not just the events of the trial that sent him to Cygnus Alpha, but also his original trial which was, according to “The Way Back”, 4 years before the trial that sent him to Cygnus. So all that “renounce, renounce” stuff actually happened 6 years before this episode. I’m not sure how this fits in with implanted conditioning, unless Venn Glynd's is relying on or has added to, some kind of failsafe conditioning that the Federation installed at that time.The mining on the satellite was only abandoned at the time of Blake’s last trial, I notice.
A legend of hope to the great mass of the oppressed." Robin Hood in space, indeed.
It has just occurred to me that Robin Hood doesn’t traditionally have a happy ending either, so quite an appropriate analogy in that respect!
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