This is the ep where I simply can't get over the jaw-dropping stupidity of the crew, teleporting down to the planet without any kind of protection. I'm not even sure stupidity is the right word, as they seem to be fully expecting to get infected. OK, Vila's got something of the right idea, but even that is rather half-hearted, and he doesn't protest about bringing an equally unprotected infected person up to the ship. They were already being unforgivably careless in the similar situation back in 'Killer' but this - they don't even mention it! They argue about every other risk except the obvious one. I'd have thought it to be a mistake from the costume department, except for Avon actually pointing out in the dialogue that they are by now inevitably infected. (No, are you really?) It's not even necessary for plot-reasons, Servalan had them at gunpoint and so could just have ordered them to remove any protective gear they might have had, and it would have put them in exactly the same situation, plotwise. Just... WHY?
the treatment of the infection is totally reckless!
You're right, they do le Tarrant think he is in charge ("Your ship?" a thing of the past!) I like to imagine it's the same way my boss thinks he is in charge.
Cally - and there will be companions for my death... I think her bond with Zelda is softening her a bit?
"Your ship?" a thing of the past! I can imagine Avon making a distinction between claiming ownership of the Liberator (which he probably does, only he needs to find Blake to fulfill the final clause of the contract) and claiming command of it. (The latter being something which he's far less interested in, at least for as long as there are other people onboard.)
I'll admit to feeling a brief pang of sympathy for your boss... :-)
Was interesting Vila liked the idea of going back to Earth just for its own sake. Though it's pretty desperate - Can't imagine how he thought he'd have time to enjoy the place!
Crew interaction is wildy different from last two eps- Tarrant is suddenly all pro-Auron, Vila's perfectly happy again, Cally has a strop on with Avon after being ever so playful with his Zen-like qualities last time. (Though he seems a hundred percent confident she'll stay)
I wonder where they get all the games from. The Altas didn't really seem the kind to have much use for them...
also unclear why Servalan wants a small army of children ...spare body parts? Perhaps she hadn't counted on actually feeling anything for them.
Yes, Servalan needs someone to balance her. Or unbalance, possibly. Or perhaps simply someone who is too useful to her to kill off. she can have ORAC
Or is love too easy a way for the federation to hurt you, so you never say it? Plausible... Though at least Kerril used the word, and I seem to remember Vila (traitorously?) using it about Avon's feelings for Anna. Can't remember if there are any more instances. Blake I think was being deliberately ambiguous (what with the young cousin thing.)
I find Deral's instant assumption that the reason Servalan wants clones is a sudden maternal outburst very odd. A far more logical assumption would have been some scheme. There's zero explanation, lead up or follow up either. Neither does she question Gingko's claim that Deral was also overcome by this inexplicable ut to nowhere urge to breed -
The Lib crew are no betteer - they trot off to the planet unprotected and Vila and Dayna apparently forget entirely that Sevalan hasn'tgot the only cure when she trys to hold that over their heads.
Servalan's feeling the clones death, nice and dramatic as it is makes no logical sense - if the idea is the clones are telepathic we're given no clue beforehand!
Yes, the plot is almost impressively incoherent! How does anyone even manage to write a story that revolves around the transmission of a super-deadly infectious disease - and then not have the main characters respond to that? Or, yes, suddenly forget that they do have the cure, even though just cured person is standing right next to them? &etc. And having managed to write it... Did nobody read the script it before shooting it?
I like the opening with the shuttle. For all the 'wobbly effects' complains I always rather like the spaceship model work. Lots of detail and nice lighting.
Nice bit of setup with Shrinker at the beginning. Avon still working at utter cross purposes to the crew!
Details about Auron cluture and telepathy all over the place but rarely if ever used again. What's with the number? And an 'ionic beam" weapon disrupts their telepathy - can think of times later that would've been useful! Unclear whether it's a recent colony - still within a generation away of isolation but telepathy well established. Can't quite make the timeline make sense.
Vi,a has a good ep nice line about staying on the winning side of the vote, and all of the few interactions he has with Sevalan are great (in other eps too)
Fun scifi-ish metaphor in Tarrant's "Not from Cally's side of the scanner" remark. Nice detail.
I like Orac's strop at being expected to know which info is redundant.
I have a soft spot for the models too. I'm also somewhat intrigued by the design of Servalan's ship. It has a very different, more 'organic' look compared to the usual Federation space vessels. I wonder if it's supposed to be something salvaged from the Andromedans?
I rarely sympathise with Orac but this time felt he did have a point. It must be something like the third or fourth time that he gets the "...we already know that" response to information that he's obviously been asked to provide. And Avon of all people ought to know to be precise with computers...
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Apart from that ( ... )
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You're right, they do le Tarrant think he is in charge ("Your ship?" a thing of the past!) I like to imagine it's the same way my boss thinks he is in charge.
Cally - and there will be companions for my death... I think her bond with Zelda is softening her a bit?
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I can imagine Avon making a distinction between claiming ownership of the Liberator (which he probably does, only he needs to find Blake to fulfill the final clause of the contract) and claiming command of it. (The latter being something which he's far less interested in, at least for as long as there are other people onboard.)
I'll admit to feeling a brief pang of sympathy for your boss... :-)
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Crew interaction is wildy different from last two eps- Tarrant is suddenly all pro-Auron, Vila's perfectly happy again, Cally has a strop on with Avon after being ever so playful with his Zen-like qualities last time. (Though he seems a hundred percent confident she'll stay)
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also unclear why Servalan wants a small army of children
...spare body parts? Perhaps she hadn't counted on actually feeling anything for them.
Yes, Servalan needs someone to balance her. Or unbalance, possibly. Or perhaps simply someone who is too useful to her to kill off. she can have ORAC
Or is love too easy a way for the federation to hurt you, so you never say it?
Plausible... Though at least Kerril used the word, and I seem to remember Vila (traitorously?) using it about Avon's feelings for Anna. Can't remember if there are any more instances. Blake I think was being deliberately ambiguous (what with the young cousin thing.)
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I find Deral's instant assumption that the reason Servalan wants clones is a sudden maternal outburst very odd. A far more logical assumption would have been some scheme. There's zero explanation, lead up or follow up either. Neither does she question Gingko's claim that Deral was also overcome by this inexplicable ut to nowhere urge to breed -
The Lib crew are no betteer - they trot off to the planet unprotected and Vila and Dayna apparently forget entirely that Sevalan hasn'tgot the only cure when she trys to hold that over their heads.
Servalan's feeling the clones death, nice and dramatic as it is makes no logical sense - if the idea is the clones are telepathic we're given no clue beforehand!
Reply
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Nice bit of setup with Shrinker at the beginning. Avon still working at utter cross purposes to the crew!
Details about Auron cluture and telepathy all over the place but rarely if ever used again. What's with the number? And an 'ionic beam" weapon disrupts their telepathy - can think of times later that would've been useful! Unclear whether it's a recent colony - still within a generation away of isolation but telepathy well established. Can't quite make the timeline make sense.
Vi,a has a good ep nice line about staying on the winning side of the vote, and all of the few interactions he has with Sevalan are great (in other eps too)
Fun scifi-ish metaphor in Tarrant's "Not from Cally's side of the scanner" remark. Nice detail.
I like Orac's strop at being expected to know which info is redundant.
Reply
I rarely sympathise with Orac but this time felt he did have a point. It must be something like the third or fourth time that he gets the "...we already know that" response to information that he's obviously been asked to provide. And Avon of all people ought to know to be precise with computers...
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