I suppose they should also experience the
other’s death telepathically – again, a weirdly repeated motif. I thought it
was actually handled really nicely here. The telepathic link managed to serve
multiple purposes without being stretched. It was strangely logical for opposing forces to vicariously experience their champion’s
terror or victory, and gave an interesting role for Dayna, with her unique affinity for warfare. It came as a surprise for it to be
the context and medium for Deeta’s only contact with his brother, his goodbye
witnessed by millions, and the scene was beautifully, unsettlingly shot by
Gerald Blake.
It was a surprising and inventive episode
in more than this. It recalls one of the more memorable stories from Season 1,
'Duel', but in that story the focus was on the participants. Here, much more was
made of the Liberator crew as a viewers, knocking back the space booze,
debating the ethics of the contest, the strategy, even the commentary
(delivered by
Doctor Who Guest Star #1
Praxis from 'The Pirate Planet'). The story's
never quite as meta and clever or even as fun as it really has the potential to
be, but it does call on a different sort of energy between the lead actors, and
that’s difficult in a show like this.
Typically of Chris Boucher, it was also a
story where the action – in the denouement, especially – was fairly evenly
divided between lead characters. Avon plotted, Dayna analysed – and caused a
diversion, Orac behaved like he was originally designed to, and Cally relayed
information to Tarrant like nobody else. Vila wasn’t much use, but then he so
rarely is – and I did enjoy his complete inability to recognise Steven Pacey in
a wig. ‘I’m sure I know that man…!’ (There’s less for
Doctor Who Guest Star #2,
Professor Jones, to do.)
The only problem is, this really didn’t deserve to be such an ensemble piece. Quite reasonably, every member of the crew has had their own special episode centred on them – bar Dayna, and here’s hoping the talk about her father’s death in this story is set up for the finale – and now it’s the turn of Dev Tarrant. Isn’t it? But this feels like the least we’ve ever heard from that particular member of the crew. Normally he’s bleating on about how unappreciated he is, how stupid Vila is, where to blow up next.
This episode, he watches his brother walk
into almost certain death – and then to actual, certain death – and then even
avenges him, with not much more emotion than if he was watching Deeta fail a
driving test. It’s not the fault of Steven Pacey, really – there’s absolutely nothing
in the script for him. Not even a single tear down his extremely smooth cheek,
or a variety of emotions chasing one another over his choirboy features. The
story even ends on a bit of a gag – just as Children of Auron did, bizarrely.
At least this one’s amusing.
It’s an odd story for Servalan too. I
suppose I was spoiled by the build-up to 'Star One', but here we are in the
penultimate episode, here’s Servalan, here’s a promising scene with her nemesis
(‘I don’t see you as an enemy, Avon, but a potential friend…’ ‘I’m ready to
come up now’) and then – it turns out she just has another Evil Plan of the
Week, which is foiled with no repercussions.
I’m looking forward to the finale, though.
I accidentally found out that Terry’s back, and I think he’s got lots of
material to work with. If he hasn’t paid much attention to the show lately, at
least he’s got a reminder of the Dayna/Servalan blood feud in this very
episode. The whole of this episode is almost like a man who’s been
house-sitting for a friend, reminding him where all the important stuff is.
Let’s hope the electricity’s on…
I took the wobbly pictures of the Radio Times listing, but any other pictures are from: http://www.framecaplib.com/b7lib
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