Liberator features some fantastic character development for the crew and an original new direction for the story.
WRITTEN BY
James Swallow, author of various Doctor Who and Stargate expanded universe novelisations and audio dramas. He also provided story concepts for two episodes of Star Trek Voyager. Clearly someone who can think outside the box.
PLOT
Desperate to hide from the Federation, Avon and Vila stage a coup on the Liberator. Meanwhile, Servalan becomes interested in the ship's capabilities and tasks Travis with capturing the ship intact.
ANALYSIS
This one did a great job of really nailing the spirit of Blake's 7 - the crew feel like diverse individuals and there's time dedicated to each of their separate viewpoints regarding their situation and how they affect one another. There's some nice political plotting going on in the background and it feels like the noose is tightening around the crew's necks, making their opposition of Blake's seemingly impossible crusade all the more believable.
Travis's hunt for Blake was better handled here than in the original series, almost feeling like a submarine film with both men reading each other well and reacting to strategies. You could really feel the atmosphere of oppression in Federation space, with pursuit ships potentially around every other corner. It was very engaging.
Which makes it even more frustrating that the series ends on an incredible cliffhanger, robbing us of the chance to seeing where else this new and inventive story could go.
CHARACTERS
Finally, finally we get to see the conflict between Blake and Avon bloom. Derek Riddell and Colin Salmon are worthy successors to Gareth Thomas and Paul Darrow, sharing the same kind of enigmatic rivalry/mutual understanding that made the original pair such a fascinating relationship. In fact, given Riddell's Scottish charisma and persuasive skill, I'd argue he might even be a better Blake than Thomas was.
Having taken some initiative at last, Salmon is also very good, but he never really got to show the more endearing aspects of Avon's personality, which is a shame. He's fun and all, but I got the feeling he had much more to give than the script allowed.
It's also fascinating to see the breakdown of Vila and Gan's relationship, which never happened in the original show. Dean Harris plays Vila with a much more slimy, self-serving edge and his considerably more disloyal behaviour happens to rub Gan the wrong way. Speaking of Owen Aaronovitch as Gan, he is given much more pathos than David Jackson ever got. Gan is still probably the least interesting member of the crew, but there's at least a hint that he can grow into a personality in his own right, given his focus on loyalty and justice.
Carrie Dobro's Jenna gets a pretty cool scene where she assumes control over the Liberator and reasserts her value as the ship's pilot, though I feel like it could've been written somewhat better. As it is, she uses a secret trick to stop Avon and Vila, but given that they cannot pilot Liberator without her anyway, I feel like it would've been more impressive if she could simply talk them out of their coup. Regardless, Jenna is her usual spunky, fun presence.
Daniela Nardini continues to be a delight with her subtler, but equally dangerous and calculating version of Servalan. I loved her casual banter with Blake, and the way she managed to upend Travis by arriving during the middle of his mission unannounced.
Speaking of Travis, I feel like Craig Kelly's version lacks the interesting obsession with Blake that defined the original character - it's sort of there, but there's none of the passion. Instead, this Travis is notable for his intellectual powers and ability to understand Blake on an instictual level. Which, you might say, is sort of there in the old show, but with none of the passion. He's not as emotionally compelling maybe, but he's at least a competent villain.
Doug Bradley has a pretty pathetic appearance as the traitor Nico, whose personality I couldn't even pin down. Something about being a resistance member, but also hating Blake for being a man of power... I dunno, he was all over the map. I wouldn't bother bringing him up if it wasn't Doug Bradley, who played one of the best horror villains of all time in 1987's Hellraiser. What a waste.
NOTES
*This audio drama is the third and final part of the "A Rebellion Reborn" trilogy created by B7 Productions. The series was cancelled.
*Hyperspace jumping is now suddenly being referred to as "translation".
*Zen refusing to take Avon's orders because it's "wilful and alive" is just bad writing, especially when Jenna could've easily just talked Avon into standing down from his mutiny.
*I like the touch of Zen referring to the so-called civilian ships as "Federation" simply because Jenna did so, not because his sensors showed it.
*Nico calls the Federation troops "peacekeepers". Possible Farscape reference?
*There's an odd moment where Servalan accosts Travis because his troops are attacking "her ship", but later seems completely on board with it. I get that Travis then ordered them not to destroy it, but the way it was acted and written almost made it look like he'd decided to turn against her and blow up the Liberator regardless, which would've been awesome.
*Vila defines both Zen and the Liberator as members of the crew, which makes the whole "Blake's Seven" title even more awkward than it was in the old show.
INFORMATION!
*Travis's ident code is "alpha 15105", the same as the original Travis. We also learn his full name is "Steffan G. Travis".
*There's several references to the recent events seen in Traitor: Servalan observes reports of the Liberator's savage escape, theft of fuel and Mezin's message. Vila and Blake both reference her death. Vila briefly mentions Zen's attempt to control the crew.
*Servalan's monitor system uses the Liberator's communication sound ping from the old show. Zen's sound effects match the original.
*Travis has the London Captain arrested for falsifying reports following the prisoners' escape in Rebel.
*Travis speculates that the Liberator may be the vanguard of an alien invasion. The Federation was invaded by aliens in the original series episode Star One.
*The System arrive to reclaim the Liberator, just as they did in the original series episode Redemption(albeit in vastly different circumstances).
*Gan comments that the Liberator piloting controls may as well be "written in Auron".
*Travis sets a trap for the Liberator. His original series self was known for using that tactic against his enemies.
*Blake tells Avon that he trusts him, like he did in the original series episode Star One.
*Avon criticises Jenna for perceiving Zen as having a personality, just as he did in the original series episode Breakdown.
*The Liberator's ability to consume fuel is compared to Vila's drinking habits... which we've not seen or heard of before in the reboot continuity, but was a running gag in the original series.
*Avon's reprogramming of Zen from Traitor is suspended by the System.
*Vila directly quotes the old Vila by declaring: "Rough I can handle! It's fatal I'm not too keen on!".
"I'm a clinical cold-hearted bastard who understands the nature of evil better than you."
CONCLUSION
It's a real shame that this never made it to TV, because it made for a pretty great space opera and I would've have liked to have seen this crew tackle the Andromedan War, Avon's takeover and of course the finale. Still, for what we had, it was very impressively done.
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