In this ranking, I'm gonna be judging not just the episodes or performances, but the overall utilisation of Travis. As the only frequently recurring character outside of Servalan, Travis is unique in his development and the way he's been utilised in various episodes. We get to see him go from a respected master tactician and ruthless officer to a disgraced, lunatic traitor. He's the only major character to be recast, emphasizing this change. So there's definitely a lot of variety in the portrayal. What are the best and worst? Let's find out...
#13. Weapon (2x03)
Croucher's first take on the role is more or less disastrous, something that he's attributed to the unsympathetic director George Spenton-Foster. Regardless, he probably should've known better than to spend the episode bellowing all his lines and fidgeting around like a bored kid high on sugar. After Stephen Greif's consistently cool and reserved performance, this was the worst kind of tonal whiplash. Even worse, you can just imagine Greif's delivery of the lines and how much better these scenes might have been with him. The episode itself is typical Travis fare - he helps Servalan set a trap for Blake, it fails. It wouldn't have been anything special, but it would've been at least respectable with better acting.
The best I can say is that Weapon paved the way to the decision to cut Travis from the series entirely, which allowed it to go in different directions in Series C and D.
#12. The Keeper (2x12)
This one's so low by default, because Travis is barely in the episode. I do really like the twist at the end, that he managed to get what he needed and simply absconded after that, as well as the scene that he shares with Servalan earlier. Croucher's greatest boon as an actor is his soothing, silky delivery(when he isn't screaming from the top of his head, that is) and he puts it to great use here when tempting Servalan with Star One.
On the other hand, the fact that they're suddenly allied again in the first place and break up a few minutes later is tiresome and repetitive, and the scene clearly exists more for exposition than anything else. It's also a bit weird seeing Travis cater to the whims of the planet's native leader.
#11. Hostage (2x08)
Just a lame episode in general. A now-renegade Travis offering to cooperate with Blake is a great premise, but it gets thrown aside literally in seconds by his threat to the latter's family. It becomes a quarry runaround pretty fast after that, although there are a few memorable moments. This is the one with the iconic "THE WORD! THE WORD! THE WORD!" scene. The nighttime filming at the very end looks stunning, and they should've gone for that for the entire thing like they did in Cygnus Alpha. Travis trying to psychologically torment Blake's cousin for no apparent reason whatsoever was interesting.
I hate that Travis and Servalan ended up working together at the end. The whole point of breaking the two off was, in my mind, so the two could be more distinguished antagonists. Having them be allies still takes a lot away from that, and from Travis's newfound independence and hatred of the Federation.
#10. Orac (1x13)
Probably Travis's most lowkey appearance. His role is just to play the overburdened henchman. Greif, to his credit, gives another fine performance, which is why this is so high on the list. His chemistry with Jacqueline Pearce is terrific and it's cool to see Servalan and this version of Travis working together on a mission for the first and only time, with nobody else around to protect them. Honestly makes me wish we had a story of them being stranded somewhere.
Avon blasting his hand off provides a more memorable special effect than the same event in Seek-Locate-Destroy. And then Greif wanders off with an enigmatic smile, quite similar to that of his shooter...
#9. Star One (2x13)
A good ending for Travis in theory, but extremely rushed. His alliance with the Andromedans and betrayal of the entire galaxy is glossed over, and his death so sudden that it's hard to take any satisfaction from it. However, the confrontation between him and Avon at the door of the base is phenomenal, and Croucher does give a solid performance.
#8. Project Avalon (1x09)
A fairly middling Travis story elevated by Greif and Pearce's performances. However, unlike Orac, this episode actually gives him plenty of screentime to be intimidating and interesting. We get to see a clash of ideologies during the conversation between Travis and Avalon, and an excellent example of Travis's strategy of using traps to defeat his enemies. The frosty ice planet setting suits the character well. It's not the most memorable appearance, but it's a perfectly satisfactory one.
#7. Voice From The Past (2x10)
And now for something completely different! I imagine that many would like to see this at the very bottom of this list, but I had such a wonderful time with the episode. The twist regarding Travis caught me completely offguard. Maybe it shouldn't have, but it did and it gave me a good belly laugh for a minute. Even without that, however, I love Croucher's weird Tommy Wiseau accent and eccentric costume. It's memorable, funny and it does something different with the character, even if it is impossible to take seriously. But at this stage, I think Travis wasn't really a serious character anyway?
#6. Pressure Point (2x05)
Notable for being Travis's most successful scheme to capture the crew(he even manages to bump off one of the crew!). The encounter at Central Control has to be one of the character's most iconic moments, and it gave us Brian Croucher's favourite quote: "It's the great illusion, Blake."
This is also the last time we see Travis and Servalan properly working together, and it becomes rather clear that they're destined to become enemies, having almost completely run out of loyalty or patience towards each other. I love the way Croucher portrays his monomania - the vacant stare into the distance after a failure, the way he bulldozes over any objections. This is the proper start of his portrayal.
#5. Deliverance (1x11)
The appearances of Servalan and Travis in this episode only constitute a minor subplot setting up the events of the next one, but all these scenes are exceptional. Travis is cowed - he screwed up, he knows he screwed up and he has swallowed his pride in the hopes of getting another oppurtunity at Blake. However, to do that, he has to go along with Servalan's whims, particularly her betrayal of the man Travis owes his life to. It's the first time we really get to see Travis's humanity, what little there is. He's not loyal to the name or laws of the Federation, but its military force, the soldiers he leads. Not enough to stop him from doing what he feels is necessary, but just enough to make him uncomfortable about it. We needed more of this.
#4. Trial (2x06)
Trial is, in many aspects, the definitive Travis episode. It outlines his differences with the Federation, but more importantly, it cuts him off from them. That single plot decision finally made him more than a Guy of Gisborne pastiche and allowed the character to stand on his own as an embittered, indignant war veteran. It's Croucher's most endearing performance, as Travis has to stand up for himself against an institution that let him down. Somehow making him the underdog despite his horrific crimes is a great stroke of genius from Chris Boucher. The inclusion of Bercol and Rontane as commentators makes it a nice coda to Travis's first appearance as well.
#3. Duel (1x08)
This one's so great, because we get to see both Travis's considerable skill at space warfare and as a ground trooper. Putting him and Blake in a one-on-one(or two-on-two in this case) conflict so soon was a terrific idea, as we get to see their different approaches to the conflict, their relationships with subordinates and their drive to see the other man defeated. Plus, it's just exhilarating to see the hero and villain go up against each other with no other resources but their own wits. It's the kind of episode that's practically designed to be a winner, and the fact that Doug Camfield directed it is the cherry on top.
#2. Seek - Locate - Destroy (1x06)
It's as good of a villain introduction episode as can be. The writing hypes Travis up ahead of his first scene as the embodiment of military terror, and I think Stephen Greif's acting lives up to that. Travis is arrogant, but deservedly so as he does what he does better than anybody else could. And what he does is seek, locate and destroy the enemy. He just didn't count on going up against someone as passionate and determined as Blake, is all.
The fact that Travis loses the battle doesn't matter, because we can tell from his analytical mind and pragmatism that he is a worthy antagonist for the series. In addition, there's the establishment of his fascinating relationship with Servalan, who is obviously not the type of boss that he's used to. Travis treats her as he would any superior for the time being, and Servalan is fascinated by his brutality. Their scenes together are wonderfully layered.
#1. Gambit (2x11)
"Oh yes... I'm a hero too."
Travis is arguably a minor part in this episode, as it's thick with various other storylines, but I find his dark cowboy aesthetic so striking. It's a glimpse at a version of Travis that we never got elsewhere - somebody who's completely abandoned the Federation and is now his own man, trying to find a new path after being rejected from what he's known all his life. I could imagine that if the character had continued into Series C, he might have even developed into an antihero of sorts, occasionally helping the Liberator crew for some personal benefit or to spite Servalan. There's just a world of oppurtunity here, and I'm glad that at least Robert Holmes realised the potential of Travis as a rogue.
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