Logic (2013) Review

 

Logic is perhaps the darkest episode of Blake's 7 ever made.

WRITTEN BY

Simon Guerrier, his best work thus far. Guerrier seems to enjoy emotionally involving stories. The Turing Test certainly pulled at the heartstrings. Even the otherwise mediocre Magnificent Four liked to show the poor impact that Blake can have on people.

PLOT

Avon and Jenna kidnap Pol Astat Constable from a dome city on Earth, certain that her brainwashed mind contains vital information to counteract the Federation's latest attempt at tracking the Liberator. Upon peeling back the work of the neurosurgeons, however, they discover the horrifying truth behind her involvement with the research... 

ANALYSIS

What an eerie bit of psychological horror. A glimpse into a truly demented, broken, pitiable mind. I thought the way Guerrier told the story by constantly revisiting the same events from slightly different angles was brilliantly done. It was incredibly riveting to be put into the shoes of an ordinary, fairly likable person and then just uncover one nasty truth after another. Logic clearly took a lot of inspiration from The Way Back, but dials up the elements of oppression, conformity, manipulation to an unprecedented degree within the series. Frankly, I found the whole thing very disturbing, but I just couldn't turn away. Like the main character, I was compelled to uncover everything and understand the 'logic' behind her past. Guerrier smartly never gives the whole thing away and leaves her true motivations open for interpretation. 

I was also very impressed with the production, which clearly was aware that they're working on something special here. There's a wonderful incidental score on piano, immediately giving it its own tragic vibe. The editing (such as the sudden screams and gunshots in Pol's flashbacks) is just incredibly well handled. I love the sound of rain as she and Avon leave the dome, contrasting nicely with the sterile environment inside. 

CHARACTERS

It's not common for a guest star to entirely steal the show when Paul Darrow is around, but Louise Jameson managed with her heartbreakingly humane performance as the increasingly desperate 'ordinary' Federation housewife. The more we learn about Pol, the more we want her to have a happy ending and the more tense things become as we realise what's in store. Pol, more than perhaps any other person we've ever seen in the franchise, is a product of the Federation. What happened to her was always going to happen to her, and nothing that she did was ever of her own free will. How miserable is that? 

There's a brief cameo from Jacqueline Pearce, yet despite its short length, it is possibly the most vicious, ice-cold scene of Servalan ever, rivalling anything she ever pulled off in the actual series. Servalan's always been a fun, campy kind of villain, so actually despising her was a new feeling for me. 

Interesting use of Avon and Jenna in this story. Avon handles Pol's case for the first half of Logic and his reasoning seems clear - he's the only one really qualified to break in and out of the dome. However, halfway through, Jenna takes over for reasons that are never really explained. Furthermore, given the nature of Pol's condition, one would think that Blake himself would show up, yet he never does. I can only assume it's set after the events of Pressure Point, so perhaps it (literally) hit too close to home for him. 

That all being said, Darrow and Knyvette are both as dangerous and mercenary in their roles as they've ever been, probably to emphasise the difference between Blake's crew and regular civilians. Whilst Avon's lack of investment in Pol's fate isn't exactly surprising, I was caught offguard by how lackadaisical Jenna was, as well as her cynical barb towards Blake("He likes to think we're his crew"). Clearly, both of them have become somewhat disillusioned with their leader. 

NOTES

• I wonder what the significance of Pol's last name "Constable" is. She does take on a bit of a spy role towards the end of the story, so does it refer to her involvement with the law enforcement?
• The references to Mars and Pol's skill of Cantonese immediately brought Lucifer to mind. I wonder if Darrow pitched in with some writing advice. Another similarity is the Federation's use of conventional firearms, a mainstay of his writing for the series. 
• Once again, the writers indulge in showing us the negative side to Blake's crusade, in this case showing us Federation citizens who suffer on a daily basis for having more freedom of thought.
• Movies are still around apparently, as Pol compares her life to that of a "cheap vid-trans". The Federation also shows her a propaganda film. I'd love to know if some classics survived. Surely Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" must still be around?
• Throughout the whole thing, I kept wondering if the ruined research base where Avon takes Pol is the same place as the vast network of tunnels in The Way Back. There's never any direct reference to that, but still. 
• How could Avon of all people be surprised that the Federation citizens do not question someone's absence??
• "You're with Avon?" "In his dreams." I see Jenna's read the Trevor Hoyle Blake's 7... 

INFORMATION!

• Logic is partially set in a dome city on Earth, just like The Way Back(mention is made of Blake's brainwashing). Similarly to that episode, the main character is taken outside of the dome to an underground facility. 
• According to Big Finish(and the mention of Orac within the story), the story takes place at some point during Series B.
• At some point since his escape, Blake was able to make it known that Earth citizens are being regularly sedated, resulting in the Federation being forced to abandon the process.
• For the first time, we see the Liberator guns being used to stun, not kill. 

BEST QUOTE AVON QUOTE

"The more locked the computer system, the more I just seem to slip through."

CONCLUSION

It took me completely offguard, in a good way. A fine example of just how varied Blake's 7 can be in tone.