Solus is a mess on just about every level.
WRITTEN BY
George Mann, who wrote the delightfully quirky Fortuitas, but really badly needs a firmer script editor.
PLOT
Servalan tricks the crew into taking her prisoner aboard the Liberator, where she uses salvaged Andromedan technology to copy her mind into Zen's mainframe and assume command of the ship. Much to Servalan's horror, however, the AI version refuses to obey her and begins a process of killing everyone aboard.
ANALYSIS
There's a pretty cool idea at the core of Solus. 2001: A Space Odyssey, but with Servalan. I can dig that. The execution is just horrid, though. The script is full of leaps in logic, the dialogue is extremely flat and functional, and nothing of interest is accomplished. It's dull as dishwater. At one point, I actually tuned out and forgot I was supposed to be listening. I don't think I need to tell you that's not a good sign.
Now, I listened to the interviews that accompany the Spoils of War box set. And in them, George Mann states that he was writing a claustrophobic ship-based story. I can tell you there was absolutely no sense of claustrophobia in Solus. Because in order to have claustrophobia, you need to have stakes. And in order to have stakes, you need there to be a logical threat that could conceivably get to the characters. Well, we have "Servazen", who supposedly has all the abilities of Zen and total command of the Liberator.
So... why doesn't she just open all the doors and immediately flush them out into space? We know she can control the doors (she traps the crew in a specific section of the ship at one point). We also know that Zen could make the ship literally come to life and zap the crew with live wires (as seen in Redemption), so why doesn't she try that? At one point, the Liberator crew come up with a scheme to send a distress signal by blocking some of Servazen's scanners with an EMP, but wouldn't she be able to tell something is wrong based on that blackout alone?
I feel like the story could've been greatly improved if they'd actually shown the crew respond to Servazan's actions somehow, giving us a sense of the two sides fighting, with Servazan gradually narrowing down the crew's options. Instead, we have them bumble around the ship, seemingly under no threat at all aside from gradual asphyxiation. It's not very compelling.
CHARACTERS
Everyone are just kinda doing their usual shtick. Paul Darrow sounds very bored, and phones in his performance. It's actually rather hilarious when Avon starts talking about how Servalan has finally beaten him once and for all with all the intensity of an unseasoned cucumber sandwich.
At one point, Cally is possessed and Jan Chappell gets to show off her impersonation of Jacqueline Pearce, which apparently involves elongating all her vowels. Despite that odd acting decision, I thought this was a really exciting twist. Sadly, it only lasts a few minutes. Couldn't Servacally have used her telepathy or her memories or something? A pity.
Vila being willing to sacrifice himself to give the others a chance is cute, but I don't really think it's in-character for him. It would have made much more sense for Tarrant.
The Avon computer becoming as maniacal as Servazan is just silly to me. I get that it's only an AI approximation of Avon, but trying to murder the crew is a massive stretch.
NOTES
- If you thought I was done nitpicking the basic plot, you were gravely mistaken. How did Servazan expect to get away with pretending to be her real self? Does she think the Federation would never check onboard or bother requesting a face-to-face meeting?
- Why can't Orac oust Servalan? He could do it to Zen. They throw in some line about Servalan's ego making her strong, but it's not like Orac's ever had a problem getting past programming. "Every computer with a tarial cell", Ensor said. Unless it's the Andromedan tech getting in the way somehow.
- An EMP would certainly fry Servazan's sensors, but it would also fry the airlock controls, the lights and everything else in the vicinity of the crew, which they absolutely needed and were close by to. I suppose the auto-repair handled it. But then why did it take so much longer with her sensors?
- Tarrant tells the crew to get clear of the EMP blast, as if it would harm them in any way. I'm not an expert on electromagnetism, but I don't think it has an effect on the human body unless they have metal in them. Maybe Tarrant was trying to spare his fillings.
- Speaking of the Andromedan tech, the idea that they use telepathy to control everything doesn't add up. Jenna was able to fly their ship in Warship, and she isn't telepathic.
- Servalan attacks Cally with a laser, which makes her bleed. Lasers don't work like that. They cauterize the wound.
- So did Servalan just lock herself back in her cell after attacking Cally? Why?
- I'm mixed on Cally wanting to save Servalan. On the one hand, she should be made of stronger stuff, but on the other, I think she always advocates for saving helpless unarmed foes. When they're not nameless troopers, that is. Actually, I'm not mixed on it at all. It's dumb.
- Why was Cally unable to get in touch with the crew on Solus? Avon seemed to call the Liberator just fine.
- This was originally written for a Series B-era box set, before Gareth Thomas sadly passed away. Just think... we could've had Travis as Zen. Now that I would 100% buy.
- The most obvious example of this story's origin is Vila's reaction to potentially losing the Liberator. He starts going on about how it's a symbol to the resistance. This is pure Blake dialogue.
- It's weird to hear people refer to the teleport system as "the teleporter". It's accurate, but they never did it in the show.
- Avon states that the crew will die of asphyxiation long before they reach the planet Xerxes. They... just don't.
- How could AvonZen be unaware of Avon's plan to wipe its own existence? Did Avon deliberately wipe that part of his memory from the AI? If so, how? He was dealing with alien tech, and only had seconds to telepathically transplant himself into the computer.
- Why in the holy mother of God does Avon not shoot Servalan when she's adrift in space? A single shot of the neutron blasters would solve all their problems. At least take her prisoner again! No, he just leaves.
- Avon is taken aback by Servalan's intention to destroy a planet and intrigued by the possibility of acquiring a superweapon, both of which suggest this story takes place before The Armageddon Storm.
- Solus acquired its experimental technology from the Andromedans during the Intergalactic War.
- Avon suggests that recruiting an expert in alien technology might benefit the crew, foreshadowing his ill-fated recruitment campaign in Series D.
- Dayna reminds Servalan of her promise to kill her, made in Aftermath.
- Orac suggests that the telepathic Andromedan tech is derived from the people of Auron. I don't really understand how that's possible, since no other story has mentioned any connection between the Auronar and the Andromedans.
- It's unclear whether Xerxes is the same planet that was featured in Lucifer: Revelation. Probably not.
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