Review BLAKE'S 7: DUEL - Episode 08

Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Once again, this is one that I first experienced as a novelisation.

It was only years later that I caught up with the first season, via vhs. Until then it was Trevor Hoyle time!

When I finally saw the episode, I really liked it. It was obvious to me, reading the novelisation, that this was a crib from the Star Trek episode ARENA, but Blake took that idea and did it in it's own way.

Speaking of Star Trek, Bele and Lokai from the episode LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD kind of remind me of Blake and Travis in so far as their absolutely irreconcilable viewpoints etc.

One a representative of the system.

The other a rebel on the run.

Blake and Travis on The Enterprise!

There's a thought!

Would Kirk have seen them any differently than the way he sees Bele and Lokai?

And, somewhat more worryingly, could Travis and Blake too have simply been mirrors of each other?





As far as marking goes, this one maintains the standard - and the mark - of most of the episodes so far.....

7 out of 10
 
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michaellevenson

michaellevenson

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Staff member
This is an ok episode, as you say Blakes7 does Arena. Sinofar and Giroc could have been explained better, their powers are a bit too metaphysical and mysterious for me. Best scene was Travis being unnecessarily cruel to the mutoid, but we did learn about mutoids in general and how they come to be.
Best line;
Avon " Travis is sitting in one tree, Blake in another. Unless they're planning to throw nuts at one another I don't see much of a fight developing until dawn"
 
johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
A great episode with Travis returning for the first time since Seek, Locate and Destroy! Grief was a great actor for the role of Travis and here he was at his best! Croucher was a bit of a laugh in the role but Grief played the part for real as it were and you could feel his hatred for old Roj each and every time they fought!
JB
 
johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
Apparently Stephen Grief and Carol Royle (The Mutoid) didn't quite hit it off in the episode from what I've read as well! Does anyone know anything about that? Strange that in the novels Mutoids are referred to as Androids!!! Which doesn't make much sense about robot people seeking blood!
JB
 
johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
Doctor Omega said:
Once again, this is one that I first experienced as a novelisation. What happened is that I missed the whole of the first season apart from Blake sat in a cell in THE WAY AHEAD and a repeat of ORAC, I liked this strange series, when I finally saw ORAC.

It was only years later that I caught up with the first season, via vhs. Until then it was Trevor Hoyle time!

When I finally saw the episode, I really liked it. It was obvious to me, reading the novelisation, that this was a crib from the Star Trek episode ARENA, but Blake took that idea and did it in it's own way.

Speaking of Star Trek, Bele and Lokai from the episode LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD kind of remind me of Blake and Travis in so far as their irreconcilable viewpoints etc.




And Blake ended up with a scarred eye too. Was he ever that different to Travis?

Blake and Travis on The Enterprise!

There's a thought!
Click to expand...

I like your analogy,Doctor! I recorded the soundtracks from episode four onwards but wasn't convinced the show would return the following year so erased them a few months later! I felt quite the idiot when the series suddenly returned the January of 79 without much warning too I can tell you!
JB
 
michaellevenson

michaellevenson

Moderator
Staff member
This episode cast list

Gareth Thomas.....BLAKE
Paul Darrow.......AVON
Sally Knyvette.....JENNA
Jan Chappell......CALLY
Michael Keating.....VILA
David Jackson......GAN
Peter Tuddenham....ZEN
Stephen Greif......TRAVIS
Isla Blair.....SINOFAR
Patsy Smart.....GIROC
Carole Royle.....MUTOID

Writer....Terry Nation
Director...Douglas Camfield
Transmitted 20 February 1978
 
johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
I remember some people going on about Isla Blair's nipples showing through her dress in this one but I can't say I ever really noticed and I was only thirteen when I first saw this episode!
JB
 
michaellevenson

michaellevenson

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Staff member
The line about Giroc and Sinofar having the power of the race within them is some sort of explanation of these two beings, but it's not really clear. Did all of their race have these powers and these two are just the last two? Or maybe the dying race imbued them with this power to use to teach other races the lesson of death and pointless destruction, which reminds me of the Vorlons of Babylon 5.
8/10
 
johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
I thought that maybe they were the last two of their species, maybe one from each side in the conflict but imbued with the powers from their ancestors to teach the lesser races about the stupidity of aggression! But Giroc still had a taste for death and enjoyed Travis's hyped up emotional state of wanting to kill Blake!
JB
 
johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
Interesting fact is in Duel the Mutoid woman played by Carol Royale was that she was the daughter of Derek Royale who played the dead man (a Mr.Leeman) in Fawlty towers The Kipper And The Corpse! Now not a lotta people know that!
JB
 
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ant-mac

ant-mac

Member: Rank 9
johnnybear said:
I remember some people going on about Isla Blair's nipples showing through her dress in this one but I can't say I ever really noticed and I was only thirteen when I first saw this episode!
JB
Click to expand...
I noticed.

I noticed every single time I ever watched this episode.
 
Brimfin

Brimfin

Member: Rank 3
The first thing that struck me about the story was the similarity to the STAR TREK episode “Arena”, which was itself based on a short story by Frederic Brown, a sci-fi author I am fond of. Granted, this one did add some additional elements like forcing the two protagonists to have a friend along to teach them the possibility of losing a friend in war. (Although that made it similar to an original OUTER LIMITS episode called "Fun and Games.") Also, the planet was represented by two distinct personalities – Sinofar who hated war and tried to dissuade other races against it, and Giroc who clearly lived for battle. The showdown between the characters was interesting – from seeing Travis’s apparent win overturned and then Blake’s ultimate victory and refusal to kill his enemy while down. (I liked his reasoning that the Federation would just send someone else, but he already knows he can defeat Travis.)

The episode’s major flaw was that it made the two combatants too stereotypical – Blake was almost pure good, and Travis was 100% evil. They could have explored such a test bringing Blake to an extreme where he almost does something unthinkable, or bringing out some measure of decency from Travis – perhaps to save his comrade. But instead Travis is just devoid of any kind of good – he just wants to kill Blake and he has zero emotion when the Mutoid apparently dies, even saying words to the effect of “I don’t care.” Even when she is restored to health, he’s just ready to have her court-martialed, giving her the blame for the failure to kill Blake.

An interesting story that could have been better. I’ll give it a 7.

Random thought: The mutoid is shown putting a fresh vial of blood or serum into her system early in the show, yet then says that she is almost dry later on in the episode. Apparently that vial doesn’t last very long. Either they need more powerful blood/serum or a bigger vial.
 
michaellevenson

michaellevenson

Moderator
Staff member
Brimfin said:
The first thing that struck me about the story was the similarity to the STAR TREK episode “Arena”, which was itself based on a short story by Frederic Brown, a sci-fi author I am fond of. Granted, this one did add some additional elements like forcing the two protagonists to have a friend along to teach them the possibility of losing a friend in war. (Although that made it similar to an original OUTER LIMITS episode called "Fun and Games.") Also, the planet was represented by two distinct personalities – Sinofar who hated war and tried to dissuade other races against it, and Giroc who clearly lived for battle. The showdown between the characters was interesting – from seeing Travis’s apparent win overturned and then Blake’s ultimate victory and refusal to kill his enemy while down. (I liked his reasoning that the Federation would just send someone else, but he already knows he can defeat Travis.)

The episode’s major flaw was that it made the two combatants too stereotypical – Blake was almost pure good, and Travis was 100% evil. They could have explored such a test bringing Blake to an extreme where he almost does something unthinkable, or bringing out some measure of decency from Travis – perhaps to save his comrade. But instead Travis is just devoid of any kind of good – he just wants to kill Blake and he has zero emotion when the Mutoid apparently dies, even saying words to the effect of “I don’t care.” Even when she is restored to health, he’s just ready to have her court-martialed, giving her the blame for the failure to kill Blake.

An interesting story that could have been better. I’ll give it a 7.

Random thought: The mutoid is shown putting a fresh vial of blood or serum into her system early in the show, yet then says that she is almost dry later on in the episode. Apparently that vial doesn’t last very long. Either they need more powerful blood/serum or a bigger vial.
Click to expand...
One observation about Travis is that the writer deliberately has associated Travis with mutoids. He seems to have an affinity with them perhaps because of his injuries, and he has even done some research on Keera's past. Mutoids have no function other than to serve The Federation and the inference is neither has Travis.
Also Giroc revels in death and appears when Travis was initially about to cut Blake's throat. She previously appeared on her own in front of Gan, a self confessed killer, what that says about Gan is open to interpretation.
 
The Seeker

The Seeker

Member: Rank 6
I agree with Brimfan. Travis could have shown some appreciation. This character has no depth - unless, of course, he is bent on revenge no matter what, and in addition felt humiliation from the duel.

I also wonder if Blake’s personality didn’t change after his brainwashing. He might not have been so merciful back then, the way he disfigured Travis’ face.
 
michaellevenson

michaellevenson

Moderator
Staff member
The Seeker said:
I agree with Brimfan. Travis could have shown some appreciation. This character has no depth - unless, of course, he is bent on revenge no matter what, and in addition felt humiliation from the duel.

I also wonder if Blake’s personality didn’t change after his brainwashing. He might not have been so merciful back then, the way he disfigured Travis’ face.
Click to expand...
The way Blake retold the story of his encounter with Travis (in ep 6) , he was himself falling after being shot and fired at Travis , so the intention was to kill him, the disfigurement of Travis was actually a lucky break for Travis rather than a deliberate act.
I think the writer wanted Travis to be this one dimensional, fixated almost psychotic character. He has no emotional attachment to his crew, just as psychopaths can't relate to humanity.
As we shall discover he and Servalan , a megalomaniac, make a chilling combination.
 
johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
Shame that Grieff didn't stay in the role as Croucher was more a comedic effort I've always thought! Damn that film that Grieff wouldn't abandon!
JB
 
The Seeker

The Seeker

Member: Rank 6
michaellevenson said:
The way Blake retold the story of his encounter with Travis (in ep 6) , he was himself falling after being shot and fired at Travis , so the intention was to kill him, the disfigurement of Travis was actually a lucky break for Travis rather than a deliberate act.
Click to expand...
Well, he did try to kill him. Then again, it was only in self-defense.
 
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