Under some form of powerful external psychic control, Cally sabotages the Liberator and brings it to an uncharted planet where it then becomes trapped in a mysterious white cloud of web-like strands that encompasses the entire planet. Jenna is also momentarily possessed by the same powerful external psychic control and relays a message to the Liberator crew from the inhabitants of the planet. They are a group of people known as the Lost, who are descendants of Cally's home planet of Auron. Cally talks about the legend of the Lost, who were cast out, because they were deemed unfit to share the soul of Auronar.
Blake teleports down to the surface of the planet to meet the Lost, who consist of six creatures that have set up a corporate identity and used their advanced scientific abilities to bring Cally - and the Liberator - to them. They offer Blake a means to escape from the web, but require energy cells from the Liberator crew as payment in return. In due course, Blake decides to give them the energy cells that they request, but then he discovers that the Lost intend to use the energy cells to destroy another race of creatures known as the Decimas, whom the Lost originally created through genetic engineering.
Not wanting to be a party to genocide, Blake tries to stop the Lost, as well as free the Liberator from the web. Eventually, Blake assists in the destruction of the gestalt, by helping the Decimas to invade their creators’ base and finally eradicate them. In the midst of the resulting confusion, Blake and Avon succeed in activating the fungicide beam that creates a clear passage through the web. This enables them to return to the Liberator and escape ahead of the oncoming Federation pursuit ships.
THE WEB is a highly enjoyable episode, which proves that BLAKE’S 7 has more than one string to its bow. It makes for an entertaining departure from the main narrative of the TV series, with the introduction of two alien species, the addition of further back story for Cally and an interesting moral dilemma. And, at first, it seems that Jenna’s ominous warning about the dangers of aliens from the previous episode is about to be born out. However, as she also falls under the psychic control of the Lost, she may find that particular argument difficult to continue prosecuting.
In any case, Jan Chappell and Sally Knyvette both get brief moments in the limelight, but it’s Gareth Thomas and Paul Darrow who both benefit the most from the best that this episode has to offer. By the way, is it just me, or do the Decimas - who I think look positively brilliant - look like they’re the result of a pairing between Mister Sin and a Zygon?
4/5.
