Zen takes the Liberator to an outlying planet – but the crew have no idea why.

As Blake’s 7 audio producer John Ainsworth has noted, this box set was difficult for the cast and crew, being written and recorded in the wake of Paul Darrow’s death – particularly given that as an audience we know that Avon is alive and well (OK, he’s alive somewhere) given that he’s got the last bit of Series C and all of Series D (and potentially much more) to go through. The moments in Trevor Baxendale’s script where the characters discuss Avon have a metatextual level, and the throughline of some of them debating leaving the ship continues from previous stories.

The core plotline, though, continues with newcomer Selene trying to break through the hold that is being exerted on Zen, gradually gaining the confidence of the crew (contrast Dayna’s attitude to her at start and finish of this episode). Baxendale counterpoints these scenes with an eager young woman on the planet to which the Liberator is heading, angry at what she sees as pointless actions on the part of her superior. Their dialogue feels deliberately slightly stilted compared with that of the crew and when the two groups inevitably meet, the contrast works well.

Verdict: Plenty more questions raised in the curtain opener to the third and final box set. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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