Big Finish Classic B7 Release
This is the most “trapped” the Liberator crew has been for any of these stories. There are recriminations and honestly, things move very quickly and the Federation folks don’t do a good job of using the emotional ties between the crew members. All of these stories in the first series are leading up to this one and it’s like they threw in the kitchen sink on top of the other kitchen sinks. There’s almost too much going on! It’s not a bad thing but as we know our heroes have to survive, it’s a bit much. This is also strange in that the President of the Federation is revealing himself to be even more of a maniac than Servilan. She was much more subtle at it, that’s for sure. He is pretty crazy all around, that’s for sure.
Though this story is great, it felt like a whole lot was going on but also mostly talking. The Avon torture sequence is pretty intense and there is some running around but it’s a strange story in a way because the Federation controls where it goes instead of Blake’s crew. So it’s feels more awkward and yet as subtle as a hammer – ponderous even with the weight of what’s going on. I just can’t wait until next season starts!
Michael Keating (Vila), Paul Darrow (Avon), Gareth Thomas (Blake), Jan Chappell (Cally), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Alistair Lock (Zen/Orac), Brian Croucher (Travis), Hugh Fraser (The President)
Writer: Mark Wright and Cavan Scott
Director: Ken Bentley
Release: June 2014