I've been introducing a few folks from a college science fiction group to Blake's 7 this academic year. We're in the final stages now... we watched Traitor and Stardrive this week. It's been very instructive to see the series through new eyes. The group includes an Avon fan, a Vila fan, a Gan fan who is amazed that anyone might deny the intensity of the Blake-Avon relationship, and someone who watches to glory in the bad special effects and good stories. We took some time after these last episodes to talk about it (and the Neon Genesis Evangelion marathon we'd all attended recently, but I digress).
Some observations:
* They don't like Servalan.
One of them thinks she's just dumb and ridiculous; others tolerate her. But none of them *likes* her, and I've always thought she was wonderful fun. I'm thinking they won't be waiting for her to appear at the end of Blake like so many other people I know did their first time through. I'd say these are just people with an insufficient appreciation of camp, but they *adored* Gambit.
* Warning people about Ben Steed helps.
I said he was my least favorite writer and horribly sexist, before each of his episodes. It helps... if people go into those episodes with low expectations they can find, I think, more enjoyment from them than they would otherwise. However, the other girl in the group found no redeeming value in Power whatsoever. I had said that it was Steed's most sexist episode, but that it had redeeming factors (I was thinking of Nina and Cato, and Vila's work on the door, pretty much--and I find Gunn Sar hilarious). Cassia disagreed... she said she felt just dirty after watching it. Oh dear.
* No Tarrant fans.
They seem pretty much to regard him as an interloper, and more than one has called him an asshole during episodes--none of the other regulars has gotten such harsh negative language. They liked him in Deathwatch and Rumours, but they don't *like* him.
Opinions are much divided on Vila (buffoon? clever schemer? nice guy caught up in larger events?). The Avon fan dismisses *his* confrontation with Pella as never having happened, and the Vila fan (who also likes Avon) rejects Stardrive's "Who?" as wrong, as doing violence to the character of Avon. I think that line fits well with what is yet to come, but I can't tell her that yet.
The main criticism at this point in the series (again, early season 4) seems to be that nobody but Vila and Avon is getting any character development. Tarrant and Dayna have regressed to different degrees of followerness without the spark they had when they were each introduced. Soolin we haven't seen enough of yet. I'd say that Vila and Avon are reacting to their new direr circumstances, but that the others aren't particularly.
They were all but one *furious* at Servalan's return in Traitor. They felt it was a cheap cheat. What could I say? Yeah, it rather is, but those making the show thought the series was ending as they filmed Terminal, right? I suppose people who liked Servalan more would be more willing to overlook the flimsiness of her continued existence.
The guy who comes for the bad effects and good story is much disappointed with the beginning of the "find scientists, kill them off" series of episodes. Other than the bike racing in Stardrive, for example, he felt the effects were too good and the story too weak. ;-)
And various characters that people would like to see as new regulars have not been added, and have mostly died. People they've thought might be added to the crew (or might stick around the show, before its format became clear) most recenly include Dorian and Dr. Plaxton, but I thought people might be interested in the list of what-ifs so far. It's not exhaustive of the good possibilities, of course, it's just what this group saw:
The Way Back: Tel Varon Space Fall: Nova (of course), Leylan and Artix (!!! Interesting potential there) Cygnus Alpha: Arco Mission to Destiny: Levett Project Avalon: Avalon Orac: Ensor Pressure Point: Veron (especially since Gan had just died and seemed to want replacing) Killer: Dr. Bellfriar or Gambrill (okay, these are just me)
City at the Edge of the World: Kerril, of course Rumours: Okay, they didn't expect Grenlee and Forres to join up, but oh did they love them. They also appreciated Quute and the general in Traitor.
Moloch: Doran (but only early on) Rescue: Dorian Stardrive: Dr. Plaxton
I must say that I'd love to see Artix or Dorian or Plaxton continue to interact with our crew.
Claudia