Marian wrote:
I think the trouble with 'Animals' is that is lacks any humour (I can't see anything funny in the way they're all ganging up to make poor Vila do the dirty job). All other episodes have these moments that make you smile and forget any bad plots / sexism / overacting etc. Animals has no humour at all and it's that factor that makes the episode so unwatchable for me.
Animals does seem to be at the bottom of a lot of people's lists, mine included. The only scene I really like is the one where Avon bursts into Justin's base and boots a chair across the room, and then skids on a piece of debris on the floor. I think it had the potential of being a very good episode, but somehow the elements didn't gel in the way they should have. I believe Peter Byrne, the actor who played Justin, wanted to play the part somewhat differently from what we see in the episode - at the time he was well known in 'Dixon of Dock Green', and felt he should make his character substantially different from his usual screen image. Also, there were some production problems which hampered development. I did think the 'brainwashing' scene was badly handled, too - it was far too quick and easy to be convincing. Granted, Dayna is a young woman, quite likely still impressionable, and the level of mind-alteration was probably intended to be short-lived and superficial, but it still didn't work at all for me. (It's been commented on before, if I remember the archives rightly, that Josette Simon herself didn't act the scene well. I'd be inclined to agree, but to give the girl some credit, as she was only a couple of years out of RADA at the time, and B7 was basically her first job). I agree 100% with Marian about the glycolene ballast tank scene - the two 'superior' Alphas ganging up on the convenient, easily bullied Delta. I hate Avon's behaviour in 'Animals', even though I know it mainly stems from the emotional difficulties he's going through at the time. That still isn't much of an excuse, and they can't even be bothered to thank Vila, or to give him a decent drink afterwards.
Mel
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