What are people expecting from this sort of encounter?
I hope you don't mind me picking this up, but I think this is a very interesting question indeed. Perhaps I'll limit myself to one sentence - the last one that Avon speaks to Anna, after she has died. Excuses for the fact that it won't be word perfect.
Her last words to him were 'I let you go' then she dies. Avon says 'Oh, no, you never let me go. You never did.'
It's a very unusual line for Avon. Nobody is forcing him to speak out, he has nothing to gain from his words. It's a raw expression of hurt and vulnerability, made spontaneously because his inner pain is so great that he can't help but speak, even though he knows she can't even hear him any more. There's nothing begrudging or cynical about it, and it lacks any sort of posing for effect. The pointlessly, even clumsily, repeated words are a good touch by the writer.
So, that would be what I would expect to hear from the actor. I know that's very high-handed of me :-)
Like I say, I have a lot of respect for what PD did with Avon: I'd say he was probably the actor most responsible for the success of B7, although ironically there were at least two better actors in the team. That makes his achievement even more impressive, like a famous singer whose voice is a bit dodgy but who has huge stage presence. However I do think this scene was a wasted opportunity.
Alison