'Blake' by Chris Boucher

Xenon base has been rendered inoperational by Zukan’s sabotage, and so the crew set explosives and leave in Scorpio as the charges destroy all traces of their presence. Avon sets course for the planet Gauda Prime, revealing to Tarrant, Vila, Dayna and Soolin that Orac has traced Blake to the planet, where he is now operating as a bounty hunter. Soolin grew up on the lawless planet and she warns them that it is a haven for dangerous criminals. On the surface, Blake captures an outlaw called Arlen for the price on her head. He takes her back to his base, where he reveals that he is actually recruiting outlaws to create a force against the Federation. Scorpio arrives at Gauda Prime, but is attacked by gunships and badly damaged; Avon, Orac, Vila, Dayna and Soolin teleport to the surface, while Tarrant attempts to bring the ship in for a crash landing. Avon instructs Orac to transmit a distress signal. Blake discovers a badly-injured Tarrant in the wreckage of the ship, but despite hearing Slave’s dying words identifying Tarrant, Blake decides to test him, choosing not to reveal his anti-Federation tendencies just yet. When he takes Tarrant to his base, a reunited Avon, Vila and Soolin follow his flyer. Tarrant is mislead into thinking that Blake will hand them over to the Federation for the bounty, and so he escapes and rejoins the others as they arrive in the control room. Tarrant warns Avon about Blake’s apparent plans; Blake appears, but Avon is incredulous and confused, and asks Blake if he has betrayed them. Manipulating Avon as before, Blake gives an ambiguous answer, asking Avon to trust him - but recent events have left Avon paranoid, and he shoots Blake. Arlen then reveals herself to be a Federation agent, and troopers arrive and surround the outlaws. When Dayna is shot, Vila kills Arlen, but then he drops as another shot rings out. Tarant and Soolin are killed, leaving Avon still standing in shock over Blake’s corpse. Surrounded by a ring of armed troopers, Avon raises his gun and grins. Shots ring out…

Gareth Thomas (Roj Blake), Paul Darrow (Kerr Avon), Michael Keating (Vila Restal), Jan Chappell (Cally), Josette Simon (Dayna Mellanby), Steven Pacey (Del Tarrant), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Zen / Orac), David Collings (Deva), Sasah Mitchell (Arlen), Janet Lees Price (Klyn)

Directed by Mary Ridge
Produced by David Maloney

TX:
21st December 1981 @ 7.20 pm - 8.10 pm

Notes:
*Featuring Roj Blake, Kerr Avon, Vila Restal, Dayna Mellanby, Del Tarrant, Soolin, Orac and Slave

*My opinion of the ending (highlight to reveal): Blake is definitely dead - although he could actually be the cloned Blake that we saw in ‘Weapon’. Dayna and Soolin are also undeniably dead, as we saw the troopers firing at them. Tarrant was badly injured and ready to drop any second, so it is possible that he just fell at the same time as a shot was fired. We never actually see anyone shoot Vila, so it could be his natural cowardice that made him fall to the floor. In the final moments Avon grins and then we cut to black; we hear his gun fire, then a volley of Federation weapons firing, and then Avon’s gun once more, implying that he survived the shots. I personally have always thought that he ducked, and all the troopers shot each other..! (See the novel ‘Afterlife’ for a similar interpretation)