That security robot is honestly the shittiest one ever, and the Aged P wonders why on Earth Vila is wearing bright red when they're trying not to draw too much attention...then a few minutes later remarks that 'it's like having a court jester with you the whole time' and like...they're not wrong 😂😂😂😂😂 but he proves his skills as a thief once again and we get this hilarious speech to the guards:
Vila: Hello there! How are you? Excuse me wandering about your premises, but I wonder if you can help me? I'm an escaped prisoner.
I was a thief but recently I've become interested in sabotage, in a small way you understand, nothing too ambitious, I hate vulgarity, don't you? Anyway, I've come to blow something up. What do you think will be most suitable?
I just love him so much. Then Avon delivers this zinger in response to the remark that they're taking too long:
Avon: That's the trouble with heroics. They seldom run to schedule.
And it's a well put together mission aside from the fact that a) no one thinks to consider that there being no wreckage from the cypher device is going to raise suspicious and b) the most shocking thing of all which is that they fucking forget Cally!!!!! They leave her down there and no one notices she's not there and it's just so bad, Aged P and I are appalled (as I always am because like what) and as they later point out a leader worth their salt should do a head count!!!!!!!! That is like Rebel Leader 101 what are you doing????
(Part of me did wonder why no one carries a spare teleport bracelet but the Aged P made the point that the risk of it falling into enemy hands is too great. I agreed. But the above point still stands they should've noticed!!!!! Instead they're so full of self-congratulation that they completely miss the the fact they're one person down!!!!)
And then we finally meet Supreme Commander Servalan. And she's as glorious as always, she is truly the villain of all time - she's cold, she's ruthless, she's efficient, she'll kill you without one single iota of regret or a second's hesitation and she'll look fabulous throughout it all and no one is doing it like her. 'You have some criticism of my handling of this matter, Secretary Rontane?' she asks calmly as if anyone would dare (and they don't, they clearly know how dangerous she is).
We also get the revelation that the Federation apparently didn't work out that having a complete blackout is only going to make the rumours and conspiracies worse -' Each time the story is told it is elaborated upon. Any damage to the Federation is attributed to Blake.
The smallest incident is exaggerated out of all proportion until it becomes a major event. Blake is becoming a legend.' What did you think was going to happen, really, and yet they keep the blackout because...who even knows??? Sunk cost fallacy or something. But at this point it's definitely ridiculous like hasn't he only struck two targets by this point???
(Naturally their only concern about Space Commander Travis is the optics but honestly I think he was always going to be made a scapegoat even if he'd succeeded in capturing Blake, even the most loyal Federation citizen would not stand for a war criminal being paraded about as a hero.
On the Liberator we get this exchange between Blake and Jenna beause Blake knows full well Cally was suffering from survivor's guilt (and he should know because so does he!!!)
Blake: She was ashamed to go back to her own people because she had survived when the rest of the freedom fighters were massacred.
Jenna: Well, that wasn't her fault.
Blake: Shame like hers is an emotion, Jenna. It isn't rational.
Jenna: Exactly, and so is guilt like yours. That's not rational, either.
Blake: It's ironic, isn't it? She was the only one of us who wasn't a convicted criminal.
Jenna: She convicted herself. You can't live like that. You've got to make peace with yourself, Blake, if you want to survive.
(Jenna's right, of course)
And then we meet one of my favourite one-off characters of all time - Rai!!!!! I love Rai so much you have no idea, he's going to appear in my fic with a bigger role because he's an interesting character like the fact he's willing to confront Servalan, for one thing - dangerous, perhaps, foolhardy, even, but he's determined to speak his mind and we get this revealing conversation:
Servalan: Rai, Space Commander Travis is the subject of a military inquiry. He was ordered to suppress an attack on Auros.
Rai: The man is a butcher. He continued with his attack after the total surrender. The death toll was horrifying.
Servalan: Travis is an advocate of total war. He carries out his orders with meticulous thoroughness. An enemy does not cease to be an enemy simply because it has surrendered.
Rai: (shocked) That's the philosophy of an assassin, not a Federation officer. (Stands up straight, looks at her determinedly) There are those among your officers who will not serve with Travis or take orders from him.
Because it's the first time we've really seen any kind of humanity from anyone working for the Federation since episode one and it's from serving officers and it just says so much - that at least some Federation officers really believe in what the Federation's meant to stand for, law and order, bringing peace to the galaxy, etc, not committing war crimes left, right and centre...and it's gutting because this is exactly what the Federation is doing!!!! Travis is pilloried for it and yet we already know they've done this exact same thing, executing people who'd surrendered, and clearly most people have no idea, not even their own soldiers have any idea of this. Rai's clearly appalled at the prospect so clearly they're trained to not do this!!!!! And I just love that it makes this organization more three dimensional because of course it would be and has to be, 'Faceless Evil Empire' is boring, you've got to show these parts.
And I wish it'd been explored more. Clearly some officers fell into line but did others? Was there growing discontent among the military, was there defections? Did some even join the rebels? Did Rai, because he clearly hated the idea of working for Travis? Like I'd have loved to have seen more of the turmoil within the Federation outside of Servalan and her politics (interesting as that is too) but we never really do, never see anyone questioning themselves or working from the inside to try and bring it down or change things, and it's a missed opportunity - even with Tarrant they never go into it even though that was really the perfect opportunity to do so. He deserted - why?
There's another couple interesting moments on Centaro where one of the workers seems genuinely relieved Cally's not dead, calls her lucky, the doctor called to treat her tries to make the point that she's not fit for interrogation and again, it's just interesting to see that no, not everyone is Evil with a Capital E, most people are just trying to do their jobs and aren't heartless bastards, which is realistic, really.
(Aged P compared it to the Nazis in that not everyone in Nazi Germany was a Nazi and not everyone agreed with their actions - I will have to do more research on this but probably this is the case in most regimes?? Research)
Space Commander Travis is also quite the iconic villain (apparently the inspiration behind the 2006 BBC version of Guy of Gisburne which is hysterical, explains all that black leather), equally as cold and ruthless as we've already heard, he will hunt down Blake and nothing will stop him, he will ensure no-one stands in the way of that:
Servalan: Why mutoids particularly?
Travis: Why mutoids? I've always thought that individuals with a high bionic rebuild were more reliable, less likely to let emotion interfere with judgement or duty. I give a mutoid priority over a man every time.
(Well, that and he clearly knows he's deeply unpopular, if someone doesn't try to knife him out of principle they're likely gonna knife him for their own ends, he's well aware of that.)
Aged P and I both forgot he was the one behind the first massacre Blake witnessed (which feels like a retcon even though it's obviously not, it's more 'still figuring things out cos it's the first season') but yes, Blake remembers him very well and this is key, cos when they first decode the message Aged P wondered why no one seemed to consider it might be a trap, except they do!!!! That's why Blake gets there first using Travis's own strategy against him and does a very fast teleport - which is a hell of a feat, by the way, teleporting at high speed like whoever was in charge of beaming him down must've been having kittens the entire time like christ, that is definitely not a responsibility you'd want.
It's brilliant, though, especially when Travis and the other Feds put so much work into being prepared for them - complete with snark from Travis, 'A rough analogy would be the static build up during an electrical storm.' 'Yes, well, I'm always grateful for a rough analogy.' - but it literally doesn't occur to him that Blake would do this and that just makes it all the better. It's also one of the few times I agree with a protagonist's decision to not kill someone, at least at this point in time because yeah, might as well be Travis as anyone else (it's only later it gets ridiculous like why don't you just shoot him?) and anyway, it's humiliating for him.
Chuckled at this moment on the ship afterwards.
Vila: Anyway, we're glad you are safe, aren't we? *looks at Avon when he doesn't say anything* Aren't we?
Avon: Yes, I'm glad you're all right.
Like is he quiet because he doesn't usually express this kind of thing or quiet because he's shaken up about it all and trying to hide this? Or both?
Blake's determined not to lose any more friends but, alas, we know this is doomed to fail, because he's going to get more reckless as time goes on. And this is also the first time they fail in terms of their mission, because it was all for nothing and the codes are just going to be changed.
But definitely remains one of my favourite episodes of all.