Blake’s 7: Mirror (CD review).
Continuing the story in ‘Drones’, ‘Mirror’ sees our intrepid team split into several factions as the cracks continue to widen between Blake and the others.
Orac has a lead into Federac, a computer based on him and set up by the Federation. Meanwhile, Callie is tracking down Space Major Kade, the man who killed Jenna’s father. Boy, does Jenna want in on that mission but she is frustrated by Blake, who insists she pilot the Liberator to Stellidar Four so he can investigate the existence of Federac. Of course, that whole team vibe continues to go pear-shaped when Jenna makes a split-second choice. Like a train crash, you can see in slow motion, the moment where the engine is uncoupled and it all falls into the canyon. As everything shatters, I couldn’t help thinking that in other hands, where we didn’t have to worry about TV continuity, there would be a real chance that someone would die.
It’s about choices and a moment’s insubordination combined with the arrival of old leather-face Travis on the planet of Vere and there is a real danger that Blake’s 7 will need to recruit again, probably about seven members…
So the on-going story continues to rack up the tension within the 7 and this gets personal. Additional characters are used sparingly here and, by the end of this, part 4 of 6, you know everything Blake has been working for is going down the plughole and a lot of it is his fault.
I’m really enjoying this series because it goes to the very darkest places as we look at Blake’s real motivation and takes us right up to why his character might just have deliberately disappeared at the end of the second TV series. There is ample story, too, with the team torn between locations and loyalty.
Written by Peter Anghelides and directed, once again, by Ken Bentley, ‘Mirror’ is nicely layered with some insight into character motivation and it’s a good old-fashioned adventure story. There is a bit of a shock ending in this leading neatly into Part 5, ‘Cold Fury’. Buckle up, mateys.
Sue Davies
September 2014
(pub: Big Finish. 1 CD 60 minute story. Price: CD: £10.99 (UK), Download: £ 8.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-78178-273-6)
cast: Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Michael Keating, Jan Chappell, Sally Knyvette, Brian Croucher, Alistair Lock, Bethan Walker and Hugh Fraser
check out website: www.bigfinish.com
