"I don't believe in suicide, it stunts your growth."
REVIEW: Vila finally gets an episode all his own and it's a good one, skirting the line between anti-heroism (with him, cowardice or at least self-preservation, rather than any kind of immorality) and his own brand of heroism (courageous in his field, which is thievery). It gets to the core of who he is - as opposed to what he does - gives him a nemesis in the designer of the ancient vault, and even a romance (we don't often see a character get laid!). It's a Boucher script, so there's lots of wit, violent threats (rip off your arm and beat you with the wet end?!), and opportunities for flamboyant acting.
Enter Bayban the Butcher, a deliciously cruel and somewhat madcap criminal mercenary played by Colin Baker, chewing the scenery and leaving Avon hungry (birth of an actor rivalry, and a bit as if Baker had played Sabalom Glitz). He manages to fool Terrant into sending Vila down to a planet for his safe-cracking skills in exchange for the crystals required to maintain the Liberator's weapons, but he himself is being played by the locals who need the vault open because their destiny lies on the other side. A lot of backstabbing (as in the best Blake's episodes) and a rather nice twist about what lies on the other side of that door. There's a bit of technobabble involved, but Vila's explanations are sufficient and his reframing this as a duel of minds, between himself and the puzzle-maker, 3000 years dead, makes it interesting. Ultimately, the portal leads to a paper mache planet where Vila is tempted to make a new life. Except there's nothing there to steal, and that's his core identity.
Which brings us to the temptress, Kerril (played by Carol Hawkins, and at one point, Vila does pronounce her name AS "Carol"), one of Bayban's mercs (his best gunhand, in fact). Vial thinks she stinks to high heaven, so she goes off to wash and change, and suddenly we're hearing sexy, synth slide-whistles and he's in love. As is she. 50-minute dramas don't give you a lot of time to do all this, so you get to it quick. Thing is, I thought Kerril was sexier in the black leather and studs, rather than the braless tan toga. But that's me. More to the point, she becomes an entirely different character, which is weird. Why does she have an evening dress with her on this mission? Why is she the only one who changes, and where did she wash in this abandoned alien city? And then how did this badass suddenly start huddling close to Vila like a damsel in distress? She's the one who tempts him into moving to "Homeworld" and though he initially refuses, he almost changes his mind. It's just that the city blows up with her on the other side of the door before he can do so. So I don't quite buy her attitude adjustment, but I'm happy for Vila who has mostly been a sad sack kind of character to date. "We should be dead." "Are you bragging or complaining?"
Trust issues still plague the crew, with the OG characters going after Vila because he wouldn't respond as well to the newbies. Especially Tarrant who I am learning to dislike myself. Who made him Blake Resurrected anyway? Here, he makes deals with people he knows without Vila's consent and bullies him into beaming down. And he's wrong about the whole thing. Avon needs to put him in his place. He and Dayna DO go down as well, and there's some well-lit firefight action in the city's corridors involving them. I'm quite liking how Dayna delivers on fun new weapons, such as the explosive Roomba.
NOT MY FEDERATION: Not to be confused with the City on the Edge of Forever. Far-teleporting terminals were created by an ancient society in Star Trek too - the Iconians.
WHO?: The episode's aesthetic recalls The Pirate Planet's - a large structure that manages transport, bad guys in black with silver studs, locals in dirty pale robes... Bayban is played by Colin Baker who would become, of course, the Sixth Doctor and go up against Paul Darrow again in "Timelash". The local elder Nori is played by the Black Guardian himself, Valentine Dyall. John J. Carney (Shirl) had been Bloodaxe in The Time Warrior.
REWATCHABILITY: Medium-High - There's a character turn too many, but this one's a lot of fun. Good guest-stars and an appreciated focus on Vila.
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