WEBVTT NOTE This transcript was created on 2026-06-07 at 21:52:34 1 00:00:03.180 --> 00:00:05.879 Not several power. 2 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:17.039 Well, now, hello, Dreamheads, and welcome back to Maximum Power, a Blake 7 podcast. 3 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:18.600 I'm Psy. 4 00:00:18.660 --> 00:00:19.859 I'm Colin. 5 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:22.140 I'm James I'm Tim. 6 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:32.640 So this week we're talking about Shadow, episode 2 of series B of Blake 7, our very 1st script that is not by Terry Nation. 7 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:46.439 So script editor Chris Boucher is taking up the reins for the very 1st time here and giving himself a chance to write for the series that he's had a lot of input into through series A. So, Tim, what do you think of Shadow? 8 00:00:46.500 --> 00:00:47.520 I love Shadow. 9 00:00:47.579 --> 00:00:49.140 I think it's a fabulous episode. 10 00:00:49.259 --> 00:00:52.560 I think it's Blake 7's 1st sort of next step, if you like. 11 00:00:52.619 --> 00:00:56.100 It's, uh, as you say, it's not it's not a Terry Nation script. 12 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:58.200 It's got a bit of attitude to it as well. 13 00:00:58.259 --> 00:01:05.519 It's kind of quite spiky and bit more unambiguous and then perhaps, you know, any script in the past. 14 00:01:05.579 --> 00:01:08.099 So that's probably the main reason I like it. 15 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:11.640 It's like Blake 7's evolution, 1st real next step. 16 00:01:11.700 --> 00:01:13.200 What about you, Colin? 17 00:01:13.260 --> 00:01:16.140 I had written down, oh God, it's this one. 18 00:01:16.260 --> 00:01:17.640 Uh, but... 19 00:01:17.640 --> 00:01:21.060 Having rewatched it this morning. 20 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:22.680 I actually really like it now. 21 00:01:22.739 --> 00:01:33.420 I couldn't get over the kind of like 5 minutes of them in that room and that dreary kind of music, obviously deliberate, and it was just like, 0 God. 22 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:38.159 And then it was like, who are these kids out of Grange Hill that haven't rinsed out their shampoo? 23 00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:39.120 What? 24 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:41.879 I just, but no, no, I do like it. 25 00:01:41.939 --> 00:01:42.900 I think it's really good. 26 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:51.540 And as you say, Tim, it does start to move us a little bit more in the direction of conflict. and how far they'll go to disrupt the federation and stuff. 27 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:52.379 Yeah, definitely. 28 00:01:52.439 --> 00:02:03.060 I think it's the 1st episode for me where I really see Blake's kind of passion to destroy the Federation turn into something that's really quite unhealthy. 29 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:23.879 And I think there's a little bit in the way Gareth Thomas is playing the part in this series, which is very different from series A. It's a little bit more, I don't know, it's a bit more insular and a bit more sort of, you know, dedication at all costs, that there is definitely something different, you know, in this episode than before. 30 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:34.500 Yeah, it's really fascinating the fact that he's not concerned about what's going on with Cali at all because that's, it's not a focus on the Federation and what he's doing. 31 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:43.439 So he's not not at all sort of concerned almost with that. is just very dismissive of that whole part of the plot. 32 00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:47.759 Yeah, he just says later, leave it, Jenna, or whatever, you know, we'll deal with it later. 33 00:02:47.939 --> 00:02:50.219 It's quite dismissive. 34 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:52.439 What about you, James? 35 00:02:52.500 --> 00:02:53.520 your thoughts on this episode? 36 00:02:53.580 --> 00:02:55.199 I've always liked Shadow. 37 00:02:55.259 --> 00:03:13.020 I think it's difficult to right. like a drug plotline in primetime, BBC drama and and not have it come across as being preachy or ham fisted. 38 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:15.120 Yeah. 39 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:18.060 I think overall, it actually does quite a good job of it. 40 00:03:18.120 --> 00:03:51.000 And the fact that Blake, I think this, you know, like it was what you were saying before, Tim, about the lengths that Blake will go to, this really kind of throws into sharp contrast that, you know, he is willing to do deals with organised criminals and drug runners to, like, you know, the, the, the evils outweighs the, Being the Federation outweighs the lesser of the evils being drug running. 41 00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:58.860 And that actually creates some real drama in the episode between the lead characters. 42 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:00.840 Yeah, definitely. 43 00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:13.500 There's a moment like, I don't know, 20, 30 minutes in where they haven't been able to get the information from Largo and they're all back on the liberator and Villa's got his, you know, his hangover, which I don't feel is a hangover. 44 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:14.639 I think it's something else entirely. 45 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:17.459 But we'll come until that later. 46 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:20.459 But, you know, Blake's approach is right, that didn't work. 47 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:21.959 So we're going to try a different route. 48 00:04:22.019 --> 00:04:28.980 And then all this extra conflict, you know, particularly with Gan and an Avon who can just use it as a chance to make a dig at Blake. 49 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:30.540 Blake doesn't retreat. 50 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:32.879 He just approaches it in a very different way. 51 00:04:32.939 --> 00:04:42.060 And again, it's that sort of question of like, uh, you know, is the pterostra the only corruption group or force in this episode. 52 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:43.439 I find it really fascinating. 53 00:04:43.500 --> 00:04:49.620 Yeah, it's sort of blurring the lines, isn't it, between what's happening with the crew of the liberator. 54 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:52.620 Are they just as bad as all the people that are around them? 55 00:04:52.680 --> 00:05:06.000 It's taking what had been a fairly straightforward goodies and baddies show in most of series A and just adding that extra little twist that brings it up to another level. 56 00:05:06.060 --> 00:05:09.899 And I think that's that's very much a crisp voucher thing, isn't it? 57 00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:10.620 Yeah, definitely. 58 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:14.339 Yeah, it does feel like a very different voice in this episode. 59 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:19.379 It was the 1st episode that I watched from my dad and he turned to me and said, that was a bit weird. 60 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:22.980 So it meant to me like there wasn't something particularly straightforward about it. 61 00:05:23.100 --> 00:05:28.800 Very ambiguous and it was the 1st episode that I think I needed to watch a few times before I got it. 62 00:05:28.860 --> 00:05:30.839 It's a bit of a slow burner. 63 00:05:30.899 --> 00:05:34.379 Yeah, no, I've just done that and got it. 64 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:36.959 Possibly, possibly the 1st half. 65 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:43.800 Got 2 very different plot strands going on here. 66 00:05:43.860 --> 00:05:50.879 So we've got Blake and the Terra Nostra, and we've also got what's happening with Aurak and Cali. 67 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:56.220 And for a long time, It doesn't feel like those 2 are going to mesh at all. 68 00:05:56.279 --> 00:06:36.420 And I think that it's quite disorientating at times because you've got some very surreal moments with Cali and Aurak or the creature that is possessing Aurak, tormenting her and blocking her off from everything, it's, it always reminds me of those scenes in Kinder, where Tegan is in her own head, and it's all very starkly recorded, so it's all on very bleached out backgrounds. you've got the sort of primitive video effects working with it to create something that's really atmospheric, but you don't really get a grasp of what's going on for quite a while. 69 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:38.279 Yeah, I totally agree. 70 00:06:38.339 --> 00:06:40.740 I mean, this is the other reason I really like Shadow. 71 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:45.300 I think it's the best directed episode of Blake 7 of them all. 72 00:06:45.300 --> 00:06:46.980 Oh, wow. 73 00:06:47.040 --> 00:07:02.459 The reason I think that there's so many things that make it up and maybe I won't sort of go into detail about them now, but it was directed by this chap called Jonathan White Miller. who seems to be a little bit of an unknown quantity in sort of Blake 7. 74 00:07:02.519 --> 00:07:05.459 He did 2 episodes, as I'm sure we know, he did this on Horizon. 75 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.019 And that's all he did. 76 00:07:07.139 --> 00:07:09.480 And he's never given really any interviews. 77 00:07:09.540 --> 00:07:11.220 I think, is it Ian, what's his name? 78 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:12.480 Ian from Signus Alpha. 79 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:13.500 Yeah, that's it. 80 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:14.279 Ian Cubiac. 81 00:07:14.339 --> 00:07:15.120 Sorry, Ian, if you're listening. 82 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:20.399 He managed to get Jonathan Wright, Miller in to do a panel a few years ago. 83 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:24.480 And it was really interesting to hear how he approached this episode. 84 00:07:24.540 --> 00:07:35.279 I mean, he was saying that he borrowed, you know, the moment where Callie's in that sort of frame, that grid like frame of Aurak, you know, she's trapped in that video effect. 85 00:07:35.339 --> 00:07:47.339 He said, you know, he borrowed that from Francis Bacon, a series of paintings called Screaming Popes, and I looked it up the other day and it's like, my goodness, yeah, you can see where the influences it's been drawn from. 86 00:07:47.459 --> 00:08:01.500 But he also said that he turned down the opportunity to direct Doctor Who. which, you know, unfortunately for Graham Williams would have been brilliant because I know Graham Williams was desperately trying to find new directors because of course a lot of them have gone to Blake 7. 87 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:10.740 But Kinder is the episode, I thought, if there's a, if there's a Doctor Who story that Jonathan Ryan Miller should have directed, Kinder, you know, would have been amazing. 88 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:11.579 Fabulously. 89 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:13.680 And he had pedigree. 90 00:08:13.740 --> 00:08:23.100 He'd done like the Jensen code with Brian Croucher and Carl Howman and I think Philip Hitchcliffe was the script editor and lots of other things for ITV. 91 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:29.579 But yeah, I think it's brilliantly directed in how he's using video effects. 92 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:31.139 He's using sound design. 93 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:32.340 The sound design is incredible. 94 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:38.639 You know, when Cali is being kind of goaded by Aurak to run, and there's that repeated staccato run. 95 00:08:38.700 --> 00:08:40.559 You know, that's quite rhythmic. 96 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:42.539 It's really disturbing. 97 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:52.320 It's a real, it's a director who trusts his team to be really creative. like, you know, whether it's video effect sound design. brilliantly done. 98 00:08:52.379 --> 00:08:54.779 That's just one reason I think it's well directed. 99 00:08:55.019 --> 00:08:58.080 I could talk for 50 minutes, but I won't. 100 00:08:58.139 --> 00:09:00.299 Now go ahead, go ahead. 101 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:07.799 But you're right, the set design is really good as well. 102 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:19.740 So you've got those white, almost opaque panels making up the scenes, the rooms in Space City that can obviously be reconfigured to make the different rooms and the different spaces. 103 00:09:19.740 --> 00:09:28.620 And then you've got all those different levels with the carpet and Largo sitting cross-legged at the top rather than on a chair, for instance. 104 00:09:29.460 --> 00:09:38.460 And it's just little things like that that just make this feel like you're entering a world and a proper space. 105 00:09:38.519 --> 00:09:55.440 And again, when they go down onto Zondar, you've finally got a quarry where they say it's hot and it actually looks like it's hot as well, which doesn't happen very often, but he's got the Mac painting of the sun, the extra sun in the sky and things like that. 106 00:09:55.500 --> 00:09:59.879 It's just all those little touches that make this something quite quite special. 107 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:00.720 Yeah, definitely. 108 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:07.980 And they're not all successful touches, but that's, you know, that he's working with whatever budget Blake 7 had, you know, like £10 away. 109 00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:09.000 Budget of Zed cars. 110 00:10:09.059 --> 00:10:10.019 Yeah exactly. 111 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:18.899 And he did say something like, I can't remember exactly what you said, but it's something like, I wanted to find planets that didn't have daffodils and daisies on it. 112 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:24.779 And he said he went to that sand pit in Dorset to do a recie, and it was a lovely, glorious, sunny day. 113 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:33.779 And of course, when it came to do the filming, it was gray and cloudy and, you know, it didn't add the kind of effect that it was. 114 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:38.700 So I really like that glass shot with the kind of the weird red sun in the background, you know. 115 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:45.419 It is a bit clunky, but I think I can use my imagination enough to get a sense of what he was trying to achieve. 116 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:46.500 But yeah, you're right. 117 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:52.320 The lighting is brilliant and it's not it's not about turning the light the lights down all the time. 118 00:10:52.379 --> 00:10:57.299 I mean, Space City, I don't think you want dark cavernous spaces. 119 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:06.840 I think you want grand, palatial backgrounds and things like that that suggest wealth and how do people... 120 00:11:06.899 --> 00:11:10.320 Yeah, power, how do people get that power, you know, through corruption. 121 00:11:10.379 --> 00:11:12.120 I think it's really nicely done. 122 00:11:12.179 --> 00:11:23.940 Yeah, and you've just got that shot of Gand or characters standing in that corridor with the triangular windows and you can see the liberator coming in at the side and things like that. 123 00:11:24.659 --> 00:11:25.919 Yeah, it was. 124 00:11:25.980 --> 00:11:28.919 Yeah, it's a really nice special effect. 125 00:11:28.980 --> 00:11:32.879 It's not totally successful, but you could see what they're what they're doing. 126 00:11:32.940 --> 00:11:37.080 He's really pushing the envelope a lot here, I think. 127 00:11:37.139 --> 00:11:41.639 I like in that corridor, I like when Gan's listening in later on. 128 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:45.480 And then that gun just appears out of shot, the handholding the gun. 129 00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:52.620 I thought whoever's ham that was, they weren't paid enough, you know, to... 130 00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:55.620 They needed like a speaking part fee for that. 131 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:05.159 This week, obviously, as we've said, we're tackling organised crime and drug addiction. 132 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:08.039 So Tim, do you think shadow is cool? 133 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:10.620 Do I think it's cool? 134 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:13.860 I mean, taking shadow is not cool. obviously. 135 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:18.899 Just say no kids, but I do think it is the coolest episode of Lake 7. 136 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.080 As I say, it's got it's got a spiky attitude to it. 137 00:12:22.139 --> 00:12:29.220 And I like the fact that the crew are, like, even more prickly with each other than they ever have been. 138 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:34.919 You know, there's that scene where they're all in their sort of dressing gowns about to go out onto the planet. 139 00:12:34.980 --> 00:12:45.659 And Blake is really spiky and edgy with the rest of the crew and I remember again watching that scene for the 1st time and thinking, This feels very different. 140 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:49.799 Blake's no longer trying to influence the crew in his decisions. 141 00:12:49.860 --> 00:12:51.899 He's just telling... 142 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:53.639 Yeah, he's just telling people what's gonna happen. 143 00:12:53.700 --> 00:12:55.740 And it's and it's left to Avon. 144 00:12:55.799 --> 00:13:04.500 That's one of the things I took away from this was that no one wants to do Blake's plan. really they really just don't want to do it. 145 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:05.580 And it is that. 146 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:08.340 And he's just doing this commanding thing all the time. 147 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:12.539 And I would just think you're just like, no, we're not doing this at all. 148 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:20.100 We're not, like, there's not, there's opposition to it, but there's not a kind of a, you know, we're actually not going to participate or whatever. 149 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:23.460 It's all kind of, well, all right, we'll trust you, perhaps. 150 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:24.779 Resistance. 151 00:13:24.779 --> 00:13:25.919 Yeah. 152 00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:31.500 That's what I thought was sort of most interesting on it, is, you know, the obviously building up to a few confrontations. 153 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:42.360 I can see vouchers thinking ahead to the whole series and how it will end, and I know I think he wanted Terry Nation to write the end or Terry Nation wanted to write the very final thing, but it didn't work out that way. 154 00:13:42.419 --> 00:13:48.960 But I can see how Boucher is thinking ahead to what's what's to come and where those tension points are going to happen. 155 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:51.899 And obviously I won't, won't reveal them in this episode. 156 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:57.720 But, uh, I think the seeds of all of those confrontations are, I've been sown here. 157 00:13:58.620 --> 00:14:00.179 Definitely. 158 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:14.879 I find it very fascinating that Blake is using Jenna's connection with Largo, who is obviously someone that she doesn't want to see ever again who had got her into this situation in the 1st place and he's using that as his inn. 159 00:14:14.940 --> 00:14:16.500 That's really manipulative. 160 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:18.179 What do you think about that, James? 161 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:31.440 Well, the fact that it's clearly implied that he is the reason she is in prison at the, and heading to Cygnus Alpha in, in, in Sirius A, and that's shit. 162 00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:45.299 That's a shit thing to ask of somebody who, like at best, is supposed to be a friend or a colleague or at worst is, well, something you treat as a like kind of a disposable... 163 00:14:45.299 --> 00:14:46.139 Yeah, commodity. 164 00:14:46.259 --> 00:14:48.360 Oh, commodity, exactly. 165 00:14:48.419 --> 00:14:53.519 It's, it's, it really does kind of cast a much darker light on Blake. 166 00:14:53.879 --> 00:14:55.620 Yeah, definitely. 167 00:14:55.679 --> 00:15:00.299 I like how Boucher is writing for all of the characters. 168 00:15:00.419 --> 00:15:06.179 Every character, every regular character, including Aurac, because we don't know much about Aurac. 169 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:10.139 And I like the fact that we don't know much about Aurac at this point in the series. 170 00:15:10.139 --> 00:15:12.659 And then, or I take this sort of malevolent turn. 171 00:15:12.779 --> 00:15:15.659 But Blake, I wrote here, Blake's more fanatical. 172 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:22.860 Villa's hedonism is kind of, which, wrapped up, carries alien is intensified. 173 00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:28.080 Jenna's history is referenced and in a meaningful way, Gan's morality is played up. 174 00:15:28.139 --> 00:15:36.120 In fact, the only person that who I didn't think evolved, because perhaps because he didn't need to evolve, he was already who he is, is Avon. 175 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:40.019 It's like a step up again, you know, that they're written in a really intelligent way. 176 00:15:40.080 --> 00:16:05.820 Yeah, I really like that when there's the 1st conversation with Largo, Blake is silent and sitting still in the background and letting Avon do the talking and Avon's there in his big baker foil top and his boots that come up to sort of his thigh high boots and looking quite cool. but he's the one who is driving that conversation and Blake's just the silent person behind it all. 177 00:16:05.879 --> 00:16:09.059 And I thought that was a really fascinating dynamic. 178 00:16:09.299 --> 00:16:11.879 The Blake would let him do that. 179 00:16:11.940 --> 00:16:24.419 But also, you get one of the best lines in the episode there where he's, he offers Lago the Gems and and he says, they have a sentimental value for me. 180 00:16:24.419 --> 00:16:27.779 And Lago says, oh, family heirlooms, eh? 181 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:30.960 And he says, no, I'm just sentimental about money. 182 00:16:31.559 --> 00:16:35.940 Which is just such a nave online. 183 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:53.940 And it also leads to that superb moment where Avon's got the jewels in his hand, and Blake just clicks his fingers and holds out his hand, and Avon, with a look of absolute disdain, put, has to put the, put the bag of jewels into Blake's hands, and he's angry about it. 184 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.019 Brilliant. 185 00:16:55.139 --> 00:17:02.159 And you know that Paul Darrow was just waiting for that line because he doesn't just say, you know, I'm just sentimental about money. 186 00:17:02.220 --> 00:17:06.779 He goes, I'm just sentimental about money, you know, it's the way he delivers it. 187 00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:11.099 It's just pure, beautiful unadulterated Paul Darrow, you know. 188 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:20.880 Sort of speaking about the crew, um, Cole, how do you feel about Gan being positioned as the moral compass of the liberator crew, really, for the 1st time? 189 00:17:20.940 --> 00:17:22.259 I liked it. 190 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:24.839 I thought it, it adds a lot more to him. 191 00:17:24.900 --> 00:17:28.019 And as you were saying, Tim, everyone is written for in this episode. 192 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:36.059 I think he does, you know, object several times and sort of plays off the whole, you know, we can't do this. 193 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:40.859 We can't be doing drug running and all this stuff to even get to the federation. 194 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:48.539 But it doesn't massively come to a head through him, I don't think, but because they're going to do it anyway, right? 195 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:50.940 That's the episode, they're going to go in and do this. 196 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:55.859 Blake's just ordering everyone about and everyone is sort of following through in any event. 197 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:02.940 But I like it because up until now I felt again has not been a particularly well-written character or very well. 198 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:06.599 You know, in like last week, he was just like, you guys run ahead. 199 00:18:06.660 --> 00:18:10.079 I can just beat up these blokes in your power station. 200 00:18:10.140 --> 00:18:12.539 Whereas now he's actually got something meaningful to say. 201 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:18.119 And, like, we know that he has killed someone in the past, which is why he was going to sing this Alpha as well. 202 00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:23.519 But, you know, we don't know the full circumstances of that as well. 203 00:18:23.579 --> 00:18:24.359 So no, I liked it. 204 00:18:24.420 --> 00:18:25.920 I think it's I think it's good for him. 205 00:18:25.980 --> 00:18:33.660 And I think I don't think we get any, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think we get any reference to the limiter after breakdown. 206 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:34.799 I don't think it's mentioned once. 207 00:18:34.859 --> 00:18:40.319 No, I don't think, you know, it's almost like that story is told and kind of what's left. 208 00:18:40.380 --> 00:18:41.700 Good point. 209 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:49.319 If Gan had carried on, this would have been a useful character trait for him to have, speaking up and saying when things are wrong. 210 00:18:49.380 --> 00:19:03.299 And I think it's something then that Callie takes on very much for the rest of the series, particularly, obviously, obviously there's lots of conversations in Star one, for instance, which are on similar lines about, are we doing what's right? 211 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:04.500 Is this the right thing to do? 212 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:07.559 Can I ask a question? 213 00:19:07.619 --> 00:19:10.200 What do you think of the casting of it? 214 00:19:10.259 --> 00:19:12.480 I mean, I love the casting of it. 215 00:19:12.539 --> 00:19:15.900 I just want to get my tuppance out there quickly. 216 00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:21.119 I think it's really well cast, but were there any like standout performances for you or not so standout? 217 00:19:21.180 --> 00:19:25.079 I really enjoy Carl Howman is back, despite the brill cream in the hair. 218 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:38.940 There's that moment at the very end of the episode where his sisters died and he's been quite distraught. 219 00:19:38.940 --> 00:19:46.619 And then Blake just tells him, you know, that button there, you know, that will burn the president's garden. 220 00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:54.660 And the relish on his eyes as he just reaches over to press the button, the end titles kick in, is just fabulous. 221 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:57.299 Yeah, it's a really neat way to end it. 222 00:19:57.359 --> 00:19:58.380 You know? 223 00:19:58.440 --> 00:19:59.759 And we don't get to see the burning. 224 00:19:59.819 --> 00:20:01.799 We don't get to see the plasma bolt. 225 00:20:01.859 --> 00:20:03.539 We don't have the money for that. 226 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:04.799 Yeah, I know that. 227 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:06.119 That's half budget. you know. 228 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:12.180 And they use that on all those reflected the reflector discs. 229 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:17.579 I think he's really impressive. 230 00:20:17.640 --> 00:20:19.380 He's got a good line in anger. 231 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:30.420 That anger that he shows when Petey is dead and he's sort of manhandling Hannah around to say, look, this is what's going to happen to you and he's so furious about it. 232 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:32.220 That's really good. 233 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:36.059 Then you get the sadness immediately after that. 234 00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:39.480 He's a really well-rounded character and a really well played. 235 00:20:39.539 --> 00:20:45.599 That's why it's another reason I really think it's brilliantly directed because it's quite aggressive. 236 00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:46.920 It's quite an aggressive episode. 237 00:20:46.980 --> 00:21:00.059 It's aggressive in of a kind of passive way at times, but when there is moments of real nastiness, it plays it up, so, you know, as you say, Beck says, that's how, you know, in a really aggressive way. 238 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:08.160 And there's another moment where I think Villa finds Cali next lying unconscious next door rack and you hear that scream that Callie gets out. 239 00:21:08.220 --> 00:21:11.700 And then as the scream, kind of ebbs away. 240 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:19.200 You just hear Aurat go, obviously, she's insane, you know, and it's so cold and dispassionate. 241 00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:27.660 I know Blake 7 does cold and dispassionate very well, you know, part of the DNA, but I think shadow sort of takes it up a notch. 242 00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:32.700 And, yeah, again, I think the director gets that gets that balance really, really nice. 243 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:34.140 There's good, good, good stuff. 244 00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:51.359 But even the characters who you usually expect to be, at least as they evolve over time, Kelly is definitely not passive in series A, but as they give her less to do, she becomes quite a background character. 245 00:21:51.420 --> 00:22:05.279 But there's this great line about, oh, I don't know, a 3rd way, the way through an episode where Villa disappears, like to the city, and she gets in contact with him and he's drunk. drunk. 246 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:10.799 And he's like, tell you what, I'll bring you back a present. 247 00:22:10.859 --> 00:22:12.539 What would you like, Kelly? 248 00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:13.079 Name it. 249 00:22:13.140 --> 00:22:14.099 It's yours. 250 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:17.519 And she says, a necklace villa. made from your teeth. 251 00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:21.599 I love it. 252 00:22:21.660 --> 00:22:24.180 And Blake references that a bit later, doesn't he? 253 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:26.940 When he goes to pick up Beckham and Hannah again. 254 00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:37.740 Yeah, but Callie also gets that kick-ass moment where she's blasting Space City with the neutron blasters as well, just to show that she's she needs business. 255 00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:38.700 That's really cool. 256 00:22:38.759 --> 00:22:46.619 She's really strong in this episode despite being victimised by a shadow being from another dimension. 257 00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:50.640 She actually has some really, really strong scenes. 258 00:22:50.700 --> 00:22:51.420 Yeah. 259 00:22:51.420 --> 00:22:54.599 Yeah, and they remember her telepathy. 260 00:22:54.660 --> 00:22:55.500 Yes. 261 00:22:55.559 --> 00:23:12.359 But that, like, and that's a great juxtaposition. like she's shown as being an incredibly resourceful and powerful character, and then the fall from that agency and that strength to being trapped and helpless is quite stark and affecting. 262 00:23:12.420 --> 00:23:15.660 Definitely, she gets, she gets proper range in this episode. 263 00:23:15.720 --> 00:23:22.980 And that scene, as you say, you know, with the, was it that very bored end of day feeling of that duty officer. 264 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:28.559 It says, shouldn't go drinking in those cheap dives. go blind eventually. 265 00:23:28.619 --> 00:23:39.059 You know, but it's that kind of, I don't know, slightly cynical depiction of the universe where everyone's sort of fed up with their jobs and, you know, there's very little to celebrate. 266 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:39.960 I really like that. 267 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:44.759 Yeah, and that's a thing that Chris Boucher comes back to all the time. 268 00:23:44.819 --> 00:24:00.480 I think in his scripts, you see it again in rumours of death, don't you, where you've got the 2 the 2 guards in the patrol room who are just tired and don't want to be working together and obviously the scenes with trooper par and the other the the new young rookie in trial and things like that. 269 00:24:00.539 --> 00:24:04.259 It's that everyday feeling that Chris Boucher brings in. 270 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:05.940 The banality of evil. 271 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:08.400 Yeah, exactly. 272 00:24:09.779 --> 00:24:13.500 I also really like just going back to the casting. 273 00:24:13.559 --> 00:24:20.400 So I discovered a couple of little things that I think I'd forgotten, Archie Chu plays the enforcer. 274 00:24:20.460 --> 00:24:23.519 He's now a life coach in America. 275 00:24:23.579 --> 00:24:29.940 See, the complete antithesis of his character, you know, which I thought was quite amusing. 276 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:38.339 And I was so happy to see Vernon Dobcheff as the chairman, even though he's with his cider. 277 00:24:38.339 --> 00:24:50.759 And I think the last time I'd seen Vernon Dobcheff prior to this episode, he was getting his neck bitten by Jaws in The Spy You Love Me, because he's the owner of the, was it the Mohaba Club or whatever, whatever it was called. 278 00:24:50.819 --> 00:24:55.500 I forget the name of it, and he's on the receiving end of Jaws in the phone booth, I think. 279 00:24:55.559 --> 00:25:00.299 But, um, and he has one of those awful James Bond lines, which everyone remembers. 280 00:25:00.359 --> 00:25:03.720 I'll just go back and have a listen to episode of Bondfinger. 281 00:25:03.779 --> 00:25:05.880 No, yeah, I need to. 282 00:25:05.940 --> 00:25:07.200 I need like the piece of catching up. 283 00:25:07.259 --> 00:25:11.220 But yeah, no, I was really, really happy to see him in there just for a few scenes. 284 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:13.019 He is silky smooth. 285 00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:15.660 You know, he plays it really well. 286 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:18.660 He's powerful without being over the top. 287 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:21.720 He's quietly in control of everything, isn't he? 288 00:25:21.779 --> 00:25:22.500 Definitely. 289 00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:25.200 And of course, we've got, who else we've got? 290 00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:33.359 Derek Bond as Largo, who I think it's also very dignified and very good and looks great in the brown... 291 00:25:33.420 --> 00:25:34.140 Oh, Derek Smith. 292 00:25:34.200 --> 00:25:34.740 Sorry, yes. 293 00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:47.039 We've also got Derek Smith as Largo. who looks very cool in his in the brown velvet and the frilly shirts and you get a sense of the decadence of them. 294 00:25:47.099 --> 00:25:53.099 I think he's quite nice and spiky and the way he can turn from the charm to the chilling is really good and well judged. 295 00:25:53.160 --> 00:25:55.920 Which makes his death even more delightful. 296 00:25:55.980 --> 00:25:57.000 Yes. 297 00:25:57.059 --> 00:26:00.839 And it's horrible with that little bit of yellow stuff coming out of his mouth. 298 00:26:00.900 --> 00:26:01.859 It's horrible. 299 00:26:01.980 --> 00:26:05.700 It's quite quite a memorable Dessie. 300 00:26:07.319 --> 00:26:27.539 But yeah, I like, I do like, I mean, I like the whole shadow, but I like those early scenes on Space City and I like that sort of that chess game that's playing between Hannah and Beck and Largo, Largo, Blake and Jenner and the enforcer at the end, you know, so there's always manoeuvring, sort of taking place. 301 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:30.420 I think that plays out really nicely. 302 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:34.440 And for me, I think all that finishes halfway through the episode. 303 00:26:34.500 --> 00:26:45.480 So to me, that's a midpoint where the episode now can move on to the after effects of Cali's imprisonment by Aurak and moving to Zondar. 304 00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:49.380 I think that's a, you know, a really nice way of moving things on. 305 00:26:55.500 --> 00:27:04.559 So, how do we feel about the B plot of Cali versus the evil alien from the Upper Dimension coming across? 306 00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:08.099 Completely weird and just unnecessary. 307 00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:22.920 It just it just seems so at odds to what they're trying to do, either make make the 1st episode, make the make the A-plot the main thing around how do we get to the Federation, how how are we going to break, you know, break our own rules and all these things. 308 00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:26.519 I just was just watching it a couple of times. 309 00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:28.920 I was just like, why, why is this even a thing? 310 00:27:28.980 --> 00:27:30.059 Why are they doing this? 311 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:40.380 I don't, it just felt like a little bit of a jumble of things and like, okay, now here are the moon discs and we're going to blow those up and okay. 312 00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:46.140 And I just thought the second, there's a definite like 25 minute mark where it flips into this other thing. 313 00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:51.000 And I felt like I just felt like, okay, why do we need that? 314 00:27:51.059 --> 00:27:52.380 Why not just do the 1st thing? 315 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:55.019 I think it's pretty cruel also. 316 00:27:55.079 --> 00:28:03.599 You know, the moon discs saved Cali and the and our universe from this evil being. 317 00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:08.940 And only one of them survives and the rest get blown to smithereens. 318 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:25.079 Yeah, I can't work out in my head what I feel about that 2nd plot with Callie, but the one clunky thing I do feel about Shadow is the way everything is wrapped up with a very long talkie scene at the end of the episode. 319 00:28:25.140 --> 00:28:27.420 I mean, that scene goes on for a few good few minutes. 320 00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:34.859 And I know that happens again, I think, later in Blake 7, you know, in another episode. sarcophagus, doesn't it? 321 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:35.339 Yeah. 322 00:28:35.400 --> 00:28:38.519 Another one where it's all weird around Cali. 323 00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:41.519 The plain man's guide to Alien Invasion. 324 00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:44.880 And you're talking to a moon disc is a complete waste of time. 325 00:28:44.940 --> 00:28:47.880 It's like talking to Villa or something along those lines, you know? 326 00:28:47.940 --> 00:28:52.380 So there's always nuggets even in these very long talkie scenes. 327 00:28:52.440 --> 00:29:02.099 But I do wonder whether that, you know, that scene suggests that the plot didn't fit in quite as well as, I don't know, it could do or whatever. 328 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:09.119 Personally, I do like it, but I can see, yeah, it doesn't it doesn't entirely mesh. 329 00:29:09.420 --> 00:29:19.740 All right, I think it's sort of fairly neat that the moon discs are Cali's salvation, but also the source of the pternostra power. 330 00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:25.740 I mean, that's that's quite nicely done, and the mood discs are really weird and odd. 331 00:29:25.799 --> 00:29:29.640 And I still can't quite work out how they made them move. 332 00:29:31.079 --> 00:29:39.839 Because I can't see any wires that they're pulling them along on, but there are little channels in the sand that they move along. 333 00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:43.079 Well, I think those channels only appear when they've moved. 334 00:29:43.500 --> 00:29:50.759 Ah, they're on the screen, like one of the bigger ones, moves. and it creates that channel. 335 00:29:50.819 --> 00:29:52.740 Whereas when they're all stationary. 336 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:54.960 It's like lovely, fluffy, undisturbed sand. 337 00:29:55.019 --> 00:29:57.720 I also assumed they were on wires. 338 00:29:57.779 --> 00:30:09.299 Someone underneath on wires and stuff, but it's like Sandis, Mundis will only, you know, move and create these little channels after them because it's obvious they've been pulled on wires. 339 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:25.740 Um, I should like to, there's a line in there about they moved to avoid direct sunlight, but every single one that you see apart from the ones that are under those silver disk umbrella things. 340 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:30.480 Every one of them is sitting in the broad daylight. 341 00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:39.059 They're not sitting under like rock, rock ledges or, or anything like it's like, did you said that they didn't like the sun? 342 00:30:39.660 --> 00:30:43.440 Well, that sun is enough to fry your eyeballs. 343 00:30:43.500 --> 00:30:45.359 Daintily hurts, I'm daintily fit. 344 00:30:45.420 --> 00:30:47.220 It must be the company I could. 345 00:30:48.299 --> 00:30:52.680 Oh, the lions in this are great though, aren't they? 346 00:30:52.740 --> 00:30:54.539 Like, yeah, they are. 347 00:30:54.599 --> 00:30:55.380 What was it? 348 00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:59.400 That's the level of stupidity that no amount of training could ever hope to match, you know. 349 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:02.519 I think that was the other one that stood out to me. 350 00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:06.960 And the way Avon just swaggers into shot as he says that as well. 351 00:31:07.019 --> 00:31:10.140 It's not just the line. again, it's the performance. 352 00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:19.559 There's that interaction between Avon, Blake and Jenner, where one of them says, oh, Moonjis, they're like prized by collectors. 353 00:31:20.220 --> 00:31:26.519 And Blake says, people collect odd things and then Jenna says, look what you ended up with. 354 00:31:27.900 --> 00:31:32.279 It's it's just it's such knowing dialogue. 355 00:31:32.339 --> 00:31:35.640 Like, I love, look, I love Chris Boucher's dialogue. 356 00:31:35.700 --> 00:31:51.839 I think that's why I love Blake 7 so much is that he's very clearly on the, on the, you know, on the page in most scripts, especially, especially once you hit series B. He's been let out of the Bronx. 357 00:31:51.900 --> 00:31:53.160 Yes. 358 00:31:53.220 --> 00:31:56.099 He even gives Zen a gag as well, doesn't he? 359 00:31:56.099 --> 00:31:58.559 where Villa says, oh, I just want to see what it's like. 360 00:31:58.619 --> 00:32:03.900 And then Zen puts the main screen up and shows him the visual of the city. 361 00:32:03.960 --> 00:32:12.420 And it's, and of course, because in Zen, it's so deadpan, but it's really funny where he says, you expressed a desire to see what it was like. know. 362 00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:15.000 Actually, villains really dark in this as well. 363 00:32:15.059 --> 00:32:23.099 I mean, I know we talked about it a moment ago, that the scene where he's on Space City and supposedly it's, I think Blake references its alcohol. 364 00:32:23.160 --> 00:32:28.859 I mean, I'm no expert, honest, but that does not sound like alcohol to me. 365 00:32:28.920 --> 00:32:31.859 There's something really dark going on. 366 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:33.420 Has he been trying shadow? 367 00:32:33.539 --> 00:32:35.700 Yeah, well, I wonder. 368 00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:42.720 I remember thinking this feels more like a more synthetic chemical type of experience rather than the grape. 369 00:32:42.779 --> 00:32:44.819 Yeah, because it sounds like he's tripping. 370 00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:46.859 Yeah, no, really does. does, doesn't it? 371 00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:49.559 And I thought, this is really dark for, what was it? 372 00:32:49.619 --> 00:32:51.839 7.30 or whatever it was in the evening? 373 00:32:51.900 --> 00:32:55.140 I mean, you know, I'm surprised Mary Whitehouse wasn't all over this one. 374 00:32:55.200 --> 00:33:01.140 Maybe that's what they were getting at, but maybe they had to turn it down because of the time slot. 375 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:03.119 Yeah, so it's a fine line. 376 00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:13.259 The episode finishes with us discovering that there's a special relationship between the Pterra Nostra and the Federation. 377 00:33:13.319 --> 00:33:15.359 James, are we surprised by that? 378 00:33:15.420 --> 00:33:18.779 Oh, I was shocked, shocked and appalled. 379 00:33:18.839 --> 00:33:20.279 I expected better of the Federation. 380 00:33:23.400 --> 00:33:27.660 If you can't if you can't trust the Federation, who can you trust? 381 00:33:28.200 --> 00:33:29.940 Well, exactly. 382 00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:34.140 Have you listened to any of the big finish play 7 audios? 383 00:33:34.200 --> 00:33:35.400 Yeah, most of them. 384 00:33:35.460 --> 00:33:41.579 The president of the Federation turns out to be Hugh Fraser. 385 00:33:41.640 --> 00:33:42.059 Yeah. 386 00:33:43.019 --> 00:33:49.319 It's really, yeah, it's really difficult not to imagine him being a drug runner now. 387 00:33:50.700 --> 00:33:53.819 It really ruined Poirot for me. 388 00:33:54.420 --> 00:33:59.700 But I did wonder, like, you know, when was the 1st moment, I thought this really isn't going to end well. 389 00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:02.220 And there was 2 episodes that I thought it could be. 390 00:34:02.279 --> 00:34:12.539 It could be the way back because, you know, I'm asking myself, right, can Blake ever actually crack this, you know, regime? 391 00:34:12.659 --> 00:34:28.679 But actually it was shadow because it was the 1st episode that I could think of where it was all about Blake's attempts to achieve something, but only to find that actually it was a complete brick wall, basically a federation graffitiated brick wall. 392 00:34:28.739 --> 00:34:35.460 And it was it was almost like, well, it was completely futile endeavour at the end of it all. 393 00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:37.559 What did what did they all gain? 394 00:34:37.619 --> 00:34:39.239 Well, they Callie gained a moon disc. 395 00:34:39.300 --> 00:34:53.039 And they managed to burn the president's garden slightly, but that's a poor reward for 50 minutes of endeavouring to utilise the pterranostra, which I always thought was crisp voucher. 396 00:34:53.099 --> 00:34:54.719 Whenever I hear Terra Nostra. 397 00:34:54.780 --> 00:34:55.800 I always hear Terry Nation. 398 00:34:55.860 --> 00:34:56.519 I don't know why. 399 00:34:56.579 --> 00:35:01.980 I always thought Chris Boucher was probably having a little bit of fun because it's like now it's my show. 400 00:35:02.039 --> 00:35:08.460 You know, I can, I can write a script on all of my own, so he's like throwing in some Terry Nation in there. 401 00:35:08.519 --> 00:35:10.559 No, I really like that. 402 00:35:10.619 --> 00:35:17.880 I like the little bit with Blake at the end where to have total control, you must control totally and the 2 sides of the same coin. 403 00:35:17.940 --> 00:35:24.420 Yeah, just that almost defeated by that, that kind of view is is really, really good. 404 00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:26.639 It's Bay Blake 7. 405 00:35:26.699 --> 00:35:34.199 Yeah, I remember Vicky, that was a really cool twist when I saw that age sort of 14, 15 when the video came out. 406 00:35:34.260 --> 00:35:35.159 I really liked that. 407 00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:43.980 For me, the other reason I think Shadow is the best directed. 408 00:35:44.039 --> 00:35:50.039 It's not just the tone, it's not just the casting, you know, it is the visual style of this episode. 409 00:35:50.099 --> 00:36:00.179 And I was thinking back to all the Blake 7 episodes that have like a really distinctive visual style, so sarcophagus definitely has a sand has of a particular look all of its own. 410 00:36:00.179 --> 00:36:01.800 And warlord as well. 411 00:36:01.860 --> 00:36:03.659 I mean, that's barkingly directed. 412 00:36:03.719 --> 00:36:06.659 I absolutely love warlords, you know, but that's a long time away. 413 00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:11.579 But Shadow is just full of really interesting electronic effects, transitions. 414 00:36:11.699 --> 00:36:21.900 I mean, there's the scene where Callie gets attacked by Aurak and then that sort of merges to an establishing shot of space city and then cuts to Largo talking to the chairman. 415 00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:29.699 And Dudley Simpson's music is going all over the shop, you know, backward loops and weird electronic wipes and things like that. 416 00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:31.260 And I thought, this is brilliant. 417 00:36:31.320 --> 00:36:43.199 And there's other little moments that I didn't notice on the 1st few watches, but Jonathan Wright Miller cuts action quite quickly and it's in sort of very sort of blink and you'll miss it moments. 418 00:36:43.260 --> 00:36:54.360 So there's a scene where Avon and Gan storm back into Largo's office just as Blake gives Largo a chop and they managed to, you know, free Blake and Jenner. 419 00:36:54.420 --> 00:37:02.400 And then there's a little moment where they're sort of Avon's throwing sort of keys to the handcuffs that people would Beck's about to execute lower goat. 420 00:37:02.460 --> 00:37:11.159 But it's cut really quickly, and I just imagine the vision mixer sat next to Jonathan Wright Miller, who's having to cut between all these camera shots really, really quickly. 421 00:37:11.219 --> 00:37:25.500 So for me, there's a, there's a real difference to Jonathan Wright Miller, who I feel, and he said in this, in his interview, he'd done a lot of children's shows, and he hadn't, of course, with children shows, there's very little budget. 422 00:37:25.559 --> 00:37:32.639 And he was saying that this was one of his 1st shows as a freelancer, and it almost feels like to me. 423 00:37:32.699 --> 00:37:39.840 He is a director at the beginning of his freelance career who's really, really excited about the possibilities that are available to him. 424 00:37:39.900 --> 00:37:42.719 I mean, there was one quote I put down. 425 00:37:42.780 --> 00:37:48.900 He he directed at university, then he went in as a postgrad in the drama department. 426 00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:54.119 He got an assistant directorship at the Royal Court, and then he got a general traineeship at ATV. 427 00:37:54.179 --> 00:38:00.300 He got into ATV and then he said, 9 months later, I found I was working on crossroads and wondering where I had gone wrong with my career. 428 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:12.599 So I think he got through the 70s and like just as, you know, just a shadow hit, he's really excited about the potential. 429 00:38:12.659 --> 00:38:15.119 But I think it's, yeah, visually shadows amazing. 430 00:38:15.420 --> 00:38:18.059 I totally agree with you on that. 431 00:38:18.119 --> 00:38:40.139 There's that wonderful scene when Callie starts running and and she's sort of like there's like all that cutting and the soundtrack is really kind of distorted and over and like lay it over itself and then you hear the teleport sound and then she's running across the sand dunes. 432 00:38:40.199 --> 00:38:43.619 It's just, yeah, like it's really starish. directed. 433 00:38:43.679 --> 00:38:48.780 It is. visceral and a wonderful mix of sound and vision throughout the through the episode. 434 00:38:48.840 --> 00:38:54.780 I mean, Dudley Simpson, that background Nuzak is really unsettling. 435 00:38:54.840 --> 00:38:56.460 It is very dream heady music. 436 00:38:56.639 --> 00:39:03.179 And funnily enough, not particularly space city-esque, you know, if it's like a place of entertainment. 437 00:39:03.239 --> 00:39:09.960 It's not like freedom cities, quirky keyboard tones that we'll hear later in the series. 438 00:39:10.019 --> 00:39:12.480 But yeah, it's really unsettling sound design. 439 00:39:12.539 --> 00:39:15.599 Yeah, I think Dudley has a very good week this week. 440 00:39:15.719 --> 00:39:17.820 I think he's on top four. 441 00:39:17.880 --> 00:39:19.739 I think this is one of his best Blake 7 scores. 442 00:39:19.800 --> 00:39:21.179 Yeah, I agree. 443 00:39:21.239 --> 00:39:22.440 Yeah, it's really good. 444 00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:31.920 One of the things I do quite like is the model work. 445 00:39:31.980 --> 00:39:37.559 I mean, there's not a huge amount of model work in there, but it's sort of slightly, I don't know, it feels slightly different. 446 00:39:37.619 --> 00:39:48.960 It's not just modern work of space city or a planet or anything like that. where the camera zooms into those storage containers, you know, in the kind of the layer of Space City. 447 00:39:49.019 --> 00:39:57.960 Um, and I don't know, it just feels like there's different ways of establishing where they are, that isn't just a, you know, sort of straightforward long shot. 448 00:39:58.019 --> 00:40:04.440 Um, so I, again, I found that it was another sort of quite interesting sort of visual touch. 449 00:40:04.500 --> 00:40:07.739 And actually another thing, I really like the costumes in this. 450 00:40:07.800 --> 00:40:11.579 Because I think this isn't this where June Hudson is. 451 00:40:11.760 --> 00:40:13.619 Yeah, 0 yes, she's joined with redemption. 452 00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:15.780 So yeah, she's in her pomp here. 453 00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:18.719 It looks more kind of decorative. 454 00:40:18.780 --> 00:40:22.079 That sounds like a sort of slight insult and it absolutely isn't meant to be. 455 00:40:22.139 --> 00:40:29.159 But it's a lot more grandiose than perhaps the Robin of Sherwood-esque costume design in season eight. 456 00:40:29.219 --> 00:40:32.699 But there's all this sort of velvets for the pterranostra. 457 00:40:32.760 --> 00:40:41.039 So again, it's very rich, rich feeling, sort of, yeah, very operatic and I like the costume design in this. 458 00:40:41.099 --> 00:40:49.199 And I might be wrong, but I wonder whether they took those costumes and messed around with them for horizon because I know, is it Row? 459 00:40:49.260 --> 00:40:52.980 I know, sorry, the Commissar and the Assistant Commissar, where they similar. 460 00:40:53.039 --> 00:40:54.599 I know what you mean. 461 00:40:54.659 --> 00:40:57.599 Yeah, they're in very purple velvet, aren't they? 462 00:40:57.719 --> 00:40:59.460 But it's a very similar style of costume. 463 00:40:59.519 --> 00:41:00.659 Yeah, definitely. 464 00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:04.079 So I think that's, yeah, that's really nicely. 465 00:41:04.139 --> 00:41:05.820 Yeah nicely done. 466 00:41:05.880 --> 00:41:15.360 As we said, we've got Avon in his baker foil for the 1st time, which is just a ridiculous costume, but I really like it. 467 00:41:15.420 --> 00:41:16.980 It's really striking. 468 00:41:17.099 --> 00:41:25.860 And I think Jenna looks magnificent with the Lycra and the mini dress sort of draped over it, but with the purples and things like that. 469 00:41:25.920 --> 00:41:27.900 It's a real contrast to everyone around her. 470 00:41:28.019 --> 00:41:31.500 I'll be honest, I wasn't, this is just a personal opinion. 471 00:41:31.559 --> 00:41:36.179 I don't, I wasn't quite as taken with the kind of sun lounger retire. thing. 472 00:41:36.239 --> 00:41:36.780 I don't know why. 473 00:41:36.840 --> 00:41:38.519 It just doesn't work for me. 474 00:41:38.579 --> 00:41:44.519 Perhaps I was concentrating more on the fact that Gareth Thomas hair on location is very different to what it is in the studio. 475 00:41:44.579 --> 00:41:50.219 It's a lot longer, a lot more permed in the in that kind of chalk pit in Dorset. 476 00:41:50.460 --> 00:41:53.639 That's the 2nd unit about 3 weeks later. 477 00:41:53.699 --> 00:41:59.940 But we do get Jenna's really fantastic silver boots with that with that white costume. 478 00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:00.480 I love those. 479 00:42:00.719 --> 00:42:04.380 So yeah, I'm a big fan of the costuming in this one. 480 00:42:04.440 --> 00:42:14.460 I really like the aesthetic of series A, but this isn't series A. This is a new series and I like that it's evolving and it's something new. 481 00:42:21.960 --> 00:42:25.320 So, that was shadow. 482 00:42:25.380 --> 00:42:31.559 Join us again next week where we'll be discussing Chris Boucher's 2nd episode for the series Weapon. 483 00:42:31.739 --> 00:42:35.579 And we'll be asking, what is Imipak? 484 00:42:35.639 --> 00:42:38.639 I think you can get that at your local chemist, can't you? 485 00:42:39.900 --> 00:42:43.380 I don't want to know what's up with you, James, if you know that. 486 00:42:46.440 --> 00:42:53.219 So remember, until next time, we own you Dreamheads, ever since you 1st watched Shadow. 487 00:42:53.280 --> 00:42:54.659 Bye for now. 488 00:43:00.719 --> 00:43:02.099 Switching to manual. 489 00:43:02.159 --> 00:43:04.440 Maximum power on all drives. 490 00:43:07.500 --> 00:43:09.059 Maximum power.