Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Tom Chabon, Paul Shelley, James Kerry, Lindy Alexander, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette & Jan Chappell
Written by Terry Nation
Directed by Vere Lorrimer
The Liberator has come to Albion, where Blake aims to find Space Major Provine. However, his task is complicated when revolution on Albion means that the Federation are now more desperate than ever...
The Federation activate the ultimate doomsday weapon - and only the Liberator can stop it. And not only that, but Blake must try to find Provine before the doomsday bomb goes off.
Added to that, the rebellion's main expert in bombs is Del Grant...Someone who has history with Avon...
After the rubbish that was Hostage, Countdown is a an excellent return to form for Blake's 7, and a lot of that must be down to Terry Nation's fantastic script. After Redemption, Terry's script work has been fantastic, and he has quickly become one of the best writers for the second season. And one of the reasons why this is so good is because, while it's all about the fate of the whole world, we get the personal perspective between Avon and Grant. It's about two characters who have history, and that informs a lot of the conversations between the pair of them. It's some of the best material that Blake's 7 has seen since Blake's attack on the fake Control in Pressure Point.
The story doesn't give us any time to get into it, instead, it just lurches the audience straight into the attack on Albion. And it's some of the best effects work you will ever see on Blake's 7. A lot of the battle scenes have been staged on film, and those always feel like the big money shots. They've had the most time, care and attention taken over them. While the sets aren't awe inspiring, it's the collapsing rubble and pyrotechnics work that really impresses. Blake's 7 is a fantastic programme, but it has very rarely shown effects work of the quality of that which is seen in Countdown. And, as I said, the script itself is fantastic, especially for Avon's character. Up till this point, we've heard little about Avon's history, his past, his life before joining the Liberator, but Countdown gives us a chance to hear all about his long-lost love, Anna and meet her brother, who let's just say is very keen for Avon to pay. The scenes between them are some of the best material Terry has ever written, and that's because it feels so human. Oh yes, there's a story about a whole world on the brink of destruction, but it's really about two men trying to get over the death of someone they love. By the end, they may not be friends, but a lot of what happens strengthens the bond between them. As for the secondary plot, it certainly starts the beginning of the 'Star One' arc, and, while it may not be the most important part of the story, that doesn't matter. To me, it's very much like a arc from the modern era of Doctor Who, and that's what is very exciting about this story. It's really setting up the final four episodes of season 2, without overshadowing the main story.
The character of Grant is a wonderful creation, especially considering that the detail has been poured into him. All he is is a gun for hire, someone who will win a war for you, no matter what your cause is. And one of the reasons why he works is because of Tom Chabon, because he is an actor who can bring real gravitas to the part. He makes the part so interesting and his dynamic with Paul Darrow is brilliant. It's also nice to see Gareth Thomas enjoying himself once more, and he gets some great action moments, especially grappling with Paul Shelley's character. Sadly, however, both Sally Knyvette and Jan Chappell once more are left on board the Liberator, which is such a shame, because they really are being wasted. That, added with the other rebels being rather poorly defined, bring this story down a couple of points. On the other hand, Vere Lorrimer's direction is much stronger than anything we got in Hostage or even Redemption. He really makes this story an action packed blockbuster, a and it's some of the best work that we've seen in the series so far.
Countdown is a fantastic story. It's gripping, tense, emotional, powerful and a really easy watch. It deals with the past and looks to the future in a really exciting way, and I look foward to heparin more about both Anna Grant and Star One. Countdown opens more doors than it closes.
Liberator Rating - 9/10
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