The Web
Nitcentral's Bulletin Brash Reflections: Blake 7: Season One: The Web
Plot Synopsis The Liberator is sabotaged by Cally, who tries to take over the ship. She is restrained, and although she appears to have hurt herself in the act, she does not show any signs of pain. Meanwhile, the Liberator continues on, out of control, until it is caught in a web-like substance surrounding an unknown planet, and is unable to escape. Whilst the crew try to break free something inhabits Jenna and, in a strange voice, she demands Blake land the Liberator.
Instead, Blake teleports down to the planet, and discovers an illegal genetic engineering project. He discovers the project was initally started by the Lost, outlawed members of Cally's race. This was what made Cally ssabotage the Liberator, and bring it to the planet. The genetic engineering project has been a success and two different creatures have been made: two humanoids, and Decimas, small, furry creatures living outside the complex and arfe used purely as slaves to the humanoids. The humanoids are led by Saymon, the withered remains of a person. Saymon makes a deal with Blake: If Blake brings him some energy cells, he will release the web surrounding the Liberator. Blake agrees, until he discovers why Saymon wants the cells: he wishes to eradicate the Decimas. However, Blake has no choice, and Avon teleports down to the planet. Unfortunately, Avon teleports into an area filled with Decimas, and Blake and the humanoids rush to help him, leaving the complex unguarded. The Decimas attempt to break in. Blake's attempts to reason with the humanoid fails, and he and Avon are taken back, only to discover the Decima's attack attempt. The power cells are installed, when the Decimas break into the complex. Quickly, Blake and Avon destroy the web and teleport up as the Decimas destroy the complex. The newly-freed Liberator leaves the planet, and sets course for the planet Centaro.
By Keith Alan Morgan on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 1:17 am:

Why is the forward sensor equipment in the teleport room?

Avon should have known it was Cally when Zen said partial failure of the forward sensors, instead of realizing it after they were destroyed.

So Zen can detect explosives, but has no ability to reroute systems until they are destroyed??? Sheeesh!

Summary nit: The Decimas are not furry. Not sure how one would describe them, but it didn't look like fur to me.

One of the two humanoids, says that they expected Liberator to land. Land? With all that gunk holding it in orbit?

Maybe I missed the explanation, but how does that web stay in orbit, anyway? Shouldn't it be pulled in by the planet's gravity?

The living "enzyme" that heals Blake's hand reminded me of the root that Nona used to heal Kirk's wound in Star Trek's A Private Little War.

Blake says that while they have similar power cells they don't have ones exactly like the Lost use, but he then tells Avon to charge & bring down two cells without describing what they need or taking the dead cell to the ship as a template. Oddly enough the two new cells fit.

Blake says that genetic manipulation like the Lost are doing is banned. Is Blake really naive enough to believe that the Federation isn't doing experiments like this? (The fourth season episode Animals comes to mind, although the actual experimenting may have begun sometime after this episode.)

Not necesarily a nit, just interesting: Saymon says that the Lost were of Auron, but were not Auronon. Also Cally's description of the Lost being exiled is reminiscent of the exiled God story in Season 3's Dawn Of The Gods.

So did the humanoids just leave the front door open or what? I have trouble believing that the stone age level Decimas could break open the hatch.

Earlier it was said that the two humanoids would wither & die without the mental control of the Lost. Well, when seen at the end, the bodies did appear withered, but why would the skull be bare? Shouldn't the muscle & skin still be on the skull, just withered?

By KAM on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 4:04 am:

Deela makes two nits.
First, she & Novara (the humanoids) are talking about the web and she says to Blake, "As you call it, the web" Actually the person who had taken over Jenna called it "the web".
Second, when the Decimas take away the body she makes a statement that they don't have emotions, then later she says they had developed "primitive emotions".

By Mandy on Sunday, September 22, 2002 - 12:11 pm:

Anyone else think of "The Prisoner" during the opening scene? I kept imagining those big balloons going after people.

Can't say the lab complex impressed me very much. Looked for all the world like some sort of trailer park. And how did the web stuff get down on the planet (or conversely, how did it get into orbit)?

How did the Decimas find out the humanoids wanted to kill them? And if they did, why not just run away to another part of the planet? I doubt they'd grasp the idea that radiation could kill them over a wide area. (Then again, they were continually described as st*pid.)

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