In season 2 finale Star One Blake and Co finally have the co-ordinates to get to Star One and are heading there to destroy it. Avon makes it plain that if they are successful then that’s the end of it as far as he is concerned. He is determined to take Blake back to Earth and take the Liberator for himself.
The Federation has a major problem on it’s hands, Star One appears to be failing, Climate Control on twenty different Federation planets has stopped working causing chaos, death and destruction. The problem they have is that no one within the Federation knows the actual location of the computer.
Servalan decides to use the emergency to stage a coup, taking over the presidency and arresting the council.
Meanwhile there is definitely something weird going on on Star One, the team of scientists that look after the complex are not who they seem to be. They have in fact been taken over by an alien race who have their own reasons for wanting control of Star One.
Interestingly the crew of the Liberator discover that there is a massive defence system in place at the very edge of the galaxy, it’s clear the Federation has been expecting a full on alien invasion.
Teleporting down to Star One, Blake, Cally and Avon discover that the alien invasion is already under way, the leader of the alien vanguard mistakes Blake for Travis (whom he believes is willing to destroy humanity to win the game.) When Travis arrives on Star One he is at first captured by Avon but then manages to overpower him, Travis then bursts in on the control room and, with his artificial arm, shoots Blake leaving him for dead. As Avon and Cally arrive on the scene, Blake makes something of a recovery and shoots Travis, Avon is then able to take out the remaining Aliens and also shoots the injured Travis and sends him hurtling down a seemingly bottomless shaft. Dead once and for all.
The badly injured Blake realises that there is no way they can destroy Star One, meanwhile Jenna has alerted Servalan to just how dire the situation is. Blake and Avon agree to use the Liberator to defend the galaxy against the invasion until the Federation ships arrive….
The whole raison d’être of the first two seasons come to fruition in Star One and ultimately the tables are turned. Blake actually having to help the Federation to save mankind. It’s a brilliant twist. Travis finally departs having been shot first by Blake and then killed by Avon and Servalan manages to assume overall control of The Federation. The season ends on a downbeat cliff hanger though, only the Liberator standing between hundreds of alien ships and the whole of humanity.
classic quote
Blake: Is he dead Avon, is Travis dead?
Avon: (shooting Travis) He is now.
production details
UK / BBC One / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast 3 April 1979
Writer: Chris Boucher / Director: David Maloney
cast
Gareth Thomas as Blake
Sally Knyvette as Jenna
Paul Darrow as Avon
Jan Chappell as Cally
Michael Keating as Vila
Peter Tuddenham as Zen/Orac
Jacqueline Pearce as Supreme Commander Servalan
Brian Croucher as Travis
Jenny Twigge as Lurena
David Webb as Stot
Gareth Armstrong as Parton
John Bown as Durkim
Paul Toothill as Marcol
Michael Maynard as Leeth
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