Line #83 Recap/BlakesSevenS3E3Volcano


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blakes_7_volcano.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Asking a bunch of [[ActualPacifist Actual Pacifists]] to become terrorists: Sometimes you really should [[AllForNothing just stay at home]].]]
3	[[AC:Written by Allan Prior.\
4	Directed by Desmond [=McCarthy=].\
5	Airdate: 21 January 1980.]]
6
7	The Liberator arrives at the planet Obsidian, following a rumour that Blake is there and looking for recruits and a base of operations. Unfortunately Servalan has arrived first, planning to seize both the Liberator and Obsidian. The planet is home to the Pyroans who have adopted a policy of total pacifism, keeping invaders at bay by threatening to destroy the entire planet along with any invasion force. It's a policy that has worked well, until now.
8	----
9	!!This episode has the following tropes:
10
11	* ActualPacifist: The Pyroans.
12	* AppealToForce:
13	** Tarrant offers the protection of the Liberator if the Pyroans agree to let them use their planet as a base. Bershar however figures that forming an alliance with Servalan and her battlefleet makes more sense than a ragtag bunch of rebels and mercenaries.
14	** The Pyroans have a nuclear DoomsdayDevice in the core of their planet, which they announce to any potential invasion fleet will be [[MutuallyAssuredDestruction detonated if they attempt to land]].
15	* AnswerCut: Hower asks; if Tarrant is seeking recruits and allies, who's he afraid of? Cut to Servalan.
16	* {{Autodoc}}: Avon's splint repairs his broken arm.
17	* BadassBandolier: Mori has a row of pouches hanging over one shoulder.
18	* TheBait: Servalan has lured the Liberator with a rumour that Blake is or was on Obsidian.
19	* TheBigBoard: Servalan has one that looks like a board game.
20	* BBCQuarry: Coupled with StockFootage of a volcano and the appropriate sound and smoke, it works well enough.
21	* BigRedButton: At least this one has a protective cover.
22	* BlatantLies: Mori assures Servalan of his "personal loyalty" to her. From her expression, Servalan doesn't believe a word of it.
23	* BoundAndGagged: Which doesn't do much good if the person being gagged is a telepath.
24	* BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: The Pyroans are subject to mild electric shock therapy as infants and constant psychological conditioning as adults to remove any inclination to violence.
25	* BrandishmentBluff: Played straight with Vila (see ICanSeeYou), averted with the Pyroans. The Federation fleet goes to invade thinking the Pyroans will never carry out their threat. They do.
26	* BridgeBunnies: Servalan has her crew of mutoids back, so there's FanDisservice for this one.
27	* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Bershar wanted to form an alliance with Servalan in exchange for helping her capture the Liberator. But Servalan intends to invade Obsidian regardless once Orac gives her a way past their detection system.
28	* ContinuityNod:
29	** Various references are made to the Galactic War and its consequences.
30	** The crew are trying to find Blake, who's still missing (though there's no mention of Jenna).
31	* DistractedByTheSexy
32	-->'''Vila:''' Pretty? Yes, I suppose [Dayna] is. I hadn’t really noticed.
33	-->'''Avon:''' We’ve seen you not really noticing, frequently.
34	* DisneyVillainDeath: Mori has a [[CruelAndUnusualDeath nasty version]] of this trope; Dayna blows him off the crater rim with a grenade and he falls screaming into the lava.
35	* DissonantSerenity: Two Pyroans are sent to give Servalan a message from Bershar. [[LeaveNoWitnesses Servalan orders them killed]], and they wait placidly for Mori to do so rather than flee.
36	* DivertingPower: Averted. With the Liberator's power banks drained and Servalan's battlefleet bearing down, Avon calls for the emergency circuits to be activated. They don't work, and only the fortuitous explosion of Obsidian saves them.
37	* DoAnythingRobot: Hower's android fetches drinks, kills dissenters, and breaks ropes with purple rays [[HandBlast shot from its hand]].
38	* DoomsdayDevice: It's not clear whether this works by creating a supervolcano or spreading radioactive fallout.
39	* DrunkWithPower: Commander Mori gets a funny look in his eye when Servalan offers him [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt command of the Liberator if he captures it]].
40	* GreatOffscreenWar: The Galactic War -- there's a lot of discussion about its consequences, but we never see any of it.
41	* HiddenWeapons: Dayna has a mini stick-grenade tucked into her boot.
42	* ICanSeeYou: Vila [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass of all people]] uses this to deter Servalan from launching another attack on the Liberator, [[BrandishmentBluff when in truth their power cells have been drained.]]
43	* IceKing
44	-->'''Vila:''' There isn't a volcano alive that would dare to swallow Avon. He's cold enough to put out the fire anyway.
45	* IDieFree: The Pyroans choose death rather than enslavement.
46	* INeedAFreakingDrink: Adrenaline and soma. It's very relaxing.
47	* InstantSedation: Averted; the KnockoutGas is fired over the target as a mist and drifts down on them.
48	-->'''Tarrant:''' It can't be raining? ''(keels over)''
49	* FingerTenting: At one point Servalan does this with her [[FemmeFatalons long-nailed fingers]] while pondering what to do.
50	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Our heroes will get that base they're looking for in Season D.
51	* FrontlineGeneral: And not for propaganda reasons this time; President Servalan commands TheRemnant of Star Command.
52	* KillerRobot: How Hower gets round the ThouShaltNotKill brainwashing. He has the android kill his son.
53	* KillTheMessenger: Servalan orders the messengers from Bersher killed so [[LeaveNoWitnesses no-one will know]] a Federation force has landed on the planet. In fairness the stakes are pretty high, as the Pyroans might have detonated the DoomsdayDevice if they thought the Federation was attempting a landing.
54	* KnockoutGas: The Pyroans use a [[KnockoutGas narcotic spray]] gun. In a concentrated dose it's a DeadlyGas as well.
55	* LuddWasRight: Hower believes that the human race has advanced far enough in technology.
56	* MagicalComputer: Lampshaded by Mori and denied by a LiteralMinded Orac.
57	* MeaningfulName: Pyroans come from a planet with a supervolcano. Pyro is the Greek word for fire.
58	* MercyLead: Mori gives the Pyroan messengers a chance to run, but they don't move.
59	* MundaneUtility: Orac gripes when Cally leaves the MasterComputer to operate the teleport.
60	* MultipleChoicePast:
61	-->'''Vila:''' Oh, yes, Tarrant says he was a space captain, but then he says a lot of things, and you don't have to believe it all, do you?
62	* MultitaskedConversation: While ostensibly explaining the Liberator to his captor, Avon gets Zen to open fire on the surrounding Federation cruisers and knock everyone off their feet by engaging full thrusters, giving him a chance to grab a weapon.
63	-->'''Avon:''' Yes, [Orac's] very efficient, but then so is the whole ship. [Begins to walk toward Zen.] The greatest single factor is our armament, together with our main computer, Zen, as targets bear, main blasters will fire. [Mori gets OhCrap look] Nine zero, full thrust.
64	* NamingYourColonyWorld: Obsidian is volcanic glass. Presumably there's a lot of it about thanks to the eponymous volcano.
65	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Cally is suspicious of the [[FakeStatic fragmented call for teleport]], but Vila activates it anyway, letting Mori and his squad onto the Liberator.
66	* NoEndorHolocaust: Averted; Vila says that some planets have [[NoPartyLikeADonnerParty resorted to cannibalism]], likely as a result of the weather control damage from the subversion (and later destruction) of Star One, not to mention the subsequent economic and transport disruption from the Federation's collapse.
67	* NoMacGuffinNoWinner: A DarkerAndEdgier version. [[TheSociopath Servalan]] doesn't care if the Pyroans carry out their threat, because at least it will stop anyone else controlling a strategic planet.
68	* NotNowKiddo: Cally tries to send a telepathic warning to Avon that soldiers have boarded the Liberator, but he's too focussed on fighting the battle to pick up the thought. She has better luck with Dayna when Mori is holding her prisoner.
69	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Vila says he bribed someone to give him a lower intelligence rating [[DraftDodging so he wouldn't be drafted]] as a Federation officer. Avon snarks accordingly.
70	* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Not just the crew of the Liberator either. Servalan's officers are looking a bit scruffy, and she's using what looks like an alien vessel (captured from the Andromedans?) as her command ship.
71	* TheRemnant of the Federation battlefleet is under Servalan's command. It's not clear if she's fighting rebels or other factions claiming to represent the Federation, but the fact that Servalan wants to control a planet in a 'strategic' sector implies an ongoing conflict.
72	* ScienceFictionWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: There's reference to the Galactic War, but shouldn't that be Intergalactic War? Unless it wasn't referring to the conflict with the Andromedans, but instead the conflicts that occurred afterwards as the Federation broke up.
73	* ShoutOut: Soma is from ''Literature/BraveNewWorld''.
74	* SignatureStyle: "Adrenaline and soma" was a favorite writing tic of Allan Prior.
75	* SpacePirates: Tarrant offers Bershar a cut of the 'spoils' they'll get from fighting the Federation. Servalan in turn thinks that without Blake, the crew will have no political agenda and pursue only criminal ends.
76	* StealthInSpace:
77	** Servalan's battle fleet can get close to Obsidian because the man in charge of their detectors is secretly aiding her. When it's time for her invasion, she simply has Orac analyse those defenses and pick out a blind spot.
78	** The Liberator is in geostationary orbit around Obsidian, so it can only scan one half of the planet at a time. The Federation cruisers are in a similar orbit on the other side of Obsidian until it's time to strike at the Liberator.
79	* StealthInsult
80	-->'''Avon:''' Dayna says the people are friendly, but then sometimes one's friends can be more of a liability than one's enemies.
81	* StockQuotes: Mori says, "I ask the questions!" like the black-clad fascist he is.
82	* SuicidalPacifism: A literal version!
83	* SuicidePact: All Pyroans have taken a Vow to renounce violence, and because this [[SuicidalPacifism would make them vulnerable to any invader]], have agreed to detonate the DoomsdayDevice rather than submit.
84	* TalkToTheHand: "My son, the Animal rules you!"
85	* TemptingFate:
86	** Avon wonders why the Federation cruisers aren't firing.
87	--->'''Zen:''' Plasma bolt launched and running.
88	--->'''Avon:''' Should have kept my mouth shut.
89	** Vila suggests Avon join him in a drink: "It's very relaxing." ExplosiveInstrumentation ensues.
90	* TokenEvilTeammate: An InvokedTrope with Bershar. When told his conditioning wasn't perfect, Hower figured that having one member of their society who wasn't a total pacifist would be useful as a defense. Unfortunately it backfires as Bershar decides IDontWantToDie.
91	* TryAndFollow: Mori hides with Orac and Cally in the crater rim, knowing that no-one's going to go looking for them there.
92	* WalkInChimeIn: The Liberator is surrounded by Federation cruisers. Avon wonders why they're not moving in for the kill, not knowing that a Federation BoardingParty has secretly teleported on board.
93	-->'''Avon:''' They must be holding back for a concerted effort. They are all going to fire at once.
94	-->'''Mori:''' [entering flight deck] Wrong. If they did that they would destroy the ship, and we don't want that, do we Avon?
95	* WeWillMeetAgain: Servalan decides that the Liberator will keep, as she assumes that without Blake their motivations are merely criminal. So she can afford to ignore them until rule of law has been restored. "Until ''[[ItsAllAboutMe my]]'' law has been restored."
96	* WithAllDueRespect
97	-->'''Hower:''' You were once a Federation space captain, you said.
98	-->'''Tarrant:''' Yes, I was, for a time, until I deserted.
99	-->'''Hower:''' You still sound like one.
100	-->'''Tarrant:''' And you, sir, with great respect, sound like somebody who doesn't realize the danger he's in.
101	* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Averted; Servalan orders Mori to kill the crew of the Liberator (though Mori is overconfident and fails to do so). When her battle commander offers to destroy the Liberator after failing to capture it, she approves its destruction, which is only averted by the [[EarthShatteringKaboom destruction of Obsidian]].
102	* YouHaveFailedMe: Hower kills his son Bershar when it's revealed he has no intention of keeping to the [[SuicidePact Vow]].
103	* YoureInsane

Context Recap / BlakesSevenS3E3Volcano