Blake's 7 (TV Series) Traitor (1981) User Reviews

A very impressive episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 6 September 2022]

The Federation is rapidly expanding, moving further outwards, and now conquering Helotrix, a planet full of tough fighters, Avon is keen to learn how they've managed to conquer the place so quickly.

I've said before that I find series four a bit hit and miss, but this is one of the high points for me, I think quite highly of Traitor, it has all the highlights of a Robert Holmes script, strong characters, a well imagined world, and of course the return of an iconic villain.

I think this episode looks fantastic, the open fields, water chambers, the sets and costumes, it is a stunning looking episode.

Christopher Neame, Malcolm Stoddard and Nick Brimble are all excellent guest performers here.

There is one cringe moment, that scene where A Federation Trooper fires a beam on A Helot, that look on his face, it's side splitting.

The best scene however, that iconic moment where a hugely glamorous old for returns, and dare I say it, she looks divine.

I can see that it's perhaps not regarded highly by all fans, for me though, it's a classic, 9/10.

A very strong episode

[GusF · 9/10 · 8 August 2014]

Written by Robert Holmes, this very strong episode establishes that the Federation is finally getting back on its feet after the Galactic War and is spreading faster and further than the Scorpio crew had predicted. This is a very exciting development as the series is returning to its roots, something which is emphasised by the best use of the series' trademark political machinations since Series Two. Having survived the destruction of Liberator in "Terminal", Servalan is back to her old tricks under the pseudonym Commissioner Sleer. In her temporary absence, she was removed from office and the High Council was restored so she's in the process of rebuilding her powerbase. Never one to do things by half measures, she gains control of the population of Helotrix – Helots being a group subjugated by the Spartans. Nice touch! – and other planets using a new pacification drug called Pylene-50.

To be honest, this episode doesn't really reach its full potential until Servalan appears on the scene. While it was rather obvious who the ruthless Sleer was before she appeared, it was nicely built up. The Helot rebels are a bit of damp squib but otherwise this episode has a strong cast, particularly Malcolm Stoddard as Leitz, Edgar Wreford as the (literally) tortured genius Forbus and Christopher Neame, later a mainstay of American sci-fi series, as Colonel Quute. With his hairline and eye patch over his left eye, Colonel Quute seems to have been modelled physically on a younger Moshe Dayan, who died only four days after this episode aired. Coincidentally, Neame and Neil Dickson both later played villains in "Sliders". Avon's very risky manoeuvre in hiding Scorpio by bringing it into the atmosphere in the hope of avoiding Federation fire shows that he's growing unstable. Tarrant and Dayna are very well used in this episode with the former looking far better in his leather outfit (even if it's one that Avon used to wear!) than this grey, grey and grey one.

The Return Of Servalan Which Is Not Needed

[Theo Robertson · 3/10 · 31 March 2013]

The Terran Federation is continuing to build its empire after the Intergalatic war . Curious as to how they're doing this . Avon takes the spacecraft Scorpio to the Planet Helotrix to find the centre of the mystery and to find that someone he thought dead is not dead after all

This episode seems entirely out of place in season four of the series . Indeed it would have fitted in perfectly with the continuity of season three and would have given a much needed explanation as to why if the Terran Federation suffered a Pyhrric victory against the Andromedans much of season three continues as if the war hadn't happened in the first place and the Federation are still able to control and police the Galaxy

Traitor is written by Robert Holmes and unlike his other three stories for the show the episode does centre around the internal continuity of the show . It's also interesting he didn't write for season three so again one wonders if this was originally a season three story . However you're left with the feeling the show doesn't appeal to Holmes when it concentrates on the inner workings of The Federation . Holmes writes the episode as if the Federation are a carbon copy of the British Empire and director David Sullivan Proudfoot plays up to this and it unfortunately doesn't work . The episode suffers throughout by very weak direction especially during the fight scenes

The episode also sees the return of Servalan who now finds herself as a fugitive herself after her authority on Earth has been overthrown . This character thread is ridiculous . She's the most infamous woman in the Galaxy and yet very few characters in the season recognise her . You'd have no problem recognising Lady Diana , Hilary Clinton , Mother Theresa or any other famous woman you care to mention and yet " Commander Sleer " goes unrecognised which strains credibility beyond all reason