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Harvest of Kairos (305)
A couple of years ago I was doing reviews of Blake's 7 episodes in a failed attempt to revive a moribund mailing list. I kept going here, but stalled when I hit Harvest of Kairos because I couldn't bring myself to watch it. I loathe its writer Ben Steed and would, to misquote Servalan, like to castrate him with a blunt spork.
However we're up to this piece of sexist dreck in the B7 rewatch community, so I fortified myself with two plain Girl Guide biscuits and a cup of tea to settle my stomach and forced myself to watch it. It doesn't rate a review. It gets a commentary like the appalling Voice From the Past did.
Oh look, masterly Tarrant bestrides the flight deck being all clever and commanding. But of course he does. He's got a Y chromosome.
WTH? Space HQ is in the area volume? Does that behemoth actually have motive power? And why would Dastor even be listening to a lower grade? Impressed by the pheromones/reek of manly sweat?
Wow, Vila is really annoyed with Avon. And I bet those "earth temperatures" were Arctic ones.
And here's Jarvik. [spits] Of course he doesn't even use Servalan's name or rank. She just rates what to him is an insult: "woman". And to believe that this thug was actually meant to be admirable. It just shows that Gen Hunt is no exaggeration, though he actually is, unlike the horrible Jarvik, possessed of some charm.
We establish that Zen--and not even clever Tarrant--knows why no one survives after the harvest. Remember that.
So Tarrant served 15 years ago with Jarvik. He must have been about 10 at most--unless all that FTL space travel kept him young. "But as a man, Tarrant is worthy of honour". Servalan isn't of course. I would hope that Jarvik doesn't lower himself to consort with women; that would be some consolation to half of humanity.
It is no surprise that Servalan tells them to ditch the surplus labourers. I bet she wished Jarvik was one. Still, that's a chilling scene.
OK, this is out of character, Avon playing with his pet rock during a battle. Yes, he's a geek with a strong spirit of scientific enquiry, but he's too careful of his and the ship's safety to do that right now. And why is Vila in his thermal underwear? Worried he'll be sent down for another rock?
YES! Dayna and Vila get one without Tarrant's help. A nice moment of rare friendship and joy there.
Mwah! Tarrant kisses air as next best thing to self. :-D
Awww, Vila. You have a crush on Cally and she doesn't even notice (or does her best not to).
I can't believe the crew's taking several Trojan horses on board. Vila, you at least should have checked on the loot.
Jarvik lies back, spent, as Servie says, ahem, "It was still a costly exercise, Jarvik." In more ways than one? Not the man you thought you were? It happens to every man.
Oh. Avon! Couldn't you see that one coming while your right there orbiting an earth-type planet of unspecified danger? I certainly could.
AAAUGH! [claws at eyes] Jarvik's tunic is unzipped to his waist. No body hair, eh? Not very macho after all, and where's the gold chain and medallion?
How did Vila get a piece of kairopan that big in his boot? Heh, pickpockets.
Bwahahaha! Avon has found a lunar Kairoan landing module. And it's much bigger on the inside; see them all pile in. What's the significant (and rather affectionate) smile Vila gives Dayna when he says he won't be a moment? Is there a missing scene? Have they decided to populate the planet?
Brian the spider is, I think, really Brianna with that egg sac. Jarvik appears, and he's unzipped himself all the way and changed into a new outfit for the occasion. What, he brought a suitcase with him from the maintenance levels? It's a studded leather vest to show how manly he is. Of course he knows all about the spiders when no one else did. Marty Stu anyone? I note that Avon in contrast wears no studs but looks rather mousy as the mere geek he is compared to the mighty Jarvik.
Yay for Dayna fighting the him though of course it's a foregone conclusion with Steed writing. At least Jarvik didn't try anything else with her, ugh. (But then, see link above.) I do like Servalan's comment about the bracelets though: "There seems to be a body in one of them." This is the Servie we know.
And Avon and a virtual pet rock save the day! Of course the manly Jarvik isn't fooled, but he's not actually seeing the lander with his own eyes anyway; everything is filtered and conveyed by, yes, the despised computers.
Huh, Jarvik doesn't want a mere woman to die (somewhat out of character here). I have to say, nothing became him in life as much as leaving it. Avon is right though. He was a thug.
And now a couple of links for you.
Jarvik does his nut (a cover from a 50s SF magazine)
Job Satisfaction, a ficlet I wrote about why Jarvik chose the construction grades
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Tufty could have been about fifteen. Although that only makes my mind go even skeevier places... Manly Jarvik would never touch a *bloke* of course, but I can see him taking an unhealthy interest in the 'initiation' of young men at the local brothel. It's just dreadful the places this episode takes your mind.
As for the general character assassination of *everybody*, with the possible exception of Dayna 'you fight well - for a woman'. Grrr.
edited for spelling fail
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You said it in spades. I won't be reviewing any more of his because I'm stopping at the end of this season, but this episode was hard to watch because it filled me with such hatred for BS (who has very appropriate initials).
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Jarvik... eeewwwww, Servalan how could you? N'ough said about him, I think.
Avon being distracted by the rock when Tarrant is planning the raid on the kairopan shuttle I can understand; he's never really wanted to be the fearless leader. But his absent minded professor behaviour when they are under attack is totally out of character. To make things worse, the lights must have been out in the wardrobe room again as his outfit is horrible (as are all the men's costumes in this episode.) And what happened to his hair!!!???? - Shallow, I know, but when the writing is bad I can usually be appeased by the prettehness of the characters. :P
What I really want to know is: what did Avon see when he looked at the Sopron....
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But I will frelly admit that the thing I like most about it is my fast forward button... :) Which is a pity, the central idea could have worked quite well in the hands of a competent SF/horror writer.
And Jarvik mnay be the single most hated character in canon, no idea why {veg}
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I hate this ep so much. There are a couple of good lines, BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH.
what did Avon see when he looked at the Sopron....
Someone far too clever for his boots? A hacker extraordinaire? I wonder if Vila held it then wondered what it had nicked off him.
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Or perhaps a slightly taller and very much richer genius. :)
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That book cover is eerie.
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Acting like a 25 year old ... a bit harder.
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Or as Greg always calls it, "Vila Gets Laid". :-)
I don't think I can be gentle. Making Vila go down there is one thing but telling him they don't want him on the ship and wouldn't care if he was thrown off is just cruel. I have an unwritten (but maybe about to be) story that branches off at that ep.
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Shall I try to defend poor Del?
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Not to me. Vila often has to be talked into doing stuff, but not by being told he's worthless.
A Game of Halves
And, really, what's a Mary Sue but a Sopron-enhanced self-insert?
Re: A Game of Halves
Re: A Game of Halves
In reverse - the Sopron user is the only one who is fooled ;)