First off Iain, I'd like to say I like your approach and commentary. Now for my response for one question
Blake asks Ravella why the administration would suppress us [with drugs]? Is he blind. everyone we see looks drugged. Is part of the drugging (even after 36 hours without drugs) stopping him from seeing this?
I would suggest that people see whatever they are used to seeing as 'normal'. When everyone is drugged and that's all you've seen, you would think that the undrugged people are possibly on dangerous stimulants; no one could normally be that unpredictable, jumpy, emotional and rapid in movement, could they? The gentle rhythms of daily life are normal, not these rebels.
Blake (and presumably others?) is being "looked after": constant observation and following and faked tapes from his relatives (needing actors that look just like his family).
Or the Federation has good computer graphics generators. Easier to do right than finding and coaching actors.