OK, the idea for this came as I was reading an article on 'Dr Who' in 'Intensities', on how fans construct a consensus of value judgements (that's here http://www.cult-media.com/issue1/Amckee.htm if anyone's interested). Anyway, I skipped the author's problematization of such lists and thought, 'Hey, that would be fun to do for B7!'
Here follows some shameless gushing fannishness of the sort I didn't think I did any more. No doubt I've forgotten loads. No particular order.
1. "The rumours of my death have been - " "*Greatly* exaggerated." "Well, slightly exaggerated, anyway..."
<sob!> I cannot deny the shameless angster within! I remember watching 'Rumours' back when I first got a copy of it again in, must be 1990, and I just couldn't get over this exchange. Avon gives away so much of himself, and yet says virtually nothing.
2. "He's an animal, Cally." "Yes, and it's contagious, isn't it?"
I promise these won't all be from 'Rumours'. I loved this exchange in 1980 and I still love it now. B7 punctures the hypocrisy of the good guys. Cally demands that people are the best they can be. Great stuff.
3. The dome city. I know some people think this effect is rubbish, but I think it looks great and it's so evocative. All those lights, all those lives.
4. "Thieves, killers, mercenaries, psychopaths..."
<gulp> Is he or isn't he?
5. "For what it's worth, I have always trusted you from the very beginning".
I don't believe Blake for a moment, but I don't doubt that Blake believes it.
6. "Vila, I need your help..."
To be honest, I don't mind that they cut some of MK crying. I know that he is.
7. "The Federation is run by hypocrites and supported by fools. I'm glad to be rid of you all."
OK, Penny, you can gloat now. I'm picking this bit because I think Croucher's great here (in fact, I think he's great throughout 'Trial'). What I like about this is the defeat laced with defiance - and then the speed with which he snaps back into action the second he hears those alarms and knows he might still be in with a chance.
8. TRAVIS: Do you remember the medic that saved my life? SERVALAN: You're wasting time. TRAVIS: It was Maryatt. SERVALAN: Does it matter? TRAVIS: No... No. Only Blake matters now.
I have to have a Greify moment too. This is my favourite - the feeble death throes of Travis's conscience. It's a great exchange, speaks volumes about both Servalan and Travis, their relationship, and what really matters to them. Servie is avaricious and aggressive, Travis is weary and can no longer care enough to make a stand.
9. "Are we fanatics?"
Actually, that whole group hug session in 'Star One' when, after two years of fighting side by side, it all comes down to how much they really can't stand each other. It's like Christmas.
10. "Deathwatch". The whole of it. A complete jewel.
11. "The Way Back". The whole of that too.
12. The Vilaworld set. There's something about that set that sums up my watching SF telly as a kid. That planet set should, by all that's godly, be crap - yet somehow I completely believe I'm looking at an alien world. It reminds me of the time when I could suspend belief completely and be utterly entranced. I get the same thing from 'Sarcophagus', and from memories of 'The Adventure Game'.
13. "Maximum power!"
Yes she's bonkers, but you kind of want the blow struck for feminism.
14. "Cheers, Orac."
Vila's finest moment. My most quoted line from B7, mainly because I can't be bothered to memorize anything longer.
15. Darrow trips in 'Animals'. And thus was born a new obsession and a reason to get up in the mornings. You can fill the days incredibly easily when you adopt a hopeless cause.
16. The opening credits of the first two seasons. I didn't watch B7 when it first started and it took me till 1989 to see the opening credits from seasons 1 and 2, when the crappy old edited videos came out. It was thrilling.
17. Docholli's coat. And yet they battle on with the take... How did 'Blake's 7' *ever* get transmitted...?
18. Dudley Simpson's little teleport tune. Da-da-da-dar, da-da-da-dar, da-da-da-da-dar. Da-DAH!
19. "Regret is part of being alive. But keep it a small part." "As you do?" "Demonstrably."
Of all the bits of 'Sarcophagus' I could pick, I've got to have this one. First of all - it's angsty as hell. Second, I'm still an old romantic when it comes to Avon and Cally (you don't see this so much any more in fanfic, do you?). Third, you get to peek inside one of the cabins. Plus it carries on some wonderful character development from CoA and 'Rumours' - yes! it's B7 as soap!
20. Surely you can guess?
Awooga! Awooga!
"Security personnel to main tracking gallery! Security personnel to main tracking -- yargh!"