Sally:

<Perhaps Avon just articulated what they both had in mind? (And then she articulated refusal to desert Blake - which they also both had in mind).>

Yup. Had he *really really* wanted to stop her hitting that teleport button to bring Blake back, he could've. I find the whole thing a bit like Avon and Cally in Horizon ... he needs someone else to *agree* to the decision to desert before he can actually *do* it.

I'd rather say, he needs someone to *disagree* because it gives him an excuse. Then Avon can say to himself, "I wanted to desert, it's just that Jenna/Cally/Feds/Alien fleet/fill in the blank... prevented me." It's much easier than any attempt at introspection which would reveal something *within* that prevents him.

Another problem - given that the three of them have spent those (also problematic) four months aboard the Liberator before reaching Cygnus Alpha, how come no one has spotted the treasure room sooner?

Or perhaps Blake discovered it before Jenna, but wouldn't tell the other two, knowing that it would seriously decrease his chances of being teleported back from Cygnus Alpha? (And put a label saying, "Beware of rats", or "Sticky alien underwear inside".)

I think the whole episode tells us a lot about Blake. Being a good judge of characters, he's seen through the other two and, with or without the treasure room, he knows it's quite likely they might desert him. That a hero risks his life and freedom is OK, it's something we conventionally expect heroes to do. But here Blake risks losing the Liberator - the ship he deems so precious for his Cause, the only thing in the galaxy that can challenge the Federation - for what? For a chance to save a handful of losers such as Arco and Salmon and Vila! One can hardly get better proof of Blake's loyalty to friends. No wonder he's pissed off like hell when it turns out they don't want to be saved.

<I guess with Servalan sex appeal is closely related to the appeal of power, so she started noticing Avon when he became the "owner" of that big ship, and "seduce Avon" became synonymous with "get the Liberator".>

Yeeesss, she was probably bright enough to realise early that Blake was about as seduce-able as a rock - it's a wonderful non-relationship they have, they show absolutely *no* interest, good or bad, in each other as human beings.

Hmm, I think there is a little moment in "Orac" (I might have dreamt it up, I last saw that ep in 1980-something), when Blake says, "I think you'll kill me now, Travis, unless Supreme Commander has other plans." And then he looks at her. Of course, he's just buying time, he's looking at Avon behind her shoulder, but I think his tone and his eyes are slightly... flirting.

N.