Natasa, this was lovely: <In Blake's case, I am not referring only to his realization about the evil nature of the Federation. Blake is not just forced to face the horrors of the world around him. He is also forced to understand and experience the dark recesses of his own mind.>

Absolutely. I think this is probably one of the things that does separate Blake - and maybe Avon - from the rest, probably because they are the only ones in a role that forces them to confront *themselves*, without the blinkers we all use to protect ourselves from what we see :-)

<These two bitter lessons could have persuaded Blake that he *has* to resort to violence. There's no other way to defeat the Federation. However, it is a decision which cannot leave one's soul intact.>

But he's still not immune to the siren call of a peaceful end - see 'Voice from the Past'.

<Blake has suffered great personal wrongs which he cannot forgive or forget. Much as he tries to suppress his hatred, obsession, need for personal revenge, from his conscious attitude, he is still aware of these traits. Even if it's true, as Sally noticed, that Blake manages to stay emotionally detached from the violence he's committing, I think that all the while he has to fight certain darkness within, to grapple with his most negative urges.>

I do think that it a strong part *of* his refusal to kill Travis and Servalan. He doesn't enjoy killing, ever. With them, there is the very real possibility he *would* enjoy it, and it's important to him that he never reach that point. As you said, he knows his own dark side and is determined to keep it under control (witness also his refusal to consider controlling Star One, because "that sort of power would corrupt anyone," himself included.

<The world around and within Our Hero is complex and filled with horrors. It's not just that the time is out of joint, it is also his own self which is out of joint, and the cursed spite is that he can't ever set these right.>

Yes, yes, yes ... he's a product of his time and place, as they all are, and the time and place is a cold, vicious place to be brought up in. One thing about nearly all of the characters, good and bad, is their lack of vision, of any feeling for anything other than there here and now, or for anyone outside themselves and/or their own little group; this would appear to me to be so endemic that it's probably a result of growing up in this brutal, decaying civilization.

Blake has vision above that (so, probably, do other rebel leaders like Avalon, but we don't see enough of them to see it). But he's still limited - damaged - by the simple fact of who he is, where he is, when he is. The difference is, IMO, that he knows and cares about it.

<And kindly don't call Blake schmuck while I'm around.>

He can be an idiot <g> but I still think he could claimed to be 'touched with greatness'.

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