James (Hi!) proceeded to make hay of my musings by pointing out the episode I'd overlooked in Traitor (Damn, damn, damn - I *knew* I'd go wrong somewhere - but for some reason I always mentally assign that one to someone else :-) Probably because, although it's quite a good episode, I hate the return-of-Servalan and Pylene threads it starts.)

However, it doesn't *entirely* demolish the argument for me, since, while Tarrant and Dayna are the ones down and unsafe (as Jenna and Cally are in Gambit), they're really only moving the storyline along (as *do* Cally and Jenna in Gambit). Again the interesting scenes and writing - the good stuff - does go to the guest characters. He did wonderful guests, as I said (many of my favourites), but I don't think Traitor shows any more interest in the *series* characters. I wouldn't say of Tarrant and Dayna that it is one of their better character episodes (whereas the other three are pivotal Avon-Vila).

I accept the 'it is harsh to judge him' especially since - as I said - I like Gambit and *adore* Killer; the thing is, he is one of their best writers (and yes, I agree his writing on Dr Who was wonderful, showing a far greater interest in the series characters) but one does look for a higher standard from the better writers (Tanith Lee being another one) than from, say, James Follett. The point of my musings wasn't to damn his individual episodes, but to look at what common elements in his scripts might have bled over in the role of script editor on this particular series. Maybe part of the reason he turned the job down was because he was unable to muster much interest in the characters Terry Nation invented.

And the bit about exposition still holds, IMO - the Pylene thread involves a lot of 'character A telling character B' etc <g> To give all due, as I said, he's rather good at making bald exposition entertaining ...

<It's inevitable that in a series like Blake's 7 there are going to be episodes in which one or two characters are concentrated on, with the others sidelined, just as there are episodes which are ensemble pieces.>

Oh, agreed. But his *are* all ensemble pieces :-) it's just he puts together an ensemble of his very own.

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