Sally wrote:

Tis the way he tries soooooo hard to be menacing and intimidating (the way T1 managed seemingly as naturally as breathing) and just - just - *isn't* (and it isn't only Hostage, goodness knows he has a nerve calling My Gnome

a

powderpuff in Gambit). Sorry, dear, but Travis 2 just *isn't* Blake's

equal

and it shows, painfully.

I don't know about that. Travis got Blake pretty much where he wanted him in "Hostage." Travis also got to Star One first. And Travis' machinations forced Blake to abandon his plans for Star One. With post-Trial T2 having far fewer resources than Blake he had to be a plucky sort of scrambler to be as successful as he was, and to be one step ahead of Blake as often as he was. He was very much Blake's equal, which is what kept the contest interesting. And it's what kept Blake from looking like a loser. If his primary enemy had been less bright and less effectual, Blake would have had to have been a lot more successful or we would have been saying, "What's the matter with this guy that he can't accomplish more?" When he's up against T2, we know why Blake isn't accomplishing more.

Not that T2 was perfect. In HOSTAGE he should have killed Blake as soon as he had Avon and Vila. He no longer needed Blake to get him Liberator.

The other time he failed to finish Blake was in STAR ONE. But it's still a glorious Travis moment. He dominates the screen. I love the way Brian delivers the lines: "His name is Blake. Hm. His name was Blake." The edge of insanity he incorporates into those lines is brilliant.

I have no problem with the switch from Stephen to Brian. T1 has the might of Space Command behind him; he's coolly confident that he'll succeed. T2 has been faced with numerous failures. He's no longer as confident. He's growing stressed and ragged. Then the Federation itself betrays him. I don't know how Stephen would have played second season Travis, but Brian's interpretation is spot on perfect for me.

Carol Mc