Blake is back on the trail of Star One. Provine told him about Docholli, the last person to know the location of the computer control centre and the search takes him to Freedom City, a pleasure planet close to Federation borders. Will they find him before Servalan does? And will they be able to pass his new bodyguard, Travis?

Docholli

Servalan wants Docholli too, preferably before Blake gets to him. If she can take out Travis and Blake at the same time then it’s a bonus. But her real aim seems to be closing down Freedom City once and for all. Getting all of it done at once just goes to show how smart she can be!

Avon and Vila hatch a plan to break the bank at the Freedom City casino while all this is going on. Can they use Orac to help them, and if so, won’t it be a bit conspicuous? How are they possibly going to get around the problem?

Blake.

He gets the information he wants from Docholli and leaves for Goth.

But also to

Avon and Vila

Who win 5 Million credits at the casino and beat The Klute at Speed Chess and double that to 10 million credits and then get the comedy coda to the episode.

Travis kills the Cevedic and the other guard sent to pick up Docholli in the docking bay.

The Klute kills the young trekker who challenges him at Speed Chess.

It’d be too easy to quote the whole of Robert Holmes’ witty and very entertaining script, but I’ll contain myself to these few examples:

Avon comes up with a plan:

VILA: You know, if it was a desert down there, so hot your eyeballs frizzled, poisonous snakes under every rock --
AVON: Blake would have sent us.
VILA: You can bet on it.
AVON: Bet! Why not? It's perfect.
VILA: What is?
AVON: There is a casino down there. It is called the Big Wheel. No stake limits. Why don't we bust it?
VILA: Because we're up here and the casino's down there.
AVON: We go down there. We can get Orac to operate the teleport. He can do it just as well from down there as up here.
VILA: You mean take Orac with us?
AVON: Of course we take Orac with us. You dummy. You haven't caught on, have you?
VILA: What's on your mind?
AVON: The Big Wheel is run by a computer that fixes the odds at five percent in favour of the house, right?
VILA: Right.
AVON: Right. Orac reads computers.
VILA: Ohhhh, that is beautiful! Avon, there are times when I almost get to like you.
AVON: Yes, well, that makes it all worthwhile.
VILA: I mean, you give me a warm feeling right here, around the money belt.

Chenie sees through Travis:

CHENIE: They say he was one of the first in the burner. When the fumes got too much for him, it was you who dragged him out.
TRAVIS: Oh, yes. I'm a hero, too.
CHENIE: So. You've saved his life twice. Why?
TRAVIS: It's my noble nature.
CHENIE :Oh, yes, Travis. I can see. It shines from your one yellow eye.

Servalan explains her dislike of Krantor:

SERVALAN: He is a despicable animal. When the Federation finally cleans out this cesspit, I shall have that vulpine degenerate eviscerated with a small and very blunt knife.

Travis gives his opinion on Servalan’s new aide:

TRAVIS: That your new muscle, Servalan? Looks like a powder puff.

Docholli tells Blake where to head next:

DOCHOLLI: His name was Lurgen. He was a cyber-surgeon like myself. Perhaps that's why I changed my heart. Anyway, we faked the operation between us. We didn't erase the brain print, we took a copy of it, and then we both ran. He took the copy with him. I heard that he'd gone to earth on a planet called Goth. Later I heard that one of their tribal chiefs had his brain print on a thong round his neck. Well, either it was the print, or his head. They're a crude lot on Goth.

And the very well played last scene:

CALLY: We managed to reach Docholli.
AVON: Oh, great. Wonderful. Terrific.
BLAKE: We didn't get the location of Star One, though.
VILA: [Comes from behind teleport panel carrying a small chess set] I think it's my turn on call, Avon. [To Blake] Oh, you're back.
BLAKE: Vila, I don't like that innocent look. What have you two been up to whilst we've been away?
VILA: Me? Nothing. Had a little sleep.
AVON: Played a little chess.
VILA: Played a little chess.
AVON: And that's all. [They exchange glances, and then look back at Orac (still small). They turn to Blake. Sound as Orac changes back to full size.]
VILA: That's right, Blake. We had a real quiet time.

Like butter wouldn't melt! Avon and Vila aren't good at playing innocent!

Docholli is a cyber-surgeon who worked for the Federation wiping minds and memories. The show has demonstrated several times that brain surgery and implantations of false memory is possible.

Travis’ false arm has neuro-circuits within it.

Krantor places a bug on Travis after he captures him and delivers him to Servalan, which has the form of a small silver disc.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the campest of them all?

He also has a visual communicator that doubles as a mirror and a computer that runs the casino, fixing the odds at 5% to the house so that he does not lose too much money to the patrons.

Blake wears yet another variation of his standard costume this episode, this time it’s the green waistcoat with a light blue peasant shirt beneath it.

Cally and Jenna both get new frocks this episode. Cally’s is cream with a gold belt and worn with high gold boots, while Jenna’s is black with a small v-neck and sequins around the neckline and the waist.

Travis has augmented his costume seen in Voice from the Past with a wide brimmed hat and a black cloak.

HAAAAAAT!

Docholli is dressed in a battered, well-padded leather top with a big brown fedora. Later he wears a tatty looking sheepskin jacket over the leather top.

Most of the other costumes seen in the episode are standard period costumes probably from BBC stock! Since it’s Mardi Gras at Freedom City, this seems fitting. Krantor and Toise wear regency styled costumes, with Krantor’s stripy outfit based apparently on clothes worn by the Prince Regent.

Krantor lies down on the job

It’s a tough choice, as outside of the Seven, almost every costume seen in this episode is outrageously camp.

Servalan having a wonderful time!

Still I think Servalan edges it in one of her most outrageous costumes ever. In a big change from usual, she’s dressed in a red glittering dress with a plunging neckline that shows off her cleavage. As if this was not enough the dress has a huge ruffled plume behind it, also in red that ripples as she works and sparkles due to the sequins sewn into it. This is worn with red tights and silver high-heeled shoes and it looks fabulous.

Krantor offers Servalan a pataki cake. This is made from the distilled venom of a local reptile, the effects of which are quite stimulating papprently. Servalan refuses one, but we do see Krantor’s assistant Toise eat one.

Various drinks are drunk in this episode. Travis orders a vetazade from Chenie’s bar. Docholli has consumed a great deal of alcohol in her bar too.

Vila is seen drinking a blue milky liquid while playing roulette and Avon is seen eating something orange, which he spits out as Vila announces he’s going to play speed chess against The Klute.

Servalan’s assistant Jarriere is also seen drinking a dark blue liquid of some sort.

Vila sends Blake, Jenna and Cally down to Freedom City. It is implied that Orac most have operated the teleport to bring Avon, Vila and Orac down the planet, and then bring them back up again.
Avon and Vila arrive back on the Liberator just in time for Avon to bring Blake, Jenna and Cally back up.

No one loses a teleport bracelet this episode.

Orac is familiar with the theory of molecular reduction. This theory claims that by use of a stabilised atomic implosion, matter can be shrunk without losing any machine function. He demonstrates that is possible by shrinking to one eighth of his normal size, which he claims he can do for a period of two hours and six minutes.

Awww! Cute! It's mini-Orac!

Despite a lot of flirting between Servalan and Krantor there isn’t really any physicality between the characters in this episode, though it’s possible that Krantor and Toise are a couple…

This is another great Servalan episode. Her devious scheming is a delight to watch; especially as her assistant is so thick making her seem even cleverer! However, it’s probably the first glimpse of her in this episode that is the stand out moment for her. She’s draped on a chaise long with a mask held against her face and in the other had she’s holding a dove. With her dressed in red for the first time, there’s no reason to believe that it’s Servalan there, and so when she removes the mask, it’s wonderful for the audience to realise who it is!

Masked and dangerous

Nearly all the guest stars in this episode appeared in Doctor Who. Aubrey Woods had been the Controller in Day of the Daleks. John Leeson as Toise had just given up the role of K9 for the first time. Sylvia Coleridge who played The Croupier was Amelia Ducat in 1976’s The Seeds of Doom. The Kluet was played by Deep Roy who had been the peking homunculus, Mr Sin in The Talons of Weng-Chiang in 1977. Docholli was played by Denis Carey who would go on to not appear on TV in 1979’s unfinished Shada, but would be seen in 1981’s The Keeper of Traken and 1985’s Timelash. Cevedic, Krantor’s chief guard was played by Paul Grice, who had been Filer in 1971’s Claws of Axos.

Toise enters into the spirit of camp

Zee Klute triumphant at Speed Chess!

Big wins make the Croupier very unhappy

Pat Gorman also appears yet again. Hooray!

This is the first episode to go for out and out and camp, and it’s very successful too. Robert Holmes wrote a fine script and the cast milk it for all its worth. Whether it’s successful depends on whether you appreciate this approach to the series. I think that as a one off it works very well indeed, it’s just a shame that the camp sensibilities have a tendency later on to overwhelm the drama or sometimes to work against the drama, but here there’s a balance. Here it works because it’s a story set in big colourful, camp settings, later on it’s more that the campness happens in spite of the script.

Robert Holmes once again shows that he’s has a deep understanding of the Avon- Vila relationship and he brings them to the fore again. In what should have been the b-plot of the story, they somehow manage to steal the story with their banter and fun go and busting the bank at the casino. Darrow and Keating really shine here, playing the comedy for all they can, with Avon’s surprising disgust at the extent of Vila’s avariciousness being particularly outstanding.

Servalan also comes out well from this episode. She’s shown at her scheming best, trying to take out Docholli, Travis and Freedom City in one fell swoop. Again it’s evident that Jacqueline Pearce is greatly enjoying this episode and her scenes with Krantor, especially when she’s draped across his bed of cushions are a real delight. Pearce and Woods play off each other very well, with their mutual mistrust and dislike on show at all times, but both trying to hide it with smiles and flirtatious comments.

Once again Blake is almost sidelined in his own show, as he has to carry out what should be the main part of the plot- the hunt for Docholli. Yet somehow it works fine, perhaps because the other storylines in the episode are so enjoyable. Fortunately the balance would be restored before the end of the season.

Blake and his girls in a rare appearance in Gambit

This episode works well, despite the cheapness of its production and the over blown playing of the scripts. A moment of fun and a return to form after an uneven run of episodes. Even the lack of Dudley Simpson incidental music isn’t much missed.