[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Episode 1

The Way Back

By Terry Nation

Roj Blake is a typical citizen of the Federation who believes that his family have emigrated to a frontier world. When an acquaintance promises him information about his family, he illegally goes with her outside the domed city into the forbidden lands. Once there, he is told that four years earlier he had been a rebel leader, but following capture his memories were wiped and new ones added by the Federation, he finds out his family were sent to another world but executed before arrival.

Whilst at a rebel meeting Blake hides as Federation troops massacre the rest, he is then arrested and put on trial to discredit him on charges of child molestation, so any potential followers would be put off him. Evidence is manufactured, Blake is proved guilty of the charges and he is sentenced to life on the penal colony Cygnus Alpha.

Whilst in transit Blake becomes friends with a thief named Villa Restal and beautiful smuggler Jenna Stannis. As the prison ship London takes off Blake is told to take a final look at earth, he replies "No, i'm coming back".
............

The opening episode of Blakes 7 is far from the classic space opera it would become, this episode is more Grisham style courtroom thriller. For a start there are no real villains in the episode just the "system". Its an adult themed sci-fi drama, a notch up from the increasingly childish Doctor Who episodes airing at the time. The episode encompeses freedom fighters, mind altering drugs, torture and touches on paedophilia to give the viewer an entirely grim opening episode with its only flashes of humour apparent with the arrival onscreen of Villa.