Monday 7 September 2015

Her Viciousness Supreme Commander Servalan - Blake's 7 - #MonsterMondays 17


I'm looking back to the 70s and early 80s again today for Monster Monday 17, to one of the most perfect monsters ever, Servalan from Blake's 7. I do hope you enjoy my post.
Monster Mondays posts may be fiction, film reviews, book reviews or me waxing lyrical about a particular monster. Monsters can be paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy or even simply human. So basically, anything monster goes. I also invite anyone who would like to, to join in with their own post. (See end for details).
Her Viciousness Supreme Commander Servalan - Blake's 7

For those who are too young to remember, or who have not been exposed to cult British Sci-Fi, Blake's 7 was a science fiction television show from the late 70s and early 80s that ran for four seasons. It charts the progress of freedom fighter Blake and his motley crew of criminals on board the Liberator as they stand against the Federation who use military might and chemical suppressants to keep whole planets under their control.

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Servalan, played wonderfully by Jacqueline Pearce, is the Supreme Commander of the Terran Federation. She is glamorous, highly intelligent and totally ruthless. She uses people and throws them away when they no longer serve her purposes. She is our heroes' arch nemesis and no matter how many close calls she had, they never managed to kill her.

I have heard Jacqueline Pearce say in interviews that originally the costume department wanted to put her in a uniform, like the rest of the Federation troops, but thank heavens they didn't. The fact she wears the most incredible gowns is one of her most distinctive aspects. There have been many female villains in sci-fi who wear tight uniforms and use their sex appeal to entrap unwary adversaries, but Servalan does it with incredible style.

She's a monster because she's a ruthless sociopath who will stop at nothing to bolster her own power. She cares for no one except herself, even though she does seem to be strangely attracted and fascinated by Avon (Paul Darrow), the computer expert and financial whizz of Blake's crew. Given that Avon is arguably doing his best to at least pretend to be a sociopath himself, that would make for an interesting match.

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Servalan is such an interesting character. She uses her body as well as her mind all in the aim of furthering her own position and power. This is a woman who is not afraid to use every advantage she has, up to an including seducing men to keep them sweet until she is ready to stab them in the back. Her femininity has power and she also has a mind to rival any in the Federation. I love her and all her evil ways :). I hate to think what kind of megalomaniac, super intelligent children she and Avon would have produced had they ever decided it was to both of their advantages!

So there you have it, my very human monster of the week; the indomitable Servalan.

Have you seen Blake's 7? Who is your favourite character? What is your favourite sci-fi show?


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8 comments:

  1. I never really understood Servalan as a kid when I first saw Blake's 7 - she is definitely an adult's villain and she is so cool! Bitch of the first order, out for herself and willing to do anything to meet her own agenda, which does not always gel with the Federations ;P.

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    1. I agree, she was just the baddie when we were younger, but she has so much more depth to her when you can understand her a bit better :)

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  2. had heard of Blake 7 ... but, have never seen it ... though we are some-what familiar with other British Sci-Fi... (other than just "Dr. Who"...)
    .... Human villains can indeed be listed as a "Monster"....( and though not All Monsters can be listed as a Villain....)

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    1. You are absolutely right there about villains and monsters :)

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  3. So we posted on a "Human Monster"... where as, the "Real Monster" is Paul Williams Making "contracts" for the Devil....
    The Title "Villain" is only a "monster" through tragedy .... and somewhat of an updated (to the early 70's) version of Faust and Phantom of the Opera....
    Thank you again for this wonderful idea for an ongoing Monday post, dear Lady Tasha....

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    1. Awesome, thanks for joining in. I added you link to the list, I was putting a new one up every week, but I've changed it now to be just the same one every week, so I used you Monster Monday tag in the link :).

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  4. Used to watch Blake 7 avidly. Always felt that Servalan was a great seductive villain... and those costumes. Couldn't get enough... rather like Avon I suspect.

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    1. I was not allowed to watch it very often when it was originally on, but I have it all on DVD now. Servalan was awesome :). Avon did always seem rather torn as to whether he should kill her or not, even when she was trying to kill him. It seemed to be a bit of mutual confusion and both their parts.

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