$_12The Empire’s and the Federation’s “crack” troops do end up being cannon fodder for the good guys, no matter how bad ass they are supposed to be. And from Servalan’s point of veiw, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Just like Space is always blacker in the neighboring universe.

I always LOVED the design of the Federation troopers. The simple black jumpsuits, which evolved over the four seasons of the series to become a little more stylized. However, it was always the helmets that inspired fear and admiration in me as a child and adult. They are scary looking dudes. Extremely intimidating and unmistakably cruel.

Servalan is undoubtedly the biggest bitch in the galaxy. And we’re probably talking outside of Blake’s 7’s universe as well. The human equivalent of a black widow… a female praying mantis. Played by Jacqueline Pearce at the peak of her powers, the character of Servalan quickly stole the show and went from being an occasional big bad to a camp returning villainess who you loved to watch, but wished she would just die so the story could move on.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved Servalan, but ongoing series often have a villain that overstays their welcome and quantity does not equal quality. Think of Murdoch from McGuyver, or Anthony Ainley’s Master from 1980s Doctor Who. You can leave a comment with an example of villain characters from other shows that fit this bill. Come on, people! Let’s make a list!

For those interested in Blake’s 7, a show Leanne and I love dearly, below is a video celebrating Servalan. You can watch pretty much the whole series for free on Youtube.

Here is Mackenzie Crook cross-dressing as the part of Servalan for a comedy television special parodying Blake’s 7.

GPBlakes_1