Episode 19
Trial
Written by Chris Boucher
Servalan, needing to get rid of Travis before he can testify against her in the inquiry into the mishandling of the "Blake affair," puts him on trial for genocide.
Blake is wracked with guilt over Gan's death, and being needled about it by Avon, he teleports to an uninhabited planet to think.
Blake has made certain they can't find him, which makes the rest of the crew suspicious, and Avon tries to use the crew's suspicions in his favour and suggests leaving Blake on the planet and having the Liberator for himself.
Before they can make up their minds, Vila accidentally triggers a message from Blake saying that he has left them no way to find him for thirteen hours. After that a homing beacon may notify them of where he is, if they want to pick him up.
Although Avon tries to counter the effect the message has on the others, it is he who programs the automatic search pattern that will pick up the beacon
When it turns out that Blake is in immediate danger, it is Avon who devises the means of rescuing him.
To restore their legend of invulnerability, Blake decides to attack Servalan's Headquarters. Under cover of that attack, Travis, who has been found guilty in the bogus trial is sentenced to be executed. During the melee of the Liberator's attack Travis overpowers his guards and escapes. He makes a surprise visit to see Servalan who tells him she will still unofficially help him track down Blake.
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Logically given the episode title Travis' trial is the most important part of the story. The Blake escapade is filler really and is there to pad out the episode and give a little more depth to the crews regret and grief over Gan's death.
Trial is almost an exploration of Travis's psyche through the eyes of his troops.
the irony of the episode is the fact the Liberator's attack helped Travis escape therefore allowing him to continue his vengeful mission against the crew, had the attack not happened Travis would almost certainly have been executed.
On a final note, the creature on the planet, Zil, looks ridiculous, in fact it looks like a woman in cheap spandex with a shrivelled alien stuck to her head.
An excellent episode with a poor subplot.
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