BBC1 premieres the 40th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7, the first episode of the series’ fourth season. Due to a last-minute pickup by the BBC, the series has to reboot from this point with a new ship, new sets, costumes, props, and a new direction decided on without significant input from series creator Terry Nation. Jan Chappell provides a voice-over for Cally, who doesn’t appear in person. Glynis Barber is introduced as new series regular Soolin. 
The survivors of the Liberator on Terminal begin to make horrible discoveries. First, Avon and Dayna discover that the escape craft Servalan left them was booby trapped as a native animal enters it and it explodes. That simultaneously detonates explosions in the control center underground on Terminal. Vila escapes after heroically rescuing Tarrant, but Cally is killed. The space vessel Scorpio arrives, with the enigmatic Dorian in charge. He takes the crew and Orac away from Terminal just as the planet begins to undergo a massive volcanic outbreak, but Avon takes him prisoner and hijacks the ship. Scorpio, however, is automatically set to take Dorian to his home base, where his gunhand and consort Soolin is waiting. It soon transpires that Dorian has been working on a teleportal and has also devised a near-perfect all-weather handgun. He also repairs Orac and reveals that he is over 200 years old. Dorian plans to sacrifice Avon and the others to a creature that renews Dorian when it is given fresh lives to feed on.
written by Chris Boucher
directed by Mary Ridge
music by Dudley SimpsonCast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Geoffrey Burridge (Dorian), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Rob Middleton (The Creature), Jan Chappell (voice of Cally)
LogBook entry by Earl Green