Blake's 7/Kerr Avon

Kerr Avon
Blake's 7
Actor	Paul Darrow
First Appearance	Episode 2 Space Fall
Last Appearance	Episode 52 Blake
Series Billing	Unknown — Presumed dead.
Episode Count	51
Notable Episodes	n/a

Basic Information

Kerr Avon was widely regarded the most memorable Blake's_7 character. His personality could initially be described as cold and logical, with a large streak of ruthlessness, a strong tendancy towards violent solutions and a lack of trust in all other people. Towards the end of the series he was demonstrating severe paranoid tendancies, and was almost as much of a threat to the crew as the Federation.

He initially joined the series in the second episode Space Fall when his technical knowledge was required to take over the Transport Ship London. He accomplished the goals he was given, only to have the mutiny fail due to what he saw as Blake's weakness when the London's crew started executing prisoners to force their surrender. Ths was the start of an ongoing conflict with Roj Blake over what the goals and missions of the Liberator were, and when Roj Blake was unable to be rescued at the end of Season 2's Star One, he assumed command.

Avon continued Blake's resistance, as he believed that the Federation was a threat to himself, however his control over the crew was tenuous at times, and he used tactics ranging from carefully worded instructions to Zen to lock out the other crew's access, to overt threats of violence to maintain his position.

Character History

For a main character, Kerr Avon never had much of a past. His sole family member was an unnamed brother mentioned in passing (1x02 Cygnus Alpha). The only other characters from his past that were discussed in any great detail was a deceased lover Anna Grant, her brother Del Grant (Ep 22 Countdown / Ep 34 Rumours of Death), and an ex partner Tynus(Ep 20 Killer).

Avon was a computer genius, who both worked for the Federation as part of their Matter Transmission project, while simultaneously being involved in at least two major crimes. He was eventually arrensted for attempting to defraud the Federation Banking system of 5 million Credits, for which he was sentenced to be shipped to Cygnus Alpha.

Memorable Moments

Important character arc storys for Avon are

• 2x09 Countdown - Avon discusses his final days with Anna's brother Del
  
• 3x01 Aftermath - Avon rebuilds the crew after the Star One invasion, and is offered a co-rulership of the galaxy with Servalan
  
• 3x08 Rumours of Death - Avon's search for Bartolomew, the Federation agent who betrayed both him and Anna
  
• 3x13 Terminal - Avon further isolates himself from the crew in an effort to find Blake
  
• 4x11 Orbit - Avon and Vila's friendship is strained in a crisis situation.
  
• 4x13 Blake - The conclusion of Avon's search for Blake
  

Trivia

Kerr Avon's character has been the basis of inspiration for many flawed anti-heroes in science fiction since the show first aired in 1979. One of the more recent examples can be found in the TV Series Firefly and more specifically in The Train Job where Jayne shoots Crow in the leg and the dialogue is taken almost word for word from Orac. Based on Joss Whedon's comments, this is intentional.

MAL: Nice shot.
JAYNE: (Slurred) I was aimin' for his head.

vs

BLAKE: Good shot, Avon.
AVON: I was aiming for his head.

Quotes

• 1x02 Space Fall

VILA: Blake -- Kerr Avon. When it comes to computers, he's the number two man in all the Federated worlds.
NOVA: Who's number one?
VILA: The guy who caught him. You've got nothing to be ashamed of. Do you know, he came close to stealing five million credits out of the Federation Banking System.
BLAKE: What went wrong?
AVON: I relied on other people

• 1x06 The Web

AVON: We could make a fortune with it if it wasn't for Blake.
GAN: In what way?
AVON: There's always a market for technology like this.
GAN: I don't think Blake would agree to that.
AVON: There will come a time when he won't be making the decisions. [Smiles]

• 1x08 Duel

BLAKE: [Laughs] I get the distinct feeling I offended Zen's professional pride then.
AVON: It's just a machine, Blake.
VILA: And he should know.
GAN: Well Avon is the expert.
VILA: That's not what I meant.
AVON: No, he was calling me a machine, but since he undoubtedly defines himself as a human being, I shall choose to accept that as more of a compliment than anything else.

GAN: You're never involved, are you Avon? You ever cared for anyone?
VILA: Except yourself?
AVON: I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care, or, indeed, why it should be necessary to prove it at all. [Exits]

• 1x10 Breakdown

AVON: Blake, in the unlikely event that we survive this --
BLAKE: Yes?
AVON: I'm finished. Staying with you requires a degree of stupidity of which I no longer feel capable.
BLAKE: No, you're just being modest.

• 1x12 Deliverance

BLAKE: None of which sounds very promising. [To Avon] You're sure you want to go down?
AVON: Are you afraid that I'll be able to cope with it better than you?
BLAKE: [Chuckles] No.
AVON: Well, perhaps you ought to be.

• 1x13 Orac

BLAKE: I think you're going to kill me, Travis, with or without orders from the Supreme Commander.
SERVALAN: With orders, Blake. All right, Travis, go ahead. [TRAVIS raises his gun arm to shoot BLAKE. A pause and his hand expodes. AVON slides down the side of the quarry with his gun raised]
AVON: Don't move.
BLAKE: Good shot, Avon.
AVON: I was aiming for his head.

• 2x13 Star One

AVON: Are you just going to sit there? You have led them by the nose before.
BLAKE: Excuse me, are you going to answer her question?
AVON: Show me someone who believes in anything and I will show you a fool.
BLAKE: I meant what I said on Goth, Avon. We are not going to use Star One to rule the Federation, we are going to destroy it.
AVON: I never doubted that. I never doubted your fanaticism. As far as I am concerned you can destroy whatever you like. You can stir up a thousand revolutions, you can wade in blood up to your armpits. Oh, and you can lead the rabble to victory, whatever that might mean. Just so long as there is an end to it. When Star One is gone it is finished, Blake. And I. Want it. Finished. I want it over and done with. I want to be free.
CALLY:But you are free now, Avon.
AVON: I want to be free - of HIM.
BLAKE: I never realized. You really do hate me, don't you?
AVON: When we have dealt with Star One, I will take you back to Earth and then the Liberator is mine, agreed?
BLAKE: Agreed. Assuming the others go along with it.

• 3x01 Aftermath

AVON: So Blake's rabble finally get freedom of choice. He won after all.[They both stand]
SERVALAN: Forget Blake. YOU have control of the Liberator now. There's no more powerful ship in the galaxy. You have Orac. Avon! Don't you see what that means?
AVON: You tell me about it.
SERVALAN: You could rebuild it all. All those worlds could be yours, Avon, they're there for the taking. You and I could build an empire greater and more powerful than the Federation ever was or ever could have been. Now, Avon. At this moment we can take history and shape it in our own image. Think of it: absolute power. There is nothing you can imagine that we couldn't do.
AVON: I am thinking of it.
SERVALAN: We can do it, Avon.
AVON: I know we can.
SERVALAN: We'll be answerable to no one. Ours will be the only voice. Imagination our only limit. [They kiss. Avon grabs her by the throat and pushes her to the ground]
AVON: Imagination my only limit? I'd be dead in a week.

• 3x12 Terminal

VILA: Let's be on the safe side and go around it.
AVON: No, we stay on course.
TARRANT: Now look, this involves all of us. I can't think of a good reason why we should take any risks, and you're not about to give me one, are you. Zen, recommendations.
ZEN: The consensus of computer systems favor a course deviation to avoid contact. In this environment, it is prudent to treat any unexplained phenomenon as potentially dangerous.
VILA: Isn't that what I just said? With a brain like mine, who needs computers?
AVON: Zen, maintain present course, no deviation. Status one, subcategory Q, no countermand.
ZEN: Confirmed.
TARRANT: That is it, Avon. I've had it. Either you tell us what it's all about or we're going to stop it.
AVON: No, you're not. Nothing and nobody is going to stop it, you least of all. Now get out of my way, and stay out of my way. [Camera pans down to reveal that there is a gun pointing at Tarrant's stomach. A Pause, then Avon exits]
CALLY: You were lucky. He meant it. He was going to kill you.
TARRANT: I got that impression myself.

AVON: All right, now listen. I don't know what to expect or how long this will take me. I'll call in every hour on the hour, but if I miss one transmission, get out of here.
CALLY: What? You mean leave you on Terminal? Abandon you?
AVON: That's exactly what I mean. Keep the ship on full alert. At the slightest hint of danger, the same thing applies: move out fast.
TARRANT: Oh, come on, Avon. Look, we've been through a lot together. We've always been at risk; we've always taken chances. But we've survived because we worked as a team. So what is it you have to do that makes this so different?
AVON: This happens to be my problem. None of you are involved.
DAYNA: But we are involved. However much you like to pretend you're a loner, you're not really. We depend on each other. I wouldn't be alive now if it wasn't for you, and I'm sure that's true of everybody else. So why not trust us?
VILA: Look, you don't have to give reasons. You don't even have to explain. Whatever it is, we'll back you up.
CALLY: Or, if you want one of your own cold, rational explanations, we can't afford to lose you.
AVON: Sentiment breeds weakness. Let it get a hold of you and you are dead. I have already programmed Zen. In precisely twelve hours, the ship will set course for Calipheron. You cannot override it. After that, it will come back under your command. Go where you want, but stay away from Terminal.
TARRANT: You seem to have thought of everything.
AVON: I have also recorded a full explanation of everything I am doing. Zen will not issue it until you are in flight. It's very detailed. The only thing missing is the end. Operate, will you, Dayna? One last thing. I don't need any of you. I needed the Liberator to bring me here so I had no choice but to bring you along, but this is as far as you go. I don't want you with me. I don't want you following me. Understand this: Anyone who does follow me, I'll kill them. All right, Dayna.