History Recap / BlakesSevenS4E11Orbit

-->'''Egrorian:''' Servalan, my Steel Queen, my Empress! [drops to his knees] The only reward I crave is a place in your affections.
-->'''Servalan:''' [OhCrap look] But you already ''have'' that, Egrorian! Ten years ago [[YouOweMe I risked my position to help you continue your work]].
-->'''Egrorian:''' [MilkingTheGiantCow] And not a DAY has passed since then that I have not YEARNED for the time, when I would be able to repay your trust by laying ''all the world'' and the galaxy at your feet!

** "The escape velocity of this vehicle is now confirmed at Mach 15. [beat] And unattainable!" [dramatic chord]

* AmbitionIsEvil: Though not to Servalan, who approves of Egrorian's plotting.

A renegade scientist called Egrorian has invented the ultimate weapon, and is willing to give it to the Seven in exchange for Orac. But our heroes suspect that Servalan is behind it all, and so an intricate game ensues with both parties trying to outsmart the other. Before the episode is over, Avon will have to decide just how much he's willing to sacrifice for his own self-interest.

-->'''Egrorian:''' Yes, even the shuttle will be reusable after a few repairs. Avon and Vila won't survive, of course. They'll be j-j-jellified-- [Breaks off [[EvilLaughing laughing]]. Pinder joins in. Servalan rolls her eyes.]

* SpotTheImposter: Egrorian asks Orac a question about his degree thesis; it turns out to be TooMuchInformation. But this Orac is indeed a fake, as Avon has installed a relay to the real Orac that's hidden in the shuttle.

* SmartPeoplePlayChess: But that doesn't stop them cheating at it.

-->'''Vila:''' I'll have an imperial palace with solid diamond floors, and a [[BodyguardBabes bodyguard of a thousand handpicked virgins]] in red fur uniforms. Vila's [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Royal Mounties]].

* AndThenWhat: Avon says that with his new superweapon Egrorian could destroy the Federation himself, but he points out that would only leave a power vacuum, which a RebelLeader is needed to fill.

* ToThePain: Egrorian twists Pinder's arm after catching him cheating at chess.

-->'''Avon:''' How can you tell the king from the queen?

* CrazyPrepared: Avon had built a fake Orac months before. Justified given the amount of times Servalan has tried to get her hands on it. "Contingency planning, Vila. And the contingency arose."

* AllPlanetsAreEarthlike: Averted; Egrorian and Pinder are hiding in a [[DomedHometown domed survival station]] due to the hostile environment. Not that Earthlike planets [[BBCQuarry are any more appealing]].

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Pinder puts up with Egrorian's petty sadism, yet when he finds that Egrorian was going to abandon him he kills them both.
* MoralEventHorizon: For all his constant insults Avon has protected Vila in the past, and betrayal has always been Avon's personal BerserkButton. Now he's willing to betray his friend to save himself.

* DeletedScene
** A scene showing Vila crying as he's hiding from Avon was cut for being too disturbing.
** Exposition was cut from the script explaining why they could see the moon being destroyed when it was seventeen light years away, and another scene involving Egrorian locking the Tachyon Funnel onto Scorpio so Orac could verify its existence.

** In "Games" there's a continuity error in which Orac is shown in two different places at the same time. Fans have speculated that one is the fake Orac that Avon was building.

* HomoeroticSubtext: Egrorian and Pinder. Although the standards of the time meant that they couldn't actually be called lovers on-screen, scriptwriter Robert Holmes made it as obvious as you can get without outright saying the G-word.

* WholePlotReference: Inspired by ''Literature/TheColdEquations'', though not RecycledInSpace this time as the TropeNamer was in space too. Robert Holmes avoids the contrived circumstances of the original story by having it be the result of sabotage rather than NoOSHACompliance.

-->"The escape velocity of this vehicle is now confirmed at Mach 15. [beat] And unattainable!" [dramatic chord]
-->"Vila weighs 73 kilos, Avon."

* SpotTheImposter: Egrorian asks Orac a question about his degree thesis; it turns out to be TooMuchInformation. But this Orac is indeed a fake, but Avon has installed a relay to the real Orac that's hidden in the shuttle.

-->'''Vila:''' All we have to do is knock out a few planets [[MakeAnExampleOfThem for target practice]], then name our own terms. We can have whatever we want! Think of it.

* ColdEquation:
** Inspired by the TropeNamer. The autoshuttle is too heavy to achieve escape velocity, so Avon and Vila throw everything they can out the airlock [[AllForNothing including the Tachyon Funnel]] but are short seventy kilos.

* RapidAging: Pinder's MurderSuicide via Hoffal's radiation turns himself into a skeleton and Egrorian into a white-haired corpse.

* BlatantLies: "Vila? Vila, I need your help..."

-->'''Orac:'' Remaining flight time -- ten minutes.
-->'''Vila:'' And another five minutes before we hit. How do you spend your last fifteen minutes?
-->'''Avon:'' Working. ''Working like we have never worked before, Vila!''

* CryingWolf: While stalking Vila with a gun in his hand, Avon says, "I know how they did it but I need your help." Then Avon really does find out how they made the shuttle too heavy, but Vila is too scared to come out of hiding.

A renegade scientist called Egrorian has invented the ultimate weapon, and is willing to give it to the Seven in exchange for Orac. But our heroes suspect that Servalan is behind it all, and so an intricate game ensues with both parties trying to outsmart the other. Before the episode is over, Avon will have to decide just how much he's willing to sacrifice towards his own self-preservation.

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Avon unfortunately shows his CharacterDevelopment is not enough to outweigh his self-interest.

A renegade scientist has invented the ultimate weapon, and is willing to give it to the Seven in exchange for Orac.