4.7 - Erebus

Erebus, the third story of the second Crossfire box set, finds Kerr Avon (Paul Darrow) and the crew of the Liberator travelling to the planet Erebus, base of operations for the former President (Hugh Fraser). But Avon is walking into a trap, and for once, the trap is being made by someone who is far, far better than him, and for once, Avon may just have made his second ever mistake. Star Paul Darrow pens Erebus, a tale that brings Avon into contact with his past, but the story suffers by being not only a thin tale, but a rather annoyingly characterized one. Avon isn’t particularly well-written here; the character takes on some poor traits, acting like less of a ruthless borderline terrorist, and more like a swashbuckling hero, complete with zingers and one-liners. There are also some traits from the Lucifer series, particularly in the grim tone, that make their way into the story and the characters, which gives it a bit of a paradoxical nature. But the biggest flaw of the story is the introduction of the, “number one computer expert in the galaxy”, and the person who caught Avon, Eve, as played by Issy Van Randwyck. The character is a serious misstep for the series, as it gives a face to a mythical character, but more than that, it also shows her as a, “weak woman” trope, bound by her emotions and unable to beat the man who she’s admired from afar. It’s a serious mistake bringing her into the story in the first place, but the characterization of the character is downright insulting, and puts much of a damper on the main story. The main story aims to expand upon Avon’s backstory, but the laser-focus on that shreds apart much of the mystery and intrigue that makes the character work so well. The darker elements of the story were highlights, as that felt more like the “true” Avon, but overall, the story is just filled with mistakes and insulting characterizations, that contrasts with the previous story, as easily one of the worst Blake’s 7 releases from Big Finish.