Some essential episodes for a beginner:

When you examine B7 you notice that many themes recur often enough to categorize them as the essential ingrediants. Two main plot types feature as well: The `Servalan/Travis/Fed officer episode', either a plan to capture the crew or to capture something else (Orac, Helotrix, feldon crystals); and the `neutrals/aliens episode' in which the former do not usually figure directly, although the Federation's presence usually casts its shadow. If I were introducing someone to B7, I would probably use the following episodes, because they illustrate these main themes so well, besides being very well written.

Treating `Deliverance' and `Orac' as a two-parter, I think it makes and excellent example of the `Servalan/Travis plot type episode', whereas `Shadow' reveals criminal underbelly of the Fed, and has an alien to boot. Admittedly, you begin `Deliverance' with a bang, and if you don't know who the regular cast are you may wonder what's going on, but not for long and you might be encouraged to go back to the beginning and find out.

• Servalan plans a `coup': Plots to acquire Orac.

• Servalan's treachery: Sabotages ship to prevent Ensor getting power cells in time so that she need not pay for Orac.

• Servalan's treachery: Does anyone seriously think she will hand Orac over to her Fed masters?

• Servalan sacrifices underling: The luckless Marriott.

• Servalan explains plans to Travis: Sabotage, murder, theft, business as usual.

• Servalan takes a trip: Travels secretly to Aristo with Travis to steal Orac.

• Blake attempts to help someone else: Ensor Jr's sabotaged ship.

• Avon challenges Blake's leadership: "Are you afraid I might cope better than you?...Well perhaps you should be."

• Cally as medic: Treats Ensor Jr.

• Ground party runs into hostile natives: Primitives capture Jenna and chase off rescue party.

• Crew rescue captured member(s): Ground party rescue Jenna.

• Local inhabitants aid crew: Meegat shelters Avon, Gan & Vila.

• Crew aid local inhabitants: Avon launches genetic bank rocket.

• Vila's cowardice: Has to be dragged into action several times.

• Looking for allies/equipment/information for the fight against the Federation: Blake & Cally learn about Orac.

• Liberator has to move off station: Ensor Jr hijacks it.

• Reality creeps in: Ground party go down with radiation sickness.

• Blake attempts to help someone else: Delivers power cells to Ensor Snr.

• Local inhabitant aids crew: Ensor supplies decontaminant drugs.

• Local ally killed/dies: Ensor has heart attack while fleeing from Servalan & Travis.

• Travis/Servalan corner Blake: They catch up with Blake & Cally.

• Avon protects Blake: Teleports down in time to prevent Travis blasting Blake and Cally.

• Crew gain important technical advantage: Orac.

• Crew prevent Fed from gaining important technical advantage: Orac.

• Orac delivers unwelcome news: "Spaceship will be destroyed."

  SHADOW

• The figure from someone's past: Largo from Jenna's career in "free trading.

• Looking for allies/equipment/information for the fight against the Federation: The Terra Nostra's contacts.

• Dissention in the crew: Gan is against using the TN on moral grounds, Avon thinks it won't work.

• Disobedience by a crew member: Vila sneaks off to Space City.

• Reality creeps in: Petey dies of Shadow addiction.

• Cally's psi powers as warning: she detects alien presence.

• Cally communicates telepathically: she checks with Blake about the number of shuttles Liberator is supposed to have.

• Local inhabitants aid crew: Hanna & Bek distract gunman for Avon.

• Local inhabitants aid crew: Moon-discs aid/comfort Cally.

• Crew aid local inhabitants: Blake takes Bek & Hanna aboard Liberator.

• Avon protects Blake: he organises Gan, Bek & Hanna to overpower Largo's gunman then returns for Blake & Jenna.

• Crew member rescues captured member(s): Cally threatens Space City with Liberator's weaponry unless they release Blake & Co.

• Alien possession: this time it's Orac who's taken over.

• Alien possession: alien tries to drive Cally insane.

• Alien threat: unseen malignant entity wants to tap into the energy sources of this galaxy (presumably it has exhausted that of its own).

• Vila gets soused: his worst hangover yet "Never again, I'm dying".

• The raid: Blake, Jenna & Avon teleport to Zondar (?) to destroy the Terra Nostra's production line.

• Physical combat: Avon kills two guards.

• Local ally killed: Hanna is electrocuted trying to switch off Orac.

• Cally's psi powers to the rescue: with the aid of the moon-discs, she deactivates Orac with telekinesis.

• Avon's gadgets: he fits Orac with an anti-tamper device.

• Federation perfidy revealed: "The President of the Federation runs the Terra Nostra."

• Recruiting helpers: Blake encourages Bek to form a resistance group in Space City.

  Primary analysis suggests the design is eccentric and may be decorative rather than functional.
  Zen [Sarcophagus]

Frances Teagle