Space Commander Travis tracks The Liberator to an uncharted planet where Blake, Jenna, and Gan are exploring the surface and the ruins of ancient civilization present there. As Travis closes in for attack, the trio make their way back to the ship but with the energy reserves low Blake decides to face his enemy rather than attempt an escape. A powerful anti-war being Sinofar cripples the ship, however, and forces Blake and Jenna to enter a duel with Travis and his pilot, a duel meant to show them the meaning of death.
"Duel" is Blake's 7's imaginative and triumphant take on an old science fiction concept and quite possibly inspired by the same Fredric Brown short story which inspired Star Trek's "Arena". The planet is exceptionally well-realized and the atmosphere the episode creates is palpable, thanks in no small part to the music and the direction from Douglas Camfield. What makes this episode so successful is its emphasis on character, it plays with big concepts but doesn't reduce them to pulp sci-fi, maintaining the sort of character-driven quality that makes Blake's 7 such a distinctive and special series.
10/10