Season 2, Episode 10: The TayborThis blog comes with the generalized warning that any post may contain spoilers. That is especially true of these Space: 1999 posts. So if you haven't seen this episode, intend to watch it, and therefore don't want spoilers, then don't read.
Alpha is visited by an intergalactic trader who possesses technology that can get them all back to earth. But the price may be just a little too high.
My Thoughts
This is another one of those silly episodes that makes me think of Lost in Space. It's not really bad; there's some good dramatic timing, and the story is interesting for what it's worth. But it's just so...silly. Still, it's way better than the boring crap that dominated the first season.
One of the things that I found most interesting about this one is that it sheds some actual light on how far the moon has traveled. As Koenig and Taybor discuss the logistics of getting back to earth (come to think of it, that makes this another Gilligan's Island episode), it's clear that they're not in the milky way. In fact, they're far enough away from it that they can't just reference it as a nearby galaxy. Other episodes included stray comments about travelling through anomalies or warps or something, but I hadn't realized they'd gone so far. At any rate, Taybor's dialogue also gives us insight into a whole universe of traders and some kind of governmental (or at least quasi-governmental) organization. I'm not sure how I feel about that, or whether I would have liked the show to explore the concept.
On another note, Koenig and his senior crew have dinner with Taybor and serve some of Tony's homemade beer. So I am glad that that's become a running theme. If only Helena's sculpting would be revisited.
I also liked the way Tabor keeps calling Koenig "Skipper." In an odd way, it gives him a distinctive personality and lends the show some flavor. And, now that I think of it, that ties in with this being a Gilligan's Island episode (as I noted above).
I have grown to be really annoyed by Yasko. Yasuko Nagazumi is really bad at the whole acting thing. I wish they'd kept Zienia Merton, who played Sandra in season one and the beginning of season two.
As an aside, let me note that I have been watching these on Amazon Prime, usually with subtitles on. I find it interesting to see the descriptions of the incidental music -- "ethereal music" "mysterious music" "tense music." One piece can have different descriptions as its used in several episodes. There isn't even consistency with the theme song. In one episode it's "upbeat techno music" in another it's "dramatic energetic music" and in yet another it's "dramatic orchestra music." I should make a pie chart.
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