This 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.
Plot Synopsis
An expedition has arrived from earth with the the news that, with new faster-than-light travel, they can bring the whole Alpha crew back home. But through Koenig's eyes these saviors are hideous monsters controlling everyone else's minds.
My Thoughts
The producers got ambitious, putting out a two-parter. Creatively, at least, it was a success, as this was one of the better episodes. The drama was quite effective, and they managed to pull off the suspense. And the moment where the first part ends is a good cliffhangery point, so kudos the them for that.
But those costumes! For this episode they had to make the aliens very non-humanoid, and they succeeded at that. But what they ended up with were these blobs that kind of look like piles of vegetable refuse in back of a restaurant. And at some points they appear to shrug, which can be kind of comical. But I suspect that part of the problem is that I'm watching this on a high definition TV. These aliens weren't intended to be viewed in quite so crisp a format, and they probably looked better on TV's of the 1970's. Actually, that's true of a lot of the aliens in Space: 1999.
There's one way that I would have written this differently. The conflict in the show arises because the aliens need nuclear radiation; for them, it's food. When Koenig finds out he suggests that Alpha can just give the aliens their waste and it would be a win-win. But it's explained to Koenig that the aliens need an explosion, so they plan on detonating Alpha's nuclear waste dump (shades of the series premiere?), which will kill all the people of Alpha. What this means is that, for Alpha it becomes an "us or them" situation. If I were writing the screenplay, I would have worked it out so that Koenig's win-win can be worked out -- Maybe they build a protective shield; maybe they figure out a way to get the waste into space to explode away from Alpha. I don't know exactly how I'd do it, but I would do it. Now, that may be because I grew up watching Star Trek reruns. The way I would have it would be more in keeping with the Star Trek ethos. Of course, it's hard to say whether it's in keeping with the Space: 1999 ethos because, deep in the second half of the second season, there really isn't any coherent ethos.
I also notice that there's a certain flaw in the logic of the episode. The only reason Koenig doesn't fall for the aliens' mind control is that he had just undergone some kind of experimental brain therapy. The therapy was necessitated because he crashed an eagle. He crashed the eagle because the aliens were controlling his mind. They were controlling his mind because they wanted him to crash and die -- because they were concerned that, with his strong mind, he wouldn't fall for their mind control. Put simply, they controlled his mind to try to get him out of the way because they were worried they wouldn't be able to control his mind. So, that doesn't make sense. But, moreover, there's the irony that, if they had just left him alone, Koenig would have been taken in.
I have come to find that Maya, played by Catherine Schell, is increasingly annoying. Blair says she seems like a Dr. Who babe, but I can't really confirm or deny that -- I was never a big Whovian. But her shapeshifting is usually silly. They need someone strong, so she turns into a gorilla. Or a strong-looking alien. Or they need something strong and bitey so she turns into a tiger. It's tiresome. At least in this episode she turned into one of the aliens so she could spy on them. This led to one of the funnier moments, as the aliens realize that, though she looks like one of them, she is not. At any rate it's not clear to me why Maya found it particularly more repulsive to be one these aliens than any of the other things she's turned into.
At its end, the episode addresses the philosophical question which I believe underpins the movie, The Matrix. I say "I believe" because I have never seen that movie or its sequels. The issue? Suppose you could live out a full life of happiness, realizing your dreams and suffering no adversity. But it was all a lie -- a life you were living in your head while you were blissfully unaware of reality. Would it be better to have that life, or to live in reality? Koenig clearly prefers reality. I am not so sure I would.
As much as I have issues with it, this is really one of the best episodes in the series. Aside from the tension and suspense mentioned above, it got me thinking. And, despite a certain silliness, I kind of liked the aliens.
One final note: Part one contains the best quote from any episode of the show: "I haven't had so much fun since I burned grandma's wig!"
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