This is a pretty good episode of "Space: 1999" and it has the added bonus of featuring a rather hot Joan Collins--though the blonde wig and what appears to be potpourri poured all over her head are NOT the most flattering look for her! At this point in her career (pre-"Dynasty") she was actually very hard up for work--and was forced to work in such dreck as "Empire of the Ants" and "I Don't Want to Be Born". So, it's nice to see her in something better--even if it is 'only sci-fi'. However, Joan Collins and sci-fi is a great combination, as you may remember her from one of the best "Star Trek" episodes, "City on the Edge of Forever".
The show begins with the Moon Base moving to within range of a humongous ship that is 20 kilometers long! Because the ship is emitting a distress signal, Koenig orders an Eagle to go investigate. When they land, they are soon separated. Dr. Russell and a 'red shirt' (actually, his shirt had a purple sleeve--but you know what I mean) go one way and soon the guy is killed by some kooky tribal caveman-ish folks who worship a disintegration chamber! Paul and Carter spend much of their time trying to find Russell and the expendable cast member. And, Commander Koenig and Dr. Bergman soon meet up with some advanced and blonde people who are running the ship. However, 'running' is a relative term. It seems that hundreds of years ago, several of the ship's reactors blew up and slowly killed off many of the crew. Most of the rest became either mutants or lived in a troglodytic society that worshiped the disintegrator! Only a tiny group of mostly blondes remained civilized (of sorts) and knew about the ship's original mission--to act almost like an Ark--to ferry the genetic material for a new race on a distant habitable planet. But, because the journey will take about 1000 years, things have become strange...to say the least. Aside from the weird disintegration cult and mutants, there is another even MORE sinister thing occurring on the ship. Can Koenig and the rest figure out what this is before too late? Or, will they learn how Miss Collins and her blonde friends actually manage to stay so youthful for so long (and, no, it is NOT because Oil of Olay)? Overall, a very good episode--mostly because there are some interesting moral dilemmas in the show. Mainly, just how far will you go to save your species?! Watch it and see...as these folks go really, really far out! Interesting and thought-provoking.
The show begins with the Moon Base moving to within range of a humongous ship that is 20 kilometers long! Because the ship is emitting a distress signal, Koenig orders an Eagle to go investigate. When they land, they are soon separated. Dr. Russell and a 'red shirt' (actually, his shirt had a purple sleeve--but you know what I mean) go one way and soon the guy is killed by some kooky tribal caveman-ish folks who worship a disintegration chamber! Paul and Carter spend much of their time trying to find Russell and the expendable cast member. And, Commander Koenig and Dr. Bergman soon meet up with some advanced and blonde people who are running the ship. However, 'running' is a relative term. It seems that hundreds of years ago, several of the ship's reactors blew up and slowly killed off many of the crew. Most of the rest became either mutants or lived in a troglodytic society that worshiped the disintegrator! Only a tiny group of mostly blondes remained civilized (of sorts) and knew about the ship's original mission--to act almost like an Ark--to ferry the genetic material for a new race on a distant habitable planet. But, because the journey will take about 1000 years, things have become strange...to say the least. Aside from the weird disintegration cult and mutants, there is another even MORE sinister thing occurring on the ship. Can Koenig and the rest figure out what this is before too late? Or, will they learn how Miss Collins and her blonde friends actually manage to stay so youthful for so long (and, no, it is NOT because Oil of Olay)? Overall, a very good episode--mostly because there are some interesting moral dilemmas in the show. Mainly, just how far will you go to save your species?! Watch it and see...as these folks go really, really far out! Interesting and thought-provoking.