Ardala Returns

Princess Ardala of Draconia (Pamela Hensley) abducts Buck in order to transfer his neural memories (ie. his skills and mannerisms) into several robot duplicates of the 20th century space pilot. These 'zygots' (as they are known) will then be used to fly advanced fighter craft in an attack on Earth.

Ardala also uses this opportunity to once again try and convince Buck that she is the woman for him. When her advances are spurned, however, she turns to the zygots as an alternative to the real thing.

I've never been a big fan of Hensley's villainous Ardala, finding her infatuation with Buck both inexplicable and rather tedious, and this unexceptional episode does nothing to change the way I feel about the character. Once again, the Draconian princess tries her luck, and once again she is given the brush off. Some girls just never get the message!

And whilst there is admittedly some fun to be had from watching Gil Gerard hamming it up big-time as both Buck and his several robot clones, 'Ardala Returns' never manages to be anything other than a mediocre offering.

Besides, I would much rather watch an episode featuring several zygot Wilma Deerings: imagine the fun that could be had with multiple Erin Grays...

Princess Ardala certainly returns, looking smoulderingly hot as ever, and still keen to have Buck, but this time she gets three Bucks for the price of one, thanks to her aide Kane, who has plans to use these replications to destroy earth. It's an ok episode but there was one line that cracked me up. Kane says "what is the princess going to do with three Bucks.?" Well, we all know what she liked to do!!

PLOT: Ardala & the Draconians capture Buck & Twiki for the purpose of producing Zygots, android clones of Buck with his fighter pilot skills, in order fly Kane's Hatchet Fighters and attack Earth. Meanwhile, they send an impostor android Buck to Earth where Huer & Wilma inevitably smell something fishy.

COMMENTARY: This episode marks the third of four appearances of Pamela Hensley as Princess Ardala and the second of three appearances of Michael Ansara as Kane, Ardala's First Officer (Ansara, of course, played Kang in the Star Trek episode "Day of the Dove"). Speaking of Star Trek, the androids element is reminiscent of "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" and "I, Mudd."

The best part is the fake Buck trying to fool Huer & Wilma and failing miserably as they continue to naively think it's Buck. The weakness of the story is the idea that only Buck, hailing from a much more primitive era 500 years earlier, is the only person who has the skill to pilot the Hatchet Fighter ships, not to mention Ardala's ongoing obsession with Buck.

Let me tell you something that you already know. "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" is not a very good television series. Even by the standards of the genre and the era.

The production values are lousy, the writing is bad and the acting is stiffer than a corpse after downing a bottle of Viagra. That said, there's a certain charm to its simple, ham-fisted heroics. Even more so in this era of guilt-ridden, heavy handed message "entertainment".

Though no one would ever confuse him for being one of his generation's great thespians, star Gil Gerard is a likeable lunk, and he seems to be having fun here playing several cloned versions of his titular character. Guest star Pamela Hensley melts the screen as the sexy and seductive Princess Ardala, and she alone is worth watching this middling episode for. Almost.

While developing the design of Draconian Hatchet Fighters, Kane sends the best pilots of the kingdom that are not able to control the fighters and die. Princess Ardala suggests that Buck Rogers is the best plot of the galaxy and able to control the fighter. She lures Buck Rogers and releases a probe similar to the one Buck Rogers was found with a dummy inside. Buck and Twiki are captured by the Draconian warriors and Buck's skills are used for three clones called Zygots. One of them is sent to New Chicago replacing Buck with a bomb inside to destroy the city. Now Buck tries to flee from Ardala, Kane and his warriors.

"Ardala Returns" is another good episode of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", with another return of Ardala. Buck Rogers does not pay attention to the hot and beautiful princess, frustrating her harassment. As usual, Buck Rogers wins in the end, in another funny and entertaining episode. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Ardala Returns"