One of the weaker Space: 1999 episodes. It was quite an uneven series. Some episodes were thin on story with lots of talk and pithy mystical pronouncements that sometimes seemed to have been grafted on more to pad out the running time rather than as a natural exploration of events. This was one of those episodes. It also suffers from too much time with Koenig on the planet, while the snippets of the regulars back on the moonbase seem like cameos. At least there was a good guest cast in Peter Cushing and Joanna Dunham. They are well used and fun to watch.
8 Reviews
Cool Eagle Action
Flubber692 August 2021
Boring. Just boring.
Maddy-the-Weinerdog22 February 2022
I gave it 3 stars for Peter Cushing only. "Dream sequence" type episodes are hard to sit through, and this was one of the worst I've ever seen. Boring dialog, with long dramatic pauses, almost put me to sleep. Literally. This was a 10 minute episode stretched out over 45 minutes. Yawwwwn.
Lack of what Peter Cushing is famous for
oopboys27 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I did find the episode very chatty..Peter Cushing should had more to do than spy on his daughter..If he wanted the real Koenig .he should had manifest himself into anything..he was the king of the old Horror films.certainly they could have done more with his interaction with John...was Koenig dreaming when he had those ghastly creatures on him???was he doing this on his own because of lack of food he refuse to eat??..John spent most of the time walking in a robe???he should have been hooked up to machines for experiments ..it was tooo much empty air to fill...on moonbase Alpha when John soul came in and no one was on Alpha.why did he look like he just walking around like he's gonna buy the place..when he saw Vanna why didn't he yell stop???or when she was disappearing tell her to wait..he said nothing except try to call Paul knowing no one was on ALpha..why didn't he yell where am I ???where is everybody??...After Helena unsuccessfully shock John's brain to start up..and all seems lost and she is gonna pull the plug..didn't anyone notice he was smiling?????if he was brain dead.. why is he smiling???..overall so much more could have been done..even Raan could have used Helena as leverage for cooperation....too much filler where action could have been
PETER CUSHING GIVES HIS BEST PERFORMANCE
duncanbrown-767334 November 2021
The legendary screen actor Peter Cushing, gives a remarkable performance in this episode. His huge screen presence makes this story a memorable one.
This episode has a dark and sinister overtone to it, also it has elements of the Star Trek pilot The Cage.
It is a morality tale of the difference between right and wrong. It also questions the issues that two wrongs don't make a right, or does it?
That is the question?
Missing Link deals with politics, hate, love, power, beauty, fear, the illusion of the human mind, everything that makes up the human persona within society.
For once you get a chance to see the vulnerable psychology of the Moonbase personal, in which they start to crack up or fight each other physically.
Towards the end Doctor Helena Russell has no choice but to carry out a sin with our permission policy, by having the power of life and death over Commander Koenig.
What I like about this episode is the beginning which takes place before the opening titles. The highlight of it is the special effects, and the dramatic situation in which our main characters find themselves in. It sets up the whole plot of the story, that is to take place within the next hour.
To see Commander Koenig in a vulnerable and horrific situation gives this episode a chilling effect.
One of the best episodes of season one.
This episode has a dark and sinister overtone to it, also it has elements of the Star Trek pilot The Cage.
It is a morality tale of the difference between right and wrong. It also questions the issues that two wrongs don't make a right, or does it?
That is the question?
Missing Link deals with politics, hate, love, power, beauty, fear, the illusion of the human mind, everything that makes up the human persona within society.
For once you get a chance to see the vulnerable psychology of the Moonbase personal, in which they start to crack up or fight each other physically.
Towards the end Doctor Helena Russell has no choice but to carry out a sin with our permission policy, by having the power of life and death over Commander Koenig.
What I like about this episode is the beginning which takes place before the opening titles. The highlight of it is the special effects, and the dramatic situation in which our main characters find themselves in. It sets up the whole plot of the story, that is to take place within the next hour.
To see Commander Koenig in a vulnerable and horrific situation gives this episode a chilling effect.
One of the best episodes of season one.
Hey, that's Peter Cushing...too bad it's not a very good episode.
planktonrules4 May 2010
In episode 14, Christopher Lee made a guest appearance. Now in episode 19, it's up to another Hammer Films veteran (Peter Cushing) to do a guest shot on "Space: 1999".
The show begins with the Eagle coming back from a reconnaissance mission to a nearby planet. Inexplicably, the ship goes out of control and crashed on the Moon's surface. While most are just a bit shaken up, Koenig appears to be near death. However, at the same time, you see Koenig walking about an empty Moonbase! Which is the real Koenig and what in the world is happening?! Eventually, Koenig is told by Raan (Cushing) that he is actually NOT on Moonbase but on his planet. Using their advanced mental powers, he is able to project whatever image the Commander wants. And why was he brought there? Well, according to Raan, he is an anthropologist and wants to study a primitive humanoid--a 'missing link' from planet Earth. Not surprisingly, Koenig is NOT happy about the prospect of living out the rest of his life on this planet as a sort of animal in a gilded cage and he desperately wants to escape. However, over time, the way he is treated and the sort of experiments they do showed that they saw him as much more than some lab animal--and he is eventually returned to his people unharmed.
Overall, this is a hugely disappointing episode for several reasons. First, like Christopher Lee episode, Cushing is given an amazingly dull role. Since they both were famous for monster films, I was hoping they'd behave a bit monstrous! Second, the episode was extremely talky and cerebral--and was very slow and dull as a result. It lacked action and suspense and left me very, very cold.
The show begins with the Eagle coming back from a reconnaissance mission to a nearby planet. Inexplicably, the ship goes out of control and crashed on the Moon's surface. While most are just a bit shaken up, Koenig appears to be near death. However, at the same time, you see Koenig walking about an empty Moonbase! Which is the real Koenig and what in the world is happening?! Eventually, Koenig is told by Raan (Cushing) that he is actually NOT on Moonbase but on his planet. Using their advanced mental powers, he is able to project whatever image the Commander wants. And why was he brought there? Well, according to Raan, he is an anthropologist and wants to study a primitive humanoid--a 'missing link' from planet Earth. Not surprisingly, Koenig is NOT happy about the prospect of living out the rest of his life on this planet as a sort of animal in a gilded cage and he desperately wants to escape. However, over time, the way he is treated and the sort of experiments they do showed that they saw him as much more than some lab animal--and he is eventually returned to his people unharmed.
Overall, this is a hugely disappointing episode for several reasons. First, like Christopher Lee episode, Cushing is given an amazingly dull role. Since they both were famous for monster films, I was hoping they'd behave a bit monstrous! Second, the episode was extremely talky and cerebral--and was very slow and dull as a result. It lacked action and suspense and left me very, very cold.
A bit strange but still enjoyable
danrs00000810 September 2021
I'd rather enjoyed this episode. It was peaceful. It wasn't as chaotic or silly as some of the other episodes in this series. Commander Koenig enjoyed a little affection from my beautiful golden skinned alien woman (don't tell Dr Russell!). Zienia Merton (Saundra) looks almost angelic as she laid there in the medical bay. Also, commander Koenig will have a wonderful memory for the rest of his life.
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