Pretty good episode has the Alphan away team stranded on a poisonous planet. Plenty of action here to keep you watching, including a well-executed eagle crash on the planet and daring and fun rescue mission for Helena and Maya. The supporting cast is full of American accents, including guest actor Karl Held, who was in an original series Star Trek episode 10 years before this (Return of the Archons).
5 Reviews
pretty good for year one of my favourites
marcgreenman14 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The immunity syndrome is the name of a classic trek episode where the crew uses the services of an alien whose very appearance drives people mad. from both its title and from what happens at the start it is clear that johnny byrne/fred frieberger (and possibly more the latter) was aware of that particular story. the similarities are too obvious to ignore. after that, however, it becomes more surprising and more original than that. there are some good ideas here, the way the alien uses the planet including its atmosphere, food and water against the alphan exploration team is inspired and leads to much suspense and dramatic moments. the eagle crash scene is superbly realised by brian johnson and his team and genuinely exciting, in a way more of year two should have been but perhaps wasn't. the story actually conveys the impression that are characters are in life threatening danger, tony anholt goes mad very convincingly which is more than his character usually got. barbara bain and catherine schell get good character development, their characters are actually left in charge of the base which is a strong advance both for them and for female roles within moonbase alpha; their plan to reach the planet by glider is also inspired and works a treat. the discovery of the alien installation works as a plot development, the way the solar panels are used to make a communication device is very clever (plastics don't corrode in the way that metals do). the ending carries tension, i really thought that koenig might die or go made. overall this episode was very satisfying and would have worked really well if it had been set within year one. as it is, it came a little late; the rest of year two should have been this good, if it had we might rightly have seen another season.
Someone is confused about the original Star Trek episodes
cpotato101016 August 2022
Is There in Truth No Beauty? (1968) is the Season 3 episode where an alien whose unshielded appearance drives humans mad is needed to help the Enterprise navigate back into our galaxy.
The Immunity Syndrome (1968) is the Season 2 episode where the Enterprise encounters a massive single-cell organism that drains the ship's energy, and must be destroyed before it splits into more giant organisms.
So is this episode of Space:1999 really a combination of both ST episodes, after a fashion? Well, Fred Freiberger was a producer in Season 3 of ST, so I am not sure why they borrowed the name of the second season show for this episode.
The Immunity Syndrome (1968) is the Season 2 episode where the Enterprise encounters a massive single-cell organism that drains the ship's energy, and must be destroyed before it splits into more giant organisms.
So is this episode of Space:1999 really a combination of both ST episodes, after a fashion? Well, Fred Freiberger was a producer in Season 3 of ST, so I am not sure why they borrowed the name of the second season show for this episode.
Slightly better than the typical season two episode.
planktonrules25 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
To say that this episode of "Space: 1999" was slightly better than the typical episode of that season is faint praise indeed. After a very cerebral yet competently made first season, the show essentially 'jumped the shark'--making wholesale and mostly unwelcome changes in the shows. It's pretty obvious when you see a show in which season it appeared--not just because of cast changes but because the style, tempo and budget had changed so drastically. For the most part, season two was a dud and the show was summarily canceled. While I love sci-fi, it was an end well deserved.
This show finds some of the crew on the surface of what seems like an ideal planet for colonization. The water and air are clean and the place seems swell. However, inexplicably a couple crew members go crazy AND the once-clean water now has become toxic. And, next, the air becomes so corrosive that the metal on the Eagle is compromised. It looks like they are stuck on the planet until they eventually die or go crazy.
So far in the plot, I was hooked. The idea of a planet with an intelligence that begins an attack on them is pretty cool. Unfortunately, what happens next was just dumb. While they NEVER adequately explained in any way why the planet became so toxic, the going crazy part was inadvertently caused by an invisible being--quite unintentionally. This, combined with the 'we just want to be your pals' ending, made this particular episode that ended on a whimper after such a promising start sort of a metaphor for the series, actually.
This show finds some of the crew on the surface of what seems like an ideal planet for colonization. The water and air are clean and the place seems swell. However, inexplicably a couple crew members go crazy AND the once-clean water now has become toxic. And, next, the air becomes so corrosive that the metal on the Eagle is compromised. It looks like they are stuck on the planet until they eventually die or go crazy.
So far in the plot, I was hooked. The idea of a planet with an intelligence that begins an attack on them is pretty cool. Unfortunately, what happens next was just dumb. While they NEVER adequately explained in any way why the planet became so toxic, the going crazy part was inadvertently caused by an invisible being--quite unintentionally. This, combined with the 'we just want to be your pals' ending, made this particular episode that ended on a whimper after such a promising start sort of a metaphor for the series, actually.
Very good except for the climax
bobstevens-168108 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The premise is an interesting one of a planet that becomes more toxic the longer people stay. And it corrodes ship metals very quickly making escape especially tough for Koenig and crew. The planet also makes some psychotic.
I also like the beauty Catherine Schell's part ( as Maya) in this. Her concern for her lover Tony ( the latter stranded on the planet) is a superb element and handled well indeed.
As to the problem. The climax just does not make enough sense. And if the truth could really be told--it is because it is way too vague. This is where they tried to explain the mysterious nature of the planet. A being is deliberately causing this or at least causing it for sure? A purely natural explanation of all this that it was the atmosphere of the planet growing increasing poisonous and corrosive and making psychos would have been just fine considering all the drama John and Maya and co. Have merely attempting survival and escape!
In short the scenes play better individually than the ep ultimately does as a whole!
I also like the beauty Catherine Schell's part ( as Maya) in this. Her concern for her lover Tony ( the latter stranded on the planet) is a superb element and handled well indeed.
As to the problem. The climax just does not make enough sense. And if the truth could really be told--it is because it is way too vague. This is where they tried to explain the mysterious nature of the planet. A being is deliberately causing this or at least causing it for sure? A purely natural explanation of all this that it was the atmosphere of the planet growing increasing poisonous and corrosive and making psychos would have been just fine considering all the drama John and Maya and co. Have merely attempting survival and escape!
In short the scenes play better individually than the ep ultimately does as a whole!
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