"The Collectors", following the wonderful pilot movie for the short-lived series, Logan's Run, is really what you would expect to see at some point, the script has a plot you can always dust off and reuse time and again, dating back to 50s sci-fi. It concerns aliens collecting two of every specimen from other worlds to inhabit and study for a short time from the comforts of their space ship after using a memory device that allows those under its spell to envision splendid moments from the past or entire pleasant memories, given creation from their minds. When the aliens, in this case Kalorians, are satisfied with their selections, the two are placed in cages, the ship soon returning to their planet in preparation to determine weaknesses during experimentation so they can exploit them when attempting colonization on test subjects' worlds. Probably, this episode will be notable (as it was for me when I first watched "The Collectors") for Lost in Space's Angela Cartwright (Penny) guest starring as a member of Kalorians, John and Joanna's (Linden Chiles and Leslie Parrish) crew, mimicking a runner (she is positively beautiful). This features a spat between Logan and Jessica (they have so few moments where the two are angry with each other) because of a runner named Martin (Lawrence P Casey), and there is a robed species who have to live in a certain gaseous cage due to their inability to function for large periods in Earth's atmosphere who befriend our heroes. This episode has plenty of unique aliens for Star Wars' lovers and Rem chastises John and Joanna for referring to him as "just a machine" (his attempt to dissuade them from choosing Logan and Jessica, describing them as inferior playthings, pets, is amusing) which should earn some applause because of how the Kalorians value other species with such little regard. Right away, the series was establishing the possibility of a Sanctuary discovered, only for Logan and Jessica to find out that the search for their Eden, their Promise Land, would have to continue. As was often the case, Rem would have to come to the rescue of Logan and Jessica who unknowingly walk into a trap. A constant also with the series was Logan pressing the buttons of their solar craft after another difficult situation was averted, the three leaving the location of a place that nearly led to potential disaster. Already, the show was examining the dynamic between Logan and Jessica, their feelings for each other. Memorable scenes include Jessica thinking about a flower glass hurled towards a wall next to Logan out of anger and it coming true & Logan "coming in contact" with imagined Sandmen (...with devious faces, shouting/whispering with guile, "Runner!") who draw closer to him where there is no escape telling him he's back in the City of Domes.
Review of The Collectors
