Compelling show first frame to last. And how nicely those frames create and resolve this suspenseful situation that was moments away from being Alpha's last adventure
Julian Glover guest stars as Adam Warlock. That's right, the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby-created Marvel Comics character who Jarak was almost certainly modeled on, right down to the blond ringlets and shimmery short-shorts. Even Helena's pulling back the blanket evoked in the mind of this comic fan Alicia Masters' role in releasing from his cocoon the alien lifeform "Him" way back in Fantastic Four #67 (Oct. 1967). Warlock was, however, a good guy (messianic complex aside) and not a malevolent, homicidal, telepathic carpetbagger bringing four spaceships full of friends for dinner.
I knew this one would be a winner when the guest cast was headlined by Julian Glover, a longtime favorite actor who can boast of appearances in the James Bond, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars franchises, as well as in cult TV favorites THE AVENGERS, DOCTOR WHO, BLAKE'S 7, and the series under discussion here: SPACE: 1999. He distinguished himself with this memorable performance playing the unbeatable foe. Sadistic, ungrateful, unremorseful, and wholly lacking in any of the nonphysical qualities that make us human, he nonetheless claimed to be just that when the tables turned. Kudos to Koenig for not succumbing to Jarak's pitiful pleas for mercy (although John wavered a moment; compassion and mercy being integral to our humanity).
Yeah, the fearsome possibility of one's body being taken over and occupied by an alien invader was drawn from INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. I loved the scene where Koenig learns of the sinister plan, saying there's no room to bring Jarak's people into Alpha and Jarak assuring him the population won't increase--we'll just occupy the bodies of the people already there. And they could very well have done it!
Okay, it was a little ridiculous that costume changes accompanied the accelerated cell growth, but sci-fi fans are used to winking at such things. I wondered who had the time to sew little Jackie a mini-Alpha uniform with everyone so endlessly busy pushing buttons and scribbling on yellow legal pads.
And it was a lot ridiculous that Koenig would bring Computer whiz Kano out on a dangerous ground mission. Alan and Paul, yes, but Kano? But as someone noted, we STAR TREK fans have no stones to cast.
Speaking of TREK, didn't you know those two bushy-haired "red shirts" in beige accompanying Koenig were gonna buy it before the end credits rolled? Okay, only one did, making a grandstand gesture to save his commander and getting blasted in return. I hope he earned a posthumous citation for that once the smoke cleared. Would Jarak have let Koenig blast himself? No, they needed the bodies! That's why instead of zapping into space dust the Eagles the aliens simply set them down gently.
Query: Shooting the underbellies of those massive spacecrafts would result in what? Their crashing down onto Alpha! I thought Koenig really needed to think through that hasty and ill-conceived plan. When the intergalactic cavalry came over the horizon it was a good thing those spaceships rocketed away from Alpha before they were blasted from the sky.
I missed Victor, who would have brought welcome gravitas to the scenes discussing the flummoxing phenomena of Jackie and Jarak (or at least offering a good "I can't explain it, John..."). Victor would have also called out Koenig's crackpot idea to shoot down those hovering spacecraft with Buck Rogers BB guns! ("Let me remind you, John, of Newton's Law....").
MVP award to Wayne Brooks as Jackie! The cute little guy did an impressive job and expressed volumes through his eyes alone (even if he ultimately lost the staredown with Koenig). Quite the contortionist too, squeezing into that incubator! I smiled seeing Alan tap into his paternal potential and proving he'd be a fun father. Sandra though, pouting with jealousy and unable to rejoice in the baby's birth, was heartbreaking. I remember in the alternate reality of "Another Time, Another Place" she was a mother. Maybe if she lightened up, laughed a little more, and lost that Spock haircut Paul would take notice?
Julian Glover guest stars as Adam Warlock. That's right, the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby-created Marvel Comics character who Jarak was almost certainly modeled on, right down to the blond ringlets and shimmery short-shorts. Even Helena's pulling back the blanket evoked in the mind of this comic fan Alicia Masters' role in releasing from his cocoon the alien lifeform "Him" way back in Fantastic Four #67 (Oct. 1967). Warlock was, however, a good guy (messianic complex aside) and not a malevolent, homicidal, telepathic carpetbagger bringing four spaceships full of friends for dinner.
I knew this one would be a winner when the guest cast was headlined by Julian Glover, a longtime favorite actor who can boast of appearances in the James Bond, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars franchises, as well as in cult TV favorites THE AVENGERS, DOCTOR WHO, BLAKE'S 7, and the series under discussion here: SPACE: 1999. He distinguished himself with this memorable performance playing the unbeatable foe. Sadistic, ungrateful, unremorseful, and wholly lacking in any of the nonphysical qualities that make us human, he nonetheless claimed to be just that when the tables turned. Kudos to Koenig for not succumbing to Jarak's pitiful pleas for mercy (although John wavered a moment; compassion and mercy being integral to our humanity).
Yeah, the fearsome possibility of one's body being taken over and occupied by an alien invader was drawn from INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. I loved the scene where Koenig learns of the sinister plan, saying there's no room to bring Jarak's people into Alpha and Jarak assuring him the population won't increase--we'll just occupy the bodies of the people already there. And they could very well have done it!
Okay, it was a little ridiculous that costume changes accompanied the accelerated cell growth, but sci-fi fans are used to winking at such things. I wondered who had the time to sew little Jackie a mini-Alpha uniform with everyone so endlessly busy pushing buttons and scribbling on yellow legal pads.
And it was a lot ridiculous that Koenig would bring Computer whiz Kano out on a dangerous ground mission. Alan and Paul, yes, but Kano? But as someone noted, we STAR TREK fans have no stones to cast.
Speaking of TREK, didn't you know those two bushy-haired "red shirts" in beige accompanying Koenig were gonna buy it before the end credits rolled? Okay, only one did, making a grandstand gesture to save his commander and getting blasted in return. I hope he earned a posthumous citation for that once the smoke cleared. Would Jarak have let Koenig blast himself? No, they needed the bodies! That's why instead of zapping into space dust the Eagles the aliens simply set them down gently.
Query: Shooting the underbellies of those massive spacecrafts would result in what? Their crashing down onto Alpha! I thought Koenig really needed to think through that hasty and ill-conceived plan. When the intergalactic cavalry came over the horizon it was a good thing those spaceships rocketed away from Alpha before they were blasted from the sky.
I missed Victor, who would have brought welcome gravitas to the scenes discussing the flummoxing phenomena of Jackie and Jarak (or at least offering a good "I can't explain it, John..."). Victor would have also called out Koenig's crackpot idea to shoot down those hovering spacecraft with Buck Rogers BB guns! ("Let me remind you, John, of Newton's Law....").
MVP award to Wayne Brooks as Jackie! The cute little guy did an impressive job and expressed volumes through his eyes alone (even if he ultimately lost the staredown with Koenig). Quite the contortionist too, squeezing into that incubator! I smiled seeing Alan tap into his paternal potential and proving he'd be a fun father. Sandra though, pouting with jealousy and unable to rejoice in the baby's birth, was heartbreaking. I remember in the alternate reality of "Another Time, Another Place" she was a mother. Maybe if she lightened up, laughed a little more, and lost that Spock haircut Paul would take notice?