A Chig ambassador could be the key to peace, end the war and home for the Earth forces. The head of Aerotech is requested to the talks by the ambassador but when he arrives he knows more than appears.
A new kind of unbeatable chig fighter emerges. Equipped with a new source of energy, it's the prototype of a deadly weapon that could change the course of the war. Mc Queen realizes he's the only ...
The Montgomery Star medal presented to the members of the 58th Squadron is never fully explained. It is a fictitious decoration unlike most of the other ribbons and medals seen worn throughout the series. These include Department of Defense Distinguished Service, Navy Distinguished Service, Silver Star, Defense Superior Service, Marine Corps Medal, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart (to name but a few). Interestingly, the Medal of Honor (MoH), the highest military decoration for United States of America, is never referenced or depicted.
The inference made is that the Montgomery Star is considered a higher decoration than anything any character is wearing. Whether it is the highest is not clear, though that could be the intention of the writers. Yet, it is never shown as part of any character's 'Fruit Basket' - the 'ribbon rack' worn on the character's left breast in place of the actual medals (which are normally only worn on more formal occasions). Neither is any detail given about what nation or organization awards the medal.
The Montgomery Star is a neck drape decoration as the MoH. Rather than being pinned to the chest the medal is hung around the neck. Unlike the MoH, which has a ribbon worn on the ribbon rack when the medal is not worn, the Montgomery Star never appears on the ribbon rack of any character.
However! There is a change to the 58th's Dress Blue uniforms in some episodes *after* receiving the medal in the pilot episode that does not appear on other characters Dress Blues. Even the Generals. Their uniforms have a red and blue piping added to the base of the collar. It may be that this piping was intended to reflect having received the Montgomery Star. This piping is not part of the actual USMC Dress Blue uniform so had to be deliberately added by the production.
Even if this is the case and the additional piping is meant to reflect the wearer's having received the Montgomery Star, this does not answer why there was nothing on the characters' Alpha (essentially the 'suit' uniform - dark green, with jacket) or Charlie (no jacket, tan or light olive shirt, dark olive green slacks) where the ribbon rack is worn. Nor does it address the inconsistent use of the piping. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Lt. Col. Tyrus Cassius "TC" McQueen:
[narration]
We thought we were alone. We believed the universe was ours. Until one night in 2063, on a Earth colony 16 light-years away, they struck. Now we're at war. We fight when called, in space, on land, and at sea. To lose this war means more than defeat; to surrender is to never go home. All of us must rise to the call... above and beyond.
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Crazy Credits
The credits changed mid-season because of pressure from the network that feared the audience wouldn't know what is going on. The new credits had a narration summarizing the show's story. The producers hated the second version. See more »
Space Above and Beyond was a great show I'll admit I didn't watch in when it was first on mainly because it kept getting moved around for football and the super bowl and stuff. Unlike shows like star trek this show was completely about war so practically every episode had flashy effects, big explosions, and enough action that is lacking in practically every TV show now. The view of the future was very different from what we've been fed. Humans don't fight with lasers in this, the ships aren't always well lit, and we aren't politically correct towards the enemy. Now I can only watch repeats on Space and always think once and a while `Why did Fox cancel this show.'
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Space Above and Beyond was a great show I'll admit I didn't watch in when it was first on mainly because it kept getting moved around for football and the super bowl and stuff. Unlike shows like star trek this show was completely about war so practically every episode had flashy effects, big explosions, and enough action that is lacking in practically every TV show now. The view of the future was very different from what we've been fed. Humans don't fight with lasers in this, the ships aren't always well lit, and we aren't politically correct towards the enemy. Now I can only watch repeats on Space and always think once and a while `Why did Fox cancel this show.'