SPACE:1999 - EARTHBOUND (1974)
The crew of moon base alpha have submitted to their long & lonely purgatory . All but one, a one stubborn Commissioner Simmons.
An alien vessel, lands on the Moon, complete with aliens in stasis. Despite an accident that kills one of sleeping aliens, they do not require judicial punishment. The aliens are peaceful & only wish to travel in stasis, to Earth, for a new home. Because of the accident, there's a chamber spare. But who will qualify for the stasis trip home, to Earth?
But how will you greet them? Commissioner Simmons is demanding Commander Keonig to make preferable efforts to return the Moon to Earth, even if it involves being "ruthless" to whoever gets in the way. This isn't Star Trek: Voyager, this isn't even Lost In Space. The crew accept the fact that they do not have the tech to return to Earth & even if they did, with the Moon out of Earths orbit, consider the damage to Earth not to mention what you'll find. Relatives, & friends dead for almost a hundred years? &, yes, please mention Journey To Where, folks, please! It's a shame on that episode no one on Alpha asked about the aliens, & Simmons...
As for our new alien guests, as mentioned, they are in stasis. Their ship, among many sent across the known Universe, has been sent for three & half Centuries from a dying planet. To seek out new life & new civilisations. (So sue my sweet..) New worlds within which to live or co-exist with the general population. Zantor is their leader, or at least speaks for their crew. Commissioner Simmons insists that Commander Koenig is punished for the accident which he nobly accepts. Of course, as mentioned, it was an accident done in ignorance. Speaking of at least innocent ignorance, yet, done in the name of science, & only herself as Guinea pig. Helena is considering 'flat line' testing one of the stasis tubes for Human potential. Fortunately, Zantor recovers her. It would appear that not just the Human profile but Human spirit was not properly a key proponent in her calculations. Keyword, Human spirit?
Simmons goes on a, phasor on stun, zapping rampage & steals the Moonbase life-support system as incentive that he'll be the one that gets that lone stasis chamber to return to Earth. There's a lottery draw of a logical choice for that bleeding thing! Zantor understands that Simmons is "diseased" & accepts, if only to help the crew of Moonbase Alpha. Simmons paranoia maybe his undoing. Rather than let Zantor position him into the cryo-pod, he threatens them & makes them go first. Very silly fool. As demonstrated earlier, the stasis pods must be adjusted to Human physiology, & Human spirit. Does Simmons have a soul let alone spirit? As a result, he's condemned to (hopefully & mercifully!) a short, claustrophobic existence, in an almost sarcophagus-like tomb.
Yes, we're treated to a fairly dark episode. I'm sure the eagle-eyed (sorry) amongst you already know, Christopher Lee (another hero of mine) plays Zantor, can we trust Dracula, LOL! The aliens offer Alpha-crew 'Easter Eggs' as gifts which Simmons dismisses. The aliens stasis ship would have taken another 75 years to arrive on Earth, the same amount as Star Trek's Voyager! C'mon Simmons, accept the fact that the Moon will never get back. It's statically impossible, fools rush in,..oh, yes! I've enjoyed this enough times, but that ending never cease's to shock me. If we wanted something 'nice' to happen every time would we be watching?
Of course, the lottery question on who gets to go? Oh, come on! Please don't make me type the blatantly obvious? Of course Simmons was the natural choice, being a politician (He didn't get to where he was by being nice!) not a crew member. If only he was patient & wise enough to realize this (?!) Was it deliberate for Chris Lee to arise from a coffin-like structure? How will the people of Earth greet these aliens when they arrive with the remains of a Human in one of their stasis pods? Carter display's Aussie humour in their hopeless cause about the whereabouts of Earth, in which Simmons obviously insisted.
Luckily, Philip (your name vill also go on ze list!) Madocs' Russian Moonbase Commander had transferred & his American counterpart, Koenig, took charge when he did! Given his Soviet (?) view on things, would he have gone along with Commissioner Simmons' plan to take the aliens ship by force? I've often wondered how he would handle their far-out situations & from that brief expose, at the beginning of Breakaway, & I'm forced to the same conclusion. Meanwhile Koenig, like Atlas, has the whole weight of a world, & the responsibility of it's few occupants, on his shoulders. The "Sisyphus" of a very long voyage, like Simmons?
Okay, my confusion on the scheduling of this episodes timing. Call me lazy, but I always thought this episode was only the second of season one! No, seriously, sue me! I had this, proudly amongst my VHS collection, only to find out that it's actually episode 16?! Where was Simmons hiding during the last 14 episodes, under a table, ala Dr Smith or Rimmer?! Either way, Roy Dotrice, (of course, "Father" from Beauty & The Beast) plays his baddie best! Yes, I desperately feel sorry for him! If only he were more trustful (?) Now, his tomb awaits along with his tragically destined fate,,,
Seriously, this would've made a fab Twilight Zone or Outer Limits episode!
Unlike Commissioner Simmons' self-preservation, foolish habits, please! Stay safe!
Borgduck.
Stewart.
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