Gods using us for their sport?
Space 1999 - War Games (1974)
The Moon Approaches a mysterious planet & our Alphans are soon greeted by alien war ships. commander keonig immediately orders defensive measures with the Eagles on standby ready to intercept. It is not long before a devastating chain of events begin which threaten the survival of Moonbase Alpha. In this war the Alphans are miraculously victorious in a couple of battles, but is everything all as it seems?
This is a definitive wow highlight of season one! We don't waste time here, with a space battle that defeats the three approaching alien war ships being a bit too convenient for Alan Carter. Maybe they were deliberately sacrificed to strategically test the metal of the Alphan forces before the main assault(?) Unfortunately, the Alien foe return payback with a vengeance. Destroying Eagles before they have a chance to barely lift off. Meanwhile, entire parts of Moonbase Alpha are being blasted to smithereens! Great excuse for effects mass-destruction!
Sure, I enjoy the let's go bonkers attitude of the very special effects here! The aliens send the mother of all battleships to finally annihilate Alpha. Good ol' Aussie Alan Carter, after their space dog defeat, play's dead duck, but in doing so play's daddy dead lion instead. As the mother-ship closes in on the Moon, Carter & his co-pilot take it by surprise, blasting it to oblivion!
Was this an influence for not just George Lucas but other future Sci-Fi as well? Do I feel the need to compare the parallel here or at least mention that which I suspect? Was Star Trek Voyagers - Year Of Hell (1997) influenced by this episode? Then there's, of course, Babylon 5 - In The Beginning (1999). How can we not compare that awesome scene here, to that equally similar scene from that Babylon 5 mini-movie(?) A future captain Sheridan takes out an ace Minbari warship, the Black Star, whilst playing dead from a sneak attack! Then of course, 1973's Doctor Who - Frontier In Space may have had an impact on this as much as it allegedly did on Babylon 5 itself(?!) Or am I just a conspiracy theorist nut? Probably the latter..
Unintentional advertisement of beverage & national stereotype of Aussies aside, it's interesting to witness the knee-jerk reaction of commander Koenig & Professor Bergman. Seeing as the professor questions Koenigs similar reaction to the approaching warship at the intro to the Last Enemy & that it's not his usual style, to shoot first & ask questions later! What they see are not only alien vessels in approach but a familiar sight, Class 9 Hawks? They appear to see what this blog geek can only assume is a new craft that may have been in production before they took their far out blast into unknown space, a mirage! This is where it gets truly fab, head food stuff.
Commander Koenig & Dr Helena Russell decide to go on a nice jaunt to visit these attackers on their own turf. Who knows, maybe a nice picnic together(?) Of course dialogue was originally out of the question before. We learn something about ourselves. Not only is Koenig quick to go gun-ho, Kirk-like, in his actions in trying to reason with the aliens, he contacts Moonbase Alpha with instruction to force themselves upon the planet! Will we ever learn from our own history, we, the conquistadors? Okay, the Moonbase crew are now desperate! Whilst the aliens zap Commander Koenig, I can't help but notice how they hold their weapons like children. They seem unused to these toys as though weapons are alien to them!
Whilst Koenig gets himself condemned to a purgatory of drifting in space, we learn that we suck! These aliens might have welcomed us, for not the fact that we failed their "game" test. We are a virus, & carry with us the seeds of our own destruction, Humanity is a plague! Seriously, we could have told them that without all the space invader games! The crew of Moonbase Alpha saw what they wanted to see or their sub-conscious fears (the class 9 hawks par example?). Helen "wishes" Koenig from his eternal fate. But Moonbase Alpha are condemned to a purgatory of its own. Still, you will make a shape-shifting friend beyond infinity..
We are treated to the usual majestic beauty of an alien planet not to mention the spaceships that accompany a Gerry Anderson production in all their grandeur. The Alpha's are given a chance for a new home. Aliens will give us a chance again, but our own Humanity will doom us, again! The Last Sunset. Will we ever learn?
Isn't sorrow a way to infinity?
And yes, LOL! I know the above cover is of Koenig & Helena from season 2. So banish me to the dark side of the Moon!
No copyright infringement, etc, & so forth. And, special thanks to Netherlands Progressive-Rock group Earth & Fire (from The Gateway To Infinity album 1977 ) for inspiring the last quote!
But, please, stay safe!
borgduck,
Stewart.
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