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[hipster]I was watching Me before it was popular....[/hipster]
[hipster]I was watching Me before it was popular....[/hipster]
MeTV's SuperSci-Fi Saturday Night
- Thread starter JD
- Start date
I think that might have been a loop of Camillle from a Nimbus weather-sat:
https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/n/nimbus-7
Maybe TIROS http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=43401
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675024213_Weather-Satellite_Satellites-use-in-meteorology
The footage is of a Hurrican forming off Africa's coast. We are in the Cape Verde season now, as luck would have it.
It can get busy out there--over the oceans:
http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article6370716.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200/Three-Hurricanes.jpg
Sven is doing The Cage tonight--and an episode of TAS I think.
Tonight's episode:
The Incredible Hulk
"Mystery Man: Part II"
Originally aired March 9, 1979
Events in the news that week:
New at #1 in the U.S. charts that week:
"I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor
*
The Incredible Hulk
"Mystery Man: Part II"
Originally aired March 9, 1979
Events in the news that week:
New at #1 in the U.S. charts that week:
"I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor
*
The Wild Wild West is more like Batman than I remembered, though maybe having Victor Buono as the villain reinforced that perception. But it was certainly loaded with gratuitously convoluted deathtraps and garishly colored smoke bombs.
"Mystery Man" (Part two)--
Trying to stay ahead of the forest fire, David and McGee have a new problem: a pack of wolves moved in their direction by the fire. At a fire crew station some miles away, Deputy Chief Pollock informs Chief Cory about the dangers any crash survivors would face in the target area: freezing in a forecasted snow storm, or being burned alive.
That night, David and McGee create a campsite, clearing a 20 foot area around them, using brush as a barrier; David speaks of "doors" opening (his memory), then closing again, but traces of his personality creep through. Suddenly, the wolves try to attack, but David sets the brush barrier on fire, creating a fiery ring; to a degree, its successful, but the hungry wolves risk breaking through. The animal attack triggers more memories (David attacked by guard dogs in "Of Guilt. Models and Murder") to the point he's temporarily distracted. Regaining his presence of mind, David sets more brush on fire, driving the wolves back, but McGee thinks their hunger will keep them coming...
The next day, David presses on, pulling McGee from one expanse to another...being followed by the wolves every step of the way. Coming to the edge of a hill, David tries to use his body as an anchor to prevent the sled from hurtling down said hill, but the hardheaded McGee tries to stand up (for the umpteenth time), shifting his weight downward--sending both men tumbling down the hillside, and to the edge of a ravine. McGee stops a potentially deadly fall down to the waiting pack of wolves by grabbing a branch, but passes out--just as David yells at the man to help himself to safety. The combined frustration triggers a Hulk-out; the creature creates a means of escape by pushing a tree over, creating a bridge, then carries the unconscious McGee to safety, some considerable distance away from the wolves.
Settling down, the Hulk changes back to Banner--confused as to what happened...and his bandage rolled around his neck. He glances at McGee--face still fully exposed--recalling various near misses with the reporter, his mind debating if McGee is a threat who will expose him, or a friend...but he's not sure what McGee could expose.
The buried confusion..anxiety mounts as he sees his own reflection on McGee's flask at angle next to the reporter. Seeing the two faces together intensifies memories from the past, from David's first meeting with McGee, the lab explosion, to more assorted near misses--all moments of conflict or negative encounters with Jack McGee....
It is enough for Banner to pull the bandage back on his face...just as McGee awakens.
As David goes to get water, McGee shows a different, albeit brief side:
McGee: "John..be careful, okay?"
David: "Yes.":
McGee: "I mean uh.....I don't have...too many friends. A friend that...just look out for yourself, alright? How's the fire?"
David: "We're a little ahead of it."
McGee: "You're stronger than you look! A lot stronger."
The moment makes David wonder if McGee is truly a friend...though the thought is juxtaposed--once again--with memories of David hiding from the man...
Elsewhere, the fire rages; at base camp, the air search radios that the place wreckage and grave have been located....
David tends to McGee's injured leg. McGee gives in to darker thoughts:
McGee: "I was always afraid of death--I used to see pictures of death..pictures in books...it was about 9 feet tall with a hooded skull, and a big scythe...it used to scare me to...so, I started to think about death as..just a creaky old man on a squeaky old bike that's moving along. Made it easier to think about. Especially now."
David: "You're not dying, Jack."
McGee: "Oh, no, no, certainly not. Can't give up hope, can we?"
David: "No, we can't."
McGee: "Hope...now, there's a word for ya. Right in the class with Eden. But you have to admit, its a very strange name for a place you have to reach to find safety. Probably some flea-bitten, little pit stop with a one-pump gas station, and a tenth-rate motel..."
David: "...and a doctor."
McGee: "Oh, you're my doctor, John...hands like silk..can't feel a thing. See? Not a twinge."
David: "It is a little infected for sure, but if we get to town--"
McGee: "Ah knock it off! It's gangrene, and I can tell gangrene!"
David: "Its not gangrene--not yet, but it soon could be."
McGee: "You're dynamite at fixing a busted leg, John, and nobody can touch you as a sled dog, but as a liar, you're an out and out bum, you got no talent for it at all."
David: "The skin would be turning black if it were gangrenous. No circulation, and that's why we have to get to town before gangrene does set in."
McGee: "Why not cut it off? Why put of till tomorrow what you can cut off today?"
At the fire crew station, Cory is concerned that the fire is moving in the direction of his cabin, wife and child are waiting. Pollock mentions that the "reluctant" blizzard is the only thing that might save the crash survivors from the fire....
Elsewhere, David and McGee cone to another stop; McGee talks about the time the Hulk saved his life in Las Vegas, which sparks more memories for David (obviously, from "The Hulk Breaks Las Vegas").
McGee: "The Hulk is like nothing else you've ever seen, John. It's like going back in time."
The rush of memories clearly shakes David. He abruptly leaves to get water from a stream. While there, he is compelled to remove his bandage; in doing so, looking at his own reflection begins the final push--
David's memory: Caroline learning that David Banner is sitting with her / making the Jekyll and Hyde comparison to his own situation / transforming into the Hulk
David begins to cry--emotionally overwhelmed by both the restoration of his memory, and the dramatic arc of his life, culminating in two of his greatest tragedies:
David's memory: The Hulk carrying the dying Elaina through the woods, and Caroline falling dead in the Hulk's embrace.
David stares at his reflection...just as McGee calls for him.....
When David returns to McGee, he entire demeanor has changed. He appears stiff--possibly threatening. McGee notices the silent man staring at him, but David plays it off as concern for McGee not making his leg worse. McGee thinks David is a sucker for continuing to risk his life by dragging McGee along, as there's "no percentage" in it.
At the fire crew station, Cory leaves to rescue his family...but not before asking Pollock to call off the search teams looking for David and McGee.
With the fire closing in, and the duo unable to sled through the thicket ahead of them, David tries to get McGee to continue on foot, but the ever-bleak reporter sees nothing, except the end--
McGee: "It's no good! It's all over but the cremation!"
David: "Come on, Jack--come on! We can make it! It's not that far away!
McGee: "John. I can't make it!"
...now, it comes down to the real McGee exposed...
David: "Yeah, Jack, we can! Now listen to me..if you let up now Jack, you'll never find the Hulk!"
McGee: "The Hulk! That's another lost cause. Might as well be a million miles away!"
David: "But what if he wasn't? What if you knew where he was--I mean, what if you knew the secret--close enough to touch?"
McGee: "It won't work, John, you're not gonna psych me up again!"
David: "The Hulk--the Hulk, Jack--look, think about it--what-if you had the Hulk, wouldn't it mean a great deal of money to you? You could exploit all the publicity that the creature had to offer!"
McGee: "If you're trying to make me mad, its working--what the Hell do you think I am??"
David: "I DON'T KNOW! WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME!! Why do you want the Hulk so badly??"
McGee: "Because the Hulk means escape! GET IT? Its the biggest story of the 20th century...you could pick up a Pulitzer for journalism! More importantly, I could get off the Register..I could stop banging out pap for the supermarket masses! I could get my column back!! I could write real stories!! Important stories!! I COULD BE SOMEBODY!!"
David: "And what happens to the Hulk??"
McGee: "I DON'T--probably just what you said would happen: my paper would bleed it dry..they'd have the world's biggest freak, they'd pull out all the stops--the hoopla, the exploitation, the whole King Kong sideshow!!"
David: "But the Hulk saved your life! You told me so yourself--don't you think you should help it???"
McGee: "Yes--but you gotta choose...that's all life is, you know, just choosing. It's you or the other guy!"
David studies McGee for a moment. The truth of it all (including what that means for his own life) sinking in.
McGee: "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, JOHN--FIND THE HULK AND WALK AWAY?? YOU'RE KIDDING!!"
David: "Yes, I guess I am...but i'm not kidding about that fire, and if we don't get out of here now, we're not gonna make it, now come on."
The duo are running out of ground--the fire closing in on them. David goes to see if higer ground is available, but McGee spots a paved road downhill, and tries to climb down, only to fall--just as a burning tree falls over--pinning him down.
David tries everything to move the tree, but fails, causing the man's anger to transform him into the Hulk, only this time, the startled, awe-struck McGee watches, finally learning a man...THE man he had been surviving with--becomes the Hulk. McGee tries to remove David's bandage to see his face, but it is too late--David made the complete transformation. McGee tries to reach the "John Doe" side of the Hulk as the creature carries McGee to the road--where they run right into Cory, and his rescued family. Cory tries to speed away, only to be stopped by the Hulk lifting the front of their jeep. The Hulk sets McGee down--Cory's daughter quickly understanding that the Hulk wants McGee to be helped. As the creature runs off, McGee yells for John.
A day later, McGee is recovering in the hospital, trying to convince his publisher that a man changes into the Hulk--the reason he can slip in and out of detection for so long. McGee's publisher believes its a gag, frustrating McGee to no end.
McGee: "There's a man out there who physically changes into a monster, now I don't care if you believe it or not, I know that its true!!"
Hanging up the phone, McGee has to reinforce that belief to himself--
McGee: "I know its true! I know its true! I know its true!! I'll find you yet, John Doe! They'll believe me then!"
On another road somewhere, David moves on.
NOTES:
Several milestones in this two parter:
As referred to in the review of "Stop the Presses," McGee's revelation in this episode makes his earlier preaching about fellow Register reporter Joe Arnold's ethics utterly hypocritical:
McGee: "How do you do it, Arnold?"
Arnold: "Do what? I do my job--it's as simple as that."
McGee: "No...you could be a good reporter. You're smart enough, but you always take the cheap shot."
Arnold: "Let me tell you something, McGee. There's only a handful of reporters in this country who make big money, and I intend on being one of them."
McGee: "So that's it--go for the bucks."
Arnold: "Yeah!"
McGee: "No matter who it hurts..."
Arnold: "Right. You want me to do it straight like you do, and end up with nothing?"
McGee: "Well, I sleep good. I shave with my eyes wide open, I have...friends. I feel a little sorry for you, Joe."
Arnold: "Save your sympathy, pal....for yourself."
Now, revisit McGee's statement to David:
McGee: "Because the Hulk means escape! GET IT? Its the biggest story of the 20th century...you could pick up a Pulitzer for journalism! More importantly, I could get off the Register..I could stop banging out pap for the supermarket masses! I could get my column back!! I could write real stories!! Important stories!! I COULD BE SOMEBODY!!"
David: "And what happens to the Hulk??"
McGee: "I DON'T--probably just what you said would happen: my paper would bleed it dry..they'd have the world's biggest freak, they'd pull out all the stops--the hoopla, the exploitation, the whole King Kong sideshow!!"
David: "But the Hulk saved your life! You told me so yourself--don't you think you should help it???"
McGee: "Yes--but you gotta choose...that's all life is, you know, just choosing. It's you or the other guy!"
The Bottom line of it all, is that McGee is not really different than Joe Arnold. McGee is not planting trash in restaurants, but their ultimate drive is doing whatever it takes---no matter if it hurts innocent parties, all in the name of status, success and recognition. ...and they will choose themselves over anyone else. Not once does he say he would like to help the creature, and remember, this story is quite some time into the saga of the Hulk, and he's still self serving.
David now knows exactly who McGee is--a greater danger than he imagined.
GUEST CAST:
Howard Witt (Bob Cory) only has four fantasy credits: this episode of TIH, Revenge of the Stepford Wives (NBC, 1980) and "Mr. Boogedy" / "Bride of Boogedy"-- family targeted ghost stories from Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (ABC, 1986-87).
Michael Payne (Hal Pollock), has one other fantasy credit--"The Mad, Mad Bomber," a 1977 episode of Future Cop.
Cari Ann Warder (Cory Child) had a recurring role on the mid-70s Saturday morning Fountain of Youth sitcom, Big John, Little John, a very low point in the career of producer Sherwood Schwartz.
Trying to stay ahead of the forest fire, David and McGee have a new problem: a pack of wolves moved in their direction by the fire. At a fire crew station some miles away, Deputy Chief Pollock informs Chief Cory about the dangers any crash survivors would face in the target area: freezing in a forecasted snow storm, or being burned alive.
That night, David and McGee create a campsite, clearing a 20 foot area around them, using brush as a barrier; David speaks of "doors" opening (his memory), then closing again, but traces of his personality creep through. Suddenly, the wolves try to attack, but David sets the brush barrier on fire, creating a fiery ring; to a degree, its successful, but the hungry wolves risk breaking through. The animal attack triggers more memories (David attacked by guard dogs in "Of Guilt. Models and Murder") to the point he's temporarily distracted. Regaining his presence of mind, David sets more brush on fire, driving the wolves back, but McGee thinks their hunger will keep them coming...
The next day, David presses on, pulling McGee from one expanse to another...being followed by the wolves every step of the way. Coming to the edge of a hill, David tries to use his body as an anchor to prevent the sled from hurtling down said hill, but the hardheaded McGee tries to stand up (for the umpteenth time), shifting his weight downward--sending both men tumbling down the hillside, and to the edge of a ravine. McGee stops a potentially deadly fall down to the waiting pack of wolves by grabbing a branch, but passes out--just as David yells at the man to help himself to safety. The combined frustration triggers a Hulk-out; the creature creates a means of escape by pushing a tree over, creating a bridge, then carries the unconscious McGee to safety, some considerable distance away from the wolves.
Settling down, the Hulk changes back to Banner--confused as to what happened...and his bandage rolled around his neck. He glances at McGee--face still fully exposed--recalling various near misses with the reporter, his mind debating if McGee is a threat who will expose him, or a friend...but he's not sure what McGee could expose.
The buried confusion..anxiety mounts as he sees his own reflection on McGee's flask at angle next to the reporter. Seeing the two faces together intensifies memories from the past, from David's first meeting with McGee, the lab explosion, to more assorted near misses--all moments of conflict or negative encounters with Jack McGee....
It is enough for Banner to pull the bandage back on his face...just as McGee awakens.
As David goes to get water, McGee shows a different, albeit brief side:
McGee: "John..be careful, okay?"
David: "Yes.":
McGee: "I mean uh.....I don't have...too many friends. A friend that...just look out for yourself, alright? How's the fire?"
David: "We're a little ahead of it."
McGee: "You're stronger than you look! A lot stronger."
The moment makes David wonder if McGee is truly a friend...though the thought is juxtaposed--once again--with memories of David hiding from the man...
Elsewhere, the fire rages; at base camp, the air search radios that the place wreckage and grave have been located....
David tends to McGee's injured leg. McGee gives in to darker thoughts:
McGee: "I was always afraid of death--I used to see pictures of death..pictures in books...it was about 9 feet tall with a hooded skull, and a big scythe...it used to scare me to...so, I started to think about death as..just a creaky old man on a squeaky old bike that's moving along. Made it easier to think about. Especially now."
David: "You're not dying, Jack."
McGee: "Oh, no, no, certainly not. Can't give up hope, can we?"
David: "No, we can't."
McGee: "Hope...now, there's a word for ya. Right in the class with Eden. But you have to admit, its a very strange name for a place you have to reach to find safety. Probably some flea-bitten, little pit stop with a one-pump gas station, and a tenth-rate motel..."
David: "...and a doctor."
McGee: "Oh, you're my doctor, John...hands like silk..can't feel a thing. See? Not a twinge."
David: "It is a little infected for sure, but if we get to town--"
McGee: "Ah knock it off! It's gangrene, and I can tell gangrene!"
David: "Its not gangrene--not yet, but it soon could be."
McGee: "You're dynamite at fixing a busted leg, John, and nobody can touch you as a sled dog, but as a liar, you're an out and out bum, you got no talent for it at all."
David: "The skin would be turning black if it were gangrenous. No circulation, and that's why we have to get to town before gangrene does set in."
McGee: "Why not cut it off? Why put of till tomorrow what you can cut off today?"
At the fire crew station, Cory is concerned that the fire is moving in the direction of his cabin, wife and child are waiting. Pollock mentions that the "reluctant" blizzard is the only thing that might save the crash survivors from the fire....
Elsewhere, David and McGee cone to another stop; McGee talks about the time the Hulk saved his life in Las Vegas, which sparks more memories for David (obviously, from "The Hulk Breaks Las Vegas").
McGee: "The Hulk is like nothing else you've ever seen, John. It's like going back in time."
The rush of memories clearly shakes David. He abruptly leaves to get water from a stream. While there, he is compelled to remove his bandage; in doing so, looking at his own reflection begins the final push--
David's memory: Caroline learning that David Banner is sitting with her / making the Jekyll and Hyde comparison to his own situation / transforming into the Hulk
David begins to cry--emotionally overwhelmed by both the restoration of his memory, and the dramatic arc of his life, culminating in two of his greatest tragedies:
David's memory: The Hulk carrying the dying Elaina through the woods, and Caroline falling dead in the Hulk's embrace.
David stares at his reflection...just as McGee calls for him.....
When David returns to McGee, he entire demeanor has changed. He appears stiff--possibly threatening. McGee notices the silent man staring at him, but David plays it off as concern for McGee not making his leg worse. McGee thinks David is a sucker for continuing to risk his life by dragging McGee along, as there's "no percentage" in it.
At the fire crew station, Cory leaves to rescue his family...but not before asking Pollock to call off the search teams looking for David and McGee.
With the fire closing in, and the duo unable to sled through the thicket ahead of them, David tries to get McGee to continue on foot, but the ever-bleak reporter sees nothing, except the end--
McGee: "It's no good! It's all over but the cremation!"
David: "Come on, Jack--come on! We can make it! It's not that far away!
McGee: "John. I can't make it!"
...now, it comes down to the real McGee exposed...
David: "Yeah, Jack, we can! Now listen to me..if you let up now Jack, you'll never find the Hulk!"
McGee: "The Hulk! That's another lost cause. Might as well be a million miles away!"
David: "But what if he wasn't? What if you knew where he was--I mean, what if you knew the secret--close enough to touch?"
McGee: "It won't work, John, you're not gonna psych me up again!"
David: "The Hulk--the Hulk, Jack--look, think about it--what-if you had the Hulk, wouldn't it mean a great deal of money to you? You could exploit all the publicity that the creature had to offer!"
McGee: "If you're trying to make me mad, its working--what the Hell do you think I am??"
David: "I DON'T KNOW! WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME!! Why do you want the Hulk so badly??"
McGee: "Because the Hulk means escape! GET IT? Its the biggest story of the 20th century...you could pick up a Pulitzer for journalism! More importantly, I could get off the Register..I could stop banging out pap for the supermarket masses! I could get my column back!! I could write real stories!! Important stories!! I COULD BE SOMEBODY!!"
David: "And what happens to the Hulk??"
McGee: "I DON'T--probably just what you said would happen: my paper would bleed it dry..they'd have the world's biggest freak, they'd pull out all the stops--the hoopla, the exploitation, the whole King Kong sideshow!!"
David: "But the Hulk saved your life! You told me so yourself--don't you think you should help it???"
McGee: "Yes--but you gotta choose...that's all life is, you know, just choosing. It's you or the other guy!"
David studies McGee for a moment. The truth of it all (including what that means for his own life) sinking in.
McGee: "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, JOHN--FIND THE HULK AND WALK AWAY?? YOU'RE KIDDING!!"
David: "Yes, I guess I am...but i'm not kidding about that fire, and if we don't get out of here now, we're not gonna make it, now come on."
The duo are running out of ground--the fire closing in on them. David goes to see if higer ground is available, but McGee spots a paved road downhill, and tries to climb down, only to fall--just as a burning tree falls over--pinning him down.
David tries everything to move the tree, but fails, causing the man's anger to transform him into the Hulk, only this time, the startled, awe-struck McGee watches, finally learning a man...THE man he had been surviving with--becomes the Hulk. McGee tries to remove David's bandage to see his face, but it is too late--David made the complete transformation. McGee tries to reach the "John Doe" side of the Hulk as the creature carries McGee to the road--where they run right into Cory, and his rescued family. Cory tries to speed away, only to be stopped by the Hulk lifting the front of their jeep. The Hulk sets McGee down--Cory's daughter quickly understanding that the Hulk wants McGee to be helped. As the creature runs off, McGee yells for John.
A day later, McGee is recovering in the hospital, trying to convince his publisher that a man changes into the Hulk--the reason he can slip in and out of detection for so long. McGee's publisher believes its a gag, frustrating McGee to no end.
McGee: "There's a man out there who physically changes into a monster, now I don't care if you believe it or not, I know that its true!!"
Hanging up the phone, McGee has to reinforce that belief to himself--
McGee: "I know its true! I know its true! I know its true!! I'll find you yet, John Doe! They'll believe me then!"
On another road somewhere, David moves on.
NOTES:
Several milestones in this two parter:
- McGee learns that a man transforms into the Hulk, which--as everyone knows--would make finding him more difficult, since as a normal human, he can blend into the crowds of anywhere.
- Played with over the course of the series up to this date, now it can no longer be questioned that Banner does retain vivid memory of key experiences as the Hulk, since the lion's share of flashbacks were of Banner as the creature. We can guess that now includes Elaina and Caroline's dying declarations of love to him (which in Elaina's case--in the pilot, he thought she never said that).
- Banner learns more about another person--McGee's--first hand experiences with the creature during the lab explosion, and other events, such as the mob incident in Vegas, where the Hulk saved McGee's life. If Banner hand any lingering doubt about the creature's behavior, the act of saving his enemy might sweep that doubt away.
As referred to in the review of "Stop the Presses," McGee's revelation in this episode makes his earlier preaching about fellow Register reporter Joe Arnold's ethics utterly hypocritical:
McGee: "How do you do it, Arnold?"
Arnold: "Do what? I do my job--it's as simple as that."
McGee: "No...you could be a good reporter. You're smart enough, but you always take the cheap shot."
Arnold: "Let me tell you something, McGee. There's only a handful of reporters in this country who make big money, and I intend on being one of them."
McGee: "So that's it--go for the bucks."
Arnold: "Yeah!"
McGee: "No matter who it hurts..."
Arnold: "Right. You want me to do it straight like you do, and end up with nothing?"
McGee: "Well, I sleep good. I shave with my eyes wide open, I have...friends. I feel a little sorry for you, Joe."
Arnold: "Save your sympathy, pal....for yourself."
Now, revisit McGee's statement to David:
McGee: "Because the Hulk means escape! GET IT? Its the biggest story of the 20th century...you could pick up a Pulitzer for journalism! More importantly, I could get off the Register..I could stop banging out pap for the supermarket masses! I could get my column back!! I could write real stories!! Important stories!! I COULD BE SOMEBODY!!"
David: "And what happens to the Hulk??"
McGee: "I DON'T--probably just what you said would happen: my paper would bleed it dry..they'd have the world's biggest freak, they'd pull out all the stops--the hoopla, the exploitation, the whole King Kong sideshow!!"
David: "But the Hulk saved your life! You told me so yourself--don't you think you should help it???"
McGee: "Yes--but you gotta choose...that's all life is, you know, just choosing. It's you or the other guy!"
The Bottom line of it all, is that McGee is not really different than Joe Arnold. McGee is not planting trash in restaurants, but their ultimate drive is doing whatever it takes---no matter if it hurts innocent parties, all in the name of status, success and recognition. ...and they will choose themselves over anyone else. Not once does he say he would like to help the creature, and remember, this story is quite some time into the saga of the Hulk, and he's still self serving.
David now knows exactly who McGee is--a greater danger than he imagined.
GUEST CAST:
Howard Witt (Bob Cory) only has four fantasy credits: this episode of TIH, Revenge of the Stepford Wives (NBC, 1980) and "Mr. Boogedy" / "Bride of Boogedy"-- family targeted ghost stories from Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (ABC, 1986-87).
Michael Payne (Hal Pollock), has one other fantasy credit--"The Mad, Mad Bomber," a 1977 episode of Future Cop.
Cari Ann Warder (Cory Child) had a recurring role on the mid-70s Saturday morning Fountain of Youth sitcom, Big John, Little John, a very low point in the career of producer Sherwood Schwartz.
Don't know if they're showing them on Me, but that pre-episode teaser certainly is deceptive, making it look like Jack sees David unmasked.
It's a pretty esoteric spectacle to base an episode around, David in bandages pulling Jack around on the makeshift sled. Oddly enough, I think I spotted Bixby's stuntman a few times doing the heavy pulling...he's noticeably beefier than Bill. I caught at least one shot of a balder McGee stuntman too, when he's talking about his Hulk map.
Oh look, guest characters who won't be sharing much screen time with our main characters!
The creature's actions seem a little too well-coordinated here...throwing the stretcher over the ravine, crossing it, and pulling the stretcher with all their belongings (including David's spare shoes) along while he carries Jack to safety.
"John" is awfully honest with McGee about the state that he found himself in considering that he now recognizes Jack as an "enemy" to hide his face from. Perhaps, still not remembering who or what he is, he thinks that maybe telling McGee might shed some light on the situation.
And there's more emphasis on David's medical skills as he tends to Jack, making it harder to suspend disbelief that Jack won't be connecting John Doe with David Banner once he learns what Doe is.
It's odd that they emphasize that incident so much, but don't touch upon the part that's most relevant to this episode--the Hulk starting to change back in front of McGee.
A really well-played moment on Bixby's part...horror and elation at the same time. But his voice sounds really strange when he says that he's Dr. David Banner and the creature in his thoughts.
And I misremembered--He got his memory back after only one Hulk-Out! Guess the amnesia wasn't permanent enough to need two...just like Dr. Boma said.
David seems to be testing Jack here...seeing if maybe there's a chance he can confide to McGee. (And addressing audience questions to that effect at the same time, of course.)
The Road to Eden...are there going to be hippies in this episode?
That creature's sure got a way with kids, huh?
Yeah, tell me how he gets his duffel bag and peacoat back after this one! He's obviously got a series of caches tucked away all over the country or something. He must have been laying some groundwork during the hiatus between the pilot episodes and the regular series.
Also, have we seen this Lonely Man sequence before?
But he wouldn't necessarily have been seeing the Hulk as a human being at this point in the episode.
BTW, @TREK_GOD_1 , I don't see you much in The Classic/Retro TV Thread, but I'm going to be doing a weekly watch-through of The Green Hornet (now that H&I is running it), if you want to contribute your thoughts. As it happens, TGH's 50th anniversary dates are the nights after Star Trek's, so I'm planning to coordinate the watch-through with that just because I can.
It's a pretty esoteric spectacle to base an episode around, David in bandages pulling Jack around on the makeshift sled. Oddly enough, I think I spotted Bixby's stuntman a few times doing the heavy pulling...he's noticeably beefier than Bill. I caught at least one shot of a balder McGee stuntman too, when he's talking about his Hulk map.
Oh look, guest characters who won't be sharing much screen time with our main characters!
The creature's actions seem a little too well-coordinated here...throwing the stretcher over the ravine, crossing it, and pulling the stretcher with all their belongings (including David's spare shoes) along while he carries Jack to safety.
"John" is awfully honest with McGee about the state that he found himself in considering that he now recognizes Jack as an "enemy" to hide his face from. Perhaps, still not remembering who or what he is, he thinks that maybe telling McGee might shed some light on the situation.
And there's more emphasis on David's medical skills as he tends to Jack, making it harder to suspend disbelief that Jack won't be connecting John Doe with David Banner once he learns what Doe is.
It's odd that they emphasize that incident so much, but don't touch upon the part that's most relevant to this episode--the Hulk starting to change back in front of McGee.
A really well-played moment on Bixby's part...horror and elation at the same time. But his voice sounds really strange when he says that he's Dr. David Banner and the creature in his thoughts.
And I misremembered--He got his memory back after only one Hulk-Out! Guess the amnesia wasn't permanent enough to need two...just like Dr. Boma said.
David seems to be testing Jack here...seeing if maybe there's a chance he can confide to McGee. (And addressing audience questions to that effect at the same time, of course.)
The Road to Eden...are there going to be hippies in this episode?
That creature's sure got a way with kids, huh?
Yeah, tell me how he gets his duffel bag and peacoat back after this one! He's obviously got a series of caches tucked away all over the country or something. He must have been laying some groundwork during the hiatus between the pilot episodes and the regular series.
Also, have we seen this Lonely Man sequence before?
At the same time, it makes McGee's pursuit somewhat easier, as he has a much better idea what--and who--to look for. Many will be the times that his questioning of Hulk witnesses will involve asking about somebody of John Doe's description.
But he wouldn't necessarily have been seeing the Hulk as a human being at this point in the episode.
Perhaps...but it also "takes one to know one."
BTW, @TREK_GOD_1 , I don't see you much in The Classic/Retro TV Thread, but I'm going to be doing a weekly watch-through of The Green Hornet (now that H&I is running it), if you want to contribute your thoughts. As it happens, TGH's 50th anniversary dates are the nights after Star Trek's, so I'm planning to coordinate the watch-through with that just because I can.
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A lot of "Mystery Man, Part 2" is more of the same -- lots of stock footage, lots of plodding through the forest -- but the dramatic interplay between "John"/David and McGee is terrific, especially as David begins to remember and to confront McGee about just what it is that drives him. It's great to see the two adversaries have a real debate about the heart of what drives them both, and as contrived as this setup was, I'm glad it made that debate possible. Plus Bixby does some terrific wordless acting when his memories come back and he's struck with both the joy of remembering who he is and the horror and tragedy of the knowledge that comes with it. And I look forward to future McGee episodes to see how things change now.
Is this the only time David actually used the name "Hulk?" He usually calls it "the creature."
Wow, I completely disagree with your reading of McGee and of this entire episode. He's totally different from Arnold. Arnold just wanted money and fame. What Jack McGee wants is recognition and respect. He wants to be a serious journalist -- not because he wants fame, but because he values the truth and he's sick of being stuck working for a tabloid that traffics in sensationalism. The tragic irony is that he's stumbled onto a truth that any rational observer would assume was a hoax, so his quest for the truth has only made him seem more like a liar.
The key difference is that McGee actually deserves the reputation he craves. He doesn't have to cheat and lie to get a story. He's legitimately a capable, honest, and hardworking reporter. He used to be taken seriously as a journalist, and he earned that, but somehow his life took a wrong turn and he ended up at the Register. He's trying to get back something he earned and lost, which is not an unsympathetic motive at all. In fact, he's a lot like heroes such as David Vincent, Carl Kolchak, and Fox Mulder -- all characters driven to get at the truth and to convince a skeptical world that it's real.
Also, you totally missed the subtext of what was really going on in those scenes. Hell, it wasn't even subtext. Jack told "John" over and over again to abandon him and save himself. Jack was completely ready to sacrifice his own life to save his friend. The reason he lambasted "John" for being a sucker was because he was angry at John for risking his life to save someone like McGee who, in his own mind, probably didn't deserve saving. (If you saw Dark Matter last night, we saw virtually the exact same dynamic when the wounded Three was insulting Five in hopes of convincing her to abandon him and save herself.) So McGee absolutely does care about people other than himself. He's cynical because he's suffered and he's lost his idealism. But he protests too much. Yes, he said that you had to look out for yourself first, but he wouldn't have needed to be so insistent if he weren't trying to convince himself and others, to justify something he felt guilty about. He doesn't like being forced to think about what would happen to the Hulk if he were caught. If he were really as callous as you imagine, then it wouldn't trouble him at all to confront that reality. The point of this whole 2-parter was to add complexity and ambiguity to McGee as a character and to his motivation for pursuing the Hulk, not to remove it.
In fact, I think we see in the future that the tenor of McGee's pursuit changes -- that he's trying to convince "John" to turn himself in and get help as much as anything else. Yes, he's self-serving to a degree, but he's not heartless.
We've seen many times that the Hulk is instinctively driven to pursue Banner's goals at the moment of the change. He surely doesn't understand why he needs to do these things, but he just feels the need and acts on it. Banner had been striving to move the sled forward at all costs for hours, so that need would be at the front of his mind as a burned-in reflex by that point.
He doesn't understand why he blacked out and woke up shirtless and shoeless, so he has no reason to associate that with his sudden sense of mistrust toward Jack, and thus no reason to hide it. And that inexplicable fear of Jack is confusing, given that he's come to think of Jack as a friend.
He might conclude that "John" was some assistant or test subject of Banner's. After all, when he overheard Banner and Elaina talking in the annex lab, they referred to their "friend" coming back.
(Oh, by the way, I forgot to complain last week about McGee characterizing Elaina as "Banner's assistant" rather than his colleague. That's kind of chauvinistic.)
Is this the only time David actually used the name "Hulk?" He usually calls it "the creature."
Wow, I completely disagree with your reading of McGee and of this entire episode. He's totally different from Arnold. Arnold just wanted money and fame. What Jack McGee wants is recognition and respect. He wants to be a serious journalist -- not because he wants fame, but because he values the truth and he's sick of being stuck working for a tabloid that traffics in sensationalism. The tragic irony is that he's stumbled onto a truth that any rational observer would assume was a hoax, so his quest for the truth has only made him seem more like a liar.
The key difference is that McGee actually deserves the reputation he craves. He doesn't have to cheat and lie to get a story. He's legitimately a capable, honest, and hardworking reporter. He used to be taken seriously as a journalist, and he earned that, but somehow his life took a wrong turn and he ended up at the Register. He's trying to get back something he earned and lost, which is not an unsympathetic motive at all. In fact, he's a lot like heroes such as David Vincent, Carl Kolchak, and Fox Mulder -- all characters driven to get at the truth and to convince a skeptical world that it's real.
Also, you totally missed the subtext of what was really going on in those scenes. Hell, it wasn't even subtext. Jack told "John" over and over again to abandon him and save himself. Jack was completely ready to sacrifice his own life to save his friend. The reason he lambasted "John" for being a sucker was because he was angry at John for risking his life to save someone like McGee who, in his own mind, probably didn't deserve saving. (If you saw Dark Matter last night, we saw virtually the exact same dynamic when the wounded Three was insulting Five in hopes of convincing her to abandon him and save herself.) So McGee absolutely does care about people other than himself. He's cynical because he's suffered and he's lost his idealism. But he protests too much. Yes, he said that you had to look out for yourself first, but he wouldn't have needed to be so insistent if he weren't trying to convince himself and others, to justify something he felt guilty about. He doesn't like being forced to think about what would happen to the Hulk if he were caught. If he were really as callous as you imagine, then it wouldn't trouble him at all to confront that reality. The point of this whole 2-parter was to add complexity and ambiguity to McGee as a character and to his motivation for pursuing the Hulk, not to remove it.
In fact, I think we see in the future that the tenor of McGee's pursuit changes -- that he's trying to convince "John" to turn himself in and get help as much as anything else. Yes, he's self-serving to a degree, but he's not heartless.
We've seen many times that the Hulk is instinctively driven to pursue Banner's goals at the moment of the change. He surely doesn't understand why he needs to do these things, but he just feels the need and acts on it. Banner had been striving to move the sled forward at all costs for hours, so that need would be at the front of his mind as a burned-in reflex by that point.
He doesn't understand why he blacked out and woke up shirtless and shoeless, so he has no reason to associate that with his sudden sense of mistrust toward Jack, and thus no reason to hide it. And that inexplicable fear of Jack is confusing, given that he's come to think of Jack as a friend.
He might conclude that "John" was some assistant or test subject of Banner's. After all, when he overheard Banner and Elaina talking in the annex lab, they referred to their "friend" coming back.
(Oh, by the way, I forgot to complain last week about McGee characterizing Elaina as "Banner's assistant" rather than his colleague. That's kind of chauvinistic.)
Good insight.
It just stretches the concept somewhat that he seems to put so much thought and coordination into it...but then I always come back to the time that he landed a 747....
That was always my rationalized thought about it as well. But Jack had plenty of clues to at least consider the possibility of the actual truth.
Yeah, when done well, McGee is Kolchak, but following up a single event. And that two-parter is obviously Hulk's attempt to redo the Fugitive episode where Gerard gets to talk with his quarry, and comes out of it convinced of his innocence, but still determined to do his job by recapturing him (proving the point comes after that, unless a dramatic series finale short-cuts things).
Ah, but we saw here that he was conflicted about what would happen to the Hulk -- and thus to "John" -- if he were caught. Maybe that gives McGee a mental block that keeps him from seeing the truth about Banner. His subconscious won't let him figure it out.
Hmmm...maybe...I'll have to keep that idea in mind going forward.
Hmm... Somebody out there somewhere, at some point, must have written a Kolchak-McGee team-up fanfic.
Watching Svengoolie/Cage and I forgot how Pike just throws his phaser on top of his console television. Such a careless bachelor...
The Cage has a lot of really subtle moments like that which are easy to miss.
Forgot to include this:
When Jack unmasks the Hulk, was anyone else thinking of Scooby-Doo?
-6:26. This half of the two-parter sticks surprisingly close to formula, with the first Hulk-Out just being on the notably early side.
When Jack unmasks the Hulk, was anyone else thinking of Scooby-Doo?
^^ Indeed. Lots of cool stuff, but also lots of stuff that you've just got to ignore in terms of the "finalized" version of Trek.
I'm not sure about years, and we mostly only had our memories to rely upon in those days. We definitely knew that the timeline had been changed and that Starsky and Hutch were in the new timeline created when Cornelius and Zira traveled back to the 20th century. That said, the date in that picture is definitely a problem (unless we posit more changes in an ever-evolving loop).I just watched again the pilot and the two protagonists find this book
It's clearly stated that this is a photo taken in 2503. But didn't humanity fall at the end of the 20th century in the movies?
[hippie]I was watching Me when the content was first aired. [/hippie]
Touche, man.[hippie]I was watching Me when the content was first aired. [/hippie]
And another detail... At the beginning of the episode an ape child was playing with a dog. Well, in the movies universe weren't all dogs and cats extinct? It is the main reason why humans began to domesticate monkeys!
yes, i believe a disease carried back in time by one of the Apeonauts is what killed cats and dogs.
(this is my fast and loose version. more detailed and precise analysis is welcome of course)
Planet of the Apes episode 1 'Escape from Tomorrow'. written by Art Wallace. originally aired September 13, 1974.
two astronauts from 1980 on course for Alpha Centauri encounter a time warp and crash land on the Planet of the Apes.
i didn't realize Art Wallace wrote for this series. i'm very familiar with his work on Dark Shadows and of course the two episodes of Star Trek he wrote (Obsession and Assignment: Earth).
following the timeline i believe this episode takes place some 1,000 years after Battle for the Planet of the Apes. though, as pointed out earlier, there are some differences as the chimp boy at the beginning of this episode has a pet dog.
this is also the last time we will the see spaceship prop from the original film.
Urko is played by Mark Lenard, best known for his role as Sarek in Star Trek.
the parts that i always wondered about... is this the same Zaius from the original film? also, he mentions dealing with astronauts some ten years ago. who were they? surely not Taylor and his crew.
Planet of the Apes episode 1 'Escape from Tomorrow'. written by Art Wallace. originally aired September 13, 1974.
two astronauts from 1980 on course for Alpha Centauri encounter a time warp and crash land on the Planet of the Apes.
i didn't realize Art Wallace wrote for this series. i'm very familiar with his work on Dark Shadows and of course the two episodes of Star Trek he wrote (Obsession and Assignment: Earth).
following the timeline i believe this episode takes place some 1,000 years after Battle for the Planet of the Apes. though, as pointed out earlier, there are some differences as the chimp boy at the beginning of this episode has a pet dog.
this is also the last time we will the see spaceship prop from the original film.
Urko is played by Mark Lenard, best known for his role as Sarek in Star Trek.
the parts that i always wondered about... is this the same Zaius from the original film? also, he mentions dealing with astronauts some ten years ago. who were they? surely not Taylor and his crew.
