MeTV's SuperSci-Fi Saturday Night

[RJDiogenes]

I just found this: http://metv.com/metvmusic/

Yeah, I got an email about that, and it's pretty good. I was sure I posted about it, but it might have been in the other retro thread.

Episode 3. 'The Trap' written by Edward J. Lakso. originally aired September 27, 1974. while investigating a ruined city Burke and Urko become trapped and must work together.

Lakso, of course, wrote the infamous Star Trek episode 'And the Children Shall Lead'.

Wow. I recognize that name as the guy who wrote a nearly endless string of mediocre-to-poor Charlie's Angels episodes back in the day. I never realized he wrote for Trek or other genre shows. He must have burned out or hit the bottle or something.

As someone who grew up watching shows like The Jeffersons, clearly I have a little more fondness for them than you do.

The 21st century could sure use a Norman Lear.

Now--it still feels like the 1990s--except with 9/11--and little else.

I keep saying, the 1980s never ended.....

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Of course he can...he has a lot of new information, and everything he knows about John Doe also fits David Banner. He can always rationalize that Doe's not Banner because of this or that, but to get there, first he has to acknowledge the possibility that Doe is Banner...and we never see any indication that he does that.

Remember, you have to see this from an observer--McGee's--POV; he's living in a reality where he has no reason to believe David and Elaina were talking about Banner. McGee acknowledged that he believed the two were "scared to death it was coming back," and from that, any rational mind would assume the Hulk was a third party--the subject of an experiment, now taking on the form of "John Doe." As mentioned before, McGee not only witnessed Banner never emerging from the lab explosion, but no forensic evidence countered the belief that Banner--considering the destructive level of the fire/explosion--was anything less than burned to ash, hence the reason he never refers to or suggests "John Doe" is Banner. Based on all of the evidence from that explosive night forward, he believes Banner and Marks experimented on an adult male who transforms into the Hulk..

As smartly written as this show was, this was an area that could have used some improvement...and I'd expect more of it if it were being produced today.

Really? We have a modern day series where a speech on "hope" somehow breaks alien mind control, so each period has hit or miss levels of sensible writing.

I'm somewhere between you and @Christopher on this issue, and probably veering more towards his side. I do think that McGee has a conscience buried under that "compassion is for suckers" exterior, and that his actions are now informed by a newfound compassion for John Doe as a human being...but I don't think it's something that he would consciously admit to himself, so he's still focused on John Doe primarily from a "get the story" angle, not out of some selfless urge to help him. The ambiguity of McGee's motives after "Mystery Man" really makes the character for me, and I like to think that it was deliberate on the part of the creators.

Where's the ambiguity in his final, coldly matter-of-fact statement about his motives--

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!"
McGee: "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, JOHN--FIND THE HULK AND WALK AWAY?? YOU'RE KIDDING!!"

As mentioned in the review, 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.

He's not the Hulk equivalent of Dark Shadows' Dr. Julia Hoffman, who was introduced as a straight-on antagonist, then migrated to "frenemy," and finally transformed into close friend and ally. Not at all; "Mystery Man" was not the end result of a confused writer. The story is clear about why McGee hunts the Hulk, and after David reminds him that the Hulk saved his life, and asks if he thinks the creature should be helped...you know the rest.

McGee is not some partial protagonist, and as noted before, he will eventually corner "John Doe" with a curare-loaded gun, not to help him, but in part (as he will say) to be vindicated--an entirely selfish motivation added to that revealed in "Mystery Man."

"I COULD BE SOMEBODY!!" and "It's you or the other guy!" were major, clear character-defining traits (one of the reasons for the two-parter in the first place) that were deliberately created for the McGee character, and can't be wiped away, or turned into another type of character so soon after his defining episode.

As someone who grew up watching shows like The Jeffersons, clearly I have a little more fondness for them than you do.

Yep!

 

[Christopher]

By the way, I went back and looked at the sketch Jack Kirby was drawing in his "No Escape" cameo, and I think they missed an opportunity for an in-joke. It does look like a Kirby drawing, but it's just some generic guy (who actually looks a bit like Ferrigno). It would've been funny if he'd been drawing the comics' version of Bruce Banner. (I'd hoped to get a screen capture to post here, but I can't do so without the Netflix title/progress bar appearing on the screen and obscuring the drawing.)

 

[The Old Mixer]

Where's the ambiguity in his final, coldly matter-of-fact statement about his motives--

The ambiguity is in the fact that he gave that speech before he knew that a man turned into the Hulk...never mind the man that he was talking to. Banner's future avoidance of McGee was informed by that speech, but learning that John Doe was the Hulk informed McGee's pursuit as well.

 

[Christopher]

The ambiguity is in the fact that he gave that speech before he knew that a man turned into the Hulk...never mind the man that he was talking to. Banner's future avoidance of McGee was informed by that speech, but learning that John Doe was the Hulk informed McGee's pursuit as well.

Yes, that's the irony -- David heard McGee's view of things when he thought the Hulk was just a cryptid of some sort, but not how that view would've changed after McGee learned it was a man. The story was set up that way specifically so that David would have reason to keep seeing McGee as a threat and thus maintain the status quo.

Although I'd assume that Jack wrote articles about his new insight into the Hulk, and I think we've seen before that David reads the National Register to keep up with the news about the Hulk's actions and the pursuit of him, so I'd think David would now know what McGee knows. It'd be interesting to see how the style of Jack's reporting might have changed now that he knows something about the man behind the monster.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The ambiguity is in the fact that he gave that speech before he knew that a man turned into the Hulk...never mind the man that he was talking to. Banner's future avoidance of McGee was informed by that speech, but learning that John Doe was the Hulk informed McGee's pursuit as well.

Remember, long after knowing a man changes into the Hulk, his admitted belief did not change. Again, he will still corner "John Doe"--that human being--with a curare-loaded gun, not to help him, but in part (as he will say) to be vindicated--an entirely selfish motivation that only builds on--not removes--the hard line beliefs revealed in "Mystery Man."

That's why "I COULD BE SOMEBODY!!" and "It's you or the other guy!" was not the end of a character arc, but exposure to let the viewer know what makes him tick.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Finally got around to watching the third episode of Planet of the Apes. Going by the ape makeup the show was being produced on a budget but they stage the action scenes pretty well. I thought they did a good job with elements like Pete, er, Burke falling into the sinkhole and the like. And of course, with a show of its vintage you get fight scenes with lots of double footed drop kicks and the like.

Those ape gauntlets are pretty handy too as you're able to shove a full poster advertisement and a shiv in there. Who knows what else Urko can fit under that helmet?
...
Caught a couple of black-and-white Lost in Space episodes that are a little more tolerable than some of the later ones. Guy Williams is a pretty likable er, guy so it's too bad he gets sidelined as often as he does. People talk about that line in Star Trek about woman captains but Maureen always gets stuck making coffee and poor Penny always is second fiddle to precocious Will. I suppose it'd be more awkward to have her running off with Dr. Smith all the time. I'm not sure Judy ever gets to do more than look pretty.

 

[Christopher]

Guy Williams is a pretty likable er, guy so it's too bad he gets sidelined as often as he does.

Yeah, he was a very impressive lead, a terrific father figure and action hero. He should've stayed the center of the show.

I'm not sure Judy ever gets to do more than look pretty.

For the most part, no -- although she did excel at that. I think she had at least one focus episode, though I forget what it was.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

"Kindred Spirits"--

At the Scholl Museum, Professor Williams holds an audience captive (David Barton among them) with his illustrative theory on his recently discovered ancient slab bearing a drawing of a man in stages of transformation from normal to a large, green creature...

Williams: "It's a long journey back...back 2000 years to the birth of Christ. The Iron Age...200 B.C...the invention of the wheelbarrow in China. The Bronze Age--1500 B.C...first paved roads in Crete...back further in time. 10,000--the invention of the bow and arrow...20,000--the invention of the needle. 30,000--the first written record...a lunar calendar. Imagine, if you will, 30,000 years ago...the first modern men..Homo Sapien man."

Williams visualizes a flashback to a primitive group fleeing from an equally primitive Hulk-like creature on the rampage--

Williams: "The first moments of tribe..community--the constant struggle for survival, but these primitive were not prepared for it--they had no science to help them explain this giant's existence in a time when ferocious beasts still dominated the land. This creature frightened even the bravest of the tribe's hunters.."

In the flashback, the proto-Hulk creature finds the slab, gazing at it with a moment of curiosity....

Williams: "I don't know who that interloper was, but I know he existed--he lived and died 30,000 years ago. A man like no other. "

Later, David questions Williams about his discovery...

David: "...but the creature could be reconstructed using fossilized bone fragments."
Williams: "If we find any fossil remains, yes. It would like putting together a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle."
David: "Professor, what are the possibilities of joining the expedition?"
Williams: "Oh, this isn't an amateur dig. All our workers are credentialed, graduate students."
David: "Well, I can appreciate that sir, but I have had..well, rather extensive field work experience."

Hearing the exchange, Dr. Gabrielle White--Professor Williams' assistant--steps in, seemingly cold to David's request...

Gabrielle: "I'm sorry, all the jobs have been filled."
David: "I have a background in anatomy."
Williams: "Young man, Gabrielle...Dr. White, is our field supervisor, and she has the final word."

Gabrielle takes a long look at David, then quickly changes her mind...

Gabrielle: "We leave in the morning."

On the drive up to the dig site, Gabrielle provides a little background history..

Gabrielle: "I always thought that I'd work in hospitals..I was studying medicine, but one afternoon, a guest lecturer came to one of my classes. He spoke on the comparative anatomy between man and ape. three week later, I enlisted in the course of archaeology--here I am! You know, I never got to thank him. I read that he died...but I never forget what he looked like. His name was Dr. David Banner. "

Gabrielle then takes a knowing look at David...

Gabrielle:"I knew who you were when we met in the museum."
David: "I could say that you're mistaken."
Gabrielle: "Don't worry, Dr. Banner--I haven't told anyone about you. but if you want to stay on here and work with the professor, you'll tell me why you're pretending to be dead!"

Knowing it is pointless to lie, David recalls the fateful last days with Elaina marks, and their attempt to understand his condition...

David: "A colleague..a friend, who was the first person to witness the metamorphosis. I was dreaming about the death of someone I loved very much; I don't remember what happened once the metamorphosis began...but when it was over, the solid steel chamber was wrecked...the lab was destroyed....and my friend dead."
David: "Ever since that night, I've been searching for a way to control the creature."
Gabrielle: "Even if I did believe you, what would you possibly need from us? Why did you come here?"
David:"Well, if you suffered from an affliction, that you thought no one in the world ever had, and then suddenly, you discovered that someone had that same affliction..in the past...wouldn't you try to find out everything you could about that person, regardless of how long ago they lived?"

Later, Gabrielle & David examine a tracing of the slab's creature..

Gabrielle: "..and you're saying that this represents the metamorphosis you go through?"
David: "I'm saying that it might. you see a solar explosion, a supernova might have created an excessive amount of gamma radiation--that's what happened to me..a gamma overdose...and the professor still might find evidence of even more mutants."
Gabrielle: "Well, what are you going to learn from a few fossils and a cave drawing?"
David: "Well, if this particular fossil shows there's an excessive amount of radiation, then I'm obligated to take a much much closer look at what he's holding in his hand."
Gabrielle: "This is a weapon and a branch--probably some primitive logo for war and peace.. He could be holding a bolt of lightning, and a white dove, just as easily."
David: "But he's not--he's holding a club and branch of leaves."
Gabrielle: "But it's impossible to know whether the plant is the cause or the cure of the transformation."
David: "I know, but I can't just walk away without that answered, now can I?"
Gabrielle: "No."

Time passes; David, Williams and Gabriel chip away at new findings, including another drawing of the branch seen in the proto-Hulk drawing. David discovers a small tunnel at the base of a wall; crawling through it, it turns out to be a burial chamber. Removing samples raises the concern & ire of a local Navajo tribe opposing Professor Williams' dig, among them, a young man named Rick, who sees David and calls him "white eyes."

That evening, the elder of the tribe--Lone Wolf--sits with children around a campfire, telling a story about the green man of old...

Lone Wolf: "The first hunter...he walks the land, eliminating the boundaries, and making us all one great tribe."
Michael: "Why is he green, grandfather?"
Lone Wolf: "To overcome the hatred. If he were yellow, or brown, or red like us, or even white...any of the colors of man, whichever he was, then people would think they were superior. So, he is green--the only one, and that makes the rest of us the same."

Rick returns, mocking the elder's stories...

Rick: "A new fairy tale, Lone Wolf? Get up Michael. I don't want my son growing up thinking these stories of yours are real."
Michael: "But I like them!"
Rick: "I'll tell you stories. True ones."
Little Jim: "C'mon, Rick, they're just kids."
Frank: "They need to learn the truth now!"
Rick: "The truth is that everybody gets everybody but us. They come in here and they take and take! The government, the B.I.A.It started happening a long time before you were born, grandfather. You children remember, when someone tries to take something from you, protect it--even if the odds are against you, even if you've got no chance of winning. Don't let anybody come in here and take what belongs to you! Not in the name of science..or history...or mankind."
Lone Wolf: "It's the same thing I'm telling them, Rick. Sacred grounds have been disturbed."
Frank: "Right--and the Great Spirits are angry...so are you going to do anything to change it, grandfather?"
Rick: "Get in the truck, Michael. It's better that they lean it now, Lone Wolf, before they grow up. Not like us."

That evening, Rick, Frank and Little Jim sneak into the dig site, weakening the wood support beams; Rick intends to create a minor scare, but Frank hangs back to weaken a beam to the point where its no longer safe...

The next day, as the beams are slowly unable to support the weight of the cave ceiling, Gabrielle & David find more clues about the man/proto-Hulk's skull...

Gabrielle: "David, I've checked the scalp proportions over and over...and they're still inconsistent. It's almost as if there are two different skulls."
David: "Maybe its one skull--but in a state of metamorphosis. He might've died during that metamorphosis."

As Gabrielle and David try to convince Prof. Williams to pack it in for the day, the weakened beams crack, dumping rock and dirt on the professor; David rushes to dig him out, but is hit with debris, triggering a Hulk-out--witnessed by Gabrielle, who tries to talk to the "David" side.

The Hulk frees Williams, then breaks through the rock slide covering the entrance. Gabrielle and Williams watch as the Hulk runs off, with the professor perplexed about the existence of a creature who seems to the same being depicted in the painting.

Elsewhere, Lone Wolf and grandson Michael struggle to move their truck--its tires spinning out in mud. At that moment, the Hulk appears, lifting the truck from the mud. Both Lone Wolf & Michael are stunned that the creature in the story has come alive...

Back at the Scholl Museum, Williams holds another press conference, but the press--including McGee--are only interested in the rumor of some sort of creature sighting. Williams thinks he's discovered a missing link, but McGee insists on referring to & showing a picture of the Hulk, inspiring collective groans from the other journalists..

Reporter: "Isn't the missing link as big a myth as the Hulk...or should I say as big a hoax?"
Williams: "Gentlemen, all I know is what I saw!"

McGee chases after Williams & Gabrielle to the curator's office door --

McGee: "Doctor--you were in the cave with him, doctor--what did you see?"

A disgusted Gabrielle shuts the door in his face.

Later, David returns to Gabrielle's lab, learning a mix of good and bad news--

Gabrielle: "David, you're all right."
David: "Yes."
Gabrielle: "I saw you..I saw the creature. It was a giant with a frightening roar. Primitive...primal.He looked just like the paintings in the cave. You saved me and the professor!"
David: "Well, the professor has a different interpretation."
Gabrielle: "He's being labeled a fraud."
David: (sighs): "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Gabrielle: "No. That creature of yours is even more unbelievable than the missing link of the professors. But now that I've seen him, I can understand you're desperation."

Gabrielle holds David's hands--

Gabrielle: "David..good news! We can start the amino acid analysis immediately!

McGee interviews Lone Wolf and his grandson, Michael--

McGee: "Did you see where the creature went?
Lone Wolf: "Out there. He'll wander the land until his burial ground is restored."
McGee: "Well, this thing is not one of your spirits. He's real, he exists."
Lone Wolf: "Our spirits are real. They exist."
McGee: "Did anybody else see this...spirit?"
Lone Wolf: "Michael? The boy was with me."
McGee: "Can you tell me what he looked like, Michael?"
Michael: "He was real scary! A giant--and green. Honest!"
McGee: "Oh, I believe you."
Michael: "You do?"

Rick and his cohorts arrive--

Rick: "You're a reporter."
McGee: "Yes, I'm Jack McGee of the National Register. I'm doing a story on this creature."
Frank: "Hah--listen to this--Lone Wolf's got the press believing in wandering spirits."
Rick: "There's plenty for your paper to exploit around here besides an old man's dreams."
McGee: "I just want to ask a few questions. Then i'll leave."
Rick: "Why don't you ask me?"
McGee: "Why? Did you see the creature?"
Rick: "I've seen the government approve a dig on our lands. I've seen them come in here and take things, They call them artifacts. Relics. They happen to be the sacred bones of our ancestors."
McGee: "I understand that you've got a problem here."
Rick: "Away of life, man! Our way of life that's been completely pushed aside for convenience! Nobody cares what it does to an old man like Lone Wolf. Now that's a story!"
McGee: "Story's been told. A lot."
Frank: "But nothing's changed. And nobody's listening. So how long are we supposed to ignore it and do nothing about it?"
McGee: "Maybe somebody's ready to listen."
Rick: "Fine--that's fine! And that's when you get to talk to my grandfather, and my son! Now get outta here!!"

At the Scholl Museum, there's a bit of hope for David--

Gabrielle: "The results of the amino acid analysis are back!"
David: "The protein remnants show radiation damage."
Gabrielle: "So you found another victim...now the cure."
David: "That mean that the plant may be the key."

Unfortunately, McGee returns to the museum, and as David retrieves plaster from a storage room, McGee walks into the lab. Gabrielle makes it clear her group wants nothing to do with McGee--

McGee: "I want to talk to your boss."
Gabrielle: "He's been through enough, Mr. McGee. He's not seeing any reporters...especially you."
McGee: "Oh, especially me. When did I get to be the bad guy?"
Gabrielle: "Probably has something to do with your paper's reputation. Its preceded you."

Gabrielle calls security to prevent any more unwanted visits from McGee, who continues to antagonize--

McGee: "How about you, doctor.What did you see?"
Gabrielle: "We don't want any publicity, Mr. McGee. Just a little privacy."
McGee: "Everybody wants publicity...as long as its flattering...except of course, you and the doctor...you want privacy. Only last week when you made you big discovery, you didn't want privacy. Then, we have the Indians out at the reservation--bunch of troublemakers crying about exploitation and begging for more...frankly, sometimes doctor, I get a little tired of it all, but I have a job of my own to do, and I'm going to it, whether its convenient to you or not!"
Gabrielle: " Mr. McGee, there is something you should realize: I've been educated in the finest schools, and I'm lucky enough to be the protégé of the distinguished professor Williams. But before that, I was Gabrielle Whitecloud. I was raised on that reservation with those 'troublemakers.' Goodbye, Mr. McGee."

The increasingly churlish McGee is removed from the building by security.

Rick, Frank and Little Jim plan to not only stop the exhibit featuring the proto-Hulk drawing, but, take over the museum by force to prove their point..

At the museum--

Gabrielle: "I grew up with Rick, Frank and Little Jim. They feel caught in the middle. Out of place. We know a lot about feeling out of place."
David: "When did you leave home?"
Gabrielle: "Oh, a Navajo never really leaves home.It's just the ones who made it out here "
David: "Change job, change your name."
Gabrielle: "Mm-hmm. Doctor White--sounds credible, doesn't it? More than Doctor Whitecloud, tribal medicine man."
David: "It's possible that uh, you have underestimated people's tolerance."
Gabrielle: "Then why are you pretending to be dead?"
David: "Because I have no choice."
Gabrielle: "I've spent my life making nothing but choices--the city or the reservation...science or ritual...the professor or you..."

Hours after that revealing conversation, the work continues...

David: "Even if we work at this for ten years, we still might come up with nothing."
Gabrielle: "We know that this plant was indigenous to the southwest area. And it has something primary to do with the metamorphosis."

A defeated Professor Williams walks in, sadly announcing the board of directors' decision to pull funding based on the belief he's lost credibility with his Hulk research.

Gabrielle: "Oh, God...even if I told them the truth, they wouldn't believe me--they'd think I was trying to protect him.Well at least there's still a chance to help you! we're going to identify that plant! We've only got a couple of hours. I hope that's gonna be enough time."
David: "Well, its all we've got."

Eventually, their computer produces the name of a psychoactive substance match for the 30,000 year old plant sample: Ibogaine. Outside, Rick, Frank and Little Jim arrive--armed. After overcoming a guard, they confront Gabrielle and David--demanding the bones removed from the site.

Frank: "We learned a little trick from the white man: you take what you want. No matter what the cost."

Locking David in an exhibit, Rick begins stealing the bones on display, accusing Gabrielle of not being Navajo--a racial sellout doing more for the "family of man" than her own family. Professor Williams startles Frank, who swings his rifle around to shoot the professor in the shoulder. Rick (who did not want violence) now clashes with Frank, who thinks the shot will get the attention they want. David pounds and kicks the glass of his exhibit/jail, but he cannot break free--until Frank slaps Gabrielle to the floor--a sight more than enough to trigger a Hulk out.

The Hulk easily breaks through the exhibit, pushing Frank to the floor while braking his rifle in half. The creature carries Williams to the relative safety of the museum lobby, then makes his escape, just as the police arrive to arrest Frank, Rick & Little Jim. Rick apologizes to Gabrielle, realizing the Hulk's existence confirms Lone Wolf's stories.

The next day, reporters interview Williams, who does not go into specifics about the Hulk, but concludes it defies scientific explanation. Williams' team earns a new grant, but he has plans beyond the current dig.

Gabrielle receives a call from David--

Gabrielle: "David! You're alright!"
David: "Yes, I'm fine. What about you and the professor?"
Gabrielle: "Oh, we're fine, David. Where are you?"
David: "I'm not really sure. Did you find the information?"
Gabrielle: "I think so. David, there's no record of a plant containing Reserpine and Ibogaine."
David: "What about our tests? They show conclusively that both those elements were in our plant."
Gabrielle: "I know. There's only one conclusion: the plant is extinct......David?"
David: "Well, we always knew it was a long shot, didn't we? I just want to thank you for your belief."
Gabrielle: "Is there anything I can do?"
David: "You've done so much, already. What are your plans?"
Gabrielle: "I'm going home, Dr. Banner."
David: "I'm glad, Dr. White."
Gabrielle: "White--cloud."
David: "Whitecloud. Good luck, Gabrielle."

A dejected David stands at the payphone, thinking.

NOTES:

Obviously, this is a cure-related episode.

When all is said and done with the series, the world of TV Hulk had at least three men who became Hulk creatures: Banner, the unidentified ancient man and Dell Frye.

The struggle between Native Americans, academia and racial identity was not new to TV in 1979, and certainly continues in present day North America. Here, we see several sides of the matter, with one running thread: Lone Wolf being disrespected by Rick and McGee for his beliefs.

Gabrielle had to assert the integrity of her racial identity twice in this episode: one, to her own people, reminding them that working in the world of "others" (the white world) does not mean she's a racial sellout or forgotten who she is. Even with the name change, that was more of an acknowledgement of the views/judgement of that world of "others," not any shame on her part. Two, in utterly flattening McGee, who thought Gabrielle was truly "White," and felt he could write off the Navajos, her revelation let him know she was aware of exactly what kind of man he was (in addition to his boorish behavior related to Hulk pursuits).

McGee added yet another shameful chapter to his life's story: complete racial insensitivity. dismissing Rick's complaints about the exploitation of his people's land & history:

McGee: "Story's been told. A lot."

So, because McGee says the story has been told, it is not valid--worthy of further examination of the issues.

McGee: "Then, we have the Indians out at the reservation--bunch of troublemakers crying about exploitation and begging for more...frankly, sometimes doctor, I get a little tired of it all"

Undeniably racist attitude, as the "troublemakers" and "begging" descriptions in relation to minority groups are long-used criticisms by those who either resented and/or automatically disbelieved the complaints and/or accounts of abuse & struggle. Once again, for McGee, not only is he uncaring about the plight of the marginalized or oppressed, but in the end, its all about his attempt to make his name from the flesh of the Hulk, and as he states in this episode--

McGee: I have a job of my own to do, and I'm going to it, whether its convenient to you or not!"

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

GUEST CAST:

Whit Bissell (Professor Williams) has to be one of fantasy TV & film's Most Valuable Players, considering his remarkable list of credits--

Out There (CBS, 1951) - "The Bus to Nowhere"
Creature from the Black Lagoon (Universal, 1954)
The Atomic Kid (Republic Pictures, 1954)
Target Earth (Allied Artists, 1954)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (uncredited; Allied Artists, 1956)
Science Fiction Theater (Syndicated, 1956) - "Doctor Robot," "The Green Bomb" & "Sound of Murder"
I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (AIP, 1957)
The Veil (Hal Roach Studios, 1958) - "Whatever Happened to Peggy?"
One Step Beyond (ABC, 1959) - "Brainwave"
Men Into Space (ABC, 1959) - "Christmas on the Moon"
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS, 1962) - "Burglar Proof"
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (NBC, 1964) - "Behind the Locked Door"
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (ABC, 1965) "The Peacemaker"
I Dream of Jeannie (NBC, 1966) "Fastest Gun in the East"
The Time Tunnel (ABC, 1966-67 / series regular)
The Invaders (ABC, 1967) - "Dark Outpost"
Star Trek (NBC, 1967) - "The Trouble with Tribbles"
Land of the Giants (ABC, 1970) - "The Secret City of Limbo"
City Beneath the Sea (NBC, 1971)
Soylent Green (MGM, 1973)
Psychic Killer (AVCO Embassy Pictures, 1975)
The Bionic Woman (NBC, 1977) - "Over the Hill Spy"
Project: U.F.O. (NBC, 1978) - "Sighting 4023: The I-Man Incident"
The Time Machine (NBC, 1978)
Darkroom (ABC, 1982) - "Lost in Translation"
...and he will return to TIH in "Prometheus: Part Two"

Kim Cattrall (Dr. Gabrielle White/Whitecloud) was never shy about taking fantasy roles in the years before her most famous work--
Deadly Harvest (1977)
Logan's Run (CBS, 1977) - "Half Life"
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (ABC, 1978) - "Voodoo Doll: Part One & Two"
Tales of the Gold Monkey (ABC, 1983) - "Naka Jima Kill"
Big Trouble in Little China (Fox, 1986)
Mannequin (Fox, 1987)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Paramount, 1991)
Invasion (Mini-series, 1997)
The Outer Limits (Showtime, 1997) - "Re-Generation"
Creature (1998 mini series)

A Martinez (Rick) - got his fantasy start with Probe, the 1972 NBC pilot for the short-lived series. After that--
The Sixth Sense (NBC, 1972) - "Echo of a Distant Scream"
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (ABC, 1977) - "Mystery of the Fallen Angels"
Exo-Man (NBC, 1977)
Wonderbug (ABC, 1977 - the Krofft Saturday morning series)
Not of this World (1991)
Welcome to Paradox (Sci-Fi Channel, 1998)
The Terminators (The Asylum, 2009)

Chief Dan George (Lone Wolf) is best remembered for westerns, including his Academy Award nominated role in Little Big Man (1970), and the Clint Eastwood drama, The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). TIH is his only fantasy role.

TOS fans will instantly recognize director Joe Pevney's name; he directed some of the series' greatest episodes, including:

• "The City on the Edge of Forever"
• "The Trouble with Tribbles" (with Bissell)
• "Journey to Babel"
• "Amok Time"
• "A Taste of Armageddon"
• "Arena"
• "The Return of the Archons"
• "The Devil in the Dark"

...and other memorable TOS episodes.

 

[The Old Mixer]

The Incredible Hulk
"Kindred Spirits"
Originally aired April 6, 1979

When artifacts are discovered that indicate the existence of Hulk-like beings 30,000 years ago, David joins the expedition to find out if there is a link to his problem... or possibly a cure.

David Barton

Our first three-time alias!

Williams visualizes a flashback to a primitive group fleeing from an equally primitive Hulk-like creature on the rampage

Effectively giving us off-formula extra Hulk time.

In the flashback, the proto-Hulk creature finds the slab, gazing at it with a moment of curiosity....

Vaguely reminded me of the cover of the first issue of his short-lived original series, from 1962.

"I always thought that I'd work in hospitals..I was studying medicine, but one afternoon, a guest lecturer came to one of my classes. He spoke on the comparative anatomy between man and ape. three week later, I enlisted in the course of archaeology--here I am! You know, I never got to thank him. I read that he died...but I never forget what he looked like. His name was Dr. David Banner. "

So Banner inspired her to give up a career in medicine and become...an archaeologist? He certainly gets around specialty-wise, per the needs of the story.

"Don't worry, Dr. Banner--I haven't told anyone about you.

Nor does she...and thus Dr. Gabrielle White(cloud) joins that list...you know the one.

"A colleague..a friend, who was the first person to witness the metamorphosis. I was dreaming about the death of someone I loved very much; I don't remember what happened once the metamorphosis began...but when it was over, the solid steel chamber was wrecked...the lab was destroyed....and my friend dead."

They're really oversimplifying the story beats from the pilot here...making it sound like the creature caused Elaina's death, and that it was during the second metamorphosis.

"I'm saying that it might. you see a solar explosion, a supernova might have created an excessive amount of gamma radiation--that's what happened to me..a gamma overdose...and the professor still might find evidence of even more mutants."

A supernova of another star? Or is this just a science blunder? David's varying specialties wouldn't seem to include solar physics...yet.

Lone Wolf

My Legion Geek Sense is tingling!

David rushes to dig him out, but is hit with debris, triggering a Hulk-out

-27:26. Nothing to see here.

"But before that, I was Gabrielle Whitecloud. I was raised on that reservation with those 'troublemakers.'

(Wikipedia says she was born in Liverpool and raised in Canada....)

David pounds and kicks the glass of his exhibit/jail, but he cannot break free--until Frank slaps Gabrielle to the floor--a sight more than enough to trigger a Hulk out.

-5:24...and how chivalrous!

The creature carries Williams to the relative safety of the museum lobby, then makes his escape

The security guard standing outside the museum seems way too oblivious to the Hulk busting out of it right in front of him. What, are reaction shots too expensive now?

Obviously, this is a cure-related episode.

That type of episode is firmly in second place, but still keeping itself competitive.

Kim Cattrall

Looking distractingly yummy at 22...which helps make up for her strained acting. Also, she seems to be playing a bit above her age as a PhD.

*******

Events in the news the week this episode aired:

April 1

• Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
• The Pinwheel Network changes its name to Nickelodeon and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.

April 1 – April 18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directed Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.

New on the U.S. charts that week:

"Old Time Rock and Roll," Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

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*******

 

[Christopher]

Ahh, "Kindred Spirits" and a lovely young Kim Cattrall... I always loved this episode because of her, although now that I'm not quite as much of a horny teenager anymore, I can see how weak her acting is, though I still kinda don't care. Although it's bizarre that they tried to pass off someone as alabaster-skinned as her as a Navajo. This episode made a decent attempt to acknowledge tribal objections to cultural appropriation, at least by the standards of the time, but it wasn't a particularly sympathetic portrayal, and the casting was, well, inconsistent ethnicity-wise.

The idea here is quite interesting, our first hint that Hulk creatures other than David's can exist. It's rare for an episode plot to have a science fiction element other than the Hulk, though this is an extension of the same idea. But its execution is less impressive. The cave painting conveniently showing all the information they need to drive the plot is pretty contrived.

I wonder if I ever realized before that Whit Bissell's character saying "I have no time machine" was a Time Tunnel in-joke.

So Banner inspired her to give up a career in medicine and become...an archaeologist? He certainly gets around specialty-wise, per the needs of the story.

Yeah, that was another contrivance that didn't quite work. Also, the scene where David explained his backstory to Gabrielle was odd -- it seemed to have been created in editing, because it's all flashback and voiceover and reuses a shot of Gabrielle from earlier in the scene. And plotwise, it's odd that he'd confide the whole story so readily, even with her recognizing him. It might've worked better if he'd stayed all "I can't tell you" at first and only had her learn the whole truth at the first Hulk-out.

A supernova of another star? Or is this just a science blunder?

Not at all. Radiation from supernovae can propagate dozens or hundreds of light-years, and there's evidence that evolution on Earth has been influenced by radiation from relatively nearby supernovae. As I said in the pilot review, though, there's no way astronomical gamma radiation would reach the Earth's surface; it'd be absorbed in the upper atmosphere and re-radiated as ultraviolet.


The Time Tunnel: "The Day the Sky Fell In": I didn't remember this show getting as dramatic as it did in this episode, with Tony living through the events of his father's loss at Pearl Harbor. It was pretty effective, aside from the corny villainy of the Japanese spy characters. I don't think the details about the Japanese fleet movements on December 6 were accurate, though.

Man, that Jerry guy is getting all the big dramatic stuff to do back at Tic-Toc. I didn't even remember him being a character on this show. Anyway, General Kirk seems convinced by now that the past is immutable, though Tony was certainly trying to make a change (though he only ended up confirming the immutability of history by ensuring his own younger self's survival). And if they could bring a bomb back to the present, why the heck can't they bring Doug and Tony back?

 

[The Old Mixer]

As I said in the pilot review, though, there's no way astronomical gamma radiation would reach the Earth's surface; it'd be absorbed in the upper atmosphere and re-radiated as ultraviolet.

So...a science blunder.

 

[Christopher]

So...a science blunder.

But not about the supernova part. Radiation from distant supernovae can affect life on Earth -- just not in the exact same way as depicted. So a much smaller blunder than you proposed, and one that's consistent with the ground rules established for the show in the past.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Incredible Hulk
"Kindred Spirits"
Originally aired April 6, 1979

Our first three-time alias!

Yep, and David should feel comfortable using it often, since he rarely runs into the same people again.

Effectively giving us off-formula extra Hulk time.

..and for the audience, the story pulled them in so they just did not write it off as any random Banner/Hulk appearance.

Vaguely reminded me of the cover of the first issue of his short-lived original series, from 1962.

Interesting point.

So Banner inspired her to give up a career in medicine and become...an archaeologist? He certainly gets around specialty-wise, per the needs of the story.

People have been inspired to change careers on as little as a single word, a visual cue...a dream, so I'll believe Gabrielle Whitecloud was inspired by a guy the series presents as very inspirational. After all, he IS David Banner!

Nor does she...and thus Dr. Gabrielle White(cloud) joins that list...you know the one.

I appreciate how The Incredible Hulk did not always lean toward to the comic book convention of characters itching to either learn the hero's secret I.D., or blab / exploit it once they find out. It shows that there are at least a few decent people who are not self serving after learning Banner's secret.

They're really oversimplifying the story beats from the pilot here...making it sound like the creature caused Elaina's death, and that it was during the second metamorphosis.

Yeah, for a series that has carefully explored details of his origin several times in the past, this was the equivalent of the old, badly truncated Castle Films 8mm home movie versions of films--kind of slapped together with important bridges removed.

My Legion Geek Sense is tingling!

...and in this season, we had an episode titled "Wildfire," so Cary Bates / Dave Cockrum Legion era gets a nod, too!

-5:24...and how chivalrous!

I enjoyed the deliberate forcing of David--trapped in an exhibit of early man--to strike at the glass with the replica log--very much in keeping with the primitive man plot of the episode.

The security guard standing outside the museum seems way too oblivious to the Hulk busting out of it right in front of him. What, are reaction shots too expensive now?

Or he was a lazy day player, and once in post, the PTB just said, "what the hell" and let it go, since it happens quickly.

Looking distractingly yummy at 22...which helps make up for her strained acting. Also, she seems to be playing a bit above her age as a PhD.

Yes..she was always stunning. Regarding her acting, I can forgive any shortcomings, as she was into her part, and not treating it like she did not need to sound believable talking about ancient artifacts or the chemical composition of extinct plants.

New on the U.S. charts that week:

"Old Time Rock and Roll," Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

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*******

I love your music references, as it instantly reminds me of so many things about that time.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Finally got around to watching the third episode of Planet of the Apes. Going by the ape makeup the show was being produced on a budget but they stage the action scenes pretty well.

By the time Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) was in production, and months later, as the TV series was developed, Dan Striepeke's appliances had streamlined the John Chambers work considerably, making "Ape ups" a bit easier to apply than in say, 1967 for the production of the original film. I think they are of a quality on par with the last two movies, but are not embellished with as much facial shadowing as you can see around the eyes of movie Caesar, Zaius or Zira. That's why the TV "Ape-ups" appear very clean, and as a result, its applied nature is easier to notice.

I thought they did a good job with elements like Pete, er, Burke falling into the sinkhole and the like. And of course, with a show of its vintage you get fight scenes with lots of double footed drop kicks and the like.

Ah, there's nothing quite like astronauts using stunt/martial arts against gun-toting gorillas!

 

[The Old Mixer]

But not about the supernova part. Radiation from distant supernovae can affect life on Earth -- just not in the exact same way as depicted. So a much smaller blunder than you proposed, and one that's consistent with the ground rules established for the show in the past.

I'll take your word for it then.

People have been inspired to change careers on as little as a single word, a visual cue...a dream, so I'll believe Gabrielle Whitecloud was inspired by a guy the series presents as very inspirational.

But why was he giving lectures about ape anatomy anyway? You can rationalize it, but the show has asked us to do this a few too many times with references to David's past career.

I enjoyed the deliberate forcing of David--trapped in an exhibit of early man--to strike at the glass with the replica log--very much in keeping with the primitive man plot of the episode.

Looked like a bone to me. I should also note that when in doubt, I take the Hulk-Out times from when we hear that distinct sound effect...but in this case, his eyes were clearly visible a second or two before it started.

Or he was a lazy day player, and once in post, the PTB just said, "what the hell" and let it go, since it happens quickly.

It was all the more conspicuous because they made him clearly visible from inside the museum as the Hulk was preparing to bust out, and he didn't seem to be noticing anything that was happening inside. Then we see him not doing anything in a long shot as the Hulk is exiting, not doing anything noteworthy. Then he's ushering in the police like he didn't just see a giant green man smashing out of the museum with a feat of super-strength a few feet from him. If they didn't want to waste time on him, why was he in the scene at all? Just have him run up after the Hulk runs off.

I love your music references, as it instantly reminds me of so many things about that time.

Thank you.

*

 

[Christopher]

Land of the Giants: "Underground": So in broadcast order, this is our first indication that the giants' world has a totalitarian regime. Would've been nice to set that up earlier, or do more with the idea before this. But John Abbott's resistance-leader character didn't seem much better, forcing the crew to help him by threatening hostages rather than winning them over through reason or ideals. It made it incongruous at the end when Steve called him a great man.

Still, the episode did a fairly good job of building suspense and danger by having the plan go wrong at every single stage. Although poor Fitzhugh never got the chance to show off his mad safecracking skillz and just ended up being the goat as usual.

Planet of the Apes: "The Good Seeds": Man, I'm getting tired of "Smart humans teach stuff to dumb apes" episodes already. This one turned it up to eleven, even making Galen superstitious and ignorant (though I keep forgetting he's not a scientist like his soundalike Dr. Cornelius). It's hard to believe how primitive this episode made the apes. They have rifles (carbines, first developed c. 1800 CE, although the movie props were modified WWII-era M1 carbines), but they don't have compasses (used in China by 1040 CE and in Europe by 1190), windmills (known since the first century CE), the block and tackle (invented by Archimedes in the 200s BCE), or the most basic understanding of irrigation and planting? I could buy farmers in remote, rural areas having some superstitious beliefs and lacking modern conveniences, but not being this thoroughly ignorant about their own livelihood, since surely their forebears would've worked some of this out through trial and error. And the episode assumed that Galen and Urko were just as backwards and superstitious as the farmers.

It was an interesting touch that the apes were shocked by the human practice of eating animal flesh. As usual, though, the show's grasp of ape behavior is more than a bit off. Chimps are omnivores and do engage in hunting -- although that wasn't discovered until the 1960s (by Jane Goodall) and it took many years to dispel the conventional wisdom that it was a normal chimp behavior rather than an aberration, so I guess I can excuse the error in this case. (Oddly, the episode description on my DVR called these gorilla farmers, though they were all in the standard chimp makeup, and gorillas are always stereotyped as soldiers in classic PotA.)

This is the first time we've seen female apes in this show, though we saw a few human females in minor roles last week. Galen even got a bit of a romance that went nowhere. Roddy McDowall may get top billing, but Galen tends to be the third most prominent character in the show.

But why was he giving lectures about ape anatomy anyway? You can rationalize it, but the show has asked us to do this a few too many times with references to David's past career.

I made no attempt to rationalize it before. I did find it a bit forced. Although on second thought, I'm remembering the episode about the zoo doctor who was using Banner's work on aggression in her own work with animals. So maybe as part of his studies on human aggression and strength, Banner did some cross-species comparative research.

I should also note that when in doubt, I take the Hulk-Out times from when we hear that distinct sound effect...but in this case, his eyes were clearly visible a second or two before it started.

Seems to me a "whichever comes first" policy would apply there. And it's not a sound effect, it's a music sting. I'd say it sounds like a high-pitched violin vibrato with a bit of a percussive sweetening at the beginning to give it a sharper attack, with the violins then being sustained under a chorus of both female and male voices.

 

[publiusr]

It was an interesting touch that the apes were shocked by the human practice of eating animal flesh. As usual, though, the show's grasp of ape behavior is more than a bit off. Chimps are omnivores and do engage in hunting -- although that wasn't discovered until the 1960s (by Jane Goodall) and it took many years to dispel the conventional wisdom that it was a normal chimp behavior rather than an aberration..

In POTA, the chimpanzees are thoughtful, the gorillas warlike, and orangutans politicians.

As much as I liked Roddy's characters, in real life--I would rather be in a cave with three tigers as get anywhere near a chimp. The tiger will only kill you. The chimpanzee will murder you. Take your feet, hands face--and your junk.

Ahh, "Kindred Spirits" and a lovely young Kim Cattrall... I always loved this episode because of her, although now that I'm not quite as much of a horny teenager anymore, I can see how weak her acting is, though I still kinda don't care. Although it's bizarre that they tried to pass off someone as alabaster-skinned as her as a Navajo. This episode made a decent attempt to acknowledge tribal objections to cultural appropriation, at least by the standards of the time, but it wasn't a particularly sympathetic portrayal"

Gabrielle was the hero of the piece to me--seeing the worth of old and new. The young men I viewed as no different than book-burners or any other fundamentalists. We see this today with controversy over new telescopes. Today's version of Gabrielle is Paul Coleman: http://www.techinsider.io/thirty-meter-telescope-hawaii-protests-2015-10

You have to be careful with putting anyone on a pedestal. One person of some note was Russel Means, a libertarian:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Means

I remember an interview with Lauren Hutton. He had gotten into a little trouble over the idea of folks marrying outside the community. He said something along the lines of the Eagle flying with the eagle--and the crow with the crow. Very elegant worlds--but in the end, when stripped of verbage--it's no different than David Dukes position. Now, would I rather have dinner with Russell? Certainly. I'm sure he would have been far more pleasant. But with a lot of libertarians, (say newspacers who want to kill SLS and NASA in general) there seems to be this movement afoot to defund and destruct the whole idea of anything public. Russell only added to that.

I wonder if anything would be left in museums if everyone wanted everything back--from the Elgin Marbles to the Nefertiti Bust, no taxes for public museums and libraries, that kind of thing.

In terms of the Nefertiti Bust, it may be just as well that it wasn't retrieved by poor Zahi Hawass (forever plagued by the locusts of UFO believers). It may have been lost to humanity at large, had it been stolen/wrecked along with other antiquities that Zahi wanted for repatriation. You squeeze that wet bar of soap too much... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zahi_Hawass#2011_protest_vandalism

Radiation from supernovae can propagate dozens or hundreds of light-years, and there's evidence that evolution on Earth has been influenced by radiation from relatively nearby supernovae.

Not only that but "some 100 tons of material from the Crab Nebula supernova, which was seen exploding nearly 1,000 years ago, will eventually impact Earth....That sounds like a lot, but 20 to 40 tons of meteoric material impacts our planet every day, so the effect of the Crab will be at most a blip." https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/philip-plait/death-from-the-skies/

 

[The Old Mixer]

Now it was probably just the damsel role that she was being fit into, but I actually got a bit of a vibe in the climax that Gabrielle was being a tad manipulative. When David was trapped in the case, she was urging him to do something (change into the Hulk, basically, since he was clearly helpless as Banner), and then she went out of her way to provoke her captors in order to trigger a change.