MeTV's SuperSci-Fi Saturday Night

[Skipper]

Indeed... There doesn't seem to be any consensus about the "correct" viewing order for Space: 1999, or for the previous Gerry Anderson series UFO. A lot of episodic British shows seemed to be shown in various different orders in different markets. There are something like six or eight different "preferred" viewing orders for The Prisoner, and they only agree on the first episode and the last two.

Yep. This seems to be a peculiarity of the Sci-fi British TV series. I don't remember similar heated debates about the correct viewing order of Star Trek TOS (because everybody know that the correct order is the alphabetical one )

Of course, it's because of that flexibility of viewing order that my local station back in the '70s was once able to schedule Star Trek: "The Immunity Syndrome" and Space: 1999: "The Immunity Syndrome" back-to-back on the same night. Some programmer on Channel 19 had a sense of humor...

I remember when I saw Space: 1999 on the Italian television. The first season was a co-production ITC/RAI (RAI is the Italy's national public broadcasting company). And the story of how the executives of the latter were persuaded to co-finance the series is quite funny...
From http://marco.space1999.net/faq_main.htm (sorry, Google translation )

How it was that RAI was involved in the 1999 Space co-production?

In 1974 it broke out the one that will go down in history as the "oil crisis": in practice, the Arab countries incresed tenfold the price of oil, thus putting the Western economies on their knees until the early 80s. Among the first consequences, there was rationing of gasoline and electricity to minimize the costs and not blow up inflation.

Clearly the production of Space 1999 found himself struck broadside by these measures: Pinewood was rationed electricity, therefore, to continue filming, we had to move forward with electricity self-generators: translated in a nutshell, this meant an increase in unaffordable expenses.

In the spring of 1974 the head of the ITC, Sir Lewis Grade, realized that you could not go on too long doing the math, the shooting had just started, production was already burdened with organizational problems, and therefore the electric rationing he was likely to be the final blow if there was not an extra fresh money injection.

But where to find it? In the environment it was well known that there were potential donors concerned at what appears to be "a science fiction show most extraordinary we've ever seen." Among them, it seems particularly interested the Italian state television RAI.

The RAI, in the early 70s, was very interested in alliances with foreign producers, in order to offer its viewers broad productions, as well as to take off the label of "provincialism" that often afflicted.

Clearly Lewis Grade was with the problem of being able to be convincing: since served many, but just as much money to avoid bankruptcy, you had to be able to offer Italians something really superb. What better opportunity than to invite RAI delegates directly on the set?

The Grade clever man, even knowing than they were "provincial" Italians, and conscious at the same time that Space 1999 was something never seen before, called in May 1974 for dignitaries RAI asking to come for a visit on the set "... without compliments, really it is not the case, take a trip to see what we're working on, so you can get an idea about the quality of our work and decide if you want to participate in the production."

In May 1974, he was filming "Guardian of Piri" ... what a combination, one of the most spectacular episodes of the entire series! And so, the RAI executives arrive at Pinewood "... just to take a look ..." and find themselves catapulted to the set. And what do they see? The Main Mission! The Eagles! The rooms and corridors! The uniforms of Space: 1999! The planet Piri, with styrofoam globes everywhere! They were literally speechless. Who had ever seen anything like that, at the time ????????

Legend has it, and it seems that it has been confirmed by the same Grade, that RAI executives were so shocked by what they saw that night the contract was signed virtually! RAI pledged to become a co-producer of Space: 1999 in exchange for a robust funding (about one-third of the budget) that would allow production to reach the end without too many worries of mind.

As a direct result of the involvement of RAI, "Space 1999" would have to have two Italian regulars: The operator of the control room Sandra Sabatini and especially the pilot Alfonso Catani. Sylvia Anderson, accompanied by the casting director Michael Barnes, went to Italy to meet with actors for the part of the Catani. After several fruitless days, just as she was to return to London, Anderson came across in the hotel lobby in a very attractive young that seemed perfect for the part. It was Giancarlo Prete, the last actor summoned. Priest offered to accompany them personally at the airport when they were first passed in the Roman theater where he worked to see him play.

Back in England, the Anderson called the actor, along with other Italian colleagues, to do rehearsals with Martin Landau. Landau had not been informed of the intention of the producers to introduce a younger and energetic character to combine with Koenig and reacted furiously. The American actor was concerned that Catani could somehow obscure the character of Koenig. Some of the squad players felt intimidated by Landau during the auditions. Sylvia Anderson finally managed to convince Landau of the need to introduce a secondary character like Catani. Priest won the role, but he could not withdraw from a previously signed contract in Italy for his role as Tommy in the classic of the genre 'thriller' 'The citizen rebels "(1974) by Enzo G. Castellari and had to give up the part. The desperate last-minute attempts to find an English actor who could pass for Italian failed miserably. Eventually the roles of Catani and Sabatini were modified and became Australia's Alan Carter and Sandra Benes.

Negotiations with RAI lasted up to six months after the start of filming. Eventually the Italian money arrived, and with them four Italian actors chosen as a guest star. Giancarlo Prete was the first (Dan Mateo in "The Troubled Spirit "). They followed Carla Romanelli (Melita in "Space Brain"), Gianni Garko (Tony Cellini in "Dragon's Domain") and finally Orso Maria Guerrini (Luke Iron in "The Testament of Arkadia" ).

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I read somewhere that when they sold Space: 1999 in U.S. directly into first run syndication, the only recommendation that they give to the local stations was to broadcast the pilot as the first episode, the rest in whatever order was convenient.

Searching...
Source

Odd. I remember Space: 1999 running in order, so the eventual negative changes to the series were felt full on after a somewhat ambitious start.

 

[Christopher]

I remember when I saw Space: 1999 on the Italian television. The first season was a co-production ITC/RAI (RAI is the Italy's national public broadcasting company). And the story of how the executives of the latter were persuaded to co-finance the series is quite funny...
From http://marco.space1999.net/faq_main.htm (sorry, Google translation )

That story can't be right. "Guardian of Piri" was the eighth episode filmed. The characters of Alan and Sandra were regulars who debuted in the pilot, filmed six months earlier. In searching online, I've found conflicting information about this. Some sites give the impression that RAI wasn't signed on as a production partner until midway through the season, yet others support the claim that Alan and Sandra were supposed to be Italian. It's confusing.

 

[Skipper]

That story can't be right. "Guardian of Piri" was the eighth episode filmed. The characters of Alan and Sandra were regulars who debuted in the pilot, filmed six months earlier. In searching online, I've found conflicting information about this. Some sites give the impression that RAI wasn't signed on as a production partner until midway through the season, yet others support the claim that Alan and Sandra were supposed to be Italian. It's confusing.

You are not the only one with this doubt...
http://metaforms.space1999.net/list-quo/99103dd2.htm

> Also, the point about Cellini vs. Carter is interesting. We all know
> the RAI connections and their demand for Italian actors. Actually, was
> RAI pulled into this near the end? It seems we only see Italians in
> Space Brain, Troubled Spirit, Dragon's Domain and Testament of
> Arkadia...all episodes from the second half of Year One. Obviously, if
> the main character had to die, then Carter could not have been the one.

Yes, I've also wondered why the RAI were not more insistant of Italian
actors earlier in production. I seem to remember that in "The making
of SPACE:1999" we hear that representatives were inspecting the lots
as early as during the shooting of GUARDIAN OF PIRI.

It's a mistery!
This is from a interview to Sylvia Anderson:

And then I got a call from Lew saying Rai in Rome had put some money in, so we've now got to cast some Italians. I said what? (laughs) So I got on the plane with the casting director and saw all these Italians - oh god, no. Finally found one who was very good, trained in America, done theatre, was Italian, brought him over with a couple of others that I found over there to do a test. We test them, Martin Landau's supposed to test with them, would he hell... He was sulking the whole time. So the one I eventually cast came in to me, and I said, look, he's jealous of you, let me just put it on the line, don't take any notice of him, just go ahead, do your scene, because he's going to make it as difficult as possible, because he doesn't want any competition.

And so we did the tests, we came up the viewing thing, Martin came in, didn't really want him, but he came in with Barbara, with the casting director, and the guy that was shooting, Lee Katzin the third, or something ridiculous, who was one of their directors on Mission Impossible, and everything they did was wonderful. So I sent the tests up to Lew and he said 'what do you think?' and I told him Giancarlo Prete was the one, and he said I agree with you, and Martin Landau went absolutely bananas. We were all sat in the viewing room and he suddenly stood up, and turned into a monster, started swearing, 'what do you think you're doing to me?' He went totally mad. The director shrunk into his chair, and the casting [director] Michael Barnes, he looked at me, don't look at me. I let him have his rant and rave, no-one spoke up, I stood up and said when you can speak in a bit more of a civil tone, I'll discuss it with you, but in the meantime, he has been chosen, so put up with it (laughs).

 

[Christopher]

The irony is, we didn't get a regular character who was supposed to be Italian (Tony Verdeschi) until season 2, after RAI was no longer involved. And he was played by an English actor who was of Anglo-Dutch ancestry and was born in Singapore.

 

[Admiral2]

Here's a Lost In Space query: Does anybody get Dr. Smith's initial motivations?

As the show progressed he evolved into just a lazy coward, but they're showing the first season right now it seems like he keeps going out of his way to try and kill them all, and I don't get why. You would think that at some point something in his brain would say "Look, whatever payday you were getting to kill them you aren't getting, cause you're not getting back to Earth, so knock it off and pitch in." But it doesn't. he either tries to kill the Robinsons or doesn't lift a finger if they're otherwise in mortal danger. What am I missing?

 

[Skipper]

That story can't be right. "Guardian of Piri" was the eighth episode filmed.

Just a theory: the sets of "Guardian of Piri" and the miniatures seem to me quite complex.

(not exaclty you average Star Trek TOS alien set )

They probably just started worked on them far in advance..?

 

[Skipper]

^They started to work AAARGH

 

[Christopher]

Just a theory: the sets of "Guardian of Piri" and the miniatures seem to me quite complex...
They probably just started worked on them far in advance..?

Not that far in advance. The script for the episode wasn't completed until April 1974, just a month before filming on the episode began, and four months after the pilot was filmed. They couldn't have shot the effects before they had a script. (Not to mention that VFX work is usually done after principal photography, not before -- though the Space: 1999 pilot "Breakaway" was an exception, perhaps because it needed completed VFX footage to show on the video monitors on the sets.)

Besides, Italian guest actors don't start showing up until the latter half of the season. The consensus seems to be that the effects of the RAI deal didn't kick in until then. So the most likely interpretation is that the bit about the RAI people seeing the "Piri" production and agreeing to sign on, and the subsequent negotiations about Italian cast members, are correct, but that someone's getting confused in saying that Alan and Sandra were only conceived after that.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

"A Solitary Place"

In this episode, we find David is in a wooded area--

Somewhere in Baja, Mexico

As David Baily writes in his journal, we learn its been--

David: "Another four weeks--32 days--a record of sorts. The longest period of time that I've been free of the creature's rage. It seems isolation in an uninhabited place like this is the best solution. I can't hurt anything or anyone here. The creature continues to be an uncontrollable force within me, potentially very dangerous. It has never killed, but who can say that someday its rage will not result in the death of innocent people? I find myself missing Caroline more and more. her warmth...her understanding her special condition are qualities I'm not like to find ever again."

His mind drifts back to his marriage to Caroline, regretting her death, and the fact that whatever level of self-hypnosis he learned from her, he was not as adept at it as his late wife--

David: "The problem is, without Caroline's help, I cannot continue alone. If I ever hope to control the creature--my awareness of its actions could be vital."

In a nearby small town called La Rosa, Jack McGee follows a tip that the Hulk was seen in the area; Raul--his contact, brushes off the sources of McGee's tip. McGee suddenly takes interest in an American woman (named Gail Collins) complaining to a bus driver about the number of stops on the journey. The woman is visibly anxious, then alarmed as she catches McGee (who seems to recognize her) shooting a few photos of Collins. Raul takes McGee to intercept the bus, but Collins runs off, making her way through the hills. McGee identifies the woman as Dr. Gail Collins, and urges Raul to help him, but not before...

Raul: "First, a green giant, now a girl doctor??"

David returns to his shelter after a successful afternoon of fishing, only to discover Gail Collins, with her knee wrapped (courtesy of David's medical supplies). Exhausted, Collins sleeps. Later, she pulls a "Banner"--introducing herself with a real given name, but fake surname, but David recognizes her from the cover of Newscope magazine, with the caption, "The New Look of Neurosurgery," recalling the story--

David:"The radical technique of severing nerve fibers to reduce pain in terminal patients..The Collins Neurotomy Procedure. Are you Dr. Gail Collins?"
Gail: "Yes."
David: "What are you doing here?"
Gail: "I was on my way to Los Puelos."
David: "Well, that's not exactly a...a resort. And its a little remote, isn't it, for someone with your specialty."
Gail: "Yes. I just wanted to get away for awhile.You know, I really would like to stay for a few days until my knee is better. Now, I could pay you what I would've paid at a motel."
David: "..please.."
Gail: "I'm a respectable professional, you know..a doctor..on the cover of national magazines.."
David: "Ohh, very famous....but you don't know anything about me."
Gail: "Well, I know that any self respecting villain would've made a vicious move by now. My knee really does hurt. I'll try not to interfere with whatever you're doing out here."
David: "Alright. You can stay for a couple of days until your ah..knee heals."
Gail: "Thank you."

Meanwhile, at San Diego-based Frank Malone and Son Lumber Yard, Frank & his son Joey see Gail's photo & story on the cover of the Register--by the way, the same McGee took some time earlier. Frank is hotheaded and wants Joey to join him...

Frank: "Yeah, it's her. Now, we're going to Mexico. Come on!"
Joey: "What a minute, dad--we just can't leave."
Frank: "Look, Jack will take care of the yard, now willya come on?"
Joey: "The police will bring her back."
Frank: "Joe...Joey, we can't count on anybody to bring her back...now, we're going!"
Joey: "Dad, please? None of this will bring Cindy back!"
Frank: "No more talk! Now its my turn to play God!"

Near David's shelter, David springs an animal trap, saying something rather telling--

David: "These things are set all over the hills, and I hate to see anything trapped."

When David needs Gail to remove a large splinter his hand with a knife, she freezes, her mind flashing back to performing surgery, where she lost Cindy--Frank's daughter. That night, Gail continues traveling down her terrible memory lane--from arguing with Frank Malone about the merits of her life saving surgery, to the aftermath of an inquest, where Frank angrily promised she would be "put away" where she could not hurt anyone else.

In town, McGee and Raul learn of the general location of Gail (and "a man"), and set off--just as the Malones do on another road. That night, a storm sends flood waters and debris down on David's shelter, trapping Gail & David--until it triggers a Hulk-out. The creature offers his hand to Gail, but she's so frightened, that he runs away from the shelter. The Hulk wanders around, and as hit-you-over-the-head contrast to Gail's screams, a rabbit has no issue with being held by the green man, now calm enough to transform back to David.

David returns to the shelter, where Gail chides herself for acting like a child to the creature she admits tried to help her..and she's beside herself in trying to come to understand that the Hulk exists--

Gail: "David, I've seen cellular mutations and birth defects and everything that nature can do to destroy the body, but this---I know it sounds unbelievable, but it happened!"
David: "It's alright...its alright, .its okay."
Gail: "You believe me?"
David: "Yes. I do believe you, Gail."
Gail: "Did you know it was here? Is that why you wanted me to leave? David??"
David: "Gail, its okay, its okay.."
Gail: "I understand my own, clinical world, but if you put me up against something that doesn't exist in a sterilized atmosphere, and I hide in a corner!"

David counters by cleverly referring to the following line from Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5--
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Gail: "Hamlet in Baja?"
David: "..well.."
Gail: "Who were those words of wisdom meant for--you or me?"
David: "Both of us."

In town, the armed Frank Malone meets McGee, and takes the reporter up on request for help in locating Gail Collins. Using two jeeps, the men being the 30 mile journey to her location....

At the shelter, Gail talks about Cindy (21 years old when she died), who suffered from chronic headaches--specifically the meningeal artery; Frank Malone wanted a 2nd opinion, but Cindy signed the consent, which Frank believed to be Gail's forgery. After the inquest, Gail fled to Mexico. Gail thinks her own pride was the cause of Cindy's death, but David rejects that, imparting the truth that merely a human being who could fail.

Gail wonders why David isolates himself, asking if his journal is where he keeps his "deep, dark secrets." David's refusal to answer one way or the other is off-putting.

On the road, one of the McGee party's jeeps becomes stuck at the edge of a river; instead of waiting for their entire group to continue, the murderous Frank takes off in the working jeep, leaving McGee, Raul and Joey stranded. Eventually, Frank finds the shelter, and chases Gail in the jeep; David is caught in an animal trap--the pain causing him to Hulk out yet again.

Frank holds Gail at gunpoint, preparing to kill her, when the free Hulk crushes Frank's gun, tosses the man nearly across the river and proceeds to take the jeep apart. The Hulk flings a tire through the air, hitting the approaching second jeep, causing Joey to hit the breaks--but thrust his neck forward--into the steering wheel, with a distinct crack sound. Frank leaps into the jeep, but the Hulk flips the vehicle into the river.

McGee says the son's necked is smashed, leading Frank to beg Gail for help. She quickly deduces Joey needs a tracheotomy; Frank gives her his knife, and for a moment, Gail flashes back to the surgery that killed Cindy, but she shakes herself out of doubt to act, with McGee still looking around for the Hulk.

Frank thanks Gail for saving Joey--his quest for revenge snuffed out the hard way. McGee has to accept that Joey's need to get to a hospital outweighs his pursuit of the Hulk, as the jeep heads back to town.

Later, David is at the shelter, his bag packed, preparing to leave, when he comes across a scarf Gail left behind. Thinking for a moment, he ends up back on some highway, his experiment in solitude a failure.

NOTES:

A non cure related episode, although he enters thoughts on his condition in his journal.

Raul's line: "First, a green giant, now a girl doctor??" That could have been played for laughs, but anyone who knows Mexico in the 70s (*raises hand*) can tell you female doctors were not mythical--as Raul suggests by adding her to his disbelief in the Hulk, and certainly not in the larger cities.

Continuity: David mentions he was an athletic trainer for a football team--obviously referencing "Killer Instinct."

GUEST CAST:

Kathryn Leigh Scott (Gail Collins) is yet another former Dark Shadows star (like Lara Parker & Dana Elcar before her) to visit Hulkville. Although Scott portrayed many roles in the time-hopping Gothic horror soap opera, it is the Maggie Evans character (once the near-undead obsession of vampire Barnabas Collins) that is her claim to TV immortality. Scott left the series in 1970--but returned to the role that same year in the big screen spin-off, House of Dark Shadows (MGM, 1970).

Scott worked with Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis in one of his many TV adaptations of classic 19th century horror novels--in this case, Henry James' The Turn of the Screw (ABC, 1974), and in Come Die With Me, a segment of The Wide World of Mystery (ABC, 1974). Recently, she was cast a special guest (i.e. a nod to fans) in the party scene of Tim Burton's DS reboot (Warner Brothers, 2012).

Beyond Curtis, Scott's other fantasy roles include Space: 1999 ("Dorzak" - 1977), voice work for The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (ABC, 1981), Star Trek: The Next Generation ("Who Watches the Watchers" - 1989), and Parasomnia (2008) as nurse Margaret Evans.......yeah.Well, its not the first DS wink to the audience, since her TIH character's surname is Collins.

Scott launched a very successful publishing career with her Pomegranate Press, publishing a number of entertainment related books, many covering the history of Dark Shadows.

In 2015, Scott returned to the Marvel universe--this time as The Baroness in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "Aftershocks".

Jerry Douglas (Frank Malone) has an average sized list of fantasy credits--starting with the exploitation / animals-kill-on-command film, Black Zoo (Allied Artists Pictures, 1963). Douglas moved to TV with "Tourist Attraction," a first season episode of The Outer Limits, Land of the Giants ("A Place Called Earth" - 1969), the duplicate earth / paranoia chase pilot The Stranger (1973), and in no surprise, The Bionic Woman ("My Jaime" - 1976).

Once again, we have a TIH guest who appeared on another CBS live action superhero series from the 70s--this time, "Now You See It..." and "...Now You Don't," the 2-part series finale of Filmation's The Secrets of Isis, also guest starring John Davey in his final appearance as Captain Marvel.

Bruce Wright (Joey Malone--as stated in the episode, but credits list him as "Richard Sloan"), was a mainstay with Universal fantasy. In fact, his 1st TV credit was "deck hand" in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica pilot movie, "Saga of a Star World," and would add 4 additional BG roles (usually as some sort of guard), along with one episode of Galactica: 1980. Ah, but he was not finished with Glen Larson's walk of sci-fi shame. In 1980, Wright had the pleasure of being a one time guest on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, but managed to wipe the ick away with two Incredible Hulk episodes.

Add the unremarkable Desire, the Vampire TV movie, and one spot on Star Trek: Deep Space 9 ("Crossfire" - 1996) and Enterprise ("The Expanse" - 2003), and that rounds out Wright's fantasy roles.

 

[Christopher]

"A Solitary Place" is a nice idea -- David tries to get away from it all to stop Hulking out -- but it started out as a bit too much of a mini-clip show, and then it got sidetracked into being more about Gail. I was kind of hoping that she'd find out about the Hulk. There were some nice parallels between his fear that his medical mishap (the Hulk) would someday kill someone and Gail's inability to deal with her medical mishap that did kill someone. But with the secret remaining between them, it couldn't become more than tacit. And so it feels like the opening set up something that was never paid off.

What we got of David-Gail was fairly good, but imperfect. I found Kathryn Leigh Scott a little stiff, not as appealing as she was in "Who Watches the Watchers?" And Gail was a bit too weak and easily terrified to be all that impressive, despite her reasonably good rapport with David.

It's notable that the fear David expressed at the beginning almost came true at the end. The Hulk's actions would've killed Joey if Gail hadn't done the tracheotomy. Although the scene was undermined by the show's tendency toward clumsy voiceovers. Would someone whose throat had just been crushed be capable of saying "My throat!" in the first place? And did we really need to hear that to understand the scene? Anyway, nice that McGee got to be a little heroic by urging Gail to help (and thereby implicitly urging Malone to accept her help).

So why did David give up living in the woods anyway? Sure, he had to move on now that McGee had come so close to his place, but why not just find another "solitary place" somewhere else? Maybe it was the flood and the bear traps that convinced him the woods weren't such a Hulk-free place. Or maybe the idea was that Gail going back to face her life motivated him to do the same -- although doing the same would mean turning himself in as Dr. David Banner, so the analogy doesn't quite hold.

Didn't the Edward Norton Hulk movie have a similar bit about Banner isolating himself to avoid Hulk-outs? For that matter, it's probably been done in the comics and animated shows more than once.

Another Charles R. Cassey score this week. A pretty good one, though I note that he used Harnell's Laura/generic-romance theme for the wedding flashback instead of Carolyn's theme. Oh, and speaking of flashbacks, Gail's operating room flashback used the same overhead stock shot as Steve Austin's operation in The Six Million Dollar Man, I believe. (I'm not sure that shot even originated there, for that matter.)

 

[The Old Mixer]

The Incredible Hulk
"A Solitary Place"
Originally aired January 24, 1979

David Baily

Wuh-well garsh--muh-maybe he shoulda tried hiding out in Bedford Falls!

His mind drifts back to his marriage to Caroline, regretting her death, and the fact that whatever level of self-hypnosis he learned from her, he was not as adept at it as his late wife--

At this point, they're referring back to the Season 2 premiere so much that I've come to think of it as the third pilot.

Gail: "Well, I know that any self respecting villain would've made a vicious move by now."

And she does have some history with self-respecting villains....

Near David's shelter, David springs an animal trap

Say, that's a nifty gun hanging on the mantle. When does Act II start?

That night, a storm sends flood waters and debris down on David's shelter, trapping Gail & David--until it triggers a Hulk-out.

-23:21.

Gail: "I understand my own, clinical world, but if you put me up against something that doesn't exist in a sterilized atmosphere, and I hide in a corner!"

Is it just me, or is that really awful, nobody-talks-like-that dialogue?

Gail wonders why David isolates himself, asking if his journal is where he keeps his "deep, dark secrets."

David keeping a journal...now there's a plot device that could have been put to better use somewhere.

David is caught in an animal trap--

Gee, who woulda seen that coming?

the pain causing him to Hulk out yet again.

-7:24.

The Hulk flings a tire through the air, hitting the approaching second jeep, causing Joey to hit the breaks--but thrust his neck forward--into the steering wheel, with a distinct crack sound.

So the Hulk is capable of inadvertently causing serious injury...but only for plot-specific reasons.

She quickly deduces Joey needs a tracheotomy

Later, the townsfolk will wonder about the strange wound on his neck, but he won't want to talk about it.

A non cure related episode

I have to disagree...I think that this one is a cure-related episode in spirit, as it has David dealing with his condition in an episode-specific way.

Continuity: David mentions he was an athletic trainer for a football team--obviously referencing "Killer Instinct."

Hey...he references a past job that we've actually seen him do!

Well, its not the first DS wink to the audience, since her TIH character's surname is Collins.

Ah, you noticed that too?

In 2015, Scott returned to the Marvel universe--this time as The Baroness in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "Aftershocks".

Huh...didn't realize she'd been on AoS...I'll have to look for that on Netflix.

but it started out as a bit too much of a mini-clip show

Ah, you noticed that too?

I found Kathryn Leigh Scott a little stiff, not as appealing as she was in "Who Watches the Watchers?"

In her defense, she acted the hell out of what I've seen of her in Dark Shadows. Perhaps she's more comfortable with broader melodrama.

Didn't the Edward Norton Hulk movie have a similar bit about Banner isolating himself to avoid Hulk-outs?

At the beginning of the film he was living in civilization in South America, but systematically avoiding "incidents" for long periods of time. At the end of the film, he's holed up in a cabin in the woods, but he seems to be experimenting with deliberately triggering Hulk-outs.

But yeah, you have to wonder what David might have done if he'd found a solitary place that didn't have so many people dropping by.

 

[Christopher]

I have to disagree...I think that this one is a cure-related episode in spirit, as it has David dealing with his condition in an episode-specific way.

Well, sort of, but it's more to do with managing his condition than curing it. Maybe we should call them "treatment-related episodes" at this point, since he increasingly seems to be shifting his focus from undoing his condition to controlling it.

There was that tantalizing line in his voiceover about how awareness of what he did as the creature was vital to controlling it. He probably meant just learning what the Hulk had done after the fact, but it's interesting to imagine that he was looking for a way to retain his awareness while in Hulk form. This was also touched on in "Another Path," I think. I wonder if the writing staff at this point was giving thought to the idea of making the Hulk more aware/intelligent, or if it was just a coincidence.

At the beginning of the film he was living in civilization in South America, but systematically avoiding "incidents" for long periods of time. At the end of the film, he's holed up in a cabin in the woods, but he seems to be experimenting with deliberately triggering Hulk-outs.

I wonder if that led to the side effect of his human form changing to look like Mark Ruffalo. Hey, he's a shapeshifter! If the Hulk can be either gray or green, why can't Banner look like two different guys...?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Kathryn Leigh Scott (Gail Collins)

Collins, eh? hmmm

 

[publiusr]

Would someone whose throat had just been crushed be capable of saying "My throat!" in the first place?

I think Eric Garner proved that with "I can't breathe":
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/nyregion/eric-garner-police-chokehold-staten-island.html?_r=0

It's easier to expel air than to take it in. I almost choked while at an eatery. I couldn't inhale, but by coughing forcefully, explosively--I expelled the bit of food...all without having to fall on a chair and risk breaking my ribs.

Another Charles R. Cassey score this week. A pretty good one, though I note that he used Harnell's Laura/generic-romance theme for the wedding flashback instead of Carolyn's theme. Oh, and speaking of flashbacks, Gail's operating room flashback used the same overhead stock shot as Steve Austin's operation in The Six Million Dollar Man, I believe. (I'm not sure that shot even originated there, for that matter.)

That wasn't all that was familiar.

The Hulk's roar was changed a bit here. Listen to the Hulk in this episode, and compare with some of the sound effects from THE HOWLING, or the kennel scene from Carpenter's THE THING.

Folks started really paying attention to sound effects around this time--more then than now I'd say. The Wilhelm scream has been overdone. The Vengeance sounded like an Evinrude in INTO DARKNESS, and the asteroid destruction devices in one of the Star Wars prequels sounded more like a cosmic string being plucked.

O/T
I hate the sound of my own voice. Due to mechanotransduction (and my own mind) the sound I hear when I speak seems better than what I hear wehen my voice is recorded. Ugh. I hate my own voice.

Maybe there is hope for me--and for folks doing audio effects.

The acoustic prism: http://actu.epfl.ch/news/acoustic-prism-invented-at-epfl/
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Scientists_invent_new_type_of_acoustic_prism_999.html

 

[Christopher]

and the asteroid destruction devices in one of the Star Wars prequels sounded more like a cosmic string being plucked.

If you mean the "seismic" charges in the vacuum of space in Episode II, I believe that was done using the Blaster Beam musical instrument that was featured in the scores to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, 2010, and other films.

I hate the sound of my own voice. Due to mechanotransduction (and my own mind) the sound I hear when I speak seems better than what I hear wehen my voice is recorded. Ugh. I hate my own voice.

Said everyone who's ever heard a playback of their own voice. I discovered that when I was a kid, and my radio-announcer father had my sister and me do voices for a station promo. My reaction on hearing the playback was "That's not me!"

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

At this point, they're referring back to the Season 2 premiere so much that I've come to think of it as the third pilot.

Caroline was the next love of his life, and he almost found a way to control the Hulk, so that entire drama would naturally weigh on his mind more often than not.

Still, I wonder if the pilot flashbacks rack up a similar number.

And she does have some history with self-respecting villains....

The toothy variety.

Is it just me, or is that really awful, nobody-talks-like-that dialogue?

Depends on the background of the person. Some people--based on the direction of their lives--speak less like a "regular person" and is shaped by their profession, or an attitude about the profession. In other words, maybe she's a "stiff."

David keeping a journal...now there's a plot device that could have been put to better use somewhere.

Too bad he loses everything. Imagine the collective thoughts and theories entered in a Banner journal since that hitchhike at the beginning of "Death in the Family"--that journey of idea and behavior would be fascinating.

So the Hulk is capable of inadvertently causing serious injury...but only for plot-specific reasons.

Heroes do not hurt! ...at least on TV of the 1970s. Wait a second..I'm not sure if the Crosby Wonder Woman or the Reb Brown Captain America killed anyone in their TV movies

I have to disagree...I think that this one is a cure-related episode in spirit, as it has David dealing with his condition in an episode-specific way.

That's more therapeutic control than cure; if his isolation was successful, he would still be the Hulk, but would avoid triggers.

In her defense, she acted the hell out of what I've seen of her in Dark Shadows. Perhaps she's more comfortable with broader melodrama.

Maybe. On DS, her characters ranged from sweet/defensive (Maggie), total victim (Josette) to classic Victorian era heroine types (Rachel Drummond & Kitty Soames ), all having to deal with freaky x1000, so an actress would be better suited to handle that instead of a rather subtle character like Collins.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Wilhelm scream has been overdone.

Quoted for truth. It lost any of the "ooh, there it is again" effect long ago.

 

[The Old Mixer]

That's more therapeutic control than cure; if his isolation was successful, he would still be the Hulk, but would avoid triggers.

You and @Christopher are both arguing with the semantics, but of the three categories, whatever you want to call them, I think that an episode like this fits best with what we've been calling "cure-related" episodes. He's doing something new and specific to deal with his condition, not just working an odd job, or working an odd job and making a phone call about something cure-related that doesn't pan out.

 

[Christopher]

Depends on the background of the person. Some people--based on the direction of their lives--speak less like a "regular person" and is shaped by their profession, or an attitude about the profession. In other words, maybe she's a "stiff."

Yeah. There is nothing that can be said consistently about how all people do things. There are always outliers, people who don't fit narrow definitions of "normal." Some people do speak more formally or in more complex sentences than your average person, particularly well-educated people like brilliant neurosurgeons. Some people react to things emotionally, others reflexively intellectualize them. Normality is a myth. It's just the middle of the bell curve, and what's out to the sides is every bit as real.

Heroes do not hurt! ...at least on TV of the 1970s. Wait a second..I'm not sure if the Crosby Wonder Woman or the Reb Brown Captain America killed anyone in their TV movies

One thing I found surprising in my (still incomplete) Six Million Dollar Man rewatch a while back was how often Steve Austin killed people, intentionally or otherwise. Some shows were stricter about violence than others.

You and @Christopher are both arguing with the semantics, but of the three categories, whatever you want to call them, I think that an episode like this fits best with what we've been calling "cure-related" episodes. He's doing something new and specific to deal with his condition, not just working an odd job, or working an odd job and making a phone call about something cure-related that doesn't pan out.

Yes, but what I'm suggesting is that maybe we should change the label from "cure-related" to the more inclusive "treatment-related." I don't think that's semantics. Medically speaking, there is a profound difference between curing a condition and managing it. Accepting that a medical condition can't be gotten rid of but can only be lived with for the rest of one's life, however long that may be, is a life-changing moment for the patient. And it makes a major difference in how the condition is approached and treated -- and how the patient lives their life. It's enormously more than a semantic nuance. If David has gotten to the point that he's no longer seeking actual cures but is instead simply trying to control and manage the condition, that is a major piece of character development that should not be overlooked.