Episode 13
The Secret of Strandhill
2/2/98
Description:
An ancient grave in Ireland reveals suprising secrets. Boone
(Kevin Kilner) and Sandoval (Von Flores) are sent to
investigate.
Review:
This episode begins with an Irish tour guide on Strandhill(hence the episode name), where Stonehenge is located. As he takes his group into a nearby cavern, a minor earthquake occurs, which knocks down some stone on which markings are placed. Behind these markings is a mural of a Taelon with all the major religious leaders of the world surrounding him. Sandoval and Boone are sent to investigate. The Taelons think this is Ma�el, a Companion scientist who came to Earth roughly 2000 years ago to study Earth and see if Earth is a suitable place for the Companions. Throughout the episode is a search for Ma�el�s message. As per usual, Doors wants the Resistance to learn the message�s content before the Taelons find it.
I found this episode to be one of the more interesting Earth episodes. It revealed something that has been hinted at throughout the series� first season: The Companions came to Earth for a reason. This reason somehow has to do with their survival or extinction. It also touched upon the Companions� superiority complex, expecially with Zo�or. It implied that the Taelons would be ruined if they did not get rid of that complex and treat humans as equals. This teaches us a good lesson in life. No matter how limited one�s skill is, we must treat them as equals or we, the �superior people,� will lose. This goes in line with the underdogs winning. A good football team rarely beats a bad football team into submission, because they don�t treat the other team as equals. It is only when we treat other people as �threats� to us that we excel and use our talent to its full potential.
Ma�el warned the Taelons that in order to survive, they must not come to Earth. He thought that unless the Taelons could treat humans as equals, their merging would not be beneficial. No one listened to him, however. Da�an was in strong opposition to the Taelons coming to Earth and still thought they should leave. But, the Synod disagreed and decided to continue occupying Earth. It appears that despite the advanced Taelon technology, humans have the upper hand.
All in all, this was a good quality episode. Out of ten, I think it is well deserving of a nine. The only thing that could have been a little better is touching more upon the fact that if Ma�el�s message held true, the Companions would have little reason to continue occupying Earth. And, I thought that it could have answered a couple more questions rather than making us ask a hundred more.
Episode 14
Pandora's Box
2/9/98
Description:
A Taelon experiment ends in disaster when an ancient alien evil
is brought to Earth.
Review:
Pandora's Box showed us (again) that the Taelons need us. They have evolved above the ability to induce violence, and for some reason they need to combine us to use violence. This tells us that the Sleepers are something which is attacking the Companions using physical forms of violence, and that diplomacy has failed. The Companions' very existence is being threatened, and they are resorting to violence and experimentations in order to achieve their goal of survival. This premise tells us that maybe the Taelons aren't inherently bad as Doors believes, but in fact they are only beings who are threatened. As we all know, any animal that is threatened will do anything in order to survive.
This episode would get another 8 1/2 because it showed how dangerous these evolved beings could be when using violence. It had some allusions to the Eugenics Wars on Earth in Star Trek. The Taelons cannot use violence, and that is part of their problem. Why not use us Earthlings to the fullest extent, since we are a naturally violent race?
Episode 15
If You Could Read My Mind
2/16/98
Description:
A psychic�s intrusion on the Taelon�s collective consciousness could threaten her life.
Review:
This was a fairly decent episode. It was interesting looking into how the Taelons functioned through their own little �mental dimension.� We now know that the Taelons can communicate using some form of telepathy. Although in previous episodes this fact was alluded to, this was the first time that it was directly looked in to. It was nice to revive the conflict between Boone and Doors. This is something that keeps the show interesting. Doors always has a superior, smug attitude. And of course he knows everything there is to know about the Taelons. He seems to know something that we don�t, though. Maybe we�ll find out what this is in a later episode.
All things considered, this was a fairly good episode. Out of ten, I give it an 8.
Episode 16
Wrath of Achilles
2/23/98
Description:
A computer virus conceived by the liberation threatens the Taelon's entire existence on
Earth.
Review:
This was an excellent episode, especially in the way of character development. We had the privilege of seeing a Taelon, Da�an, act as a good guy for once. The computer virus, which was an attempt to see the Taelons� weaknesses, actually served as Taelon propaganda. It made a few people of the liberation realize how much power the Companions have, and that they could be using it for destructive purposes. Yet, the Taelons choose to use it in a constructive way. Da�an was a good guy this time, as he helped Lily when she was injured. This is the first time that Da�an�s actions have proved that he is a good guy. He didn�t just use words this time.
Also, we gained insight into Augur�s personality. Before this episode, hacking was just a fun mission for him, because he was always in control. But, in �Wrath of Achilles,� he lost control over his computer virus. Then, he panicked. We found out that Augur wasn�t really the strong, cool guy that he pretended to be earlier. He was just an ordinary human, and when adverse circumstances hit him, he lost control of his emotions. We saw that Doors wasn�t in control either. Something that he ordered hurt people and threatened his own resistance movement. He lost control of the situation, but he remained strong and kept control of his emotions. It kind of makes us wonder if he has really good control, or if he just doesn�t care about other people�s lives.
Overall, this was a good episode. It was the first that really concentrated on developing the character. Out of ten, I give it a 9.
Episode 17
The Devil You Know
4/13/98
Description:
When the Taelons mastermind the sale of an illicit weapon to Jonathan Doors Lili's
estranged father is part of the scheme.
Episode 18
Law & Order
4/20/98
Description:
Boone and Sandoval come to the defense of Rho-ha, a Taelon scientist who is to
stand trial for murder.
Episode 19
Through the Looking Glass
4/27/98
Description:
The Taelons introduce interdimensional travel to human civilians, but their
motives are unknown.
Episode 20
Infection
5/04/98
Description:
An alien probe unleashes a virus on Earth that threatens to destroy both humans and
Taelons.
Episode 21
Destruction
5/11/98
Description:
The resistance races against time to infiltrate a remote Taelon lab to destroy the
alien probe that holds the liberation movement's secrets.
Vint Cerf, who invented TCP/IP and is called the "father of the Internet," will make
a cameo appearance on this episode.
Episode 22
Joining
5/18/98
Description:
A renegade alien appears on Earth to exact revenge on the Taelons. This episode is
probably the season 1 finale of Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict.
