Yes, you are going to have to wait till next season to see the finale of "The End of Eternity," sorry! I can't wait myself! But I digress before I have even begun!

This week's episode was a repeat, in fact it was the one I missed the begining of becuase they changed the air time from 10:30am to 10:00am, so I was happy to see it all this time!

We begin by seeing the skull-faced ship of Thanos. It comes into orbit around a beautiful planet, Joregba. Our favorite villain is, as usual, expositing to his granite fantasy icon, Lady Chaos, about his traumatic childhood. It was this system that he first began to feel diferent and unloved. He reveals new information about himself & Mentor.
"We had both been genetically engineered, but for very... diferent qualities. My brother was the curious young scholar, who learned from everything he saw. While I, I was Thanos, bred to punish and avenge and everything I touched, died!"
With this Thanos fires at Joregba and it is engulfed in an atmospheric tsunami of flames. Thanos' eyes sparkle with the reflected fire of the planet below.

Our melancholy hero is kneeling on his board drifting through space "Again, do I wander the spaceways... alone. Only now with Pip no longer accompanying me, do I truly realize how much it meant to have a companion."
(depressing, isn't he? But I love him!)
The Surfer begins to notice planetary debris, but says such things are of no concern to him. They have how ever broken his self involvement. He continues to notice further signs of destruction. A nova, Silverado is horrified as he comes to realize this is not a natural phenomena. Forlorn, he questions who could do such a monsterous thing? The Skrull? The Kree? A ship! But he doesn't recoginze it's configuration (remember this is a repeat so he is unfamiliar with Thanos' ship!) But the power signature as a very foul and familiar feel!

Still ranting to his stone dream date, we see Thanos.
"What's that my dear? Why did I choose to give you this solar system? My family stopped here on the same tour of these planets that took us to Joregba. All five were dedicated to education. Mentor, of course was welcomed with open arms. While I... was disdained for my burgeoning strength. Now our power, truly ed-u-cates THEM. Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Another planet bites the dust. Thanos spots the Surfer and laughs. Pleased at a chance for vengance he blasts our unready hero. The Surfer survives and realizes he is too weak to return fire but swears he shall not let mad Thanos demolish another world. He races ahead of Thanos to the planet Harmony, home of the Winnam, in order to warn them.

"The Winnam of Harmony have ever been a paradoxical race. On the one hand they have a tradition as galactic warriors. While on the other, long have they admired the tranquility of Zenn-La. It was to unite these conflicting attitudes that they were given the dreamweaver."
It was in hopes of using the dreamweaver to contact his people that the Silver Surfer had been coming towards harmony & thus ran afoul with Thanos. He arrives on the planet to see the Winnams zombiefied, talking to and fighting with thin air. They neither see nor hear him. He is mystified. He sees robots hovering around them & wonders if the Winnams have been enslaved. It dawns on Silverado that the robots are actually taking care of the Winnam, who are too dream addled to do so themselves.
He tries to turn off the dreamweaver so he can communicate their peril. Their screams of agony when returned to reality are too much for him to bear however, and he must turn it back on. His only choice, to enter "The Dream" himself. In "The Dream" the Winnams are like alien greek gods, living on Olympus, fighting monsters to which they can never loose. (Some contest, huh!)They think the Surfer is a creation of "The Dream" as well and try to do battle with him. They loose. In doing so they realize what he has been saying all along is true. But no sooner do they understand then they begen to forget. Only The champion of champions among the Winnam, Beta Ray Bill fights to remember & save his planet & his race. The Surfer decides they must shut off the dreamweaver. At first Beta Ray fights to stop him but comes to understand it must be so. They go together to the machine. Beta Ray sighs, it's hopless he feels. His people's civilization is in ruins, all their technology & resource! s have gone to support "The Dream."

Thanos' ship has come into orbit. He and Lady Chaos take a closer look at the civilzation they are about to destroy. Thanos finds the ruins of the Winnams civilization curious. He tells Lady Chaos that it was the Winnams that sugested to his father he go study at accursed Zenn-La! (He REALLY hates the Winnams!)

The Surfer has come up with a plan! They will use the dreamweaver to give Thanos his fondest desire! (We know what that is!) This however, will destroy the dreamweaver, the Winnams false paradise and The Surfer's chance at contacting his homeworld and learning their location. But he feels the lives of the Winnams must come first! (What an altruist!)

Thanos prepares to fire.
"And now my love we say goodbye... to the last of my childhood tormentors." (tsk, awwww!)

The Surfer & Beta Ray activate the machine.

Thanos believes he has fired the ray & destroyed Harmony. Then his fondest wish...
Lady Chaos actually speaks to him, nay, fawns on him!
"Come Thanos let us move to our next catastophe. Nothing, nothing shall ever seperate us from our ecstasy. Not even the final nothingness itself."
Thanos flies off with his fantasy.

The Surfer is reviled by the Winam for ending their dream. They scream traitor at Beta Ray Bill! One lone Winnam woman defends them & tries to rally her people. The Surfer & Beta Ray shake hands. Our hero flies off into space.
"On Zenn-La The Master would have said that by sacrificing my needs for those of others I too met a challange. But the only time I shall feel victorious is when my arms are around Shalla Bal, my lost love."

We see Thanos talking ecstaticaly to his "dream" Lady Chaos. Then she turns back into stone. He screams "NOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!"
[Fade to black]

Whew! This is my favorite single episode story so far! I enjoyed what was done with Beta Ray Bill (even though it is totally different, or maybe because!) I Liked the reference to Gulliver's Travels! Kind of appropriate for The Surfer, I think! Double Cosmic Power Points for that! Thanos as everyone knows is my favorite villain! I also love the irony of the Surfer forsaking the chance to be reunited with his love and in doing so giving Thanos the fantasy of being united with his!
(More Cosmic Power Points) And think of the pain, suffering, and anger Thanos endures at the end! WOW!!! Bet the Surfer never even thought about that! If I had more than 2 thumbs they would all be turned up for this episode!

Nit picks! You know, it's the LAW! I have to!
1. Thanos' voice... Yada, Yada, Yada! (gotta say it or some one would have a whole post about it!)
2. Maybe this is just more of a loose thread I wold like to see tied up. Why was Thanos genetically engineered to punish and avenge? Yet to be explained this season! (Hey Larry tie this end for me please!)
3. I the (ahem) battle The Surfer has with Thanos, Thanos shoots him once, then the surfer says he can battle no more! Was this scene edited down or was Surfy just wimping out with out firing even a single shot back! Please tell me some of this hit the cutting room floor!

Well that's all folks! I guesse it is reruns until "The Forever War" & then the new season! But good time to catch the episode that were preempted by (eecchhh!) baseball! (Now how does a dying sport like baseball rate preempting SS! I ask you! Oh the humanity of it!) I shall continue to review any episode that I haven't already done! Keep tunning in to The Best Saturday Morning Cartoon! Every Sat. 10:30am!!!! (pssstt... set the vcr!)

-Lord Thanos-