Airdate: 1/15/77
In outer space, a planetary council has decided that earth’s
newfound atomic power and warlike tendencies are a bad combination, and must be
“sterilized” before humans can colonize other planets when they develop space
travel. One lone councilmember, Andros, objects, and so it is agreed that he
will travel to earth and judge whether the planet is salvageable. Immediately,
he is greeted with guns and grenades by the U.S. Army, but asks to be taken to
the president so he can discuss his mission. Steve Trevor and the rest of the
military are suspicious, partially due to his imperviousness (courtesy the
special protection offered him by the council), but Wonder Woman identifies
with his “fish out of water” idealism, even if she disagrees with his solution
to the problem despite her efforts to make the world a better place. At the
Library of Congress, Andros is accosted by a Nazi spy posing as a Swedish
newspaper reporter and captured, despite WW’s best rescue efforts. The council,
seeing this as a good test, takes away Andros’s protective powers and decides
that if he is killed, they will destroy earth as proof that its violent
proclivities are unredeemable. WW tries to communicate with them to convince
them otherwise, but evidently fails to do so.
Terrific beginning to a more sci-fi themed double
installment finally hassomeone besides that Nazis as bad guys. Shades of The Day the Earth Stood Still offer some
sobering reminders of the darker side of humanity, although one can’t help but notice
he hypocrisy of the aliens’ rebuke of earth’s warlike tendencies and their
destruction of it as punishment. Best scene: WW and Andros debate about the
necessity of fighting for good or whether it’s still fighting (I’m reminded of
the John Lennon quote – “Fighting for peace…”). Timely topics in 1977, particularly
when space travel was a reality but a
lengthy, costly war had just ended for America. Too timely these days as well.
First episode to have its title listed (perhaps because it’s
a two parter). And again – WW’s Achilles’ heel, being gassed, stymies her
rescue attempts during the episode’s climax. Of course, it’s not lethally
poisonous gas, but that would sure be a quick way to do her in once and for
all.
Check out General Blankenship’s walkie talkie near the end –
it looks like the biggest cell phone ever!
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