Wonder Woman 2.19: Séance of Terror

Airdate: 3/10/78

Third world diplomats are disappearing at an embassy, lured away by a mysterious boy taking Polaroid pictures of them. He’s got the clairvoyant abilities to photograph the dead, and his uncle is exploiting them to make the diplomats end the peace talks, something which would benefit one belligerent country in particular – the one that’s hiring him to perform this duplicitous deed. Diana goes undercover to the house where the fake séance is to be held, and exposes the fraud before it can lead to its intended, disastrous consequences.

Who the hell came up with this bizarre story? As ridiculous and flawed a plot as could possibly be – if the devious boy’s uncle has all the technology to stage a fake séance, complete with projected “ghost” images, why does he need the boy at all? And really – why would the diplomats’ dead relatives give a hoot about the political state of these countries? Cornball and incredible beyond belief, its only saving grace is the chance to see Diana relieved from duty when the colonel in charge of the embassy goes over Steve’s head to complain about her lack of protection (it turns out she was gassed… again).

By the way, this episode aired on 3/10/78, right before the series premiere of The Incredible Hulk. A big deal for me, because it started my “Must See TV” – a Friday night lineup that lasted into the 80s (later to include The Dukes of Hazzard when WW went off).