SPACE: 1999-BRIAN THE BRAIN

 

SPACE: 1999-BRIAN THE BRAIN

 

Given that I wanted something light and not to deep or dark, I wanted to give something a chance that perhaps, I hadn’t in the past. Currently, I’m under the impression that there are NO bad Space: 1999 episodes. This was an episode I didn’t enjoy as much (there’s no real action set pieces but one, maybe) and it wasn’t’ challenging or imaginative. Well, this time, I wasn’t challenged but I did laugh and was entertained.

 

There’s nothing really wrong here, though CATACOMBS OF THE MOON site will show all the mistakes (and there are quite a few) in execution and logic, there is nothing Moffat OverErrored here. In other words, it’s good enough to enjoy and be a sound “adventure.”  Other than one or two cringy moments from Brian’s voice and sadly, though I love her to bits, at least one over acting moment from Bain, everything here is perfectly enjoyable and all of it is watchable. I found it better than FULL CIRCLE to be honest.

 

BTW CATACOMBS is a great site and they have just about everything 1999 (except fan fic info really).

 

I learned, there, that Brian was originally called Brain in the script and that in France he was called Marcel.

 

I wonder if Brian goes on to help Alpha in the spinoff material, in the alternate universe I consider just that (the novels of Powyrs), I’m sure they have an explanation for his disappearance from the show. Thumbing through volume 2, I didn’t find any but that doesn’t mean it does not exist there somewhere.

 

The episode is surprising in a way…in that, Brian is NOT totally evil. He could have kept his cool logic and blown Koenig, Maya, and Helena out into space instead of losing his cool but guilt and maybe remorse made him not do that. In fact, in his last scene of dialog as he hangs in space by his wire…his plea to not be unconnected and to not to be lonely IS very touching and sympathetic.

 

Cribbins is kind of wasted as a guest star but what he does do is memorable, his intonations of the dead Captain Michaels (“I DID NOT kill Captain Michaels!” “Yes, you did!” “I did not!” “You did!”) perfect and spot on but as really Maya acting like the dead captain.

 

Also: if the brain memory core had all the info about Alpha, wouldn’t there have been info on Maya in there? If so, he might have known about her being able to metamorph. If so, he forgot about that and also the illogic of there being a mouse that ran across his wire? Maybe he was so guilt ridden he ignored the logic?

 

In any case, I enjoyed watching this and the alien planet, for once, not breathable and shown, is fantastic looking and the low gravity well depicted, as always on this show.

 

Like the episode CATACOMBS OF THE MOON and maybe FULL CIRCLE, this one has gone up in my estimation of it. I liked it.

One noticeable thing: NO Alan. This has Yasko and Bill but Alan missing is noticeable. I like Yasko and Bill a lot but LOVE Alan. I will admit the base is a bit overpopulated and I would have liked an explanation as to where Alan was!