"Angel Dark, Demon Bright" - Episode #106 (slight spoilers below) (Click here for synopsis)

Right up front I will admit that among science fiction themes I have a weakness for well done time travel stories. When well done they can stretch the mind and present real dramatic opportunities such as in Star Trek's "City on the Edge of Forever". This week's episode may not be a classic in this genre, but I thought it held its own and found it very enjoyable to watch!

The plot itself was fairly straightforward bringing them back in time with a minimum of technobabble employed. The explanations for not warning the High Guard were frustratingly brief, but this did not take away from the story in a significant way. On the other hand, the twist revealed when the large Nietzschean fleet arrived and the subsequent decision this forced on Dylan was very well done.

As far as continuity I was a bit concerned about the way Rommie states she is 'battle ready' without any sign here or in previous episodes of where the armaments needed were obtained. However, I will assume this happened 'off-screen' and hope they remain consistent in dealing with the premise of a vessel with little support.

Another concern was Harper's initially unauthorized plan to destroy the Nietzschean fleet. His reasons for this are unclear to me and the science behind it a bit far fetched. Also, the way various crew continually ignore Dylan's authority is an issue that seems to cry out to be ended or explicitly dealt with by one or more stories.

In general I liked what I saw in Dylan's character more as we saw him wrestle with his duty to the Commonwealth and the need to avoid irreparable damage to coming generations of people. He shows real pain at causing the death of so many, yet does what 'he must' and advises Tyr (who's tear in the closing is perfect!) to see this also.

Rev Bem's character has always been intriguing, and continues to be so. I did feel his sentiments might show less of a consistent religious or philosophical 'worldview', especially given his apparent pacifism previously. I am personally a Christian and believe there are valid arguments that God at times allows or even causes suffering for ultimately 'good' purposes. While Rev did not need to get into great depth on his own beliefs in this area, I hoped to see his character handled with a bit more consistency.

The rating for the episode is given below. For information on how my rating system works, click on this link.

 Reviewed 11/14/00 by Larry Kramer       Updated 10/11/01

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