"It Makes a Lovely Light" - Episode #121 (slight spoilers below) (Click here for synopsis)

 This episode had its share of action for the sake of action, but in the midst of it had a solid plot dealing with Beka's inner horrors and the impact on the crew. While disappointed they did not make it to Tarn-Vedra, I still found the idea of the trip interesting and expect to see it again sometime.

I did have some disappointments in the characters and how they were handled. Lisa Ryder was working hard to portray a intense person falling into addiction and succeeded in this. However, Beka is always somewhat "manic" and intense, and I did not really get a strong sense of someone struggling and failing to resist a dreaded temptation. The last scene with Dylan seemed a bit shallow and rushed given the fact that Beka seems to be following in the footsteps of her father in her addiction. However, Beka's struggles certainly had an impact on those around her (Rev and Trance had a great scene discussing their "guilt") and on me as a viewer!

In a more minor way I was a bit disappointed with the handling of Tyr, who seemed reduced to a self-centered "superman" (complete with is X-ray, I mean "Nietzschean vision"!). He is generally a well-written and performed character so hopefully this is a one time occurrence.

Dylan continues to get more background and develop as a character, with Kevin Sorbo doing a better job in general in the role. The information on Tarn-Vedra was light, but interesting since it was apparently both the capital and founding homeworld of the Commonwealth.

On the science front I wondered at the concerns about the effects of slipstream since they obviously could set their own pace for transits. Trance's body energy being "drained" my the black holes was pretty tough to swallow also. Finally, I thought that the supposed prior penetration of Rommie's system was inconsistent with what was portrayed in the pilot.

Overall, a good episode that "promised" (via teasers) a bit more than it delivered, but was well worth seeing.

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

Review 05/15/01 by Larry Kramer

(c) 2001 Larry Kramer (See Copyright Disclaimer)