Season One Episode Reviews

1X1    Decision
Plot:  Police officer William Boone saves the life of the Companion Da'an when industrialist Doors dies.  He becomes a Companion Implant to Da'an when his wife is killed by an assassin.  He is also recruited into the Resistance.

1X2    Truth
Plot:  Boone pursues his wife's killer and finds who hired him.

1X3    Miracle 
Plot:  A girl's missing hands are regenerated by the Taelons, causing a religious uproar when she sees Da'an as an angel.

A definite drop in quality in the first regular episode.  The beginning was okay, and the regenerative technique was vaguely interesting.  The moment the girl sees Da'an's "halo" the episode falls into a religous dimemma with the Church of Taelons.  It all seems vaguely silly but of course the point is to show the various reactions of humanity to the Taelons.

1X4    Avatar
Plot:  A serial killer given a CVI escapes and tries to kill Da'an, reenacting an ancient Taelon myth about good and evil.

1X5    Old Flame  (not viewed)
Plot:  Boone's old girlfriend returns to him, claiming to work against the Companions.

1X6    Float Like a Butterfly 
Plot:  Boone & Lili investigate a mysterious alien probe experimenting on a Puritan village.

"Scarecrow" is a very interesting character, but unfortunately the episode spends more time talking about the Puritans adapting a  world where Taelons exist, which falls flat on its face.  Never show fundementalist living on a scifi show:  it is the least interesting and dramatic background you could ever imagine.  The majority of the episode was extremely slow and preachy, with only the ending showing any excitement when the razor-sharp butterflies attacked Lili and Boone blew them away.  Some impressive FX there.  Unfortunately a nice ending can't make up for the rest of the episode.  What I find more interesting is the fact that the Resistance got their hands on "Scarecrow" rather than the Taelons.

1X7    Ressurection  (not viewed)
Plot:  Doors launches a media war against the Taelons, leaving Boone to deal with the fallout.

1X8    Horizon Zero
Plot:  Lili's astronaut friend steals her shuttle when the Taelons prevent his Mars mission.  The Resistance must make the most of it while retaining Boone's cover.

1X9    Scorpion's Dream
Plot:  A scientist steals a Skrill and becomes possessed by it.  Boone&Lili have to track him down.

1X10    Live Free or Die
Plot:  Da'an is kidnapped by Major MacIntyre for revenge against Taelon experiments on his men.

1X11    The Scarecrow Returns
Plot:  The Resistance studies "Scarecrow", the alien probe examining humanity, and the Taelons pursue it.

1X12    Sandoval's Run  (not viewed)
Plot:  Sandoval's CVI burns out risking his life as he is reunited with his wife.

1X13    The Secret of Strandhill 
Plot:  Ireland holds the grave of the first Taelon to visit Earth, and his secret.  Introduces Captain Beckett.

A good episode that goes international for once with some very nice scenery.  Captain Beckett is a very interesting character; I suppose that's why she has become a recurring character now.  But best of all is the revelations about the Taelon Agenda.  Ma'el was sent to see how similar humanity was to the Taelons; his conclusion will determine whether the Taelons will stay on Earth!  Unfortunately Zo'or voids this by saying Ma'el was not in command of his facuilties.  Even Boone's drinking contest was entertaining, manly because he was faking it!

1X14    Pandora's Box
Plot:  A Taelon experiment makes Taelon scientist Ro'ha malevolent.  Major MacIntyre becomes his victim.

1X15    If You Could Read My Mind
Plot:  A Russian psychic's life comes into danger because of her knowledge of the Taelons.

1X16    The Wrath of Achilles
Plot:  Augur tests his virus on the Taelon computer systems, causing a world wide failure.  Lili and Da'an are marooned together when their shuttle crashes.

1X17    The Devil You Know
Plot:  The Taelons set a trap for Doors using new weaponry and Lili's dying father who takes a strange experiment.

1X18    Law & Order 
Plot: Ro'ha is put on trial for murder.  Doors' son prosecutes, and a nutjob plans to kill him.

Earth does political drama, and quite a good job of it.  The constant news reports on the trial help to give it sense of reality and importance to the world.  This episode is told more from the public eye than from Boone's or anyone else's.  The trial itself is interesting, mainly because of the difficulites presented in trying an alien being.  Is humanity justifyed to kill an alien according to their own laws, even if they allow you to?  An interesting dilemma.  The subplot involving Joshua Doors is vaguely interesting, showing how Doors is so concerned with humanity he can't be concerned with one human life, even his son's.  The nutjob plot is adequate and thankfully short.  Doors blinking away tears when he sees Joshua almost killed is very touching.  An excellent episode that breaks from the series format of Taelon Experiment Gone Awry.

1X19    Through the Looking Glass 
Plot:  The Taelons introduce teleportation transportation to humanity but have an ulterior motive that is revealed when mysterious cures occur and Boone's sister gets pregnant.

This was a good show, with just the right hint of action to what sounds like a stale premise.  It was very exciting to have the characters running around on the Taelon Lunar Base, and for a while you really wondered if Sahjit would make it.  Once again Da'an's loyalty is made unclear; he obviously let Sahjit escape so Doors would learn of the teleportation program because he's against it and Zo'or's involvement in it.  This quiet Taelon power struggle is very interesting given their placid nature.  Boone's quiet threat to Zo'or about his sister was obviously suspicious, I hope this has consuqences down the road!

1X20    Infection 
Plot:  An alien probe unleashes a virus on Earth that is deadly to humanity and the Taelons.

This is a good idea on paper, but the presenation is very dull and uninteresting.  There was no real sense of drama and urgency, and the ending seems rushed and inconclusive.  The relation to Scarecrow was very interesting, but it didn't go very far after that.  The whole white supremecist subplot was pretty horrible, especially the son who slowly convinced to turn around.  Yawn.  The Taelon Mothership arrives, the ole' antidote is created.  A little too deux ex machina for me.  However the last two scenes were great!  Doors has a virus to wipe out the Taelons without harming the humans, and is keeping this from Boone and Lili!  Zo'or has absorbed Boone and thus has his memories!

1X21    Destruction 
Plot:  The Resistance must hit a Taelon lab holding "Scarecrow" which is about to reveal their secrets.  Joshua Doors gets a Cabinet position as Secretary of Human-Taelon relations and questions Quo'on.

Wow!  This one kicked ass!  The main plot was all action and infiltration, though it begs the question as to why Lili & Boone would risk revealed themselves, oh well...  There was a real sense of urgency to the matter, and killing Sahjit was sad but it proves the series is not afraid to seek the consequences of its actions.  The new character of Sloan was vaguely interesting, seems a lot like the assassin from the pilot though.  The subplot was wonderful; a nice bit of continuity with Joshua Doors getting so much power when he's so anti-Taelon.  It also marks a series landmark when we see Quo'on in person for the first time.  He looks confused and scared, no wonder Zo'or is plotting against him.  This plot as well was very interesting, signalling bad times for the future.  One of the best episodes yet.

1X22    The Joining 
Plot:  A renegade alien appears on Earth to enact revenge on the Taelons.  Captain Beckett returns to come onto Sandoval and discovers Resistance HQ.  Boone comes into trouble with Zo'or.

A wonderful way to end the season, but a surprizingly quiet episode.  Ha'gel is a very interesting new addition to the mythology, with those Shaqarava hand blasts.  The ole' shapeshifter isn't an original idea but always an interesting one, unfortunately this episode was pretty light on action, especially when compared with the previous episode.  The return of Beckett was very welcome, and her immeadiate suspicion of Lili was very suspenseful, especially when she is wandering around in the church with Doors and everyone else watching from inside.  Beckett chasing after Sandoval was...okay.  The last scenes were the best of the episode.  We learn that the Taelon prescense on Earth will eventually lead to humanity's destruction or the Taelon's.  And the best scene of the series; Sandoval silently watches Boone in the med tank, and Zo'or quietly walks up and disintegrates Boone...wow!