Episode Guide: Year Two
Title: "The A-B Chrysalis"
Within this page: Overview | Backplot | Plot Synopsis | Unanswered Questions | Analyses/Observations | Comments | Memorable Lines
Overview
Production Number: 012 (Season Two)
Original U.K. airing week: 18 November 1976 (ATV Midlands)
Original U.S. airing week: 19 October 1976 (syndication)
Written by Terence Feely
Directed by Charles Crichton
Backplot
- In the year 1999, lunar nuclear waste storage dumps have exploded, due to magnetic radiation, sending Earth's moon into interstellar space. The inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha, unable to escape, are seeking a new home.
Plot Synopsis
(From the original ITC Press Release.)
A planet on which people enter a chrysalis stage when they reach their allotted span... re-born, they attain new heights of mental and physical perfection... but for Moonbase Alpha, the planet threatens disaster.
Enormous electrical waves are hitting the Moon at regular intervals. They come from an unidentified planet and one more could spell final destruction. For commander Koenig (MARTIN LANDAU), there is one last, desperate chance - to take Eagle One to the planet and persuade its rulers to stop the bombardment.
Maya (CATHERINE SCHELL) and Alan Carter (NICK TATE) go with him, leaving Helena Russell (BARBARA BAIN) and the other Alphans on the Moon.
Their way to the planet is at first barred by a circle of moons, on one of which the fantastic discovery is made that intelligent life on the planet is not at present in existence. On the planet itself, as on the moons, a space station contains random steel rods of various heights, each with a sphere on top.
It is the voice of one of these spheres, when it jumps down from its perch, which explains that it is a machine an that its humanoid masters enjoy an unique life cycle. They exist for an allotted span, but instead of dying they enter a chrysalis state and emerge rejuvenated, with new heights of physical and mental perfection.
The bombardment of the Moon is thought to be a thread to the planet and is put into operation by a computer which has an over-riding programme order to protect the masters while they are asleep. Only one, known as the Guardian, remains awake. Only he could countermand the order. But when the Alphans are taken to him, it is too late. He is just entering the chrysalis state. He must now go into the chlorine-filled rejuvenation chamber. Carter tries to prevent this but is overcome by a cloud of chlorine, staggers into the chamber and is estimated by Maya to have only two minutes to live in that atmosphere.
Only Maya can save him. Remembering a creature on her own planet which lived in such atmospheres, she transforms herself into one and drags Carter to safety, but comes close to disaster herself.
Meanwhile, the moon is zooming closer, with only three hours before the next shock wave. Koenig is about to take even more drastic action when he hears two softly feminine voices, telling him: "Two of us have been re-born." They have no names. They call themselves "A" (INA SKRIVER) and "B" (SARAH DOUGLAS). Koenig pleads with them to delay the next explosion for four hours. By that time, Alpha will have passed the planet and will be far enough away to withstand the shock waves. But there are shock waves for him when the girls materialize into human form - vague, mysterious, very sensuous, very beautiful.
"A" will decide in his favour if he agrees to remain on the planet as her lover; but "B," stirred to jealousy, says "No." The casting vote will have to be given by the next to be re-born, which will be the Guardian's brother.
What will his decision be? And will it be too late, anyway, for Koenig and his companions to cover the fast-increasing distance between the planet and the Moon?
"SPACE 1999" - SERIES II
CAST LIST
EPISODE NO. 12 - "THE A - B CHRYSALIS"
DIRECTOR: VAL GUEST
KOENIG - MARTIN LANDAU
HELENA - BARBARA BAIN
MAYA - CATHERINE SCHELL
CARTER - NICK TATE
YASKO - YASUKO NAGAZUMI
A - INA SKRIVER
B - SARAH DOUGLAS
SPHERE VOICE - ROBERT RIETTY
GUARDIAN'S BROTHER - DAVID SEBASTIAN BACH
1ST OPERATIVE - SARAH BULLEN
CREATURE - ALBIN PAHERNIK
Unanswered Questions
Analyses/Observations
Comments
Memorable Lines
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