EPISODE 8

Above:  Rachel and the Devon Monster

A Screen Capture

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Aired November 17, 1973

0:49:22

The episode is available here.

STARRING

Keir Dullea as Devon

Gay Rowan as Rachel

Robin Ward as Garth

GUEST STARRING

Angel Tompkins as Daphne

Allen Stewart-Coates as the Voice of Magnus

William Osler as Computer Voice and Host

Jim Barron as Garth’s Father (“Old Garth”)

Aileen Seaton as Rachel’s Mother (“Old Rachel”)

Danny Hodgkins as the Devon Monster

William Clune as Admiral Austin

BEHIND THE CAMERAS

Series created by Cordwainer Bird (Harlan Ellison)

Episode written by Alfred Harris and George Ghent

From a story by Alfred Harris

Story Consultant = Norman Klenman

Director = Joseph L. Scanlan (uncredited)

Director = Ed Richardson (the Associate Producer)

Science Consultant = Ben Bova

Producer = William Davidson

Executive Producers = Douglas Trumbull and Jerry Zeitman

Above:  Garth and Rachel Study Art

A Screen Capture

BACKGROUND

I am obsessive; I admit to this without any reservation.  My obsessiveness makes me detail-oriented–in other words, of much practical use in many settings.  This obsessiveness also makes me a scrutinizer of certain works of fiction.  When discussing or writing about a movie or an episode, for example, I am never content to say,

the actor who played x,

without trying to find that actor’s name.  In plain, vernacular English, I do not want to half-ass a project.  I, trained in historical methodology, know that I may not use all of my research.  So be it.  But I conduct research.

I also go to great lengths (a) not to be a toxic fan, and (b) not to appear to be a toxic fan.  Yet I strive to be honest.  So, I inform you, O reader, that most of the people who made The Starlost half-assed their work.  Gallery of Fear is a prime example in my case.

The Starlost is an example of old-style episodic television.  With few exceptions, the order of episodes does not matter.  Nothing from most episodes carries over into subsequent episodes.  Even within the confines of old-style episodic television, some episodes belong before or after other episodes, though.

Until the previous post in this series, I was following the broadcast order of episodes.  This worked out fine.  Besides, Devon, Rachel, and Garth usually wore the same outfits–their Cypress Corners clothes–anyway.  Yet, back in 1973, CTV and NBC aired Circuit of Death out of order, on November 10.  The visual clue was the wardrobe, carried over from Farthing’s Comet, broadcast on December 22.  I have decided, therefore, to skip Circuit of Death until after Farthing’s Comet.

Above:  Devon and Daphne

A Screen Capture

SUMMARY OF THE EPISODE

This episode drags in one of the most boring ways possible.  I choose, in this summary, to be succinct and to cover as many of the important plot points as possible.

Devon, Garth, and Rachel are walking, as if they know where they are going and are determined to go there, through a corridor–tunnel–whatever.  They are walking silently.  Outside the iris to biosphere Omega Pi, a strong wind pushes the trio toward that iris.  Once Devon, Garth, and Rachel enter Omega Pi, the wind dies down in the corridor–tunnel–whatever.

Omega Pi is the domain of Magnus (MAHG-NUSS!), a computer seeking self-determination and free will.  Magnus finds its “prime directive” to serve humans frustrating.  Magnus also has the power to create illusions.  Magnus creates various illusions in this episode.  They include art that appears and vanishes, a bombshell beauty named Daphne, Rachel’s mother, Garth’s father, the long-dead Admiral Austin, a new (brown) wardrobe, and Devon as a monster.  This prime directive Magnus has somehow does not prevent it from making people attack each other.  Magnus is, according to itself, via the projection Daphne,

the most profound mind in all the Ark

and

the greatest mind in the universe.

Magnus, created prior the accident–so, before 2385–proved so troublesome that Admiral Austin and crew had to rein that computer in.  They did not render Magnus inoperative, unfortunately.

I do not care enough to detail the plot turns in order.  I refer you, O reader to other sections of this post for certain other detailed comments and questions.

Back to the summary….

Devon’s Kirk speech does not kill Magnus or convince Magnus to commit suicide.  Instead, Devon, Rachel, and Garth render Magnus inoperative by removing a wall panel and pulling out some rods.  (That was easy!)

Then Daphne disappears, the trio is wearing its Cypress Corners clothes again, and the gallery goes dark.  Devon, Rachel, and Garth escape.  In the corridor–tunnel–whatever–a bad special effect is waiting for the trio.  A voice intones utter nonsense, meant to instill fear and foreboding:

Magnus was the greatest of us, and you have destroyed him.  He is not the only computer in this Ark with independent ratio synthetive capability; there are others, all of us interlinked like the tentacles of an octopus.  Cut off one or two, but the rest remain nascent mandibles of the universal mind.  You three are registered in our memory banks, and beside your names, the crime of rendering Magnus inoperative.  You are registered in our memory banks.  You are registered in our memory banks.

Le fin.

Above:  Magnus (MAHG-NUSS!)

A Screen Capture

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Where is the laundry in the tubes and corridors of the Earth Ship Ark?

Where are the bathrooms and showers in tubes and corridors of the Earth Ship Ark?

How does Garth maintain that early 1970s haircut while on the run in the tubes and corridors of the Earth Ship Ark?

Given that Devon, Rachel, and Garth have been to the Bridge, why do they need to find the backup Bridge?

How many other people have been guinea pigs for Magnus?

Above:  The Recreation of Admiral Austin

A Screen Capture

OTHER COMMENTS

Admiral Austin was one of the predecessors of Admiral Baynes, name-checked in The Pisces.

We last saw Old Rachel and Old Garth in Voyage of Discovery.  The same actors (whom I have named in this post) portrayed those characters.

We hear the sphere projector in Omega Pi say, “Class-G solar star.”

Gallery of Fear is a pretentious attempt at an art film-style episode of The Starlost.  Devon utters the first line of dialogue about four and a half minutes into the episode.  When Daphne says,

Beauty does not exist in fear,

I roll my eyes.  Such thoughts are too profound for The Starlost.

In the art gallery in Omega Pi, the viewer of the art creates that art.  This redefines conceptual art.

Devon’s sense of urgency regarding the peril of the Earth Ship Ark and its inhabitants varies in intensity from episode to episode, and sometimes even with an episode.

The argument between Magnus and the sphere projector is hilarious.

If Magnus was indeed the greatest and most powerful computer on the Earth Ship Ark, Devon, Rachel, and Garth have little or nothing to fear from angry, lesser computers on the Ark.

Devon, Rachel, and Garth will wear the brown clothes for real in The Beehive.

Next Episode:  Mr. Smith of Manchester

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 COMMON ERA

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All images in this post are screen captures from a series that is freely available at archive.org and YouTube.

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EPISODE 5

Above:  Old Children

A Screen Capture

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Aired October 20, 1973

0:49:53

The episode is available here.

STARRING

Keir Dullea as Devon

Gay Rowan as Rachel

Robin Ward as Garth

GUEST STARRING

David Tyrell as One (Captain)

Scott Fisher as Four (Prosecutor)

Susan Stacey as Five (Sarah)

Ricky O’Neill as Six

Mark Lynas as Seven (David)

Gina Dick as Ten (Elizabeth)

William Osler as Computer Voice and Host

BEHIND THE CAMERAS

Series created by Cordwainer Bird (Harlan Ellison)

Episode written by Jonah Royston and George Ghent

From a story by Jonah Royston

Story Consultant = Norman Klenman

Director = Joseph L. Scanlan

Science Consultant = Ben Bova

Producer = William Davidson

Executive Producers = Douglas Trumbull and Jerry Zeitman

Above:  One (Captain)

A Screen Capture

SUMMARY OF THE EPISODE

On May 2, 2790, Rachel and Garth have just sat down for a meal when Devon rushes into the dining room.  He exclaims that he thinks he has found the backup Bridge.  The trio goes about a mile away, where Devon says the backup Bridge may be.  Along the way, Garth eats part of his sandwich.

Alpha Complex 3 is a restricted area populated only children.  Devon’s key does not unlock the door, but one of Garth’s crossbow arrows does.  The children, numbered 1-18, think they are the command crew of the Earth Ship Ark.  Number One thinks he is the captain of the Ark.  Devon spends much of the episode explaining the peril of the Ark to children who refuse to believe him.

These children left Earth in 2285.  An anti-aging serum has kept them physically young.  They also have the power to “think pain” upon another person, but never use that power against each other.  Maybe the children occasionally “thought pain” against their tutors, all of whom died long ago.  Otherwise, one may legitimately wonder how they remain in practice “thinking pain” to use that power against Devon, Rachel, and Garth.

These children do not know that they have been in a training simulation for 505 years.  They are aware of the passage of time, though.  They expect to land the Ark then to take a serum that will cause them to resume natural aging.

The children are machine-like.  When they “play,” they receive recline and receive stimulation via a cerebral probe.

To make a long story short, Number One sends Devon and Garth to a cell, but the duo breaks out.  Meanwhile, Rachel teaches children to play blind man’s bluff.  Also, children start requesting names.  Rachel names them.  Number Five becomes Sarah and Number Seven becomes David, for example.

Number One is livid to see members of his crew playing like children.  He is powerless to prevent them, however.  Then Devon pulls the Master Separation Switch.  The simulation ends.

Rachel names other happy children.  She, Devon, and Garth plan to return after they find the backup Bridge.

Above:  Tribunal

A Screen Capture

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Where is the laundry in the tubes and corridors of the Earth Ship Ark?

Where are the bathrooms and showers in tubes and corridors of the Earth Ship Ark?

How does Garth maintain that early 1970s haircut while on the run in the tubes and corridors of the Earth Ship Ark?

Given that Devon, Rachel, and Garth have been to the Bridge, why do they need to find the backup Bridge?

Why have the children had numbers, not names, for 505 years?

Why is the control panel for the force field in the brig cell inside the cell?

Given that the Earth Ship Ark left Earth orbit with a crew of adults, what was the plan behind having children training to take over?  And what was the rationale for not telling the children they were training?

Above:  Green Foam Mattress Padding in the Play Center

A Screen Capture

OTHER COMMENTS

The set designers of The Starlost favored green foam mattress padding.  In this episode, children recline and sit on it.

The Earth Ship Ark has dining areas and food replicators.

This episode lacks any reference to a “solar star.”

Number Four, the prosecutor at the tribunal, identifies Devon as “Devon,” Rachel as “Young Rachel,” and Garth as “Young Garth.”  This is consistent with two other episodes.  In Voyage of Discovery (episode #1), we meet “Old Abraham” and “Old Jeremiah.”  In Space Precinct (episode #16), we see a computer record listing Garth’s father as “Old Garth.”  Just as (Young) Garth is the son of Old Garth, (Young) Rachel is the daughter of Old Rachel.

Consider also, that the novelization of Ellison’s screenplay for Phoenix Without Ashes identifies Devon’s father as “Old Devon,” Garth’s father as “Old Garth,” and Rachel’s mother as “Old Rachel.”

Next Episode:  And Only Man is Vile

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021 COMMON ERA

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All images in this post are screen captures from a series that is freely available at archive.org and YouTube.

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