Space 1999: Review: One Moment of Humanity
This episode stands out as a really fascinating episode from the second season of Space: 1999. The whole vibe kicks off with Moonbase Alpha getting hit by this massive, mysterious energy beam coming from the planet Vega. Suddenly, two of the crew members, Helena and Tony, get straight-up abducted by an android named Zamara. The stakes get high instantly because the Alphans are warned that if they try to turn on their base’s defense screens, the whole moon will literally be obliterated. It is a solid, tense setup that hooks you right from the jump.
The core concept of the episode is actually pretty deep when you think about it. Zamara takes them to a world where these Vega androids have completely conquered their human creators, but they are stuck because they cannot feel any real emotion. They basically kidnapped the Alphans just to study them and figure out how to feel things like anger, passion, and cruelty. Watching these cold, perfect machines try to force humans into acting out emotionally creates a really cool, psychological chess match that keeps the story interesting.
Where things get a bit wild is the actual execution and the overall aesthetic. This episode leans heavy into that flamboyant, over-the-top 1970s sci-fi style, especially with the costume designs and the dramatic choreography. The scene where Helena has to dance with one of the androids to trigger jealousy is memorable, but it definitely feels a bit cheesy by today’s standards. Still, the performances hold it together, and seeing Koenig and the crew try to outsmart a society of emotionless robots without getting themselves killed keeps the energy moving.
In the end, this episode is a classic example of what made Season 2 so different from the first. It trades some of that hard, gritty sci-fi realism for a more colorful, character-driven drama, but it totally works here. It leaves you thinking about what actually makes us human, our ability to feel, even the negative stuff like anger, which the androids ultimately use to their own destruction. It is a super entertaining hour of television that perfectly captures the unique charm and ambition of the series.