The television series is on its last two episodes. In one sequence we learn that the events of the movie, in this version, were supposed to take place in 1972, explaining how Scott (Christopher Daniel Barnes) can be fourteen a couple of years after the events in the movies (which were definitely set in the 80s).

Written by series creators James S. Henerson and James G. Hirsch and aired on 11 April, 1987.

Scott is out in the wild with Wayne (Joshua Bryant) trying to get back to civilization after the car crash, while Fox (Michael Cavanaugh) is pressuring the base commander (where the notorious Building 11 is hidden) at the base in New Mexico to help him track down Paul (Robert Hays).

The relationship between Jenny (Erin Gray) and Paul begins to develop, and as Fox continues to tighten the noose, Paul begins to realize he will have to reveal who he really is to her.

Once that reveal is underway, the episode kicks into high gear as Paul, Scott, Jenny, and her brother, Wayne, are all reunited, just in time for Fox to track them down and capture Paul and Scott!

Wayne slips into the military base and helps Paul and Scott escape, but Fox suffers a heart attack during the escape, and Paul heals him. Will it be enough to convince Fox and by extension, the government, of Paul’s peaceful intentions?

Probably not.

And during the escape, Jenny realizes she can’t reconcile everything, and can’t connect to her son, and that if she leaves perhaps it will keep Paul and Scott safe because the government will be looking for her and not them. At least until it’s safe for all of them.

So I guess that means the show can continue? Well, at least for one more episode.

There’s some interesting some stuff, combined with some acting that is a little broad but it was 80s television,

The Test is a weird way to end the series, in fact, if they had known they were being cancelled they should have aired it before Starscape, and used that to wrap up the series. Instead, we are left with this episode which isn’t exceptional and falls into the formulaic storytelling of the rest of the series.

That being said, the episode does have Jerry Hardin in it.

Written by Laurie Newbound, The Test closed out the series on 2 May, 1987 and was directed by Robert Hays.

It seems the pair are in California (again, still) and while Paul takes a job at a local diner, and Scott has to prepare for an equivalency test to continue his high school education. This is done at the urging of Scott’s new teacher, Ms. Micheals (Madge Sinclair) who feels the boy needs some stability in his life.

Unfortunately, Scott has problems with the local bullies, especially Bo (Courtney Gains), and isn’t really keen to settle in.

Meanwhile, at Paul’s job at the diner, where he works as a dishwasher, he is paired with Gus (Hardin) whom Paul learns is illiterate.

Can they solve the problems this week before vanishing into television obscurity? Oh, and of course, Fox has to show up in the same diner that Paul is working at, and who Gus is beginning to have suspicions about.

All the storylines are going to crash into each other, with Ms. Michaels teaching Gus, Scott taking his equivalency test, but having to deal with his bullies at the same time, Fox racing to the high school to capture Paul and Scott.

I really enjoyed this series, there were a couple things that would need changing for an update. There were some issues with a little bit of the acting being too broad or camp, and the stories were a little too formulaic, but it could have been a real good series about what it is to be human and how we interact with one another.

The entire series can be enjoyed as a fantastic extra on John Carpenter’s Starman, included in Sony’s Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4, available now!