Juliet (Jeri Ryan) gets a bit more of a backstory in Shades of Gray. Written by Brad Markowitz this episode first aired on 8 February, 1997. As things get filled in, including a horrifying encounter during her childhood in Russia, we are invited to an even darker journey

John Loengard (Eric Close) and Kim Sayers (Megan Ward) agree to help Majestic trap a Gray. They are even in Majestic headquarters making use of the gun range! In fact, John thinks it’s time they find a way to work together.

John has a longterm plan when it comes to Majestic. If he and Kim can get in there, insinuate themselves back into the program, they can slowly take it over, and put it back in service to the people with the President’s backing.

Juliet asks for her dead brother’s journal and relic, which is in Bach’s (J.T. Walsh) possession after the Vietnam mission he and John went on.

They plan to use the relic to help make their own crop circle to send an invite to the Grays in an effort to capture one.

The story takes a bit of an E.T. turn when the Gray is able to escape, and find aid from a little farmgirl, Monica (Jamie Renee Smith). But we know that this one can’t be trusted. Right?

When the Gray is recaptured, Kim’s telepathic awareness of the aliens provides some insight into a darker plan, called Singularity, that is in action, and it ties into Juliet’s encounter as a child.

We learn a little bit about the Gray outside of the Hive…

Burn, Baby Burn was written by James D. Parriott and first aired on 1 March, 1997.

As Kim’s is just about ready to give birth, the pair find themselves in L.A. during a series of race riots. There’s also a tie-in to the Watts Towers built by Simon Rodia (Vincent Riotta) following a strange encounter in 1921.

Don’t be worried if you didn’t know she was pregnant, apparently, this episode takes place ten months after the previous episode, when they captured the Gray. There’s been some telepathic contact between she and the being, and Majestic isn’t happy about it, she was abducted, she had been infected by The Hive, perhaps there’s some remnant in her.

It also reveals that the Grays may be a peaceful race, and only became something more after being consumed by The Hive.

Kim feels that she has to be in California. Majestic takes care of the travel plans, but someone else is in California as well, Steele (Tim Kelleher).

While in hospital, The Hive tracks the pregnant Kim again, and abducts her, while at Majestic the Gray begins to freak out! Using the Walsh’s artifact, which John believes is a translation device, Albano (Conor O’Farrell) is able to communicate with the Gray and hopefully discover where Kim is. Is it a surprise that she may be in the middle of the Watts riots of 1965?

As John and Juliet track her down, the episode delivers a solid punch to the gut as the episode comes to its close. Kim and the baby are gone, abducted by The Hive!

As much as I’m enjoying the series, a number of the visual effects don’t stand up, and probably didn’t stand up for the time either. I’m trying not to let that detract from my enjoyment but sometimes it can be a little tough.