Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1981) – The Hand of the Goral, and Testimony of a Traitor

Francis Moss pens The Hand of the Goral, which first aired on 26 March, 1981. Buck (Gil Gerard) who still looks a little rough around the edges, but not so bad as the last episode, Hawk (Thom Christopher), and Wilma (Erin Gray) arrive on a far distant world known commonly as the Planet of Death….

M*A*S*H (1981) – No Sweat, Depressing News, and No Laughing Matter

The heat is getting to everybody in No Sweat. Written by John Rappaport, we join the 4077th for a sweltering night. First airing on 2 February, 1981, we find various members of the camp unable to sleep because of the heat, and the things they are doing to occupy their time instead. B.J. (Mike Farrell)…

The X-Files (2002) – Providence, and Audrey Pauley

Series creator Chris Carter directs this episode, Providence, that he co-wrote with Frank Spotnitz, that concludes the story begun next week, while pushing the mythology arc forward with the super-soldiers, baby William and the UFO cult that wants him. First airing on 10 March, 2002, the cult, who believes that the ship they have uncovered,…

The Puppet Masters (1994) – Stuart Orme

Somewhere in The Puppet Masters, despite its continuity errors, its plot holes and poor performance by its lead actor (who is surrounded by some fantastic character actors and recognizable faces) is probably a decent film, I mean it’s based on Heinlein’s novel, so it had a great starting point. When something comes down in the…

The X-Files (2001) – Existence, and Nothing Important Happened Today

Series creator Chris Carter closed out the eighth season with Existence, which debuted on 20 May, 2001. Picking up where the previous episode left off, we see the metallic skeletal frame of the alien replicant/super soldier version of Billy Miles (Zachary Ansley) reforming itself so it can continue its pursuit of the pregnant Scully (Gillian…

The X-Files (2001) – Empedocles, and Vienen

While Scully (Gillian Anderson) ends up in the hospital with a complication surrounding her pregnancy, Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish) approaches Mulder (David Duchovny) with a case that may tie back to Doggett (Robert Patrick). Empedocles was written by Greg Walker, and first aired on 22 April, 2001. When an office worker, Jeb (Jay Underwood) is…

The X-Files (2001) – Deadalive, and Three Words

Series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz pen the first episode back for The X-Files after its month away, and it starts with a gut punch. Mulder (David Duchovny) us dead, and he’s buried. Deadalive first aired on 1 April, 2001, and it plunges us right back into the mythology of the series, as three…

The X-Files (2001) – Per Manum, and This Is Not Happening

Series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz pen Per Manum, a tale that puts Gillian Anderson’s Scully front and center, as Doggett (Robert Patrick) brings her a case that seems to match her own abduction experiences exactly, and plays out horrifically for the abductee. First airing on 18 February, 2001, the episode also featured an…

Mission: Impossible (1969) – Nicole, and The Vault

Well, if Joan Collins was good enough for for Captain Kirk, then the IMF’s Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) should be so lucky… Nicole was written by Paul Playdon, and first aired on 30 March, 1969, and tries, within the confines of the tropes of the Mission: Impossible format, to tell a different kind of story….