"The Seance Spectre"

I spent the day at home. Looking at the TV schedule I was rather unimpressed with the offerings. So I eventually decided to sit and watch a Space: 1999 episode, and chose "The Seance Spectre." I'd say this is one of the better year two offerings in concept, although it probably would have been even better with the more subtle handling more often found in year one episodes, as there is probably a little too much emphasis on action. The question of what effect years of being cooped up on the Moon would have is a good one, and its not hard to imagine some of the Alphans, like Sanderson and his exploration team in this episode, might begin to develop some paranoia about the command staff. One element that would definitely have improved this episode would have been at least a brief explaination of what Sanderson and friends are doing with their "astroprediction," and how they started doing it. This also happens to be the last episode in which Zienia Merton plays Sandra Benes. Merton, who appeared in every episode of year one, had not been given a contract for year two but was hired on an episode by episode basis. In frustration she left after the third year two episode, but was eventually convinced to return for several of the later year two episodes by Barbara Bain.