Space: 1999 – Season 1, Episode 2 – “Matter of Life & Death”
By stephanie - Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
Now we get to the first “real” episode of Space: 1999. In this episode, the moon passes by a mysterious planet that could support human life. The crew of Moon Base Alpha wants to land there and start a new life, since they have no hope of getting back to earth. But wait! How on earth did Dr. Russell’s dead husband show up in the spaceship that was probing the planet? How mysterious! Oooh!
Hey, it’s been done before, but it still works. We’re hooked because there’s a mystery to be solved: We know that the dead husband is not really the dead husband, but in what way? Is he an alien? A projection of their minds? Or something else completely?
We also get to see our first planetary excursion. This is shades of Star Trek, complete with unrealistic technicolor sets (with parrots on fake trees?) and muddy brown water that tests as “drinkable.” For a planet that is supposed to be similar to earth, you think they would have just walked outside and shot something in the woods – but this is the 70s, remember, back when sci-fi was weird and goofy and not this ultra-realistic nonsense they push on us today on shows like the new Battlestar Galactica.
Decent, if just for the kitsch value. And oh – that theme song! Who doesn’t love wocka wocka 70s guitar! Let’s bring that back already!