Despite the topic of this episode, I love it. It's by far one of my favorites. It's so cheesy it's great. You can tell the show doesn't take itself too seriously. You just suspend your disbelief and let yourself get caught up in the story -- especially since they almost explain a lot of it. I know the writing itself isn't the greatest -- inane comes to mind -- but you don't really expect it to be. Titanic certainly wasn't. But it's still kind of fun watching as slowly each person gradually comes to accept the possibility of ghosts. And of course it all works out in the end, just as it always does when Hollywood and love are involved. Like I said, just suspend your disbelief and think of it as a fun diversion. Remember, this one originally aired on Halloween night.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
The Harbor Covers - Kind of a neat technology. I wonder if ships back then really did have them. And it's a nice way to explain how there's still air in the ship.
The Generator - Whoever of the survivors designed this was a great mechanic. I'm impressed. And again, a nice way to explain the lights still working. The only thing I wonder about is the fuel to keep the generator running. Shouldn't that have run out a while back?
Osmotic Membranes - Cool idea. I can see lots of potential with these in Darwin's tank.
CHARACTERS:
I like the scene at the beginning where Bridger's flipping through the photo album looking at pictures of his wife. Nice way to remind us of her and show that they were indeed happy together.
Manilow Crocker:
The first thing I think of when I think about Crocker is 'crusty old salt.' Despite being one of the most overused stereotypes in Hollywood, it's one that's important to have on this ship. There are so many 'Academy pups' as Crocker described them back in "To Be or Not to Be," most of which are young and technologically savvy, that's it's pretty easy to forget that this is a Navy (so to speak) ship. To be reminded that there are such things as chiefs and noncoms on the ship is important. The modern nuclear sub has only 15 officers and 140 enlisted personnel -- that's less than ten percent. But on the show, 50% of the regular characters are Academy grads -- and that's assuming you count Darwin, Lucas and Westphalen. That's an abnormally high percentage. So it's important to get the perspective of a noncom now and then. Especially here, where Crocker's stereotype is used well. Because most noncoms aren't college grads, but all officers are, the noncoms are more likely to take the old superstitions seriously. His superstitions are made even funnier by his debunking of Levin's supposed science. And this isn't the only time in the series that Crocker's stereotype comes in handy. Just a week later ("Bad Water"), he's singing shanties. But the one knock I do have on Crocker's character is that he's almost too nice for a chief. Typically, by the time you make CPO in the Navy, you've been in the service for a number of years. And after that long, you've earned the 'crusty old salt' monogram. Chiefs pretty much demand -- and deserve -- respect, after all they've put in more time than most of the officers on the ship, and frequently know more about sailing than the vast majority of the crew. Crocker, on the other hand, comes across as much too, well, nice.
QUICK QUESTIONS, QUERIES, QUANDRIES AND COMMENTS:
The George sailed in the summer (how does April count as summer?) of 1913. This is almost exactly a year after the Titanic. Because of the tragedy on the Titanic, all future sailings of ships were (and still are) required to carry enough lifeboats for everyone aboard, and to conduct lifeboat drills. So it's very conceivable that everyone on the George would be able to make it into the lifeboats before she sank.
How come it takes ten minutes for someone to think to ask what the lady ghost said to Bridger? That would be one of my first questions.
I'm kind of surprised they allow Lucas to come along. This seems like the kind of mission that has untold dangers associated with it, and Bridger wouldn't want to have someone he cares about like Lucas in that sort of danger. A week later he's beating himself up for letting Lucas go along in the shuttle, after all.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"You were either hit by a small German sports car or you encountered a professional wrestler in the last twenty-four hours...Or, you fell out of bed." Actually, much of that scene is great, that's just the best line.
"Pursuit of what you don't know but instinctively believe in is what science is all about." That is one of the greatest definitions of science I've ever heard.
It's not so much a quote, but the scene where they're all climbing off the shuttle and onto the George and they all pause to spit except Westphalen is just hilarious.
"No horror is unimaginable to the man who knows not love." Sigh...my romantic heart just breaks at that line.
BOB BALLARD MOMENT:
Over the last ten years scientists have discovered and explored many great ships lost under the sea, including the Titanic, Bismarck, and Lusitania. Salvagers have taken some artifacts from them, but modern technology could let us visit and make these wrecks into undersea museums.
