This is another of the episodes that I've seen too many times to be truly unbiased about. And I don't even know why I've watched it so many times, since it's not one of the better ones. Or maybe I'm just jaded from too many viewings. I will admit that at its heart, this is a thinking man's episode with some action thrown in to balance it out. Or maybe its action based, with the social moral thrown in for balance. At any rate, Schraeder's reasoning and his motives are certainly valid, and probably a good topic to bring into the show. But at the same time, his methods of reaching his goals are just whacked out. Which brings me to my next point, namely security on seaQuest. Is anyone else bothered by just how easily the commandos are able to take over the ship? OK, so they caught you by surprise and while undermanned as well. But they had some serious intel on the ship's layout and her current plans. Wasn't Noyce climbing up Bridger's back earlier in the season about someone leaking the ship's location? Obviously they still have some work to do there.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Hull Siphons - These things are cool. I've no idea how real the technology is, but that's beside the point. The capability to refloat a sinking ship isn't exactly a trivial proposition, no matter how they try and make it so here.
As part of the shoddy security displayed this week, the commandos are able to get the clam doors to the bridge open pretty easily. If you'll notice, as of the next episode, there is a zipper-like contraption on the clam doors. After they close, a vertical metal piece comes down to seal the doors shut. I think it's a pretty ingenious little bit of technology there.
CHARACTERS:
After some really well developed, well fleshed-out characters the past couple of weeks, things just fall apart this week. The regular players (except for maybe Bridger and the three we don't see) all have some nice growth going on. But the commandos are all 2-D cardboard cutouts. It's hard to keep track of how many there are and how many have been taken out of action because they're so interchangeable. In fact, only two of them even get names. And don't get me started on Schraeder. He's no better as far as depth of character. They try to give him a back-story but never really flesh it out, and his motivation never really rings quite true. Maybe this is due in part to the almost zombie-like acting job by John Finn (a rare poor guest star), or maybe just the writing.
Jonathan Ford vs. Ben Krieg:
One of the underlying themes of this episode is the idea of command. As sailors rise in the ranks and become more experience and more senior, they are expected (naturally) to take on more and more command responsibilities. Just as with managers and supervisors in the civilian world, there are several theories on how to be a good commanding officer. We see two differing theories at work here with Ford and Krieg. These two have never really gotten along, though an uneasy tolerance of each other has developed. Ford is the more by-the-book kind of commander, while Krieg leans more toward being a friendly commanding officer. Ford would probably never consider having a beer with someone under his command, while Krieg would be having morale and team building activities down at the local pub. But just because they have different opinions on the topic doesn't mean that either one is necessarily wrong. Ford follows the rules, and if there's anything I've learned working for the Navy it's that rules are usually there for a good reason. Ford is very good at situations he can and/or has been trained for, but the unexpected can throw him for a loop, and I think you can find evidence throughout the season, small scenes here and there, that support this theory. I think it's something that he's starting to recognize working under Bridger. Ben is kind of the opposite. He knows the rules and can follow them if the situation calls for it (i.e. trying to get out of captivity through the ducts), but he's better at thinking outside the box. His "play[ing] fox to the hounds" is the perfect example of this. Krieg also recognizes his weaknesses; he knows that Ford has more experience and is the only one on the ship who can stop the bad guys, and is willing to sacrifice himself in order to save everyone else. That's step one in becoming a good commanding officer. Step two is what Ford has mastered (in the same scene): being able to order a subordinate into a potentially deadly situation and sacrifice your crewman's life in order to save everyone else. That is far harder to do. In the end, I think Ford recognizes that not only does he still have a lot to learn, but that Krieg really is a good officer, despite their differing points of view.
QUICK QUESTIONS, QUERIES, QUANDRIES AND COMMENTS:
Ford gets offered command of a "Bruno class" sub. As of 2003, the US Navy submarine classes are Ohio, Virginia, Seawolf and Los Angeles. No Bruno. In fact, I don't believe there has ever been a Bruno class in the US Navy. Now is it a NATO designation for a foreign class of subs? Possibly, but I don't believe so.
I love Ford's description: "A sausage with a prop." Submariners (and pilots too) are funny creatures. They can make fun of their ships, but if a non-submariner does the same, they get so defensive.
Ford describes the hull siphons as "the reason Bridger came back...in the first place." Woah, wait a moment here, I seem to remember things a little differently. Didn't Bridger stay because seaQuest is his baby? And because being at sea is in his blood? I don't remember hearing anything about hull siphons until just now.
Call me petty, but I'm impressed Schraeder pronounces 'Wolenczak' correctly when he picks up the dropped duffel bag. You ever try (correctly) pronouncing a Polish name you've never seen before?
This is the only point in the series that they ever give Bridger's hologram a name other than just 'the Professor.' For trivia's sake, it's Professor Martinson.
The Cuyahoga River reference Bridger makes really is true. The river did catch fire in the 60's, and while it has been cleaned up considerably, it's still not particularly good.
I'm not sure you can turn down orders in the military. My experience (however brief) is that you can be looking around and arrange future tours ahead of time, but once orders are issued, you can't turn them down. But please, if I'm wrong on this topic, let me know.
There are some very funny lines sprinkled in throughout this episode. Some of them are actually funny, and some are made funny by the delivery. For example, "Lead oxide deforms the unborn." That's one of my favorite lines just because it's so stupid. Is that anything like the 'undead'?
Bradford Tatum (Jackson, the sort of head commando) is actually married to Stacy Haiduk (aka, Katie Hitchcock). I think that just brings a totally different light to the scenes on the bridge with the two of them together.
ALERTS FOR THE FUTURE:
Bridger (to Ford): "You'll be remembered as the only man who got a chance to sink the seaQuest." Well...let's just see how well this statement holds up come "Higher Power."
BOB BALLARD MOMENT:
For centuries now we've relied on mineral deposits on land to support industry, but land makes up only 29% of the surface of the Earth. As the population (continues to) grow, we'll have to rely more on the ocean for future mineral sources. Coal, oil and gas come from the sea, and new deposits of cobalt, copper and nickel are being found in the mountains of the sea.
