We can’t all be sane. We can’t all make sense. If I’ve
learned anything from Farscape, that’s about the sum total of it. Madness,
purely enjoyable madness. Farscape is a show that stuns with its visuals,
has transcended the stereotypical characterizations it began with, and leaves
its viewers begging for more. For too long, Science Fiction fans have had
to put up with the standards; if not Star Trek, then Star Wars. The Sci-Fi
channel, in addition to gathering popularity through its diverse programming,
has new ads featuring celebrities, which are designed to improve the public
opinion of Science Fiction. It isn’t all Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker
(but you might just run into them, too).
Welcome to Farscape. It blends layered plots, a fabulous cast, and
realistic visions of the space beyond.
-Trinity Vixen
Review of "Ohio Players"
Like most episodes of FIRST WAVE, "Ohio Players" starts off with a Nostradamus quatrain. This installment, however, does not just fall in line with the other quatrain driven episodes and offers the viewer much much more. There are many differences in this show. For starters, Cade Foster is not the only one looking into a quatrain this time. Eddie is also checking one out in Pennsylvania. His of course, doesn't pan out and Cade and Eddie make plans to link up. Foster is in Ohio checking out why the Fairvale High School football team that has been in last place for many years, all of a sudden is firmly and inexplicitly in first place.
Cade's alias is Clyde Howell, a recruiter for Cal U and begins an investigation. He quickly finds his link to the Gua (aliens) and that it has something to do with bees. Many science fiction shows have "hive mentality" as a concept. Dark Skies, Earth Final Conflict, and Star Trek: Next Generation are all shows in which we have seen this idea. FIRST WAVE does it very effectively and with a different skew.
The Gua leader of this experiment of "loss of free will" is the seductress team groupie, Charlene Fay. Nicole Oliver plays the role wonderfully and with great zeal. We have seen Nicole before in FIRST WAVE in "Book of Shadows" as the prim and serious minded attorney which makes her portrayal of Charlene's southern belle all the more remarkable. Her embodiment of this temptress with ulterior motives is a joy to watch. Ms. Fay is definitely not your typical 'bad guy" alien and is another reason why "Ohio Players" is a bit off the path of the typical episode.
George Mendelak very adeptly directs this installment with a satirical flavor. When a policeman's sirens go off in pursuit of our hero, we fear the worst. The cop clearly at all concerned with who might be the person he stopped, but rather why this recruiter has not taken a serious look at his football playing son. We have stepped right into a small quaint town in the heartland of America. Every house property is neatly cared for. The high school and football field are immaculate and the center of all the town's activities. We have all visited this town and we would never suspect alien activity here at all.
Cade's cover is blown very early which leads to a multitude of problems for him. While he knows that working without an alias will not be helpful to his investigation, this fact does not stop or slow him down in the slightest. He is attacked and beaten up by some of the team's football players who seem to be in some sort of trance. Cade is stung with a stinger coming out of Charlene's finger and unceremoniously dumped on the outskirts of town. Cade is able to get a cryptic phone call to Eddie. Eddie comes running and then proceeds to forcefully plunge a syringe filled with a homemade concoction square into Cade's chest. It is a scene right out of Pulp Fiction and boy does it work here. It is simultaneously hilarious and serious.
What does not work here is the fact that while Charlene and the football coach have uncovered that he has lied about who he is, neither really do anything with that knowledge. The coach merely tells Foster to stay away from his son. Charlene, who is running this Gua experiment, has no idea that Cade is the bane to the alien' existence on Earth. She should know who he is and if she did not, she should have checked when it was clear he was lying about who he said he was. This is bothersome for the viewer.
Crazy Eddie's presence is much fuller here than in other episodes and it is put to excellent use both in propelling the story line along, and giving Cade and the viewer many amusing asides. Rob LaBelle is great here playing his role so naturally that we believe Rob is Eddie, and there is no need for him to act. Eddie's glee in anticipation of killing an alien is contagious and very funny. Cade has to calm him down with a hysterical, "Easy there Clint!" Watching Cade toss a football with Eddie is definitely one of the highlights of "Ohio Players" and will live on in our minds for quite a while.
Dan E. Fesman and Harry Victor fantastically wrote this episode chock filled with alien plots, character analysis, and very funny sub stories. They have peppered the script with many well placed amusing retorts and quips. Like many FIRST WAVE shows this one also has moral messages thrown into the mix, yet it does not at all burden the fun. This installment really has three messages. First, we should allow our children to have their own dreams and not live ours. The danger of our loss of free will teaches us to act on our own thoughts and not just go along with other's ideas. Finally, the people of Fairvale and us should know, when something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
"Ohio Players" is a fun, action packed episode of FIRST WAVE. The next episode is "Night Falls" on July 9th and we very much look forward to it.
--B.J. Widro
Review of Taking the Stone by Trinity Vixen
Review of Mind the Baby by Trinity Vixen
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