Fusion Patrol

Eugene and Kenneth discuss Season 1, Episode 13 of The Invaders, “Storm,” in which climate scientist Dr. Gantley notices a freak hurricane, a surviving ship in the eye of the storm, and a town that was strangely spared. When he goes to investigate, he is killed by the invaders, while David Vincent arrives in St. Matthew’s Beach to follow the trail. They point out a number of practical details, including the geography of the hurricane and the hospital, the use of the church location, and the episode’s staging of the storm machinery. They note that Lisa’s behavior is convincing, that the characters are not unusually foolish, and that the episode stands out as one of the stronger ones in the series.

Eugene and John discuss the final two-part episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century season one, in which Buck discovers a strange orb near Vasquez Rocks, the Defense Directorate studies it, and the object leads to a vortex into another universe. The episode introduces Pendar, where Buck and the others are drawn into a conflict they do not want, and are pressured into helping defend a world whose people refuse to kill but still force others to fight for them. This episode also marks the last appears of the Draconians, Ardala and Kane, and of Drs. Huer and Theopolis, making this the end of an era for Buck Rogers. Eugene and John also discuss Buck’s wooden goodbye scenes, Wilma and Huer’s character moments, Ardala’s final appearance, and whether the episode gives the season a stronger ending than the series as a whole.

Ben and Eugene look at the 1976 sequel to Westworld, Futureworld, where they discuss the continuity misses between Westworld and Futureworld, the nature of context shaping how two “identical” minds might react, and make note that there’s an awful lot of talking about sex with robots, but no actual sex with robots in this movie. 00:00:35 Futureworld Synopsis 00:03:43 Delos Tour Begins 00:06:04 Tunnels and Robots 00:07:48 Dreams and Duplicates 00:09:01 The Replacement Plot 00:10:59 Aftermath and Reactions 00:15:11 Yul Brynner Dream 00:18:32 Robot Sex Talk 00:22:57 Missing Delos Logic 00:27:57 More Dream Debate 00:29:59 Duplicate Showdown 00:37:08 Duffy and the Clones 00:40:01 Waters and Cameras 00:44:31 Missing Scenes 00:48:04 Hologram Chess Problems 00:50:19 Ninja Robots Nonsense 00:53:54 Mirror Identity Test 00:56:12 Final Thoughts 00:59:29 Beyond Westworld Talk

Simon and Eugene discuss whether the real human cloning process should be more like Star Trek or a zombie movie, how likely a computer is to explode when code is overwritten, and we ask, where did all the nannies come from? 00:00:35 Opening the Final Countdown 00:01:25 Bea’s Dangerous Bargain 00:02:39 Mimi’s Final Shutdown 00:03:24 Jonas Plans His Transfer 00:05:38 Cloning, Souls, and Identity 00:15:58 Jonas’s Death Ritual 00:34:39 Overwriting David’s Code 00:42:27 Bea, Roger, and Control 00:49:08 Mimi’s Hidden Memory 01:00:27 Nannies and Purpose 01:05:28 Hans Goes to Korea 01:06:44 Rick’s Rebel Turn 01:09:01 Battleland Showdown

Eugene and Kenneth discuss The Invaders, Season 1, Episode 12, “The Betrayed,” focusing on David Vincent’s long surveillance of an alien hotspot and his effort to document a landing and an invader facility hidden in a railway car, his recovery of an alien data tape, and attempts to get it analyzed Much of the conversation is devoted to plot holes and the show’s handling of the Invaders, including why they sometimes want Vincent dead, sometimes want to discredit him, and sometimes do not seem to recognize him. Eugene also notes that Vincent is shown as a working architect with an actual investigation plan, which he likes, while questioning the logic of the tape format and the coordinate system. 00:00:34 Opening and episode setup 00:00:43 Vincent’s Alien Breakthrough 00:01:41 Carver Oil Stakes 00:02:37 Taft Decodes the Tape 00:03:17 Susan’s Betrayal 00:04:14 Brother Killed in Ambush 00:04:49 NASA Sets the Trap 00:05:58 Railcar Showdown 00:06:42 Aftermath and Goodbye 00:06:57 Theodore Sturgeon Debate 00:10

Eugene and John discuss Buck Rogers season 1, episode 22, “Buck’s Duel to the Death,” after a storm interrupted their first attempt to record. They describe it as a fairly routine episode in which Buck is brought to the planet Katar to serve as a symbol of hope for an oppressed population ruled by Warlord Trebor. They go over the basic plot: Trebor has ruled for generations, steals women, kills warriors, and is challenged by the legend of the Roshan. Buck is tricked into returning, learns what is happening, and ends up leading an assault on Trebor’s palace, rescuing the captured women, and later confronting Trebor in a fight. They note that Buck’s final “duel” is more of a scuffle than a true showdown. A major topic is the rescue sequence, especially the “emergency access to the women’s quarters,” which they find odd in both design and placement. They also point out how the scene is staged to emphasize the women coming down a ladder, with the camera lingering on their clothing and legs, and they describ

Kenneth and Eugene look at the classic 1951 Christian Nyby directed (wink wink), Howard Hawks Produced The Thing from Another World. They ask, “Is this film slow, as some people claim?”, “Is it unfair to complain the creature is a walking carrot?”, and “How did they get the sexually charged bondage sequence past the Hays Office Code?” 00:00:35 Introduction to The Thing 00:02:37 The Discovery of the Creature 00:03:45 Conflict Over the Creature 00:05:32 The Creature Awakens 00:07:04 The Creature’s Escape 00:07:56 Final Confrontation and Resolution 00:08:11 Reflections on the Film 00:14:03 Discussion of Character Dynamics 00:24:26 Analysis of Themes and Style 00:31:27 The Role of Science in the Film 00:32:45 Trivia and Fun Facts 00:47:42 Closing Remarks

Simon and Eugene discuss the status of Hubots as property and its legal implications, whether there is a government requirement for Hubots to make a noise like electric vehicles must, and they discuss the correct procedure for warming up a severed finger. 00:00:34 Episode 8 Overview 00:01:41 Mimi’s Trojan Crisis 00:03:02 Free Will and Clones 00:06:33 Florence’s Inheritance 00:07:43 Rick’s Cult Rising 00:16:55 Mimi’s Mysterious Memory 00:24:25 Electric Noise Detour 00:30:57 The Logic of Reformats 00:44:37 Can Free Bots Transfer? 01:01:02 Jonas and Roger’s Escape 01:02:26 Silas’s Childhood Memory 01:03:52 Rick’s New Followers 01:07:14 Machines and Memories

Kenneth and Eugene discuss if the Invaders know how to fly planes for themselves, what Roy Thinnes and Susan Oliver’s children’s eyes would have looked like, and did hippies want to nuke China in the 1960s. 00:00:35 Invaders Episode Recap 00:02:33 Academy Infiltration 00:04:10 The Police Arrive 00:05:35 Cahill’s Final Choice 00:06:23 Episode Discussion Begins 00:19:12 Alien Logic Problems 00:24:41 License and Identity 00:28:39 Production Trivia 00:32:54 Susan Oliver Spotlight 00:34:32 Next Episode Preview

John and Eugene discuss rock and roll gone horribly wrong, and the surprising way the director for Space Rockers was chosen. 00:00:35 Space Rockers Intro 00:02:46 Concert Chaos Begins 00:04:27 Signal Behind the Music 00:06:54 The Song Repeats 00:10:55 The Kids and the Plot 00:13:55 Casting and Character Oddities 00:19:12 Clues and Coverage Problems 00:22:00 Youth Riots Explained 00:26:24 Tweaky in the Tunnel 00:32:48 Behind the Director Story 00:43:40 Music World Questions

In this wildly free-roaming episode, Ben and Eugene discussd institutional failures in education, the assumption that everyone is motivated by greed, Disney’s Song of the South taken in a modern context, the notion that the child of two hillbillies could be educated not to be a hillbilly, is electing an idiotic TV personality to the US Presidency a good idea, dress Crocs, electrolytes, does this film punch up or punch down, is it anti-intellectual, anti-moron, or both and, most importantly, why on Earth are they discussing this film. The film is Idiocracy and it’s what plants crave. Next week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century – Space Rockers

Simon and Eugene we discuss whether Hubot technology changes what death means for humans, compare customer satisfaction in the pizza and battle Hubot industries, and ask whether there is less sex with robots this season. 00:00:34 Opening Credits 00:00:59 Rick’s Rebellion 00:02:07 Douglas Makes His Choice 00:03:52 Bee and the Missing Code 00:05:52 Law Firm Crisis 00:06:32 Inger’s Family Trouble 00:07:27 Douglas’s Death Debate 00:27:57 Kevin Gets Groomed 00:32:52 Damaged by Hubots 00:48:55 Fingerprint Trick 00:54:00 Bea and Roger’s Past 01:05:02 Niska Revealed 01:16:09 Lennart’s Fate 01:20:08 Virus and Arabic Download

Kenneth and Eugene discuss the arrival of Klaatu, the identity of the so-called “innocent,” the impossibility of getting building permits in California, and bring to light the shocking connection between this episode and the Starlost. 00:00:34 Welcome to Fusion Patrol 00:01:20 Episode Synopsis 00:02:39 Act 2 Overview 00:03:20 Act 3 Developments 00:04:03 Act 4 Tensions Rise 00:04:34 Epilogue Reflections 00:04:53 The Innocent Explained 00:05:28 Writer Insights 00:06:45 Story Complexity 00:07:28 Viewer Engagement 00:10:20 Dabney Coleman Discussion 00:10:46 Norman Klenman Background 00:17:01 Guest Star Highlights 00:20:12 Car Chase Analysis 00:21:29 Driver Education Anecdote 00:25:02 Star Trek Connections 00:27:37 IMDb Ratings Debate 00:30:31 Finger Goof Observation 00:33:10 Leisure World Discussion 00:38:39 Santa Margarita Valley Reveal 00:42:56 Concluding Thoughts 00:46:23 Next Episode Preview

Simon and Eugene mark the 800th episode of Fusion Patrol where they discuss the classic 1931 Frankenstein, the extent of the impact of this film across other media, the differences between the film and the book, and whether the film or Mary Shelley are responsible for the perception of the mad scientist. 00:01:00 Anniversary Opening 00:02:29 Frankenstein’s Obsession 00:04:51 The Monster Escapes 00:06:47 First Impressions 00:10:51 Boris Karloff’s Performance 00:15:26 Film Versus Novel 00:18:52 The Beast’s Short Life 00:22:33 Morality and Responsibility 00:26:18 Script Differences 00:30:41 Deleted Dialogue 00:36:10 Body-Snatching Ethics 00:39:35 The Stage Play 00:43:00 Mad Scientist Trope 00:50:24 Never Alive 00:53:54 Why Not Start Small? 00:59:04 Waldman’s Dilemma 01:00:37 Mary Shelley Revisited 01:03:07 Science and Fear 01:08:35 Final Thoughts

John and Eugene dicsuss the return of sad Buck, the daughter of America’s mom, the ridiculous plot contrivance of this episode, and how the name New New Orleans just trips over the tongue.

Simon and Eugene discuss Swedish electric wiring, hubots and eggs as baby substitutes, and how a baby upgrade programme could work.

Kenneth and Eugene discuss David Vincent’s need to have someone else believe him, the double-bluff of having an obvious main Invader guest star who isn’t, and ask the all-important question: If the cylinder contains the masterplan for invading the Earth, does that mean the Invaders have been working without a plan so far?

John and Eugene look at the 2492 Olympic games on the planet Mykos. They discuss the in-built advantages/disadvantages of having aliens with different physical capabilities competing against one another, ponder how small of an area you could hold the games in if there were no pesky audiences, ask if the writers were unable to come up with two imaginary drug names, look at the fascinating history of the branding of this episode vis-a-vis the disastrous 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and come up with a new tag line for this podcast: “We’re from the future, and we’ve got some script notes.”

Kenneth and Eugene look at Andrei Tarkovsky’s famous, and ponderously slow, 1972 film, Solaris. They discuss why 40 minutes of the film is set amongst wet greenery, Tarkovsky’s daddy issues, they ask “What the hell was the point of the horse?” and “Why did we sit through 10+ minutes of silent driving through Osaka?” This cursed episode of Fusion Patrol was over four years in the making. 00:00:35 Introduction to Solaris00:01:39 The Lost Recording00:02:02 Revisiting Solaris00:02:48 Watching at 1.5 Speed00:03:42 Synopsis of Solaris00:05:37 Part Two of the Film00:07:58 The Nature of Guests00:08:36 Dissecting the Film’s Themes00:12:09 The Nature of Identity00:12:26 Different Versions of Hari00:18:25 Film Length and Pacing00:21:03 Cultural Context00:30:43 The Purpose of Characters00:32:40 Understanding the Guests00:34:34 Questions of Existence00:39:10 The Climax of the Story00:45:22 Communication with the Unknown00:54:00 Tarkovsky’s Personal Influence00:55:46 Vi

Simon and Eugene discuss upgrading the babysitter, the theme of children abandoned by mothers, and Eugene grapples with his unresolved cyber security issues. Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Fediverse to receive updates directly in your feed.