"Susperience"
Airdate: January 30, 2000

Cade investigates the seemingly psychic murder of a woman belonging to a group of people with paranormal gifts. When he learns that she was killed in her sleep, he suspects that the Gua have something to do with it, but finding the alien might require even more than the ability to read minds.

Color me impressed. While not a perfect episode, "Susperience" marks another episode that bucks last season's formula of Cade hunting down yet another Gua experiment every week. It seems as if this year they are devoting their energy into the human side of the struggle, and so far it's been a lot more interesting.

Perhaps I'm simply looking favorably upon this episode because I'm hyped up for the premiere of The Others, but I was intrigued by the idea of a group of psychics -- or whatever you want to call them -- being involved somehow in the fight against the Gua. Their heightened sensitivity gives them a strong weapon against the deceptions the aliens are perpetrating in order to hold key positions of power when they finally decide to strike.

While the moral of the story is a bit heavy handed, and just in case you missed it, Cade reiterates it via a voice over from his journal entry, it is nevertheless a valid one. While we aren't truly on the verge of a war with an alien species -- no matter what Crazy Eddie says -- there are many problems facing our planet as a whole and giving in to apathy or even despair will gain us nothing. Our inaction will mean our defeat while our active participation in some sort of resolution will ensure our victory and our survival.

In other words; if you ain't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

My favorite scene in this episode though has nothing really to do with the plot, but I just have to share it. While visiting an overly friendly woman with telekinetic powers, she takes a liking to our handsome hero Cade and exhibits a power that I'm sure many of our James Marsters obsessed readers (and our web designer) would love to have. With just the power of thought, she keeps him in his chair and then with a sly grin has the buttons on his shirt pop off, one by one, allowing her full access to his lovely chest.

Wow! I mean you don't even have to worry about rope burns or messy duct tape. Now that is a trick I'd love to learn.

-- Linda M. Najera

First Wave airs at 7pm EST, Sundays on The Sci Fi Channel.

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