Andromeda
"Forced Perspective"

Airdate: February 5th 2001

Dylan and Trance are off after spare parts for the Andromeda Ascendant yet again, (Someone call Scotty quick -- there's a bairn in desperate straits here!) leaving Beka and Tyr in charge of things while they shop.

Oh dear. Captain Hunt is separated from his ship -- and we all know what that means, don't we? Yep -- the man gets kidnapped and dragged away to stand trial on some Commonwealth forsaken planet in the back of beyond. Only this time -- his best available help is purple and possibly useless......

Dylan Hunt -- hypocrite, killer and all around nice guy?

"Forced Perspective" is another Dylan in danger episode. Another planet, another trial. If I were him, I'd seriously think about never leaving the safety of my ship again. Especially as things turn violent when the Great Compass has Hunt beaten in order to force a confession from him. It doesn't work; eliciting only name, rank and number; so they beat him up some more.

While all this bad stuff is happening to their Captain, Beka and Tyr are pussy-footing around back on Andromeda seemingly beginning a ship board affair -- or are they? (Where Rommie, Harper and Rev Bem are while this is happening is anyone's guess -- maybe they're playing three handed whist?)

Unlikely as it might seem, Trance finds, and rescues Dylan. Well, I say rescues -- Dylan seems to have other ideas about getting the Hell out of Dodge while he still can. He's going to end this matter once and for all whether it's against his better judgment or not.

Unfortunately, the denouement is just that little bit to the far-side side of unbelievable. (After all, how many mad-men do you know who can be persuaded by a reasonable argument?) And admitting you're a hypocrite and saying I'm sorry generally doesn't make the bad things disappear in my experience -- but it works for Captain Hunt.

The alternative story with Tyr and Beka also seemed very out of place. OK -- with such a dark episode perhaps TPTB decided that they needed a little light entertainment to take the edge off, but perhaps they should have used Harper for that. Turning a Nietzschean all bashful simply damages the mythos surrounding that race that it took several weeks to build up.

Again, like the revelation that it was Hunt who was responsible for the death of 10,000 Nietzscheans several episodes ago, I doubt Dylan's past as uncovered here will have much impact on the character's future. Which is a shame, because the show could be much more complex and involving than I fear it's turning out to be.

-- Muriel 'Mogs' Moore

Andromeda airs at 8pm GMT Mondays on Sky One in the UK and is syndicated in North America so check your local listings for show times.

We welcome your comments on The 11th Hour and this review. Please send letters to: letters@the11thhour.com

< Previous Review