First Wave
"Red Flag"

Airdate: April 2, 2000

After the mysterious death of Special Forces Colonel John Russell, who possessed a slew of decorations including the "Red Flag", Cade steps in to investigate. Using the hints given by one of Nostradamus' quatrains and credentials faked by Crazy Eddie, he joins the competition where the best of the best of all the military branches compete and only one can emerge with the coveted crimson banner.

This episode is a mess from start to finish. The threat that Cade supposedly defeats by unmasking the Gua competitor for the Red Flag is really only a minor glitch to an enemy that has the ability to create "husks" resembling any human being that they want. Whether they infiltrate the upper echelon of the military by winning the award via the competition or by replacing existing members with Gua look-alikes, the effect is the same. Even Foster's optimistic musings on how he now has a well-connected figure in the military who is a believer and an ally seems Pollyanna-ish in light of the whole "husk" thing. I fully expect that one day they'll find a way to replace Crazy Eddie! Well, I mean if they've really thought about it. Like I have, obviously.

Another ongoing problem with the series seems to be particularly glaring in this episode. Why is it that week after week Cade Foster, Subject 117, Earthling Extraordinaire, Target 117, Top Of The Gua's Most Wanted List, Alien Enemy Numero Uno, is not immediately recognized by any of the Gua? He is considered so dangerous and important that they send their best assassins after him and yet his face isn't burned into the minds of every alien on Earth? What kind of crappy organization are these Gua running anyway?

Okay, okay. I know I have to suspend my disbelief some, and usually I can overlook that one nitpick, but I'm afraid they used up their "gullible" quotient with the seriously non-military haircuts on everyone involved. Cade probably had the one closest to what is required in that pesky place called real life, but the rest of them? Uh... no. Believe me, nobody is more shocked than I that I would fixate on the haircuts of actors pretending to be in the military. After all I openly wept when Rodney Rowland cut off his wavy locks halfway through Space: Above and Beyond, but that's no excuse, damnit. The demolitions guy could have braided his hair. He had to wear a bandanna the whole time just so it wouldn't get in his eyes! And that's just wrong, people. Wrong.

I could go on and on about the guy who looked like a frog, how everyone (including the girl) went around shirtless a lot except for Cade (Okay, so there was that one scene in the shower. But it wasn't long enough and he kept hiding behind the screens), how even the Colonel wore a uniform that made him look like he was part of some lunatic cult militia rather than the real US military and then bitch some more about the hair issue. But I won't.

Suffice it to say, the wait for this military-themed episode was definitely not worth it. Not even for a die-hard "I love a man in uniform"-type like me.

-- Linda M. Najera

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

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