Earth: Final Conflict
"Abduction"

Air Date: May 8th, 2000

An attack on Da'an's (Leni Parker) life by a Volunteer leads to the discovery of a Taelon relic that reveals the connection between humans, Jaridians, and Taelons.

Since "Deja Vu", I wondered and dreaded for what applications the Mneme device could be used. "Abduction" illustrates those fears to frightening effect. It's not enough for the Taelons to merely record memories on a disc, but they are able to tamper with them in obscene ways that parallel rape to achieve their ends. The brain, the seat of memory, is reduced to the status of a videocassette to be played, replayed, recorded upon or erased at whim.

This week's story by Paul Gertz, Cory Tynan and Howard Chaykin recalls to recent memory Total Recall 2070's first season episodes "Paranoid" and "Restitution". These touch on Olivia Hume's implanted false memories and the confusion resulting from trying to find out which ones are fake -- the memory of her life with her husband David or the memory of her past as a woman named Carol.

Doctor Andrea Mazar (Sara La Fleur) has lived a similar manufactured lie -- for three years. While slaving over Ma'el's journals she suddenly has flashbacks of a car wreck. Just before she makes her getaway with the journals and a laptop, she fires a weapon on Da'an. It's simple to see why she's pissed at him, not to mention afraid for her life as she is about to outlive her usefulness to the Taelons. Seeing the flashbacks of explosions and car wrecks paired with the details of her life as Emma King (as discovered by Liam Kincaid and company) evoke empathy for Doctor Mazar and one really, really wants her to live, to escape execution, and find her long lost husband.

What isn't so obvious is why Da'an puts himself, the healer Mit'gai (Anaya Farrell), and Agent Ronald Sandoval, of all people, in a position of hiding the woman's identity. Another not quite so obvious mystery is what is in Ma'el's document that is so important? And why do the Taelons need humanity's help to decipher it?

This isn't just another "look at what the Taelons are doing to us" episode. In keeping with the thread from Season One's "The Secret of Strand Hill", the relic in Doctor Mazar's hands is an encoded document belonging to Ma'el that is a kind of Ark of the Covenant-slash-Rosetta Stone. Once decoded, the document could unlock the genetic doors between humans, Taelons, and Jaridians. If Liam can play it smart, Ma'el's wish for humanity's equal treatment at Taelon hands could be realized despite Zo'or's machinations.

Even from the grave, Ma'el's wish for humankind puts a hurdle in Zo'or's way. He even goes so far as to design his document to require the touch of both a human and a Taelon to open it. A symbol if you will of his opinion that the Taelons and humans need each other to survive. It's so intensely satisfying to imagine his frustration at not being able to fully use humans and his disgust at the thought of humans and Jaridians having a common link with Taelons. Now that Liam's seen Ma'el's document, he's entered into a closer working relationship of sorts with Zo'or. What will Liam's change in status mean for Ronald Sandoval in Zo'or's eyes? If Zo'or thinks Sandoval is against him, legal maneuvering may not save him from execution a second time.

The game of musical companions afoot, Ronald Sandoval is in the position of having to protect Da'an's interests and it's obvious how much he dislikes it. I really was taken aback with the tone he takes with Da'an as he told him about himself. Not that Sandoval is wrong about Da'an. I just never thought he had the brass balls to say it to the North American Companion's face. Somehow I get the feeling that his outburst was spurred on by fear of Zo'or's wrath and not just the arrogance that comes from hiding behind his boss' aegis.

In between the infighting between Da'an and Zo'or over Mazar's project, what stands out is the B plot between Renée Palmer and Philip King. It allows us to see Palmer let her guard down just a little bit and let herself feel for someone, something I haven't seen since making friends with Arcadia Frost in "Pa'dar". Great job was done by Jayne Heitmeyer. I really enjoyed the way Renée told Liam off in her office after she had dinner with Philip King. It just makes me so happy to see that just like in real life, people who work together don't always get along and sexual tension doesn't always exist between a male and female lead. Heitmeyer plays Palmer a bit vulnerable in the scene following her confrontation with Kincaid in her Doors International office. Just for a hot minute you see hurt, disappointment, and regret in her ice blue eyes. At the end when Philip and Emma are reunited you see how she masks her feelings so they don't give away that she wishes she could have what they have. At that moment one realizes that she's not all business as usual -- she has a heart that breaks just like everyone else's.

"Abduction" turned out to be pretty watchable, one of the few episodes this season that made me care for the characters and believe in the situations presented. It started with a great hook in Da'an's attack, didn't get bogged down in the mini plots in the middle and thankfully there was no nice, neat and totally clean ending. On a small note I only hope that the twist involving Liam and Zo'or continues in further episodes. I can only imagine that the openly independent-thinking Kincaid will prove to be a challenge to the arrogant Taelon.

-- Vivian E. Lee

Earth: Final Conflict is in syndication. Check local listings for show times.

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