Month: October 1976

Trying to educate the backward people of Earth, Fulvia makes a presentation about life on Medusa, but when it comes to the issue of how the planet’s male servants are disciplined for failing to obey, there’s just no way to spin it to look acceptable. But Fulvia’s presentation does spark the imagination of a group of radical feminists who become fixated on the idea of remaking Earth society in Medusa’s image, making men subservient to women. They plan to make Fulvia their leader, but the Medusan leader has other ideas: Adam offers to show Fulvia what he’s learned about middle-class life on Earth, and the “happy couple” moves into a suburban house. Their attempt to keep up appearances is very short-lived, and they fall back into their usual roles: Fulvia goes to work while Adam cleans house (and gossips with the local housewives) during the day. The feminist group invites Shem for a visit, but he then discovers their plan to turn Earth into a new Medusa. The Medusan slave men’s worst nightmare is coming true: their safe haven could become just like Medusa. But will Fulvia allow it to happen?

written by Ian Stuart Black
directed by Hans Heinrich
music by Berry Lipmann

Cast: Judy Geeson (Fulvia), Gareth Thomas (Shem), Pierre Brice (Adam), Derek Farr (Evans), Ronald Fraser (Kipple), Dorothea Kaiser (Garcia), Marianne Nebel (Freda), Jenny Hill (Mrs. Fraser)

Notes: Some of the multilingual signs seen at the feminist meeting give away the international nature of Star Maidens’ production backers. This episode also features one of the most absurdly sexist observations in a series that, generally speaking, is full of such observations, with Shem commenting that Fulvia’s weapons are “temperamental” because they’re “female.”

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Rudi, ignoring orders to keep working regardless of the risks, moves his fellow slave laborers out of the way of a giant mudslide. Octavia neither thanks nor congratulates Rudi; she simply has him thrown back outside to continue working. More incidents on the surface – and chemical analysis conducted inside by Liz – point toward an unavoidable fact: Medusa’s skies are pouring down acid rain that’s destabilizing the entire surface of the planet. After his work detail is rescued from another mudslide, Rudi is brought before the Medusan Grand Council and tries to offer his first-hand scientific analysis of what’s happening, but the women of Medusa are more concerned with maintaining their matriarchal social order than with the erosion of their planet and their artificial environment. Liz uses her influence – and her orders from the Grand Council to find out what’s destroying the environment on Medusa – to have Rudi appointed as her “assistant,” but the two of them together find out what’s causing the surface and everything on it to liquefy. The mere fact that a man is involved in the discovery, however, prevents the Medusans from taking it seriously.

written by Ian Stuart Black
directed by Freddie Francis
music by Berry Lipmann

Cast: Lisa Harrow (Liz), Christian Quadflieg (Rudi), Christiane Kruger (Octavia), Dawn Addams (Clara), Anna Carteret (Announcer), Kirstie Pooley (Guard), Annette Lynton (Clara’s Assistant), Ann Maj-Brit (Octavia’s Assistant)

LogBook entry by Earl Green