Galen, Virdon and Burke are almost caught by an ape patrol, but the patrol isn’t looking for them. The local ape governor exacts a price on a local village, demanding a percentage of the food they harvest and a number of human slaves in each of the summer months. One of the would-be slaves is on the run, and Virdon helps him hide from the apes. But their real trouble doesn’t begin until they run into the human villagers, who take the travelers hostage (except for Galen) and prepare the escapee for a sacrifice. A horrified Galen watches as the man is wheeled into a ceremonial cave… and then dies without anyone laying a finger on him. The village’s leader, Brun, claims the authority to decide who lives or dies, but his new prisoners discover that he’s also claiming the authority to decide that on an unimaginable scale. He’s about to declare war on the apes, but the entire human race may be collateral damage unless he’s stopped.
written by Howard Dimsdale
directed by Arnold Laven
music by Lalo SchifrinGuest Cast: John Ireland (Brun), Ben Andrews (Miro), Jennifer Ashley
(Talia), Peter G. Skinner (Clim), Mark Bailey (Villager), Ron Stein (1st Gorilla Guard), Tom McDonough (2nd Gorilla Guard)
Notes: According to the packaging on the DVD box set release of the Planet Of The Apes series, this episode was never actually broadcast. The most likely reason that the fully finished episode was never aired was its inclusion of the hot-button topic of chemical warfare mere months after the end of active American combat involvement in the Vietnam War.
LogBook entry by Earl Green