451 – Moonbase 3 – Outsiders

Sometimes you just need to get away from it all – and sometimes you succeed. John and Eugene discuss the Outsiders Episode Synopsis:  Important research continues at Moonbase 3, but Helen Smith has concerns about two of the scientists.  Drs. Partness and Conway.  Although Partness is working on important fuel research, he’s working at a desperate pace.  Perhaps he knows his days on Moonbase 3 are numbered – and, indeed they are – Caulder is sending him back to Earth.  No one likes him and Caulder hasn’t forgiven him for illegally making the explosives that killed two staff members. Conway, on the other hand, just becomes distant, as if he’s lost somewhere else.  Neither of their psych reports indicate a problem, but Helen relies less on them than she used to.  Caulder teases her a bit that she may be treating Conway as more than a patient… and while she denies it, later, she is in his room kissing him. Conway feels like he’s living in the wrong world.  Sure, things are better, but maybe they aren’t. Caulder has got his own problems, an observer from Earth is coming up to scrutinize their work.  They need results and they need them now.  Both Partness’ and Conway’s projects could be the success story they need to keep the base funded. Conway succeeds!  A jubilant Caulder comes to talk with him about it and also gives Conway some other good news – Partness’ project has made a breakthrough, too! Now he’s got two highly lucrative successes to show off when the visitor arrives in just a few hours.  Conway is surprised his friend Partness didn’t tell him about his breakthrough. Dr. Hauser from Earth arrives and Partness demonstrates his new form of nuclear fuel to much fanfare.  Rather than wanting to celebrate, Partness conscientiously wants to clean up after his demonstration.  Too conscientiously, because the technician discovers Partness falsified the demo. This kind of fraudulent action could get the base closed down, so Caulder must cover up the incident.  At least they have Conway’s complete success. Afterwards, Partness and Conway have a conversation.  Partness knows how to fix his problem, he’s sure the real breakthough will be soon.  Conway envies him.  Even with this setback, he wants to continue on.  Conway doesn’t not feel that way even in his success. Later, someone takes an unauthorized moonwalk out onto the surface.  They fear Partness is committing suicide, but it is Conway, his work complete, on the surface that removes his helmet so that he can hear the great silence of the moon. Caulder allows Partness to stay to make his breakthrough because Caulder had faith in Conway and Conway had faith in Partness.