Tread Perilously -- Alien Nation: Fifteen With Wanda

Tread Perilously's month of TV shows based on feature films continues with an episode of Alien Nation called "Fifteen With Wanda." When a Newcomer limo driver is witness to a crime on his wedding night, he enters witness protection with Sikes and Francisco as his detail. Unfortunately, the Newcomer took an aphrodisiac as part of the wedding/bonding tradition and must spend the next three weeks wanting nothing more than the 15 minutes with his bride to complete the mating ceremony. And with his day in court soon approaching, he is targeted for extermination. Meanwhile, Francisco's son gets involved with Lori Petty. Justin recalls the reason why he never watched Alien Nation despite being a big fan of the movie. Memories of the Fox network in the 1990s are examined, including The X-Files and M.A.N.T.I.S. The pair also recall what genre movies and TV were like before it all got Whedon-ized. Star Gary Graham proves to be the weakest link in moving Alien Nation to television. Co-star Eric Pierpoint proves more successful as TV's Mandy Patankin. The power of 1990s Lori Petty cannot be denied. Geography Corner leads to Southern California colleges. Justin learns a key detail about Newcomer physiology. Erik and Justin pitch a modern version of Alien Nation and discover the old Dr. Spock joke now requires a ton of context.