658 – Space Above and Beyond – The Enemy

While the Fightin’ 58th battle over a worthless rock in space, we wonder if the cockroaches were real, is it ironic or operatic that Tank is afraid of tanks, and if this episode is a senseless wreck or a key piece of groundwork for an epic 4th Season episode that never was.

Kenneth and Eugene discuss The Enemy.

*Note: In this episode, the Commodore has been inadvertently promoted to Admiral. The episode synopsis has been edited to reflect Commodore Ross’ correct rank.

Episode Synopsis

Colonel McQueen and Commodore Ross question members of the Fightin’ 58th to determine if Damp Mouse should be court-martialed for failure to follow orders in a combat situation.

Through flashbacks, the story of a fateful mission to the planet called TaTARus unfolds.

TaTArus is an inhospitable failed star of a planet with a lethal atmosphere and burning temperatures in excess of 60º.  The team discusses rumors about the planet – that it is a worthless planet with no strategic value, that 1,000s of lives have been lost fighting over the planet, that there are massive numbers of desertions and deaths by friendly fire – yet for some reason, the brass continues to pursue securing the planet.

Landing on the planet, they soon come under nearby fire, and Marines from outside clamber desperately to get into the shuttle.  The weapons fire isn’t coming from the Chigs; it’s a Marine.  Tank wants to shoot him, but the others decide to try to capture him.  As they exit the vehicle, they find many more Marine bodies killed by the gunman.

The crazed Marine runs out of bullets, and they try to talk him into putting his weapon down.  He cannot be reasoned with, and he says they should be afraid of him as he is of himself.  He steps on a Chig landmine and dies.

As the team returns to the shuttle, a series of flashing lights, penetrating all the way to their skeletons, hits them, giving them radiation burns and headaches.  Damp Mouse is the first to manifest signs of madness, as she freaks out at the sight of her own blood.  As the others try to comfort her, Wang freaks out when he sees a cockroach; he chases and kills it with a knife.  Unfortunately, he also kills the transmitter at the same time.  Now they cannot call the Colonel for help.

Damp Mouse has an idea.  Out amongst the corpses is a portable communications pack.  They could remove a part from it, and she could repair the radio.  It should be her job to go get the part, but she refuses a direct order because she will not put on her blood-stained suit.

The others go out, but all are suffering from various forms of psychoses.  Killer is afraid of the dark, Tank is claustrophobic, and West keeps hearing a woman calling for help.  As the others get the part, West wanders off following the voice.  He comes to a Marine bunker and meets a Sgt. that tells him, in incoherent terms, that the light is their worst nightmares.  He disappears before the others arrive.

Inside the bunker, all the Marines have murdered each other.

West and Wang put the pieces together. The light is a Chig weapon that disrupts the amygdala – the part of the brain to regulates fear.  The fear ultimately causes everyone to turn on one another.

They return to the ship, but along the way, Killer steps on a landmine.  Wang attempts to save her by using a mirror to deflect the lethal beam from the mine when he discovers a cockroach in his helmet and freaks out.  West steps in and saves Killer, but they are zapped again by the light, amplifying their fears.

Inside the shuttle, Damp Mouse accidentally spilled some blood all over the floor, and she cannot move from her current location because she would have to cross the blood on the floor.  She will not let the others into the shuttle, and they have to hot-wire the airlock door.  Now that they have the part, she will not go to the radio. The team’s fears have all gotten them into a Mexican standoff – they will kill the others rather than face their fears.  Ultimately, Killer places the part and calls for help.

McQueen received the distress call and landed 75 meters away, on the other side of the minefield.  Mustering their courage and a Marine Corps song, they make their way across the minefield to the waiting shuttle.  West wanders off again when he hears the woman’s voice, but Killer brings him back.

After hearing the testimony, the Commodore and McQueen decide not to press charges.

The podcast transcript is machine-generated and not 100% accurate. It has not been manually corrected.