Farewell, Dominic Frontiere

TV would not have been the same without Dominic Frontiere. He left us with many fond memories.

 

"Dominic Frontiere, Composer of 'The Outer Limits,' 'The Flying Nun,' Dies at 86"

Episode 19: The Saucer - 9/12/67

Police officers are out searching the desert because John Carter has seen a flying saucer and has photos to prove it. Since they find no evidence, the police chief claims he needs a doctor and says his photos don't make any sense.

Just as he's about to drive him back into town, Carter points out a disc in the sky, which turns out to be some kid's frisbee.

His dad comes running up with him, and when Jimmy says it's broken, his dad starts complaining about how toys these days are made of cheap plastic, which makes him seem like an alien who's trying too hard to appear human. The police chief asks if he noticed anything strange in the sky the night before, and he says he didn't last night or any other time, proving he's an alien, leaving us to wonder if little Jimmy is too. 

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars:
 Anne Francis as Annie Rhodes

Charles Drake as Robert Morrison

Dabney Coleman as John Carter

Episode 18: Condition: Red - 9/5/67

A woman is enjoying an afternoon horseback ride as two gentlemen stand by awkwardly and watch her. She is about to cross the road when a driver speeds around the curve with squealing tires, spooking the horse and causing it to throw her off. The driver pulls over and pries open her eyelid before checking her pulse. He looks dismayed and removes her wallet from her pocket before heading to a police call box which is conveniently located a few steps away.

He identifies himself as Dr. Rogers and explains that a woman named Laurie Keller was thrown from her horse and died up on Highway 14. He says he'll bring her in, but as he walks back toward the presumed dead woman, he sees a man helping her sit up, while the other two seen earlier stand nearby.

They approach the good doctor, grabbing him by the arms, and drag him to a pond as he protests. They hold him under the water as the threatening Invaders music plays.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars:
 Antoinette Bower as Laurie Keller

Jason Evers as Maj. Dan Keller

Forging Ahead with Season 2

I started blogging about The Invaders on a whim back in January. I soon realized I had no idea what I had gotten myself into, and was in over my head. I thought weekly blogging would be doable, but I soon found myself unable to keep up with my 50 year anniversary posts. I wasn't sure I was going to attempt Season 2, but I've decided to forge ahead with the adventures of David Vincent. I am not making any promises about posting on the anniversary of episodes, but it's my goal to post once a week.

There is something special about this series that has drawn me to it. I explained some of the reasons why in my introductory post. I suppose I am also enamored with the quaint retro technology, the crooked alien pinky fingers, the cerebral hemorrhage inducing discs, the regeneration tubes, the aliens' obsessiveness with destroying any trace of their existence, and their utter inability to stop David Vincent, that makes this series distinctive. I suppose I must continue watching to find out if the human race will be saved or if the aliens will take over. Will they settle for coexistence with humans, or will they annihilate all Earthlings in making this planet their own? Along the way, I expect there will be some question of whether or not humans are worth saving.

While I have seen the entire series once, several years ago, I don't really remember details of the episodes or how the series comes to an end. Part of my reason for blogging is so I can easily revisit episodes and refresh my memory, though I've also found that by writing about the show, I notice many more details than by just viewing casually. I hope that my feeble attempts at blogging this series may lead others to discover the enjoyable realm of The Invaders. The first episode of Season 2, "Condition: Red," will be posted on Tuesday, September 5th at 8:30 pm.

Episode 17: The Condemned - 5/9/67

Mr. Tate is digging through files in a safe while his nervous cohort urges him to hurry. Tate finds the file he's looking for and, as they make for the door, they hear someone jiggling the handle and head for another exit.

They walk down the hall as cool as cucumbers, despite the fact that Tate is not concealing well the file that sticks out from under his coat. They go to the fire exit, but when they see someone coming, head in the other direction. A man sees them and sets off an alarm. Tate stashes the file in some sort of vent, and he and his partner try for another door, but men start emerging from the doors around them and they are forced to fight them off. They get away and lock a steel gate behind them. The pursuers recover and go to unlock the gate.

Tate's buddy, Ed, is freaking out, saying they'll find them no matter where they go, as they make their getaway in a truck. Sure enough, a car pulls up alongside them and runs them off the road. Ed is knocked out with a head injury. A little girl who's playing with her dolly inside her playhouse watches out the window as Tate gets out of the truck and hides in the bushes. Three men get out of the car and the two with ray guns fire on the truck and disintegrate it. The little girl screams and cries for her mommy.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars:
Ralph Bellamy as Morgan Tate

Marlyn Mason as Carol Tate

Murray Hamilton as Lewis Dunn

Episode 16: Wall of Crystal - 5/2/67

A newlywed couple can't wait to get a room and are busy smooching while driving, causing a truck to run off the road and roll over onto its side, as they run into a pole.

They watch as the driver of the truck staggers out and collapses as he glows red and disintegrates. The bride asks her new hubby, Bill, if he saw the guy burn up, but he only wants his new wife to make herself useful and hoof it to the gas station to get help for his broken leg.

They both begin coughing, and as she nears the truck, she falls to the ground. Bill stumbles over to her unresponsive body and sees some odd, shrinking crystals. He covers one with a mound of dirt, clutches his throat and expires.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars:
 Linden Chiles as Dr. Robert A. 'Bob' Vincent

Julie Sommars as Grace Vincent 

Edward Asner as Taugus


 and Special Guest Star:
Burgess Meredith as Theodore Booth 

Episode 15: Moonshot - 4/18/67

The Florida Keys - two astronauts, on pass, marlin fishing. Eight days before the launching of the United States' first moon shot.

Two astronauts I'll be calling Gilligan and Skipper are working on their disabled boat as two guys begin flying their helicopter over it. The pilot nods to his companion and a smoky red gas is dropped from the copter onto the boat, as a beachcomber observes from the beach.

Gilligan looks out the window obscured by red haze and complains about the fog, while the Skipper calls for a mechanic, saying he doesn't want to get caught in the fog. For some unknown reason, Gilligan decides to open the window and allow the red fog in while making crazy faces in its fiery glow, while the person the Skipper is in contact with over the radio says there's been no fog reported.

He sees his shipmate contorting and goes over to find out what's up and begins contorting himself. He drags himself back to the radio and communicates that it's not fog, it's red, and he can't breathe. He passes out as the voice on the radio repeatedly calls for Major Banks.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars:
Peter Graves as Sgt. Gavin Lewis

Joanne Linville as Angela Smith

John Ericson as Cmdr Hardy Smith

Kent Smith as Stan Arthur

Episode 14: Panic - 4/11/67

A truck is ambling along a country road when some kid suddenly runs out in front of it, holding up his arms to stop it. He is panicked, saying his mother's had an accident back at the house and he's got to get to town to a doctor. The driver says it's against company rules. The young lad exclaims, "In the name of God, PLEASE!" to which he immediately responds, "Okay, pile in," with a friendly smile.

Two guys pull their car to the side of the road and scrutinize the cars passing by them. The truck begins to approach, but the kid spots them and pulls on the truck driver's arm to get him to pull over, and he sneaks out of the truck. The two guys see it and begin to follow the kid down the hill.

The truck is weaving in the road. The truck driver's buddy asks him what's wrong, but all he says is, "it's where he grabbed me," and clutches his arm. His buddy tries to take the wheel, but they go off the road. A passerby in a truck stops and checks inside the cab. The driver is a bit bluish with some frost about the temples and brow. His buddy notes that he's frozen, despite the fact that it's summer.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars:
Robert Walker as Nick Baxter

Lynn Loring as Madeline Flagg

R.G. Armstrong as Gus Flagg